by Kevin Dunbar 

Braden Novakowski has represented Kingston running with class and character at some of the highest levels over the past few years. Running for Canada, he was able to claim a Silver medal in the 1500m at the 2005 Pan-American Junior Championships in Windsor. An OFSAA Champion in high school, he has added to his reputation for coming up big at the big races throughout his Queen’s Varsity career. His success as a Golden Gael includes a win at the 2006 Ontario Cross-Country Championships at Fort Henry and a Silver medal in the 1500m at the 2006 Canadian Championships in Saskatchewan. He will lead the Gaels as Captain of the Track and Field Team for 2007-08.

This interview was conducted before the 2007 outdoor track season which has seen him come back from a fluke injury fast enough to quickly qualify for the 1500m race at the Canadian Track and Field Championships to be held in Windsor next week. The story lets us take a look at life on the run for the 4th year Queen’s student and member of the Kingston Napanee Track Club.

What did you do today (or yesterday) for training?

Yesterday was my low mileage day for the week. Of course, the best laid plans can go awry and it seems this particular run was no exception to that plan. I’d done maybe 1 to 2 miles when I ran into Matt Hulse (also a Kingston local) and was bribed into doing an easy 50 minutes. It turns out that it wasn’t so easy, with most of the run being done at or close to 6 minute per mile pace. Regardless of that fact, that short anecdote highlights why I love running in Kingston. It’s very rare that you can run into training partners and other local runners with such regularity. That’s one of the qualities that I really appreciate about Kingston. On any given day you can run into fellow athletes and instead of a lonely solo run, you have company to commiserate with.

How did you get into the sport of running races?

I started running at the age of 12, but didn’t really start training seriously until I was 15. I’d have to name my Grade 9 OFSAA Cross Country experience as the race that really got me hooked on the competitive element of the sport. The sheer size and energy associated with an event like that is intoxicating. I still name the OFSAA Track and Field Championships, regardless of what year, as the most exciting events I’ve ever participated in. Not only are the events exciting for athletes, but also the fans. Kingston hosted the 2005 OFSAA Cross Country Championships and for those who were fortunate enough to attend, I’m sure it was a memorable event to watch.

How did last year’s Limestone 5K go for you?

I went into last year’s Limestone 5K in shape, but perhaps with the wrong mentality. The strength and depth of the field really surprised me, which is a testament to the efforts of the KRRA in organizing an elite field. Overall, the event was an extremely positive experience and although I failed to run my best race, it was certainly exciting to have such a quality field racing through the streets of Kingston.

How did your last competitive season end up?

Last year wasn’t the season I was hoping for but nonetheless was a step in the right direction for setting my summer up this season. I was injured early on in the competitive outdoor season and never really regained form until it was too late, resulting in the roller coaster season that I had over the course of the OUA and CIS season. If anything though, it provided me with the incentive to really chase after the goals I have set for myself this summer.

What factors do you take into account when planning a race or series of races?

I usually try and give myself fairly substantial periods of time for hard training with much shorter and very intense competitive components interspersed within these hard training sections. I really believe that series of sequential races within a short time period of one another are what lead to you to big pr’s and progression in the sport. That being said, success during these intense periods of racing is dependent on a long and arduous build up of both quality workout’s and quality mileage. Thus, my typical season can best be described as a cyclical pattern of hard training and hard racing.

As far as planning for a race, I usually take into account where they’re taking place and the time that I’ll be running. Doing this allows me to attempt to mimic the conditions I’ll be competing in. Similarly, if I knew I was to be racing twice in one day, I would likely try doing two difficult workouts in one day with the same amount of time in between as I would have during this race. This ideally allows both my body and my mind to prepare for what I’ll be dealing with on the course. For me, this is absolutely essential, if I go into races not knowing what the area looks like, and not accustomed to the conditions I can sometimes psych myself right out of running well.

Why is running so important to you? Or, how has being involved in the sport made a difference in your life?

It’s really quite a simple process with me. I fell in love with the sport when I was young, and honestly, it’s the only thing I know. It allows me to break up the monotony of regular everyday life, both in the sense that it allows me to dream, and that it physically removes me from whatever I was doing and lets me go exploring. On the most basic level, it provides a regular activity that I do everyday and can organize my life around. From the perspective of a university student, it has been instrumental in developing a strong sense of discipline and purpose in what I do. Growing up with the sport has also harboured certain moral ideals that I think come from doing any sport and will stay with me for the remainder of my life.

 Who are some of the important supportive groups and people in your running life?

My parents have been instrumental in encouraging me throughout my life, particularly when it comes to athletics. Their support has been an anchor to help me succeed at the sport, and also survive injury. Similarly, my coach, Shane Lakins, has been a key component, both as a mentor, and advice giving friend. My peers on the Queen’s track and field team are also a massive part of my life. For the most part, it is the mens and womens cross country/track and field team that I spend my time with. Whether commiserating on a long run, or suffering through a difficult workout, the support group that my fellow team mates create is unparalleled.