I gutted it out on Canada Day, finishing the 10km run in High River for a fundraiser for the Foothills AIM Society. I had dropped down from the 21-km half-marathon because I opted to run with my sister in the 10km. I use her as my excuse for choosing the shorter distance despite her being, faster, younger and in better shape than me. Other than that we are about equal. While I struggled to get up High River’s Heartbreak curb, an Okotoks runner was trying to run up the monstrous Coquihalla Highway in the early stages of his cross-Canada run to raise money for the Rare Disease Foundation. What David Proctor is trying to achieve simply boggles the mind. He admitted to me during an interview from just outside of Sicamous on Monday, the run was hard. He was on the phone while he ran and passed the breathing test — if you can’t have a normal conversation you are probably going too fast. His effort is truly taking my breath away and makes me weak in the knees. In the midst of writing this on Monday, I checked his site and he had run 64.5km that day, at about a 6:55 kilometre pace — not far off my average for 10km on Canada Day. And he still had another 40km or so to go. Although his legs undoubtedly are getting heavy, his heart remains light as he runs for his son Sam, who has a rare disease, which affects his mobility. Fortunately, Sam and Dave’s family are with him to offer support, not to mention the expert advice from ultramarathoner Wayne Gaudet and his wife Trish. All of Okotoks and southern Alberta have the chance to offer support. A fun run is scheduled for July 7 at 3 p.m. at the Staples on 130th Avenue in Calgary, a barbecue will follow. Donations will go to the Rare Disease Foundation. I’ll be there and hopefully, many others, regardless of how well they can run. It’s a rare opportunity to help someone achieve the unimaginable.
