Robyn Michaud- Shokz Star Ambassador 2026

A beautiful day on the trail. 🩵

I needed that mental and physical win going o to my biggest challenge yet in two weeks!

Let’s go…. #1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣K

Happy Trails Racing First Blaze 10K
📸: Sue Sitki (the real one)

I AM HEARD Coalition
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

Sometimes changing the plan is better than abandoning the plan!

Dropped down from the 25K to the 10K and had the most beautiful and stress-free run on the Bruce this morning.

Two weeks until my A-Goal race… 🩵

Thank you Happy Trails Racing First Blaze 10K! 🫶🏽🌳

I AM HEARD Coalition
Shokz Canada
Garmin
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

Vulnerability post here.

It’s crazy to remember that I spent 30 years in K-12 teaching and leadership.
When I retired in March 2023, it was like any other day, I packed up my things and went home.
That was how I capped off my very long career teaching a dozens of schools across two school boards.

I’m not one who needs the validation, but I think that would hurt anyone’s feelings not to have that kind of career end without some sort of acknowledgement of what I was able to do for so many kids.

But everything happens for a reason.

Getting my doctorate in 2025 was so much work.
I didn’t do it for anything or anyone but myself.
But wow has it opened up a whole new world!
In September I will be a full-time Assistant Professor of Indigenous Education.
I’m now in a role where I get to educate and impact future generations of K to 12 teachers, something I’ve been doing part-time for the past four years.

Now I can look back at the big picture and truly say, that first career DID mean something! 🥹🩵

Maybe the lack of celebration at the end of it just meant that I still had more work to do. 🤷🏽‍♀️

In the meantime, I’m excited to attend the THIRD event that celebrates my doctoral milestone.

This time I get to celebrate with my community of Sagamok, the community that supported me financially towards this goal. For that, I am forever grateful!

Just a little reminder that it’s ok to be sad.
It’s also ok to sometimes wonder if what you do matters.
But Creator always lets you know down the road that there was always a ‘bigger picture.’

KEEP. FREAKING. GOING.

Faculty of Education
Western University
Sagamok Anishnawbek

My dear friend Cynthia Barr recently sent me a podcast about running Western States 100 miler and the host recommended giving yourself a running alter ego, kind of like a superhero name, who you call upon whenever things get tough in a race. I decided on Dakota, which is a strong warrior-sounding name, and I learned later in life that it was the name that my dad wanted to give me when I was born.

During the race when I struggled I would say, “Let’s go Dakota!”, and suddenly I was being followed by a beautiful black butterfly with blue stripes! Everytime I saw it around me I’d laugh and say “Hey Dad!”, when suddenly this butterfly grabs an identical butterfly (my Gramma), and it was like they were excitedly, following me down the trail. At least a kilometre they stayed with me! 🦋🩵🦋

As it happens, there ARE some things are bigger than place or finishing time. 🥹

Proud that I toughed out this 42K without ever once considering quitting.

Race: Limberlost Challenge 42K
📸: Serena Felsman | Sports Marketing

Floky Canada 🇨🇦
Garmin
Shokz Canada
I AM HEARD Coalition

DFL!

Better than DNF or DNS, but so frustrating!

Limberlost Trail Challenge 42K

Struggling between being proud of myself for not DNFing, and being really sad and embarrassed of my old, damaged back/sh*t spinal cord/ and overall repeated slowness despite putting in so many kilometres and so much effort going into tall in the valley in three weeks.

Not sure what to think tonight, but I’m kind of sad and just wish my body cooperate and reflect the amount of training I’ve put in!

Ngl…. 😢💔

I AM HEARD Coalition
Garmin
Floky Canada 🇨🇦

The unintended maple leaf photobomb is … **chef’s kiss** 😘

Meadowlily Trail.. as beautiful as its name!
🌳 🌼 ❤️

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

Floky Canada 🇨🇦
Garmin
Brooks Running
I AM HEARD Coalition

☀️🌸JUNE🌸☀️ (keeping it real!)

❌ no mileage record
❌ DNF’d at the Redemption 100Km
❌ missed my goal distance at Sunburn Solstice

But…
✅ spent a TON of time in the forest 🌳 😍
✅ ran Forest City Road Races 18 lbs lighter than last year!
✅ spent a lot of time in my jingle dress!
✅ got to honour my Dad on Fathers Day at an Indigenous celebration in Tillsonburg
✅ got to hang with good friends to celebrate a dear friend’s film 🧡🪶
✅ have ran more in the first six months of 2026 that I did in all of 2024!

3.5 weeks until my BIG goal race at Tally in the Valley! 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣K

Welcome JULY!! ☀️🌊☀️

✅ CITY SHRED ELEVATE- 3hr Max Elevation challenge

This was SO HARD.

And humbling.

There are many hills I will die on in this life, and I’m sure I met 3 more this morning at Kelso ski hill. 🏔️

Today I didn’t feel like a runner.

I had many people ask me “are you ok?” because the hills were that hard for me.

I texted my coach and literally said “I suck at this”.

I’m starting to think Eric D’Arcy is literally trying to kill me! 🥵😜

BUT…

the trail portion was of the loop was lovely, shaded and runnable!

I didn’t fall, which is HUGE for me!

I pushed through the whole 3 hours,
completing four loops when I wanted to quit after the first!

People were super kind and the vibes were amazing.

MIGZY P. | ME VERSUS ME | brought the energy at the start/finish line and that last high five was EVERYTHING! THANK YOU! 🙌🏽❤️

Because of my injury I have avoided hills for the first 14 years of my marathoning career - now I have something that I need to work on without excuses.

If you want to become better at a thing, you have to spend more time doing that thing!

See you next week Limberlost Challenge! 😍🌲

I AM HEARD Coalition
CITY SHRED
Eric D’Arcy
Shokz Canada
Garmin
TRAILBLAZER RUN COACHING

Lil trail therapy sesh… 🌲 💧 ☀️ ❤️

Kains Woods is my favourite trail in … but always open to new experiences!

What’s your favourite SWOntario trail?

I AM HEARD Coalition

A new PR for ‘time on feet’ and now my head is looking forward to some ‘time on pillow’… 🛌

Thank you for a wonderful was to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.. can’t wait for next year!

Race: Happy Trails Racing Sunburn Solstice (full solo)
📸: Sue Sitki (the real one)