He has a half-marathon next weekend, the Red Bull Divide and Conquer (a team event featuring mountai

"Taking this path is tough," said the 38-year-old who has lived in Edmonton, Calgary, Canmore and Banff, but now calls Squamish, B.C., home. "Financially, it can be pretty stressful and wearing on my training, but it feels right. And if it inspires anyone to listen to their heart or inspires cheapest delta plane tickets any runners to pursue the same course of action, it's all worth it."
Loutitt has ran for 13 years and been to 24 countries. But now, after leaving his job as a manager for Service Canada in the Vancouver area, he lives off racing and sponsorship from companies such as North Face and Vega. And, most importantly, he has time to prepare for his endurance races, fitting in over 200 kilometres of running per week of training plus Bikram Yoga on a regular cheapest delta plane tickets basis to aid with his mental focus and strengthen his body.
"I just seemed to have great success at the ultra and a little more sponsorship came from it," said Loutitt, a father of a 31/2-year-old son. "The decision not to work and the stress that comes with it, all of those things have an impact with focusing on my training.
The modest 42.2-kilometre cheapest delta plane tickets distance has him in Calgary. Bright cheapest delta plane tickets and early Sunday morning, Loutitt is hoping to repeat as Scotiabank Calgary Marathon champion. In addition to last year's time of two hours, 33:03 minutes, he won in 2006 in 2:34:57 and, in 2010, was second behind Graeme Wilson in 2:38:38.
"I always jumped into marathons last minute without any proper build up and toughed it out," said Loutitt, who has adopted a vegetarian diet which he believes aids his performance. cheapest delta plane tickets "A lot of times, I'd have to go through that suffering. In some regards, it's made me tougher. I'm tough enough now that I know I can just jump into one. But that 100-mile (160-kilometre) cheapest delta plane tickets distance is my favourite distance."
He has a half-marathon next weekend, the Red Bull Divide and Conquer (a team event featuring mountain racing up Vancouver's Grouse Mountain, biking and kayaking), a few ultra-marathons, a speed 50-kilometre race at high altitude in Utah and a 50-kilometre in Squamish — all in preparation for the North Face ultra-trail Mont-Blanc at the end of August. That monster of a race, limited to 2,300 experienced competitors, covers high passes and terrain though Italy, Switzerland cheapest delta plane tickets and France over a span of 168 kilometres and 9,600 metres.
NOTABLES: Last year, Alisa MacDonald of St. Albert won the women's marathon, but Calgarians such as Nicki Rehn and Stephanie Murphy could challenge, as well as Edmonton's Ronke Babatunde, Arizona native Tanaya Gallagher and Crista Kundu of Burnaby, B.C. . . . Brendan Kenny of Dundas, Ont., is expected to nip at Loutitt's heels. The 26-year-old was second last year and is hoping to set a course record. . . . Lethbridge's Kip Kangogo is a name to watch in the 10-kilometre race while Calgarian Jeremy Deere is a notable elite registered in the half-marathon. . . . Nadyia Fry of Invermere, B.C., second in the 2011 women's half-marathon, is shooting for a time under 1:30 Sunday. © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald       E-mail this Article Print this Article Share this Article
Jason Loutitt will be back to defend his title this Sunday at the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. Photograph by: Christina Ryan, Calgary Herald       E-mail this Gallery Print this Gallery Share this Gallery