Ms. Bobbe Wood, MA President & CEO Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon
Bobbe Wood, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, loves her rural runs in British Columbia. But she'll switch up running surfaces when she's in Toronto March 24 for The Heart Truth, a fashion show raising awareness for women's heart health.
When did you start?
I was 24 years old, after the birth of my first child. Having regularly run 10K six days a week, now I run for 30 minutes, three days per week.
Where do you run?
On the road, I am happy to run on a treadmill at the hotel, especially in the winter in the dark. At home, I prefer to run outside. My neighbourhood is rural B.C., with sheep, cows, horses, lots of trees and rivers. It is wonderful to see the seasons change and notice which birds are back and when salmon are in the rivers.
What song gets you started?
Hooked on Classics, the album by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, has songs with invigorating rhythm and the correct cadence. Before any song gets onto my iPod, I will listen and jog on the spot to it to make sure I can run to it.
What song gets you up a hill?
More Fete by Arrow and She Fussy by Sauvage. Both of these are Bajan party music and exactly the right cadence for me; they're lively and great fun.
What track boosts your energy?
Regularly someone puts cement in my shoes. There are times you go for a run, and it's a slog and that's where Spring Garden on Fire by Ras Isley is so important. It has a calypso beat.
What tune concludes your run?
I love to stretch to Pachelbel's Canon by Johann Pachelbel. I can feel my heart rate slowing and it's a piece of music that allows me to get centred, breathe deeply and let whatever remnants of stress flow out. It helps me be in the moment.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Special to The Globe and Mail