Day 13: A Gnome, 500 km, and a Date Night Run
53 km ran today; 549.9 km total
Day 13: June 6th, 2026
Distance: 53 km
Weather: High of 24°C, a mix of sun and cloud
Today started with an early morning mission.
Before meeting up with the group, I ran 4 km back to McKay Lake and picked up Mr. Gnome.
The solo kilometres were intentional. I’m so lucky to have such amazing friends willing to make the trek and to run along beside me.
I also know there will likley be stretches ahead where I will run alone.
I felt the need to do this short solo run as a way to mentally prepare myself for future solo runs.
Picking up Mr. Gnome and running early kilometres solo
Those first few kilometres also brought another milestone. Somewhere along that stretch, I crossed 500 km for the journey.
From there, we continued running south toward Missinipe, following beautiful roads through the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park area.
It was such a nice day to be running with my good friends! It worked out well, because they are all training for adventures or ultramarathons.
Mr. Gnome getting an early start to make sure he makes it to his next spot in time
I’m glad I did my solo run, but it was such a boost to have my awesome friends pacing me today.
I have been eating and drinking well, but my right leg was causing some pain again today. What began as some discomfort in my shin gradually moved into my calf and soleus, so I spent a little extra time stretching and foam rolling whenever I had the chance.
Trying to stay ahead of some calf and soleus discomfort with snacks, stretching, and foam rolling.
We eventually made our way into Missinipe for lunch after running 26 km.
Before heading back out, I spent some time stretching, rolling out my legs, and enjoying a little help from baby Iohanna, who seems determined to become part of the crew.
After 26 kilometres, during my lunch stop, I got some help stretching from baby Iohanna before heading back onto the road.
The night before heading into Prince Albert for my unplanned doctor’s visit, the hospitable people at Thompson’s Camps set us up with one of their beautiful cabins. I stopped in to thank the wonderful people working at Thompson’s for helping me out so much.
After gassing up in Missinipe and enjoying the beautiful lunch stop, we were back on the road.
Before long, we stopped to take in the view at Otter Rapids, one of those places that makes you stop for a few extra minutes than you planned.
Group photo at Otter Rapids!
The water was moving fast, the sky was wide open, and it felt like one of those classic northern Saskatchewan days that you wish you could bottle up and keep.
A few years back, my dad and I tried running our canoe down these rapids. Both attempts ended with us floating down the river and swimming to catch our canoe.
It’s hard to pass up a good map viewing. Checking out the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park map with my good friend, Jen
Gearing up for my afternoon run!
After running for a while, we arrived at a six-kilometre stretch of road. They told us we were not allowed to run this section between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. That put a little damper our plans to keep running.
After some discussion and route planning, we decided to leave a marker and return after supper to complete the missing section once the crews had finished for the day.
I wasn’t ready to stop running after 42 km today, so we needed to take a beat.
While we were waiting for the construction workers to let us through, I had a quick break and some Pringles in the shade in Darryn’s epic van.
Next, we drove through the 6 km of construction.
The next part of the afternoon was spent steadily working south towards our camp for the night.
Theresa, Haley, Jen, Svieda, and Charlotte all paced me. Darryn also joined for a stretch of running.
As usual, Darryn spent much of the day driving a safety vehicle while performing miracles behind the scenes as crew chief, driver, supply coordinator, and problem solver.
Meanwhile, Charlotte headed ahead with baby Iohanna on a campsite scouting mission. We weren't entirely sure where we would spend the night, but she found us a nice spot at Hailstone Lake.
There were a couple of cabins nearby and just enough flat spots to set up tents while we waited until 7 pm to finish that 6 km construction zone run.
Baby, Iojanna, was making sure the ice was cold enough and positioned properly for my leg
Svieda cooked us up some delicious gnocchi with pesto and kale for supper.
My crew is so awesome. Not only do they pace me, they help me with so many things including making sure I’m properly fueled. It worked out well to take this break before heading back for that 6 km cool-down run.
Talking things through over dinner with such good people!
Delicous!
Busting out the drone to get a little footage of Camp at Hailstone Lake. Baby, Iohanna, was curious to check it out.
We ended up hanging out at camp for about 1.5 hours before Theresa drove Chad and I back to run that final 6 km chunk that was closed earlier in the day.
We saw a lynx and a horseshoe hare during the drive.
When we arrived at the construction site, we went to talk to the construction worker who was holding the stop sign to see if we could start the run a little before 7 pm.
It was almost unbelievable, but the construction worker turned out to be one of Chad’s students from Oskayak High School - he goes by the name, Buzz.
We had a good visit with Buzz; he told us about his bear encounters.
Buzz told us how he'd had 7 bear encounters in the last 5 days. He shared how one bear grabbed his lunch and he said he was charged by a bear on two separate occasions.
It is good to know Buzz is now equipped with bear spray, bear bangers, and a large sound horn to deter bears from wanting to hang out with this charismatic fellow.
It was also exciting to hear how Buzz was enjoying his job, his adventures in the north, and his goals for the near future.
Buzz and Chad getting a photo in at the start line of my last 6 km run to end the day.
Theresa snapped a photo of Chad and I walking when she was chauferring us for that last stretch of the day.
The road to Hailstone Lake was pretty rough and didn’t stand out much, but this old car helped us identify the turn off after our mission to complete the 6 km run after 7 pm.
When we arrived back at camp, we shared some laughs when Jen joked that Chad and I had a date night chaperoned by Theresa.
Fifty-three more kilometres are behind us.
And tomorrow, we'll do it again.
These updates are shared one day behind so we can focus on the run while we're on the road.
As always, thank you for following along on this journey.
I'm running the length of Saskatchewan to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada and to honour my mom, who passed away from leukemia when she was just 38 years old.
In six days, on June 12, I will turn 38 myself. That milestone has been on my mind throughout this run.
Every kilometre is a way of remembering my mom, celebrating the life she lived, and carrying her spirit forward.
If you'd like to support the cause, please consider making a donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Your support helps fund research, patient services, and hope for families facing blood cancers.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Every step is for something bigger than me.
