10 Questions
Meet Dayna Pidhoresky and Trevor Hofbauer, both of whom crossed the finish line at the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships in Toronto in October with personal bests – earning them spots at Tokyo 2020
1 Dayna, your time of 2:29:03 makes you the fifth-fastest female Canadian marathoner of all time. What does this mean to you?
PIDHORESKY It means I still have some work to do!
Trevor, your time of 2:09:51 is a seven-minute improvement on your PB and only 0:08:12 behind Eliud Kipchoge’s record 2:01:39. Does he have something to worry about?
HOFBAUER Nah, not at all – unless we are going oneon-one in a round of golf; then I’ ll destroy him with a 7-iron and a putter.
2 What’s your biggest takeaway from the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships?
PIDHORESKY My result helped me fully believe that [my coach a nd I have] been doing the right things all along … I now even more firmly believe in and trust the training.
HOFBAUER If anything, the 2019 Canadian Marathon Champion ships was a great stepping stone going into 2020, and it reassured me that I can compete at a high level.
3 What was the moment in the race when you realized you were bound for the 2020 Olympics?
PIDHORESKY When I rounded the final corner and could see the finish line in front of me!
HOFBAUER About 50 metres from the f inish line was when I realized I was going to f ulf ill my pla n. But having a spot doesn’t mean I’m definitely bound for the Olympics. I need to stay healthy and be fit when the time is right.
4 What’s been the most surprising thing about qualifying for Tokyo 2020?
PIDHORESKY Qualifying for Tokyo 2020: that’s the most surprising t hing. To have t his automatic selection so early is a dream, and I feel very lucky to be able to map out my 2020 season with the Olympic marathon as the ultimate target.
HOFBAUER Nothing really. I haven’t changed how I go about my days, nor do I expect to be t reated differently by others.
5 How do you mentally train for a race?
PIDHORESKY I started working with a sport psychologist last summer. Some of our training has to do with how you would deal with any possible race scenario, so I preemptively know how to respond. Refining my pre-race mindset has also been a big game-changer.
HOFBAUER I visualize multiple outcomes for every training session and every race. Even the days when I go for a basic easy run, I am visualizing and thinking about upcoming events.
6 Plant- based diets for performance have been receiving a lot of buzz lately (e.g., The Game Changers documentary on Netflix). What are your thoughts on recent popular diets (e.g., vegan, keto) with respect to sports performance?
PIDHORESKY I t hink The Game Changers documentary’s science is weak at best . With respect to sports performance, I don’t believe in restricting whole food groups or f locking to the latest diet trends – because that’s what they are: trends!
HOFBAUER I found The Game Changers documentary to be informative, though it was onesided. I think an athlete needs a fair blend of all nutrients, that can be found in either animals or plants.
7 Your favourite guilty pleasure?
PIDHORESKY I love a good doughnut (or two). That said, I don’t feel guilty at all!
HOFBAUER Chocolate.
8 What’s your biggest asset as a runner?
PIDHORESKY My tenacity. It’s been a long road to get to this point of making my first Olympic team.
HOFBAUER Having the ability to focus on the bigger picture.
9 If a movie was being made about your running career, who would you want to play the starring role?
PIDHORESKY This sounds like a low-budget production. Perhaps we could afford [long-distance runner] Natasha Wodak. Sound good, Tash?
HOFBAUER A movie about my running career would do poorly at the box office. I wouldn’t want to burden anyone with the starring role.
10 Bathroom breaks while racing in a marathon: forget ’em or take ’em?
PIDHORESKY If it’s a no. 1, I’d forget it . No. 2 is a different story. I’m going to stop at the nearest baños. I know that will yield the fastest and most comfortable race result.
HOFBAUER Never have to worry about ’em.
Tina Costanza is a content marketer and training to become a certified running coach through the North American Academy for Sport Fitness Professionals (NAASFP).