Team Wylde About Health (Left to Right: Luke Cattet, Bryce Wylde, Richard Holloway, Brent Bishop)
Day 1: Vancouver!
The Team “Wylde About Health” Canadian Tour to raise money and awareness for Oxfam brought me first to Vancouver’s world-famous Stanley Park where I ran 15km amongst some of the biggest redwoods in the world. Breathtaking! The forest trails here offer over 27 km of quiet refuge and provide me with a time to reflect on my journey ahead of me – across Canada and in preparation for the big 100km race to raise for Oxfam.
The wide, bark-mulched interior paths that I ran on today give a taste of what this peninsula must have been like centuries ago when, before logging, its towering cedar, fir and hemlock forest regined supreme.
The air is unbelievably fresh. The sloped paths are perfect for my #trailwalker training. Out of interest, I read that many of these pathways were previously used as ‘skid rows’ where lumberjacks pulled trees to the water’s edge for ‘log booming’ to the nearest sawmill.
I can’t imagine that anyone who lives here wouldn’t walk or run these trails every day!
I appeared on CTV Morning Live, Breakfast Television, and Urban Rush in Vancouver to share my Wylde Summer Fitness Tips with the West Coast!
Please support Team Wylde About Health and Oxfam – with great gratitude and appreciation.
Shout out to my trainer, Kirk Sutton of Sutton Health and Fitness in Vaughan. He’s helped bring me to my current level of fitness! Watch.
Next Stop: Calgary!
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Day 2 through Calgary
The energy and buzz accumulating around the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede is palpable. Few are without cowboy hats in the spirit of tradition and bails of hay scatter the sidewalks outside of restaurants and retail outlets. But, I’m not here to party, I’m here to rally cowboys and all Canadians alike to support the Oxfam initiative as I tour across the nation educating Canadians with fitness and health tips. I and the rest of Team Wylde About Health are preparing to race 100km on July 13th to help end poverty worldwide beginning with women rights.
I appeared on Breakfast Television in Calgary to share my Wylde Summer Fitness Tips with the people of Calgary!
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It was amazing to come through Ottawa.
I got to share my health tips and train for the big Oxfam trailwalker with Canada’s capital city. In one 5K run in Ottawa, you can circle Canada’s Parliament, pass the famous Rideau Canal, the Royal Canadian Mint, the National Gallery and two museums before running over a wooden planked bridge that takes you into Quebec and back.
But, 5K isn’t enough for my daily training. I needed to find a route to provide me at least 20K. It was quite the sightseeing run! Despite being Canada’s capital, Ottawa has the feel of a small, quiet city, with clean streets, plenty of greenery, museums, galleries and a population of active people.
In fact there are more than 170K of paved paths in Ottawa that provided me with option to multiple circuits. In the end, I chose the canal. Easy-to-find paths line both sides of the Rideau Canal, starting downtown and winding below and behind the Parliament Buildings. Please find it in you to support our cause! Go Team Wylde About Health!
I appeared on CTV Canada Morning Live in Ottawa to share my Wylde Summer Fitness Tips.
Then, after my 20+ km run, I met Sabrina. A young girl from Owen Sound. This was a sign! She is from a well to-do family yet out of touch with them while traveling and so not able to reach out for help or support. Sabrina was facing the challenges of poverty in the face. Her sign and donations cup spoke volumes. I had an idea. I thought: what if I give her the money she needs to get home so long as she promises to spread the word about Oxfam and the poverty around the world?! So, I made her a deal… “I’ll give you 150 bucks” I said …”so long as you spread the word on Poverty and Oxfam’s good work. I’m racing 100km for this cause. Please tell others. Lets try this PAY IT FORWARD program!”…
You can pay it forward too by supporting Team Wylde About Health and Oxfam – with great gratitude and appreciation.
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Day 4 lead me through Manitoba’s capital City, Winnipeg.
Interestingly, the name Winnipeg comes from the Cree for “muddy waters.” I got to see that having run along the Red river to where it meets the Assiniboine River – a point commonly known as The Forks. In fact, the red river north trail measures 110K from North Winnipeg to Grand Beach. I didn’t run quite that far! Although, come to think of it, I will run that far on July 13th. All in the name of Oxfam.
I couldn’t blog from the Forks because my cell phone battery had died. So, I did a short hit from the airport. My next stop: Toronto!
I appeared on Breakfast Television in Winnipeg to share my Wylde Summer Fitness Tips and answer live viewer questions! Jeremy John was a blast to hang out with!
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Day 5, 6, and 7 bring me back through my home town of Toronto.
It’s nice to be back in Toronto. Whilst on my typical 12-15 morning run, I stopped momentarily to have a thought after noticing this sign right out of a Shel Silverstein poem! While the grass may be greener on the other side, my reason for crossing over is for Oxfam! Please find it in you to support Team Wylde About Health. If you’re watching television this week, I’ll see you! I’m all over the tube this week promoting the Oxfam race: BT Toronto, CHCH, Canada AM, Marilyn Denis, and various news pieces all in the name of Oxfam.
This week I’ll appear on Breakfast Television Toronto (SO great to be back with Dina on BT!), Canada AM (at 5:57mins in), CHCH Hamilton, and I’ll be interviewed by Chatelaine Magazine and More Magazine, to share my Wylde Summer Health and Fitness Tips and answer live viewer questions!
Wylde About Health team mate Brent Bishop checks in with me from Runyon Canyon – Hollywood Hills (his favourite place to train on earth!). His knee, like my hip, is giving him some trouble. So… I will prescribe him LivRelief and Wampole Vitalis Relief! I’ve been taking it myself with great results. We’ll need it for this 100K insanity!
We’re getting pumped for the big day!
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Race Day!
A painfully rewarding experience (video by Brent Bishop)
Racing 100km for this Oxfam event was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Here is a very quick compellation of pictures which captures some of my experience along the way.
For all of you who have already donated, thanks you! For those of you yet to donate, please support Team Wylde About Health and Oxfam!
Special Offer!
If you donate $50.00 or more, we’ll send you a container of either LivRelief or ActiveFuel+ for free! (while supplies last).