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Alex Kidman

Five Peaks Virtual Challenge

I'm taking Canteen's Five Peaks Virtual Challenge...

…a month-long challenge to cover 68km in March - the combined trail distance of Australia’s five highest peaks. 

Plus 2km, because my own OCD likes doing nice round figures for these kinds of things.

If you've followed my running, chances are that you've seen I run in a bandana. Partly to soak up sweat, partly to keep the top of my head as unburnt as possible... and 99.99% of the time, that's been a Canteen bandana.

But Alex, I hear you cry, you're... not exactly a teenager.

Well, yes, that's true... but the reality is that every year, 23,000 young Australians face the mountain that is a cancer journey. 

Whether facing their own cancer diagnosis, or dealing with a loved one’s cancer journey, climbing that peak means feeling isolated, lost, exhausted, and confused.

It’s terrifying, and no one should face it alone. That’s why I’m taking part!

Please sponsor me today and make every km count! 

All funds raised will help young people, facing their hardest climb, get free access to Canteen’s cancer counselling, peer support and specialised in-hospital care.

Thank you for your support!

My Activity Tracking

70
kms

My target 70 kms

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

$1,562

My Goal

$2,000

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So far, I have conquered

70.0KM

0km until I conquer Australia's five highest peaks

My goal

70.0KM

My Updates

Peaks conquered, but there's still one more goal to hit!

Friday 28th Mar

The clock is ticking...

Wednesday 26th Mar

Distance to date: 65km

Distance to go: 5km

Distance added today: 5km

Time taken: 36:44

Funds raised so far: $1216

Fundraising percentage: 60.8%


There's not too much more distance for me to cover to reach my personal 70km goal -- and even fewer to reach the end of the virtual climb, though I guess I'm counting the extra 2km as the distance taken to tumble back down or something.


Or maybe I'm just OCD about numbers being neat and tidy. It could be two things. It's just possible.


Speaking of neat and tidy numbers, I seem to be stuck at that 60.8% goal figure. If only someone could come along and donate to get it closer to 100%, just like I'm getting closer to my distance goal.


Someone like... you, maybe?

Never Gonna Give You Up...

Monday 24th Mar

Distance to date: 60km

Distance to go: 10km

Distance added today: 5km

Time taken: 37:12

Funds raised so far: $1216

Fundraising percentage: 60.8%


Not when I'm this close, that is. 


There's a week to go, and the finish line for the peaks is so very close -- but I'm a fair distance from that extension fundraising goal. 


I'm going to keep on running and hit that distance goal for sure -- so if you've been thinking "I must get around to donating", the clock is ticking...

March Week 3 Update

Saturday 22nd Mar

I run for life

Friday 21st Mar

Distance to date: 50km

Distance to go: 20km

Distance added today: 5km

Time taken: 36:16

Funds raised so far: $1216

Fundraising percentage: 60.8%


Friday beckons, and with it another 5km down. But the clock is ticking, because I've only got another 10 days to get to my new fundraising target (and, with my own sense of competitiveness in mind, crack the top ten individual fundraisers, though I'm only a shade over $100 under doing that anyway right now).


Which falls back to people donating -- so please donate if you're able to! 


And now, back to running...

Peak performance

Wednesday 19th Mar
Distance to date: 45km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 39:32
Funds raised so far: $1148

A pre-work 5km run that got slowed a lot by having to take a phone call in the middle of it, which certainly doesn't qualify as peak performance -- but at least it's done.

Huge thanks to those who have donated -- remember, every single dollar counts so it's fine to donate what you can if you can -- as I'm now (as of writing) sitting in the top 14 fundraisers, which is AMAZING. Wouldn't take much to crack the top 10, and if I get to my next target, I'd be in the top five.

Which would certainly appeal to my competitive side, but to get there, I'm going to need your help!

Just another Manic Monday

Monday 17th Mar
Distance to date: 40km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 37:02
Funds raised so far: $1063

An early start to the week, so I figured I'd get my 5km in before the working day starts. 

Technically I'm on the "downhill" part of this challenge because I'm more than halfway through my distance goal, though having revised my donations goal, there's still a significant peak to climb.

A peak I can only reach with your donation help, hint hint...

Halfway done -- with more peaks to conquer!

Saturday 15th Mar

Woah... we're halfway there....

Saturday 15th Mar
Distance to date: 35km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 33:54
Funds raised so far: $1001(!!!!)

With this morning's parkrun done and the date on the calendar ticking over to the 15th, I'm officially halfway through both the month and my distance target -- which is great!

You know what's even more great? This morning I hit my original donation goal with half a month to go!

Which is superb -- that money really will go to a very, very good cause -- but of course it also means I need to recalibrate my targets, because I've still got 35km of peaks to conquer, and I'd like to raise as much money as I can for Canteen while I do it.

This is where you come in. If you're able to donate, please do so. One note here: I get why Canteen puts its donation levels at the points where they correlate to specific usage goals, but I also get that for some those sums might be off-putting. 

No criticism of Canteen here (of course), but you can give a lower amount and that is TOTALLY FINE. It all adds up, it all helps. So please give if you can.

Walk Of Life

Thursday 13th Mar
Distance to date: 30km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 55:20
Funds raised so far: $666

A walk today, rather than a run.

Why? 

Mostly because I've been sick all week and coughing up goo and such. Which was why this morning's 5km was a walk rather than a run. 

It at least got another 5km of the journey done, and in the meantime, I seem to have reached the number of the beast in my fundraising efforts.

Why not put the devil behind me and donate today? 

Didn't want to run... but I did it anyway

Monday 10th Mar
Distance to date: 25km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 37:44
Funds raised so far: $614

I had planned on adding more than a few kilometres over the weekend, but a nasty (but seemingly short term) viral bug put a stop to that, and I didn't end up running anywhere at all.

So today's run was more than a bit of a struggle... but struggle I must if I'm going to make it up these virtual peaks! 

While I continue to struggle, you can always (hint, hint) donate to this very worthy cause. I know there are some suggested amounts that may not sit well with some -- that's totally cool, every dollar counts so donate what you can, it's all good!

Early Starts

Thursday 6th Mar
Distance to date: 20km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 41:55

A slower run today, but that's because I started it at 5am, when the lights are very dim and as a result I had to take it a little easier on the public paths I run on. 

Breaking a leg is good form in acting, much less so in running.

Getting to 20km also puts me past Mt Kosciuszko and onto Mt Bartle, where it's likely to be a tad wet and windy over the next few days. 

Just like I'm trying to stay safe on early morning runs, stay safe if you're in that part of the world.

The kilometres add up... all I now need are the donations!

Tuesday 4th Mar
Distance to date: 15km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 36:12

A late afternoon run, not my time of choice but it was bucketing down with rain this morning so that was a non-starter -- and it still managed to rain on me from halfway through my 5km!

So I'm making distance progress, but not fundraising progress... which is where you come in. Yesterday I was in 17th position with a desire to get to 10th or better... and today I'm slipping down to 21st. 

The link is right there; if you can afford to donate, please consider doing so!

Running in the rain

Tuesday 4th Mar

Tackling Mt Kosciuszko, 5km at a time.

Monday 3rd Mar
Distance to date: 10km
Distance added today: 5km
Time taken: 35:39

Saturday's 5km was, by itself, enough to take down Tasmania's Mount Ossa, which means today I move onto Mt Kosciuszko's trails. Oddly enough, this is the only one of the (virtual) peaks that I've actually been on in real life -- albeit that I was much younger, got driven there in a car and a family member wandered around in shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of winter, because we're either hardy or foolhardy like that in my clan -- take your pick.

But while you're being judgemental, don't forget to donate! Many, many thanks to those who have already done so; you've inspired me to keep on running and also to get a little more competitive with my placement in the donation tallies. I didn't realise that Canteen also posts a leaderboard of fundraising -- and right now, as I write this, I'm in 17th position overall... and it wouldn't take a whole lot more fundraising for me to crack the top ten.

Doesn't that sound nice? It's all up to you now -- get to donating!

First 5km? DONE.

Saturday 1st Mar

It all starts on Saturday!

Wednesday 26th Feb
Not that I control that kind of thing, but because Saturday is the 1st of March, and that's when I plan to clock up my first 5km at Galston Parkrun. Come along and join me, or just clap or point and laugh -- but remember to DONATE first!

But wait, there's more! Because I've been running for some years now and totalling up the kilometres as I go, generally 5km at a time. This Saturday, the Alex Exercise Speedometer (tm) clocks over to 5,000km!

Thank you to my Sponsors

$158.25

Pru Quinlan

$124.49

Angus Kidman

$105.50

Salvatore Di Muccio

Great work for a great cause Alex. Go you good thing!

$84

Aq

If you could walk 500 miles, you would be the man to fall down somewhere

$73.85

Paul Wayper

Great running for a great cause Alex - keep up the good work!

$68.58

Jv Douglas

Sending Kate Bush vibes!

$68.58

Brian Grinter

$68.58

Anonymous

Thank you for this, Alex, all strength to your legs and a fanrastic finish 😊👏👏

$68.58

Alex Kidman

$68.58

Tom Roberts

$68.58

Brian Grinter

Good luck!

$65

Miles Goodhew

<motivationalquote>

$65

Stuart Corner

$52.75

Jason Murray

$52.75

Allrite

Good on you!

$52.75

Joanna Forbes

Keep conquering those mountains :)

$52.75

Pam Roberts

$31.65

Lowcostmonkey

Way to go!

$31.65

Jeremy Riley

$31.65

Jenni B

You're a champion, Alex!

$31.65

Allrite

Well done on getting this far!

$30

Anonymous

$29.54

Adam Turner

Amazing effort

$25

Anonymous

$21.10

Addison Sherry

$21.10

Daniel Tyson

$10.55

Craig Daveson