Crucial times

These are crucial times in the current campaign. I really feel that what happens in the next 4 to 6 weeks will have a significant bearing on the run across Australia. First and foremost, getting myself physically prepared to run 41 miles per day is the main priority. Surprisingly enough, I haven't done a great deal of running recently. The main focus has been on burning calories and fat in the gym. I've lost 6% body fat so far this year and have gained a lot of strength in the process. There is still a long way to go but there has been some good work done so far in 2013. 

I aim to start running in ernest in April and will slowly but surely condition my body to run the required 41 miles per day. This is the more the kind of training that I'm used to. I slogged out many miles in the build up to the run across the USA. The difference this time must be a sensible and sustainable diet around that kind of mileage. My weight ballooned to 18.5 stone before I ran across the USA. If that happens again then I will stand no chance of being able to run the required 2600 miles in 70 days. Under the guidance of David Fairlamb I have learned to follow the Paleo way of eating recently. It's a pre-agriculture diet. Some call it the Cave Man Diet. It's basically a lot of lean meat and leafy green vegetables. The general rule of thumb seems to be if you can kill it or it grows naturally above ground then you can eat it. It's served me well so far but the real challenge will be eating like that when I step up the miles later this year. 

It should take me to mid June to be able to run 40+ miles in training and the 3 months after that will be the usual "no rest and no recovery" type of training that helped me to run John O'Groats to Lands End in 2007 and across the USA in 2011.  

As I said at the top of this post, the next 4 to 6 weeks are very crucially important. I must go into the running phase of my training in the best shape possible and with an established routine of eating.

Aside from training there is the small matter of getting the remaining sponsors and overall headline sponsor on board. I've got 5 potential suitors in the pipeline. That's all well and good, the real challenge is getting 2 or more of them "over the line". 

Currently, there are enough funds to pay for flights, insurance, fuel, accommodation at the start and finish and food. There are no funds for the all important RV that will house the support team and I for 70 days. For that reason, I'm currently devising a "Plan B" that will see us use tents instead. The Support Team crew haven't signed up on that basis so there is a risk that some of them may have second thoughts. I would't blame them either given the prospect of camping in the middle of nowhere night after night. Time is ticking and it's so important that I get those final sponsors signed up. As I said earlier, these are crucial times!

If you would like to become a sponsor of the run across Australia then please read the prospectus below.

Fundraising Milestone

I'm pleased to report that the first major fundraising milestone has been passed for the Australia 2013 campaign. Thanks to the sale of Run Geordie Run t-shirts the £10,000 barrier has been broken. The grand total for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation stands at £10,009.67.

It's still very early days but that's a great start to fundraising and the chances of reaching the £50,000 target became just that bit more realistic.

Thank you to everybody who has made a donation or bought a t-shirt. Your money has gone to 2 very worthy causes and will be put to very good use.

Speaking of t-shirts, the new Run Geordie Run t-shirt in technical fabric is now completely sold out. There are no plans to have any more made. Unless, of course, a generous business out there would like to pay for some more to be made. There is still a handful of cotton ones though so all is not lost if you would like to buy one.

The t-shirts were only printed last Friday. I personally thought that the technical ones would sell out by the end of February. To be sold out within 6 days is testament to the amazing generosity of so many people. There is the small matter of the clever design by Dave Shenton and the generosity of Benfield Motor Group who paid for their production.

The remaining sizes for cotton t-shirts are medium and large. The cotton t-shirt is £10 with the full £10 going to charity.

Please use the form below to order your t-shirts. As a guide, sizes as follows:

Cotton: Chest (to fit): M-38/40 L-42/44

ALL T-SHIRTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Run Geordie Run t-shirts close to selling out

Since the new Run Geordie Run t-shirts went on sale 2 weeks ago, over 160 have now sold in aid of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation.

There aren't many left, so if you would like one then please get your order placed (using the form below) as soon as possible. I expect the technical t-shirts to be sold out this week, closely followed by the cotton t-shirts next week.

The secret of the success of the sales, I think, is down to the particular design (pictured below) created by Dave Shenton.. Thanks again must go to Benfield Motor Group who paid for their production. It is because of Dave and Benfield's generosity that the entire amount paid for each t-shirt goes to charity. Brilliant!

At the time of writing, T-shirt sales have helped the charity fund for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation burst through the £9000 barrier and the fund currently stands at £9,905.67. The fund is so close to the first major milestone of £10,000!!!

Unlike previous years there are 2 versions of this t-shirt; a traditional cotton one and a "technical" one for use while out running and in the gym etc. The remaining sizes for cotton t-shirts are small, medium and large. The only sizes left in the technical version and medium and large.  The cotton t-shirt is £10 with the technical t-shirt priced at £12.

Please use the form below to order your t-shirts. As a guide, sizes as follows:

Technical: Chest (to fit): M-40 L-44 
Cotton: Chest (to fit): S-34/36 M-38/40 L-42/44

ALL T-SHIRTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Sponsorship prospectus

As you can see from the header of this website, I have some tremendous sponsors helping to make the run across Australia a success for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation. There is still the need for 1 or 2 more of the right kind of companies to back the run across Australia and share in it's success through sponsorship.

Please click EXPAND on the document below to view the Australia 2013 sponsorship prospectus.

Run Geordie Run t-shirts selling very well

Since the new Run Geordie Run t-shirts went on sale 2 weeks ago, over 100 have now sold in aid of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation. Last weekend was spent packing them up and I visited the Post Office this morning to get them sent off. 

It took 30 minutes to process all the packages. I tried not to look over my shoulder too much at the ever increasing queue of people behind me. I'm sure they wouldn't have minded if  they knew that it was all for a good cause.

There are t-shirts being sent all over the world with Australia leading the way on overseas orders. The USA is close behind in second place.

I think this particular design by Dave Shenton (pictured below) has really helped them sell well. Thanks again must go to Benfield Motor Group who paid for their production. It is because of Dave and Benfield's generosity that the entire amount paid for each t-shirt goes to charity. Brilliant!

T-shirt sales have helped the charity fund for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation burst through the £9000 barrier and the fund currently stands at £9,534.67. With a bit of continued generosity it shouldn't be too long before the £10,000 mark is reached.

Unlike previous years there are 2 versions of this t-shirt; a traditional cotton one and a "technical" one for use while out running and in the gym etc. The cotton t-shirts are available in sizes small, medium and large. The only sizes left in the technical version and medium and large.  The cotton t-shirt is £10 with the technical t-shirt priced at £12.

Please use the form below to order your t-shirts. As a guide, sizes as follows:

Technical: Chest (to fit): M-40 L-44 
Cotton: Chest (to fit): S-34/36 M-38/40 L-42/44

ALL T-SHIRTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Team Run Geordie Run 2013

It hardly seems any time at all since Team Run Geordie Run raised £2,949.59 for The Children's Foundation by doing the Great North Run in 2012. Pictured below are some of the team wearing those snazzy Run Geordie Run vests which were provided by my sponsor Benfield Motors. 

If you already have a place for this year's Great North Run on 15th September and have not yet selected a charity to raise funds for then why not consider joining Team Run Geordie Run and raise funds for The Children's Foundation? The minimum amount to raise is £100 and for that you will not only get a snazzy vest but also access to The Children's Foundation hospitality tent at the end of the run. There will be plenty of goodies to eat and drink there and, perhaps more importantly, access to an expert physio. Please get in touch at sponsorship@rungeordierun.com if you would like to join Team Run Geordie Run in raising funds for The Children's Foundation.

If you don't have a place then you can still run for Team Run Geordie Run but you will need to raise a minimum of £200 for The Children's Foundation and pay the usual entry fee. Please contact jonathan.clegg@nuth.nhs.uk for further info quoting "Team Run Geordie Run 2013".

At the time of writing the team is already building nicely. It's going to take a lot of effort to beat last year's fundraising total but together I'm sure that, by running the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields, we can make a huge difference to the lives of children in the North East. 

Running across Australia - The Personal Trainer's Opinion

Run Geordie Run t-shirt available to order

A new Run Geordie Run t-shirt is now available to order for delivery starting in February. This latest snazzy design, created by my good friends at Shenton Creative, is of course Australia themed and features details of this year's 2600 mile run from Perth to Sydney.

Due to the kind generosity of Benfield Motors paying for their production, all proceeds from the sale of these t-shirts will go to The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children's Foundation. As was the case with previous t-shirt sales nobody, other than the 2 charities, is making a penny from the sale of these t-shirts. Even local printing firm, Custom Planet, are doing the job at cost price.

The new t-shirt design is shown below and it should be noted that the larger image is the back of the t-shirt.

Unlike previous years there are 2 versions of this t-shirt; a traditional cotton one and a "technical" one for use while out running and in the gym etc. They are available in sizes small, medium, large and extra large. The cotton t-shirt is £10 with the technical t-shirt priced at £12.

ALL T-SHIRTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.

Tune in to the latest Australia 2013 news

If you'd like to hear the latest developments on the run across Australia then you can tune in to the following radio stations both here in the UK and also in Australia:

Friday 4th January - ABC 720 Perth - 22:50 GMT (06:50 Australian Western Standard Time)
Friday 11th January - Real Radio - 07:30 GMT

Ironically, I'll be talking to ex Tyne Tees presenter, Andrew Friend, on the Breakfast show in Perth and then my old allies, Gary and Lisa, on Real Radio next week.

Running across Australia…….THIS YEAR!!!!

While much of the world was celebrating, I spent the majority of New Year's Eve finalising the Australia 2013 Support Team Rota and the plan for getting everyone safely to and from their respective parts of the route. It was an exercise that took a little over 3 hours to complete and the dates and arrangements were soon communicated to the team. The groundwork has taken over 12 months to complete and this final task proved to be relatively straightforward.

Now that I've informed the team of their respective start and end dates, hotels and flights can be thought about and booked. Also, I know that some of the team were keen to carry out their own research and become familiar with their part of the route.

As I did with the 2011 route across the USA, the route across Australia will be checked for accuracy on further occasions in the coming months. With a lot of luck and effort, the significant dates in Australia run will be as follows:

12th October - Send off party in Perth.
16th October - The start of the run across Australia
27th October - Rest day 1 in Norseman. 451 miles in 11 days.
6th November - Rest day 2 in Mundrabilla. 820 miles in 21 days. 

15th November - Rest day 3 in Ceduna. 1148 miles in 30 days.
18th November - Half way point east of Cungena. 1271 miles in 33 days.
23rd November - Rest day 4 in Port Augusta. 1435 miles in 38 days.
29th/30th November - Rest day 5/6 in Adelaide. 1642 miles in 44 days.
29th November - Celebration do for progress made to date in Adelaide. 
11th December - Rest Day 7 in Hay. 2052 miles in 56 days.
23rd December - Arrive at Sydney Olympic Park. 2486 miles in 69 days.
24th December - Run up and over Sydney Harbour Bridge.
24th December - Mass 10k run from Sydney Harbour Bridge to the finish line at Bondi Beach. 2506 miles in 70 days.
24th December - Tune in to Gary and Lisa on Real Radio at 0730 (GMT) on the Christmas Eve edition of their Breakfast Show.

It's been 13 months since the announcement of the run across Australia. I can at last say that "I will be running across Australia this year!". Only 288 days until the start on 16th October 2013!