Running Out Of Time: Running Raw Around Australia

by Janette Murray-Wakelin

In 2001, Janette Murray-Wakelin was diagnosed with a highly aggressive carcinoma breast cancer and given six months to get her affairs in order. Unwilling to accept this sentence, Janette made changes to her lifestyle. Within six months she was given a clean bill of health.

To inspire and motivate conscious lifestyle choices, to promote kindness and compassion for all living beings and to raise environmental awareness for a sustainable future, veteran raw vegan runners Janette Murray-Wakelin and Alan Murray ran around Australia, 15,782 km, 366 marathons each in 366 days. On January 1, 2014, as they ran their 366th marathon, they set a new World Record for the most consecutive marathons, as the oldest and only couple to run around Australia, fueled entirely on fruit and vegetables and wearing ‘barefoot shoes’.

324 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start with my criticisms... What these two amazing athletes of stamina and endurance did was the impossible. I have no idea how they managed 366 marathons in as many days without b12 and I can only assume that mushrooms and copious a,punts of veggies provided enough iron. I think that there is no reason whatsoever to eat a raw diet. Cooking food increases the nutritional profile in many cases. An example is sweet potatoes boiled- this increases the antioxidants by 413%! (See dasgupta-2014) other examples include-asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes and spinach- all having increased antioxidant content in certain methods of cooking. Spinach for example is actually slightly toxic without cooking! Some vegetables are better raw- garlic being a prime example-it's amazingly healthy, however when uncooked is actually a whole lot more nutritious. I don't believe that a raw diet is healthy but when running around Australia, averaging 42km a day consuming a large amount of fruits (such as dates- instant energy!) is certainly beneficial in replenishing energy stores and promoting cell repair. Obviously vegetables are a pinnacle of health as well- however things like coconut oil could have been included ( the medium chain triglycerides are instantly usable energy) and it seems some grains (oats) were consumed but a few more I'm sure would have helped with mineral levels and slow release energy over night.

A diet rich in fruit and veggies and no-processed-foods is certainly beneficial. Nuts, seeds and grains also have many benefits as do oils, and these are still, for the most part ethical, sustainable and highly nutritious, especially when fair trade products are sought after as much as is practical.

Now that's over with, I can comfortably say that the intention of this run was amazing, as a vegan I think they raised money, and more importantly awareness of the moral standards of lack thereof in Australia and around the world. It is a truly amazing achievement , inspiration and interesting read well worth the money and for a good cause (animal liberation, environmental conservation and athleticism)! 4 stars.