215 results for author: Colin Harris

Day 80 – day off (total – 1773.4 km)

Today, we arrived at Woodstock Centennial Elementary School at the tail end of recess.  The playground was at the back of the school, but I could hear the shouts of excitement and laughter at the front of the school.  We were warmly greeted and had a chance to chat with Mrs. Purvis, the phys ed teacher at Centennial.  She had taught for 27 years and was currently teaching both phys ed and music… two of my faves!!  She shared with us that her students from grades 3-5 were now able to run 10 minutes continuously and the goal for the end of the year was to run 20!  We met with these 170 students and had a good time interacting with them.  Thanks ...

Day 79 – 40.9 km (total – 1773.4 km)

Koona is one of my best friends that helps me get outside! So I thought  I'd share a few stories about her... and she looks way better on camera than I do!

Day 78 – 41.3 km (total – 1732.5 km)

Today, I thought I'd simply share a link to this video by Ken Robinson. It revolves around the education system and how it could use an update! Including more outdoor education fits nicely into his thoughts surrounding how we learn!

Day 77 – 36.6 km (total – 1691.2 km)

It was actually a bit tough to leave Fredericton this morning.  I’ve met some warm and wonderful people over the past few days and have been drawn in by the city’s downtown core.  Built around the Saint John River, there is a great mix of green spaces with some wonderful little shops that contribute to its laid back feel.  I even found some Leaf fans last night so it felt that much more like home! I ran through the city early this afternoon, which still seemed pretty quiet on a Sunday.  And within a few kilometers, I was back on the TCH enjoying a beautiful day of blue sky and sunshine. I just got off the phone with Mavis Lamont.  Todd, ...

Day 75/76 – day off (total – 1654.6 km)

When I finished running on Thursday afternoon, it was sunny and warm.  Like sandal-wearing warm!  Twenty-four hours later, a snowstorm had set in which would bring about 25 cm of snow.  What made up for the landscape turning white again though were our two visits to schools on Friday. Our first visit was to Nashwaaksis Middle School in North Fredericton.  The contact with Mr. Yaychuk, one of the Phys Ed teachers, had been made through my friend Katie who currently teaches out in BC but taught at this school last year.  They had a beautiful theatre and we rotated through various grades, chatting with over 700 students throughout the course ...

Day 73 – 41.3 km (total – 1529.5 km)

I have all these grandiose ideas for writing blogs and for making videos, but my energy these days is minimal.  My brain shuts itself off by late afternoon and with it goes any sense of creativity.  So today, in the spirit of passing the buck, I want to share with you a poem. I have a good friend who has been traveling for a few months and really enjoys being outside.  She recently arrived back in Canada, and her mother found a poem she had written in grade 5 expressing her love for being outside.  I have shared some writing and pictures that students we’ve visited have given us, but I thought it might be neat to see how someone ...

Day 74 – 35.1 km (total – 1654.6 km)

Today's run into Fredericton... couldn't ask for a nicer day!

Day 72 – 49.1 km (total – 1488.2 km)

Today was long and fairly uneventful, so I’ll just share two highlights from my day. First, today was likely the warmest day yet for running.  The sun shone bright most of the day, which allowed me to take my morning and afternoon break on the side of the TCH.  It was nice just to plop myself down on a piece of grass (yes grass!), soak in some warmth from the sun, stretch and have some little snacks packed away. The second highlight came at about 41km.  The section of highway we are travelling is fenced on either side for the protection of animals.   I came across a white-tailed deer on the other side of the fence that was likely used ...

Day 70/71 – 44.5 km (total – 1439.1 km)

After a day off yesterday, which included a hot shower at the new YMCA in Moncton (thanks John for those free passes!), we started our week with a trip to Forest Glen Elementary.   Today was a bit different though as it was a shared presentation with about 250 students in the gymnasium. Tanya Thibeau is a PE Mentor in Moncton.  Recently, she found one of our shirts in the Halifax MEC and loved the message.  She got home and looked up the website only to discover what we were doing and that we were close by.  It was a good fit as she is promoting a new program in New Brunswick called In Motion (http://www.in-motion.ca/) and was launching ...

Day 69 – 23.8 km (total – 1394.6 km)

Today’s run was dedicated to my good friend Emily, as she donated a marathon to TMO in her name!  I’ll have to owe Em a few miles as today was cut short by significant fatigue, cold and a strong headwind that my legs just didn’t want to contend with.  Since my friendship with Emily started at Outward Bound I thought I’d share today’s thoughts about my time there. If you talk to any Outward Bound Instructor, they can tell you some good stories.  They call tell you about the most grueling portages.  They can tell you about trips where the bugs drove everyone to the brink of insanity.  They can tell you about strong headwinds where ...