Happy Canada Day, everyone.
I'd been eyeing this route for a long time, and something about Canada Day felt right for finally getting it done. I knew the heat was going to be bad, because that's just how Southern Ontario summers go, so my plan was simple: get up early and try to sneak past it before it woke up too.
I started at 6:20 AM with two 900ml flasks, a 1.5L bladder, a handful of granola bars, and a bag of salt tablets. Originally this was meant to be a fully unsupported attempt. I set off from the corner of Gorton Ave and Hendrie Ave, running counter clockwise, and even at that hour the temperature was already sitting in the high 20s with humidity somewhere in the low 30s. Not exactly the gentle start I was hoping for. I took it easy early on and let myself enjoy the breeze coming off the lake. I couldn't run the full Bayfront Park loop though, since it was closed off for fireworks setup ahead of the display, so I followed along the perimeter fence instead.
Through Hamilton and onto the rail trail, I stopped to refill my bottles at the dog park (43.247909, -79.860189). By the time I finished the rail trail, the heat had really started to work on me. I felt shredded, honestly. As I got closer to the lake on the Red Hill Valley Trail, my mind started drifting toward Hutch's ice cream on the beach, the way your brain does when you're overheated and desperate for something good. By the time I crossed the bridge over the QEW, I was done pretending I could ignore the heat. I made it to Hutch's, only to find the doors locked. I was genuinely devastated. I circled the building looking for any sign of hope, and thankfully found a cold vending machine tucked around the side. That ice cold Coke may have been one of the best things I've ever tasted, and it also quietly turned this into a self supported attempt instead.
From there I kept moving down the waterfront while my water supply dwindled and the shade all but disappeared. I knew there was a fountain up ahead at 43.294955, -79.792775, and I don't think I've ever been more grateful to see running water. I filled up, caught my breath, and ended up chatting with a few rollerbladers and unicyclists for about ten minutes. It was a nice little pocket of normalcy in an otherwise brutal day. After that it was mostly run walk, though if I'm being honest, it was mostly walk. My heart rate would spike the moment I tried to run, and with heat exhaustion or worse hanging over my head, I made peace with walking almost the entire last 10k.
I really do think this time is beatable. I'm already looking forward to coming back for a proper unsupported attempt on a day when the weather actually cooperates. Still, there are worse ways to spend a Canada Day than sweating it out along a packed Burlington Beach, surrounded by people just trying to enjoy their holiday while I quietly fell apart in the heat beside them.