My Progress
I'm running 100km this May to leave MS behind
My Progress
70.00km
My Target
100km
Support my challenge to leave MS behind!
I’m taking part in The May 50K challenge this May to raise funds for life-changing research into multiple sclerosis!
MS strikes young people in the prime of their lives. The average age of diagnosis is only 30 years old, and there is no known cure.
Please make a donation and support my challenge to leave MS where it belongs, behind us.
Your donation will support research into the prevention, treatment and finding a cure for multiple sclerosis to change lives.
Thank you!
My Updates
Day 15: Take The Money And Run
Raised so far: $1758
Or in this case, donate the money while I do the painful, sweaty running bit. But for a much better cause than the Steve Miller Band sang about, I feel.
Ancient song references aside, today's run was one of those ones that felt like it would start off painful (I'm feeling the prior 65km, in essence) but was alright once I hit my stride. My street runs are always a little slower than I'd like, but that's the nature of the undulating path I have to take, with lots of uphill parts that really stress my endurance.
Still, I persevere, and I hope you'll join me on this journey by donating today. Can be a big sum, can be a small sum (and I'm informed that if you're an Australian taxpayer, donations over $2 are tax deductible, if that matters to you) -- but the critical thing here isn't so much me running and making myself into a sweaty mess on a daily basis, but instead raising funds for vital MS research.
Day 14: I hear the battle cry...
Raised so far: $1758
The sunrise this morning was quite glorious, so off onto the street track to run it was to be. Slightly slower time than expected, but that's primarily because my phone rang mid-run with an ABC Radio chat to line up -- and me apologising as I was running as I went!
The kilometres continue to accrue, and so too pleasingly do the donations. HUGE thanks to the wonderful Kate H and Pamela R for their generous donations -- you ladies ROCK.
Today's oddity: I had my music player set on single track looping because I had been practicing some Japanese vocab yesterday, and I forgot to switch that off. So when I selected my 'starting' run track (in this case Kenny Omega/Battle Cry), it became my constantly looping run track.
Thankfully, it's pretty easy to run to, if you need inspiration.
I'm going to keep on running, and hopefully wonderful people (like YOU!) will keep on donating. Let's do this thing!
Day 13: Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays...
Raised so far: $1633
Mondays when you're a freelancer are... complicated.
It's easier not to think about it all, and just hit the road early for a 5km run -- especially as I lucked upon a timeframe this morning where it actually wasn't raining, just uncomfortably damp and slippery for a road run.
Slightly slower than usual, but that's at least partially because if I ran my usual slightly better pace on some sections, I'd seriously risk slipping and breaking my neck.
Then I really wouldn't like Mondays much at all.
In the meantime, I'm painfully, achingly close to my fundraising goal... and that's where you come in. Please consider thumping that "Donate" button and giving while I keep pounding the pavements, weather be damned.
Day 12: Everybody's Working For The Weekend...
Raised so far: $1633
Normally I wouldn't plan to update on a Sunday, because I typically try to have that as my day of rest.
This weekend had other ideas. I had planned to do a Parkrun up in Armidale before graduation, but my forgetting to bring a second pair of shoes meant I worked out I'd have to run in the rain and mud in the same pair of sneakers I'd then have to graduate in an hour later and then drive all the way back to Sydney in straight afterwards.
Also, I now have more letters after my name than in it. Which feels weird.
As a result of not running on Saturday, in order to stay on track, I had to do a run today.
Not a great run time -- I find with afternoon running that my mind wanders and as a result my pace slackens -- but it all adds to the distance total.
Now all I need is for you to add to the donations total. See that big shiny donate button? Why not click it now?
Day 10: Woah, We’re Halfway There….
Raised so far: $1633
So today I honestly didn’t think I’d get to chalk up any distance at all… at least not running or walking, because I spent most of the day driving from Sydney to Armidale. Just down the road really, but it takes some time and you can never 100% predict how that journey will go.
However fate smiled on me, and I arrived with more than enough time to stop… and then get the urge to stretch my legs a little. A 5km walk into and out of town got the travel jitters out AND let me get to the halfway mark for my 100km journey - amazing!
Equally amazing: A donation yesterday from the fantastic David W - a true gentleman with a heart of gold.
Join David by donating some of your gold, while I try to work out whether it’s going to be possible for me to run 5km tomorrow… in graduation robes.
Day 9: Don't Stop Me Now
Raised so far: $1,527!
No run yesterday due to Tuesday finishing at 2am Wednesday, plus other complicating factors, so this morning I hit the road hard for a 10km run. Not a fast run -- like the 1st day, I did alternating 1km running then 1km walking until it was done -- but let me assure you, I can feel the impact of it in my legs right now!
What I'm also feeling is the impact of donations, with today adding some excellent funds to the donation pool. Big thanks to CampaignLab and Amanda Quin for their donations -- why not join them and donate today so that I can get ever closer to that $2,000 goal?
Most spectacular thing today: Somehow I'm in the top 100 of the pack of May50K runners.. out of a field of more than 11,000 people. Wow. That's... not expected, but hey, I feel my competitive urges kicking in. But I can only stay in that top 100 if people keep on donating -- and that means YOU. (Unless you've already donated, YOU ROCK (but can always donate again if you feel so inclined).
Most annoying thing: Sydney is really DAMP right now. A lot of today's running and walking was more like trudging and squelching.
Day 7: Running up that hill
Raised so far: $1,037
This morning's run was delayed slightly by an ABC Radio Shepparton chat about phone networks and privacy (hey, it's the day job, more or less), and a tad slower than my usual best, basically because I did it as a series of sprints and then recovery walks for alternating 1 minute, 90 second and 2 minute intervals. It breaks up the run in an interesting way, but it's not great for my overall times.
Speaking of sprints and walks, it feels like I'm definitely in the "walk" part of gathering up donations. I guess that falls within your typical bell curve of funding on a timeline, but I'd love to mess with the maths here and break that bell curve a little (or at least warp it somewhat). I'm pretty sure I know more than a few maths nerds out there who would find that aspect at least amusing -- and, added benefit, while I'm going to be fundraising all month long, if you donate TODAY, you can see those updates and pat yourself on the back knowing you've already done the right thing.
Now, back to running up that hill. But not buildings. I'm starting to suspect Kate Bush made that bit up.
Day 6: I'm Walking On Sunshine
Raised so far: $1,037
Well... OK, I'm jogging on sunshine. But it's sunshine I did NOT think I would have, because Sydney right now is being drenched with heavy rain. If I had run at my usual time, I would have had to do so as a boring-but-functional treadmill run. However, having a meeting take up much of the morning meant that my run was delayed though to lunchtime... when the heavens opened up and I had a brief moment of sunshine. So I hit the road for local street run, and 34:48 later, I had my 5km for the day in the bag. BAM!
Most spectacular thing today: You donating to my 100km run. Well... OK, that and the fact that I didn't have to do a treadmill run today. I'm sure I'll have to do more than a few of those before the 100km is up.
Most annoying thing: It's great to be running outdoors, but because it's been raining so much, the sudden sunlight meant that it was EXTREMELY humid as I ran. Some of my 5km might actually count as swimming.
May The Fourth (Day Of Running) Be With You
Raised so far: $1,037
Really, how could I NOT lead with that particular pun today? I would have to drum myself out of the proudly geeky corps if I hadn't done so!
Mind you, this morning, my legs hurt and I REALLY didn't want to get out of bed, especially with forecasts for serious drenching storms out there. But I did so anyway.
In keeping with the spirit of the day, I did my running today in a Mandalorian T-Shirt, and because it was Saturday, it was Parkrun day. Finished the course at Galston (look it up, it's HARD) in 31:14, just THREE SECONDS outside my personal best for the year. Oh well -- I guess it gives me something to aim for, doesn't it?
Speaking of aiming for things, huge thanks to Lanky Sanchez, Jason Murray (he's more than meets the eye, that lad) and "Anonymous" for their donations. I'm 100% fine with folks donating and not wanting to be seen, for what that's worth -- the money all goes to the same great cause if that's your style, all good.
Most spectacular thing today: The weather held out, which meant it was actually kind of cool and pleasant!
Most annoying thing: Parkrunners with dogs... not all of them, most folks are WONDERFUL... but the ones who do free roaming dog running across paths entirely. By all means run with your hound, but it's YOUR hound -- maybe control it a little bit so people aren't having to dodge leashes or (at least twice today) your actual dog?
Weighing up whether I'll run tomorrow or take tomorrow as a rest day -- my schedule does allow for some. Why not DONATE TODAY and let me know which route I should take?
Day Three: I'm only happy when it rains...
Raised so far: $952
Back when I decided to do this run, I figured that my goal of raising $500 was achievable... maybe.
But it's good to shoot for the moon, and I figured I'd get an early run of some sponsors, and then maybe a late run of them too, in a predictable funding curve. This seems to be the way things go.
Then yesterday... my target got utterly obliterated, nearly doubled in just two days of running.
To say I was gobsmacked would be an understatement.
But today is another day, so I've recalibrated my sponsorship goals to another shoot for the moon target.
$1000 is just within reach, so why not try for $2000?
Of course, that means that you -- yes, YOU -- need to sponsor me.
The donation button is right there, you know what to do...
Today's run was a treadmill run for weather related reasons -- I can run in the rain, but I prefer not to especially on mixed pavement and road surfaces where it becomes a tad risky. For work related reasons it's best I do my run earlier in the day, so treadmill it was.
Plus getting my run done early gives me more time to promote and chase down donations. Hey, have you donated yet?
(Subtle, Alex. Subtle. They didn't see that coming.)
Most spectacular thing today: That I'm already past my original funding goal, and (apparently) just outside the top 100 fundraisers of over 11,000 runners and walkers. In the wise words of Keanu Reeves: Woah.
Most annoying thing: I did a treadmill run (boring, but functional) because the weather radar insisted that I'd be drenched by rain before I finished my more enjoyable street run. So naturally... it didn't rain at all for the entire 34:04 seconds of my running time.
Day Two: Back on my regular trails
Distance to date: 15km
Raised so far: $368
Nevermind, I continue onwards tracking a 5km street run in 34:40, about the pace I'd expect. Actually a little better than expected, given that I'd done 10km yesterday plus a long plane flight and I was expecting my legs to be... less than accomodating.
Speaking of a little better, a huge shout out to Angus and Dan for sponsoring me, bringing the total up to $368 and 74 per cent of my initial goal. I may have to find some stretch goals to see if I can go nicely past that goal at this rate -- which is a very nice problem to have only two days in!
Why not join LEGENDS like Angus and Dan and sponsor me today?
Most spectacular thing today: The simple beauty of wet leaves on the trees as I went running past.
Most annoying thing: The 10km I ran yesterday seems to have vanished. Apparently there's a 24 hr delay on updating manually entered distances from the app, which is weird, especially as I've had troubles with that too. I don't want to dwell on it that much (developed for a charity, app development can be tricky) so I'm going to manually enter both again from the web site and see if that does the trick, because it looks odd to be fundraising and have the page register precisely zero km. If I end up over, I'll do the running needed to catch up and note that as and when it happens.
In the meantime, all going well -- but of course, you could make it go BETTER by donating today!
Starting my May 100K off with a BANG!
So I went hard, doing 10K rather than my usual 5K. To avoid hurting myself, it was alternate 1km walking, 1km running, back and forth across the waterfront in beautiful Cairns, QLD. Lovely part of the world and a quite spectacular view that was constantly changing as the sun came up to spur me on. Though doing the alternate style did mean my time wasn't particularly fast -- but then that wasn't the point.
Most spectacular thing today: Watching the sun come up.
Most annoying thing today: The May50K MS app has run tracking that creates pretty run maps... but as I discovered, if you hit "back" rather than "stop" on the UI by accident, it KILLS your running total... which was not what I needed 8km into the challenge! Luckily my watch was also tracking my progress.
What would be even more spectacular: Getting more donations in. I'm 44% of the way to my target, and I'd like to try to at least get there -- if not exceed it.
Why I'm Running 100km in May 2024 And How YOU can help!
3 Days To Go...
Gulp.
I can do this -- I feel sure I can -- and I'm thankful to those who have already supported me thus far, because I'd really, REALLY like to hit my full $500 goal (or more!). As would Nyssa, one of my cats. Here you can see her clearly cheering me on towards my goal. Or napping. Maybe both -- she's a very efficient cat. Will using cat pictures help my cause by bringing in more donations? There's only one way to find out...
Thank you to my Sponsors
$53
Kate Harper (dialogue Pr)
$72.08
Pamela Roberts
You will make it!
$106
David Wolf
$72.08
Amanda Quin
$209
Dollar Match Day
$209
Campaignlab
$21.20
Anonymous
$53
Jason Murray
$10.60
Richard Goodlad
Well done for a good cause! Rich (lankysanchez off of rllmuk)
$520
Paul Wayper
Great cause Alex, good work on the running!
$31.80
Allrite
$31.80
J Bird
Good running, Alex.
$31.80
Daniel Tyson
$116.60
Angus Kidman
$53
Jonathan
Kudos
$10
Adam Jeayes
Great cause! Inspiring me to run too, and that's not easy.
$72.08
Tom Roberts
Best of luck!
$31.80
Kate Hillard
Good On you Alex
$53
Alex Kidman
If I don't believe in sponsoring me, who will?
Good luck Alex!