Sarah thanks her sponsors and gratefully accepts their help along this amazing journey, deeply motivated by their belief in her.

• ABC Riverina
• Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser
• Channel 9 National News
• Channel 10 on Sydney Departure
• NBN Gosford News
• New FM Newcastle
• Hunter Regional Radio
• Grafton Radio Life FM
• Channel 9 National News Brisbane
• Win News Cairns
• Win Television Townsville
• Seven News Townsville
• Sunshine Coast Advertiser

Day 14, there's a funny mix of folk out on these roads that seem to trickle by our campsite one at a time to tell their story or to listen to my own tales of running.

Mainly the travelers want to know how long I've been on the road, how many pairs of Mizuno shoes I'll need, how many kilometers I've run that morning or, when they catch site of my energetic young ones spill off the bus and onto the play equipment, squealing and yahooing they stand agog and ask; “just how do you do it?”.

But the ones with their own stories are very welcome... as I sit at the picnic tables in a driver reviver or town's park, gathering together some vacant scraps of energy left from the mornings' 30km onslaught there is nothing better than the talkative folk who have their own stories to share. I can manage a slight nod or a timely raised eyebrow, amazing people of the world have amazing lessons to teach me.

At Bicentennial Park just north of Ballina a local chap called Andy asked me for my autograph, he produced a medical report of his condition to sign. As I wrote on it “Keep your dreams on track, Keep your excuses at bay & your reasons alive, Sarah Mycroft. Ballina, April 2010.” He explained openly to myself and the crew about his suicide attempt 5 years ago which left him heavily injured and dependent again on his mother to nurse him back to reasonable health. He still suffers the constant pain to this day. Seemingly in good spirits though after his chat to us, not only was he first to ask for my autograph, but also my hand in marriage. Lovely bloke that Andy, but I had to decline as time was running out before I had to hit the road again for the evening session. Before he left he pointed out another lady that had been staying at the park for a few nights, living in her car, which displayed a large “For Sale” notice on it. He introduced us... what a remarkable lady she is...

78 year old Tonie Woodman, an American traveling the world. I'd noticed her earlier when she had walked over to our vehicles to write down my website. Andy had told her I'd love to have a talk with her, but she had a few things to do before she could come over to our tables. Now, getting about her daily rituals she was clearly very busy with her morning exercises. Her tall lean frame looked yet agile for her age. She was standing holding a glass jar full of water in each hand lifting them as dumbbells. Her next exercise was leg lifts, she laid on the park bench and did her raises. Not caring for what anyone may think, here was a woman who I liked immediately. Not wanting to interrupt her routine I waited to talk to her. After her exercise she was soon tucking into breakfast, then cleaning out her car. After that she sauntered over to talk to us.

Oh the tales, and what a woman of my own heart. She was living quite a tight existence, so, after a while of chit chat, I proffered the question... “So how do you fund all your travels”. Tonie looked at her watch, it was 9am. “Well, I suppose you asked...” by 9:22am when she stopped talking, I had heard the most amazing tale of a single mother of 2 in her 30's with the gumption of a lion. The woman had bought “handyman specials” houses for renovation, renovated them and rented them out or sold them. She told me that back in the day, there were no banks to lend a mortgage, so people just bought a house off the owner and paid with interest. She said that one man had only last year just finished paying her off a 30 year loan!!! She said that there was no real reason for her living so tightly, but it was just her way. She dreamed of living her last days in New York and dancing on a cruise ship, “Oh my, I love to dance”. What a wonderful woman.

How could I fall asleep with the worry of the task at hand. Had I finally set myself a goal too high? Mum of 2 (under 4 years old) …I knew the next morning I have to get up and run 60kms that day and continue to do so- day in/day out- everyday thereafter for 250 or more days? Probably due to the endless organization over the previous 6 weeks of media, sponsorship proposals, a charity to run for, a crew of virtual strangers to assist my trip, keeping kids happy and well, not to mention buying and converting at the 11^th hour a 46 seater Scania School Bus into a functioning plumbed, neat and tidy mobile home to sleep 9 and cover it with stickers of the sponsors logos that we had managed to collect so far.

 Companies were already interested in the venture, and between my convincing words, enthusiastic approach and solid history of marathon running, managers and owners were ready to back my massive adventure. As my head hit the pillow, I told myself not to worry about a thing, as there was nothing I could now do. When I awoke the head cold I felt coming on over the previous few days was absent. We drove the vehicles from Picton to arrive at Sydney Opera House shortly before our departure at ten o’clock.  Channel 10 covered the departure. 

There to see us off were friends, family and some sponsor representatives.  The film crew from channel 10 had me running up and down the Opera House steps to get the right shots. Finally I was free to go and I ran amongst the convoy of support vehicles through the streets of Sydney.  Tim Clark, a L Driver trainer from Picton, drove the mobile converted bus as the lead vehicle over the harbor bridge to Hornsby.  Through the hype and drama of being at the Opera House by 10:00 am with three vehicles fully fueled ($307 later) I had made a terrible teething error of skipping breakfast. 

It was Easter Sunday, on the way to Hornsby we pulled the vehicles over appropriately in front of a McDonalds and I carbed-up on french fries. We then continued to the Sydney-New Castle freeway entrance near Hornsby where I rested until the evening run.  I’d run 27 kilometers and it suddenly dawned on me that my dream was right on track. 4pm came around way to quickly I donned my second Muzono outfit for the day.  Lizzy drove me to the start of the freeway and the other two support vehicles drove to a friend’s house near Gosford.  I had no problem running along the freeway we had had many supportive beeps and shouts of encouragement from passers’ by all day. 

Paul Arthur (former City to Surf winner and close friend) turned up on the freeway just before the Brooklyn bridge to run along side me as it was getting dark, this made the last 7 kilometers easy for the day. After running 50 kilometers I called it a day and we drove to Margaret and Bob Beardslee’s house.   Athletes’ themselves, Bob and Margaret took my green crew aside and fine tuned the preparation talks I had already given them, covering topics from nutrition, preparing warm baths immediately after my runs, getting food into me as soon as I finished running and keeping up my water intake. He made it very clear that after 60 kilometers of running day in and day out, I would be completely dependent on them for nearly every aspect of my routine.  Including preparing my outfits the night before and calling media a few days in advance.  Bob and Margaret were amazing, they opened their home to our entire crew, putting on a fabulous dinner BBQ and drinks. I treated the crew of five and my two children to specially made CREW track suites, screen-printed by Margaret. 

They had also invited ‘Rob Taylor’ to the evening meal, who has unsuccessfully attempted to cycle around Australia three times.  He was keen to warn me of the tribulations ahead and had a ready list of five speed humps I could encounter, being: Inclement weather, family tragedy, accident, injury, or low finances.  

Something about the way he had this list ready at hand should have somehow driven home resounding warnings of my own inappropriate planning as NONE of these factors on the list had been considered.  However, as I lay in bed that night and thought of the un-likeliness of these excuses, I realized that I had naturally embraced my motto of  “no excuses” therefore these elements of failure had not seeped into my conscious thoughts… or plan!