New challenge - 100 km for 100 blind people

This week I signed-up our team 'Run 4 Vision' for the Coastrek 2012.
A team of four (Kate, Denis, myself and a yet to be found fourth person) will run the 100 km from Palm Beach to Coogee Beach on the 2nd March 2012. In the lead-up we will raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation and help needlessly blind people see again. Today I went out with Denis on our first training run. My first since the Marathon with Ben last month. Felt a bit sluggish and after 20km and 2 hours in the pouring rain we called it a day. A good start of what is going to be a long 5 months of fundraising and training. Poor Kate is currently traveling in Europe and yet to realise what is going to hit hear when she comes back. Good news is that she has signed up for a 1/2 marathon in Switzerland end of this month, so she will be fit and ready for our training regime, when coming back in November. Support us here --> Thank you for your much needed support
Happy feet
Markus

Done! All for Fred

We only had 10 weeks all together but we, or better Ben, did it! He fullfilled his dream of finishing a Marathon in a brilliant time of 4.56hrs!

It was a hell of a day - hot, hot, hot and runners along the way dropped like flies as the heat radiating off the tarmac almost melted our shoes. Ben kept his head high, swearing his way through and plugged along all the way to the Opera House finish. The heat was overpowering and only constant cooling down with water and drinking regular got us there.

I can't repeat Ben's comments made on the last 3 km, but a constant reminder that we did this all for Fred and helping other people to see again kept him going almost in tears to the finish. He was able to walk the few meters to the 1st aid tent and then collapsed in need of cooling down.

Lots of ice all over him did the trick and 30 min later he was all smiles knowing that he proofed many people wrong - people who did not give him a chance to finish a marathon. Having to go through life without the advantage of seeing is a constant struggle, a struggle we only can imagine.

Training for a marathon and running the race is not an easy task for anybody but for Ben it was constant, constant struggle and fighting. He showed not only me but to all the people who saw him fighting his way to the finish, that if you dream, if you believe and if you keep going - great things can come through. Ben is my everyday hero today!
Happy Feet

Week 2

We certainly cracked some good km's the last two weeks, averaging above 60km now and Ben's form is improving with every session. The gym is helping and so is his cross 'training' of blind cricket and 'goal ball' - a ball game played at the next Paralympic games in London 2012 and Ben has this dream of making the Australian selection by next year.....
First things first....we have another 2 busy weeks of training ahead of us to make sure we get as ready as we can get for Sunday, 18th Sept.
Ben and I also decided to support The Fred Hollows Foundation with our run and started a fundraising website - please help us to raise needed fund for the needlessly blind people in the world
Happy feet
Markus

Week 1 - post City 2 Surf

I gave Ben a day to recover from his C2S run but Tuesday morning we were out there again doing our rounds in Centennial Park. We also got cards for the SFS gym which is very close from Ben's home, so he will be able to go on a bike or stepper during the day and build up his strength and endurance. This weekend we covered some sections of the Marathon Route and covered each day 18 km in 2 hours. I must have pushed Ben a bit too far today as he was completely exhausted at the end of it. But we both know that the hard work and suffering now will pay off in 4 weeks time and make the long 42 km a lot easier.
Next week will be a though one - training everyday with a big weekend ahead.
Happy Feet

City 2 Surf 2011 - done!

Well, first test passed with flying colors! I can not remember a C2S were it rained prior the start. Ben and I managed to get to the start and kept as dry as possible wearing some old clothes and a rubbish bag over it. After meeting up with the other Achilles members prior the start preparing our shirts with the appropriate signs we managed to get ourselves into a pretty good starting position about 200m ahead of the other 'green' runners. With the 2nd gun at 8.10am we were able to start running down Williams Street straight away as the 'red' group already has disappeared in the Edgecliff Tunnel and the thousands of 'green' runners were behind us only slowly overtaking us half way down William Street. This was perfect start for us. The other smart decision was to carry our own water bottles so we never had to stop at the drinking tables and kept running non-stop from the city to the beach. A big thanks to Rael, who re-filled Ben's bottles from times to times! So Ben and I managed to get to Bondi in a stellar 86min. An improvement for Ben from last years time of over 1 min per km! Great job! So now it is back to gym and training runs to get ready for the big one - Sydney Marathon! It is Ben's dream to finish the real thing and helping raising needed funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation. I am confident that with some extra efforts in the next couple of weeks we will finish at the Opera House on Sunday, 18th September. Happy Feet and Congratulations to all C2F finisher!

It has been a while

A few weeks of settling back in - finding a new job and a new home, I am now back in full swing running with Ben (my blind running partner) training hard for the Sydney Marathon. After last years 1/2 marathon and a successful 100km Oxfam Trail Walk, Ben is keen to go the full monty! For sure we both have some work to do, as both of us have been a bit slack the last 6 months and we have now just a bit over 6 weeks to get ready. We currently do our rounds in the Centennial Park on Tuesday and Thursday mornings between 7 and 8 plus have some longer runs on the weekend. Ben is also joining a gym so he can get on bike or treadmill and clock up some more miles. With the great weather we enjoy currently in Sydney we will of course spend as much time as possible outside along the beaches and coast.

First run back home

After 2 days and 1200km of drive from Brisbane I was ready to move my legs. It was not a big one - 7 odd km but was great to jog around the bay and enjoy the views, water, sunshine. Good to be back.
Just realised that only 80 days to go before the Sydney Marathon, so better get cracking. So, hopefully I find soon a home to live and then I can get set for regular training again. Plan is for Ben and me to start serious training next week to be as well prepared as possible to achieve Ben's dream to finish his first full marathon in September.
Happy feet