Racer finds serenity on foot

Thomas Johnson didn't take the most conventional route to winning his first road race.

The 20-year-old Prince Albertan is "taking it easy" after a string of crashes and concussions forced him to put his motorbike away last summer.

His alternative sport - or comfort zone - is running. Last Saturday, he won the flagship 12-mile road race as part of the 34th annual Prince Albert Daily Herald Spring Fling at Little Red River Park.

Johnson was back at the woody park Thursday, training in a tranquil setting that is a far cry from the noise and danger of the track where he crashed last year.

During a mid-summer practice round at Muskoday Motocross Park, he was left unconscious after rolling his bike.

"I've been through that situation a couple of times now," Johnson said. "Just crashing the bike and not really remembering anything. Even now, I don't know exactly what happened.

"It was kind of sketchy to get up and not really know what's going on, and to have to go back to the truck and drive yourself home."

He estimated that setback was "probably my 12th or 13th concussion," so he decided that it was time to act on the advice of doctors - and his mother.

But it's not an easy transition. Although he's no longer competing in the Saskatchewan and Western Canadian motocross circuits that used to keep him busy almost every weekend each summer, Johnson still has the urge to jump on his bike.

"It's tough not to go out every weekend, but I wouldn't really be able to go out and take it easy," he said. "You can't go slow (on the track). And that's the whole goal - to take it easy."

Johnson, five-foot-nine and 165 pounds, joined the Summit Fitness running club this past winter to stay active - and relatively safe. He likes the individualistic nature of running.

"It's nice," he said. "It's just you. It's nobody else. At the end of the race, it's all you."

Near the end of the Spring Fling run, Johnson staved off a worthy challenge from runner-up A.J. Tabin. Johnson's time was one hour, 24 minutes and nine seconds - just 10 seconds ahead of Tabin.

"I noticed the guy behind me coming up at the end, so I had to try to keep pace, and pick it up a little bit," Johnson said. "That was the closest he got."

Suited to individual pursuits

During his school days, Johnson wasn't active in team sports, but he still practised fitness.

"I didn't play anything through high school," said the 2007 graduate of Carlton Comprehensive High School. "The only (sports) thing I did was gym class."

But he raced bikes for the past decade - since he was 10 years old.

"I started riding little bikes when I was four, and then started racing when I got older," he said. "I got a little bit better, and just slowly got faster each year, and got moved up and up.

"I started out on 80s (cc), and then went to 125s, and then to junior, intermediate and pro."

Banged up frequently

Along with his success, he had more than his share of injuries.

"I've had quite a few bad concussions," said Johnson, whose family lives on an acreage south of Prince Albert.

"A couple of years ago, I was knocked out in an actual race, crushed some of my nose, dislocated my jaw, and tore ligaments in my knees. Beyond that, I've just broken the usual arms and ribs and ankles."

But the injuries began to take a toll.

"Even last year was tough, having to go to work on Monday after getting banged up on Sunday," said Johnson, a technician at Lube-X in Prince Albert.

"You kind of start to think that you've got to live a life yet, too. So, you better plan a little bit ahead, too.

"I still get headaches off and on. They're getting better, which is nice, and I'm starting to feel better. Hopefully, it just keeps getting better."

As much as Johnson enjoys running and a healthy lifestyle, he hasn't ruled out hopping back on his bike, even if it's just for fun.

"On the track, there's always risk, but there's a risk with anything," he said. "Who's to say I'm not going to crash my truck on the way home, either?"

For now, Johnson is making the most of his interest in running. He has an ally in his older sister, Rikki, who's home from university for the summer.

"She's starting to run a bit, too," he said. "She's always been active."

jmacneil@paherald.sk.ca