Follow our progress LIVE on the day!

Yes, in a technical triumph of technology over good sense, the Glutes for Punishment announce that you'll be able to follow our progress LIVE on Sydney Trailwalker 2006 as we overtake other teams, set new land speed records (category: vertical ascent of a large hill via a rough track), lose enough sweat to fill Sydney Harbour, and walk 100km in less than 48 hours.


You've come this far with us, why not stay involved throughout the event itself?

For intimate insights and in-depth coverage of the Glutes campaign for victory, I'll be carrying along my new cameraphone, which I've rigged to post photos to this blog (the most recent photos on the blog are from the cameraphone - not bad, eh?) You'll be able to see us from registration at 7am this Friday morning until... well, probably until my phone's battery gives out late on Friday night, but we'll see, it may last until the finish on Saturday. So stay tuned to the blog you're reading now from Friday morning onwards. Bookmark it, subscribe to the RSS feed, and SMS messages of support/derision to us on (0414) 987 069.

On the official Trailwalker website they'll be posting updates from each checkpoint during the day, so you'll be able to see how we're placed versus other teams and check our elapsed times as we check in and out of the checkpoints placed about every 15km on the course.

You thought live online coverage of sporting events was limited to the soccer world cup and motor racing at Bathurst? Think again!

DAYS to go! Glutes shivering, support crew ready

Shivering because I'm feverish! Yes, one and a half days to go and Felicity and I are both recovering from That Virus Going Around. But it's too late to pull out now! We've taken your sponsorship money and early this Friday morning we need to do our bit - walking 100 kilometers of rugged Sydney bush track in 48 hours or less. We'll be right.

We're aiming for a lot less than 48 hours, according to a detailed schedule prepared by our number-cruncher, Rog, we should be able to finish in 23 hours. To give you some perspective, in 2004 I completed it in about 31 hours! Still, on our last 45km training walk, we crossed the finish line within a few minutes of Rog's estimated time, so he must know what he's talking about.

My last training walk: by myself from Thornleigh to Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, and home. Seen here near Field of Mars cemetary. Not dead yet.

The last two weeks have been busy, including more trailwalking, running, gym, basketball, Pilates and circuit classes, as well as final preparation for our support crew planning, packing lists, and all the logistics of keeping four people in food and fresh socks over a day and a night and the following morning.

Zoe King, an army officer and sister to team member Bride, making sure she has everyone's mobile number for coordinating support crew efforts on the day.

Last week we attended the Oxfam Trailwalker official briefing night for participants, and it was more than a little daunting to see the entire Sydney Town Hall packed to the gills with competitors. Some looked fatter and slower than us, but more seemed leaner and faster - I guess we'll see on the day. And the night. And then the following day!

It was also reassuring to see the Trailwalker organisers put on a meticulously planned information evening that started on time, ended on time, and delivered what it promised. If they can do that professional a job of such a massive undertaking, chances are they apply that same professionalism to making sure your charitable donations are spent wisely on helping disadvantaged people here and overseas.

Sheesh! What a lot of fit people! Seated towards the middle of the crowd at the Trailwalker Briefing Night at Sydney Town Hall.

Jemby, a man's best training partner

My most valued training partner for the last few months has been Jemby, our eight year old Golden Retriever, who would happily walk until her hips and knees give out if she thought there could be a beach, a telegraph pole, ducks or food scraps at the end of the walk.

For the last eight years I've walked her nearly every morning, so what she and I don't know about climbing hills, isn't worth knowing. Of course, she's not allowed into national parks, otherwise she'd be with me on the first few stages of Trailwalker too. She could carry my backpack!

The other day I persuaded her to run alongside me for a kilometer or two, though she quickly ran out of steam. Why? Well, it's a little-known fact that a golden retriever's metabolism is geared almost exclusively to growing and shedding hair - less than 5% of total kilojoules consumed is available for things like exercise. If you took all the hair grown by a golden retriever in the course of an average ten year lifespan and joined it end to end, it would wrap around the earth at the equator 256 times... it could also leave a small tumbleweed driftball of dog hair in all four corners of every room in every building in the world... or 10 driftballs of dog hair in all four corners of every room in our house a day!

Anyway, the day after our run together, I went to take her out for our usual walk, but she was convinced that I was going to try and make her run again. She sat like this and sulked until I walked to the corner and called her. Ultimately, the siren's call of pole-sniffing, grass-eating, duck-chasing and a swim were too strong to resist.

I like to think I'm smarter than her, but she knows when to stop, which is more than I do.