It’s been a while!
Where did the last 3 months go? I’m still looking back and savouring the many great highlights of the 7in7 Challenge, and reliving many as we start to edit together many hours of footage to make the definitive film. Once completed this will be taken on a nationwide tour so I am looking forward to [...]
The Perfect End to a Perfect Week
It’s almost 3 days since I crossed the line at the Kepler Challenge having completed the last stage of my Mizone 7in7 Challenge in just a shade over 10 hours. I had thought that by now I would be able to order my thoughts on a momentous week, but it seems adrenalin and endorphins are [...]
I did it ….
360 km’s, 66 hours of running and it’s done. I cannot begin to describe how elated I feel. Thankyou all for your support – I’m off to celebrate now, but when it has all sunk in I will let you all in on the final day, but for now here’s a photo that sums up [...]
We're almost there… only one to go
It was a day of beautiful running and beautiful company, Rob, Alastair and I spent the night at the start of the Milford Track at the Glade Lodge and were woken with banana caramel porridge – which set us up for a 7am start. The weather was glorious as we headed up the McKinnon Pass [...]
5 down and two to go….
Can you believe it, I’ve knocked off day 5 – Seven and a half hours and The Routeburn is done and that leaves the Milford Track and the Kepler Challenge. I now feel I am so close to finishing the daunting task I set out to complete. Today was a cracker – The Routeburn is [...]
12 hours and 45 minutes
Well the crux of the whole “7 in 7″ is done – The Heaphy Track – the longest and possibly the hardest track of them all has been conquered. My support runner Jeff and I set off in the dark at 3.45 am this morning – much to the annoyance of our hut mates , [...]
Day three, some solid km's under my feet
Today was a day of highs and a few lows … the lack of sleep last night meant today was mentally tough, and the first couple of hours running in the pouring rain certainly didn’t help . The 51.9 km track of the Abel Tasman is deceiving – most think it is the easiest of [...]
Day Two – Batten Down the Hatches
A shocking weather forecast meant we hit the Tongariro Northern Circuit earlier than planned and all started out well. But tiredness makes you do some funny things and 20 minutes in we realised that we had started the circuit the wrong way round – no way were we going to back track! Unfortunately that meant [...]
Follow me
Remember that you can track me via Satelite using my SPOT – a Satellite Tracking device that I will have with me on all of the runs. Click here
One Down, Six to go
What a run … The anticipation was getting too much and it was fantastic to tick one race off the list. Waikaremoana is a tricky track to walk let alone run – technically it’s a challenge and with temperatures climbing in to the late 20′s it was tough. The run was definitely harder than I [...]
Wagons roll!
About to hit the southern motorway – 7in7 is on the road! Thanks to everyone for the awesome show of support over the last 9 months and in particular over the last few days. Ultreya!
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2…..
Two days to go….. and it’s been a big one. The alarm went early so we could get to TVNZ in time for my maiden live TV performance. Very interesting to get behind the scenes and all good publicity for the cause. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/y8ka25e Then lots of last minute logistics and packing. [...]
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3….
3 days to go…. the calm that has held sway over 7in7 HQ over the past few days almost cracked today. It was full-on from start to finish and I have RSI in my fingers from banging out so many “thank you” emails as the donations continued to pour in. The total raised now stands at [...]
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4….
4 days to go…. and a good time to publicly express my enormous THANKS to 17 special people without whom the 7in7 might just be possible, but it would be one hell of a lot less fun! These are my support runners – they are scattered from Kerikeri to Christchurch and many points in-between; they [...]
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…..
5 days to go and the buzz is really building. Today I had my final massage, a meeting with the documentary team and then picked up our ever-so-cool Roadcraft Basejumpers and took them off for signwriting. In between all this I counted money… lots of it… the fundraising site has been running red hot so [...]
10, 9, 8, 7, 6……
6 days to go. I’m feeling strangely calm and relaxed about it all, but not so sure this will last all the way through to Sunday! Have a couple of busy days ahead as we start to pack, and then on Friday I have my live TV appearance – Breakfast on TV1 at 8.40am on [...]
10, 9, 8, 7…..
This time next week I’ll be 1/7 of the way through the Challenge. It seems to have taken so long to reach this point – planning started in January – that it’s hard to believe that it’s now this close. With the organisational side of things falling nicely in to place ( I think!) I [...]
10, 9, 8…….
8 days to go….. a quiet day, no running. In fact in the last 7 days I have only run a total of 1hr 10mins – not so much a taper as an abrupt finish! I’m planning a wee outing in Cornwall Park tomorrow, nice & easy does it, and a few more ’round the block’ [...]
10, 9……..
9 days to go…. another busy day at 7in7 HQ, but a sense of calm and order starting to sneak in to things… hey, I might even get a proper night’s sleep before we start! We’re all getting into the spirit of things, parading the 7in7 tee shirts at every opportunity, even our border collie [...]
10……
The count down has commenced….. 10 days to go…. a good time to reflect on the hundreds of people who have helped make my rather crazy dream a reality. I can’t possibly single out everyone, but today I want to recognise the contribution of Grant Watson, co-owner of the Park Lodge, National Park. Grant was [...]
Donating made easy
I have spreadsheetitis, double vision, and am exhausted and about to collapse into bed. But before I do, just a quick reminder that I am writing a series of blogs on Yahoo!Xtra about the 7in7 Challenge. Each time anyone reads one of these Yahoo!Xtra donate valuable money (about 10c) to the cause. We have already [...]
If at first you succeed….
Happy, happy days here at 7in7 HQ. The biggest single goal that we have been striving to achieve through the 7in7 Challenge is the raising of at least $50,000 for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation….. and today we crossed that threshold! Thanks to the generous support of more than 600 Friends of the Challenge we [...]
How to follow
I have just added a new page to the 7in7 website that provides information on how to follow progress once we are underway. Check out http://7in7.org.nz/follow-me/ for all the options, including the ever-so-cool satellite tracking device called SPOT. Happy following – I hope it doesn’t hurt!
All go at 7in7 HQ
7in7 HQ – originally a corner of the home office – is now spreading over the entire house. There are plastic boxes and gear strewn everywhere. There are endless ‘to do’ lists floating around (including one that is headed ”lists to make”!) There are phone calls and emails coming in and out as we try to [...]
