They might have been the slowest miles a world-class ultra-marathoner ever ran, but they were laps that tugged at his heart and brought tears to his eyes.
Black Diamond’s David Proctor won the men’s division of the 72-hour run when he completed 324.38km at the three-day Across the Years Footraces on Dec. 29-Jan. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.
The injured Proctor wound up doing 15 miles with his 10-year-old daughter Julia.
Proctor, who had quasi-dropped out after 36 hours because of a bad knee, was resting when he got inspired by his daughter.
“She was keeping track of the race and she said, ‘Dad you can win — if you don’t want to walk the course, I will walk them with you,’’’ the 35-year-old Proctor said. “She walked 15 miles and we were going at a pretty good clip. She was trying to motivate me along the way. When your daughter is telling you, ‘Get up and get going’ how do you say no?”
Julia should look at a career as an inspirational speaker — those 15 miles were needed. Proctor ran about 18 miles (28km) more than second-place male runner Christian Riegel of Regina.
Proctor wasn’t the only Okotoks runner spending his New Year’s Eve in the desert. Wayne Gaudet was fourth in the men’s division at 287.21km.
The run was about family for Proctor.
Proctor ran for his six-year-old son Sam who has undiagnosed ataxia disorder. Proctor raised $12,700 for Care for Rare, a nation-wide research program focusing on the improvement of both the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.
Proctor’s secondary goal after raising money for Care for Rare was to run 500km over the three days, breaking the Canadian record for distance over 48 hours and 72 hours along the way.
He got off to a great start, completing 210km after the first day.
“That was right on track to where I wanted to be,” said Proctor, who set a Canadian record with with 257.093km at the International Association of Ultrarunners 24-hour run world championships April 11-12 in Turino, Italy.
“I call it a control effort. I’m not wasting time and I’m not going too quick.”
However, his body was starting to rust, and Proctor found out rust never sleeps.
“When I crossed the 100-mile mark about 16.5 hours into the run (about 1:30 a.m., Dec. 30) I decided I needed a nap — and it was cold out about 2°C,” Proctor said. “I told my wife Sharon to get me up in one hour, no more or no less. I closed my eyes, but I couldn’t sleep… and Sharon got me up and I was just angry.”
However, Proctor found out his legs were rested and after just 100 metres, he kept running at his pace of just under 10km/per hour.
Proctor tried to grab 30 minutes of shuteye later the morning of Dec. 30, but wound-up staring at his tent’s ceiling.
After about 36 hours, the lack of sleep caught up with him.
“I stopped to get something to eat and when I stepped away, I felt a stab in my right knee,” Proctor said. “I finished my lap, and then I started rolling my leg (with a roller) and I felt this bump on the inside of my knee.”
It was about a golf-ball sized lump, sending Proctor to the medical tent. After spending a hour in the tent – where he actually slept — the swelling was even worse.
He opted to take a break and grab some sleep at home in a bed. The result was Proctor’s attempt to break the Canadian record, dried up quicker than a grape in the Arizona sun.
But raisins can be sweet.
Proctor was not allowed to have anybody run with him in the record attempt as it would be considered getting assistance. With the record gonzo, Proctor was able to run some one-mile laps with children, Adele, Sam and Julia, as well as his wife Sharon and parents Nancy and Randy Proctor from High River.
“I was holding their hand the whole way through — it was really a heartwarming experience,” Proctor said. “It brought tears to my eyes.”
Although Proctor won the men’s championship, the overall title belonged to the ladies. Jill Hudson of Seattle ran 329.45km (204.71miles) to claim the 72-hour championship.
For full results go to www.aravaiparunning.com/acrosstheyears/
Proctor isn’t done yet.
While thousands of runners will prepare to run the streets of the Stampede City, Proctor will be in spot for a full day.
Proctor is attempting to break the record for most kilometres on a treadmill over 24 hours at the Health and Wellness Expo, on May 27 at the Big Four building in Calgary.
The Expo is where runners pick up their t-shirts, chips and numbers for the Scotia Bank Calgary Marathon on May 28.
Proctor is running in support of MitoCanada, a charity started by his friends Blaine Penny, who has a son with mitochondrial disease.
The Guinness Book of World Record for distance on a treadmill over 24-hours is 257.88km by Arulanantham Suresh Joachim, set in 2004 in Mississauga.
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