33 Marathons – as it happened (and what’s next)

After much reflection, digestion and rationalisation, I have finally written up the report from the Nullarbor.   I't s long one, so you may want to get a cup of tea ready before you get stuck into it. It's all HERE ...But of course that's not really the end of the story, it's just the beginning.  Chapter two of my running adventures continues June 2013, and you can follow that at www.outbackodyssey.com

643kms, 7 days and a dodgy ankle

Some of you will already be aware that after 7 days of running, Andy had to stop having completed over 643.5kms. It was with a heavy heart that he had to do this, but after a problem with his ankle (we believe to be muscular) didn't respond to treatment, and the swelling didn't subside, the sensible option had to be taken. This proved to be the right course of action, given that he was still limping 4 days later. It has been a very tough situation to accept given the time, training and planning that went into the event from the entire team. The most frustrating thing has been that aside from the injury he was travelling really well and not suffering anything more than a little tiredness. Mentally her was strong and physically it was clear that his training had paid off. The injury itself was not one that could have been expected, and not in an area where he has previously had any issues. On the bright side, Andy and the team have learnt a lot about how to manage this sort over event, they've had a great adventure, and have met some great people along the way. If the goal was to run over 90kms a day in a week, they shot the lights out!! The breakdown of days was: Day 1 - 103.1kms Day 2 - 90.2kms Day 3 - 95.6kms Day 4 - 106.1kms Day 5 - 89.8kms Day 6 - 93.0kms Day 7 - 65.7kms Total - 643.5kms Andy did manage to complete the round of golf with a gross score of 99 - apparently that is a very good score for the Nullarbor Links, with most people coming in around the 140-150 mark. Andy will be writing up his full report with photographs in the coming week. Thanks for all your support along the way.

THIS IS IT!

Well we're into the final hours, and the fun all starts tomorrow morning! WIN TV have called and will be there to watch us on our way, so if you're in WA, you'll be able to see it, although we're trying to spread the word to other regions. Really looking forward to seeing all the kids at Kalgoorlie Primary School who are coming out to cheer us on. They've even had a gold coin donation day to help raise some funds for us, which is hugely motivating. Also want to make a special mention to Ally and the girls at the Visitors Center here in Kalgoorlie, who have been a great help, and keen supporters of our event. So one more sleep and then we hit the course...Wish us luck, and don't forget to follow how we're getting on!

Day 2 and 3 – Driving Broken Hill to Kalgoorlie

2 days of solid driving to cover off the final 2200kms to get to the first Tee in Kalgoorlie and the start of the 33 Marathons run.   The drive has been really useful for the crew and me to understand what lies ahead and to reassess some of our plans and strategies based on the realities of where we are.  I’ve also taken the opportunity to have a short run on the course itself learning where is the best place to run, which in itself has been beneficial, working out how best to avoid the road trains. The main thing I appreciated is the wind that they generate as they pass, even from the other side of the road, so I will ensure that I am always as far away from them as is possible.  Also given the flat terrain, at either end of the day the sun is low in the sky for long periods of time, and it can make seeing where you’re going very challenging. So in those circumstances, I shall always run on the side of the road that the drivers are not blinded by the sun. At least this way they will be able to see me, and although I may have my vision impaired, I will always be able to hear them coming (and that proved to be about a 3 minute warning).   We’ve also had another piece of media exposure, with Clive on the crew calling into Macca’s Around Australia radio show, so hopefully that will help get the word out to more kind folk who will support our efforts.   Stopping to refuel at the roadhouses we’ve had a look at a couple of the golf holes along the way. The first impressions are on how difficult the course is, given the scrub land around the holes, and the sand or artificial greens. The difficulty is going to be compounded by the impact of running for 12 hours on my ability to swing a club. Either way the excitement is starting to build, as is a little nervousness because of the size of the task ahead of us.  

Motivational Sponsorship – Get on Board!

A friend of mine has come up with an excellent way to keep me motivated, and in fact to increase my motivation as the days wear on and my vigour may wane. It’s one you may like to try yourself, or perhaps team up with a friend to lend your support.   The process is that on completion of the first day you sponsor me just 1 cent. On completion of day 2 you double it, and on day 3 double it again, and so on to day 16. So as the challenge gets tougher and the effort required increases, so does the motivational push from the sponsors.   The end result is quite amazing, in that if I complete the challenge the sponsorship amount will be $327.68!   So if this is less than you were thinking of donating, you could start with 2 cents, or to go the other way just half a cent.   Here is the breakdown of how it works:   Day Amount 1 $0.01 2 $0.02 3 $0.04 4 $0.08 5 $0.16 6 $0.32 7 $0.64 8 $1.28 9 $2.56 10 $5.12 11 $10.24 12 $20.48 13 $40.96 14 $81.92 15 $163.84 16 $327.68     So please take on this great concept, and lend your support in a way which will benefit the great charities, but also provide exponentially increasing motivation as I make my way across the Nullarbor.  

On the road… Sydney to Broken Hill

Well we’re on our way with a 3 day, 3300km drive ahead of us.  We got to Broken Hill yesterday evening in the dark, and left this morning before sunrise in the fog. It’s great to finally be underway, and just to appreciate the scale of the country, and more importantly the task ahead of us. I have had the opportunity to adopt the “there no such thing as bad calories” when preparing for this, as we did end up in a fast food burger outlet, where I supersized!   It’s my first experience of really long straight roads, the longest straight so far being about 57kms long, and it’s throwing up some interesting thoughts about how it will feel to be running on them.  I’m also starting to comprehend the conditions for the run, and the potential hazards, mainly the road trains.   We’ve also seen a lot of the wildlife we’re going to be come across on the Plain, the highlight for me seeing many Emu’s. I think the lasting impression will be the vast expanses of nothing-ness of completely flat featureless landscape, and the realisation that people live and thrive out here.   Photos to follow when we've stopped driving!   So we’ll make the most of these few days to fine tune our plans and packing, and of course enjoy the experience of being in such an incredible place.   In the meantime it’s great to see some donations coming in, it’s all helping two very worthy causes. Please give what you can. Don't forget to like our Facebook page for more regular updates - www.facebook.com/33marathons

A bird’s eye view of the route

Check out a fly over view of the course we'll be covering and the live tracking map : The Route Remember to keep in mind the scale to appreciate the distance between stops, and the vast emptiness of this part of the world. Thanks to Gary at iMapping

Our Supporters Spreading the Word

Check out some of our great supporters spreading the word about  33Marathons here

Interview on Fox Sports News

Andy was interviewed about the challenge by Fox Sports News on Sunday 26th June    

Welcome to the website of the 33Marathons Challenge!

As you can see we're still a work in progress, so please bear with us while we get this looking cool and funky. Here you'll be able to track our progress in real time, as well as view our daily video blogs and photo gallery, meet the team, and of course, donate to our two great charities.