Matt

I sit here (in the lavatory of Racy) feebly typing two-fingered as always, attempting to write something poignant, relevant and encapsulating to describe the feelings of being less than 8 hours away from unlacing. Our week of lasts has come and gone. Our last full mileage tour day was yesterday. Our last school presentation seems a distant memory, though I realize it was only 2 days ago. Our last Ferry ride was yesterday, off the Sunshine Coast. We even ran faster, so as to catch the earlier Ferry into Horseshoe Bay and hopefully, catch the last period on the Canucks game. And, if open, say hello to our old friend Giovani at Pudgies Pizza here in the Bay and let him know we were back!

So here we were last night, coming off the biggest Ferry ride of our lives with our posse’ of patrol, Team Knuckleheads Rick and Andy, Amber and Rob, Steph and I (our numbed senses trying to take it all in).   Read more...

That is the title and theme from these last couple of days along the Trans Canada West Coast edition of Canada’s linking highway. As we run (and may I say, a tad quicker than usual because of the winds of support at our backs), the ever-faithful “Knuckle Heads” steer cars clear of two runners intent on making their marathon.

Andy is now named “steady Eddy,” as his while-riding camera techniques are becoming the stuff of Hollywood legend, capturing shots of us along this famous Canadian Highway on the far west coast! Jeanette is our “holistic talker” with stories on herbs, different flower concoctions and the like. While Rick (now extended to Richard), is the thinker in the gang, figuring out the next bike move to keep the rear of the posse patrol clear of traffic.   Read more...

We almost jumped right out of Racy Verna when we saw BOTH our moms' faces in the crowd of welcomers at the Ferry dock, here in Victoria on Saturday! What a way to enter back onto home field, seeing a whole collection of our closest and most treasured family and friends.

It was a strange mix of emotions as we rode the final 20 minutes towards downtown Victoria. Crossing the border back to Canada represented so much and was rushing at us like memories from one’s youth, a collection of pictures running across our minds, remembering all we’d been through to reach this moment.

And then, like a shot from a cannon, we caught up to real time as we saw familiar faces in a familiar setting, all there to shower us with love and welcome us home!   Read more...

That was the scene last Saturday April 18th at 6:30am underneath Astoria’s famous landmark, the Washington Bridge. Carla Oja and her Chief of Police husband, Alan, literally following us across the 4 ½ mile expanse between Oregon and Washington, with flashing red and blues to ensure we made it in style to run our last State.

How’d we get to do this you may be asking?   Read more...

Let me tell you about a guy named Don. He is the perfect candidate for the tour’s “local hero” category. In fact, this guy named Don could be awarded with the title of, “the originator of what it means to be a local hero.” You see our friend Don Grant has all the qualities of what a local hero brings to the table:

• Lives local (Burnaby BC)
• Has a family (an awesome wife and kid to match)
• Works with many people in the community (way beyond 9-5)
• Coached hockey for many years (pretty Canadian, eh?)
• Goes way out of his way for anyone in need of his talents (often)
• Is humble in his ways but accomplishes way more than what most in his profession profess to do
• Is the kind of guy you know you can always count on, when you really need him

Alec, the online intern at Ode, posed this question to me a few weeks ago when we stopped by for a lunch-hour hello and some awesome eats with the rest of the amazing gang at Ode in Mill Valley!

Alec’s question is one Steph and I get asked a lot in our presentations, a lot like some of the honest questions from our pint-sized eco warriors, the elementary school kids! Since they're curious about the run's details, they ask “where do you guys sleep” or, “where do you go to the bathroom?” I love the straight-shooting questions of an 8 year old. We also get asked, how long do we run each day, how much food do we eat and our personal favorite, how many days did it take to get ready for the biggest journey of our lives, thus far?   Read more...

As the title states, we found ourselves yesterday in Ukiah, California, blending old world tradition with street realities by way of two school presentations within one event day.

The night before we’d time-traveled back 3,000 years to sleep in ancient China at the Buddhist Community called 10,000 Buddhas. We were lulled to sleep by the distant calls of peacocks looking for their partner to sleep for the night in the trees above where we parked. It’s the craziest feeling, as we instantly were transported backwards thousands of years when we entered the compound’s massive wooden gates, guarding what felt like an ancient, sacred place. Check out the pictures!   Read more...

It’s Run For One Planet Tour Day #325, and we find ourselves in San Luis Obispo, California.

The road has been long and filled with every imaginable scenario and challenge since we put our first steps forward on May 4th, 2008 back in Vancouver. We knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey. Putting oneself out there beyond the normal zone of comfort always brings about the greatest tests—and the greatest rewards for sticking to it.   Read more...

My name is Matt and I am currently running across Canada and around the perimeter of America with my partner in crime, Steph, to inspire action for a healthier planet. We are called Run For One Planet.   Read more...