Manitoba Run Recap

What an adventure I was able to share with my dear wife over eight days in August. Without a doubt, running across Manitoba was the toughest challenge both physically and mentally I’ve ever put my body through.

We left Rosenort on August 1st with the intentions of making it from Portage La Prairie to the

Ontario border in eight days. Though we achieved that goal, what happened over the course of those 155 miles was not exactly the way we would have drawn it up.

The first two days of the run, we elected to complete a marathon each day. This served two purposes; it allowed us to quickly get through the most boring stretch of landscape, it also gave us the opportunity to make our Rosenort pit stop one day early.

Running the Perimeter Highway is not something I need to do again, but it certainly provided plenty of highlights. I won’t soon forget all the friends and family who joined the party bus, offered to chauffeur Fleetwood, brought baking, made a trip to Winnipeg just to see us, fixed bicycle tires and even served as pilot cyclists. It was also officially where we crossed the Red River.

The middle portion of the run was far and away the most difficult mentally. With so many miles still ahead of me, doubts crept in, most foods became very undesirable, the warm water in my bottles unsettled my stomach as it took on the taste of plastic, no Gatorade flavour tasted good anymore and the blisters on my feet kept growing. And as I struggled both physically and mentally, Tracy just kept being strong. 

Part of what motivated me at the lowest points, was the simple reminder that this was Tracy’s adventure too. Tracy you would be welcomed on any support vehicle! You wore every hat possible, while at the same time cycling just as many miles as I ran. You took care of me at my lowest lows and cheered me on during my highest highs. But this was OUR adventure and please allow me to applaud your accomplishment. 

The turning point of my week happened Thursday evening. I really felt that a night walk was needed in order to settle my stomach, relieve the legs and calm me down. Having a friend walk the Trans Canada Highway with me for eight miles, served its purpose. From that point on, reaching Ontario seemed a certainty and the thought of taking walking breaks no longer crossed my mind for the rest of the journey.

Saturday had that feeling of knowing it was the last day of running and with only 16 miles to go, I knew it would be a much shorter day. I was fairly certain that adrenaline would get me those 16 miles in the morning run if I wanted, but I also knew there was family headed to Falcon Lake in the afternoon and wanted to share that moment with them. 

Running those last few miles is something I have envisioned for years. It wasn’t as emotional as I expected, until I saw the sign welcoming us to Ontario. At that point it took whatever strength I had left to fight back tears. 

Many people have asked what the next challenge is for me. The first order of business might be replacing the 11 pounds I lost. Right now I’m just thankful that I can run strictly for the fun of it again. Though my knee felt 100 per cent normal aside from a five second stretch, I know I’ve got a date looming with a specialist. 

Thank you to all those who supported us through prayer. I can truly say there were times it felt like I was being pushed down the highway.