

#MondayMotivation: Because Life Ain't Nothin' But an Ultra-Run
See how chef Gregory Gourdet did it, then get fired up about charging the hills.
January 30, 2017
● 2 min read
It all started in 2006, when I was in rehab in New York City, staying at my parents’ house.
I wanted to attempt something healthy, so I would run two miles to this park. It was awful. Then I moved to San Diego — I got into the healthy California lifestyle, joined a gym, and got up to six miles on a treadmill.
The thing is: I have an addictive personality. I like excess. But so do runners — the sport is all about endurance and not wanting to stop. So I started pushing myself further and further as a runner. By the time I moved to Portland, OR, after going back and forth with being sober, I finally made the commitment to getting healthy and running again. I signed up for a 10K, and it ended up feeling pretty exhilarating. So I signed up for a half marathon, then a full marathon, and I hired a running coach.
In Oregon, we are surrounded by beautiful forests, and it’s a big running town, so it’s easy to just jump into that culture. My running coach gave me a goal — The Seattle Marathon — and a training plan. After I finished work, instead of going to a bar or clubbing, I would go running. I had all this energy inside of me now that I was sober, but instead of reverting back to my old habits, I would channel that energy into running.
When I ran my first marathon, I actually remember starting to cry at mile 21 because it was such a big feat for me, and I knew I was going to finish — it was pretty epic. Over the course of the next few years I did a bunch more marathons, and in the process, I met this group of people who called themselves “ultra runners.” An ultra race is anything longer than a marathon — the name sounded badass, and I knew I could do one of those races; so I went up to Washington by myself and ran my first ultra, which was a 50K, or 31 miles.
All of a sudden, now that I was sober, running wasn’t about hiding from anything. It became this incredible source of calm, where I could be outside, have alone time, and push my physical limits. I met this guy, Kevin, who was also sober and an ultra runner, and he pushed me to sign up for more 50Ks. Eventually, I did a 40-mile race, then a 50-mile race. Being an ultra-runner in Oregon is amazing — there are the best views here. There’s a run in the Gorge, which is a 30-mile loop. You can climb this mountain peak and see Mount Hood. For most people, it’s a multi-day hike, but as an ultra-runner, I can get there in a few hours.
It’s cool being both a chef and an ultra runner — there aren’t that many of us because you have to really want it. I’ll run 20 miles before I go to work — that’s a three to four-hour commitment. The restaurant industry is all about being in these really stressful situations, getting through an amazing service, and then doing something to slow down — some people choose to settle down and have a family, or go out and party. I chose health.
I run not to show off, but to prove that I can dig deep down inside and find what I need to face any challenges that come ahead of me.
As told to Priya Krishna | Photograph courtesy of Gourdet
Related

Read
November 18, 2016
A new column, because the world keeps turning, and cooking still rules.

Read
February 16, 2016
When you see the world in your backyard.

Expert
Chef
Departure
Portland
21 Recommendations Made

Read
February 8, 2017
Chef Gabriela Cámara on her decision to staff up with ex-cons.

Read
How Chef Yvan Lemoine's love for food transcended circumstance.

Read
March 6, 2017
Nicole Ponseca's fight to give Filipino food its New York Moment — and find her true life path.