Michelle Leduc, RMT

09/08/2026

🔺 Rideau Trail Unsupported Fastest Known Time
4 days, 8 hours, 54 minutes, 27 seconds.

Completely on my own. Carrying everything I needed to get myself from Ottawa to Kingston. The Rideau Trail Association advertises the trail at around 330 km. Somehow, I had recorded more than 350 km.

“You are coming out of Vol State stronger than before you started.”

I was told that less than a week after reaching the Rock at Vol State. Before long, I was pulling out my RTA binder, poring over maps and trying to figure out if I could pull this off in a few weeks. It was going to be a delicate balance between recovering from LAVS and getting my trail legs back.

I have a lot more to unpack about this adventure, and eventually I'll get it into a blog. In many ways, this ended up being a much-needed “walk in the snow.”

But the short version? It was hard. Lonely. Scary. Painful. And wet. Oh the feet.

Over the entire four-plus days, I managed about an hour total of actual sleep. That eventually caught up with me and turned what should have been a fairly straightforward 60 km stretch to the end into a long, adventurous and very confused trek.

But somehow those parts fade when I saw the seemingly untouched nature. Watch another sunrise rescue me from a gruelling night. Being completely alone. Escaping the stress and grind of everyday life for a few days. Nothing to think about except taking care of myself and following the trail ahead.

And with all that being said, I'd do it again in an instant.

A few important thank-yous:

To my coach, Derrick Spafford, who planted the idea of attempting the full Rideau Trail in my head many years ago while I was attempting the K&P Trail FKT. It took five years, a few false starts and a whole lot of life to finally get here.

To my strength coach, Jamie Wright, who kept reminding me just how tough I am, particularly when I needed to hear it.

And to my husband, who trusted me to take on another big challenge, especially one that involved disappearing alone onto a trail for several days.

https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/michelle-leduc-rideau-trail-canada-2026-09-01

08/23/2026

A doodle on an athlete/coach account?
I learned a lesson from this one when I looked at the finished product.

What was supposed to be a 60-minute break turned into almost two hours. I wish I had taken progress photos.

I messed up the outline. It looked nothing like the image I was trying to follow. This is going to be an ugly mess, I told myself.

Patience. Determination. I convinced myself to keep going. Or at least get to the next step before quitting.

Just finish the outline. Add the colours. Embellish. More colours. A few accents. And somewhere along the way, the ugly mess started coming together.

This little sketch gave me a lesson that feels appropriate for me right now.

Things can feel crazy, chaotic and disorganized. You might not be able to see how it's all going to come together.

Just get to the next step.

Eventually, you start to see the finished product. For me, it's a few finish lines ahead.

08/20/2026

🏃‍♀️Youth Run Club Update👟

It's been a very busy year for Russell Run Club, and there's still lots on the horizon before 2026 wraps up, including the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail Challenge and the Russell Run. It's also been a very full year for me personally.

I've made the difficult decision not to offer a Youth Run Club session this Fall. I'll be taking a break from coaching for the remainder of 2026. I'm am being realistic about how much I can take on and, more importantly, do well.

As Head Coach and founder, youth running is something I'm very passionate about. I've loved coaching these kids and watching the program grow. Interest from kids and families certainly isn't the problem.

What we do need are more coaches and volunteers. For the program to continue and grow, we need a bigger team around it rather than relying on one or two people to keep it going. If you've ever thought about coaching or volunteering with our young runners, I'd love to hear from you.

For the remainder of 2026, my focus will be on the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail Challenge and the Russell Run, making sure both events are delivered to the standards we've set. This break will also give me an opportunity to step back and reassess our youth programming, our priorities and where the Club goes heading into 2027.

Thank you to all of the kids, families and volunteers who have been part of the program this year. I care a lot about what we've built and want to make sure we can continue to do it well.

Michelle
Head Coach, Russell Run Club
[email protected]

07/25/2026

Ever since I came home from Tennessee, I've been trying to make sense of what Vol State meant to me.

Some parts of the experience were easy to understand. Others took much longer. It wasn't until I started writing that I realized what the real gift of Vol State had been.

This isn't really a story about running 314 miles. It's about finding simplicity in a complicated world, discovering peace in the middle of uncertainty, and learning to trust that the next step really is enough.

Writing it helped me understand why coming home felt harder than crossing the finish line.

I hope you'll find something in it that speaks to your own journey.

Prologue: The Aftermath Nothing ever prepares me for the aftermath of Vol State. The blisters, swelling, and throbbing foot pain? […]

07/18/2026

Fresh off the Tennessee Highway - still damp and stinky - I go through what's left of my pack and let you know what worked and what didn't.
Grab a bottle of Sundrop and bag of Cheez-its and enjoy.

Four days post the Last Annual Vol State. Heres what actually work...

07/15/2026

Last Annual Vol State 2026
314 Miles: 4 days, 14 hours, 17 minutes, 30 seconds.

I came into this race with an ambitious goal. I wanted to break 5 days. Not just sneak under it, but finish comfortably under. A 5 or 6 day LAVS is considered a strong performance. But I know what I'm capable of when things come together. Secretly, my goal may have been closer to 4 days than 5. 😉

So this time, the plan was simple.

Move.

I ran. I walked. Every other activity existed to support those two things. Eat. Rest. Repeat. Most of the time I had no idea what time of day it was, how far I'd travelled, or how far it was to the next town. I just kept moving.

I removed social media and email to eliminate distractions. The outside world could wait.

I knew the challenges this event would bring, so I kept my contact circle small. I'm incredibly thankful for every one of them.

I checked in with my running coach, Derrick, every day. Shiloh and Tara from the Russell Run Club got the late-night and early-morning phone calls when things got dark. They listened to me ramble, talked me through the rough patches, and reminded me to keep moving.

Jamie, my strength coach, kept me focused. On the morning of the final day, he knew I was struggling. Getting me out of that mindset completely changed the outcome. He reminded me that the first few days had prepared me for this moment. My only job was to move as fast as I could. I did exactly that, covering 42 miles in the final 12 hours. Compare that to the 48 miles I covered on fresh legs during the first day.

And finally, Sean. Despite his worries and concerns, he embraced the event by following the runners and all the stories. He answered the dozens of phone calls when I simply needed someone to talk to.

This finish line photo says it all. I stuck to the plan, adjusted as needed, and left nothing in the tank.

There's a lot more to this story... but first I need to catch up on about four days of sleep. Then I'll try to make sense of it all.

07/06/2026

Ultramarathons are hard. Journey runs even more so.

Blisters, chafing, heat, exhaustion... they're all part of the adventure. I've learned to expect them.

The bigger battle has always been my mind.

As I prepared for my next adventure, I found myself reflecting on what the last one was trying to teach me. I put those thoughts into words in a letter to my past, current, and future self.

Maybe you'll recognize a few of your own stories in there too.

The stories we tell ourselves can carry us forward… or convince us to stop. TO MY PAST SELF You prepared […]

07/03/2026

Another annex to the original video. 😁 I got rid of some of my insecurities.

06/28/2026

2 AM. The witching hour.

The time when everything seems to fall apart. The battle between the desire to sleep and the drive to keep moving. Most nights, sleep has the upper hand. But somehow, when the sun starts to rise, the drive takes over again.

I was out the door at 2 AM for another nighttime run, which slowly turned into a walk with purpose. A walk with intention. I can run. These powerful walks are still a work in progress.

The night was peaceful. Only two cars crossed my path. I watched the moon sink into the western horizon and, not long after, the first hints of sunrise appear in the east. Every now and then, two beady eyes reflected back at me in the beam of my headlamp before disappearing into the darkness.

There were lights on the horizon that I couldn't quite identify. Streetlights? A parked car? Another walker? Everything seems different at night. The mailboxes, the garbage bins, the little things you never notice during the day suddenly stand out.

This morning wasn't the witching hour I usually think about. Not the one filled with hallucinations, crushing fatigue, hunger, despair, and every other emotion that comes during a journey run. I started on fresh legs, four hours of sleep, and a stomach still working through last night's dinner.

So tonight I slowed down and enjoyed a world that very few people ever experience. I felt excited for what's coming.

Then the humidity crept in. The smell of dew and summer fields drifted through the air. The lights of town came into view.

For a moment, they brought back memories of the physical and emotional suffering that lies ahead.

The witching hour is coming.

06/25/2026

Some lighting gear to test out for Vol State from Derrick Spafford Fenixlight Official Trail Toes, LLC