From weighing close to 300 pounds to running 100 miles, I’ve had quite a journey with health and fitness. The photo below was taken from my 1996 high school yearbook. I was in grade ten and weighed 270 pounds. I finished this school year weighing close to 285 pounds, the heaviest I had ever been. Making drastic lifestyle changes, I lost 80 pounds in grade 11 and managed to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of high school and university.
The weight crept back on however, after I finished my university degree. After two years in the working world, I was tipping the scales at 240 pounds. Always mindful of my weight, I would manage to drop a few pounds only to gain them back a little while later. This pattern continued for the next 6 years until I finally found a solution, running. I ran my first marathon in October, 2014 and gradually increased my distance to running my first ultra-marathon in 2016. I have now completed a total of 12 marathons and ultra marathons including a 110 km race and two 100 mile races.
Surprising myself in September, 2019, I placed 2nd overall in the Midnight Moose 100 miler in Gatineau Park. I followed this result with consecutive third place finishes at the 6 hour Fat Ass Trail Race in November, 2019 and the Stride Inside Indoor Track Race in January, 2020. I am not a professional runner by any means however I’m very proud of my recent podium finishes. My younger, 285 pound self would have never believed that I would finish second in a 100 mile trail race.
My name is Jordan Wickett and Ultra Living is my personal blog which focuses on the insights that I’ve gleaned from my journey with running. Now a huge fan of ultra running, I also share news from the sport and stories of some of my adventures. I’m an amateur ultra runner, writer and father of three, living in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. I hope that this blog will be helpful to runners of all stripes – from beginners to seasoned vets.
Jordan’s Top Finishes:
Midnight Moose, 100 miler – September, 2019: 30 h 7 m, 2nd place overall
Stride Inside Indoor Track Race, 6 hours – January, 2020: 65 km, 3rd place overall
Fat Ass Trail Race, 6 hours – November, 2019: 53 km, 3rd place overall
Ultra Marathon Results: Link
Jordan’s Fastest Known Time Activity: Link
