In the last few months I managed to rope many people in to participating in my Bogong to Hotham attempt in one way or another. My generous friends and family donated over $1000 for asthma awareness to the Asthma Foundation, accompanied me in training and tolerated me working my life around running. Worse still my less sporty friends just listened to me talking about it. Thank you all.

On Sunday 10th January, at 4am we ate breakfast at a picnic table under the stars. I smeared protective grease on to my feet and tied my shoe laces numerous times ‘til I had them just right. In my head I had the split times required to make the half way checkpoint before cut-off time, assuring a chance to finish, and although it was going to be hard I’d decided there was no way I wasn’t making it. I put on my pack and my hat, and milled around at the start with what seemed to be a lot of very tall men. There were 107 starters, only 48 of whom made it to the finish.

Dawn From half way up Mt Bogong

The “rooftop run” is in its 25th year, and starts at the bottom of Mt Bogong (that’s the highest mountain in Victoria for those unfamiliar with the ‘high country’) and undulates over the high plains finishing at the top of Mt Hotham 64km away. It is a legendary race for the rugged terrain and brutal climbs, and the number of people who don’t finish. In the cool and pleasant first light of morning we headed off towards the aptly named “Staircase spur”, and climbed it for 2 hours. Actually, just 1h.55min, I was pleased to find as I touched the cairn at the top. On the way up the torturous climb the view gets better and better if you have the energy to lift your eyes in the right direction, as the dawn light shines through the trees. You pass above the tree line and there are steep valleys going off in to the distance on such a huge scale that they really look like wrinkles in the skin of the earth. It is a fabulous reality check. From the top of Mt Bogong the path follows the ridgeline slowly down to Cleve Cole hut. I was in awe and really energised by the stunning views of both sides if the ridge. I decided it was going to be a great day.

Another good view & wrinkles in the earth

My legs were feeling surprisingly good after concerning me a little for the first hour or so. I covered good ground and I ran like a nutter on the next descent to Big River, overtaking lots of less agile men. I only superman’ed it to the floor once but it ensured they all got out of my way promptly! By about 8.30am it was getting hot. I drenched myself at Big River then proceeded up the second major climb. I picked up two walking pole size sticks to help propel me, and over the course of the next hour I passed quite a few more men which I must confess I enjoyed. There were lots of newcomers this year so a standard exchange went something like “How you going? You done this before? Did you make it? How far to the top?” I was mentally trying to focus only on keeping good rhythm, watching the ground in front of me and staying alert for snakes or noises in the bushes. I lied to a few guys that it wasn’t far to go; I just kept focussed on the next 15 mins block on my watch until it was time for me to eat and drink again.

Self portrait on Swindlers Spur – did I mention that it was hot?

The kilometres continued to tick past, 23k to Ropers hut and the friendly volunteers with bananas, 26k to Warby Corner. By the time I got on to my favourite “flower garden” track (5k from the midway cut-off, a downhill trail lined with beautiful wild flowers) I knew I was going to make it, and I even backed off the pace a bit to enjoy it. The aqueduct track to Langford Gap didn’t seem half as tedious as last time, though it was mighty hot and I was severely tempted to climb in to the aqueduct. I opted to keep on track and keep my shoes dry, and danced in to Langford Gap checkpoint shouting “hooray I made it” and nearly knocked over a volunteer in the hustle and bustle! I was about 8 mins ahead of schedule, and well within the cut-off time. Cunningly, there is a 2nd cut-off right after Langford Gap so I refused offers of additional food, water, cake, coke, jelly babies (it was like a party tent!) and grabbed a few salty crisps then ran straight off again for Omeo road 6km further on, where I had a drop-bag of spare kit and food for the 2nd half of the run.

At Omeo Road checkpoint I was so totally overjoyed to be there, in time, in good health, and truthfully rather enjoying myself. Such a hard race is not supposed to be like this but I’d survived that far with no blisters, injuries or complaints except for a feint headache which I fixed with some Panadol. I put some fresh tape on my toes and slime on my feet, and got some rather funny looks as I cheerfully put on my socks singing to myself something like “ah my lovely fresh clean and beautiful socks, there you are my happy little toes e ohs e ohs” Just finding pleasure in small things was energising, and that is a good thing when there is still over 20k and another big mountain to go. I fiddled around for quite a while and persuaded a few other more weary looking runners that they would be fine, and should definitely continue (with me!). Unlike so many who had pulled out or simply failed to get to the cut-off in time, I headed off with a chap called Paul who was wearing an elaborate sun-shading flappy hat like an Arab.

Crossing the high plains with Robin, Peter & Paul with the funny hat

We walked a bit then jogged the flat or down hill parts, merrily chatting away on what felt like the last part of our journey to Mt Hotham. We were joined by Peter and a girl called Robyn who had narrowly made it through the cutoff. We walked in a train of 4; Robyn, the two apostles, then me. There’s not a lot of action on the high plains, because they are well, plains. There are some good views, pretty flowers and a trail of snow poles that we were following. In the distance we saw a herd of about 20 beautiful Brumbies who kept their eyes on us and pranced around just enough to keep us on our toes. Then mid way through our high plains crossing we met the long suffering volunteers at pole 333. It was so hot, absolute blazing sunshine, about 3 in the afternoon, not a thread of shade, and they had been sitting there offering water (which they had hiked in the day before) getting eaten by big March flies since the early morning. Most people passing through would have been pretty wrecked, so I don’t think those poor volunteers got a lot of joy. Some people are crazier than the runners in this event! I grabbed some water, thanked them profusely and headed off in pursuit of someone in the distance, feeing fresh and like home was pretty close. I overtook another three men on the next descent, and looked over the valley to Swindler’s spur. 1h45 then I’m home I told myself.

Brumbies following us on the high plains

The final 10k was a bit of a survival effort. I was travelling pretty well, but caught up with my adventure racing team mate Stew and another guy who were resting, cramping in the legs and looking pretty miserable. We travelled on together for a while and every so often I trotted off to see what was ahead. When we stamped our wristbands at the top of the last major climb I saw Stew’s quad muscle twinging “it does that every time I bend my knee” he said. “Well, just don’t bend it then” I added helpfully. I laughed at my own joke and looked back to see the other bloke picking himself up off the floor and staggering towards us like a kid learning to walk. I decided then that my race goal of making it to the finish was nigh on fully achieved, and that I’d take some time to look out for these others who frankly were scaring me a bit. Stew told me to keep going, but he had a funny look in his eyes like he was staring right through me.

Me and a nice view after Derricks Hut

I enjoyed travelling gently through the final stage of the run. It was incredibly hot to add to the effects of physical exertion, so I looked for shade, took some photos, sang a bit to myself (because the others declined my offer of singing aloud to them) “three men, two men, one man and his dog, his packed lunch, his tractor, his sun hat.. went to mow a meadow…” and entertained myself and the others optimistically (which was probably on reflection quite annoying) with “I spy with my little eye something beginning with H.. YAY Derricks Hut! Look, not far.. ” About five kilometres later things got worse. There was no sign of the other bloke and Stew’s sun stroke had him in a world of delirious pain. It was roasting hot in the sun above the tree-line so I poured some water over his head, down his back, sloshed it over his face and filled his hat with it. Stew licked his lips “was that sports drink?”. I gasped in horror, then cracked up laughing. Surely that was the bottle I’d filled with water at the last checkpoint? Two minutes later Stew was chucking up off the edge of the track, and that was the last straw. The final 800m involved a few episodes of writhing around cramping on the floor, which was torturous to watch. I can’t even begin to imagine how much pain he must have been in, or how he tolerated me “Come on. We can’t rest here, you HAVE to get to the finish now, just try 20 more steps, 4 more snow poles.. get up, come on, now, we are GOING…” It was pretty traumatic all round but I realised it would be okay when Stew congratulated himself on picking a nice shady spot with a good view for a spew, and reminded me that I’d got off lightly and I still owed him from my last race vomit (or perhaps the one before) where he had to push the chunks down the plug hole. Ah the things friends do!

Last little climb to the finish & Stew’s head

The finish was pretty joyful but unceremonious at about 12 hours. I ate a Madeira cake with icing to celebrate, and half a litre of recovery formula, a veggie burger, some chips, pizza and an ice cream. Stew had 1liter of i/v saline at Mt Beauty hospital. There were two beds and no other patients, so I got comfy on the second bed, and had a wonderful hour’s sleep until he was discharged and we set off back to the camp ground at midnight. A very long, eventful and memorable day, with a T-shirt I’m very proud of. So long as I don’t have to walk up too many stairs this week, everything will be fine!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me in one way or another, it means a lot to me, and I know I am sincerely indebted to many of you for the opportunity to try and success at the Bogong to Hotham 2010.

How did “First Kids”, Malia and Sasha Obama, spend their summer vacation?  Visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon wearing KEEN Newport H2s!  Several newspapers and websites covered their visit, along with local and national news shows.
Here are some shots that appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on latimes.com

A story from No Roads Expedition Manager – Peter Miller

Stanley is one of our best Lead Guides in Papua New Guinea. He comes from Kagi, a small village half way along the infamous Kokoda Track. His forefathers helped Australians during the war with Japan by tending to the sick and wounded and carrying supplies across the rugged Owen Stanley Ranges. He is a proud man with a proud tradition and a smile that warms you when you meet him.

When I first met Stanley several years ago, he was walking the Kokoda Track with no shoes on. This was quite common in fact.

Recently, I walked the Kokoda Track during the April ANZAC period and I was glad to know that Stanley would be leading our group. Upon greeting him on the grass airstrip at Kokoda, I was pleased to see that his feet were covered by proper hiking boots. At closer observation, I saw that they were Keen shoes and then realised that several of our Porters had Keen shoes on.

Over the years, No Roads Expeditions, has been sending hiking shoes to Porters in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. These shoes ensure that the Porters feet remain healthy and as such, will lengthen their careers as Porters, providing much needed funds to their families back in their home villages.

For over a year, Keen Australia, has been donating hiking shoes and boots for our operations in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. These shoes are excellent for the rugged conditions and all the Porters like them because they have hard soles, are light weight and dry quickly.

On day 4 of my trek, I bumped into a Porter from another company who also had Keen shoes on. To top it off, he also sported a Keen baseball cap. Keen really is on the Kokoda Track.

I would like to thank Keen for supporting our effort to protect the feet of all Porters along the Kokoda Track. Their feet are their tools of trade and without healthy strong feet, many Porters simply would not be able to provide for their families.

If you would like to support our cause you can check out our website at www.noroads.com.au or send us a pair of your old hiking boots (they must be in good order) to 3/77 Beach Rd, Sandringham Vic 3191.

KEEN Australia donated 150 pair of shoes and assisted in shipment to Delhi, in support of Megan Haldane and the worldwide Buddhist organisation.

A brief overview from Megan in her request for support

In May this year I will be joining some very special women I know, who are nuns who live on Amitabha Mountain in Nepa and some monks, their Spiritual Master, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, other High Lamas and a lot of Westerners on a walking pilgrimage from Manali in Northern India, up through two mountain passes to Ladakh. I believe we will walk the 700 or so kms for six to eight weeks from 18th May to some time in the beginning of July where we will be joined by thousands of people from the vast Himalayan region for the Annual Hemis Festival conducted and overseen by His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa as it is each year. This walking pilgrimage has never been attempted before and is fast becoming an event that is gaining a lot of media attention. Along the way we will be visiting many holy places and doing prayers, reciting mantras for world peace and harmony for all beings on this planet and for the earth itself.

These nuns are awesome and they will make this journey without complaint and with much joy in their hearts. But all I will be doing is looking at their poor feet feeling a bit guilty about your shoes being on my feet. I have been walking with them before and after suffering horrific blisters which become infected, some of them have resorted to tying cardboard to their feet and they limp along smiling and laughing. Others have old ancient sneakers with the soles detaching and flapping under each step and they walk very funny. I can always tell the ones whose families must have a little money because they have smart, sturdy looking footwear not unlike yours. The nunnery and the monasteries give what they can but of course keeping an ordinary family in shoes is pretty expensive so ’shoeing’ large numbers of monks and nuns has become quite a task and they, of course, would never ever ask for anything.

I might add that the reason this is such a startling and magnificent event, apart from its main purpose of promoting and working hard for World Peace, is that joining the 300 nuns there will be 200 monks. This could be a spectacle beyond belief seeing a single file of monks and nuns with their maroon robes swishing along atop some great KEEN footwear!

Check out their website for more details about the walk walking.drukpa.com

Hybrid.Care: One: Community. Environment. Conscience.

KEEN, a leader in hybrid outdoor performance products is partnering Green Connections, a program of the People and Parks Foundation. Green Connections provides opportunities for Australians to be educated in the importance of natural spaces and to make a positive difference to our environment now and for the future.
Click here to download the full release >

Check out the latest from Green Connections on the People & Parks website:
The People & Parks Foundation – Green Connections >

Writing shoe reviews is easy. A good shoe fits and is comfortable. A bad shoe rubs and is uncomfortable. Pretty straightforward isn’t it? Not really. A shoe that you race a triathlon in, is not the shoe you want to take out for an off road training run and a shoe that is comfortable in a 10 km trail run is not necessarily the shoe you want to wear in a 6 day adventure race. There are some athletes out there that seem to be able to run in anything and not get so much as a blister, or if they do, they have the stoicism to ignore it and just keep going. Don’t take advice from these people, they generally wear their undies on the outside, eat rusty nails for breakfast and still carry their kit in an A-frame backpack. Their opinion is not relevant to the rest of us normal people.

I tried out the Keen Ridglines at the Bull of Africa adventure race. The Ridglines are Keens latest offering in trail running shoes and replaces the Trebuco and the Wasatch. They are a fully breathable shoe, which in my opinion is an improvement over the semi permeable Wasatch. Having a shoe that drains quickly and allows your feet to dry out on the run is far superior to one that may keep some water out, but doesn’t allow your feet to breath. What I particularly like about this shoe is the balance between support, comfort and protection. Even though the Ridgelines are a neutral shoe they offer good support through the mid sole and ankles. I tend to roll my ankles, and while this is not based on any science, when I’m wearing the Ridglines, I feel more confident of my footing and less likely to roll my ankles than when I’m wearing a straight running shoe.

The Ridgline is a close fitting shoe. The heel cup fits perfectly and you don’t need to cut off the circulation in your foot to prevent heel slippage. The heel cup is fairly shallow though and can cause a problem for those that wear a thick orthotic as it prevents your heel cup from fitting properly into the shoe. As I’ve come to expect in all of Keens trail shoes the sole provides excellent protection from rough trails and sharp stones. Running shoes tend to compromise protection for cushioning. This can lead to your feet becoming very sore and tender on long treks over rough ground, it also means that the sole wears out quickly. After 6 days of racing in the Ridglines I had no issues with my feet, which made me much better off than most of the people I saw hobbling around after the race.

Other features that KEEN have maintained are the asymmetrical lacing system and the large volume toe box. Both features result in a very comfortable shoe that provides comfort while not pinching or cramping your toes. A common complaint in doing endurance events is athletes losing toe nails. None of our team who were using the Ridglines suffered from blackened or lost toenails.

The Ridgeline is an excellent trail running shoe which is light enough and has sufficient cushioning to use as a training shoe on the road. It is not light compared to a racing shoe and if you were out to win the local half marathon you would probably choose something a bit different. For the majority of athletes looking to mix up their training with some on and some off road running or for the serious trail runner you should look no further than the Ridgeline. Say goodbye to the wardrobe full of half a dozen different types of runners, they can all be replaced by one pair of Ridglines.

Stew Cowey, Geelong

Grant and Lukie finished 1st Male Team and 2nd overall on Saturday after a tough, cold muddy hilly week in the 5 day KEEN “jounrey through the Otways”. Never far behind the leaders (who are the current world champions), and despite a few hiccups including Grant riding 120k with a collapsed front fork through the long stage & Luke apparently having some trouble breathing (“my rib is clicking”?) they were both on fine form all week. Top work you guys – Very proud of you.

Testimony to their achievment was Lukie having AT LEAST THREE drinks on Saturday night, and Grant being very excited about the prizes.

Del & Stew also went very fast in the Keen 1 Day Exposé leading all the way ’till Del left the Course Notes floating somewhere in Bass Strait, and Stew decided we should visit the top of the wrong hill between checkpoints Y & Z. But we never said we could navigate…. Fast in the wrong direction earned us 3rd Place. It would have been SO SO cool to take out the one day as alongside Grant & Lukie’s 5 day performance… but hey..

A long blow by blow tale of the 5 day journey is sure to follow. Meanwhile we’ll be preparing to meet what looks to be an all out line up of Australia’s best teams at GeoQuest in a month’s time…

Adventure means different things to different people. The “Bull of Africa” adventure race led the KEEN Torq’ers Team to South Africa for a sporting expedition with a difference.

South Africa presented a huge physical challenge with an epic course, and a very special insight in to a different culture. Prior to the race, we were invited to represent the international teams in a ceremony at the local schools. Amidst an array of microphones, cameras, and spine chilling African singing from the children.

We presented football and rugby balls to encourage the children in sport and to thank the local people for allowing us to pass through their country during our expedition.

We practiced as much tribal language as we could but not quite enough to help us when we struggled during the race in the remote Transkei tribal country. We learned the hard way that a “walking track” in local speak means any route that theoretically one could walk on; not necessarily implying that there is any sort of formed track, or that it is the quickest way to the named place!

It wasn’t only the cultural and linguistic differences which kept us on our toes during the race. The South African landscape and wildlife was spectacular. We covered a wide variety of terrain from the epic hike of the Amatola Mountains through beautiful waterfalls cascades and pools to spectacular gorges and peaks.

We had to swim (with our bikes) across rivers and estuaries and climb tortuously steep bush. Even the 180m rope climbing section was completely unsupervised except for a volunteer drinking beer at he top! Thankfully the local gun-wielding farmers were friendly, and we didn’t have any serious trouble with the wildlife except coming within a fence breadth of some lions, getting caught in a stampede of gazelles and chased by a friendly giraffe.

The gruelling non-stop race pushed all of us past our boundaries, challenged us in ways we had not expected, and as a team brought us to a new level of appreciation for raw adventure. 42 teams started, 12 finished. The KEEN Torq’ers returned in 8th place, pleased with our efforts and having had a fantastic journey and our eyes opened. For the full day-by day narrative see www.keentorq.blogspot.com or for some snippets of our daily video diary.