Kilometre by kilometre, step by step

A former Pictou County resident will be running down the Pictou causeway today.
But don't be alarmed. Jonathan Young is running for a good cause.
After his mother passed away from cancer on July 26 of 2008, Young decided he wanted to do something for the palliative care unit that cared for her during her battle. So in October of the same year, he began planning a running route along the Sunrise Trail, beginning in Auld's Cove and ending in Amherst. Young knew nobody had ever attempted to run the full length of the trail before so he knew it would garner attention for his cause.
In January of this year he began training. Young has been running for the past nine years and has completed 13 half-marathons. This was a bit different.
"I used to run for speed," he said. "Now it's about stamina and endurance."
Young began increasing the lengths of his run until he was running twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, and running about 20 kilometres three days in a row, with one rest day in between.
The Sunrise Run will take place just over two weeks. Young will run a distance of 300 kilometres, running for twelve days and taking three rest days. The route is broken up into different sections and every day he runs approximately 22-25 kilometres. Today, he will run from New Glasgow to Pictou.
Young said in order to keep his focus, he's taking it one day at a time.
"To me, it's just about finishing the distances every day. Kilometre by kilometre, step by step. "
He said it's important to take care of his body by getting lots of sleeping and treating any minor injuries when they happen.
"It's a healthy balance."
Young also has a great support team consisting of family members who helped him get the event together. His cousin Mary and her husband Walter gathered donations from local businesses around Pictou County, everything from food and water to sports supplies.
"Mary and Walter have just been fantastic… and (the businesses) have been very generous with their contributions."
Young hopes to gather more momentum and attention for his cause as the runs goes on. He encourages anyone to go out and cheer him on as he passes through different towns.
"Honk your horn if you see me, it's good motivation."
You can follow Young's running route at www.sunriserun.weebly.com/index.html. Anyone interested in making a donation can do so by following the links.