240km and now I need your help.

240km in and my body has decided that I need to stop so I can have a go at this crazy thing again when I’m healed and more importantly – ready.

I can point the finger at a few things… from an ingrown toenail removal that had me sidelined in the month before I took off, to poor hydration handling in the first two days that left me with swollen and bruised ankles, and ultimately a weakened core that resulted in a miss-step and a strained ITB. All part of the learning experience that I hope to take away and improve on.

Humbled is a term that’s thrown around too easily these days.. but I sincerely mean it that this experience has left me humbled and in awe of athletes the likes of Andrew Hedgeman and Joe Ward who were able to complete the 1000km run from Brisbane to Sydney.

Though the run is over for me for now it doesn’t have to end here. Bees don’t need just my help – they need the help of a community. A childhood friend said the run has prompted him to start running again and suggested he’d like to donate his kms in July towards the 1000km total. Another friend chimed in to offer her quota for the month also.

My family loves this idea and as an incentive we are going to offer 10 free Bee Run shirts to the first 10 runners that complete 100km in July. We are also offering anyone else that would like a t-shirt the ability to order one for $20 (cost price). We will print your name on the back along with everyone else that donates towards a shirt as well as the first ten 100k-ers. In addition we would love for you to share our facebook page and continue to make good bee conscious choices both in the supermarket (by sourcing local raw honey) and in your garden by avoiding bee harmful chemicals, planting a good variety of plants and leaving some clean water out for bees to drink from. Every little bit helps!

To get your hands on a bee run shirt and make this a true community effort, there will be a link available by Monday night from the menu above to fill in your details and place an order.

To log your kms for July comment on our page with a link to your run tracking app profile or just write and tell us whenever you’ve run and how far and we’ll keep a tally on our website to see if we can collectively get to 1000kms for the month!

Lastly, a very big thank you to my parents, wife and kids for supporting me throughout my run. Your constant commitment and unwavering, objective, support has been truly felt and for this I am grateful. Thank you also to Fisiocrem Australia for your support and hard work in the PR department. To Simon Mulvaney of Save the Bees Australia for your passion for our Aussie bees and local beekeepers. To Sally Beggs of Steigensport for your donation of socks towards my effort – 240km and still blister-free! And to The Run Inn for your help with shoes and apparel – including my recovery skins which kept my legs warm and happy (from just above the ankles).

Personally – I’m not a fan of giving up and once I set my mind on something I will try it more than once until it is complete. I tried to push through injury and pain but time limits and my body have stopped me this time. I plan to come back and try this again with a more educated approach in the not too distant future.