A Walk Back in Time?

Sometimes, plans evolve mid-stride—quite literally. What started as a simple long walk turned into something much bigger. And looking back, I can see exactly why.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the walk across Australia—a decade has passed since I set off from Perth to Brisbane on foot. That journey shaped so much of who I am today. It’s been on my mind more than usual, resurfacing in conversations, memories, and a renewed commitment to big challenges.

Then, yesterday, I was at City Beach, watching Brooke Mcintosh set off on her run around Australia. Seeing someone else embark on a massive challenge sparked something in me. I know what that moment feels like—the weight of the road ahead, the quiet certainty that you’ve committed to something far bigger than yourself.

Add to that my goal for 2025—walking and running 2025km throughout the year—and, well, it’s no surprise that my morning walk took on a life of its own!

The Plan (and How It Changed)

I set out just after 3:30 am, intending to walk for an hour before turning back. At some point, this became two hours before return, and then my brain decided a nice, even 10km turnaround point would be even better.

And somewhere along the way, that changed again—to 10.55km, making it a half marathon distance in total...

This is how my brain works. It’s a feature, not a bug.

I was walking fasted, carrying only 600ml of water, dressed in my usual Lightfeet socks and Hoka shoes, with a liberal application of paw-paw cream as a preventative measure for chafing. The air was warm and humid, not quite the cool, refreshing early morning I’d hoped for. But I felt good, steady, and strong.

The Highs: Energy, Hydration, and That Old Mojo Returning

By the two-hour mark, I still felt great. Hydration wasn’t an issue, energy was fine, and I could feel something else creeping back—the mojo I’ve been chasing. That feeling of being out there, covering distance, proving to myself that my body is still capable of long, sustained effort.

That’s what I’ve been missing.

At one point, I fought the urge to "round up" even further—if I just pushed on a little more, I’d reach the ocean. That would be a great story, right? But I reeled it in. I stuck to the half marathon target, turned around, and made my way back.

The Lows: Too Much, Too Soon

And then, the reality check.

The final stretch hurt. Not in a catastrophic way, but in a you-overdid-it way.

• Legs and feet sore? Check.
• A large, angry blister on my right big toe? Oh yes.
• Upper thigh chafing that made movement uncomfortable? Yep.

This was too much of a jump. I knew it at the two-hour mark when everything still felt good—before the blister, before the chafing kicked in. If I’d turned back an hour earlier, then I’d have obtained the training effect I wanted with fewer consequences.

But I didn’t. Instead, I ended up walking the return 10.55km with these issues building.

Would I Do It Again?

Probably.

Would I recommend it? No!

The smarter move would have been to stick to two hours, learn the same lessons on a smaller scale, and gradually build from there. Instead, I’ve given myself a solid baseline of where I’m at—but at the cost of a blister that might impact this week’s running.

If necessary, I’ll ease off and restart week 19 next Monday.

Still, I don’t regret it. Not one bit.

Because what I’ve learned today is that it’s all coming back. The endurance, the mindset, the love of long distances. My body—old, creaky, overweight as it may be—is still capable of carrying me forward for hours.

And that, more than anything, makes me excited for what’s ahead!