Well, things are really starting to move now.
Last weekend I met up with the crew from one of the support vehicles to work out timing and a possible route. Although the route is still up in the air, we do have a date....30 June 2012. Mark it in your diaries because from that day you will be able to follow our progress online. With the Spot Connect device we will be carrying, you will be able to see exactly where we are as well as receive short notes from us (40 words per message). I don't expect anyone will sit there and watch us drag ourselves across the Western side of the desert at 3km/h, just checking in every couple of days should hopefully maintain your interest.
Speaking of the route, we have decided that we are not going to trek too far from vehicle tracks. We were originally going to go through the middle of the desert but from a safety perspective (I have a wife and 2 young boys) we need to be a bit sensible. It will still be extremely hard yakka, no less than the original idea but we won't have a 100km trek to the nearest vehicle if something goes wrong, just 10 or so! There is another reason for the change of plan too. We are intending to film as much of the journey as possible and may even have a film crew in tow if the stars line up for us. There is no guarantee for the film crew but it would be out of the question if we went further north! There is one more reason too. Although we fully intend to go completely unsupported, we will have a water supply ready to be dropped in front of us if we need it. We will aim to carry 6 litres of water for each day (total starting weight for water on a 20 day trek, 120kg) and hope that it will be enough, but if not, we have no intention of dying out there! I should take possession of a the vehicle map for the area today or tomorrow and will plan the route from there. I hope to have the details finalised in the next couple of weeks.
I have ramped up my training a bit and I am now filling the already heavy tyre with sand and using the walkways on the dunes at Newport as mini desert dunes. I know they are not quite as big as what we are going to be faced with, but with the tyre full of sand I am already walking up one constant sand dune! It really is hard going but in training, the harder the better! I have to admit, having been off the drink for nearly 4 weeks and doing all this training, I already feel sooooooo much fitter. Just walking around and doing daily life, I feel quite cleansed. My mind is sharper and my motivation for the trek and indeed work, is spiking. Like I suggested in my last blog, if anyone wants to join me for a dry first half of 2012, your body will thank you for it. Mine already is!
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Saturday 14 January 2012
Reset 2012!/ No Beer Till Birdsville
Happy New Year!
You will notice the double heading for todays blog! That is because I was planning the 'No Beer Till Birdsville' blog since I wrote my last blog in December. However, since then, things have gone a little belly up and that's why I am going to tell you why I want to 'Reset 2012!'.
So far this year I have had my eldest son (3) to hospital twice and the doctor/xray place as well. No broken bones, just a nice lung infection that turned to early stage pneumonia. He is all good now but he was a sick little boy for a while there. Before that, my wife got sick and was bed ridden for 2 days with some weird flu virus. Then it was my turn, 5 days of feeling like the proverbial and I'm still dealing with dodgy lungs. Finally, my youngest (4 months) copped it and is still suffering today and my wife is also back to being ill. So since New Years (and in fact from a few days before), we have had constant sickness in our house and I have to say, I'm a little bit over it.
To top all that off, I threw my back out coughing (believe it or not) and my dear old Grandfather passed away last Wednesday.
So, you can see now why I want to press the 2012 reset button.
How does this all relate to my trek? Well, the short answer, no training for the last 2 weeks. That's right, the last training I did was the 2nd of January. Not good when I'm due to walk 400+km in 6 months time. I can hear the words of a mate of mine who is a bit of an outback adventurer/ultra-marathon man, who gave me some advice a month ago. 'Mate, you cannot have time off over Christmas, get into it and you might be fit enough in time!'. Awesome!
Anyway, not to let adversity get in the way, BACK TO TRAINING IN THE MORNING! And I cannot wait. I reckon I will struggle a bit and cough up at least half of one lung, but I'm psyched.
I am picking up some ski poles from my old Surfboat mentor this afternoon. I was looking at buying some proper walking poles, but with sand having a similar consistency to snow, I can't justify the expense (not for training anyway).
I also started using my 'non deer carcass dragging' harness on Jan 2 and it works a treat. I definitely move faster than with the 'lady belt' but it incorporates more upper body muscles, so it will take some getting used to. Well worth the $35 it cost me!
PART II - No Beer Till Birdsville
OK, pretty obvious what this is about. I have sworn off all forms of alcohol until I reach Birdsville, probably in July. I am 15 days in and I haven't missed it at all strangely enough!
There is a famous pub in Birdsville called the....wait for it...Birdsville Pub, seen here in all it's glory. Oh what a sweet beer that will be. Let's just hope that I time the arrival with opening hours! I figure that in my state of no shower for 3 weeks prior, I might have to sit on the road to enjoy it!
You will notice the double heading for todays blog! That is because I was planning the 'No Beer Till Birdsville' blog since I wrote my last blog in December. However, since then, things have gone a little belly up and that's why I am going to tell you why I want to 'Reset 2012!'.
So far this year I have had my eldest son (3) to hospital twice and the doctor/xray place as well. No broken bones, just a nice lung infection that turned to early stage pneumonia. He is all good now but he was a sick little boy for a while there. Before that, my wife got sick and was bed ridden for 2 days with some weird flu virus. Then it was my turn, 5 days of feeling like the proverbial and I'm still dealing with dodgy lungs. Finally, my youngest (4 months) copped it and is still suffering today and my wife is also back to being ill. So since New Years (and in fact from a few days before), we have had constant sickness in our house and I have to say, I'm a little bit over it.
To top all that off, I threw my back out coughing (believe it or not) and my dear old Grandfather passed away last Wednesday.
So, you can see now why I want to press the 2012 reset button.
How does this all relate to my trek? Well, the short answer, no training for the last 2 weeks. That's right, the last training I did was the 2nd of January. Not good when I'm due to walk 400+km in 6 months time. I can hear the words of a mate of mine who is a bit of an outback adventurer/ultra-marathon man, who gave me some advice a month ago. 'Mate, you cannot have time off over Christmas, get into it and you might be fit enough in time!'. Awesome!
Anyway, not to let adversity get in the way, BACK TO TRAINING IN THE MORNING! And I cannot wait. I reckon I will struggle a bit and cough up at least half of one lung, but I'm psyched.
I am picking up some ski poles from my old Surfboat mentor this afternoon. I was looking at buying some proper walking poles, but with sand having a similar consistency to snow, I can't justify the expense (not for training anyway).
I also started using my 'non deer carcass dragging' harness on Jan 2 and it works a treat. I definitely move faster than with the 'lady belt' but it incorporates more upper body muscles, so it will take some getting used to. Well worth the $35 it cost me!
PART II - No Beer Till Birdsville
OK, pretty obvious what this is about. I have sworn off all forms of alcohol until I reach Birdsville, probably in July. I am 15 days in and I haven't missed it at all strangely enough!
There is a famous pub in Birdsville called the....wait for it...Birdsville Pub, seen here in all it's glory. Oh what a sweet beer that will be. Let's just hope that I time the arrival with opening hours! I figure that in my state of no shower for 3 weeks prior, I might have to sit on the road to enjoy it!
So, if there is anyone out there who feels like joining me for a 'tee-totaling' 6 months, I'm sure your body will love you for it and I could do with the support!
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