Sunshine, Smiles, and 600 Kilometres

54 km ran today; 603.9 km total

Day 14: Sunday, June 7th, 2026

Distance: 54 km
Weather: High of 27 °C. Sunny blue skies and less wind than yesterday.

After a few challenging days, today felt different.

The sun was shining, the wind had settled down, and my legs didn’t hurt nearly as much as they have been.

I started the morning at Hailstorm Lake and ran with blue skies and some of my favourite people.

We finished the run today at Brabant Lake.

Today was less about pushing through and more about enjoying the road.

Crew #5 was out in full force today.

Jenn, Charlotte, Svieda, Haley, Darryn, and Theresa joined me throughout the day.

Having so many people on the road was amazing . We enjoyed plenty of good conversations, laughter, and beautiful northern views.

My body was also feeling much better.

The nagging pains in my right leg that had slowed me down over the past several days wasn't nearly as bad.

I found myself running stronger and faster today than other days.

The northern Saskatchewan landscape continues to delight us. Every day reveals new views, ridges, lakes, and stretches of road winding through the boreal forest.

Lots of footsteps and lots of conversation made today's kilometres fly by

After 29 kilometres, it was time for lunch.

Darryn had found a perfect spot and transformed the side of the road into what felt like a tiny yet luxurious campsite.

He pulled out the canopy on the van, everyone gathered in the shade, and ramen noodles quickly became the lunch of choice.

With the sunshine sticking around, it was also the perfect opportunity to dry out tents and gear that had accumulated moisture from previous nights.

Lunch headquarters. The canopy provided some much-appreciated shade on a warm afternoon. Thanks Darryn! Getting to dry out the tents and sleeping bags in the sun is always a bonus too!

Darryn's roadside kitchen was serving up ramen, hummus n’ crackers, pringles, snaps and good vibes today

Gathered under the canopy for lunch, shade, recovery, and plenty of conversation.

Refueling before another afternoon on the road.

After lunch, Darryn traded his crew chief duties for running shoes and joined the pacers.

He ran 21 kilometres with me and quickly proved that crew chiefs are more than pretty faces with highly intelligent minds.

Moments before Darryn leapt out of the van to start running!

Darryn rocking the cowboy hat in style.

Darryn and Jen running with me. Darryn ran 21 km (a half marathon) with me in the heat of the day.

We have been receiving many unexpected roadside donations each day, but today was even more than previous days.

We connected the dots - it was thanks to Pearle.

Pearle runs a store in the north.

Yesterday Pearle had stopped to chat with us and took a photo of me and Chad on the road. Pearle also shared about our fundraiser for Leukemia and Lymphoma on social media.

The drive-by donations kept flowing in!

Thanks Pearle and all the kind and generous people of the north!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a photo of Pearle but Jen did get a video of this beautiful Northern Saskatchewan waterfall.

The afternoon continued smoothly and before long we were closing in on the day's finish.

I decided to stop a little earlier today.

Many of my friends and my husband, Chad, were heading back to Saskatoon today, and I wanted to make sure they could get on the road at a reasonable hour.

After spending most of the day surrounded by friends, I walked the last 3 kilometres with Chad.

A Team #5 photo before saying goodbye and heading in different directions. Grateful for every kilometre and every person who shared them.

Around 4 pm, we stopped at Brabant Lake.

Some people swam. Some people freshened up. Everyone relaxed.

Jen made an incredible meal of spaghetti, peppers, and cottage cheese - it was delicious!

Crew #5 photo taken just before Svieda, Theresa, Haley, and Chad started heading back to Saskatoon. I'm so grateful for every person who has helped make this journey possible. Thanks so much Svieda, Theresa, Haley, and Chad for driving all the way up here and for supporting me in so many ways!

As the evening wound down, Charlotte, Jen, Darryn, baby Iohanna, and I made our way to Purdey Lake to camp.

Tomorrow Froggie joins the adventure, and I will continue heading south.

My next goal is to run the gap I left after driving south for medical attention.

When I finish running this next 60-something km section, I will also be done running the northern section of this adventure. I know I’m going to miss the incredible people and views of the north!

Today I ran 54 kilometres.

I was sad to see my friends go but a game of peak-a-boo with Baby Iohanna cheered me up!

I'm running in memory of my mom, Lou. She passed away when she was 38 - I’ll be turning 38 on June 12th.

I’m also running to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Every donation helps support families facing blood cancers and helps fund research, patient support programs, and a brighter future for those affected by leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood cancers.

Thank you for following along, cheering me on, sharing the journey, and supporting this cause.

Every step is good!

This post was shared a couple of days behind my actual location. This post covers Day 14 (June 7), when I reached 603.9 km of my 1,570 km journey across Saskatchewan.