XTERRA Trail Run Worlds: Stories of Stride and Spirit #1

Running Towards Health and Hope

Two touching stories that serve as a welcome reminder that every running journey begins from a different place. For some, like Michel Cayer and Bob Fields, running was more than just a path to fitness; it was a lifeline. Michel, battling a severe sleep disorder, and Bob, struggling with body dysmorphia, both found profound changes to their mental and emotional well-being through time on the trails. Now on their way to compete at the 2024 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, their stories perfectly illustrate how running can offer health and hope to overcome some of life's toughest challenges.

Michel Cayer: From Narcolepsy to Podium

During childhood, Michel Cayer wasn’t able to play sports because he suffered from asthma, recurring infections, and extreme fatigue. He could barely stay awake in class and often fell asleep at his desk.

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“I was labeled as lazy,” he says.

As a teenager, he worked to develop healthy eating habits and started bodybuilding, but he was still tired all the time. Desperate to find a cure for his constant fatigue, he tried natural supplements, yoga, and meditation. Nothing worked.

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Finally, at the age of 27, Michel was diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that contributes to extreme fatigue and can cause periods of spontaneous daytime sleep. He was prescribed a stimulant medication to help him stay awake, but he had to stop taking it due to the side effects.

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Michel would fall asleep at work, with his family, and even in the bathroom. He had to nap up to three hours just to get through a normal day.

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“After 40 years of battling this disorder and trying everything I could, I reached a very dark part of my life,” he says. “Without any medication or alternatives, I could no longer function at work and could barely support my family. “The disorder had reached its peak, and something had to be done. I had the idea of trying something so drastic that it might reset my body.”

At the age of 41, Michel signed up for his first obstacle course race. He had never run a step in his life. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, both physically and mentally,” he says. “It made me discover an inner strength, and I realized that the more I pushed, the more I finally felt alive. I’d found a cure for my misfortune.”

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At the conclusion of that 13K mountain race- four hours and 20 minutes of carrying buckets of sand, rocks, and tires, climbing over walls, and hanging from ropes- he finally reached the finish line.

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“Covered in mud and dehydrated, with chills and cramps, and blisters on my hands and feet, I was completely destroyed. I started crying from the happiness and pain,” he says.

“It made me discover an inner strength, and I realized that the more I pushed, the more I finally felt alive."

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After that race, Michel discovered that extreme physical training helped him to better manage his disorder. “The more I would push, the more alive and awake I felt,” he says. In just one year, he qualified for the Spartan Canadian Championship and Spartan World Championship. He also competed at the OCR North American Championship and two Spartan Trifecta World Championships in Greece.

Competing in endurance events wasn’t just life changing for Michel. It had an incredible impact on his wife and three kids as well. His wife had diabetes and hypothyroidism. His oldest son had ADD, and his youngest son suffered from speech problems.

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“They followed my path and improved their health to the point where my wife became fitter than when she was a teenager,” he says. “My oldest son made drastic improvements with his ADD and is now studying to become an engineer. My youngest son went from being almost speechless to now we can’t stop him from talking!”

Over the past three years, Michel has discovered a new passion- trail running. In 2022, he ran his first ultra marathon- Bromont Ultra- a 55K trail race with 2,300 meters of elevation gain. He placed fifth in his age group and 33^rd out of 391 runners.

In 2023, he tackled TransCharlevoix, a 110K trail stage race; Jay Peak Trail 55K; Ultra Trail Harricana du Canada 65K; and Bromont Ultra 55K. He capped off a great year by winning the 45-49 age group in the marathon at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship with a time of 4:31:47.

In 2024, he’s already recorded three podiums: Spartan Trail 50k, Spartan Race Ultra Beast 50k, and the Bear Mountain 20K. Now, he’s headed to the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship to compete at Sugarloaf where he’ll run the marathon once again. “I hope to run a little bit faster this year,” he says.

“Narcolepsy is a daily battle, but as long as I push myself with my training and maintain strict eating habits, every day I’m a winner against this disorder.”

Bob Fields: Running from Dysmorphia

When Bob Fields received an email from XTERRA asking runners to share their experiences on the road to Sugarloaf, he convinced himself that his story wasn’t good enough. But after some soul-searching, he pulled the email out of the trash and decided to share his tale.

Bob started running in elementary school and he excelled. But as he got older, he abandoned running for other pursuits. Fast-forward to the mid 2000s and Bob was tasked with being a volunteer sweeper for his oldest daughter’s cross-country meet.

“Not wanting to embarrass myself, or more importantly my daughter, I started running around the neighborhood,” he says. “I quickly found out what being away from the sport for over 20 years can do to the body. On my first few runs, I wasn’t able to make it around the block without stopping.”

This reintroduction to the sport he once loved inspired him to sign up for a 10K. He would eventually work his way up to 50-mile runs. But his return to running hasn’t been all smooth trails.

He attempted the Sulphur Springs 100-mile trail race three times, which resulted in three DNFs. But he saw success at the Conquer the Crater Trail race in Ontario where he qualified for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.

Since a young age, Bob has hated how his body looks, and he’s always struggled with his appearance. The shame that comes with body dysmorphia makes it difficult for people to participate in activities that highlight the body and its perceived flaws. But running has taught Bob that his body is strong and capable of doing hard things.

“While I still struggle with not looking like most runners, I’ve come to accept that anybody who runs has a runner’s body,” he says. “Running has made me feel stronger and more confident.”

One of Bob’s favorite quotes has turned into a personal mantra of sorts- “I run for those who can’t.” He believes that running is a privilege and should be treated as such.

“While I still struggle with not looking like most runners, I’ve come to accept that anybody who runs has a runner’s body."

Running has also helped Bob manage his mental health issues in a variety of ways. Anxiety and depression can worsen when the mind is idle, but running encourages Bob to get out the door and be present in nature.

Also, training for long distances stresses both the mind and body, which helps develop mental toughness and resilience. In addition, running has served as an outlet for Bob to escape isolation and interact with similarly motivated people at races and running events.

Although medication and talk therapy haven’t been successful in relieving Bob’s symptoms, the one thing that always helps is running. “It gives me a purpose and a reason to get out the door every day and look for signs of hope and optimism,” he says. “While running will never be a cure for what I struggle with, it has become a valued tool in my toolbox to help me be a little better each day.”

Stories of Stride and Spirit is an XTERRA Trail Run World Championship series designed to celebrate the runners taking on the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain and the unique, diverse, and often unexpected motivations that drive them forward. For more from this series, you can read part #2 and part #3, with more to come as we get closer to the pinnacle event of the 2024 Trail Run World Series.