Greetings from Winnipeg, Manitoba and the Sheraton Four Points!
Hours door to door: 13 hours (Wawa to Winnipeg)
kms travelled: 1212.9
Money Spent: 292.89
After training in the hills of Huntsville, running 4K through the flat streets of Wawa felt pretty easy. Well, for the first 2 kms, anyways. But I ran further than I ever had before without stopping. Yeah me!
We had a later departure after partaking in a leisurely breakfast at the Empire. The perfect small town diner replete with aging waitresses, casual service, and fried bologna. (Emile says it just tastes like hot dogs – I didn’t need the experience)
The views yesterday were lovely, but there were more of the same of the sun shining over Lake Superior. We stopped in Terrace Bay and listened to what I associate with the ocean – the tide. It took us nearly 10 hours to drive half of Lake Superior’s rim – a large lake for sure, but dwarfed when you think of the grandeur of own country – Canada.
Our cell phones both were out of range and it was a liberating feeling to feel so far from our lives in Huntsville.
We purchased the most expensive per litre gas in Marathon 142.9/liter. (we didn’t fill up – just a half a tank – we showed them!)
Emile and I were both embarrassed to lack details of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. We couldn’t remember if he started on the East or West coast. Emile claimed to remember pictures of him running through the prairies, and I couldn’t tell him he was wrong.
We discussed him and Rick Hansen during our drive on the 100 km Terry Fox Courage Highway coming into Thunder Bay. We tried to think of others of any nationality that have made such a worldwide impact in bringing medical issues to front of mind – and couldn’t.
We stopped for an urgent pee break and to educate ourselves at the Terry Fox memorial near Thunder Bay where he had to end his run shortly before he died. In reading the plaque, it crystalized in my brain that he was running a marathon every day. And I barely able to scratch out 4 km with two good legs.
Driving through Kenora and into Manitoba, we were treated with my favorite scenic view – dark blue sky just after dusk with black silhouette landscape. Those skies were lit up with showy lightning, and we spent 10 minutes driving through an intense rainstorm reducing our speed to 30 km. It was exhilarating.
We tested our odometer just outside Winnipeg and discovered that for all practical purposes it is accurate. Seems like a strange government program to put signage up for. Well, a load off our minds.
Our arrogant Ontario-centric selves thought finding a room in Winnipeg would be easy – but the first four hotels were sold out. And we wondered if we should have brought the tent. No matter, we found a wonderful newly renovated place – more than we wanted to spend though – and crawled into a fluffy dream bed.
July 12, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Emile and I both being so moved at the Terry Fox Memorial that we needed to pause our conversation to get a hold of ourselves. (photo credit Emile)
The Daily EO 
What a brave and courageous man, truly a Canadian legend.
Yes. And the memorial was so well done – detailing his accomplishments and awards. It overlooks Lake Superior and feels sacred up there.
Terry Fox was amazing!
I know! Imagine running a marathon everyday with a prostetic leg. And not one of the new ones – one that caused him pain with every step. Thanks for reading and your comment.