Only 90 Days to Go .....

2007 was a year which kept me busy: 3560 km training runs, 365 km /47 hours of races and 5 pairs of running shoes later with only 90 days to go – Morocco seems scarily close now.

Met another Aussie runner this week. Trent signed up with the UK contingent and is just getting his preparation into full speed. It is great to see that there will be at least 3 tents full of Aussies now in the desert next year. Ultrarunning is well alive in this country!

Had a few shorter runs this week with the Christmas break and all. Also, I seem to have injured my knee somehow, hurts like hell when standing up or laying down but not when running, figure that one out? Will give the Black Stump race on New Year's Day a miss and try to fix this little annoying problem ASAP.

Looking forward to the fundraising dinner in 2 weeks time The restaurant is now fully booked and I encourage the people who have not confirmed with their payment yet to do this in the next days, so I know how many spare spots there will be, thanks.

A big THANK YOU to all my generous supporters during 2007 and my best wishes for a happy and successful New Year ... with lot's of injury free running :-)

Finally...warm weather

We had to wait a bit longer but yesterday was finally a nice, hot and sunny day for running. Had some really good runs and clocked up another 105 km last week.

Have been told to plan some additional, special heat training for next year - some recommend winter clothes and running, others Sauna for hours....wonder if there is ways to really simulate the desert at 50 degrees apart of going there....(and what about the sandstorms?)

Thanks to all who have already sent their payment for the Fundraising dinner - seats are limited and I encourage everyone to confirm soon by transferring the dinner money. I was very successful with getting over 1500$ of prices together for our raffle and auction on that night....so don't miss out.

For all the support I received in 2007 raising funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation I like to thank everyone! It really makes a difference and helps me to keep going out there every day and run for this great cause.

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Markus

New Shoes

Another week and 100 km later - decided to try out those trail shoes some are raving about. Love the fact that there are no shoe lashes anymore - quite cool system and the titanium plate in the sole makes it so much easier to run over those rocks.
Check it out
http://www.backcountry.com/store/SAL0581/c100000009/s21/Salomon-XA-Pro-3D-XCR-Trail-Running-Shoe-Mens.html

Unfortunately they only sold the normal size here and the shoe became a bit tight after a couple of hours running - so may have to go for the extra wide option with my next pair – don’t want to hurt in the desert unnecessarily.

There will be for sure another shoe, as I still have 3 months of training to go and this means another 1000 km to cover.

Fundraising dinner is slowly filling up so please book your seat(s) soon and help in the process The Fred Hollows Foundation saving someone else eyesight. http://www.run4vision.com/special.php

Moroccon Feast Fundraising Dinner

An evening with good food and friends to raise funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Presentation, Auction & Raffle with great prices!

Date : Friday, 11 January 2008, at 6:30 pm.
Venue: Moroccan Feast, 27 Avoca Street, Randwick 2031.
What :$ 65.00 per person for a 3-course Moroccan Feast incl. coffee & tea.
BYO & Licensed, $3 Corkage per Person.

Space is limited, so please book and pay your seat by 20 December 2007.

Please follow the payment instruction on my website www.run4vision.com and confirm your attendance by sending me a mail to info@run4vision.com.

Proceeds of the evening go to The Fred Hollows Foundation to help unnecessary blind people!

Rain, Rain, Rain

Wondering when the weather will give me a little bit more Moroccan like conditions. After all I am trying to train for a desert crossing here and we are supposed to have summer now?

On Friday I almost got hit by lightening running across a park trying to get out of the rain. Over the weekend I increased the weight in the backpack to 8 kg and I did some good runs and walks with it. Having weight on your back goes into your knees and legs and do avoid injuries I will reduce the training with the backpack to 1 or 2 runs a week now but slowly increase the weight.

Uli has booked a Moroccan Restaurant for a fundraising dinner in January and I am happy to announce that I scored some great prizes for the raffle! So sign up for a fun night - great food, belly dancer, presentation and fun awaits you!

Great Country to run

I truly enjoyed the fun race on Saturday from Otford to Bundeena, south of Sydney in the National Park.

Not only was the weather perfect for a race but the country side was simply stunning!

29 km through Pine- & Rainforest, accross sandy beaches, up and down bloody steep hills and rugged 'high' country - 4 hours of pleasure with a 7 kg heavy backpack.

Denis, my running buddy, used the opportunity of my backpack training and added a few bottles of his Gatorades into my bag.

All these nice drinks and I could not dare to drink them - Denis took off soon after the start but could have been sitting around the next corner waiting for me to catch up with him....which never happend and I ended up carrying the (full!) bottles all the way to Bundeena.

At least it was good training - and I have almost figured out all the spots which are still chafing and need to be protected for Morocco.

Backpack running

Last week I increased my workload again and I am back to almost 100 km a week. I started to attend the SWEAT session twice a week in Centennial Park in the whee hours of the day. There are some very fit people around and it is great to train with faster runner - gives you that bit of extra kick which will be beneficial in the long term. http://www.sweatsydney.com.au/index.php

I also started running with my race backpack, donated generously by Bindweld Plastics http://www.bindweld.com/!

I am carrying a few can's of beans and my sleepingbag plus 2 l of water in a camelbag. Guess it is around 5kg which is half of my planned race weight for Morocco. Very different running with this bag on the back and I am still finding out about all the spots I need to protect well with tapes for the race - 7 days of chafing mixed with sand won't go done well in Morocco.

Saturday off to a fun race from Otford to Bundeena - 29 km sounds like a stroll in the park but I have been warnend to expect some steep and hard trail running :-) http://www.coolrunning.com.au/fatass/hq/index.php?title=Otford_to_Bundeena

Back on track

After my DNF GNW last weekend I enjoyed a more relaxing recovery week and covered less then half of my usual 100 km this week.

This gave me time to sort out the nutrition side for the Marathon des Sables. Sadly the organiser no longer accept the energy drink powder as part of the daily allowance of 2000 cal. This meant a complete reshuffle of my food list to still make sure I had enough each day....also meant that I probably end up with some more weight now.

Started running with up to 5 kg in my backpack and happy to be able to keep up my usual pace for my longer runs.

Looking forward to my next race - Otford to Bundeena on 1st December - where I can test a full load under running conditions.

“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe” Muhammed Ali

Happy running

First DNF

81km on track plus 10 km lost in the rainforest….

After 2 weeks of 30+ degrees in sunny Queensland I was not looking forward to a weekend of running in the mud and rain.....



After final preparation and a rough night on a camping ground in pouring rain, I was as ready as one can be for the big race.

Started the first leg of 29 km as per plan but soon realised that those steep ascents will slow me down quickly and the even steeper descents go straight into my legs….



Those hills were killers – I have never walk up such steep hills, bar of climbing in Nepal! I at least enjoyed the great view from the top but my legs suffered.

Arrived at CP 1 after a cruel 5 hours of climbing, walking and
occasional running. A short stop to re-stock with food and drinks
and off I was for the (on paper) easier 2nd leg. I hoped to make
up some time and really enjoyed the downhill runs – finished at
CP2 within the planned 3 hrs but maybe I went too fast as I was
pretty buggered after almost 8 hours of running for 52 km!


With a fresh shirt, some better protection from the rubbing backpack and with fresh drinks and food I attacked the 3rd (hard) leg.
Since the whole course is not specifically marked for this race but only uses the National Park Markers it is very important to keep an eye out for those small, greenish markers along the Great North Walk….twice already I was, for a short moment, disorientated but fellow runners kept me on the right track however 3rd time was un-lucky – the race route turned off sharply to the right into the thick under wood and being alone on the road I missed the barley visible marker – I kept on going straight and even so I was a bit confused for not seeing any markers for a while I believed to be on the right road as per the map so I kept going for far too long until I realised that I was completely lost!


Bugger – I was very angry with myself and hurried back to make for lost time which costed me
valuable energy and kind of took the wind out of my sails…..lucky I saw another runner just disappearing into the woods were I missed my turn-off and I join him for the second part of the 3rd leg….however I was already demotivated and descending into the dark, dense rainforest down to the Basin the leeches started to attack and with the very small and narrow track barley visible in the night the risk of slipping and twisting an ankle became very high for my slow and tired legs!


Shuffled into CP3 after almost 15 hours for the 81 km official

and extra 10 km in-official km covered!

Even so I still had an hour or two up my sleeve before the cut-off time I could not see myself enjoying the reminding 94 km, especially with the next 10 hours in the dark so I took my loses – 2 lost toe nails, 12 leeches bites and very sore legs. I will improve my navigation skills and listen to the pro to go extra easy on such long ultra marathons…..I’ll be back!

A big thank you goes to my crew – Uli and Warren. Without them this event would be twice as difficult and it made all the difference to know that not only some fresh food and drinks but also support is waiting at each CP. Lucky for them we made it all home by 2am and they did not have to drive the whole night from CP to CP….last runners arrived at 5 pm on Sunday afternoon at the finish – that is 35 hours after the start!!! Winners finished in 23 hrs 30 min!

On a positive side – the backpack tested great and with a few changes it will be perfect for Morocco. Food wise I tried more stuff out and I can say that I am now almost set for the Marathon des Sables…so now it is back to training - building more strength and specifically preparing for a multi day race rather then one long day race.

The Great North Walk Coming Up

The Great North Walk starts near Teralba on Lake Macquarie and finishes 175 km later at Patonga on spectacular Broken Bay. The route is primarily on foot tracks and fire-trails. Cut-off time is 36 hours for the 175 km. The course passes through rugged and spectacular terrain and is a demanding challenge for all runners.

Only 40% of all starters in the 2006 event managed to finish the course, which includes more than 6,200 meters of climbing. Entrants need to cope with precipitous ascents and descents, muddy trails and creek crossings, slippery rocks and roots, and hard-to-follow trail. There are a number of sections where running is impossible. All runners need to be capable navigators and be prepared to travel at night in remote areas on difficult trail. They are also required to carry certain equipment and must carry sufficient water to last them between checkpoints which can be up to 30 km apart.

The last 2 weeks of running twice daily on Magnetic Island have hopefully put me in a good shape to survive the coming weekend.

Watch this space for a race update on Monday and keep your fingers crossed for me!

Back on Track & Travel Guides

Last Saturday, after a week of physio and massages and very light jogging, I finished a nice 6 hours run plus 5 km on sand on Sunday. So working hard during the next three weeks, I should be ready for the GNW on 10 November.

Lonely Planet kindly supported my efforts of fundraising with a few brand new travel guides. They are all unused and cost normally well over 30 AU$. If anyone out there is planning their next holiday and needs a recent guide for Europe, Eastern Europe, Berlin, New Zealand, Queensland, Iran or Pakistan, please email to info@run4vision.com and I will be very happy to send you this guide(s) for your generous donation.







Thanks and happy running!

First Injury

Had a mixed couple of weeks. Got quickly back on track and started building up to a nice 100+ km-week again since Glasshouse Mountain ... and PANG... there goes the hamstring! Never had a real injury before, but I knew enough from forums and chats with other runners that the pain I felt during my sprint training was a tear of the hamstring. Bugger ... and just two days before my planned marathon in Fitzroy Falls, an important preparation race for the coming Great North Walk.
Anyway, after a night with ice and compression at home, I rushed to the physio, who did wonders on Friday. When I asked what next, he mentioned that light jogging should be ok ... and since he did not say anything about how long and how far, I picked up the hire car and drove south to Fitzroy Falls.
After a freezing night (had ice on my car in the morning), I started the 42 km race with mixed feelings ranging somewhere between how stupid and why not – let's do it and I jogged my way through the forest around Morton NP – a beautiful area and a prefectly organised race – and within 4 hours it was all done and dusted. Was very happy that the leg held up and the whole race felt like a jog!
The next day, as a cool down exercise, I offered to pace my friend Tasman during a 8 km fun run in Maroubra and he ended up with a new PB!
Today, the physio was a bit surprised to see my leg still so stiff. Hmmm, wonder why. I promised to be a good boy for a week – resting and doing the right stuff, but then it is back to business and get ready for the 175 km Great North Walk in 3 weeks time!
http://www.terrigaltrotters.com.au/GNW100s_Home_Page.htm

Halfway Point on my Way to Morocco

Since I decided to run the MdS 2008, I have already covered 2,500 km on treadmills and roads for training and races.
I have gone through 5 of my 8 pairs of shoes. I guess Stoner does not have that many spare tyres for his bike!

So far, I have spent $1,000 on running shoes, $500 on race entry fees, $800 on sports drinks and energy bars, $400 on massage and podiatry, $200 on socks and $600 on essential gear for the Marathon des Sables next year such as a

windbreaker as protection from the sand storms, a GPS to find my way, a portable solar panel to charge my GPS, a headlight for the night run, and I have started to test food I may be taking to Morocco.

But I still need a backpack, sleeping bag, all the food and compulsory equipment such as survival blanket, anti-venom pump, emergency mirror etc., so there's still plenty of money to spend before I'm set up for Morocco.

Next race to get ready for is on Saturday, 13 October, in Fitzroy Falls for a Marathon in the Southern Highlands ttp://www.fitzroyfallsmarathon.com/

100 km Glasshouse Mountains Trail Run

Friday - Sunshine Coast: Rain and a sky full of dark, heavy clouds. I had second thoughts for a few minutes ... spending my long weekend attempting a 100 km trail run in the rain. What about some sun, beach and beers?
The race briefing the same night, during the pasta dinner, did not help to improve my mood. We were informed about section A being very muddy, section B full of water, section C extremely slippery, and I never got an answer about which section would be dry!
A short night’s sleep later – kept awake by freight trains rattling past my motel at full speed – I got up at 4 am and discovered a clear sky full of stars! :-)

5:30 am start and the first 20 km were most enjoyable - chatting to fellow runners, enjoying great scenery and after some failing attempts to keep my shoes dry, even the water and mud pools did not bother me any longer.

I kept strictly to my running plan, and I arrived at my first planned stop (CP5/30 km) in just over 3 hours. The mud was manageable and the hills so far fine.
A drink, a couple of boiled potatoes and some fruits later, off I was towards the Goat Track section. On the way, I met a fellow runner, who ran for 4 km the wrong way! Does not sound much, but if you plan to finish 100 km, every extra meter could be too much. At km 35, I had a second stop to re-stock with extra drinks, gels and a change of shirt. 'Freshly dressed', I attacked the famous Powerlines Section, where I encountered some motor trail bikers along the way and then made my first close contact with the mud-sliding and slipping my way up and down the trail along the powerlines. Arriving at CP8/45 km, I looked more like someone coming off the Kokoda Trail during full rain season, but prepared as I was, I quickly changed into another new shirt, a fresh pair of socks and after two 10-km-loops in the forest, with a fresh pair of shoes on my feet, I was well ready for the second half of my race.

I found some hidden strengh and ran a very comfortable 5'/km- pace back towards CP6/80 km for some more food and new socks. Now it was off into a hard up-and-down section around Mt Beerwah before it got dark. I was glad to have a buddy along with me to chat, which helped us both to make that section feel a bit shorter. We both just managed to run into CP5/91 km before it got dark. A couple of nice, sweet cups of tea later, I put my headlight on and got up to finish the last 10 km of my race in the dark. A new feeling – tired and looking forward to that hot shower – I started dreaming along, and was glad some fellow runner caught up with me just in time to stop me running the wrong way at an intersection.

Up the last hill, across some more waterpools, and well-wishing all the 100-miles-runners, I crossed the last 4 km. I sprinted to the finish, trying to get there under 14 hrs. Well, almost.............. 14 hrs and 08 min later, at 8:38 pm, I was back at the beginning!

A famous saying of Emile Zatopek, the greatest runner, goes: "If you want to win, you sprint 100 m. If you want to experience life, you run a marathon." Well, let's say, it was another great life experience, and I may be back next year ;-)

Still Alive

Well, it has been a while... I am still running around 100 km/week, but what kept me busy was a move from Clovelly to Maroubra a couple of weeks ago. Love it down south... great running in the National Park and along the cliffs on the golf courses. It's good preparation for next weekend's 100 km Glasshouse Mountain race.

Also, last Thursday finally our movie premiere of Matt Damon's The Bourne Ultimatum - a BIG thank you to all, including the Hollows Family, for joining us and enjoying a great movie, in support of Run4Vision and The Fred Hollows Foundation.



The Hollows Family came to support us on the movie night.

More about that later, because the one more thing keeping me busy is my broken computer! So photos and detailed updates will follow very shortly. Firstly however, I am off to Brisbane for my first 100 km race on Saturday!

Just Running

After the high of the M7 marathon I had an easier week of 60 km. I really felt good after the race and the last two week were fun to run. I had a meeting with Sean Williams from SWEAT - http://www.sweatsydney.com.au/index.php and I am looking forward to joining his training and improve under his guidance.

This last week I slowly picked up on distance and time again and with tomorrows City 2 Surf and some additional rounds in Centennial Park I should reach close to a 100 km for the week. Only 4 weeks to go before the 100km Glasshouse Mountains Trail Race!

Got some great gadgets for that race and the Marathon des Sables - had to spend some heavy cash so. An essential tool for not getting lost: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=349&locale=en_US and a solar charger to recharge GPS and my i-nano. http://www.solio.com/v2/

Race gear such as a new super light but super warm sleeping bag http://www.buncup.com/commerce1/store/product_details.jsp?pid=104&cid=10&red=product_list.jsp?id=10, and some other
little stuff such as the anti-venom pump, bottle holder and head torch....

Once I have most of the gear together I will have a good idea about size and brand of the best backpack I need. A very important part of the gear which can make or break the marathon....and I want to travel light unlike some others at this years MdS..........

The 'Run 4 Vision Ultimatum'

For all the Matt Damon fans and movie buffs – here's a special treat and good reason to support Run 4 Vision and The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Join me for the premier of 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and a raffle on Thursday, 30th August at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick. Please check out http://www.run4vision.com/special.php to pre-order your tickets. There's prizes to win, so bring your friends and family and win.

See you at the movies!

Lazy Week - Great Finish!

Looks like my hard work is paying off – after the big last week, I recovered from a lingering cold the first 3 days and only ran 9 km on Thursday before resting for today's Marathon.

4 am wake-up call, and zooming out to Blacktown Olympic Park on my Scooter in freezing conditions!
Race started at 6.30 am in Prestons, and off we went for 42 km along the M7 on the cycle path back to Blacktown.
Had a great start with the first 10 km in under 50 min. Ran well wrapped up in a winter jacket as it was bloody freezing out West. But it helped ,and after I made an effort to slow down, eat and drink regularly, I was ready for a great finish – my last 5 km in 25 min sprinting into the Olympic Park Stadium in Blacktown.

Not my fastest race - 3.47hrs - but by far my best! Never did I hit the wall and I felt like 'flying' past all those other runners the last 10 km. No sore legs and feeling great :)

Now it is building up and clock some more kms every week to be well prepared for my longest race yet – the 100 km Glasshouse Mountains Trail Run in 6 weeks time. http://www.glasshousetrails.com/

"If you want to win something ....

... run the 100 meters. If you want to experience another life, run a marathon."
(Emil Zátopek)

I am slowly getting there - last week I went the first time over 100 km. Two great, long runs on the weekend. Clovelly to Hurstville Grove on Sunday, got lost at the end in all those hills but did a good 4 hrs and 40+km.
Must have caught a little cold during the run, and I rested the last two days. Will take it a bit easy this week and then on Sunday we see how I go on the M7 Marathon.

Signed up for another big one: the Great North Walk 100 miles in November!
http://terrigaltrotters.com.au/GNW100s_Home-Page.htm
Looks like some great preparation for the Marathon des Sables, I thought :-)

It was also time to fork out the first part of the registration fee for the Marathon des Sables ... at least the exchange rate to the US$ made it a little bit easier to part with the money.

Cool Running

Gee, last week was a bloody cold one! Glad I have the gym close by. Happy to run most of my KMs on the treadmill at Elix'r at the moment. However, I still managed two longer runs on the weekend along the coast. 85km all together.
Thanks to a running buddy who did the MdS in 2006 ('Virtual' from CoolRunning forum (www.coolrunning.com.au/forums), I was able to test my first backpack on a run. One of the more popular models used in the Marathon des Sables, but not for me. Even with the cool 10 degrees last Sunday, I could feel that I would be far too hot and restricted with this kind of backpack in the desert. Did not feel comfortable with a small bag in front (4 l) and a backpack on the back (19 l). So back to researching other models this week.

Morocco, here we come....

Our flights are booked and confirmed. From Sydney via Dubai to Casablanca! Going a week prior the race to get used to the place.
Went to the physio to get my knee checked - only bruises, so problem can be solved with ice and some patience.
Easier week running - 65 km all together. My running buddy Denis is back from Ireland, and those few extra Guiness over there made him a bit slower - so now I can keep up with him, easy-peasy ... we made the 2 long weekend runs without getting wet on Sunday, which was nice for a change. Next goal in 3 weeks - the M7 Marathon.
http://www.citiesmarathon.com.au/

10% done - 90% to go!

Had a mixed week. 100 km in all, good long runs on the weekend, even though I injured my knee playing indoor soccer on Wednesday. My advise: keep away from those kind-of-fun-tournaments! Too many wannabe Vidukas trying to impress. Going to see the physio this week to make sure it is not too serious. Proud to announce that 10% of my fundraising goal has been reached, and myself and The Fred Hollows Foundation are very grateful to all the generous donors. Thank you all!
Please keep Thursday, 30th August evening free and mark in your diary. Watch this space for more info soon!

Run, Forest, Run

Another cold and wet week. Last Sunday morning, I caught up with Becky, the only Aussie female runner signed up for the MdS 2008. She is training with SWEAT and got me out of bed at 7 am! We did a wet and cold 2 hrs run around Centennial Park. Have to say - once I got warmed up - it was not too bad.

However, during the week I enjoyed training in the gym again. I also did more work on fund raising - which seems a much harder project then the running itself. Thank God my buddy Josh is back from overseas, so hopefully with his help, we can increase the cash in the kitty a bit.

Finished off the week with 2 long runs - took up a supporters

advise to 'Run like Forest Gump' even in the rain. So Saturday, a dry 2 hrs and 22 km around Centennial Park and today a very wet and miserable 33 km in 3 hrs from Clovelly to Cronulla, where I caught up with Uli and her friends just starting their annual 'Cronulla Winter Swim'!

I am wondering what ' normal' people did this Sunday?

Respect

Just want to pay respect to the very cool runners attempting the Poor Men's Comrades today! 96 km in this weather - that's commitment!

I am glad this time I can say 'been there, done that' - The Comrades 2003 in South Africa in just under 10 hours and with sunshine.

Looking out the window - Clovelly Pool looks like a spa gone crazy and the rain is coming sideways. I am off to the nice and cosy gym for my run today.

Enjoy the weekend.

Anyone for a run outside?

Good to have a comfortable gym to get the K's in. However, looking outside, balcony underwater and rain coming sideways, I am not sure if I even make it to Bondi Junction on my scooter...
This week I was busy trying to drum up some more support...lots of moral and verbal but not much cash coming in at the moment. Big thank you to Lonely Planet and Elix'r Gym which supported my cause with donations for a raffle!
Also organised a fund raising event for the end of August. Make sure you mark Thursday, 30 August in your diary and watch this blog for more info. Running wise, I am on track and feeling good. Next big goal is the M7 Marathon end of July. Until then I try to get used to longer but slower runs 2 days in a row. Marathon des Sables 2008 is fully booked already, glad Josh and I made it in time.

I found some fellow runners for MdS 08 living in Sydney through the CoolRunning website ... so hopefully, when the weather gets better, I can catch up with some running buddies close by and prepare for Morocco.
Got the DVD from the 2006 MdS and it is scary ... a bit like at the moment outside – but instead of rain it is sand!!

Winter Running

Today, I started the 'winter season' with a fun race for the MS Foundation. The MS Foundation makes the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis easier and continues searching for a cure.
It was quite a chilly morning starting next to the Luna Park under the Sydney Harbour Bridge –
it took me just under 40 min for a hilly 8 km run.
With these cool mornings and early dark nights, I plan to spend the next couple of months more in the warm gym then running outside. After all, I am training for a run in the desert and not Antarctica ...
Last week I was able to transfer the first 500$ (almost) to the Fred Hollows Foundation - thank you very much to all who gave so generously. I am hoping to increase the amount for next month. Remember, the tax year ends this month and all donations are 100% tax-deductible!

More work to be done

Tonight, I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Dr Sanduk Ruit from the Tilganga Eye Centre in Nepal. Dr Ruit is continuing the dream and work of Fred Hollows and it was inspiring to see how far the Foundation and the Tilganga Eye Centre came in the last 20 years. Over a million patients have been attended and over 73,000 eye sights restored – thanks to donations from all over the world. There is much more to do, as every 5 second someone in the world goes blind although 75% of blindness is avoidable! Think about this next time you watch a great movie with friends or enjoy a beautiful sunset with your family.
www.Run4Vision.com is helping to make a difference the world can see.

Slow but steady

We enjoyed an nice day for our 45 km race between Lorne and Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road. 2 hrs of great fun and 2 1/2 hrs of pain, guess I must get older and slower - 4hrs 36min finishing time. One thing I learned: it is almost as hard to race slow than to race fast! If I want to be able to run 30+ km a few days in a row I need to manage my speed better. I had started too fast (sub 5 min/km for the first 10km). I'm happy with the outcome though, tested various energy bars, gels and drinks along the way as well. Congratulations to my buddy Denis, who finished in excellent 3hrs 48min. He prepared the race with Swiss precision by putting out 7 drink bottles along the way, and he managed to miss 5 of them (that's the Irish approach, I guess.) Just as well, I was happy to enjoy his drinks on my way to Apollo Bay!

Ready for the Great Ocean Road

Two more days to go. After about 1500 km and 200 hours of training since January 2007, I am quite keen and I'm looking forward to running the beautiful stretch of road between Lorne and Apollo Bay along the Great Ocean Road. Last year, I ran in ideal conditions (ideal for Vicoria that is; we enjoyed sunshine, ice cold winds, rain and overcast skies), and it took me 4'21hrs to run the 45 km. Let's see how it will go now that I am a year older ... www.greatoceanroadmarathon.com.au

A Fred Hollows Team for MdS 2008

Great news: Josh, my old running buddy from Brisbane, has decided to join me in my adventure. We had a great time together training for and racing the Comrades in 2003 in South Africa. With his help, we will now be able to not only raise more funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation but also run as a team in Morocco next year - The Fred Hollows Team!

Visit to the Rotary Club of Balmain

I'd like to thank the Rotary Club of Balmain for the opportunity to present my project at tonight's meeting. After a very entertaining speech by Michael Cleary AO, the president of the Rotary Club introduced me to attending members and friends. Even though I was no match to Michael's sporting achievements, I believe I nevertheless was able to raise some interest when I explained the objective of the Run 4 Vision fundraising project for The Fred Hollows Foundation. My planned 3000 km of training runs and the 7-day race in the Sahara desert next year prompted some curious questions. It was a great evening and I met some interesting new people who will hopefully become new Run 4 Vision supporters. My thanks also go to Andrea, a work colleague, who made this meeting with the Rotary Club of Balmain possible.

Mothers Day Classic - Fight Breast Cancer

Today, I used the Mothers Day Classics to get my last sprint training in before my ultra marathon next Sunday in Victoria (www.greatoceanroadmarathon.com.au)

A nice, sunny Sunday morning in the Domain offered a great run with beautiful vista of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

With all my long runs lately, I was not used to a sprint race anymore and finished the 8 km in 38 minutes. I used this race to wear my run4vision.com t-shirt for the first time, and Uli was out there taking plenty of photos.

Planning a Pilgrimage of Pain to the Sahara

In today’s age, it is not uncommon to be asked to sign a waiver acknowledging a long list of risks involved before indulging in everything from drinking a hot cup of coffee to bungee jumping or SCUBA diving … Rarely do we read these waivers in detail, but once in a while one pops up that gives us a pause.

Any event that requires a compulsory snakebite kit, flares and survival blanket but also an insurance for funeral expenses means that you are up to something serious – which I am since I signed up for the Marathon des Sables in March 2008!

Considered as one of the first modern adventure races, the MdS was founded in 1985 by a Frenchman called Patrick Bauer and has become an annual event, covering roughly 230 km of some of the Sahara desert’s harshest terrain.

Over 7 days running 6 stages, I will have to carry all my food, gear and water, sleep in two-sided Berber tents with 7 other people and endure temperatures as high as 50 degrees during the day and as low as 5 degrees at night.

The mental preparation is as important as the physical training – heat, sand dunes, salt flats combined with serious sandstorms create ‘The Toughest Foot Race on Earth’.

Something else to focus on while getting ready for Morocco, are the 3,500 AU$ entry fee which do not include neither equipment or airfare nor all the costs involved in months of training and racing.

I can think of more comfortable ways to spend money and time, but just like most of the 700 other runners who make this pilgrimage of pain to the Sahara, I decided to dedicate my time, training and race to a good cause.

My goal is to get to the finish line of the Marathon des Sables 2008 but more importantly to have saved as many people’s eyesight as possible by raising money for The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Did you know that every 5 seconds an adult person goes blind, and every minute a child goes blind – but 75% of the world’s blindness is preventable!

If you believe that my effort is a worthwhile one, and you like to be part of helping me to reach my goal then please visit www.run4vision.com for more information and help me to help others.

Thank you and happy running!