Day 121 September 4, 2011 Moose Jaw to just outside Moose Jaw 28km

Rider Nation

We woke up way to early this morning thanks to my desire to get some running today before the football game. It was a cold morning, but quiet, sunny and with no headwind the conditions were perfect for running.  Ian and Jean joined me for the morning, with Ian running the entire 28km before we had to stop and head back to Regina.

We met Paul and Carol Hill, as well as their daughter January back at their condo and they took us all out to the ‘Riders stadium. We started off in the Green and White lounge where we had a delicious buffet lunch and got to know some of the hardcore Roughriders fans. We had a number of seats in different areas of the stadium. Ian and Jean were down in row 3, at centre field while Mike and January were a little higher up but just as good with a great view of the field. I got the chance to sit up with Paul and Carol in their club seats with an amazing view of the entire field.

During the first half of the game I met Mo, a friend of the Hills who is going to try and locate us on his drive back along the trans-Canada through BC. I also met Rob, who actually drove the support van for a couple of days with Terry Fox and who was scheduled to organize his Saskatchewan route. He was with Terry on his last day of running and it was really interesting talking to him about the differences between our runs.

At halftime I was interviewed on the halftime radio show and was able to talk about the run to all of the football fans listening on the radio. It was a great opportunity to reach out to a huge population and it was a ton of fun being up in the broadcast booth.

The game was a bit of a blowout in favour of the ‘Riders and so the mood was incredibly joyous as we all exited the building after the game. The Hills then took us all out to dinner to end the day.

We’re back at the Hills condo, getting to bed way too late again and we’re going to have to get up way to early tomorrow morning, but it was an awesome day!

Day 120 September 3, 2011 Regina to Moose Jaw 62km

Goodbye Daumer, hello Grants

We left Chris at the Hill’s condo as we set out to meet Brett, a friend of my sisters who was going to join us for the day. We started running and were immediately greeted by a strong headwind, the prairies constant companion.

Brett lives in Saskatoon but is from Lloydminster, where his parents have a farm. As soon as I learned this I peppered him with questions about all of the different farm equipment I’ve seen since I started. We also talked about how Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border and all the fun you can have with that.

 I felt good after our day off and had a faster pace than usual despite the headwind. The road to Moose Jaw was fairly flat all the way until just before I entered the town where the terrain dramatically changed and the road dipped and rose as I passed around. Brett alternated between running with me and hanging out with Mike in the MCC.

As I came to the top of the hill towards the westerly city limit I was met by a number of relatives. They were cousins of my father and have been following along. It was great to meet them and they made very generous donations.

A family friend of ours had arranged for us to stay at the Temple Garden Mineral Spa and to have massages so we were pretty excited when I finished running for the day. We made our way into town and were met at the hotel by two reporters from the local newspapers. The interviews ended just in time for our massages to begin and we spent the next 90 minutes relaxing in the spa. It was the first time Mike has ever had a massage and he was pretty excited about it.

Our day ended with the arrival of my two cousins Jean and Ian Grant, who are joining us for the week.

Tomorrow we’re heading back to Regina to experience the green sea of Rider Nation.

Day 119 September 2, 2011 Day off in Regina - Guest Blog Chris Daum

A Day in Regina.

Today was a well deserved day off of rest and relaxation in Regina for Mike and Riley. I can’t say that I deserve the rest as much as these guys but I highly anticipated the day off. I’ve only been with them a week and in that time all the muscles on both of my legs have consistently required a heavy dose of tiger balm prior to running much to the dismay of Mike and Riley. Supposedly I began to use so much it made their eyes water. Mike really needed the day off because he, as previously mentioned, was heavily fatigued from being forced to run in the afternoon shift that often brought heat and headwind. Poor guy. I think maybe if he was informed that if he stops singing and dancing while he runs he can conserve more energy.

The morning started a little too early for me due to the fact that Mike and I thought it was a good decision to see all that Regina had to offer the night before despite having to be at Harvard Broadcasting by 8am for Riley to make three radio appearances. Riley was feeling great because he did the right thing and decided to not join us and get to bed early and Mike was feeling fine simply because he’s only 24. Oh to be young and/or responsible. The interviews went very well with Riley conducting an on-air prostate exam on My 92.1.

For the remainder of the day Riley and Mike were able to take care of a few errands. We managed to get Riley to get a suit fitted as he’s going to take a brief pause in his run and be a well-dressed groomsman at my wedding in one week. All attempts to have him arrive with a properly fitting suit on the wedding day have proven to be pretty challenging. How to do you get him fitted in a suit when he’s losing weight between fittings and how do you get him to fittings when he’s working his way slowly across the country? Needless to say I think it’s going to all work out.

We managed to conclude the day with dinner at O’Hanlons and taking in an IMAX film called Hubble 3D. The boys got to bed early to get some rest prior to beginning their next big leg of the journey, which has left me with some time to simply sit and look back on my time with Step into Action.

This trip has been an incredibly worthwhile experience. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of what is an incredibly worthwhile cause and witness a partnership between two people who truly recognize how they can make a difference. You can’t help but to feel inspired when you watch Riley complete kilometer 60 or 70 each day and think about the sacrifice he has made in both his time and his energy. I have had time to sit at the wheel of the MCC and think of how it’s people like Riley and Mike who faithfully bring people together to stand behind and support those who have, or will, be affected by cancer. As all of their efforts are directed towards others, we can return the favor by simply donating and continuing to give them words of encouragement to help them work through the incredible physical and mental fatigue that comes along with the journey.

I thank you boys for an amazing week. Mike, your level of energy, kindness and enthusiasm is going to take you places. You have a great personality that is one of a kind and I appreciate you for your commitment towards Step into Action. Riley, keep on running. You are someone whose actions reflect their character and this run is undeniably an example of such. You remain humble despite your extraordinary capabilities, and I am extremely fortunate to be able to call you a friend.

Have fun for the remainder of the run. Be safe and don’t forget that country music really isn’t all that bad after all.

Chris  Daum

Day 118 September 1, 2011 Balgonie to Regina 51km

Welcome to Regina!

Mike and I ran the remaining 25km to the Regina city limits where we met Harold and Scott from the Regina Fire Department in the parking lot of the CTV building. They were going to escort us into town in their brand new fire engine.

During the run through town, Mike and I ran out in front of the MCC with the fire truck behind to block traffic with lights flashing. It was tons of fun and caused a lot of waves and honks from passing motorists.

On the way through Regina we met up with a friend of my mother’s Karen, a local schoolteacher, and one of her students Clarence. The two of them joined in and we continued on towards city hall. The run through the city was great and we had a good opportunity to chat with Karen and Clarence.

We arrived at City Hall around 1:30pm and were met by a number of media, the local prostate cancer Canada group, a number of police officers and Mayor Pat Fiacco. I did a number of interviews, we took some photos and then we were ready to go, but just before we left 5 figure skaters that were participating in a local conditioning camp came to join us. They included pairs, singles and dance skaters.

As we started the run through the town, Mike and Chris switched places, with Mike behind the wheel and Chris out on the road. I started off running with Mayor Fiacco and we talked about the run as well as his participation in the Penticton Ironman and the Olympics in Greece as a boxing official.  We had a five car police escort now in addition to the fire truck and they had us rolling through every intersection and red light completely unhindered. It was great!

We continued out through the city and onto the highway, where the police actually had all of highway 1 shut down for us to run, with cars backed up behind us. During the run I spoke with Paige, one of the pairs skaters who is from a small town in Saskatchewan, about the different types of farming equipment. She filled me in on the names of the big trucks I’ve been watching for months and we talked about her skating.

Our escort along with the mayor and skaters left us just beyond the city limits. But before leaving, Paige and Rudy gave us a demonstration of one of their lifts, with Rudy walking about 50 metres back and forth with Paige effortlessly above his head. Remarkable!

We stopped for a late lunch and by the time we got going we only managed to do an additional 5km. It was the end of 10 days in a row, my longest stretch yet and I was exhausted.

We drove back to the Hill’s condo, had showers and did laundry. We had dinner at Bushwakkers and then I went home to sleep while Mike and Chris went out to explore a little more of the Regina nightlife. The one thing I did notice is that it was Thursday night and the nearest CFL game was on Sunday, yet everywhere people were wearing their ‘Riders jerseys.

Today was one of the best receptions we’ve had entering a city and tomorrow I have the day off! 

Day 117 August 31, 2011 Woseley to Balgonie 61km

Getting closer to Regina,

Not much interesting happened during my run today. Mike ran with me in the morning and there was a bit of a headwind though much lighter than the past couple of days.

Chris and Mike alternated running with me. The scenery was beautiful again today. The sky is so big and the fields make a great contrast with the sky. I was planning on running 70km today but we are planning on meeting at city hall tomorrow in Regina at 2pm and if I run 70 then I’ll only be about 27km from City Hall, which is less than a 3 hour run so I figured I could save some of the distance for tomorrow.

So after 60km and my usual stretching routine we drove into Regina to stay at our friend’s Paul and Carol Hill’s place. It was a great place to stay and we settled in, ordered pizza and fell quickly to sleep.

Tomorrow I enter Regina

Day 116 August 30, 2011 Whitewood to Woseley 61km - Mike's View

Today was as close to a perfect day as we can get.  Here is what happened.

We woke up in the town of Whitewood, next to the Whitewood Inn.  As Riley and I rose, and started checking our many social media accounts and responding to emails we had received overnight, Chris had started making another delicious breakfast of local bacon and french toast.

Chris had chosen that I should run with Riley in the morning.  I almost always run with him in the afternoons (when there is a headwind and heat), and he had recognized this and told me to join him for the morning.  Thanks Chris.

So, as Riley and I started off, I clapped my hands together and said "So Riley, what exciting thing will happen to us today?" in my upbeat and positive tone of voice.  Riley responded in his tired running voice "Probably nothing…"

Not too much after, we ran alongside what appeared to be the remnants of a semi-truck roll-over.  There was 1 side of the trailer lying in the grass, as well as much of its cargo.  The rest of the wreckage had been taken away, but they left behind a large number of tomatoes.  Riley and I then turned around and started throwing these tomatoes towards the MCC.  How often do you get to throw tomatoes?

Chris then came down to investigate the wreckage with us and take a few photos.  Just then, the sound of a train came rolling in.  We all looked at each other and knew what to do.  We each picked up a handful of tomatoes and stood at the ready.  As the engine rolled by, we waved at the conductor and then waited for him to be out of sight before we started to hurl these red and juicy fruits at the old rusty steel rail cars.  We are not against trains, or in any way angry towards the rail system, but just thought it would be a good way to change the routine of our day without doing any real damage or causing any mess.  We walked away with smiles and a good story.

As we continued running, it seemed like any other regular day.  Sunny, reaching a high of 29, with a slight head and side wind, but we should have known that there would be more excitement to be had.  As I was staring off towards the Saskatchewan horizon, Riley yells "Watch out!" I look down and leap.  I had almost stepped on a live and slithering snake on the shoulder of the road.  Riley, knowing that I don't enjoy snakes, laughs and says "You're having a pretty exciting day after all, aren't you, Mike?"

As we rounded the next bend, we saw what seemed to be a 'Closed Road', and decided that it would be a shortcut.  After taking a few photos on the road (made to look as if we were being reckless and playing in the highway) we made it to the end, and figured that it had saved us about 500m.  Shortly after that, a convoy of about 20 military vehicles passed us.  They were all very friendly and all waved.  That signaled the end of my run for the morning, and Chris then went out to run another 22kms with Riley.

At the lunch break, I went and put my head down for a short nap, but then woke up over 2 hours later at 5pm.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris again for driving during that time, allowing me to sleep until I did.  Riley had only 5kms left at this point, so I quickly changed into my running gear and finished the day with him.  I thought that running with Riley at the end of the day would be easier, as he would have already run 55km, but I was wrong.  He was now dedicated to finishing quickly, and I had just woke up, was groggy and having a hard time keeping up.  The last kilometre felt like Riley and I were racing/sprinting to the finish.

We stopped for the day right next to a very cute little town called Wolseley, which, just so perfectly had everything we needed to complete this day as perfect.  First, it had a Rest Stop, which included gas, free dumping, overnight parking and soft serve ice cream (which we all planned on having, but were much too full after my famous stir-fry dinner).  Riley needed a shower, but since the towns slogan is "Town around the lake" we went to go find this lake and swinging bridge.  It had a quaint little beach and swimming dock into the lake that Chris and I took full advantage of, while Riley showered.

On the way back to the rest stop (where we planned to stay for the night), two gentlemen pulled up next to us in an exceptionally well kept antique car and told us about how much they support what we are doing.  The passenger had mouth cancer and was given a month to live.  We wish him the best month he's ever had, and more!

We stopped once more next to the grain elevators and the train tracks to take a few scenic shots of the town and sunset.  A perfect end to a perfect day.  It is now 9pm, and we are all settling in to bed. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

-Michael Downie

Day 115 August 29, 2011 Saskatchewan Border to Whitewood 71km

I love tailwinds!

We started off just inside the Manitoba border at the rest stop/tourist info centre welcoming people to Manitoba. After the short drive back into Saskatchewan, I stepped outside and was immediately greeted with a strong tailwind. AWESOME! I think this is the first time I’ve had a noticeable tailwind, and I was pretty psyched.

Chris ran with me to start the morning and we played a game counting the number of bungee cords on the side of the road. We tried to guess how many we would see over the course of his 21km run. I said 4 and he said 6. We had seen 7 within the first 5 km so we revised and I said 14 and he said 17. I don’t know why I picked such a low number, and twice, because I run by them all the time. We stopped counting at 21. I’m not entirely clear why there are so many of them around, but then again there are tons of blown out tires littering the road too and I don’t completely understand that either.

While I was running alone I managed to finish listening to 1984 and have started listening to Predictably Irrational. It seems pretty good so far. The tailwind actually got stronger as the day went on and I ended up running into what looked like two separate storms colliding above me. There was tons of lightening and Chris managed to get some pictures of Mike and I running with lightening in the background.

The evening was spent eating burritos and we finished watching Braveheart on my computer.  Chris and I have seen it a number of times but Mike has never seen it and we felt this was something we had to remedy. It has also had us talking in Scottish accents for about three days.

There are new bugs that are so small that they seem to be able to squeeze through our screen and the RV is absolutely full of them at night and they tend to swarm around the lights.  They are gone by the morning, but I don’t know where they go. As I type this there are four bouncing into my computer screen. We tried to get rid of them by turning off all the lights and opening up the microwave. A ton of them flew into it as there was a light on inside but they all managed to survive the cooking. Incredible.

I hope this tailwind keeps up!