10 City Bridge Run
10 Day Sprint
Starting tomorrow, I will be head-down on a 1o day sprint. It is an all-in 100% guts-effort to welcome 100 new sponsors to join this journey.
I am still carrying most of the expense out of my own pocket for this initiative, as I have been doing for the last two years. What that means essentially is that I am still short to meet the required amount to board a plane to start the journey.
I am convinced it will happen, and just know that there is some hard work ahead of me between now and then.
In 10 days time I want to be able to book my air travel with confidence that I have the necessary funding in the bank to start and complete the journey.
There are essentially three levels of sponsorship: $5, $24 and $240. You can sponsor me at www.pozible.com/lifebridge or if you would prefer to use a different payment method contact me by email or leave a comment below.
It is more than just giving money. In return for your sponsorship, you are in effect joining the journey, and so I will be sending you your own 16-page passport which describes this initiative in detail. At the end of the journey, you will also receive a copy of the book Life Bridge featuring 100 photos of human bridges.
I will be working hard to engage my networks. Would you help by passing this news to people you know. Please help us to reduce child mortality by sponsoring this initiative. Thank you!
Take the Pledge: Slactivism or Game Changer?
UNICEF last month announced a breakthrough new initiative: they would ask everyone to visit ‘A Promise Renewed’ website and take the pledge to help reduce child mortality.
I was especially intrigued when I heard of this campaign. Intrigued because this is completely aligned with what I am seeking to achieve through the 10 City Bridge Run. Or maybe to rephrase that better, in light of their initiative, I am completely aligned with the campaign ‘A Promise Renewed’.
Let me tease this out a little first. Follow me here: I am being objective in my thinking. These initiatives must be able to stand up to scrutiny. It ought not to be a case of everyone just drinking the Kool-Aid.
So what is this pledge all about? Let’s start with that.
It works on the premise that governments can’t do it alone. Making change happen in not something that can be only left to the G20 or the G192. We are all in this together. My thoughts: No problem with that – I think everyone would agree with that assertion.
Here is what UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said to explain the pledge:
Sign the pledge, which will mean you’re pledging to do what you can to change behavior in your communities — you’ll encourage local NGOs to sign the pledge and to work harder, you’ll pledge to advocate your governments to follow through on their pledges and make real progress. You can make a difference.
I think that too is sound. It is not saying that people have the power to make change themselves necessarily, but the corporate act of persuasion that leveraging your voice is not to be discounted.
There is some further wording in their release which gets a little wishful. That is where they hope that by posting videos, that some of them will go viral. My thoughts: The truth is that no one really knows what makes a video go viral. ‘Going viral’ is really mostly outside of our control. I think that Anthony Lake got it right when he placed emphasis on advocating for change.
His closing words are worth noting. They are worth reading twice, because they are easily to just read past the first time. I agree with him:
[We should all] start advocating with [our] governments to live up to their commitments to do everything we can to save children from what is a moral abomination. If we don’t do it, shame on us.
So will we? This is where the fine line between slactivism and game changing behaviour comes along. If it is just a few thousand people doing it along with their friends, there is a lot of feel-good value in that, but not enough force to change the game. If a significant amount of the global population are involved because people care enough, change will happen.
Moral abomination. Those are strong words. Will you just click off this page, or click onto this link APromiseRenewed.org and make the pledge? “If we don’t do it, shame on us.“
Design Forum. 10 Cities. Free to Attend.
The concept to this 10 City Bridge Run is really starting to take shape, and I have some exciting news to share.
The good news is that what started as a concept over coffee with friends a little over two years ago is now about to go global, and all thanks to you.
Many of you have supported me by sponsoring the journey. The sponsorship has been pre-ordering a book called ‘Life Bridge’ that will feature 100 photos of human bridges. That is on track too, although I expect the book won’t be published until late February 2013. In the meantime, we have an intense journey ahead. You can just watch from the sidelines- that is fine too.
For those people who did support me, a big thank you once again. It is you who has made this possible. And there have been many other people out there who are helping me in other ways. People like Kelley, Jillian and Zipporah- you are not forgotten either. For all my supporters, a quick message. Every journey needs a passport, and this is no different. So this week I should be posting you your own 16 page passport which outlines what is happening on this journey. First I will be emailing to confirm your address, and then posting the letter.
This post is to briefly mention 10 Design Forum that will be convened in each city I visit. You can join in, and if fact it is free to attend. I still need some help to coordinate this, but I know that together that too is possible. Please visit the Eventbrite link here http://designforum.eventbrite.com.au to register. You can register for more than one city, and you can register friends as well. You can see the themes of the link as well.
This won’t be the last time I mention the Design Forum, and I also want to make sure I am not overloading the interwebs with too many posts. If you are not getting enough information, or if I didn’t make something clear enough, please let me know too.
Thanks for joining me on this journey. Let’s get to work!
Training Log- 24 km Harbour Run, Out and back: 17 October 2012
Last night revisited a running route I hadn’t taken for about two years- it was like meeting an old friend again.
There had been a lot of changes in that time: a new bridge, some new pathways, public squares looking better developed. And also much was unchanged: the old boarding home still retaining its charm as well as its secrets, the stillness of running over the Parramatta River on Sydney’s harbour late in the evening, the distant glow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
I ran along the first half of the course for the Sydney leg of the 10 City Bridge Run last night. Covering 12 km, and then returning along the same route.
Good conditions to run, and started fairly late in the evening which meant that the traffic on the road was light as well.
Pulled up well, and found the distance easy to manage, which is a good sign for the road ahead.
Training Schedule for 12.12.12 Start Date
With a change in my start date to 12 December 2012 (12.12.12), my training schedule has also be slipped to align with the new start date.
Looking forward to 24 k around the harbour this evening!
| Date | Running Schedule |
| Training Week 4/12 | |
| Fri, Oct 12, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Oct 13, 2012 | 4 x 1600 m |
| Sun, Oct 14, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Oct 15, 2012 | 9 km on machine |
| Tue, Oct 16, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Oct 17, 2012 | 24 km |
| Thu, Oct 18, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 5/12 | |
| Fri, Oct 19, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Oct 20, 2012 | 6 x 200 m |
| Sun, Oct 21, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Oct 22, 2012 | 5 x 1000 m |
| Tue, Oct 23, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Oct 24, 2012 | 24 km |
| Thu, Oct 25, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 6/12 | |
| Fri, Oct 26, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Oct 27, 2012 | 8 x 400 m |
| Sun, Oct 28, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Oct 29, 2012 | 7 km on machine |
| Tue, Oct 30, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Oct 31, 2012 | 20 km |
| Thu, Nov 1, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 7/12 | |
| Fri, Nov 2, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Nov 3, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Sun, Nov 4, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Nov 5, 2012 | 16 km |
| Tue, Nov 6, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Nov 7, 2012 | 24 km |
| Thu, Nov 8, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 8/12 | |
| Fri, Nov 9, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Nov 10, 2012 | 8 km on machine |
| Sun, Nov 11, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Nov 12, 2012 | 8 x 200 m |
| Tue, Nov 13, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Nov 14, 2012 | 24 km |
| Thu, Nov 15, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 9/12 | |
| Fri, Nov 16, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Nov 17, 2012 | 6 x 200 m |
| Sun, Nov 18, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Nov 19, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Tue, Nov 20, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Nov 21, 2012 | 24 km |
| Thu, Nov 22, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 10/12 | |
| Fri, Nov 23, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Nov 24, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sun, Nov 25, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Nov 26, 2012 | 6 x 800 m |
| Tue, Nov 27, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Nov 28, 2012 | 10 km on machine |
| Thu, Nov 29, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 11/12 | |
| Fri, Nov 30, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Dec 1, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Sun, Dec 2, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Dec 3, 2012 | 16 km |
| Tue, Dec 4, 2012 | Rest |
| Wed, Dec 5, 2012 | 20 km |
| Thu, Dec 6, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 12/12 | |
| Fri, Dec 7, 2012 | 8 km |
| Sat, Dec 8, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Sun, Dec 9, 2012 | 8 km |
| Mon, Dec 10, 2012 | 5 km |
| Tue, Dec 11, 2012 | Rest |
Passport Lost, Passport Found
A funny thing happened on the way to the Embassy of Ethiopia earlier this month…
I was in the process of getting the necessary visa clearances for the journey ahead, only to receive a call from the Embassy of Ethiopia. I had sent my passport, and the envelope arrived without the passport. The seal had come loose and the passport fell out.
I did think to get the passport reissued, but the cost seemed to be unreasonable, and including the lost fee and an express reissue would have cost over $400. So I decided to wait.
Yesterday, I received a welcome email from the Passport Office in Melbourne. The passport had been recovered and is on its way back to me.
With the loss of the passport, I made the decision to delay the start date of the 10 City Bridge run until 12 December 2012. Partly because my passport was missing, but also for some other pragmatic reasons:
- It doesn’t conflict with the US Election.
- It doesn’t conflict with the Korean Election.
- The start date 12.12.12 is a memorable number, and emphasises the starting figure for child mortality at the beginning of the Millennium Development Goals: 12 million under-five deaths per year in 1990.
The other good news is that I have also since developed a 16-page Supporters Passport which I am just about to send to all existing supporters to keep you guys informed. I welcome other people to become supporters through buying a passport for as little as $5 to help finance this journey. I am using the same site where I successfully crowdfunded the funding necessary to prove the concept for this journey. All supporters will receive a complimentary copy of the book ‘Life Bridge’ once it is published in early 2013.
Good to have my passport back. Please visit www.pozible.com/lifebridge to get yours for this journey, too.
Thank you! “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. -Lao-tzu
Thank you to everyone who has supported Life Bridge and the 10 City Bridge Run since 2010, and especially more recently through the Pozible campaign. The support received is not only financial, but importantly the encourage, advice and feedback people have generously given along the way.
I was out running the other evening and recorded this short video to say thanks. Earlier that evening I had learnt the good news that my crowdfunding has successfully reached its target.
Now, to gird that goodwill together and advance to the next level, one step closer to us together making a difference.
More about my methodology to come shortly.
For now, a big thank you for making this possible.
Training Schedule For Commencement Date 10.11.12 (10 November 2012)
The start date for the 10 City Bridge Run has been pushed back to make best use of time, allowing for a start date of 10.11.12 (10 November 2012), and finishing in Seoul one month later.
A Design Forum will be hosted in Seoul on 12.12.12 (12 December 2012), and we hope that you will take part even if that means organising your own event where you live. More on that later.
Here is the training schedule for the period ahead:
| Training Schedule | |
| Thu, Sep 6, 2012 | 8 x 200 m |
| Fri, Sep 7, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Sep 8, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Sep 9, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 4/12 | |
| Mon, Sep 10, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Sep 11, 2012 | 4 x 1600 m |
| Wed, Sep 12, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Sep 13, 2012 | 9 km on machine |
| Fri, Sep 14, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Sep 15, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Sep 16, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 5/12 | |
| Mon, Sep 17, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Sep 18, 2012 | 6 x 200 m |
| Wed, Sep 19, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Sep 20, 2012 | 5 x 1000 m |
| Fri, Sep 21, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Sep 22, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Sep 23, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 6/12 | |
| Mon, Sep 24, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Sep 25, 2012 | 8 x 400 m |
| Wed, Sep 26, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Sep 27, 2012 | 7 km on machine |
| Fri, Sep 28, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Sep 29, 2012 | 20 km |
| Sun, Sep 30, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 7/12 | |
| Mon, Oct 1, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Oct 2, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Wed, Oct 3, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Oct 4, 2012 | 16 km |
| Fri, Oct 5, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Oct 6, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Oct 7, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 8/12 | |
| Mon, Oct 8, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Oct 9, 2012 | 8 km on machine |
| Wed, Oct 10, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Oct 11, 2012 | 8 x 200 m |
| Fri, Oct 12, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Oct 13, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Oct 14, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 9/12 | |
| Mon, Oct 15, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Oct 16, 2012 | 6 x 200 m |
| Wed, Oct 17, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Oct 18, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Fri, Oct 19, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Oct 20, 2012 | 24 km |
| Sun, Oct 21, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 10/12 | |
| Mon, Oct 22, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Oct 23, 2012 | 8 km |
| Wed, Oct 24, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Oct 25, 2012 | 6 x 800 m |
| Fri, Oct 26, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Oct 27, 2012 | 10 km on machine |
| Sun, Oct 28, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 11/12 | |
| Mon, Oct 29, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Oct 30, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Wed, Oct 31, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Nov 1, 2012 | 16 km |
| Fri, Nov 2, 2012 | Rest |
| Sat, Nov 3, 2012 | 20 km |
| Sun, Nov 4, 2012 | Rest |
| Training Week 12/12 | |
| Mon, Nov 5, 2012 | 8 km |
| Tue, Nov 6, 2012 | 5 x 1600 m |
| Wed, Nov 7, 2012 | 8 km |
| Thu, Nov 8, 2012 | 5 km |
| Fri, Nov 9, 2012 | Rest |
Methodology: How I See This Working
I filmed a short video while out doing 8 x 400 m sprint training on the weekend, and shared it here for you to understanding my methodology better.
Check out the video here, and the notes below amplify the message. Let me know if relating this story while I am out of breath between sprints is a distraction at all. I was hoping it added some authenticity to what I have been doing (albeit, would be good if I wasn’t so much gasping!)
Essentially, there are five parts to this journey to help alleviate child mortality:
Part 1: 10 City Bridge Run. The Run.
This is essentially a stunt. Running 10 sub-marathons of 24 km in 10 cities across 10 countries all inside of one month. Is it necessary? I think so. Is it possible? Only if it is funded through crowdfunding at www.pozible.com/lifebridge. Please don’t feel compelled to support me. I am not into guilt trips. If it doesn’t get funded I will have no option other than to close this down. A missed opportunity. We can do better than that.
Part 2: Outcome 1 – The book, ‘Life Bridge’.
This will be a beautifully produced photo-pictorial book with 100 photographs of human bridges. It is something we are going to create, and will tell a story of strength through connection. More on that later.
Part 3: Outcome 2 – Design Forum to be held in each city I run.
This is perhaps the most important aspect of this project. To go and see, and to capture lessons and stories. The Design Forum won’t necessarily be huge. It is the conversation that is important. The conversation will continue long after the Design Forum is completed. Innovation as a process to help alleviate child mortality is what this is about, and the vehicle is a human bridge.
Part 4: Outcome 3 – 10 Tangible Ways To Make A Difference.
From the experience and contribution of ideas people will be making during the journey, especially through the Design Forum, a co-created list of 10 Tangible Ways To Make A Difference will be collated. I owe this suggestion to Charles Tsai, an impressive social entrepreneur from Canada who impact has been felt internationally.
Part 5: Outcome 4 – Three year Plan (2013-2015)
Another great social entrepreneur, Paul Polak, inspired this outcome through his book ‘Out of Poverty: what works when traditional approaches fail‘. Paul argues that working from three-year plans is most effective to create change. This will be the expression of the 10 Tangible Ways to Make A Difference into some measurable way that people can contribute in some form (not simply in money) to help alleviate child mortality.
There is by coincidence a three year window between now and 2015. How might this be used to help bridge the existing efforts with other people who might be able to do more but are not engaged? Worth examining further. I believe so.
I am not promising a silver bullet, nor I am suggesting that this effort will solve a problem where others have failed. We have all failed together. Looking after each other is all our responsibility.
Life Bridge is an aspirational project to inspire the capacity for change. I believe it will make a difference. I do need your support to make this work. I can’t do this on my own, and their is no intention for that to be the case either. Please join me on the journey through sponsoring me at www.pozible.com/lifebridge.
Do me a favour, and please forward and RT this link. I need you to step up. Please help.
20 Laps of Sydney Harbour Bridge: Training Run 24 August
My training run for this Friday. 20 laps of Sydney Harbour Bridge = 24 km. Each lap is about 1.2 km, so the distance is pretty good.
Come and join me if you want- happy to walk a lap with you if you want to take it more gently, or just come and say hello from one of the ends of the bridge. If you want to run a couple of laps, or even just one (or two for the return trip), please leave a comment and I will make sure we meet up together. I will be running between 5 pm and 7 pm, and you will know where to find me…
I like running across the bridge. Great view. The foot traffic around that time might get a little busy, and I will just have to fit in with the crowd as best as I can if that is the case.
Rescheduled my training run of 24 km this week from today to Friday.
Check out a brief video talking about this run:
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Building Bridges 