It was a very early start making the drive up to the start line in Memorial Park at The Entrance.
On arrival, I met up with Cameron Griffiths who had mentioned the race to me and put the idea in my head. It was also amazing to meet up with the same guy Craig, who I met in the final stages of the Great Australian Run in Melbourne only a few days earlier.
It was like two world's colliding when I started to realise on starting the race that Craig, had previously presented a sales training session at a Sales Conference many years previous in Darwin and was also a good friend of a former girlfriend... Incredible!
The run was very low key with a small field of true believers from a number of running clubs represented and Cool Running members heading out along the river over many small bridges with not too many locals to be seen on the course. It was interesting to note that the water tasted a little like chlorine and it was just so sweet to have the final run for the year completed!
Following the event it was great to meet up with Craig and family and fellow runners Anna and Hellen for breakfast prior to making the journey back down the F3 Highway to Sydney.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
HBA Great Australian Run
The first run back on home soil following the most recent global adventures took the Marathon Man down to Melbourne for the inaugural Great Australian Run.
The Great Australian Run was live on the Ten Network so the start was slightly delayed to accommodate the Elite Women's and Elite Men's start groups getting clear prior to the rest of the field being released.
Michelle Bridges who is one of the Trainers from "The Biggest Loser" in Australia turned up to lead the warm up though this was a little challenging with the routine not starting until we were all crowded into the start pack.
The elite field was packed with class with Hail Gebrselassie, Craig Mottram, Collis Birmingham and Benita Johnson lining up for the start. The Beijing Olympic Athletes who performed such great efforts for Australia at the Beijing Olympic Games were on hand to get proceedings under way with the Pole Vault Gold Medallist Steve Hooker and the Silver Medallist in the 400m hurdler Sally McLellan.
The morning was perfect for running although it was heating up as we were patiently waiting to start the run. When released it was a process of dodging through the crowds of people to get a clear path.
It was around the 8km mark near the bridge after Federation Square that the Ten cameras zoomed in and I somehow managed to put a few words together which later on proved to be very funny viewing. Considering I had stopped for the interview passing the 10km mark in 49:24 was not too bad.
In the run home I passed a guy with red hair who mentioned that he had attended the "Spirit of the Marathon" movie a few days earlier and passed on his congratulations for my effort in the Marathon des Sables. It was at this stage that he passed me most probably due to the surprise and then with close to 1km remaining I kicked on the after burners and fired up to pass this gentleman and sprint home to cross the line and finish the 15km event in 1:13:57.
Following the race I was fotunate to meet up with Steve Hooker and Benita Johnson and get up close and personal with the marathon champion Haile Gebrselassie. This was a fun morning in Melbourne although I must say following my most recent events it was a little different pulling up after only 15km. All good fun :-)
The Great Australian Run was live on the Ten Network so the start was slightly delayed to accommodate the Elite Women's and Elite Men's start groups getting clear prior to the rest of the field being released.
Michelle Bridges who is one of the Trainers from "The Biggest Loser" in Australia turned up to lead the warm up though this was a little challenging with the routine not starting until we were all crowded into the start pack.
The elite field was packed with class with Hail Gebrselassie, Craig Mottram, Collis Birmingham and Benita Johnson lining up for the start. The Beijing Olympic Athletes who performed such great efforts for Australia at the Beijing Olympic Games were on hand to get proceedings under way with the Pole Vault Gold Medallist Steve Hooker and the Silver Medallist in the 400m hurdler Sally McLellan.
The morning was perfect for running although it was heating up as we were patiently waiting to start the run. When released it was a process of dodging through the crowds of people to get a clear path.
It was around the 8km mark near the bridge after Federation Square that the Ten cameras zoomed in and I somehow managed to put a few words together which later on proved to be very funny viewing. Considering I had stopped for the interview passing the 10km mark in 49:24 was not too bad.
In the run home I passed a guy with red hair who mentioned that he had attended the "Spirit of the Marathon" movie a few days earlier and passed on his congratulations for my effort in the Marathon des Sables. It was at this stage that he passed me most probably due to the surprise and then with close to 1km remaining I kicked on the after burners and fired up to pass this gentleman and sprint home to cross the line and finish the 15km event in 1:13:57.
Following the race I was fotunate to meet up with Steve Hooker and Benita Johnson and get up close and personal with the marathon champion Haile Gebrselassie. This was a fun morning in Melbourne although I must say following my most recent events it was a little different pulling up after only 15km. All good fun :-)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Athens Classic Marathon
The Athens Classic Marathon was the final marathon is what has been an incredible five week international adventure. The history of returning to the home of the marathon was a major reason for including Athens in the global adventure and I was not disappointed.
The race started from the city of Marathon with around 5,000 lining up on the start line. Prior to the start I was pulled aside by a television journalist from NovaSports 1 to be interviewed live only minutes before getting under way. I was focused on getting ready for the start of the race so not too sure whether I made much sense or not ...
At the start it was spotted that the pace groups were represented by a single rider on a push bike. The course started by looping through the site of the Marathon Tombs on dirt roads and following this section of the course then lead into endless major roads and motorways that would lead towards Athens. I had been warned by many people that this course was not for the fainthearted and indeed was very challenging with many hills to get over. It was also mentioned that the second half of the course was a little more friendly and that the hills would eventually end so this was always in the back of my mind.
I maintained a respectable pace from the start and it was not until just prior to the 28km mark that I noticed the 4km pace bike surge past me. While extremely frustrated not to maintain my pace I stepped it up and made sure that I would be as close as possible to the 4 hour time.
While the crowds were relatively small compared to the week before in New York City, the common cry of "Bravo" could be heard along the way when I would run through the small crowds of supporters. I could feel the energy and history over the final stages as we approached the site of the first ever Olympics. When I spotted the crowds building I knew that the finish line was not so far away. It was a great pleasure to see that the road towards the finish line was all downhill after struggling through many hills during the run. I made my move and over the final kilometer sprinted it out to overtake a number of competitors. It was a mix of making the most of this historic moment in Athens and also being fully aware that this was my final run in the Marathon Man programme for the year and I wanted to post the best possible time. The energy on entering the Olympic Stadium was incredible and I ended up crossing the line in a new personal best time of 4:02:13!
It was a great way to complete what has been an amazing adventure. By setting a new personal best time by more than three minutes in the fifth marathon over five weeks I guess it shows that the previous training runs over the weeks ahead had been really worthwhile. The Marathon Man international adventures have been beyond expectations and I am now really looking forward to mapping out a very exciting schedule of challenges for the new year. The journey has only just started ...
The race started from the city of Marathon with around 5,000 lining up on the start line. Prior to the start I was pulled aside by a television journalist from NovaSports 1 to be interviewed live only minutes before getting under way. I was focused on getting ready for the start of the race so not too sure whether I made much sense or not ...
At the start it was spotted that the pace groups were represented by a single rider on a push bike. The course started by looping through the site of the Marathon Tombs on dirt roads and following this section of the course then lead into endless major roads and motorways that would lead towards Athens. I had been warned by many people that this course was not for the fainthearted and indeed was very challenging with many hills to get over. It was also mentioned that the second half of the course was a little more friendly and that the hills would eventually end so this was always in the back of my mind.
I maintained a respectable pace from the start and it was not until just prior to the 28km mark that I noticed the 4km pace bike surge past me. While extremely frustrated not to maintain my pace I stepped it up and made sure that I would be as close as possible to the 4 hour time.
While the crowds were relatively small compared to the week before in New York City, the common cry of "Bravo" could be heard along the way when I would run through the small crowds of supporters. I could feel the energy and history over the final stages as we approached the site of the first ever Olympics. When I spotted the crowds building I knew that the finish line was not so far away. It was a great pleasure to see that the road towards the finish line was all downhill after struggling through many hills during the run. I made my move and over the final kilometer sprinted it out to overtake a number of competitors. It was a mix of making the most of this historic moment in Athens and also being fully aware that this was my final run in the Marathon Man programme for the year and I wanted to post the best possible time. The energy on entering the Olympic Stadium was incredible and I ended up crossing the line in a new personal best time of 4:02:13!
It was a great way to complete what has been an amazing adventure. By setting a new personal best time by more than three minutes in the fifth marathon over five weeks I guess it shows that the previous training runs over the weeks ahead had been really worthwhile. The Marathon Man international adventures have been beyond expectations and I am now really looking forward to mapping out a very exciting schedule of challenges for the new year. The journey has only just started ...
Monday, November 3, 2008
New York City Marathon
The build up to the New York Marathon had been incredible! Starting the day out at 4.30am I caught a taxi in to 51st Street to meet up with the "Team For Kids" group that had 14 busses waiting for us all. The atmosphere was electric with everyone buzzing in the early hours of the morning with anticipation of what was ahead for us all. Following a police escort to the start line in Staten Island, we arrived prior to 8am and it was clear that the major challenge would be keeping warm in the hours before the race started. This was the first year in the New York Marathon that there would be a wave start with the lead group getting away at 9.40am, followed by the second wave at 10am and then the third wave at 10.20am.
I had been placed in the third wave start and it was a little alarming when I could not find a 4 hour pace group though could only see the 4:30 pace group so I made the decision to start out on poll position and catch up to the second group ahead. The initial rush of being the first out of the gate was quickly restrained when greeted by one of the largest hills ever over the first mile of the race. The advice of taking it easy in the first 2 miles was ringing in my ears and I maintained a strong position. It was after the initial few miles that I decided to tune into my iPod and turn up the music. Having run Dublin without turning on my iPod today I thought that it may be best to focus on my own race. It was a great decision and I managed to tune in to my own race and also take in some of the crowd along the course.
It really was amazing to see the crowds along the way with the highlight being at the 13km mark when running down the street and the bands playing and me feeling on a high I recall pumping the crowd up and running backwards and really getting into it! It was such a rush to be feeling so good and be in the middle of such a electric atmosphere. There were so many incredible sights and sounds along the way from crowds ten deep to church choirs! Mind you I did realise that there was still a long way ahead ...
Without the pace group having balloons to identify where I was travelling I spotted the 4:15 pace sign on the back of some runners and was fairly sure that this would have been from the second wave ahead of me and gave me a little more inspiration to continue pressing towards the 4 hour target time. As I continued passing through the crowd and making my way through a number of runners that were doing it tough, I was ahead of the 4 hour pace by more than 5 minutes by the half way mark and although favoring my right hamstring and achilles was feeling confident. By the 30km point I remained slightly ahead of the 4 hour target pace though could feel the pain and muscles tightening like nothing else. It was great to see a good friend at the 30km stage though this was the time where I lost a few minutes against the clock and was a few minutes down on the target pace by the 35km stage. In the homeward stretch towards Central Park there were few opportunities to pass by a number of runners at the crowd was massive and fellow runners were tiring. It was rewarding to track down and pass by one of the runners who had taken off early in the initial miles of the race though by the 40km mark I was down by 5 minutes on the target time! I pushed as hard as possible through the crowds of people now struggling towards the final line and crossed in 4:05:35 ... Missing the 4 hour target though still posting a personal best time in my fourth marathon in four weeks!
Time 5K 0:25:31
Time 10K 0:51:50
Time 15K 1:19:42
Time 20K 1:48:19
Time 1/2 Mar. 1:54:32
Time 25K 2:18:44
Time 30K 2:49:15
Time 35K 3:21:46
Time 40K 3:52:25
Final Time 4:05:35
Time Pace/Mile 0:09:22
Every runner had a story to tell and the adventure was certain to be memorable to each and every person that took part in the 2008 New York Marathon. Thank you so much to all the supporters that made the day so special. Now for the final adventure to Athens Greece to compete in the home of the marathon and take care of the 5th marathon in 5 weeks ...
I had been placed in the third wave start and it was a little alarming when I could not find a 4 hour pace group though could only see the 4:30 pace group so I made the decision to start out on poll position and catch up to the second group ahead. The initial rush of being the first out of the gate was quickly restrained when greeted by one of the largest hills ever over the first mile of the race. The advice of taking it easy in the first 2 miles was ringing in my ears and I maintained a strong position. It was after the initial few miles that I decided to tune into my iPod and turn up the music. Having run Dublin without turning on my iPod today I thought that it may be best to focus on my own race. It was a great decision and I managed to tune in to my own race and also take in some of the crowd along the course.
It really was amazing to see the crowds along the way with the highlight being at the 13km mark when running down the street and the bands playing and me feeling on a high I recall pumping the crowd up and running backwards and really getting into it! It was such a rush to be feeling so good and be in the middle of such a electric atmosphere. There were so many incredible sights and sounds along the way from crowds ten deep to church choirs! Mind you I did realise that there was still a long way ahead ...
Without the pace group having balloons to identify where I was travelling I spotted the 4:15 pace sign on the back of some runners and was fairly sure that this would have been from the second wave ahead of me and gave me a little more inspiration to continue pressing towards the 4 hour target time. As I continued passing through the crowd and making my way through a number of runners that were doing it tough, I was ahead of the 4 hour pace by more than 5 minutes by the half way mark and although favoring my right hamstring and achilles was feeling confident. By the 30km point I remained slightly ahead of the 4 hour target pace though could feel the pain and muscles tightening like nothing else. It was great to see a good friend at the 30km stage though this was the time where I lost a few minutes against the clock and was a few minutes down on the target pace by the 35km stage. In the homeward stretch towards Central Park there were few opportunities to pass by a number of runners at the crowd was massive and fellow runners were tiring. It was rewarding to track down and pass by one of the runners who had taken off early in the initial miles of the race though by the 40km mark I was down by 5 minutes on the target time! I pushed as hard as possible through the crowds of people now struggling towards the final line and crossed in 4:05:35 ... Missing the 4 hour target though still posting a personal best time in my fourth marathon in four weeks!
Time 5K 0:25:31
Time 10K 0:51:50
Time 15K 1:19:42
Time 20K 1:48:19
Time 1/2 Mar. 1:54:32
Time 25K 2:18:44
Time 30K 2:49:15
Time 35K 3:21:46
Time 40K 3:52:25
Final Time 4:05:35
Time Pace/Mile 0:09:22
Every runner had a story to tell and the adventure was certain to be memorable to each and every person that took part in the 2008 New York Marathon. Thank you so much to all the supporters that made the day so special. Now for the final adventure to Athens Greece to compete in the home of the marathon and take care of the 5th marathon in 5 weeks ...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Continental Airlines Friendship Runathon
The 2008 ING New York City Marathon is now a week long series of events. One of the best events is the Continental Airlines Friendship Run. It begins at the United Nations building on 1st Avenue and winds around a bit before it heads up 5th Avenue to finish at the 26 mile marker of the marathon. It is a great event that bring out costumes of the different nationalities that run the race.
I was fortunate to meet up with a number of people from around the world and the Marathon Man proved a great hot amongst the other national costumes on display. I soon found my way to the Travelling Fit crew and met up with Mari-Mar Walton, Dave Wilson, Michael and Ryan Murphy.
It was a really nice run through the streets of New York City where I was fortunate enough to run alongside and meet up with Catherine Ndereba the world class Kenyan marathon champion.
When I reached Central Park it was important to take in the surroundings in preparation for the big race tomorrow though was conscious not to cross the finish line until the next day.
The atmosphere was simply electric with some 15,000 people taking part in the event and I made the most of the opportunity to capture the moment and spent some time bonding with fellow runners taking photos.
Bring on the big dance tomorrow ...
I was fortunate to meet up with a number of people from around the world and the Marathon Man proved a great hot amongst the other national costumes on display. I soon found my way to the Travelling Fit crew and met up with Mari-Mar Walton, Dave Wilson, Michael and Ryan Murphy.
It was a really nice run through the streets of New York City where I was fortunate enough to run alongside and meet up with Catherine Ndereba the world class Kenyan marathon champion.
When I reached Central Park it was important to take in the surroundings in preparation for the big race tomorrow though was conscious not to cross the finish line until the next day.
The atmosphere was simply electric with some 15,000 people taking part in the event and I made the most of the opportunity to capture the moment and spent some time bonding with fellow runners taking photos.
Bring on the big dance tomorrow ...
Friday, October 31, 2008
ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo
The time spent at the ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo was great fun roaming the largest and most professionally run Marathon Expo ever seen.
All aspects were most impressive with the "Team For Kids" crew well represented and every conceivable company in the running and fitness market represented at this event.
The real highlight of being out at the Expo was being interviewed by WPIX TV News on the eve of the Continental Airlines Friendship Runathon.
All aspects were most impressive with the "Team For Kids" crew well represented and every conceivable company in the running and fitness market represented at this event.
The real highlight of being out at the Expo was being interviewed by WPIX TV News on the eve of the Continental Airlines Friendship Runathon.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Fair Play Dublin Marathon
What a awesome experience in Ireland! The Dublin Marathon is known as the friendly marathon and for very good reason. The crowd was amazing and provided some incredible motivation to continue the journey towards the finish line throughout the 26 mile journey.
Having not been able to find a decent massage treatment during the week there was no doubt that I was extremely tight in the first half of the marathon and produced a corresponding time for the first half of the just just over 2 hours.
I was pleased with the second half of the race and at no stage did I contemplate stopping other than to stretch out my calf for a moment. Although the weather was extremely cold and I could feel the winds sweeping through me there were many little towns along the course where crowds gathered in numbers to welcome the runners.
On approach through Dublin City and towards the finish line the crowd numbers were massive and it provided me with the added incentive to pass a number of people on the home stretch. The streets were fairly narrow along the majority of the course and this presented a few challenges throughout the race though on the home stretch I found myself calling out to fellow runners as I dodged through the gaps!
When I finally reached the line in 4:13:03 I was pleased to complete the third of my five international marathon adventures. I did not have long to process the result as before I knew it the media swamped me and I was being interviewed and photographed by the print media and television which was a great opportunity to get my message out and hopefully raise further much needed funds for Facing Africa.
Total field 11700
Place overall 4714
Place in cat. 762
10km time 00:58:41
1st-half time 02:02:09
30km time 02:57:43
Chip time 04:15:22
Finish time 04:13:03
I will forever know the Dublin Marathon as the "Fair Play Marathon" as there were a number of Irish people congratulate me on being the Marathon Man and on the achievement of completing the marathon by saying "Fair Play". This is certainly a unique Irish saying and one that I really like ... Fair Play Dublin and thank you so much!
It was very rewarding the next morning to see the Marathon Man featured in the leading newspapers in Ireland with a front page feature in 'The Irish Times' and prominent features in the 'Irish Daily Star' and the 'Irish Independent'.
Bring on New York ...
Having not been able to find a decent massage treatment during the week there was no doubt that I was extremely tight in the first half of the marathon and produced a corresponding time for the first half of the just just over 2 hours.
I was pleased with the second half of the race and at no stage did I contemplate stopping other than to stretch out my calf for a moment. Although the weather was extremely cold and I could feel the winds sweeping through me there were many little towns along the course where crowds gathered in numbers to welcome the runners.
On approach through Dublin City and towards the finish line the crowd numbers were massive and it provided me with the added incentive to pass a number of people on the home stretch. The streets were fairly narrow along the majority of the course and this presented a few challenges throughout the race though on the home stretch I found myself calling out to fellow runners as I dodged through the gaps!
When I finally reached the line in 4:13:03 I was pleased to complete the third of my five international marathon adventures. I did not have long to process the result as before I knew it the media swamped me and I was being interviewed and photographed by the print media and television which was a great opportunity to get my message out and hopefully raise further much needed funds for Facing Africa.
Total field 11700
Place overall 4714
Place in cat. 762
10km time 00:58:41
1st-half time 02:02:09
30km time 02:57:43
Chip time 04:15:22
Finish time 04:13:03
I will forever know the Dublin Marathon as the "Fair Play Marathon" as there were a number of Irish people congratulate me on being the Marathon Man and on the achievement of completing the marathon by saying "Fair Play". This is certainly a unique Irish saying and one that I really like ... Fair Play Dublin and thank you so much!
It was very rewarding the next morning to see the Marathon Man featured in the leading newspapers in Ireland with a front page feature in 'The Irish Times' and prominent features in the 'Irish Daily Star' and the 'Irish Independent'.
Bring on New York ...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Amsterdam Marathon
Following the epic adventures to make it to the start line in Amsterdam the first of the international adventures had arrived. The morning was extremely cool with very overcast conditions. With the race start at 10.30am this was the latest that I had ever commenced a marathon. Previously I have registered prior to the day and simply prepared for the race on race day. This was a little different as I arrived to the event for the first time to register and check out the Expo for the first time. It was interesting to find that there were a number of people who had read a article about my pursuits in the lead up to the Amsterdam Marathon with a few people making comment and congratulating me on arrival. This was really appreciated ...
The race start had all competitors gather inside the running track of the historic Olympisch Stadion "built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the Olympisch Stadion to 64,000 by adding a second ring to the stadium. AFC Ajax has used the Olympisch Stadion for international games until 1996, when the Amsterdam Arena was completed. Since 2005, the stadium is home to a sports museum, the Olympic Experience Amsterdam. It is no longer used as a football stadium." (Wikipedia) It is interesting to see that there is a now a official push to secure the 2028 Olympics for Amsterdam to celebrate the 100 year anniversary.
There was a real international flavour to the event with with tens of thousands of people lining up to start the 33rd Amsterdam Marathon. It was a great atmosphere with people sighted from all across the globe - USA, Canada, Ireland, England, Finland, Italy, Germany, Poland, South Africa, Belgium and of course Ethiopia and Kenya just to name a few. All competitors were broken up by expected finish times with me slotting next to the 3:45 pace group to start. Following the official start the majority of the field were walking to the start line with almost five minutes on the race clock by the time I was able to get into a light jog and commence the dodging of people.
The adrenalin rush of the start line continues to prevent me from powering home over the back half of the race. Think I may finally have to reassess this strategy in the future as once again I managed to go out a little too hard as the following times indicate:
Net time 4:07:30
Net split times (difference)
5,2 Kilometer 26:15 (26:15)
10 Kilometer 51:06 (24:51)
15 Kilometer 1:17:44 (26:38)
20 Kilometer 1:45:07 (27:23)
Half marathon 1:51:45
25 Kilometer 2:13:53 (28:46)
30 Kilometer 2:45:52 (31:59)
35 Kilometer 3:19:40 (33:48)
40 Kilometer 3:53:15 (33:35)
The promising news is that should I be able to hold it together the 4 hour barrier is not so far away. It really is a matter of the body and the mind working together from 30km on and leaving nothing in the tank to achieve the result! I am sure that with the right physical and mental preparation, race nutrition and race conditions on the day that this will be happen over the coming weeks.
It was interesting dealing with the later start time as by the end of proceedings following a massage it was late afternoon and I had run a marathon with minimal food intake during the day. The great part of staring early is that you can have the race sorted and return to enjoy a much deserved meal for lunch. Now will have to come up with a plan to perhaps have some lunch of choice at the finish line ready to devour before the next late start time ...
This was the first race where I have actually been interviewed while running with the local TV News AT5 running beside me with 11km remaining and asking a number of questions. It was very amusing to see the news coverage later that night ...
Looking forward to sharing a few more tales with you over the coming days.
Thank you so much for all your support!
The race start had all competitors gather inside the running track of the historic Olympisch Stadion "built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the Olympisch Stadion to 64,000 by adding a second ring to the stadium. AFC Ajax has used the Olympisch Stadion for international games until 1996, when the Amsterdam Arena was completed. Since 2005, the stadium is home to a sports museum, the Olympic Experience Amsterdam. It is no longer used as a football stadium." (Wikipedia) It is interesting to see that there is a now a official push to secure the 2028 Olympics for Amsterdam to celebrate the 100 year anniversary.
There was a real international flavour to the event with with tens of thousands of people lining up to start the 33rd Amsterdam Marathon. It was a great atmosphere with people sighted from all across the globe - USA, Canada, Ireland, England, Finland, Italy, Germany, Poland, South Africa, Belgium and of course Ethiopia and Kenya just to name a few. All competitors were broken up by expected finish times with me slotting next to the 3:45 pace group to start. Following the official start the majority of the field were walking to the start line with almost five minutes on the race clock by the time I was able to get into a light jog and commence the dodging of people.
The adrenalin rush of the start line continues to prevent me from powering home over the back half of the race. Think I may finally have to reassess this strategy in the future as once again I managed to go out a little too hard as the following times indicate:
Net time 4:07:30
Net split times (difference)
5,2 Kilometer 26:15 (26:15)
10 Kilometer 51:06 (24:51)
15 Kilometer 1:17:44 (26:38)
20 Kilometer 1:45:07 (27:23)
Half marathon 1:51:45
25 Kilometer 2:13:53 (28:46)
30 Kilometer 2:45:52 (31:59)
35 Kilometer 3:19:40 (33:48)
40 Kilometer 3:53:15 (33:35)
The promising news is that should I be able to hold it together the 4 hour barrier is not so far away. It really is a matter of the body and the mind working together from 30km on and leaving nothing in the tank to achieve the result! I am sure that with the right physical and mental preparation, race nutrition and race conditions on the day that this will be happen over the coming weeks.
It was interesting dealing with the later start time as by the end of proceedings following a massage it was late afternoon and I had run a marathon with minimal food intake during the day. The great part of staring early is that you can have the race sorted and return to enjoy a much deserved meal for lunch. Now will have to come up with a plan to perhaps have some lunch of choice at the finish line ready to devour before the next late start time ...
This was the first race where I have actually been interviewed while running with the local TV News AT5 running beside me with 11km remaining and asking a number of questions. It was very amusing to see the news coverage later that night ...
Looking forward to sharing a few more tales with you over the coming days.
Thank you so much for all your support!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Marathon Adventure to Amsterdam
The Marathon Man International mission started out from Sydney Airport on Wednesday afternoon 15th October with a number of connecting flights to navigate so as to arrive safely into Amsterdam for the first of three international marathons over the next three weeks.
Following a smooth first flight to Singapore and the opportunity to shower and rest up a little at Changi Airport this is where the action and drama started. With the flight to London Heathrow initially delayed due to the late arrival of a connecting flight, there were then issues with people not boarding the flight and baggage having to be removed. There was one person in particular who was responsible for the major delay of the flight by more than a hour and a half with this person showing up just as the bags were being removed. The more frustrating thing is that this same person was then seated behind me and I had also seen them wondering around inside the airport more than a hour before the flight was due to leave!
I was now a little concerned that I may not make it into London for my connecting fligth to Amsterdam as I initially only had just over a hour window to make it from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 at Heathrow for a 7.45am departure. Sure enough on arrival I raced out of the plane and missed the cutoff at Customs by only a matter of minutes. On returning to make the next flight with the gate closing at 8.20am the BAA Security team decided to make my life hell by stopping to check my carry on luggage and scanning the bag four times and going through every item in the bag. Having been assured that I would not miss another flight by three people and with the only item discovered being a pen exactly the same as one carried through in my jeans I found this a little frustrating and of course ended up missing another flight. All up I spent more than 4 hours in Heathrow Airport and as you can imagine was more than a little tired and emotional. Having received 10 pounds compensation to purchase Pret a Manger for early lunch I was finally bound for Amstedam for the adventure to continue in Europe ... Travel time to Amsterdam - 34 hours!
Following a smooth first flight to Singapore and the opportunity to shower and rest up a little at Changi Airport this is where the action and drama started. With the flight to London Heathrow initially delayed due to the late arrival of a connecting flight, there were then issues with people not boarding the flight and baggage having to be removed. There was one person in particular who was responsible for the major delay of the flight by more than a hour and a half with this person showing up just as the bags were being removed. The more frustrating thing is that this same person was then seated behind me and I had also seen them wondering around inside the airport more than a hour before the flight was due to leave!
I was now a little concerned that I may not make it into London for my connecting fligth to Amsterdam as I initially only had just over a hour window to make it from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 at Heathrow for a 7.45am departure. Sure enough on arrival I raced out of the plane and missed the cutoff at Customs by only a matter of minutes. On returning to make the next flight with the gate closing at 8.20am the BAA Security team decided to make my life hell by stopping to check my carry on luggage and scanning the bag four times and going through every item in the bag. Having been assured that I would not miss another flight by three people and with the only item discovered being a pen exactly the same as one carried through in my jeans I found this a little frustrating and of course ended up missing another flight. All up I spent more than 4 hours in Heathrow Airport and as you can imagine was more than a little tired and emotional. Having received 10 pounds compensation to purchase Pret a Manger for early lunch I was finally bound for Amstedam for the adventure to continue in Europe ... Travel time to Amsterdam - 34 hours!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Melbourne Marathon Personal Best
The Melbourne Marathon was a great experience. Starting the day walking from the Grand Mercure in Swanston Street with the elite marathon runners I walked to the MCG with Tesfaye Jiru from Ethiopia and discussed tactics. This was a great experience to learn that what sets the Ethiopians apart from other competitors is the fresh food and the ability to train in the open fields and at altitude.
The start of the marathon is always a buzz and this was no different with a number of competitors recognising me from previous marathons on the Gold Coast and Sydney and saying hello. It was great to see Charlie the Regional Director of Novartis Consumer training for a upcoming adventure race with full kit on his back.
With the adrenalin flowing the great Australian marathon champion Rob de Castella started the race at 7.30am with more than 3,000 competitors heading away from outside the MCG I started with the 3:45 pace group. The course proved to be a great adventure for me as while I have travelled to Melbourne a number of times, the majority of my time has been spent driving and in meetings and I have not really had a chance to appreciate the beauty of the city until now.
The common consensus to date has been that I have been starting out too fast in the first half of the marathon and that I should look to slow this down and pick up speed in the back end of the race. Well this is easier said than done! One of the great innovations that I really appreciated on the course was the water being available in plastic bags so you could keep running and bite into the bag and sip on the run rather than having to stop to sip from a cup! Bravo Melbourne Martahon ... Let's hope this is one day common practice for all marathons.
I felt as though I was pacing myself well in the first half of the race and when a song I liked started on the iPod I maintained my pace and resisted the urge to step up a gear. I crossed the half way mark in 1:52 and recall mentioning to those beside me that "this is where the race starts". I had been maintaining a good pace and by starting out in front of the 4 hour group and intially making my way up close to the 3:30 group it was not until close to the 15km mark that the 3:45 group made a break. The course was to wind out from St.Kilda Beach up to Brighton with some beautiful homes along the way. I felt strong and it was not until with just under 10km to the finish that I watched the 4 hour group pick me up and fly past. While this did hurt I was more interested in maintaining my pace and perhaps just perhaps I could stay close enough for a big finish.
With the promise of entering the MCG for the first time ahead, the time was now to make a strong finish and I continued to move ahead while others started to feel the pinch and slow to a walk. This is one of the most intense experiences when your mind tells you to push forward and the body simply does not respond. A true test of endurance and one that every marathon runner must face at sme time! The personal battle continued and on entering the MCG it was incredible. I recall thinking that the atmosphere on Grand Final day must be electric and with a number of people in front of me I was not really making much of an impression. Then with the line in sight and the spectators near the finish I discovered something extra and crossed the finish line in a new personal best time of 4:05:50! It is incredible to think that over the 42.195km distance I had improved my previous PB on the Gold Coast by 5 seconds ... While the 4 hour barrier remains for now, it is only a matter of time before this is broken!
The crowd were brilliant and the fellow competitors provided great inspiration with a number of runners cheering me on during race. It is this comraderie that makes me love this sport. Thank you so much to all you great people who take part and support each other in this magic journey!
The start of the marathon is always a buzz and this was no different with a number of competitors recognising me from previous marathons on the Gold Coast and Sydney and saying hello. It was great to see Charlie the Regional Director of Novartis Consumer training for a upcoming adventure race with full kit on his back.
With the adrenalin flowing the great Australian marathon champion Rob de Castella started the race at 7.30am with more than 3,000 competitors heading away from outside the MCG I started with the 3:45 pace group. The course proved to be a great adventure for me as while I have travelled to Melbourne a number of times, the majority of my time has been spent driving and in meetings and I have not really had a chance to appreciate the beauty of the city until now.
The common consensus to date has been that I have been starting out too fast in the first half of the marathon and that I should look to slow this down and pick up speed in the back end of the race. Well this is easier said than done! One of the great innovations that I really appreciated on the course was the water being available in plastic bags so you could keep running and bite into the bag and sip on the run rather than having to stop to sip from a cup! Bravo Melbourne Martahon ... Let's hope this is one day common practice for all marathons.
I felt as though I was pacing myself well in the first half of the race and when a song I liked started on the iPod I maintained my pace and resisted the urge to step up a gear. I crossed the half way mark in 1:52 and recall mentioning to those beside me that "this is where the race starts". I had been maintaining a good pace and by starting out in front of the 4 hour group and intially making my way up close to the 3:30 group it was not until close to the 15km mark that the 3:45 group made a break. The course was to wind out from St.Kilda Beach up to Brighton with some beautiful homes along the way. I felt strong and it was not until with just under 10km to the finish that I watched the 4 hour group pick me up and fly past. While this did hurt I was more interested in maintaining my pace and perhaps just perhaps I could stay close enough for a big finish.
With the promise of entering the MCG for the first time ahead, the time was now to make a strong finish and I continued to move ahead while others started to feel the pinch and slow to a walk. This is one of the most intense experiences when your mind tells you to push forward and the body simply does not respond. A true test of endurance and one that every marathon runner must face at sme time! The personal battle continued and on entering the MCG it was incredible. I recall thinking that the atmosphere on Grand Final day must be electric and with a number of people in front of me I was not really making much of an impression. Then with the line in sight and the spectators near the finish I discovered something extra and crossed the finish line in a new personal best time of 4:05:50! It is incredible to think that over the 42.195km distance I had improved my previous PB on the Gold Coast by 5 seconds ... While the 4 hour barrier remains for now, it is only a matter of time before this is broken!
The crowd were brilliant and the fellow competitors provided great inspiration with a number of runners cheering me on during race. It is this comraderie that makes me love this sport. Thank you so much to all you great people who take part and support each other in this magic journey!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Marathon Man Race Plans!
I am now planning the next Marathon Man adventures with the following exciting events planned over the coming days:
* Melbourne Marathon - Sunday October 12th
* Amsterdam Marathon - Sunday October 19th
* Dublin Marathon - Monday October 27th
* New York Marathon - Sunday November 2nd
* The Great Australian Run - Sunday November 30th
Please contact me should you be interested in joining in some of the fun!
* Melbourne Marathon - Sunday October 12th
* Amsterdam Marathon - Sunday October 19th
* Dublin Marathon - Monday October 27th
* New York Marathon - Sunday November 2nd
* The Great Australian Run - Sunday November 30th
Please contact me should you be interested in joining in some of the fun!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sydney Marathon Success!
The Sydney Marathon was a much anticipated event and the very first home city marathon for the Sydney born and bred Marathon Man. Following the previous week at the Marathon Expo the adrenalin was truly flowing at the start of the event in Milsons Point. The weather forecast of 23 degrees proved more like 32 degress on the day with the heat making it a real challenge and bringing back memories from the Sahara Desert earlier in the year. Once again the excitement got the better of me and the run over the Sydney Harbour Bridge was absolutely magic. Making the journey through the Botanical Gardens, up Oxford Street and through Centennial Park and then up and around by Randwick Racecourse was like going for a training run with lots more people down the middle of the road rather than on the footpath. The first half of the race was completed in 1:52 which was fine though again it was the second half of the race that I found a real challenge. It was at this time that I realised that the one critical item I left behind were my salt tablets which helps to prevent the loss of fluids in the body and keep the mind sharp. It seems there were a number of other people that were effected by the heat with many dropping like flys in the heat. This did make me think a little and when feeling a little faint make sure that I stopped and collected my thoughts so as to push through the barrier and make it through to the finish line. I greatly appreciated all of the fellow runners who passed comment something to the effect of "you must be hot..." I found the second half of the course was largely uninspiring for me with little scenery outside of the incredible Opera House and Sydney Harbour in the final kilometre which makes it one of the best finishes in the world. Indeed, I am now discovering that it is not only the weather that makes a big difference on the day of the event as each marathon course presents new challenges with some being flatter and more runner friendly than others. While setting out to break the magical 4 hour barrier this goal will have to remain for now with the final time of 4:16:16 a credible time that can be improved in future years.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
City 2 Surf Personal Best
The City 2 Surf is the largest fun run event in Australia with more than 65,000 lined up to start the event. With the run taking place in the middle of the Beijing Olympics there was a major rush for positions with the Australian Olympic 400m Hurdler, Jana Rawlinson the official starter. With the normal rush of adrenalin flowing I soon realised that I had covered the first 10km in under 50 minutes which was a full 10 minutes faster than the standard first 10km pace of the marathon. It was around this time that I started to feel a little sick in the stomach perhaps from going out a little too hard... I pushed through and slowed a little until heading into Bondi Beach and running up along the footpaths to avoid the people and make my way through the crowd as quick as possible. It was great to get into the home stretch along Campbell Parade and arrive in my home beach in a record time for the Marathon Man of 69 minutes ... This was a great fun event and a must for all to get out and have a go in this magic city of Sydney!
Friday, August 8, 2008
City 2 Surf - Sunday 10th August
The Marathon Man will be competing in the annual 14km City 2 Surf event from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach early Sunday morning.
With more than 70,000 expected to turn up this will be the largest City 2 Surf in history.
This is the first year that timing chips will be used though sure there is no special facility to allow for the extra numbers on the course.
Please come and say hello on the day and cheer home the Marathon Man :-)
Looking forward to a fun day ...
With more than 70,000 expected to turn up this will be the largest City 2 Surf in history.
This is the first year that timing chips will be used though sure there is no special facility to allow for the extra numbers on the course.
Please come and say hello on the day and cheer home the Marathon Man :-)
Looking forward to a fun day ...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Hunter Valley Half Marathon PB
Well following a fun overnight trip away in the Hunter Valley with Markus the 'Swiss speedster' and Dennis the 'Irish flyer' I am very pleased to report that the progress continues in the right direction.
The run through the scenic Hunter Valley was spectacular with the run largely on trails through the wineries. The hill leading up to the beautiful Audrey Wilkinson winery was a killer! Now sure the views may be nice though from memory the drive was so much more peaceful ...
The great news is that I have been successful in posting a new personal best time over the half marathon distance by lowering my previous best time by 95 seconds with 1:47:20 now the new benchmark.
Thank you to Markus and Dennis for a great weekend.
Bring on the next run ...
The run through the scenic Hunter Valley was spectacular with the run largely on trails through the wineries. The hill leading up to the beautiful Audrey Wilkinson winery was a killer! Now sure the views may be nice though from memory the drive was so much more peaceful ...
The great news is that I have been successful in posting a new personal best time over the half marathon distance by lowering my previous best time by 95 seconds with 1:47:20 now the new benchmark.
Thank you to Markus and Dennis for a great weekend.
Bring on the next run ...
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Gold Coast Marathon PB
Well I am very pleased to report that the Marathon Man mission to the Gold Coast has been a great success. The final result of 4:05:55 is almost 25 minutes under the time from the previous Prague International Marathon so must say that I am very pleased. The good news is that I am learning all the time about what works best for me so look forward to the times continuing to drop during the events ahead.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Follow the Marathon Man!
Well it is now time for the next great Marathon Man adventure as I am heading up north to take on the Gold Coast Marathon this weekend.
The race will be my very first official marathon on home soil with the course reported to be fairly flat with warm temperatures expected. Lucky enough I have trained for this by running across the Sahara Desert!
Perhaps you may like to track my progress with the race starting at 6.50am this Sunday morning and live race coverage available at the official race website www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au. My race number is 2289 ...
Look forward to reporting in with you on the other side.
All the best for a magic weekend!
The race will be my very first official marathon on home soil with the course reported to be fairly flat with warm temperatures expected. Lucky enough I have trained for this by running across the Sahara Desert!
Perhaps you may like to track my progress with the race starting at 6.50am this Sunday morning and live race coverage available at the official race website www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au. My race number is 2289 ...
Look forward to reporting in with you on the other side.
All the best for a magic weekend!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Marathon Man Thank You
I would like to this opportunity to thank all you very special people who took some time out to catch up for the 'Marathon Man Welcome Home' get together. Although the weather was not the best it was great to see you all for a super chinese meal at the Golden Century in Fox Studios to review some of the images & video clips and talk through some of the incredible experiences from the Sahara Desert.
I sincerely appreciate you being a important part of my amazing support crew that helps me out so much in making it through the adventures ... Look forward to meeting up with each and every one of you again very soon!
I sincerely appreciate you being a important part of my amazing support crew that helps me out so much in making it through the adventures ... Look forward to meeting up with each and every one of you again very soon!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Marathon Man Welcome Home!
I would like to extend a very special invite to all friends, family, sponsors and supporters to the "Marathon Man Welcome Home".
The inclement weather in Sydney scheduled for the weekend on Sunday 15th June will result in the original plan of meeting up in Centennial Park for the BBQ making way for Plan B with lunch at the Golden Century Restaurant in Fox Studios from 12.30pm.
This will be a great opportunity to meet up with you and review the photos, video clips and stories from the Sahara Desert. There is 2 hours free parking available at Fox Studios.
It will be great to see you! Please let me know if you can make it!
Thank you ...
The inclement weather in Sydney scheduled for the weekend on Sunday 15th June will result in the original plan of meeting up in Centennial Park for the BBQ making way for Plan B with lunch at the Golden Century Restaurant in Fox Studios from 12.30pm.
This will be a great opportunity to meet up with you and review the photos, video clips and stories from the Sahara Desert. There is 2 hours free parking available at Fox Studios.
It will be great to see you! Please let me know if you can make it!
Thank you ...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Marathon Man takes on the Balmoral Burn!
The Balmoral Burn was the first race back on home soil for the Marathon Man. The start line for the Balmoral Burn is at the bottom of Awaba Street in Balmoral Beach. The course is a very steep incline of 420 meters straight up Awaba Street hill.
The Balmoral Burn was started in 2001 by the former Australian Wallabies Rugby Union player Phil Kearns and is a major charity fundraising event for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation with all funds raised going towards purchasing vital life-saving and pain-reducing equipment for neo-natal and paediatric wards in Sydney's Hospitals.
Following the completion of the race there was a incredible burning sensation in the throat, chest and head. Result - 2 minutes 22 seconds Position - 20th. Burn Baby Burn! The news cameras captured all the pain with the footage making it on to the Channel 7 Evening News in Sydney. The event today was a great success for all involved with the first class organisation very impressive and more than $2 million raised to help the kids.
The Balmoral Burn was started in 2001 by the former Australian Wallabies Rugby Union player Phil Kearns and is a major charity fundraising event for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation with all funds raised going towards purchasing vital life-saving and pain-reducing equipment for neo-natal and paediatric wards in Sydney's Hospitals.
Following the completion of the race there was a incredible burning sensation in the throat, chest and head. Result - 2 minutes 22 seconds Position - 20th. Burn Baby Burn! The news cameras captured all the pain with the footage making it on to the Channel 7 Evening News in Sydney. The event today was a great success for all involved with the first class organisation very impressive and more than $2 million raised to help the kids.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Novartis Consumer Health Conference
I had the great privilege to support one of the very important Marathon Man sponsors on my return to Australia by addressing the Novartis Consumer Health Regional Sales Conference on the beautiful Hayman Island.
Following the great win by the NSW Blues in the 1st State of Origin in Sydney the previous night, I presented to the senior Novartis management team from 8.30am outlining further details on the big adventure through the Sahara Desert and the incredible work being carried out by the Facing Africa charity.
After the presentation I had the chance for a quick run around the deserted island and along the beach with not one person in sight. It was almost like having my own beach paradise in the Whitsunday Islands!
Thank you so much to all the incredible Novartis Consumer Health team and may the business plans go from strength to strength for continued success in 2008 and beyond!
Following the great win by the NSW Blues in the 1st State of Origin in Sydney the previous night, I presented to the senior Novartis management team from 8.30am outlining further details on the big adventure through the Sahara Desert and the incredible work being carried out by the Facing Africa charity.
After the presentation I had the chance for a quick run around the deserted island and along the beach with not one person in sight. It was almost like having my own beach paradise in the Whitsunday Islands!
Thank you so much to all the incredible Novartis Consumer Health team and may the business plans go from strength to strength for continued success in 2008 and beyond!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Marathon Man On Hayman Island
Well having just returned home to Australia I have had some time to do the washing and am now leaving on another plane to make my way up north to the beautiful Hayman Island. I am the guest of Novartis who are a key Marathon Man sponsor and will be addressing the Annual Regional Sales Conference. Although entering enemy territory on the day of State Of Origin Number 1 in Sydney I have great confidence the boys can start well and do NSW proud.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Following more than two months "running the world" it is really awesome to arrive home to Sydney tonight. There are few better feelings than flying in to see the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Centrepoint Tower and the Sydney Football Stadium! I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone again real soon. Now time to get the body clock sorted.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Prague International Marathon
As I lined up on the start line in the centre of the Old Town in Prague it was a very special moment in starting my first official marathon race. With the crush of people ready to run the atmosphere was electric and I started out a little harder than perhaps I should.
After the first 10km I was on track with the 3hr pace team which would have been very impressive. This pace eased off during the next 10km with me then being on 3hr 30min pace after the 20km distance as we approached the half way mark.
During the race it was a very different atmosphere when compared to the previous events over the past few weeks. The most obvious factor was that I could not understand a word of czech that was being spoken to me.
The professional running world insist that the back half of the marathon should be faster than the first! Now perhaps it was the fact that I had recently completed seven and a half marathons in the days before Prague or the fact that I was extremely tight after not having a massage for a few months. All I know is that I hit the wall and could not find another gear to move up over the final 20km. As the pace groups continued to past me I was getting concerned ...
With only 500m to go in the race a local camera crew who spoke English asked for me to stop for a interview just as I was getting into stride to come home into the Old Town for the finish ... I was more than pleased to help out though could not stop and he simply could not foot it with me.
I somehow found another level with the streets lined with poeople and the incredible support from the crowd. I made a great dash to the line with the crowd making lots of noise as I entered the Old Town and it was a great feeling to finally get across the line in 4hrs 30mins.
I addressed the crowd over the microphone with the race organisers at the end of the race and passed on my thanks for all the support though pretty sure there would have been only a few who could understand me!
It was a real rush back to the hotel as I was now very tight in the legs and made a quick change for the dash to the airport and then onto London before spending a few hours and heading back to New York City for a few hours before then making the long journey back home via Chicago and Hawaii ...
After the first 10km I was on track with the 3hr pace team which would have been very impressive. This pace eased off during the next 10km with me then being on 3hr 30min pace after the 20km distance as we approached the half way mark.
During the race it was a very different atmosphere when compared to the previous events over the past few weeks. The most obvious factor was that I could not understand a word of czech that was being spoken to me.
The professional running world insist that the back half of the marathon should be faster than the first! Now perhaps it was the fact that I had recently completed seven and a half marathons in the days before Prague or the fact that I was extremely tight after not having a massage for a few months. All I know is that I hit the wall and could not find another gear to move up over the final 20km. As the pace groups continued to past me I was getting concerned ...
With only 500m to go in the race a local camera crew who spoke English asked for me to stop for a interview just as I was getting into stride to come home into the Old Town for the finish ... I was more than pleased to help out though could not stop and he simply could not foot it with me.
I somehow found another level with the streets lined with poeople and the incredible support from the crowd. I made a great dash to the line with the crowd making lots of noise as I entered the Old Town and it was a great feeling to finally get across the line in 4hrs 30mins.
I addressed the crowd over the microphone with the race organisers at the end of the race and passed on my thanks for all the support though pretty sure there would have been only a few who could understand me!
It was a real rush back to the hotel as I was now very tight in the legs and made a quick change for the dash to the airport and then onto London before spending a few hours and heading back to New York City for a few hours before then making the long journey back home via Chicago and Hawaii ...
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Brooklyn Half Marathon Personal Best
The latest physical challenge this time on US soil was a great success today. It was a very early start following the previous nights birthday celebrations to travel by train from the Bronx to Coney Island for the race start at 9am.
The Marathon Man was enthusiastically greeted by the fellow runners and NYRR event organisers with the starter making special mention of the Marathon Man and the potential limitations presented by running in the cape. I thought it particularly amusing when one local guy commented that the Marathon Man was "totally bad ass".
The race started by running 3 miles along the Coney Island Boardwalk with a number of the boards being loose and posing issues for some runners who took a spill. Heading away from the water the journey then took us along the main road with cross streets such as Avenue O, Avenue M and Avenue N to keep us entertained on the alphabetic street name count back. As it was early Saturday morning in one of the most prominent Jewish areas in town there was a very large Jewish gathering making there way out to honour the Sabath. The highlight of the run was on entering the beautiful Prospect Park. I had to pinch myself with the incredible scenery and the Saturday morning baseball games only having ever been seen on TV before today. It was really rewarding to see so many people get a kick out of seeing the Marathon Man. The beautiful scenery did not lessen the pain of the final few miles with the last mile inevitably seeming to go on forever. In the end it was very exciting to flash across the finish line in a personal best time of 1 hour 48 minutes and 55 seconds. There certainly is lots of improvement ahead though pleased with the effort in Brooklyn!
The Marathon Man was enthusiastically greeted by the fellow runners and NYRR event organisers with the starter making special mention of the Marathon Man and the potential limitations presented by running in the cape. I thought it particularly amusing when one local guy commented that the Marathon Man was "totally bad ass".
The race started by running 3 miles along the Coney Island Boardwalk with a number of the boards being loose and posing issues for some runners who took a spill. Heading away from the water the journey then took us along the main road with cross streets such as Avenue O, Avenue M and Avenue N to keep us entertained on the alphabetic street name count back. As it was early Saturday morning in one of the most prominent Jewish areas in town there was a very large Jewish gathering making there way out to honour the Sabath. The highlight of the run was on entering the beautiful Prospect Park. I had to pinch myself with the incredible scenery and the Saturday morning baseball games only having ever been seen on TV before today. It was really rewarding to see so many people get a kick out of seeing the Marathon Man. The beautiful scenery did not lessen the pain of the final few miles with the last mile inevitably seeming to go on forever. In the end it was very exciting to flash across the finish line in a personal best time of 1 hour 48 minutes and 55 seconds. There certainly is lots of improvement ahead though pleased with the effort in Brooklyn!
Friday, May 2, 2008
NYRR Half-Marathon: Brooklyn
This Saturday 3rd May the Marathon Man will be participating in the New York Road Runners Half-Marathon Grand Prix from the world-famous Coney Island for a dramatic start on the boardwalk. The flat, fast course leads inland along Ocean Parkway before the finish in beautiful Prospect Park.
The Brooklyn Half-Marathon course will start on the Coney Island Boardwalk at West 2nd Street. Head west to a turnaround at West 36th Street and proceed east. Exit off West 10th Street and continue east on Surf Avenue to Ocean Parkway. Turn left/north onto Ocean Parkway to Prospect Expressway to Park Circle. Enter Prospect Park at Park Circle and head east on South Lake Drive. Continue around the northern end of the park, returning south on West Drive. Turn left/east onto Hill Drive and left/north onto East Drive. Turn left/west on Central Drive to the finish.
This sure will be a great way to start the day following my 35th birthday celebrations the night before ... Wish me luck!
The Brooklyn Half-Marathon course will start on the Coney Island Boardwalk at West 2nd Street. Head west to a turnaround at West 36th Street and proceed east. Exit off West 10th Street and continue east on Surf Avenue to Ocean Parkway. Turn left/north onto Ocean Parkway to Prospect Expressway to Park Circle. Enter Prospect Park at Park Circle and head east on South Lake Drive. Continue around the northern end of the park, returning south on West Drive. Turn left/east onto Hill Drive and left/north onto East Drive. Turn left/west on Central Drive to the finish.
This sure will be a great way to start the day following my 35th birthday celebrations the night before ... Wish me luck!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Marathon Man Birthday Celebrations!
The Marathon Man will be celebrating his 35th Birthday on Friday 2nd May in New York City!
The plan is to hit the streets of NYC during the day and then meet up with friends for Italian in the East Village ...
The plan is to hit the streets of NYC during the day and then meet up with friends for Italian in the East Village ...
Sunday, April 13, 2008
London Marathon
Well after completing the challenge of a lifetime through the Sahara Desert I sure have been on the move through Africa and Europe. After heading across to Marrakech I boarded an overnight train to Tangiers for a very slow boat to Spain. I then headed by bus to the beautiful Spanish coastal town of Malaga where it was really raining so decided to head straight to Madrid and then Barcelona. I am now in London for another day so thought while in town it was important to make an appearance at the London Marathon. Look forward to providing further details on one of the largest marathons in with world with some 35,000 expected in typical cold and wet London conditons ...
Monday, April 7, 2008
SUCCESS!!! Stage 6 - 17.5km
Well it is finally mission accomplished and I am feeling great after completing the final 17.5km stage 6 to finish race of a lifetime in Tazzarine, Morocco!
The feet were feeling strong after taping up in the morning with the final lef of the course being mostly flat with many rocks and undulating topography. The trip towards the finsih line was filled with local families looking for gifts and presents along the way. One gentleman gave away a flying football that most kids would love though it seemed as though they were not too sure about it after one throw and then were back into the begging mentality which was a little sad. There were some that were a little aggressive pulling at runners and once they had initiated contact it was almost expected that something would be given.
As I ran through a local village for around 3kms towards the end I really stepped on the gas as it was not pretty with poverty stricken families in need a very sad sight with mothers washing clothes in the canal.
It was the best feeling ever to finally reach a tarred road with the final 1.5km to the finish line and this was like heaven. It was so much fun to pass a number of runners in front of me when I hit the gas and sped towards the finish line to produce the best leg of my race. The medal was finally mine!
What a journey and moment to be cherished for a lifetime. After a few moments I managed to find my Marathon Man suit and make a grand entrance across the line once again with the above image captured on the race website. I was interviewed on Japan TV with one of the countries star singers and then on French TV as the Marathon Man ... What a incredible adventure!
The feet were feeling strong after taping up in the morning with the final lef of the course being mostly flat with many rocks and undulating topography. The trip towards the finsih line was filled with local families looking for gifts and presents along the way. One gentleman gave away a flying football that most kids would love though it seemed as though they were not too sure about it after one throw and then were back into the begging mentality which was a little sad. There were some that were a little aggressive pulling at runners and once they had initiated contact it was almost expected that something would be given.
As I ran through a local village for around 3kms towards the end I really stepped on the gas as it was not pretty with poverty stricken families in need a very sad sight with mothers washing clothes in the canal.
It was the best feeling ever to finally reach a tarred road with the final 1.5km to the finish line and this was like heaven. It was so much fun to pass a number of runners in front of me when I hit the gas and sped towards the finish line to produce the best leg of my race. The medal was finally mine!
What a journey and moment to be cherished for a lifetime. After a few moments I managed to find my Marathon Man suit and make a grand entrance across the line once again with the above image captured on the race website. I was interviewed on Japan TV with one of the countries star singers and then on French TV as the Marathon Man ... What a incredible adventure!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Stage 5 - 42.2 kms
Marathon Stage started with some concerns following my left foot blowing up after the 75.5km stage though started well with the Sahara shuffle called upon to get me through to the 1st checkpoint. Along the way I realised that perhaps my shoes may be a little tight after the feet expanding in the heat & made the best decision to take a rest & relace my shoes. Today was the first time I had chosen to listen to my ipod & this made a massive difference in tuning out the pain. I managed to push through to checkpoint 2 with a little shuffling & walking in 51 degree temps. I was particularly inspired today as it was the Marathon Mans very first marathon & in the Sahara! I made good time to checkpoint 3 in some pain & then decided to make a real big effort in the final stage home by running where possible. It was awesome feeling passing a number of people & sprinted it in to get home in 7hrs 30mins. Paris Opera is in town for the final night tonight before the final 17km in the morning Yippee!
The last week has been an incredible journey with the body, mind & spirit really pushed to extremes. There sure have been some of the best moments ever & at times some of the worst experiences. It has been incredible to see the response of such a large group to these conditions & I am extremely pleased to be in the group with very minor concerns such as blisters. The Marathon Des Sables 2008 will be one to treasure & remember for a lifetime. I can definately encourage anyone who would like to push themselves to the next level to take on this challenge as anything is truely possible if you believe in yourself ... I am so appreciative of all you incredible people who have sent through your messages of support to provide the inspiration required to take on the next day! Looking forward to updating you following race finish though may just need a little rest & good bath first.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Rest & Reflection Day
Following the 75.5km stage and close to 19 hours through the Sahara it was great to get some much needed rest. There was a feeling of exhiliration and pride in completing the long day. Having made the last 29km through the night and suffering mentally and physically there was now a little time to reflect on the incredible achievement.
Further competitors continue to arrive throughout the day with each person stumbling into camp all being congratulated on the super effort. There were still people arriivng right up to the 36 hour cut off with some amazingly courageous efforts from those suffering from injuries.
I actually managed to use the water rations to take some time out for a shower in the desert to clean up and cool down in the afternoon sun. There was a moment today where I really appreciated that the Marathon des Sables was actually the 'toughest footrace on earth'. At this stage I started to contemplate returning the the Sahara to take on the adventure once again ... WOW!
Now with the marathon day and final day ahead it feels like the worst is now behind me and I am determined to make it through the final two days by picking up the pace.
Further competitors continue to arrive throughout the day with each person stumbling into camp all being congratulated on the super effort. There were still people arriivng right up to the 36 hour cut off with some amazingly courageous efforts from those suffering from injuries.
I actually managed to use the water rations to take some time out for a shower in the desert to clean up and cool down in the afternoon sun. There was a moment today where I really appreciated that the Marathon des Sables was actually the 'toughest footrace on earth'. At this stage I started to contemplate returning the the Sahara to take on the adventure once again ... WOW!
Now with the marathon day and final day ahead it feels like the worst is now behind me and I am determined to make it through the final two days by picking up the pace.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Stage 4 - 75 kms
Toughest and most extreme physical and mental challenge ever! The 75.5km stage proved to be the most intense day yet and showed the reason this race is considered the toughest on the planet. Starting out on poll position just after 9am I made good pace for the first 7km to be greeted by massive mountain that would see us scale 200m vertical incline. During the climb half way up as people scrambled to get up quick a very large bolder dislodged and fortunately just missed taking us all out by a matter of centimetres. Very lucky not to wipe out a number of us & really shook us up! There were another two major climbs through this stage and I arrived into checkpoint 4 the 46.5km mark just as the sun had set. There were a further 29km to go until the stage was over. Having struggled with the right food & having a funny tummy I stopped for a short rest before meeting up with some English lads Brett & Pete for the next stage. The company was invaluable on what was now a pitch black landscape.
With temperatures dropping, head lights on & green glowsticks in each of our packs the desert landscape resembled a new world from the previous days. In an effort to stay warm I rugged up though was soon too hot when on the move. It was more like the day temperatures than the night. Finally pushing through to checkpoint 5 we were greeted with the event camera crew that interviewed me to get my thoughts & check in on my pain tolerance! Only one more checkpoint & then on to end. As we refreshed & prepared to set off a fellow tent mate of Bretts, Paul called out & joined us. With Pete keen to set cracking pace it was agreed Brett, Paul & myself would see it through to end. The next 2 stages would transform us all pushing physical & mental pain barriers. Brett & Paul are both great guys & for some reason a major topic of discussion continued to revolve around food! I am sure the thought of getting back home to enjoy the pleasures really pushed us ahead. Tired & sore. Result #525 18hr 58min.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Stage 3 - 40 kms
Following the first few days getting accustomed to the desert conditions, terrain, heat, food and water restrictions the race plan stepped up today. I made a early run for it and managed to maintain a good pace with the backpack still weighing close to 13kg the major limitation. Clearly my luxury items remain important in the Sahara. The initial strategy of walking the majority of the course is highly recommended and one that most competitors not looking for a time adopt. Having been slowed a little in the previous days waiting at checkpoints and with others you meet along the way I decided today to go solo as much as possible & focus on doing my very best. There was one huge mountain that had to be scaled today though believe the one tomorrow is even higher. Feeling good after finishing 40km in just over 8hrs and now must ready myself for the 75.5km overnight stage 4 where I will be moving as fast as possible through the darkness of the desert.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Stage 2 - 38 kms
Day two started out with all competitors forming # 23 for the sweeping helicopters above. A little quicker off the line today with only small sand dunes in sight in the distance. The first check point was 14km away and although hard was done at decent speed. The next stage was real tough with temps reaching 46 degrees across salt flats! Along the way I started to notice some blisters though these are not so bad compared to others in camp. I met Paulo from Italia along the way and managed to chat in broken Italian English for some time which was great. After struggling through to checkpoint 3 we were faced with a 300m mountain climb before the final 5km stretch which lasted forever. It is great to have completed day 2 and although really exhausted I am doing fine and taking it easy so as to survive the 245.3km. Thank you so much to those sending email messages of support as they really mean the world to me & keep me going at the end of the day! Day 3 will be more than 40km tomorrow.
:-)
:-)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Stage 1 - 31.6 kms
Well what a experience to complete day 1 of toughest challenges of a lifetime. The day started with very cold conditions and a major sand storm prior to the start at 9am. With helicopters buzzing overhead and music blasting out all 801 competitors were ready to go. With the distance ahead and the 15kg back pack on my shoulders I have chosen to start conservatively and will be taking the first few days relatively easy so as to preserve my feet and go the distance. The course is really tough hitting with sand dunes only 1.5 km in to the day, these then lasting the next 14km. The sand dunes sure did make the journey more of a challenge and it was great to finally reach 1st check point feeling in good shape though suffering on the shoulders from the weight of the pack. I managed to soldier on through to the next check point on flat rocky ground prior to then heading through to the Day 1 Base Camp over another 5km of sand dunes to finish in 8hrs. Tired and sore shoulders with chafing. Bring on Day 2 in the Sahara!
Stage 1
Friday, March 28, 2008
Hello Sahara Desert
Well the day has finally arrived and today all competitors in the Marathon de Sables 2008 will be shipped out across the Sahara Desert to set up base camp, select tent mates and finalise all last minute details prior to the Official Registration process commencing on Saturday morning and the start at 9am Sunday.
Following preliminary reports that heat conditions will be more oppressive than ever this year, I have now made the final decision not to take the risk and subject the Marathon Man suit to the intense heat of the desert and will rather organise a special limited appearance during the Registration process on Saturday to brighten up the day!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the tremendous support and look forward to carrying the Aussie flag with pride across the Sahara over the next week or so ...
Looking forward to receiving your valuable messages of support to keep me going and will be sure to update the blog when possible from the desert!
Following preliminary reports that heat conditions will be more oppressive than ever this year, I have now made the final decision not to take the risk and subject the Marathon Man suit to the intense heat of the desert and will rather organise a special limited appearance during the Registration process on Saturday to brighten up the day!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the tremendous support and look forward to carrying the Aussie flag with pride across the Sahara over the next week or so ...
Looking forward to receiving your valuable messages of support to keep me going and will be sure to update the blog when possible from the desert!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Hello Ouarzazate Morocco
Today I left Marrakech at 11.30am and shared a private bus ride with some fellow Aussie Marathon des Sables competitors in Markus, Uri, Stephen and Becky. While a six hour journey across Morocco may seem a little long with the scenery before us this soon went quite quickly. It was really amazing seeing the wider Moroccan landscape where along the way the locals were selling unique artifacts to the area including some little children that were seemingly looking to sell something that looked like herbs or grass ... There were areas rich in minerals and sweeping roads that were at times quite dangerous with large buses speeding through and often not taking any notice of where the middle of the road may have been. We made a stop along the way for a authentic Moroccan vegetarian meal which was not too bad at all. It is real important to stay healthy at the moment being so close to the start line! As we fianlly approached Ouarzazte it was a little like a scene out of the movie "Total Recall" or perhaps like seeing scenery from Mars. The richness of the desert was clearly calling and I must admit to feeling some butterflys in the stomach. The only similar feeling I can relate this to would be going away on rugby tour for a massive game with the Marathon des Sables set to be my personal Grand Final now only a matter of days away ...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hello Marrakech Morocco
The arrival into Marrakech certainly was unique and a litte eventful. With the intention of taking out local currency at the airport it seemed as though the only two cash ATMs in the airport were not working. After jumping on the airport bus and explaining the situation the driver kindly offered to drop me at the nearest ATM in Marrakech. On arriving at lbanque I abandoned the bus and my four bags to run across the road and paid particular note to the last two digits of the bus number plate just to be safe. Number 26! After realising that the money was not dispensing fro, the machine I returned to find the bus with the lqst two digits of the number plate 26 was driving away so of course I gave chase down the middle of the road with the local policeman blowing his whistle furiously to stop the bus. When I reached the bus I noticed that there was no one on board and this was not infact my bus. I then quickly spotted that indeed all the bus nuber plates ended in 26 ... I finally found my driver and managed to secure the remainder of teh journey for 95p. Phew, a very nice little introduction to Morocco!
The history of Marrakech certainly is rich with the highlight clearly being the major tourist attraction of the Marrakech Markets in the Old Town. The next few days would be really important to stay healthy with little time to be a real tourist. I did manage to meet up with Markus, Becky and Stephen all fellow Aussie MdS adventure seekers for a tour of the Markets and pizza to catch a great sunset ...
The history of Marrakech certainly is rich with the highlight clearly being the major tourist attraction of the Marrakech Markets in the Old Town. The next few days would be really important to stay healthy with little time to be a real tourist. I did manage to meet up with Markus, Becky and Stephen all fellow Aussie MdS adventure seekers for a tour of the Markets and pizza to catch a great sunset ...
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Final Minute London Preparations
The time in London was extremely busy running around town taking care of final minute essential kit requirements for my adventure through the Sahara. There were essential items such as food, safety blanket, whistle, cooking equipment, walking poles, sandals and compression clothing to take care of that had me traveling across London from Heathrow to Brent Crossing to Picadilly Cirus, Oxford Street and out past Canary Wharf.
The travels were made a little more challenging with the temperatures dropping to new lows and the snow falling! I thought this was extremely funny considering where I will be in a few days time in temperatures of 50 degrees or more. Surely somewhere in between could be organised! Oh well, perhaps this will have to be saved up for the well deserved recovery period to follow later ...
The travels were made a little more challenging with the temperatures dropping to new lows and the snow falling! I thought this was extremely funny considering where I will be in a few days time in temperatures of 50 degrees or more. Surely somewhere in between could be organised! Oh well, perhaps this will have to be saved up for the well deserved recovery period to follow later ...
Friday, March 21, 2008
ABC Breakfast Radio
Live from London! The Marathon Man will be appearing on the ABC Radio Breakfast Show hosted by Julian Morrow to a nation audience around 7.30am. Be sure to tune in to find out the very latest ...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Bonjour Paris & Hello London
The morning in Tokyo Airport provided the perfect opportunity to freshen up with a shower at the Japan Airlines lounge. The JAL flight to Paris was initially delayed and the flight was proved to be extremely quiet for me as I needed to catch up on a little sleep after the long night in Tokyo and the big day of travel.
With around a hour and half prior to landing I thought it was time for the Marathon Man to make a special appearance on the JAL flight. Well, lets just say this was the perfect move as the fellow passengers and flight crew really appreciated the effort and the Marathon Man put a smile on peoples faces at the end of what was a long journey to France.
On arrival into Charles de Gaulle Airport I was met with some interested onlookers and the airline crew at check in thought it was a great laugh! I even made my way in to the British Airways Members Only Lounge for the short stop over before boadring the Britsh Airways flight to London.
The BA flight to London certainly was a highlight with the flight crew making me feel very welcome and the Captain allowing me to sit in the cockpit and then proceeding to welcome passengers and "super heros" on board the flight! It was even fortunate enough to be upgraded to Business Class with a window seat and my very own row ... It really was a privielge and one that was extremely appreciated.
On arrival into London, after the initial shock with the freezing cold conditions I was met with some dubious looks at customs as the fellow passengers enjoyed a great laugh. The Customs Lady was required to provide further details as to the reason that this character was entering British Sovereign Territory not dressed in a conservative manner as is accustomed. Following presentation of the Marathon Man business card and assurances that this was a very special occassion I was granted entry into the UK.
I then headed towards the tube bound for the traditional home away from home for many Aussies in London at Earls Court where I met up with Gus and his flatmate James. We all jumped in a London black taxi and made our way to the hotel close to Pimlico tube station. After settling in and then catching up with the lads it was time for a quick bite and then a very well deserved nights sleep ...
With around a hour and half prior to landing I thought it was time for the Marathon Man to make a special appearance on the JAL flight. Well, lets just say this was the perfect move as the fellow passengers and flight crew really appreciated the effort and the Marathon Man put a smile on peoples faces at the end of what was a long journey to France.
On arrival into Charles de Gaulle Airport I was met with some interested onlookers and the airline crew at check in thought it was a great laugh! I even made my way in to the British Airways Members Only Lounge for the short stop over before boadring the Britsh Airways flight to London.
The BA flight to London certainly was a highlight with the flight crew making me feel very welcome and the Captain allowing me to sit in the cockpit and then proceeding to welcome passengers and "super heros" on board the flight! It was even fortunate enough to be upgraded to Business Class with a window seat and my very own row ... It really was a privielge and one that was extremely appreciated.
On arrival into London, after the initial shock with the freezing cold conditions I was met with some dubious looks at customs as the fellow passengers enjoyed a great laugh. The Customs Lady was required to provide further details as to the reason that this character was entering British Sovereign Territory not dressed in a conservative manner as is accustomed. Following presentation of the Marathon Man business card and assurances that this was a very special occassion I was granted entry into the UK.
I then headed towards the tube bound for the traditional home away from home for many Aussies in London at Earls Court where I met up with Gus and his flatmate James. We all jumped in a London black taxi and made our way to the hotel close to Pimlico tube station. After settling in and then catching up with the lads it was time for a quick bite and then a very well deserved nights sleep ...
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Adventure Begins ...
Today marks the commencement of a very large travel schedule for the Marathon Man ahead over the next few months. Starting out in Sydney at 6.30am and then to Brisbane and Cairns prior to staying overnight in Tokyo, Japan.
The Marathon Man thought it was appropriate to make a special appearance in Tokyo. Little did he realise just how cold it would be in the centre of Tokyo would be overnight with temperatures hovering around zero! This would prove to be a good introduction to the cold weather to come in London and ensure future plans were put in place to keep warm on the cold nights ahead in the Sahara.
The Shinjuku district of tokyo was extremely interesting with the locals fascinated by the Marathon Man! There were some fun times in making my way across the city by train with few people able to speak English to provide assistance. Those that could speak English were extremely helpful with one gentlemen even escorting me to my luggage and then to the checkin counter for my flight on to Paris the next morning. Although only spending a short few hours overnight in Tokyo this really was a night to remember. Freezing cold though fun!
The Marathon Man thought it was appropriate to make a special appearance in Tokyo. Little did he realise just how cold it would be in the centre of Tokyo would be overnight with temperatures hovering around zero! This would prove to be a good introduction to the cold weather to come in London and ensure future plans were put in place to keep warm on the cold nights ahead in the Sahara.
The Shinjuku district of tokyo was extremely interesting with the locals fascinated by the Marathon Man! There were some fun times in making my way across the city by train with few people able to speak English to provide assistance. Those that could speak English were extremely helpful with one gentlemen even escorting me to my luggage and then to the checkin counter for my flight on to Paris the next morning. Although only spending a short few hours overnight in Tokyo this really was a night to remember. Freezing cold though fun!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Contact Marathon Man In the Sahara!
Calling all friends, family and sponsors of the Marathon Man ...
It will be possible to leave daily messages of support during the MARATHON DES SABLES, but only from 29th March to 4th April 2008. The link will be provided on the Marathon Man home page to follow through to the official race organisers site and then follow the instructions.
http://www.darbaroud.com
section "écrire aux concurrents/write to competitors"
Only messages with the following details included will be transferred:
Surname: MORROW
First Name: TRENT
Race ID Number: 888
Please do not send attachments such as photos as this will cancel the message. Messages will be passed on to competitors on the bivouac every day. After 4th April, this email service will no longer be operational.
Thank you so much for all your support. I am really going to be looking forward to checking in with your messages at the end of each day and doing you proud through the Sahara desert ...
It will be possible to leave daily messages of support during the MARATHON DES SABLES, but only from 29th March to 4th April 2008. The link will be provided on the Marathon Man home page to follow through to the official race organisers site and then follow the instructions.
http://www.darbaroud.com
section "écrire aux concurrents/write to competitors"
Only messages with the following details included will be transferred:
Surname: MORROW
First Name: TRENT
Race ID Number: 888
Please do not send attachments such as photos as this will cancel the message. Messages will be passed on to competitors on the bivouac every day. After 4th April, this email service will no longer be operational.
Thank you so much for all your support. I am really going to be looking forward to checking in with your messages at the end of each day and doing you proud through the Sahara desert ...
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Marathon Man Gala Event Photos
Following a incredible evening on Thursday night, I would like to pay a special mention to the two gentlemen who captured every moment on film to be remembered. Cameron Fong and Julian Seeto were the ultimate professionals ensuring that every angle was captured. I am sure you will be impressed with the qaulity images. In particular, those participants under hypnosis on the night may be excited to see exactly what they actually got up to ...
Pictures from the Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising night can be found within the "Photo Album" section of the Marathon Man website. These images are low resolution, though should you be interested in obtaining specific photos please feel free to contact either Cameron Fong or Julian Seeto direct to arrange for a high resolution image to sent to you. When requesting images, please include the file name in your email.
Cameron K. Fong - cameron.fong@gmail.com Julian Seeto - seeto.centric@gmail.com
Thank you so much guys!!!
Pictures from the Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising night can be found within the "Photo Album" section of the Marathon Man website. These images are low resolution, though should you be interested in obtaining specific photos please feel free to contact either Cameron Fong or Julian Seeto direct to arrange for a high resolution image to sent to you. When requesting images, please include the file name in your email.
Cameron K. Fong - cameron.fong@gmail.com Julian Seeto - seeto.centric@gmail.com
Thank you so much guys!!!
Marathon Man International Travels
The Marathon Man adventures will take in many sights across the world. The following provides a brief outline of the international travel plans ahead:
March
Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Tokyo, Paris, London, Marrakech, Ouarzazarte, Sahara Desert
April
Sahara Desert, Ouarzazarte, Marrakech, Tangiers, Algasiers, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York
May
New York, London, New York, Hawaii, Sydney
I look forward to returning home on Sunday May 18th to continue the Marathon Man journey on home soil.
March
Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Tokyo, Paris, London, Marrakech, Ouarzazarte, Sahara Desert
April
Sahara Desert, Ouarzazarte, Marrakech, Tangiers, Algasiers, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York
May
New York, London, New York, Hawaii, Sydney
I look forward to returning home on Sunday May 18th to continue the Marathon Man journey on home soil.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Marathon Man Gala Event
WOW! What a Night ... The Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event really has been a great success! The night was full on fun and great times with some incredible people there to enjoy the occassion.
There have now been calls for a second Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event to be staged following the adventure through the Sahara so if there is the demand there and there are some people willing to lend a hand to set this up then maybe just maybe! Never say never ...
Thank you to everyone that turned up to show support on the evening. I am especially grateful for those that booked tables of ten and participated in the many auctions throughout the night. It would be great to get your feedback on the night!
I would like to pay special thanks to Sam Powers Australia's leading illusionist, Kieran for the great tunes, Jill Tate the best Bellydancer in the business, Bill Wheeler Australia's leading hypnotist, Jason Chong the Master of Ceremonies, Joel from the Helping Hand Group and Cameron Fong & Julian Seeto for the awesome photographs.
There have now been calls for a second Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event to be staged following the adventure through the Sahara so if there is the demand there and there are some people willing to lend a hand to set this up then maybe just maybe! Never say never ...
Thank you to everyone that turned up to show support on the evening. I am especially grateful for those that booked tables of ten and participated in the many auctions throughout the night. It would be great to get your feedback on the night!
I would like to pay special thanks to Sam Powers Australia's leading illusionist, Kieran for the great tunes, Jill Tate the best Bellydancer in the business, Bill Wheeler Australia's leading hypnotist, Jason Chong the Master of Ceremonies, Joel from the Helping Hand Group and Cameron Fong & Julian Seeto for the awesome photographs.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Channel 10 Marathon Man News
Today the Marathon Man message really made headlines. Following meeting up with the new Lois Lane in the amazing Ten News reporter Amber Muir and the super Ten News Crew of Steve on Camera and Dean on Sound down at the Sydney Opera House there were some really fun moments spent over the next four hours of shooting some great footage for the national 5pm News and the Late Night News.
There were some special moments that simply could not be scripted today such as the appearance of Brad Blaze in a Superman T-Shirt, the girls training in the park and the school kids that really loved the Marathon Man!
Special thanks much go to Megan and Narelle from Bang PR for bringing this all together and to Amber Muir and Network Ten for supporting the story and highlighting the Marathon Man's upcoming journey through the Sahara in aid of the Facing Africa charity.
There were some special moments that simply could not be scripted today such as the appearance of Brad Blaze in a Superman T-Shirt, the girls training in the park and the school kids that really loved the Marathon Man!
Special thanks much go to Megan and Narelle from Bang PR for bringing this all together and to Amber Muir and Network Ten for supporting the story and highlighting the Marathon Man's upcoming journey through the Sahara in aid of the Facing Africa charity.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Very Large Friday!
Well it sure was a action packed day today with a real early start at the Stadium Fitness Centre to meet up with my fellow spin class buddies before running into the CBD starting out at Central Station and catching the train to Town Hall Station. I then proceeded to take up the prime position and hand out "Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event" invites to the morning rail commuters. There was no shortage of looks and comments passed the way of the Marathon Man this Friday morning. It was great to be joined by school girls raising funds for another charity close to my heart in the Red Cross at Town Hall. Following close to two hours in Town Hall Station I made my way up to Pitt Street Mall and met up with the MX Newspaper photographer Chris, where we then headed towards Martin Place for a photo shoot with the morning CBD business traffic. This is set to go to print in the Sydney CBD Complementary newspaper on Tuesday 11th March. In the afternoon, I had the great opportunity to be interviewed by one of my all time favourite radio personalities in John Stanley appearing on the Radio 2UE Drive programme! During the evening, I avoided the incredible Sydney downpour out at the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies Super 14 match at the Sydney Football Stadium and had the incredible privilege and honour to appear live on the Fox Sports News & Views programme with Nick McArdle and Adam Peacock. This really was lots of fun and made so much easier with Nick and Adam being such professionals and great guys to boot! All up Friday 7th March will go down as a day to remember and one that I will treasure for a very long time. Thank you so much to everyone that helped to make this such a special day ...
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Bondi Beach Training
After due consideration I thought that it was time for the Marathon Man to make a special appearance in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney today. In the early afternoon I ran from Bronte down to Bondi Beach making special appearances along the way at Mr. Men's barbers on Bondi Road and Fastgear Triathalon store on Bondi Beach. I dropped by the Surf Lifesavers Lookout on Bondi Beach to be greeted by the Channel Ten "Bondi Rescue" cameras and ended up spending close to half an hour being interviewed with the lads. The journey continued with me making my way along the Bondi Beach promenade through the streets of my home beach prior to calling it a day and making my way home. This was a awesome training run and also a great test to see how the Marathon Man would be received in Bondi Beach! This may be the start of a few more special appearances for the Marathon Man ...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Marathon Man on Fox Sports News & Views
It has been confirmed today that I will have the opportunity to appear on this Friday's Fox Sports News & Views programme at around 9.30pm. For all those rugby fans home watching the NSW Waratahs destroy the ACT Brumbies switch over to Channel 513 to find out the latest ... The Marathon Man on Fox Sports News & Views! Now I would like to see that
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Marathon des Sables Countdown!
Well today marks the 4 week countdown until the start of the 2008 Marathon des Sables race start across the Sahara Desert on Sunday 30th March. There are now only 16 days before I leave Australia on Tuesday 18th March and commence the journey towards the start line for what will be a life defining moment.
There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I carry with me every day that defines Success:
"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier, because you have lived, this is to have succeeded."
Something to think about ...
There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I carry with me every day that defines Success:
"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier, because you have lived, this is to have succeeded."
Something to think about ...
2008 Marathon - Toughest Ever!
The Marathon des Sables organisers have published the following information detailing that the 2008 event will be the most extreme and toughest race ever held over the 23 years:
The route for 2008 is 245.3 Km long, making it the longest ever in the history of the MARATHON DES SABLES. The race will be challenging from day one - and continue that way - offering all the variety of the Sahara. The course will take runners over ergs (dune zones), seriously steep jebels (up to 25% slope factor) and rocky plateaus. They’ll have to cross hard as iron salt-flats and the driest of wadis. The backdrop to all of this is the most beautiful of landscapes with vistas accessible only to those on foot. The desert has its secret gardens and competitors on MDS will be lucky enough In its 22-year history since it was set up in 1986, the Marathon des Sables has brought together near-on 10,000 competitors in the south Moroccan Sahara. Whether running individually or in teams, competitors are self-sufficient in food and must carry all their own equipment (food and compulsory kit) during the entire race. Marathon runners and trail runners worldwide consider the race to be the “Grail” of footraces. It’s one of the most difficult in the world: around 230km, freestyle, run in 6 stages varying from 20 to 70km, taking in all the different terrain in this particularly beautiful part of Morocco. With average speeds going from a minimum of 3 Km/h to maximum 14 Km/h, the Marathon des Sables is an extraordinary course, characterised by its spirit of conviviality and solidarity. For this 23rd edition, organised by AOI under the aegis of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, around 850 competitors will be setting off to conquer the Moroccan sands on March 30th. 30% are French, the other 70% made up of more than 32 nationalities, with a strong Anglo-Saxon presence Sportsmanship, solidarity, conviviality and respect for the environment: these are the organisation’s key words. 1986, the 1st MARATHON DES SABLES welcomes 23 competitors 2008, 850 competitors are expected!
The route for 2008 is 245.3 Km long, making it the longest ever in the history of the MARATHON DES SABLES. The race will be challenging from day one - and continue that way - offering all the variety of the Sahara. The course will take runners over ergs (dune zones), seriously steep jebels (up to 25% slope factor) and rocky plateaus. They’ll have to cross hard as iron salt-flats and the driest of wadis. The backdrop to all of this is the most beautiful of landscapes with vistas accessible only to those on foot. The desert has its secret gardens and competitors on MDS will be lucky enough In its 22-year history since it was set up in 1986, the Marathon des Sables has brought together near-on 10,000 competitors in the south Moroccan Sahara. Whether running individually or in teams, competitors are self-sufficient in food and must carry all their own equipment (food and compulsory kit) during the entire race. Marathon runners and trail runners worldwide consider the race to be the “Grail” of footraces. It’s one of the most difficult in the world: around 230km, freestyle, run in 6 stages varying from 20 to 70km, taking in all the different terrain in this particularly beautiful part of Morocco. With average speeds going from a minimum of 3 Km/h to maximum 14 Km/h, the Marathon des Sables is an extraordinary course, characterised by its spirit of conviviality and solidarity. For this 23rd edition, organised by AOI under the aegis of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, around 850 competitors will be setting off to conquer the Moroccan sands on March 30th. 30% are French, the other 70% made up of more than 32 nationalities, with a strong Anglo-Saxon presence Sportsmanship, solidarity, conviviality and respect for the environment: these are the organisation’s key words. 1986, the 1st MARATHON DES SABLES welcomes 23 competitors 2008, 850 competitors are expected!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Marathon Man National Audience
I was extremely privileged to have been the final guest on the 2008 ABC Radio 'Summer Grandstand' programme this afternoon with the very talented Tracey Holmes and co-host Damian Lovelock the former lead singer and songwriter for the Sydney hard rock band The Celibate Rifles ...
This really was great fun for the Marathon Man to make a special in-studio appearance and speak to a national audience about the madness of the challenge ahead through the Sahara and the crucial work Facing Africa is doing to help those suffering from the disease of poverty known as noma.
It must have been a quiet afternoon of sport with the "Great Balls of Fire" movie staring Dennis Quaid on the Ovation channel in the studio. Clearly one of Damien's favourite all time movies.
This really was great fun for the Marathon Man to make a special in-studio appearance and speak to a national audience about the madness of the challenge ahead through the Sahara and the crucial work Facing Africa is doing to help those suffering from the disease of poverty known as noma.
It must have been a quiet afternoon of sport with the "Great Balls of Fire" movie staring Dennis Quaid on the Ovation channel in the studio. Clearly one of Damien's favourite all time movies.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Andrew Gaze - Sends Support!
I thought that I would let you know Australia's best ever basketball legend Andrew Gaze has really gone out of his way to help the Marathon Man's efforts in supporting the Facing Africa charity by very kindly donating a autographed basketball to be auctioned at the Gala Charity Fundraising Event to be held at the Star Room in Darling Harbour on Thursday 13th March.
Andrew has also sent through his best wishes with the following words of wisdom: "Great things happen in a atmosphere of greatness! Good luck in creating that atmosphere."
I am confident that I have been in the process of creating that "atmosphere of greatness" now for some time and this will keep me strong during the toughest of times ahead in the Sahara now just over one month away.
Andrew has also sent through his best wishes with the following words of wisdom: "Great things happen in a atmosphere of greatness! Good luck in creating that atmosphere."
I am confident that I have been in the process of creating that "atmosphere of greatness" now for some time and this will keep me strong during the toughest of times ahead in the Sahara now just over one month away.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
'Marathon Man' to appear on ABC Grandstand!
I was contacted today by Caroline Davidson the producer for ABC Sports to set up a radio interview with Tracey Holmes this Saturday on ABC Grandstand at 2.45pm. Caroline was very sweet to enquire as to whether I would be running in to the studio or driving. On this occassion I may target a training run in the morning!
This really is a very exciting opportunity to discuss the "Marathon Man" plans with Tracey and spread the word to fellow sports lovers on one of Austalia's favourite weekend radio programmes to a national audience. Be sure to tune in this Saturday at 2.45pm to ABC Radio 702...
This really is a very exciting opportunity to discuss the "Marathon Man" plans with Tracey and spread the word to fellow sports lovers on one of Austalia's favourite weekend radio programmes to a national audience. Be sure to tune in this Saturday at 2.45pm to ABC Radio 702...
'The Man' vs 'The Lionheart'
What a night tonight turned out to be! Having never been to a live fight night I decided to head out and check out the hype surrounding Anthony 'The Man' Mundine as he defended his World Title against Nader 'Lionheart' Hamden at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.Arriving a little early it was fun watching the under card and seeing most of the action all over after only a few rounds. The highlight of the undercard was Solomon 'Solo' Haumono the former Saints, Tigers, Bulldogs and Sea Eagles rugby league star who is well remembered for walking out on the Bulldogs to chase his then girl Gabrielle 'The Pleasure Machine" Richens across to London! Solo looked menacing and took care of business against a very brave challenger ...
Prior to the arrival of 'The Man' show I had the opportunity and honour to meet up with Tracey Holmes from the ABC Radio and Fox Sports, Julian Morrow from 'The Chasers' and the great man himself former Australian Cricket Captain Steve Waugh. Following this high I experienced the low when I thought that my wallet had been stolen only to later to find it lodged deep down under the seat twenty minutes later. Talk about a close call ...
OK! So back to the boxing and 'The Man' really had a fight on his hands tonight with Nader showing why he is known as the 'Lionheart' pushing Mundine all the way to the end of a brutal 12 rounds. I am sure that not too many would have thought that the fight would go the distance at the outset though 'Lionheart' really stood up to the challenge and 'The Man' showed that he has the strength to be pushed the distance. It was a credit to both men and a great lesson of endurance! Great inspiration for my journey ahead and a awesome night all around ...
Prior to the arrival of 'The Man' show I had the opportunity and honour to meet up with Tracey Holmes from the ABC Radio and Fox Sports, Julian Morrow from 'The Chasers' and the great man himself former Australian Cricket Captain Steve Waugh. Following this high I experienced the low when I thought that my wallet had been stolen only to later to find it lodged deep down under the seat twenty minutes later. Talk about a close call ...
OK! So back to the boxing and 'The Man' really had a fight on his hands tonight with Nader showing why he is known as the 'Lionheart' pushing Mundine all the way to the end of a brutal 12 rounds. I am sure that not too many would have thought that the fight would go the distance at the outset though 'Lionheart' really stood up to the challenge and 'The Man' showed that he has the strength to be pushed the distance. It was a credit to both men and a great lesson of endurance! Great inspiration for my journey ahead and a awesome night all around ...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Live In Store Appearance!
Following some preparation, the Marathon Man had the great opportunity to make his very first live in store appearance at one of Australia's largest sporting goods stores at the local Rebel Sports store in Bondi Junction today.
I was positioned right up the front of the store on a top of the line treadmill with thousands of shoppers passing by having been enjoying a fun day out at the shops, eating in the food court and checking out the latest movies while the Marathon Man pounded away on the treadmill over five hours completing 38km between 1pm - 6pm.
This is one of the largest distances that I have ever covered and really was a great test of endurance with the H20, electrolyte replacement fluids,salt tablets and protein bars crucial in keeping me going. This was a awesome training run in preparation for the for the Marathon des Sables which now starts in only five weeks.
Although a little tired and sore I am really pleased to have pulled up well and will always remember the day the Marathon Man completed 38km in Rebel Sports Bondi Junction! Something tells me going to the shops will never be the same again ...
I was positioned right up the front of the store on a top of the line treadmill with thousands of shoppers passing by having been enjoying a fun day out at the shops, eating in the food court and checking out the latest movies while the Marathon Man pounded away on the treadmill over five hours completing 38km between 1pm - 6pm.
This is one of the largest distances that I have ever covered and really was a great test of endurance with the H20, electrolyte replacement fluids,salt tablets and protein bars crucial in keeping me going. This was a awesome training run in preparation for the for the Marathon des Sables which now starts in only five weeks.
Although a little tired and sore I am really pleased to have pulled up well and will always remember the day the Marathon Man completed 38km in Rebel Sports Bondi Junction! Something tells me going to the shops will never be the same again ...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Training with a Legend!
Today I had the great honour to train with one of the true legends of our time. Following a very early start I met up with the fitness legend George Daldry at 5.30am in front of the North Bondi Surf Club.
I had first heard of George Daldry as a kid through my Dad who had relayed stories of the many torturous training sessions. He was the man who made the Australian Rugby League team into World Champions and trained the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles during the 1970's and 1980's. Little did I realize at the time but George also helped a number of other world-class athletes.
His personal story was motivation in itself - how he’d overcome the horrors of Japanese Prisoner of War camps for instance. How he was laughed at when he was one of the first people to ever jog in public. I decided that George might be able to help me out too!
One night in Changi Prison (the notorious WWII Japanese POW camp), George Daldry decided that if he survived, he would go searching for the fountain of youth. Well, he not only found it, but in the process he became (and still is!) the fittest and strongest person, kilo for kilo, for his age, in the country.
George Daldry, at 84 years of age is still taking up to 10 training classes per week! Not only survived the absolute despair of Changi Prison, but how he went on to become recognized by the International Olympic Committee as one of it’s ‘Trainers of the Century’.
Over the years George has helped many thousands of people (including the former US President, George Bush Sr., Prince Albert of Monaco and Kerry Packer, as well as many of this country’s greatest sporting champions) to reach their fitness goals. In the meantime he has tried and tested every conceivable method of achieving maximum health.
The session was tough especially seeing I was still in the process of recovering from the beach sprints with the Sydney Roosters earlier in the week. This sure was a great experience and one to treasure for the future challenges ahead ...
I had first heard of George Daldry as a kid through my Dad who had relayed stories of the many torturous training sessions. He was the man who made the Australian Rugby League team into World Champions and trained the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles during the 1970's and 1980's. Little did I realize at the time but George also helped a number of other world-class athletes.
His personal story was motivation in itself - how he’d overcome the horrors of Japanese Prisoner of War camps for instance. How he was laughed at when he was one of the first people to ever jog in public. I decided that George might be able to help me out too!
One night in Changi Prison (the notorious WWII Japanese POW camp), George Daldry decided that if he survived, he would go searching for the fountain of youth. Well, he not only found it, but in the process he became (and still is!) the fittest and strongest person, kilo for kilo, for his age, in the country.
George Daldry, at 84 years of age is still taking up to 10 training classes per week! Not only survived the absolute despair of Changi Prison, but how he went on to become recognized by the International Olympic Committee as one of it’s ‘Trainers of the Century’.
Over the years George has helped many thousands of people (including the former US President, George Bush Sr., Prince Albert of Monaco and Kerry Packer, as well as many of this country’s greatest sporting champions) to reach their fitness goals. In the meantime he has tried and tested every conceivable method of achieving maximum health.
The session was tough especially seeing I was still in the process of recovering from the beach sprints with the Sydney Roosters earlier in the week. This sure was a great experience and one to treasure for the future challenges ahead ...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Marathon Man Trains with Sydney Roosters!
Well what a buzz! At 6am this morning I was fortunate enough to train with the Sydney Roosters in the sand on Wanda Beach.
After addressing the team Marathon Man then trained with the Roosters starting out with ball work and leading into an hour of beach sprint training. It was a great honour to train with the Roosters under the guidance of the legendary Ronnie Palmer.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brad Fittler for the opportunity to bring this all together and the Roosters players for making me feel so welcome in the lead up to the season kick off in a few weeks time.
Go Roosters!
After addressing the team Marathon Man then trained with the Roosters starting out with ball work and leading into an hour of beach sprint training. It was a great honour to train with the Roosters under the guidance of the legendary Ronnie Palmer.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brad Fittler for the opportunity to bring this all together and the Roosters players for making me feel so welcome in the lead up to the season kick off in a few weeks time.
Go Roosters!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Laurie Lawrence - Sends Support
I have just received some very kind words of wisdom from the icon of Australian swimming in Laurie Lawrence today that reads as follows:
"only the pain of a hard workout can save you the agony of defeat ..."
This will definately keep me going strong during the hard times!
Bring it on.
"only the pain of a hard workout can save you the agony of defeat ..."
This will definately keep me going strong during the hard times!
Bring it on.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Marathon des Sables Registration Official
Great news ... It seems as though all the planets are lining up following my official Marathon des Sables registration number being confirmed today as 888!
This is especially significant in the year of the Beijing Olympics with the Chinese believing that the number 888 is lucky and represents "three times the prosperity".
I will definately need the prosperity three times over and will wear the 888 with pride through the sands of the Sahara.
Looking forward to a fun weekend of training ahead ...
Till next time!
This is especially significant in the year of the Beijing Olympics with the Chinese believing that the number 888 is lucky and represents "three times the prosperity".
I will definately need the prosperity three times over and will wear the 888 with pride through the sands of the Sahara.
Looking forward to a fun weekend of training ahead ...
Till next time!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Big Adventure Gets Real
OK Kids well I am very pleased to report that I have taken the brave and bold move to hand in my resignation today as National Sales Manager so as to totally focus and concentrate on my training and preparation for the toughest footrace on planet earth.
The additional time will also be crucial to help me dedicate further resources towards highlighting the 'Facing Africa' charity and raising the much needed support to make a real difference.
Looking forward to sharing regular training and charity updates with you over the coming days!
The additional time will also be crucial to help me dedicate further resources towards highlighting the 'Facing Africa' charity and raising the much needed support to make a real difference.
Looking forward to sharing regular training and charity updates with you over the coming days!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Australia Day Training
Australia Day marks the celebration of a nation! This is the day when the nation stops to celebrate and today this marked the time for me to step up the training programme. Following a intense spin class at the Stadium Fitness Centre in Moore Park, I decided to take in a scenic run across Sydney. Heading through Darlinghurst through the morning cafe scene I made my way down to Woolloomooloo past the Australian Navy ships and the home of Russell Crowe and John Laws then up to the NSW Art Gallery and along the amazing Sydney Harbour foreshore, up the stairs of the Opera House and past the masses of tourists at the ferry terminal. I then headed up across the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the ferries and cruisers passing by under me. What a great way to take in the nations birthday ... Making my way down to Luna Park and past a number of national heritage stalls such as the Scottish, Irish and Dutch with the bagpipes getting in the way of my iPod tunes! It was great to get back onto the Harbour Bridge and then make my way back through the centre of Sydney CBD and through Hyde Park up along Oxford Street and back to the gym for a round trip of a little over 20km. Australia Day 2008 will go down as one of the best ever and provide the inspiration for future days training for this very proud Aussie!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Centennial Park Afternoon Training
Following another busy day at the office I made my way down to Centennial Park at the end of the day to meet up with Rob McGovern for a catch up and gentle training run. It was great to meet up with Rob and complete the 15km mid week training run. Now looking forward to spin class and getting in further distance training later in the week ...
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Addicted to Spin ...
Following a very large day with work it was great to escape at the end of the day to head off to my spin class at the Sydney Football Stadium.
There must be something to New Year's resolutions as the class was overflowing with a number of new faces seen tonight. It will be interesting to see if those same people are still around in a few weeks time.
It was so great to push out 20km during the class and sweat up a storm like never before! Bring on the next spin class I am totally addicted ...
There must be something to New Year's resolutions as the class was overflowing with a number of new faces seen tonight. It will be interesting to see if those same people are still around in a few weeks time.
It was so great to push out 20km during the class and sweat up a storm like never before! Bring on the next spin class I am totally addicted ...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Most Beautiful Run In the World!
Well with rain set in for the weekend in Sydney I thought that I would make the best of the weather and decided to set off for my weekend run through some of the most scenic parts of Sydney.
Heading out from Bronte, I made my way down through Centennial Park and then up through the weekend cafe set in Darlinghurst down to Woolloomoolloo and then up to the NSW Art Gallery & Mrs. Macquarie's Chair to then make my way along the beautiful Sydney Harbour.
The highlight was arriving at the Sydney Opera House and being face to face with the stairs. I could not resist doing a 'Rocky' impersonation and running up to the top of the stairs amongst all the tourists.
I then continued on past the Sydney ferries up to George Street and then through Martin Place before making my way through Hyde Park and then up Oxford Street before heading back through Centennial Park and then back to Bronte for a awesome 22km run.
It really was a buzz to get out in the rain and see so much of this amazing city that I call home! There is a long way to go in my training as this is one of the longest distances that I have covered in my training to date.
Heading out from Bronte, I made my way down through Centennial Park and then up through the weekend cafe set in Darlinghurst down to Woolloomoolloo and then up to the NSW Art Gallery & Mrs. Macquarie's Chair to then make my way along the beautiful Sydney Harbour.
The highlight was arriving at the Sydney Opera House and being face to face with the stairs. I could not resist doing a 'Rocky' impersonation and running up to the top of the stairs amongst all the tourists.
I then continued on past the Sydney ferries up to George Street and then through Martin Place before making my way through Hyde Park and then up Oxford Street before heading back through Centennial Park and then back to Bronte for a awesome 22km run.
It really was a buzz to get out in the rain and see so much of this amazing city that I call home! There is a long way to go in my training as this is one of the longest distances that I have covered in my training to date.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Welcome to marathonman.com.au
Well finally after considerable effort the marathonman.com.au website is up and running!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss. Carolina Cepeda from www.urbanosdesign.com for all her great work in making this brilliant website come together.
I look forward to sharing my stories with you of the preparations in the lead up to the biggest adventure of my life to date.
The journey through the Sahara desert is sure to be both physically and mentally challenging though the opportunity to make a difference and contribute back to Facing Africa together with your support is sure to provide the necessary motivation to see it through to the end of the 243km.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miss. Carolina Cepeda from www.urbanosdesign.com for all her great work in making this brilliant website come together.
I look forward to sharing my stories with you of the preparations in the lead up to the biggest adventure of my life to date.
The journey through the Sahara desert is sure to be both physically and mentally challenging though the opportunity to make a difference and contribute back to Facing Africa together with your support is sure to provide the necessary motivation to see it through to the end of the 243km.
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