Vicki Woolley (Editor of KIWI Trail Runner): Ultra Runner achieving balance

S/he that rides the tiger can never get off (Chinese Proverb) I am an ultra-marathon runner and like many 'addicted'  athletes, am a rampant over-achiever who has spent 40-odd years smashing through life and raising the middle finger to all those  who said "Vicki, you really should try yoga/meditation/sleep/rest/ relaxation/knitting". 
In the last year, however, I have embraced yoga along with daily meditation (just 10mins), and returned to swimming (Brad calls it 'aqua-yoga') after a 20 year hiatus. These restorative practises have delivered a wide range of benefits in sleeping, concentration and performance - I achieved three PB's last week: two on feet and one in the pool - and am almost completely free of a glut injury that has dogged my running for four years. Life is reasonably-paced; clear, focused, and good again. The catalyst for change? Coach Brad Dixon doesn't prescribe, preach, threaten or insist: rather he walks the talk. I met Brad and saw the person I would like to be - drivenbut not obsessively; focused but not addictively; deeply in love with life but not maniacally.
With profound relief, Brad has helped me climb down off the Tiger.