
Helen’s dad and I registered and showed up on a very wet Sunday morning. Despite pouring rain, the enthusiasm, cheerfulness and enjoyment from runners, organizers and volunteers were contagious and uplifting. It was so nice to see many high-school students participating and having fun.
I could not help but enjoy the simplicity and authenticity of this event so different from big city marathons I have done recently: Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, or even Ottawa with its 25,000 runners. Running the scenic course along the lake, I was thinking about my dad who passed away 13 years ago, about responsibilities and rewards of being a parent, about my son Robert who was doing so well living on his own in Montreal and just finished the first year of university, and about my little baby Jasper who was giving us so much joy and happiness.

Proudly wearing my finisher’s medal it occurred to me that I just received the biggest medal for the shortest and the smallest race I did so far. This one is special. Unbreakable!
Run Strong!
RPB