Our secret on running 210 marathons in a year: Don Grant
Let me tell you about a guy named Don.
He is the perfect candidate for the tour’s “local hero” category. In fact, this guy named Don could be awarded with the title of, “the originator of what it means to be a local hero”.
You see our friend Don Grant has all the qualities of what a local hero brings to the table.
- Lives local (Burnaby BC),
- Has a family (an awesome wife and kid to match)
- Works with many people in the community (way beyond 9-5)
- Coached Hockey for many years (pretty Canadian eh)
- Goes way out of his way for anyone in need of his talents (often)
- Is humble in his ways, but way beyond what most in his profession profess to do
- Is the kind of guy you know you can always count on, when you really need him
These are but a few of the criteria that give the guideline to be a “local hero”.
Like I said, our most trusted and valued friend Don, is from our hometown of Vancouver and has treated me, (Matt) for the last 16 years, starting with the multiple Ninja Kicks to the head filming of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and subsequent triathlon crashes, strains and mis-alignments). And since that first visit to his office on 6th St. in Burnaby, he has been a huge and sometimes, only reason why I’ve been able to compete in Ironman and all the other crazy things I’ve done over the years.
When Steph and I came to his office in early 2007 with this crazy dream to run across Canada and around America, with the honest question of, “what do you think Don?”
His answer was a simple (Don-like), “sure, you can do anything you want. When are you leaving?” His answers are sometimes so simple that it begs your ego brain to question weather there’s a hidden meaning or something you’ve missed in the simplicity of the “sure”. But with Don, you always get the honest goods and the commitment to get you to the start line (and finish line), healthy.
I know I haven’t said what Don does because I needed to give you a solid background on his character traits and a few examples of what makes him our local hero.
Don Grant is (in official title) a Doctor of Chiropractic with a list of attachments that go along with his years of training and other chiro symbols after the DC/AK signitories and the like. To us (and the hundreds on his patient files) as well, the hundreds still waiting to experience the “magic functionality of a Don Grant adjustment”, he is a lifeboat (many times) in a sea of athletic crashes, whacks to the body and in my case, a baaaaaad sprain just before our year long run endeavor.
Don had been treating Steph and I since the day we told him what we were planning on doing and helped us get over the start up over distance training we had to do in order to get our bodies ready for the year’s marathons. Like any long distance endeavor, we had our share of “tweeks” and “niggles” as we ran an average 80-140 miles per week for the year leading up to May 4th.
We knew we were but a phone call away from the friendly voice of Marriann, (Don’s faithful and “I’ll see if I can squeeze you both in”, receptionist). And when we couldn’t see Don for the better part of six months because of having to recover from his own big surgery, we were treated by his nephew, Stephen Sigalett, an up and coming, gifted Doc of all things Chiropractic.
Now you have the background on Dr. D and our journey with him. So now, I’d like to let you in on the latest in ‘local hero” adventures. It happened a few days ago while we were stopped in Portland for 2 more school presentations (St. Claire’s and Serendipity school’s respectively).
Don drove all the way from Vancouver (and must be mentioned he had just been in Portland 2 nights earlier to visit with his son Brandon, who’s attending Western States Chiropractic Program and carrying on the tradition). Don saw (or heard in my voice) the need to get us strong and straightened for these remaining 3 weeks and spent over 2 hours, adjusting, re-setting stuck bones, stretched ligaments and nervous systems, a bit low from a year’s worth of marathon’ing.
He even worked on Amber, to ensure she was strong for the impending madness that will be a busy run and events schedule until we run home on May 8th.
This is Don. No extra strings attached. No hidden costs, a guy who usually is the only person able to diagnose an ailment and subsequent solution over a cell phone call from the road. For example, Steph started having much pain in her foot from her arch dropping (Morton’s Neuroma) way back in Perth, Ontario. Our 1st call was to Dr. Don, who set up many chiropractor’s to try to alleviate her pain, keep her arch from dropping and striking the ground on the wrong (painful toe) with each step she took. None of them were able to fix it, and we still had many miles to cover.
So Don went searching for the solution in another direction. He figured a way with nutrition (and sent some way strong supplements), to keep Steph’s brain “thinking” her dropped arch was fixed. Some might think “crazy solution”. But I’m here to tell you, she ran on it all the rest of the way across Canada and now around America! Placebo effect or not, she ran and ran and is still running!
I had a badly jammed foot since Houston that started feeling like my foot was driving my fibula and tibia apart with each step (because it was, as Don so honestly put it). Not a nice feeling, especially with marathons each day and the number of times your foot strikes the ground. I ran (hobbled) my way across the south and finally got some relief in LA by another of Don’s AK alumni. It was relief until we could see Don in Portland.
That’s the through-line, Don is the most committed person to ensuring you keep going, in health. He’s been with us the whole journey, ready with advice on what to rub for pain, what to take to heal and always comes from the viewpoint of, “you’re succeeding, just keep it slow and your body will go”.
So we would like the world (or at least our Run For One Planet blog world) to know about a guy named Don and how much he means to us. He never takes the spot light for himself and always shuns attention. But we felt the need to let you all in on who he is and why he is in a category all by himself in the category of “local hero”. Thanks Don, for your friendship, your passion to heal (us and the hundreds of others) and honoring us with your brilliance.
Can we make an appointment for May 9th, say, around 10:00am? We might want to sleep in.
When I had asked you, Matt, “Do you stretch before runs” ( I ran
with you into Medicine Hat as I am a member of the MadHatter’s
Running Club)? and you said, “no, we just warm up”, I Knew that
you two must be doing something else to get those bones and muscles going.
Now I Know his name, Don. Yes, what an amazing guy!
Comment by Keith — Friday, April 24, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
As they say in the Field of Dreams… Build it and they will come! You built your dream and many people, like myself and Don have joined you in this wonderful dream to inspire the average person (young and old) to make a change for the betterment of the planet! WHAT A WONDERFUL DREAM! And, it’s not over til its over… see you in Powell River soon! Cheers, Shaunah
Comment by Shaunah — Friday, April 24, 2009 @ 8:15 pm