I started the Run for Their Lives Vancouver Island 2013 on June 2nd in Port Hardy in an effort to raise money for the BC SPCA, Mustard Seed Food Bank and Recreation Integration Victoria. For those of you who didn’t know, Run For Their Lives is the ultimate test of endurance for me as I make my way down Vancouver Island running from Port Hardy to Victoria.
Working behind the scenes is the other team member and long-time supporter, Ian Simpson. Ian is the driver, photographer and co-coordinator of the run. He worked just as hard as me as we were organizing this event, including knocking on doors, contacting potential sponsors and emailing members of the media. Owner of Aardvark Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning and IMS FotoGrafix, his passion for helping those in need, either human or animal is what drove him to put this event together with me. Ian and his wife are both great friends of mine and I’m thrilled to have their support in this endeavor.
We are thrilled that the following companies have sponsored this event so far: Econtrend Ecologics, Westbrook Consulting, Aardvark Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, IMS FotoGrafix, Island Batteries, Five Star Paving, Blue Baby Tax Prep, Altech Maching and Repairs. It’s still not too late to come on board as a sponsor. We are extremely thankful for the support that we have received from our corporate sponsors. Please check out their websites to learn more about each company.
The first leg of the run was around 44km, which is a bit loner than a marathon. At first, to be honest, I was a bit skeptical of starting with a 44km run, knowing full well that I have over 450km to cover after finishing the first leg. However, the moment we got started and as the police accompanied us out of Port Hardy, my nervousness about starting this journey disappeared. All I was focused on was the road ahead, my running form, hydration, nutrition and pace. When I say “pace”, I don’t mean I was going my fastest. In fact, I was going pretty slow but this run isn’t about speed, it’s about accomplishing it. Therefore, I kept my pace around the 5:30 min per km, which is much slower than my race pace.
Above: With the police escort, photo by IMS FotoGrafix, clothing by Public Myth.
Below are a few more examples of photos that we took at the start line of the run featuring sponsor signs; photos by IMS FotoGrafix, clothing by Public Myth.
Getting started is always the most challenging part and that goes with any new thing that you would be doing. That’s where the phrase “begun is half done” came from. However, in this case, I knew full well that begun is not half done as that there are hundreds of kilometers left in the run.
After running for over a half marathon, we got to the Port Alice turn-off. I call it the halfway point between Port Hardy and Port McNeill, however, I knew that it’s slightly less than that. Of course, I noticed that there were 23km left to Port McNeill just after the Port Alice turn-off.
After every 10k, I made sure to have plenty of water mixed with Cytomax 
At the end of the run, we met up with J.R. Rardon, the editor of the North Island Gazette for an interview and photoshoot. He took a photo of me running along the highway into Port McNeill, which was featured in the paper a few days later. Below is a snapshot of the article 🙂
The biggest compliment I’ve received after finishing the first leg of the run was “Wow, you just ran over 40k and you don’t look tired. You’re in great shape.” Honestly, my legs were a little bit sore and I experienced a little bit of DOMS.
I also had the pleasure of running into several of my past high school teachers, including the gym teacher. They all knew running and fitness were my passions even back when I was in high school, but I’m always looking for opportunities to take it father.
Above photo: We’ve also had the pleasure of meeting Brad from The Port 1240 at the radio station in Port Hardy.
Being able to get to the point where I no longer feel tired or sore after long runs is not easy, but with the right training it’s possible for you too.
Thank you for taking your time to read this post. If you liked what you’ve read, feel free to browse some of my other posts. Also, please share on social media because if you found it useful, then chances are your friends would too. Feel free to email me or message me on Facebook with any fitness questions or suggestions for future posts.