This year has been CRAZY busy!

Wow. Where to start? I can't believe we're into May already!

Sharing Crossing the Ditch with corporate audiences all round the place continues to be so much fun. We started the year off with 5 standing ovations from our audiences and each week look forward to sharing our journey with another great bunch of people. Last week we were down in Hobart talking to 450 delegates at the Australian Tourism Export Council where PM Rudd happened to show up the day before we spoke. We ended up spending the weekend down there climbing and trail running which was just fabulous!

This year, amongst constant bushwalking, canyoning and the odd climb, we've been working hard on making our next expedition happen. It's been over 2yrs since we arrived in NZ by kayak and although we've been constantly dreaming of future trips- to be honest, I don't think our minds and body have been ready- until now! Stay tuned for more details. Over the past 24mths we've done risk mgt work on 3 potential expeditions and due factors that arose during the crucial information gathering phase, we've had to evolve and develop our plans. For both of us this has been pretty frustrating, but when we commit ourselves to a BIG expedition we want to do it right.

TNF100 is only 2 weeks away and our bodies have held up surprisingly well with the miles we've been doing. We're now into our taper (less miles more rest) and are looking forward to a smashingly good event. I was asked last week what time I'm aiming for in the 100km event? To be honest, so long as I cross the line before Jonesy I don't care! Who ever said I was competitive? Ha Ha! (I'm going to way down your pack Cas...Enjoy it - Ed. Jonesy).

Congrats Quincy!

A couple of days ago Sean Quincy successfully completed his row across the Tasman Sea which took 54 days! After a campaign marred by setbacks, Shaun can claim to be the first man to row solo from Aussie to NZ after his father, Colin, completed the same feat in the opposite direction some 35 years ago! The final hurdle, the landing, was the most dangerous of the whole trip as 3m+ swells slammed into 90 mile beach forcing Shaun to ditch his boat in the surf break and swim the rest of the way in whilst TT2 surfed and rolled its way to shore!

 Congrats mate, we know what it feels like to be out there.

100km Ultra-marathon

Justin and I have been training hard for The North Face 100km ultra-marathon which is on mid-May. Gotta say, with all the talks we've been doing this year, we've got a fair bit of work to do to get ready for it- should be a great event! With over 4,500m of vertical gain, Ultra-marathon man Dean Karnazes described it as the toughest 100km race he's ever done!

We're proud to be running it under team Outer Edge (http://www.outer-edge.com.au/). They're a great bunch of guys and produce a bloody awesome outdoor mag!

We're thinking of taking bets to see who's going to win between Jonesy and I...watch this space!

Check out the website here!!

Cradle Mt Run...check!!

Jonesy at the finish, can in hand and chewing the golden granite from the quarry mines of Bangalore!

What a glorious day!! I had an absolute blast running on Saturday down in Tassie (a pity my ankles don't agree with me though)!

I ended up doing the run in 12hrs and 38mins which put me in 30th of a field of 61 - which was pretty good considering that sub 13 was my goal. Hindsight is a helluva thing...If I'd been a bit less conservative I could easily have shaved an hour off my time. Heaven forbid if I actually trained properly for it as 3 weeks training, one sprained ankle (canyoning on Australia Day) and a weeks recovery/taper probably wasn't the best lead up, but I've always believed: if you think you can...you can!

At the start of the race I started off really happy with how 'easy' I was finding the running...little did I know that the twisted roots and harsh sharp rocks of the Overland Track were going to make me regret my arrogance! About 15km in I re-sprained my ankle and that combined with a few unscheduled toilet breaks (ok, ok I had the runs whilst running - not pretty) had me seriously doubting whether I'd be able to complete the full distance. As a result, for the middle 30km, the foot, well and truly, came off the gas. Perhaps a tad premature.

In the final 30km leg I pushed the throttle back down and found myself at the finish with plenty of juice left in the tank. I think I could have run another 30km! In one of the final splits I posted the 8th fastest time...not bad considering the elite runners in the field.

Overall though, my favorite part of the day was when I crossed the finish line...(wait for it), pulled out a beer I'd carried the entire way and sculled it; much to the shock and amusement of the race finish officials!! They definitely weren't expecting that...who’d be silly enough to purposely weigh down their pack on an 82km run!

The Overland track is truly one of the most mind-blowing tracks in Australia and provided all the runners with some stupidly stunning sights that helped to numb the pain of bruised blistered feet, twisted ankles and mind numbing fatigue. That was...only when we took the time to look up from the track that we were running! On this kind of track if you take your eyes off the track you can find your face in the mud in no time flat! I can't wait till I get the opportunity to go back there and walk it, enjoying the sights. 

Thanks to all you lovely folk that donated to the 40K Home Foundation that I was running in support of! If there's anyone else out there, that was thinking that they "might" donate...you still have time. Click on the following link: DONATE HERE 

After this little jog I've decided this running stuff is pretty fun!! James and I are looking to head into The North Face 100 in May...bring on the competition!!

Cheers

Jonesy

 Jonesy is off to Cradle Mountain…for an 82km ultra-marathon

 I'll be running the Overland Track raising funds for the 40K Home Foundation "Golden Granite Challenge"

“Oh so Justin what are you doing this Saturday ?”
“Who me??…Well…I’ve decided to go run the Overland track in Tasmania…”

On Saturday 6th Feb, I’ll be lining up with 59 other competitors to take place in the annual Cradle mountain run. This run is a one day traverse of Tasmania's famous Cradle Mt to Lake St Clair Overland track. The hills are steep, the mud can suck your shoes off and roots and stones make the going slow for the less nimble footed. The run is all the more daunting as all competitors have to sign a waiver to absolve the organisers of any responsibility if you happen to die.

And to make things worse, James’ brother Clary had the audacity to ask me if I’d like to carry a rock along the entire way...happily I said “yes”!

Ok, ok I realize that this sounds like a really stupid idea…but it’s for a bloody good reason. The rock that I’ll be carrying comes all the way from a granite quarry in India and will one day become the most traveled rock in the world!

Still confused? Let me explain… Clary set up the 40K Home Foundation which is currently building a school for severely underprivileged kids coming from the granite quarries around Bangalore, in India’s south. The building kicked off in February last year, and is set to open in early October this year. These granite quarries are like something out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, with people using dangerous and labourious techniques to crack up stone 12hrs/day for a measly $1.80. It’ll certainly be on my mind when I’m lugging the bit of granite up Cradle Mountain on Saturday!

The 40k Home Foundation

40K runs joint venture projects within developing communities to alleviate extreme poverty. Their maiden project is the building of a bridging school to benefit the children of the exploited quarry workers based in the rural slums around Bangalore. Check out the pictures of the progress in India so far!! For more info check out: www.40khome.org.

The “Golden Granite Challenge” invites people from all walks of life to carry this rock on their challenges regardless of what it is, and raise funds for 40K - I’m honoured to be the first carrier of what I’m sure is going to be a lasting legacy (…or maybe it is just a rock) and raising some funds along the way. If you’re keen to carry the rock, get in touch with them at www.40khome.org

So on Saturday when you guys are tucking into a juicy steak, meat pie, whatever…spare a thought for poor old Jonesy who’ll be battling up a steep muddy hill (snowing, knowing his luck), wishing that he trained at least a little for this stupid run...

or if that just makes you chuckle maybe just think about the kids in India that you’ll be helping if you donate to my fundraising page.
 
I’m struggling so that you don’t have to… Thanks heaps for your support - wish me luck!

Jonesy