Cross Canada Run: Experience of a Lifetime

By Jason Sutcliffe

On a few occasions I have written about running marathons and how much I enjoy them. For the past couple of years I have frequently thought about attempting to run across this beautiful country of ours. I would like to start Newfoundland and head west to British Columbia.

Recently my father had to undergo surgery to remove his left leg and with his heart issues it was a life threatening surgery. We had three weeks as a family to prepare for the surgery. At some point during that time I decided that if my Dad survived the surgery I was going to make that run.

It is approximately 8200 kilometers from coast to coast, and the plan is to cover that distance in 120 days maximum. That is approximately 69 kilometers a day.

I have absolutely no delusions about how challenging this is going to be. I know that it is going to take every ounce of determination and mental strength that I am able to muster. I am prepared to do that.

There are a number of things that I am going to have to have in place, which will allow me to be in the best possible mental state during that run:

 

• Most importantly I am going to need my family there with me. That is a must I will miss them way too much to maintain the required focus during something this rigorous. My wife and my son for sure, also my mom and dad they have been their for everything really important that I have ever done. I hope my sister, nephews and a few others can be there for at least a portion of the run.
• I need to do this for a cause, something that inspires me to push forward when things get tough. Most likely something for children, the Make A Wish foundation perhaps, or something like that.
• I am going to need an RV, comfort and rest is going to be very important.

 

There are going to be a lot of other things that will need to be taken care of, but those things are going to be the most important as far as my mental state while running.

Physically that is going to be on me. I know that it is going to be tough on my knees, ankles and hips, and that I am going to have to take very good care of myself in order to see a challenge like this through.

I am not looking forward to the ice baths after each run in order to speed up the recovery and prevent lactic acid build up and the pooling of blood in the muscles.

After all of those concerns are dealt with and I am mentally and physically prepared than I can concentrate on the things that I am really going to enjoy about taking on a challenge like this

 

• Helping grant a wish to some kids who more than anything deserve to have a wish granted to them. That is the most amazing thing that I could do for those kids and I will be proud of that until my dying day.
• I will not be the only person who has crossed the country running but I will definitely be on a list of a select few, which is something I will take with me forever as well.
• My parents, my wife and son, sister, nephews and the children in our families next generation will be able to look back with pride and say my son, husband, dad, brother, grandpa or great uncle ran across the country.
• I will get to see the country and meet a whole lot of people in the process.

 

This is going to be one of the best and most challenging accomplishments of my life, and I cannot wait to meet it head on. I am really looking forward to making some children’s day by raising the money to have their wish granted! It doesn’t get more rewarding than that.