IWD2022 Coach Spotlight: Briana Scott

You’ve had such a unique and inspiring journey into running. Coming into this sport after a collegiate volleyball career to, almost overnight, winning national medals on the track. Could you share a little bit of your background in athletics and how you got involved in running?

2018 is when my running spiraled after dropping into Mile2Marathon, it was the perfect place for me to grow into the sport. It’s pretty funny looking back – I’d always go out as hard as I could in workouts, unaware of splits and pacing, just trying to hang on. I grew into the sport quickly. I bought my first pair of racing flats, learned how to pace myself and now geek out over workout splits.

A big turning point for me was the summer of 2020 when I was living in Portland. Even though there were no races on the calendar, my husband (Derek) and I spent that time running in Forest Park everyday and looping around the Nike campus. There was no shortage of inspiration. I experimented with time trialing different distances and started to see some big improvements. I started with a mile time trial. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect since I had never raced that distance, but my fitness was good and I set a goal to try and break 5 minutes. With Derek pacing me I didn’t look at splits and just hung on for dear life. I kicked hard and surprised myself by running 4:44. After a few more weeks of training, the summer came to an end and we gave it one more shot. We got to the track late in the evening, the sun had set and apparently the lights decided to not come on that night. The track was almost pitch black, but we went for it and I ended up running 4:39. It was just a summer night with no one around and a time that didn’t mean anything, but it’s one of my favourite running moments to date.

Last Spring, things really kicked off as I began training with BC Endurance Project and raced in a bunch of local track meets. I also got my first pair of spikes! If someone had told me back in 2018 that I’d be racing the Canadian 10,000m Champs and would end up on the podium behind Malindi Elmore, I would’ve laughed and said they had the wrong person. This sport is great like that. 

For those that don’t know, you and Derek are expecting in May [ woohoo so happy for you two, congratulations]! How has running changed the last few months? What sort of adjustments to training have you made?

The transition from peak running shape to pregnant running felt like it happened overnight. There was the absolute joy of finding out we’d be parents, but it was tough to come to terms that my body was going to change, that running was going to change and that some of my dreams were going to be put on hold for a bit. The physical shift came pretty abruptly. First trimester fatigue hit me hard and it was almost comical how often I fell asleep on the couch. 

I ran the Canadian 10km Road Championships at 9 weeks pregnant. Even though it was too early to tell anyone what was going on (besides my teammates at dinner the night before), I still wanted to race knowing it would be my last hurrah for a while. The plan was to run by feel and drop out if I needed to. Crossing the finish line was a huge relief and personal win for me that day.

Overall, I’ve been really lucky and able to run nearly every day of pregnancy so far, however, there’s no telling which runs will be good or bad. I transitioned out of workouts and just started running easy everyday. Now in the third trimester, running feels harder by the day (I miss feeling fast!) and I know there’s a long road to recovery coming, but I’m all-in. I’ll be back when my body feels ready. 

You bring a unique perspective to our coaching staff, previously being on the other end as an athlete. I’m curious to hear when you started taking an interest in coaching and why?

The M2M community of coaches and athletes have really lifted me up and supported me through my running from the start. It’s been fun to share my progression as an athlete, especially as a female in sport and now soon-to-be mum. 

I felt ready to give back to the community and share what I’ve learned. I’m trying to bring in multiple perspectives, from experience at a different sport (volleyball), to starting right here at M2M as a runner, and now continuing my training with BCEP. Ultimately, I want to give people the chance to enjoy the sport and grow into their potential like I’ve been able to with M2M.

Lastly, is there an individual that you look up to? Someone that inspires you in running, sport or life?

Recently, a big inspiration for me has been other female athletes who have trained and come back from pregnancy. Reading about their dedication and ups and downs has helped shed light on how everyone is different and there’s a lot of unknowns ahead. It’s also shown me there’s so much to look forward to in running and life. 

And without a doubt, my mum has been my main inspiration. I’ve always known she is one-of-a-kind, but now experiencing my own pregnancy puts things into perspective. She ran through all three of her pregnancies and continues to love running and sport. She’s definitely been a guiding force for me as I navigate this next chapter.