Meghan Gould likes to push the limits.
And by pushing the limits that means running 75 miles over the course of three days on little sleep, taking part in a race where the course is basically a choose your own adventure over the course of 30-plus miles, and a goal to run 100 miles without any sleep. Sounds like a fun way to spend a couple weekends of your life, huh?
But as someone whose life’s work is to get others to buy in to the idea of going beyond what they think thier bodies are capable of, it’s a little bit of lead by example for Gould.
She ran her first marathon on her 30th birthday – the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Arizona – and did a few more after that, but she was never fast and just didn’t get out of it what she expected.
Then she tried her first ultra race, which is described as anything over a marathon distance, but usually starts at 50 kilometers – or a little more than 31 miles. It had an immediate impact on Gould, who focused less on speed and more on what it would simply take to make it through some of the races.
“They told me it was acceptable to walk and I was sold,” she said. “I’m competitive, but I’m not fast, so that took the fun out of it for me.”
With a degree in sociology, Gould wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. For a while, she traveled around the country working for Pepsi in grass roots marketing campaign, highlighting the “healthier brands” of the company. But after a while, she didn’t enjoy traveling for work or the work for that fact.
She spent time living in Boston, Vermont and Connecticut, but came back to the area a few years ago, settling in Hancock with her husband Adam.
She had always been a healthy person, heavily involved with sports growing up in Peterborough and going off to play softball at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. Then one day, Gould realized she could be of benefit to people in their goal to live a healthier lifestyle.
“You help people plot the little points along the way to get to where they want to go,” Gould said. “So it’s starting with the small things so people understand what they can do long term with a consistent practice.”
Gould is what you would consider a coach that dabbles in a little bit of everything. She trains people, with a big focus on running, offers tips and suggestions when it comes to nutrition and really just helps find an approach that will work within her clients’ schedule.
“I help my clients navigate all the things in their life,” Gould said. “That’s why people like me exist. To help busy people figure out how to juggle everything.”
Since her work is very involved, Gould only likes to have around a dozen to 20 at the most at a given time. Some of those she works with live around here and they meet often, while others she checks in with by phone, email or Skype.
“I really like to invest in each person I work with,” she said. “And it totally depends on the person. The people that find me are the ones that need me or really want to make a change and want the help.”
Gould knows how hard it is to get motivated. As someone who has to put in hours of training, and live and eat a certain way to keep up with her busy race schedule, Gould can relate when someone has an off day or skips a certain step in the process. But she prides herself in seeing the bigger picture. She doesn’t get down on clients when they miss a workout, rather she tries to offer a bit of perspective.
“It’s about how quickly you can pick yourself back up,” Gould said. “You just need to keep moving forward. That’s the only way you’re going to get to that goal.”
And the best part is she gets to set her own schedule and do things the way she wants to.
“I get to be my own boss,” Gould said. “Because it got to the point where I didn’t want to work for anyone else.”
Growing up, Gould lived in a house where meals where based on meat and potatoes. But those days are long gone as she is now vegan, with the switchover coinciding with with her first marathon. She never loved meat and found that her diet was slowing her down and restricting when she could train.
“I found some people that were plant-based athletes and started following what they were doing,” Gould said.
It’s part of her quest for learning.
“I’m always looking for new things for me that I can pass along to my clients,” she said.
She now finds it helps her recovery quicker, train better and allows her to better prepare for the daunting distances that she has signed up for.
Gould’s next race is this Saturday and it’s known as The Barkley Fall Classic in Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. It offers competitors a glimpse into what the Barkley Marathons – billed as one of the hardest races in the ultra-running world – is all about. The fall classic contains all the elements – including beautiful trails through the rugged Brushy Mountains – with the course map not revealed until the night before the race.
“You have to pack your bags and hope for the best,” Gould said.
She never expected to get chosen for the lottery, but 36 hours after entering she did. No GPS is allowed and course markings only exist at major turns, so not only will it be a test of Gould’s physical abilities, but her mental ones as well.
“For me, it’s not about speed, it’s more about what I learn over the course of a race,” she said. “Ultra running has given me a way to learn things about myself that I otherwise wouldn’t have. It allows you to understand what you’re capable of and what your limits are.”
Last fall, Gould set out to complete the 100-mile version of the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race, which is held on the Granite Rail Trail, and is done in sections of 15 miles out and back. But after 75, she had to throw in the towel. This October, though, she’s working toward making it the complete 100.
“It’s a bucket list type race,” she said.
As you can probably tell, Gould has a problem sitting still. She exercises seven days a week, running three or four of those days, on roads, trails and mountains, and mixes in time on her bike with her husband. She even has a treadmill desk at home.
Gould has three words she likes to live by: stronger, happier and healthier. And anyone who knows her, understands that explains her life perfectly.