Run to the Hills: Whistler’s Extreme Races
Ask any old-timer who used to have to walk to school uphill both ways: suffering builds character. But who said you had to suffer alone? The Whistler summer calendar is stacked with adventure races like the Tough Mudder, Red Bull 400 or the Valley to Peak run, and nearly all include some sort of team category. Turns out group suffering is more popular than ever. But why? What is it about mud-pool obstacle courses, extended uphill sprints and ultra-long-distance jogging that appeals to the average fitness enthusiast these days? Is the desire to endure hardship with our peers a natural offshoot of a techno-driven culture that makes it easier for everyone to exist in their own isolated bubble? Is all this group suffering driven by an ancient human desire for tangible connection?
Essentially, yes. “That’s kind of bang on,” explains sports psychologist and 1992 Whistler Cup ski champion Dr. Haley Perlus, an expert in mental toughness who has competed in a number of adventure races. “That sense of teamwork is innate in us since birth. The need to feel effective in your environment is hardwired into us.” Perlus adds that these races stoke our sense of confidence to believe we can achieve something, and flood us with the joy of feeling like we belong to something greater than the individual. So, while the mountains around Whistler are home to any number of rugged individualists, it’s good to know there’s room in those hills for teamwork, too. Because life can be tough (and those old-timers will tell you it’s better that way), but we’re all in it together. Whistler hosts the legendary Tough Mudder and Mudder Half on June 16 and 17. The steep and savage Red Bull 400 is on July 15, the 5 Peaks Trail Series August 25, the North Face Valley to Peak on September 1, and the ultimate suffer-fest—the Subaru IRONMAN Canada on July 29. Hit up whistler. com/events for a more complete list of good opportunities to get out with your friends and make those old-timers proud.