The Reckoning
Before Hearts Across Australia, before the first marathon, and before running felt like mine, there was a public decision to change: one blog, one Facebook page, one weigh-in, and a set of numbers I could no longer dodge.
The early chapters from the no more mr fat guy years that made Hearts Across Australia possible.
Entries
15 entries
The First Small Steps
Before running was even a possibility, the change began with deliberately getting out of bed, walking Marble, drinking water, tracking food, taking stairs, and proving that small actions could carry a frighteningly big goal.
The Lab Rat Starts Learning
The first walks had proved I could start. The next lesson was sharper: DJ Clubfit, Jetts, rowing, soreness, water, sleep, and Britt's feedback turned my body into something I could observe, measure, and slowly learn from.
Twenty-One Kilometres Before Running
Before I was ready to run long, the rowing machine gave me a safer way to learn distance: two hours, eight minutes, twenty-eight seconds, one locked-up backside, and the first proof that endurance was becoming real.
The First Time I Ran In Public
The Fremantle 10km Fun Run took the work out of the gym and into public: a race bib, Steve beside me, no walking, 1:14:41, and the first finish-line proof that running might become mine.
The Boy Who Finally Finished
Four weeks before the Perth Marathon, the Joondalup Half Marathon became more than a long run: the professional-looking crowd, the too-fast first 10 km, the voice of 14-year-old me, Kian near the finish, and 2:47 of proof that I could finish.
Six Hours, Forty-Seven Minutes
The Perth Marathon was supposed to be the impossible finish line: eighteen months of change, eighteen weeks of training, one cold morning, one brutal hill, a stranger on a bike, Kian near the finish, and 6:47 of proof that changed what I believed was possible.
42.2 km
The Longest Hangover Ever
The week after my first marathon was not a neat victory lap. It was sleep, flatness, itchy feet, a quiet identity shift, and the first clear feeling that no more mr fat guy needed to become something bigger than a running blog.
The Marathon Was Just A Vehicle
Five weeks after my first marathon, I sat down to write the post that scared me more than the race itself: the one where I admitted the marathon had only been the vehicle, and that what I really wanted was a life in full colour.
Running My Own Race
A year after my first public 10 km, I went back to Fremantle with a runner's mindset, a sub-60 dream, friends around me, a Facebook community watching, and a new lesson: the real win was learning to run my own race.
10 km
A Dream With Other People In It
When Kate from Running In The Rain asked about my running dream, the answer was no longer just a marathon. It had become Uluru, London, other people's stories, and the first rough shape of Runners For Change.
Running For Those Who Can't
A loose, generous running club gave my running another direction: not only changing myself, but running with other people, for people who would run if they could.
16 km
The Something That Clicked
Before Hearts Across Australia had a name, a route, a crew, or any sensible logistics, three small sparks turned a restless mission into one ridiculous public idea: Perth to Brisbane on foot.
Where The Heart Belonged
The crossing did not begin as a charity stunt, but the Heart Foundation gave the mad Perth-to-Brisbane idea a deeper home: my own heart-risk story, Grandpa, Dad, London, and a cause that made the message more than mine.
The Course Had No Teeth
On Christmas Eve, back in Somerset, I ran the old school cross-country course with Steve. The fields were flooded, the old symbolism was heavy, and somehow the thing I had spent years turning into proof of quitting became wet, ridiculous, and fun.