Dirt in your skirt blog

Athlete Profile: Charity Fick

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Margaret Schlachter

charity*Original Profile Here, See updated 2017 below the line. 

Charity Fick might be behind a desk during the week as a Service Desk Analyst but this 34 year old can be found most weekends tackling a mud run or obstacle race around Canada. She is a contributor to MudRunGuide.com and has found love of sport in OCR.

How did you get involved in your sport?

I began running 5 years ago in order to train for the Vancouver Sun Run 10 km road race. As for being involved in OCR (Obstacle Course Racing), I won a book through Facebook three years ago called Ultimate Obstacle Race Training: Crush the World’s Toughest Courses by Brett Stewart. After reading his book I entered, and completed my first race, the Spartan Sprint 5km on Mount Seymour, in Vancouver B.C. Due to being late I ended up doing the course on my own and fell in love with it. That changed me, and now I have fallen in love with running / OCR.

Were you always an athlete?

No I was not. In school I wasn’t very athletic at all. I only started really running and racing within the last 6 years to be honest.

 

What are some of your athletic achievements?

1. Completing the Spartan Sprint 5km course on my own
2. My first half Marathon – the Lululemon Seawheeze in 2014
3. Having my husband run races by my side.

 

DSCF0369What are your goals for the upcoming season?

To go out and complete as many new races as possible, both big and small. I think overall my biggest goal is to try every obstacle at Tough Mudder and just enjoy.

 

Who is/are your inspiration?

My family, especially my husband who’s given me full support on everything that I have done from day 1. The women I have met through the Canadian Mudd Queens, who have shown me what it feels like to be a proud strong and fierce competitor, and 3 daughters (two step daughters Brandi and Samantha, and my daughter Sierra). I try and be the best that I can and show them that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

 

What is your most proud moment in sport?

Last August at the Lululemon Seawheeze 2014 race. I was 2.5 km away from finishing and I met someone who was struggling. I started talking to her and made a pact that no matter what her and I were going to finish the race together. I understood the commitment it took to get to this point and I wasn’t going to let her not finish. We chatted, laughed and made it across that finish line. I cried as I was so proud of myself and felt really good helping someone else out. With running and OCR racing I find it’s the people that make the sport.

 

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What is your most proud moment in life?

The birth of my daughter Sierra. We had experienced a loss just before we found out she was on her way. The moment I heard her cry for the first time after birth, I melted.

 

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How do you overcome a bad race or training day?

I get frustrated internally for a bit, then I take a step back and realize I still went for it. I got up, I went out and did the best that I could and at the end of the day I know I gave it my all. I would rather have a bad training day / experience to learn from then to have never gone out and tried at all.

 

What is your training routine like?

I am running a lot right now. I average about 25 km a week. Twice a week I run with my local running group, and then on the weekends I run solo. I have also started to incorporate more strength training in my routines utilizing online videos, 30 day challenges and just recently the Body Beast DVD series. I also try and get in one 30 minute yoga session a week.

 

What advice would you give to someone starting out in your sport?

Do your research. There are multiple social media groups available for beginners, with amazing members that are more than happy to encourage you. I found the Canadian Mudd Queens online, joined their group, and have bonded with such amazing women. The women in this group have made me want to be more, to go after more.

 

spartanWhat is your favorite pre-race and post-race food?

Pre race food – I like junk food to be honest. Something greasy like a burger and fries. It’s not the smartest fuel but it is soo good. Aftewards I try and grab something healthy but it tends to leave towards greasy or heavy as well.

 

When not training and competing what do you do with your down time?

I enjoy digital photography; I take a ton of pictures. I also love just going for walks, reading, writing in my journal and relaxing.

 

What is your favorite quote to motivate you?

“Just because it burns doesn’t mean your gunna die, you gotta get up and try try try”
Song Lyric from Try by Pink.

 

What is the best advice a coach ever gave you?

Be in the moment. Be in the now.

 

DSCF0409If you could share some advice to the next generation of athletes, what would it be?

Be kind to your body. You will want to train hard and fast but learn to listen to your body. Take your rest days, eat good food, get sleep and just have fun with your sport of choice. Smile, laugh, share your stores with friends. Enjoy!!

 

What is/are the races you are most looking forward to this year?

Tough Mudder
Dirty Dash
Mudd Sweat and Tears
Mudderella
Rock and Roll Half Marathon

 

Any additional information you would like to share:

To be honest when I first started running / doing OCR races I didn’t think it would become such a part of who I am. It changes you. I eagerly await the beginning of the year when races are announced so I can sign up with friends to do them. I enjoy being fit, and strong, and trying new things. I get super excited when talking about my race experiences and proudly show off my bruises. I’m a better person because of running and doing OCR races.

mudcrawl

 


2017 Profile Update:

Charity Fick may be behind a desk during the week as a Service Desk Analyst, but on her off work hours, this 37-year-old can be found training or conquering a wide variety of runs / OCR events in Canada and now in the US. She is an active contributor to MudRunGuide.com and has found her love of sport in the running and OCR communities.

How did you get involved in your sport?

I began running 5 years ago in order to train for the Vancouver Sun Run 10 km road race. As for being involved in OCR (Obstacle Course Racing), I won a book through Facebook three years ago called Ultimate Obstacle Race Training: Crush the World’s Toughest Courses by Brett Stewart. After reading his book I entered and completed my first race, the Spartan Sprint 5km on Mount Seymour, in Vancouver B.C. Due to being late I ended up doing the course on my own and fell in love with it. That changed me, and now I have fallen in love with running / OCR.

Were you always an athlete?

I was not athletic in school. I hated our physical education program as the attention was given more to the “stars” (the ones that were good at everything), and those of us that were average were ignored to a point. I hated running for years because of this, as running was a punishment if we missed a class or weren’t fast enough (we were told to run a lap of the school).

What are some of your athletic achievements?

  1. Running my first full Marathon in 2016 – the BMO (Bank of Montreal) Marathon
    2. Continuing to be successful at conquering the Tough Mudder course
    3. Having my husband and friends be super supportive and race with me in the mud.
    4. Crossing the finish line with my daughter Sierra at her first mud run (Mud Mulisha Event)

What are your goals for the upcoming season?
This season I am working towards my 1st Spartan Trifecta. In previous years I have spread myself too thin trying to finish a large number of races. This year I am focusing my training more, have an amazing running coach and less races. More is not always better any my main overall goal is to finish each race strong and injury free. A pr here and there would be nice (to show that my hard work is paying off), but I will leave that up to the universe to decide.

Who is/are your inspiration?

I see inspiration all around me to be honest. As I am getting more into this sport and learning more about the athletes, I know now everyone has a story to tell. Everyone who has done an OCR for the first time gets scared and thinks they cannot do it – and then they cross that finish line and realize they can. I have an amazing local OCR community around me (Vancity OCR), as well as the Canadian Mudd queens – we tend to inspire each other to do better and be more (and to sign up for more races it seems). I also have an amazing family (my husband Ryan, my step daughters Brandi and Sam), and my daughter Sierra that help push me through mentally tough moments on course. Each new friend or contact I make before, during or after a race is inspiring, as you never know who you may connect with. There are many amazing running and OCR groups and communities online – you just need to go and check them out.

 

What is your most proud moment in sport?
This is a tough one to nail down. Every race or  OCR that I complete makes me proud. It reminds me I was stronger then I was yesterday, and that I can go out and do things. You need to prepare, train and be smart about it, but once as an athelete you realize that you are capable of pushing outside your comfort zone and taking that risk it is well worth it. On a personal note, I am an introvert by nature so making connections with so many people in the OCR / running community is completely outside of my normal comfort zone – that makes me proud.

What is your most proud moment in life?

The birth of my daughter Sierra. We had experienced a loss just before we found out she was on her way. The moment I heard her cry for the first time after birth, I melted.

How do you overcome a bad race or training day?

I used to get super upset, cry, and or swear like a sailor. I am trying to work on being more positive, so on a bad training day I praise myself for showing up and getting it done. I used to be huge about progress needing to happen right away during my training, and I was hugely into numbers and comparison to others, but I am slowly moving away from that. Each person is built differently and can do different things, and now that I am a bit older *laughs* I get that.

When I experience a bad race / missed finish time / or minor injury; I pat myself on the back knowing that I crossed the finish line safe. You can’t control every element of every race, sometimes it’s just a matter of keeping mentally focused on putting one foot in front of the other and dealing with one obstacle / challenge during the race at a time. Each time you hit that start line, there is always an opportunity to learn from it. Bad races happen, but it is up to you as a person to decide how you want to deal with it.

What is your training routine like?

In 2017 I have some big race goals / end results that I am working on. I have started to work with a running coach that also trains people for OCR (Allison Tai from VanCity OCR). I just took a quick look at my training schedule and it is a combination of running training (working on speed, intervals, hill training) and strength (upper and lower body, grip strength ect). I am actively working out 6 days a week with 1 active rest day a week. This may seem like a lot of work, but with the goal races and challenges that I am working to accomplish, I need to put the work in and get ready. Endurance will be a key element in almost all the races / OCRS I do this year, and once I have a better grasp on physical endurance the mental will follow.

 


What advice would you give to someone starting out in your sport?

Find something that interests you. I am not saying your first event / sport should be a Spartan Ultra beast but dream big. Do your research on a race or event that sparks your interest. Go onto google and search for “race reviews” there are a large number of sites out there where participants review their events. Go on facebook and do a search for a local sports team / running group / OCR gym or team – there are hundreds out there. I found the Canadian Mudd Queens and many more local groups via a facebook search one night.

I would also recommend once you set your sights on your first event, train (you can also google training plans for many events). There are many free training plans available out there, and I recommend being smart about your first goal.

What is your favorite pre-race and post-race food?

Pre-race food: I am trying to get better but it is normally a cup of coffee and possibly a banana.
Post-race – depending on the distance and effort I usually go for a good burger (or steak) and a beer.

When not training and competing what do you do with your down time?

I am a blogger / race reviewer for my own site gomommygo.run/. This was an exciting step for me as now my voice can be heard (scary at the same time). I also write race reviews / articles and interviews for Mud Run Guide.com – everyone I have reached out to in the OCR community has been super helpful and happy to be a part of this. I am also actively working on personal development – I am reading a lot of books on running / racing / cooking to try and better myself and those around me. I also love spending time with friends and family and just going out and about and doing different things. I love digital photography as well.

What is your favorite quote to motivate you?

“Just because it burns doesn’t mean your gunna die, you gotta get up and try try try”
Song Lyric from Try by Pink.


What is the best advice a coach ever gave you?

Be in the moment. Be in the now.


If you could share some advice to the next generation of athletes, what would it be?

Be kind to your body. You will want to train hard and fast but learn to listen to your body. Take your rest days, eat good food, get sleep and just have fun things. Don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun with whatever it is you are doing.

What is/are the races you are most looking forward to this year?

Tough Mudder
Spartan – (sprint, super and beast)
Lululemon Seawheeze ½ marathon (a yearly favorite)

I look forward to each year as I try and add into the mix new races I have never done before.

Any additional information you would like to share:

I want to get to know more about the OCR community and the people in it. Feel free to reach out to me on social media as I would love to chat with you.

on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/brat13/

On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/gomommygo.run