A hike yesterday afternoon on Salt Spring Island reminded me of why I was looking forward to being done running a lot of marathons over for the last 9 months.  Plush forests, the salt of the ocean filling my nostrils and a panting dog brought a smile to my face.  In fact, I’m convinced Koona was smiling as well.  Even though she may have just won a record for marking her territory in the most places across this country, I think she was pretty happy to get a 2 hour walk, something she has been missing over the past year.

I’ve chatted with friends and received numerous emails upon finishing, all asking how it feels to be done.  And to be honest, it’s pretty tough to pinpoint right now what I’m feeling.  Part of me feels like I’m just on a few days off and that I’ll start running again soon.  But I won’t.  At least not 45 km a day.  This morning I went for my first run in 9 months that wasn’t part of my run across Canada.  It felt great!

As I sit on this beautiful island, I am so thankful for Tuesday’s finish.  Having the students from Sangster Elementary was amazing – running down the hill with them to the Pacific was just the way I envisioned it!  Being able to hug my parents who flew in from Winnipeg was a moment I won’t forget.  Being able to have the end of the run coincide with a new kindergarten in BC that is predominantly outside was a perfect fit.  There are so many thank you’s to vocalize over the coming weeks.  But right now, I am most thankful that on October 25, there were thousands and thousands of students across Canada (the U.S and Japan as well!)who were not only outside celebrating the end of TMO’s Run Across Canada, but they were out there to signify the importance of getting outside, being active and experiencing this amazing backyard we are so fortunate to be a part of!