Day 30: The Sky Couldn't Make Up Its Mind
58 km ran today; ~1,495.5 km total
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Day 30 At a Glance:
Distance Ran Today: 58 km
Total Distance Ran: 1,495.5 km
Projected Total Distance to Run: ~1,593 km
Progress: ~94% complete
Remaining Distance: ~97.5 km
There are now fewer than 100 kilometres left.
That feels a little strange to write.
For nearly a month now, life has been beautifully simple: wake up, tape whatever needs taping, eat breakfast, say good morning to Frogger and Gnome, run until supper, then do it all again the next day. Somewhere along the way this became normal life.
Day 30 started with cool temperatures, a bit of a stiff right leg, and another Saskatchewan sky that couldn't quite decide what it wanted to do. Rain? Sunshine? Wind? All of the above? It turned out to be one of those days where the weather changed almost as often as my layers.
Day 30 for me... and Day 30 for Frogger and Gnome. Somehow they’re still smiling this early in the morning.
The morning was cool. It dropped to around 8°C over night and with a high of 17°C , which is just about perfect running weather. The jacket went on. Then it came off. Then back on again after a passing shower. Then off and so it went.
Auntie Lorri joined me for a walk to loosen up my right leg in the morning. I really appreciated both the company and her sense of humour.
Tiny Auntie Lorri joined me for the first kilometres of the day
Not long after, I settled into another quiet stretch of gravel roads beneath some incredible clouds.
A cool start, dramatic skies, and another long Saskatchewan road ahead.
One thing I love about southern Saskatchewan is how much the sky becomes part of the landscape. Without many trees, you can watch storms build from miles away, patches of sunlight move across the hills, and rain fall somewhere far off while you're standing in sunshine.
An old wagon quietly watching another prairie storm roll through.
Lunch was another delicious stop
The whole gang gathered beside the road while Auntie Chris made fresh egg salad and ham sandwiches out of the trunk of a car. The crew raved about the sandwiches. I was served Joey’s bush poutine for the third time of this trip. These aid stations have been next level!
Of course, the Saskatchewan sky decided lunch deserved its own dramatic backdrop.
Lunch with the crew as the rain poured in the distance.
After lunch Sandy worked some more magic on my legs.
Every little bit of maintenance helps, and I never take that care for granted.
Trailside maintenance while sitting in the dirt.
I also squeezed in what in a nap/meditation session.
I love having this Z-rest along with me
More TLC from Sandy before heading back out.
After lunch Sandy walked with me for a while.
Walking off lunch... or maybe just making room for another serving of Joey's bush poutine.
For the first 30 kilometres my right leg was pretty grumpy. Then, it finally decided to cooperate.
I started running more comfortably again. It’s been a little wacky how my last half of the day is always stronger. and less painful than the first 30 km. It’s been making me want to keep running later into the evenings - especially since we’re at the longest days of the year.
After that first 30 kilometres, it’s game on
With things feeling better, I put on some music and decided I'd just keep rolling until 7:00 p.m.
The compression sock has been helping...
although it has also produced what might be the most impressive sock tan I've ever earned.
Compression sock: 10 out of 10 for helping the leg. 13.5/10 for the tan lines.
Another one of the highlights of the afternoon was having my brother Matthew join me.
He rode alongside on his bike while I ran, and if you've ever wanted to know the name of literally every bird, plant, shrub, and animal you pass on a gravel road, Matt is your guy.
Matt joined the adventure on two wheel - and immediately started identifying everything we passed.
One plant I learned about today was greasewood.
Greasewood
The scenery just kept getting better.
Rolling hills stretched forever, the skies changed by the hour, and every few kilometres there seemed to be another incredible cloud formation.
The ever-changing sky!
Matt was on a roll with the Ecology lessons.
Whoever came up with the phrase “Land of the Living Skies” for Saskatchewan license plates nailed it.
By the time we finished, it had been another really good day.
Cool temperatures, a helpful tailwind after the afternoon rain, great company, and one more chunk of Saskatchewan behind us.
Back at Ponteix Campground we settled in for the evening.
Although I’m looking forward to a break (especially from that first 30 km each day) - I know I’m going to miss this rhythm
Supper was another delicious one.
Breakfast for supper might actually be one of my favourite meals. Hash browns, bacon, Auntie Chris's homemade sausage, eggs, pancakes...
It was so good that I may or may not have had second supper.
Thirty days of running 50-plus kilometres a day has a funny way of convincing you that eating twice is perfectly reasonable.
With less than 100 kilometres remaining, the finish line finally feels close enough to picture.
But for now, there's still some more morning alarms, more pairs of running shoes to lace up, and more Saskatchewan sunrises waiting.
Why I'm Running
This run is about much more than covering kilometres.
I'm running aproximately 1,577 kilometres across Saskatchewan in memory of my mom, Louise, who passed from leukemia at 38 years old- the same age I am now. Along the way, I'm raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada while encouraging people to prioritize movement, mental health, and community.
When this project began, my fundraising goal was $15,597, a number with special meaning to me. Thanks to incredible generosity, that goal was reached on Day 1. After that, I shared a dream goal of $38,000—one thousand dollars for every year my mom lived.
As of today, together we've raised more than $35,000.
I'm incredibly grateful to every single person who has donated, shared a post, followed along, sent an encouraging message, joined me for a few kilometres, supported the crew, or simply cheered from afar. This journey has never been mine alone.
Thank you so much for joining me for this adventure!
Every Step truly is Good.
