JAMES STRECKER: Please give us a brief autobiography, some stuff about yourself that is relevant to this book.
MARK RYALL: I recently retired from fifteen years at Hillfield Strathallan College, Hamilton, where I taught economics and coached cross country running and track and field. I also volunteered as cross-country coach for Westdale Collegiate in 2019 and 2021. I started running in 2004, and I won the Canadian 5000m Masters 50+ championship in 2006. I switched to triathlons in 2014 and represented Canada in the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Rotterdam (2017), Switzerland (2019), and qualified for ITU Spain (2023). I self-published my first book, the speculative fiction Age-Decoded, in March 2021; and my second book, the sports biography/training resource Run Daughter, Run Father, in September 2022.
JS: In what ways was this book fairly easy to do and in what ways was it difficult to realize? How long did it take and why that long?
MR: This book was easy to undertake because I love running and coaching runners. Writing on this topic came naturally, as a positive outpouring. I wanted the book to be a training resource, but not a training manual, so I added personal stories and anecdotes about me and my daughter Stephanie training and racing, to enliven the discussion and provide realistic fodder for the underlying exercise science and training insights.
That said, this project was difficult to do because it included biographical information about my family. I needed to respectfully craft those details and ensure relevance and meaningful context.
Stephanie and I started running together when she was seven and I was forty-five. I began crafting Run Daughter, Run Father seven years into our shared distance running venture, i.e., about ten years ago. But I waited until this year to publish the book because our stories were still evolving. For example, over the past six years Stephanie ran cross country for the University of Waterloo and Western University and explored ultra trail racing, while I transitioned from running to triathlons. Over the past two years, I updated the biographical information and expanded the exercise science.
JS: How did doing this book change you as a person and as a writer?
MR: As a person, it made me appreciate how fortunate I am to have a wonderful family, excellent health, and the freedom to pursue athletics. As a writer, it made me appreciate the difference between fiction and nonfiction. My first book was the former and my second book was the latter.
JS: What kind of audience will this project interest? What new audience are you also seeking? Why to both questions?
MR: Younger competitive runners and athletes, as well as their parents and coaches. At the same time, older age-group runners and athletes. This is a vastly different audience compared to my science fiction novel. Why such a difference? Simply put, I’m an eclectic person. In hindsight, however, there are common themes in my two books: mortality and aging, getting the most out of life, and the interactions between younger and older generations.
JS: What might others not understand or appreciate about your book?
MR: Unlike many running books, Run Daughter, Run Father is not written by or about a superstar athlete. Rather, it focuses on younger and older age-group competitors; it delves into the potential dreams, training challenges, and joys of millions of everyday runners; it highlights the importance of older people coaching and guiding our youth; finally, it shines a light on the preciousness of the father/daughter relationship.
JS: What are the most important parts of yourself that you put into this book?
MR: My competitive spirit, humility, and sense of humor.
JS: Please describe at least one major turning point in your life that brought you to the creation of this work.
MR: When she was just seven years old, my daughter Stephanie showed a keen interest in running. Realizing she could not be held back, I got off the couch to join her for her first workouts. That changed everything for me, as I soon became an avid runner and eventually a cross country coach and a triathlete. In the epilogue to my book, I state: “All daughters and fathers seek special ways to bond, and Stephanie and I found our way.”
JS: What exactly do you like about this book you have created?
MR: It is an informative resource of training and coaching insights, but also a heartfelt and personal story.
JS: What exactly has the impact of the COVID pandemic been on the creation of this book?
MR: No impact.
JS: What’s your next project?
MR: A sequel to my speculative fiction, Age-Decoded. Also, another sports biography – perhaps on golf or snooker?