Unfinished Business

I feel as if the Big Run is not finished yet. It is definitely an incomplete work.
Not because I canceled the Edinburgh show, it's not that. In fact I'm glad I didn't go ahead with Edinburgh. The practice of stand-up has been useful to me in many ways, especially for freeing my voice, but after a while it can become a kind of elective tourette's. Anyway, I could care less whether I make people laugh. And I want language to be a much smaller part of what I do in the future.
So I want to do another Big Run. But this time I want to do it differently.
There are a number of things I want to change.
I think I would like to go in a circle rather than from one place to another. I want to undermine the idea that it is a journey.
And I want to keep going round the same circuit. I like the idea of repetition.
To emphasise the closed nature of the circle I'd like the run to take place in a closed geographical environment.
Around the coast of an island would be ideal.
Going round and round also has some practical advantages. After a couple of circuits navigation should become more or less automatic. And I could establish caches of food and equipment so that I could travel lighter and enjoy the running more.
The island of Arran has a coastal path which might fit the bill. Arran isn't too hard to get to and there are, as far as I can figure out, lots of places to eat and sleep. Once round the island is about 65 miles. Depending on terrain and weather that should be two or three days.
I have to decide how long I would want to spend on the exercise. I want do enough circuits to really hammer home the sheer pointlessness of it all. I really want to kill the whole idea that it's somehow some kind of "achievement".
I had thought of doing 81 circuits. The number has a magical quality that I like. But that could take the best part of a year. Maybe I should go for it. I can't think of a lesser number which has the same kind of power. Anyway, let's leave that aside for a bit. Suggestions are welcome, by the way.
The blogging was an important part of the First Big Run. I'd like to have video the next time. That would be fun.
You know, writing this has almost convinced me that this is what I need to be doing. I feel as if the decison will be made if I just click on the Publish Post button.
Well, here goes. Click.
PS (29 March 2010) I leave this here as an example of the kind of brain fart I have to contend with as part of my creative process.

The Road to Endorphia - Show Cancelled

OK folks, I have decided to cancel the show. I just do not have the energy for 32 performances in 21 days. Not even for considerably less than that.

I did the first show and it was a piss poor shambles.

It's over three weeks since I finished the big run and my heart rate is still significantly elevated, I still have muscle soreness and lack of energy. All symptoms of fatigue. I just do not have the energy to do the show.

In the past I might have kept going on alcohol and cigarettes and coffee but I have too much respect for my health and sanity to do that nowadays.

To those of you who said you wanted to come and see the show, I apologise. But seriously, I'm probably saving us all an uncomfortable hour in a small room.

The Road to Endorphia - Edinburgh Festival 2009

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 47 Lunchtime

13.05 arrive at Lands End. I'll tell you all about it later. Running
well and feeling fantastic.

Thanks for support everyone, texts, emails, blog comments, phone
calls, all kinds of help. Many thanks.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 46 Evening

In my tent 18.5 miles short of Lands End. Very tired. 34.5 miles today.

Breakfast from Angie at the Mega Bites Snack Van someplace on the A39. Lovely woman - gave me free fruit and cakes.

Atlantic Highway did my head in and eventually I had to get on some quieter roads. Got lost a bit in Redruth and Camborne. Camborne looked a bit dodgy.

Got to Hayle very late and paid 24 quid for camping - would have walked away but didn't have the energy.

All cosy now. Eating. Sleep soon.

G'night.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 45 Evening

Funny old chat this morning with the geezer who runs the snack kiosk just outside the campsite. While I ate a sausage sandwich and had a coffee that is.

"What you doin' then?'

"I'm on a journey. From John O'Groats to Lands End."

"Oh. Another one."

He was priceless. Told me a story about visiting Bulgaria on a package tour when it was still under communism with a ... Anyway, this is a family blog.

I had got up late again. Listening to the rain patter on the tent had not got me bouncing up I'm afraid. By the time I finished breakfast it was almost eleven again.

Anyway I kept banging on down the A39 running when it felt right. Although now my left shin had a tender swelling I really do not like.

Passed through Camelford where I bought chocolate and Irn Bru for lunch.

Eventually had a lovely supper of chilli and rice and salad at the Halfway House Inn just before St Columb. Then had another good old chat with Rebecca who works there and a chap at the bar. Very pleasant.

I'm in a campsite 53 miles from Lands End by Googlemaps. Which means I've only covered 24 miles today. Must get on the road earlier tomorrow.

Cheerio!

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 44 Evening

I could not get up out of bed this morning. The sea view came with a gusting Atlantic wind and sporadic rain. I could hear the rain battering down on the tent as I lay there. This time I wasn't trying to wait it out I was just knackered. Maybe I had stayed up too late reading the night before. Yeah, the campsite had a book borrowing service so I found a copy of an old favourite, The Thirty Nine Steps, and read a chunk of that. Story about a Scottish chap who is fed up
with London and ends up running around the countryside.

I eventually got going just before eleven. And I found myself walking in some of the worst rain I have met so far. The wind from the west I have been fighting with on and off since leaving Bristol was driving the rain so hard it stung my face and blinded me so I was having difficulty seeing the oncoming traffic. Yikes.

I stopped for traditional Sunday Lunch at the West Country Inn, the last pub in Devon as you leave for Cornwall. Roast lamb with everything followed by a beautifully presented but ultimately uninspiring cheesecake.

After lunch the rain never really got going again and I plugged away till about four thirty when I stopped for a pot of tea and a battery charge at a pub in Kilkhampton.

So I'm in Cornwall now and by the way the A39 is called the Atlantic Highway. I love that, I really do, the Atlantic Highway.

As the evening warmed up I got out of my waterproofs and managed to get some jogging done. At about eight I spotted a campsite and decided to call it a day.

I'm lying in my tent camped in the Cornish Coasts Campsite just beyond Bude and 11 miles short of Camelford eating breakfast-in-a-can for supper.

GoogleMaps has just told me that it is 77 miles to Lands End. I can't imagine what could stop me being finished by Wednesday (today Sunday 19 July). Anyway, I feel disinclined to count chickens. My right foot feels well dodgy - I haven't mentioned it because I've had so much other good stuff to whinge about but I have a recurring pain in my big toe joint and along the upper arch which comes on sometimes seemingly randomly and sometimes while doing hard running. Anyway, I'll be able to give it a good long rest in a few days.

Hope to see some of you real soon. I'll probably head over to London for a couple of days when I'm done and then back to Motherwell by way of York.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 43 Evening

The A39 towards Barnstaple (from Kentisbury Grange) twists and turns in and out and up and down through a rolling landscape of patchwork fields and ancient hedgerows. The traffic is light so the road feels safe enough.

I left Kentisbury Grange and it's free-roaming peacocks (honest) at just before ten (slept in) so it was about one thirty when I arrived in Barnstaple and bumped into the Pilton Festival. I turned into the park where it was all happening (juggler, one-man-band, food stalls, craft stalls, people strolling around in character and period costume) and queued up at the hog roast for a hog roll with crackling and stuffing. Then I had a bit of cake and a coffee and got going again.

Between Barnstaple and Bideford the A39 is more of a normal road with a proper white line at the edge and a hard shoulder so I got some speed up and did some hard sustained running. Going over the bridge into Bideford over the river there was pretty cool.

I found a Morrison's on the outskirts of town and had a really nice Lamb curry in the caff there followed by some kind of chocolate cake. I had a second pot of tea while I surreptitiously recharged my iPhone off their electricity.

Then I got on the road again. The road was all narrow and twisty again so I was hoping for a campsite before it got dark and then I saw the sign for the Steart Farm Touring Park. This is definitely the best organised site I've been on in the whole country. There's also a stunning view of the sea and I was only charged four quid for the night. Result. www.steartfarmtouringpark.co.uk

I'm getting closer and closer to Land's End. In fact tomorrow I'll be in Cornwall. It seems like a long time since Caithness.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 42 Evening

Left Minehead yesterday at 4pm for the start of the South West Coastal Path in the pouring rain.

The Coast Path is great, feels really wild. Bracken covered hills, purple and yellow flowered, or forest right down to the sea's edge. Well signposted to so it has been really difficult to get lost.

The rain didn't let up at all and about nine I pitched my tent by a river in a wood seven miles short of Lynmouth. My sleeping bag, my matress, a pair of leggings and a pair of socks were dry and that was it. Everything else was wet. And it rained all night. And it was still raining this morning. I tried to wait out the rain but it just wouldn't stop so I got up and got packed in the rain and everything just got wetter, including my last pair of socks.

I got going about 11am this morning. It took me till almost 2pm to do the seven miles into Lynmouth. Once out of the woods there was a fierce wind coming off the sea which sucked the energy right out of me.

In Lynmouth paid six quid for an all day breakfast which was a bit on the light side. Had to supplement it with two Mars Bars, a chip butty and some kind of Thornton's ice cream on a stick product which was very expensive but very nice, like a Magnum but better.

All this took time because all Lynmouth really wants to sell is fudge and pasties at fudgtastic prices. It really is a tedious little place. Quite the Melrose of the South West. So it was about four in the afternoon when I left only having done about seven or eight miles all day.

I abandoned the Coast Path for the moment and headed across country with the intention of taking a more direct route and making faster mileage. I took the A39 towards Barnstaple.

I fancied some comfort after last night's soaking so when I saw a nice campsite at about 7.20 I decided on an early night. I'm at the very well appointed Kentisbury Grange. It's lovely. The nice friendly young woman who signed me in sold me some very posh cookies and crisps which I am having for supper. I've already had a shower and even washed and tumble dried my socks. Whadayathinkuvthat?

I'm eight miles outside Barnstaple but the weather looks as if it's clearing so I should be able to get an early start tomorrow and knock a whole bunch of miles off.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 41 Breakfast

Very strange barking noise last night after lights out. I thought I was being stalked by a badger but managed to get to sleep anyway.

This morning I was up early. I was on the road by 6.30 to face more near death experiences on the A39. It hasn't got any better since yesterday. Found an off-road path for a bit but it didn't last. Walked quite a few miles before stopping for breakfast.

Everywhere are signs proclaiming "The Quantock Hills - An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty". Reminds me of my buddy Glenn's reaction to the South Downs. "Nah! The Grand Canyon - that's outstanding. The Great Barrier Reef - that's outstanding. This... is a coupla horses in a field"

I've just had the full english breakfast in the Royal Huntsman in Williton still eight miles from Minehead. Should be there by lunchtime but after this breakfast I won't need to stop for food.

I'm feeling fantastic so I'm going to relax over a second pot of tea.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 40 Evening

Quick update before iPhone battery goes.

Up and away early this morning (8.15) and back on the A38. Breakfast and coffee from snack van and just kept plugging away with some good running in the afternoon. Got the 18 miles to Bridgwater done. Some extremely tattooed people in Bridgwater. I know you shouldn't judge a
town on two roundabouts and the Sainsbury's caff but seriously guys Bridgwater looked grim.

Left the place by the A39 in the direction of Minehead. Now I had fun on the A38, road running is fine as long as there is some kind of footpath which there was even if it was often busted or weedchoked or both. The A39 is a whole different game. There's no footpath so you're running at the edge of the road with the traffic coming at you. And for miles it has been up and down and twisty with endless blind corners. And there's usually not even a grass verge to throw myself onto if think I'm close to being hit. I keep having to take a break out of sheer nervous exhaustion.

When I saw the signs for Coleridge's Cottage and for Porlock I distracted myself by reciting Kubla Khan. 'Caverns measureless to man' and all that.

As it was getting darker I decided it was just plain stupid to stay on the road so I'm camped in a little wood just outside the village of Holford still about 15 miles short of Minehead and the start of the Coastal Path. Should get there late tomorrow morning.

Nice warm day today by the way.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 39 Evening

Had great fun this morning. Got up early and had a long hot shower and a shave to make sure I got as much mileage out of my eight quid camping fee as possible.

Got off just after seven. I had broken my rules last night by both backtracking and going off route in order to get to the campsite (I thought the rain was going to dump but it never really did) so the first mile or so was spent getting back to where I had left off the night before some 18 miles north of Bristol.

I was excited about getting to Bristol so I started banging down the A38 at a fair old power walk. I was wondering where I was going to find breakfast when I spotted one of those snack vans. Fantastic. Sausage sandwich and a black coffee, please. The lady who ran the van had an England's Glory tracksuit on, 'two world wars and one world cup!' but she changed my Scottish £20 note with the minimum of grumbling.

I don't know what made me order coffee instead of tea but it certainly charged me up. I got another coffee at the next snack van and a Tango at the next from a very cheery Turkish bloke who offered to sell me Stella Artois. Not sure if he was serious.

I really enjoyed the road into Bristol. Nearing the city I spotted the old bridge over on the left and once, through a space in the houses, the old bridge and the new with the Bristol Channel a grey ribbon of water and Wales beyond. Outstanding!

I walked down the Gloucester Road through the north side of the city with all the funky shops and was in the city centre by two in the afternoon.

I bought a waterproof map of the South West from Waterstones for £4.99 and had lunch in the park. Bristol is the first place since York I have actually been before.

My knowledge of the city doesn't extend to the southwest side though so on my way out I got lost in a pretty dodgy looking area. I had to resort to using my compass to get back on track.

The A38 going southwest to Bridgwater is also the road for Bristol International so it was a busy and uncomfortable trek until beyond the airport.

The landscape changed as the Mendip Hills became obvious ahead of me.

It was hard going in the afternoon and soon after seven I saw a sign for camping just south of Redhill. I decided I would stop if the price was right.

Brook Lodge Farm is a dream of a place and the chap who runs it is a prince. And considering the prices in this area so far £6.50 seems fine. We had a lovely chat about this and that and he told me about a French bloke who stopped at the farm a few years ago pulling an organ
from Lands End to John O'Groats. Apparantly this French bloke had organised himself a proper tour and was playing theatres as he went. Now that, I have to google.

There's even a little TV room here in the camping field. I can't seem to get the box to work but I'm sure someone would fix it if I asked. I'm not really bothered.

I've had supper of an all-day-breakfast-in-a-can but I'm still hungry so I'm sure my two remaining Mars Bars will get scoffed shortly.

I figure there's roughly 300 miles between here and Lands End. If I could manage 30 miles a day for the next ten days I would be finished by a week on Saturday.

Now there's a thought.

John O'Groats to Lands - Day 38 Evening

Yesterday (Day 37 Sun 12 July) I just got the tent packed up in the morning when it started to rain. I hid in the manky wash/toilet block for a while (had my second shave since York) but eventually you have to get going whether it's dry or not.

I continued to hack my way along the Severn Way for a while (am I the first person to use this path?) but eventually got lost. My own fault I readily admit. I refused to believe a sign saying 'no entry - no right of way' all that sort of thing, and started climbing over fences and padlocked gates and committing all sorts of outrages against private property. At last I got my comeupance when I was stopped by a tributary flowing into the river right in my path. Oops!

I couldn't get across the water in an undrowned state so I had to backtrack along this new river arm looking for a bridge. Nothing doing and I was soon good and lost. Now the route has been pretty civilised for the last couple of days. No lack of shops and things since Kidderminster. So I just stood still and listened for the traffic. When I heard the cars and trucks I walked in that direction and pretty soon I was on a road which took me the last few miles into Worcester. And in the meantime the rain had cleared and the sun had come out.

Spotted on the outskirts of Worcester: an Edward VIII pillar box. You don't see many of those around.

Nearer the centre I stopped for lunch at a Poppins restaurant. Being Sunday most other places were closed.

I had one of those moments while I sat there looking out of the window when, despite my still soggy and stinking feet, everything was just perfect. And everything was, including the lasagne and baked potato and the chocolate fudge cake and ice cream.

On the way out of Worcester to the south I bumped into the Severn Way again and decided to give it another go. I had some more scrappy fun with it without making much mileage. At one point there was a diversion because of a collapsed river bank. Now I'm not actually sure I took the diversion but I survived anyway, although the bank did feel a bit insecure at times.

Then there was another big diversion around a wood where there was no right of way. I took their word for it this time.

Hours and hours later though, I had only reached Upton upon Severn, about seven miles further on. I stopped by the riverbank there at about 6.30 and had supper of a tin of sausage and beans with some wholemeal rolls.

Just outside Upton I lost my way again and found myself in some kind of quarry with danger signs all around. So I scarpered out of there sharpish and took to the road once more.

About nine o'clock I was still two miles short of Tewkesbury (and fourteen short of Gloucester) when I saw the sign for the Sunset View Caravan Site and decided to pitch up for the night.

The Sunset View charged me ten quid to pitch my little one man tent. Jeepers. I remember being outraged at a fiver for the night back in Bellingham. Remember Bellingham? One day into the Pennine Way?

Anyway, the Sunset View had the builders in and by the time they were starting up their engines at about eight this morning I was already packing up.

Then Paul arrived from a nearby caravan with the offer of 'a brew before you get off'. This act of kindness was a cracking start to the day. By the time I was all packed my mug of tea was ready. We chatted outside Paul's caravan. He's from Skelmersdale but is working down here at the moment. He had just done a nightshift on the M5 organising lane closures in support of maintenance/repair work. We had a good old chat before I had to get going.

I jogged the two miles down to Tewkesbury. Tewkesbury is one of those mediaeval timewarp towns and cute enough in a timberframed kind of a way. There were lots of references to King John as well. When I asked the woman in Tourist Information if King John had thrown the
Great Seal of England in the river she didn't know what I was talking about. And then I remembered, AESK (As Every Schoolboy Knows), King John threw the Great Seal in the Wash. I think that's right.

Anyway, Tewkesbury looked like the perfect place to have breakfast. In fact I spotted the perfect cafe, then decided I could do better, then I had walked all the way through Tewkesbury.

So I just kept going. I ignored the sign for the Severn Way (I was all done with that) and kept on the A38.

And that's what I've been doing all day. I've done about 30 miles jogging and walking with a break in Gloucester.

I had sausages and mash in a pub for supper and now I'm at a campsite about 18 miles north of Bristol. I'm very excited at being so close to Bristol. It means I'm really in the South West and just about on the home straight.

There was a bit of rain on and off today and it looked as if it was going to erupt just before I got camped. So far it hasn't though.

I'm tired and I just want to get my head down so I'll sign off for now.

By the way, this campsite was eight quid. I'm gonna have to go illegal again.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 37 Morning

Yesterdy afternoon (day 36) after tea and cake in the Old Smithy just
north of Kidderminster I trekked on down through Kidderminster towards
Stourport-on-Severn. Here I left the Staffordshire and Worcestershire
Canal and continued south on the river Severn.

Ok the Severn is a real river so there is no canal towpath as such.
Fortunately, I soon found the Severn Way which follows the course of
the river to Worcester and beyond.

The path was a bit up and down and in and out after the towpath.
There was a lot of crossing of tussocky fields with a stile every
couple of minutes. Then it started to rain. Straight down and heavy
and in half a minute my feet were cold and wet. And it kept going.
And to be fair so did I. For a while. My goal was Worcester but when
I saw the campsite seven miles from home I pitched my tent, got out of
the rain and my soggy clothes and into a warm sleeping bag. I'm glad
I did. That was about seven thirty in the evening and the rain went
on forever.

I'm up now after twelve hours sleep (mostly). It's dry and I should be
on the road soon after nine making up for lost time.

See ya!

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 36 Afternoon

It's just before 2.30 and after a couple of hours plodding through
threatening rain I arrive in the sunshine at the Old Smithy Tea
Rooms. My arrival coincides with a rush. A couple of dozen women in
a variety of pink outfits are queueing up for ice cream or consuming
ice cream already acquired. Cancer Awarenes charity walkers calorie
loading for the road ahead. Any one of them has more energy than I
have.

It's a hard slog today. I must have run myself out yesterday. Maybe
this tea and carrot cake will gee me up.

By the way, the back of my right hand has been swollen up for two or
three days now. It seems to have spread from four little insect
bites. Insects want to eat us. They want to poison us and consume
our flesh. And there's another bite on my forehead. It's gone up in
a big lump. And I heard a mole trying to burrow up into the tent last
night. And this morning the tent was covered in slugs.

Right. Better get going.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 36 Morning

Yesterday (day 35) after my canalside breakfast at Market Drayton I
trekked on down past Tyrley Locks and Woodseaves Cutting. The cutting
is just that, a cutting right through a hill to let the canal through,
kind of like a tunnel with the top off. The towpath is muddy because
the sunlight doesn't get down to dry it out. It's a bit like a man-
made canyon and kind of spooky in an Indiana Jones kind of way. Pity
I lost my fedora on the bus up to Thurso.

At midday I reached a little place called Goldstone and crossed the
river to the Wharf Tavern to fill up my water bag and iPhone battery.

It had only just openned and I had a chat with Alex behind the bar who
had recently done a mammoth tour of the english waterways by kayak.
He outlined his journey and I realised that two weeks ago I wouldn't
have known what he was talking about but now I could visualise his
route pretty clearly. Anyway Alex was able to give me navigational
advice for my own ongoing tour. So thanks for that, Alex, and for the
good strong tea.

The Wharf seems a popular lunchtime spot and Alex got busier with the
older ladies and couples ordering food so I got going again.

And then it happened. At about 1pm JRT (Joe Running Time) I got my
mojo back. That's mojo as on Mo' Joe! And I was running strong
again. I ran some good miles that afternoon. Not flying miles,
digging miles. I mean it was hard work but I was back in the running
game.

By 8.30 I was at Wolverhampton with 30 miles done for the day. But I
kept going, walking again, and by the time I stopped for the night
just north of Wombourne I was another six miles down the road.

I couldn't find a decent place to camp. I did find a wood but there
were old campfires and empty bottles and cans around and I didn't want
a party arriving while I was asleep for the night so I gave it a
miss. Eventually I just pitched my tent by the towpath. In the dark
I misjudged how much of a slope I was on and when I lay down in the
tent I rolled downhill. After a pretty uncomfortable few hours I got
up at about 5.30 and got going.

Pretty soon it started to drizzle and gradually the drizzle turned to
rain. I was plodding along, weary and footsore. My feet have started
to blister. I think my shoes are beginning to disintegrate and rub
them up the wrong way. I had no food and I was out of water but it
was too early to find breakfast.

At one point I sat on a bench and fell asleep in the rain. I felt a
bit better when I woke up.

About 10am I found the little village of Kinver, thatched timber
framed buildings (at least some of them). A coffee shop was open (no
caffs in Kinver) and I had a big breakfast and some coffee cake.

At 11 I crossed the road to the pub to fill my water bag (there's a
whole story about the old bag who owns the coffee shop but never mind
that now).

It's almost noon and I'm about to get going again. It's overcast but
not raining at the moment. Worcester is 25 miles down the road. I
plan to get beyond that today.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 35 Morning

Up and packed and on the move by 8 this morning. Then three miles on
the sunshine along a surprisingly muddy towpath to Market Drayton,
home of ginger bread, for breakfast.

It was a bit of a walk from the canal into town where I find, rather
disappointingly, that Market Drayton is not home to ginger bread men.
So I stock up with supplies from Netto supermarket and head back to
the canalside to eat out of cans. Beans and sausage followed by peach
slices. Yum yum.

The lady at the Netto checkout was a Wolves supporter and I am
definitely hearing vaguely Brummie accents so I reckon I must be well
into the Midlands. Roll on the South West.

Gotta run. More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 34 Evening

I'm becoming a real canal traveller. I started on the Leeds Liverpool
Canal then switched to the Bridgewater Canal then at some point I
managed to get onto the Trent and Mersey Canal. Today I turned on to
the Middlewich Branch (at Middlewich) and that took me over to the
Shropshire Union Canal which will take me south to Wolverhampton where
I can change to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire which I'm pretty
sure takes me all the way to Gloucester.

I'm camped in some scrub just off the towpath nine miles south of
Nantwitch, beyond Audlem Locks. In fact looking at the map I'm camped
at the Adderley Locks just north of Market Drayton.

I couldn't find a good wood to camp in. It's all trimmed and proper
fields around here with proper black and white cows.

Amyway, Gloucester is about 105 miles to the south. Three good days
would take me there and Bristol is just one day further and then
you're really in the South West. Despite a really tired day with very
little running I covered 27 miles. I feel as if I'm really getting
there. I'm sure my running mojo's just about to make a comeback too.

A bit earlier I was getting tired and hungry and dehydrated when I
came across a canalside pub at Audlem. This was about nine fifteen.
I stopped to see if they sold chocolate. They didn't so I had a pint
of fresh orange and soda and three packets of plain crisps. I found a
power point for recharging my phone and sat down. The table hadn't
been cleared from an earlier meal and there were four of the biggest
fattest chips I had ever seen just sitting there going to waste. So I
ate them myself. Lovely.

There were a lot of younger people in the pub busy turning lager into
stupidity. I do not miss drinking at all.

I walked till really late and pitched my tent in the dark. It looked
like another cloudless night tonight so I'll wear all my clothes
inside my sleeping bag. No cloud cover makes for a chilly night.

See ya!

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 33 Evening

I'm camped in a wood 7 miles south of Preston Brook on the Trent and
Mersey Canal. At some point today I bought a map of the inland
waterways of Britain. And I reckon I can be as far south as
Wolverhampton in a couple of days. Another couple of days, Gloucester
and then I'm almost on the home run down the Lands End peninsula.

Very tired today but managed a good twenty odd miles. Get up earlier
and push harder tomorrow now I know where I am going.

Stay happy, everybody.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 33 Lunchtime

Yesterday (Day 32) was tough. Another day when I tried to resolve
what I thoght was a calorie deficit by having the big breakfast. This
time at a place called the Roadside Cafe somewhere outside Wigan a
couple of miles beyond my camping spot.

I sat at a tiny table a few yards from the traffic. My breakfast came
in a styrofoam box and my tea in a styrofoam cup. And both were
perfect. Add in two Mars Bars and a Tango to take away and there was
still change out of a fiver.

But my energy wouldn't come back. And then the rain started. I mean
it started. Straight down, heavy, relentless. An it went on like
that till four in the afternoon.

At some point I decided to give Liverpool a body swerve and head down
to Manchester on the Leigh branch of the Bridgewater Canal on the
grounds that Manchester was a) closer and b) further south.

On the way to Manchester I stopped off at Leigh (never again) and
Bridgewater (drank tea in a posh pub while the rain ripped down
oitside).

I planned to take the branch off to Warrington/Runcorn at Manchester
but made the mistake of going all the way into Manchester instead of
taking the fork two miles out of town. So that was four extra miles
plus I was in a big city I didn't know and it was getting dark. It
was quite scary for a while until I found a place to camp which felt
relatively safe round about one in the morning.

By that time I had covered well over thirty miles and I was wiped out.

So a late start this morning (Day 33) and I've only covered a few
miles before stopping at the cute village of Lymm for lunch. Why is
it cute to have the old stocks on display in the middle of the
village? Anyway I've had lunch of a half chicken with chips and veg
followed by chocolate fudge cake and ice cream and I'm still hungry.
Is it the food that's slowing me down? But I need it!

Have to get going soon. More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 31 Evening

Another great day along the towpath. Although, to be truthful, My
energy was pretty low all day.

I woke up feeling calorie deprived and a weary walk along the canal
brought me to a little place called Clayton-le-Moors. I couldn't
resist the Big Breakfast for £3.50 in Nancy's Cafe. It was the real
deal and I washed it down with a couple of mugs of tea. Lovely.

Clayton-le-Moors has a Co-op and a Spar so I was able to get a good
deal on a pack of Mars Bars and a can of All Day Breakfast. I got a
tin of Irn Bru just for the sugar rush and I was good to go.

I popped into the public library for some info on the Leeds Liverpool
canal and had a lovely chat with the two charming, helpful and
enthusiastic ladies who work there.

In the end I didn't really get going until noon. And all day I was
fighting weariness. I kept pushing though, walking and jogging, and
eventually covered just short of 30 miles I think.

I'm camped in a wood not far outside Wigan.

Despite my lethargy I enjoyed the day. It was a day for chatting.
First the library ladies, of course. Then an old chap who used to
drive trains to Ravenscraig to pick up steel. He gave me some local
history. And later a young student of English literature who was
reading Isaac Asimov and loved Alexandre Dumas. A canal towpath can
be quite a sociable place.

At some point yesterday I passed a sign which said, Welcome to
Lancashire, and since then the run has been something of a tour of old
mill towns, Blackburn, Burnley, even Accrington got a close miss.

Anyway, tomorrow I breakfast in Wigan.

Nighty night, folks.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 30 Evening

While my Mizuno Wave Riders were going through their second wash cycle
yesterday I formulated a plan for getting to Lands End. About time, I
know.

Anyway, this is it. Skipton, where I took my break, is on the Leeds
Liverpool Canal. If I run the canal towpath along to Liverpool (98
miles) Prestatyn is just around the corner (35 miles) and Prestatyn is
the north end of Offa's Dyke. Take Offa's Dyke all the way down to
the south end, bridge over the Bristol Channel, round to Minehead (the
start of the South West Coastal Path) and then bang out the last few
miles down to Lands End.

Sounds easy of you say it fast but it works out at another 660 miles.
I really want to finish in no more than another 20 days. That would
be a total of seven weeks. It's doable but I need to boost the effort
a couple of notches.

So I made a start today. By the time I took the train from York to
Skipton it was midday but now, as I type this in my tent under a tree
by the canal, I'm 30 miles nearer to Liverpool.

Fantastic.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 29 Morning

It's now Saturday morning 4 July, Day 29 of the Big Run, four weeks since starting out from John O'Groats on Saturday 6 June.

I haven't posted for a few days (iPhone battery needing charged) so here's an update.

I managed to get 27 miles done on Wednesday (Day 26) by pushing on from Hawes to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. It was still hot though and by the time I was approaching Horton I was running on empty and the place just seemed to keep receding into the distance. I was beginning to feel quite tearful with fatigue when some local fell runners began to approach me from behind. I managed to work up to a jog and was making a feeble attempt at hanging tough by the time they caught up. When I let it be known that I was running from JOG to LE one of them slowed down and accompanied my pathetic trot all the way to the Crown Pub which, thankfully, was still doing food.

After steak and mushroom pie and a couple of pints of orange I dragged my weary, footsore self to the local campsite. It's a big campsite for a little place but I learnt in the morning that Horton is the setting off point for Pen Y Ghent and the famous Three Peaks so that made sense.

The site manager, quite a character, had country music blaring from his tent office when I arrived. The midgies were biting when I was putting up my tent and I was glad of the Jungle Formula which I hadn't used since Loch Lomond. Despite a loudly and endlessly bleating sheep I slept soundly for about ten hours.

Thursday 2 July - Day 27

The big campsite in Horton-in-Ribblesdale was almost deserted by the time I got going. I was still feeling a bit weary when I sat down for breakfast in the Pen y Ghent Cafe. They serve tea in pints there and the chap behind the counter knows how to make a brew. I had beans on toast in an attempt to have a healthy start and bought some Kendal Mint Cake (an experiment for me) to keep me going through the day.

The tea and the beans was just the start I needed and it wasn't long before I was jogging up the slopes towards Pen Y Ghent. It was a great climb on another hot day. Going down the other side was a fun scramble and I kept pushing on towards Fountains Fell. I made a couple of short stops and munched on the Mint Cake for quick energy. This Kendal Mint Cake is a local product and a favourite with climbers. Early Everest attempts were made on it. It's a bit like a hard tablet and good on this hot day because it wasn't all melted and sticky like a chocolate bar would have been.

I was flagging a bit by the time I reached Malham Tarn, a bit of a lake, so I had a lie down by the water for a few minutes and some more Mint Cake.

Malham Cove is an awesome natural limestone sculpture. A completely stunning accidental work of art.

I was dragging my heels along the short walk from the Cove to Malham the village.

It was hot and I was cranky. It was five in the afternoon and the cafe was just closing. The nearest pub wasn't doing food until, I think, six. The village shop didn't have any tinned food. The proprieter told me he hadn't stocked food for years. "We just cater for the day visitor now." Who, apparantly has an insatiable appetite for sweets, water pistols and larcenously priced soft drinks.

I couldn't tell if the other pub was doing food because the only entrance I could find was blocked by two empty child's high chairs. Why? Their menu I did find and it was another highwayman's charter.

I decided to add Malham to my hit list (see Melrose) and stormed off along the road to Gargrave in something between high dudgeon and a right old huff.

This should have been a pleasant five mile riverside walk but I was tired, hot, annoyed. Then I tried to just let it go. Malham wasn't out to get me any more than Melrose had been. But it was still hot, I was still hungry, the insects were still bothersome and I still couldn't read a map.

But Gargrave had a chip shop and a co-op. I bought take out sausage and chips. (I wish I hadn't seen her test the gravy by sticking her finger in it then sucking it). And I bought some Mars Bars and a tin of peach slices at the co-op.

I ate the whole tin of peach slices after I found the campsite and put my tent up. That's the nearest thing to fresh fruit I've eaten since the half dozen plums I bought in Melrose.

Friday 3 July - Day 28

Another ten solid hours. I'm finding that the tent has become like home. The field I was camped in was right by a busy road with plenty of lorry traffic but it hadn't bothered me all night.

It started raining just as I finished packing my tent. And then it rained all morning. Relentless, straight down, seeping, soggy, wet, nasty, uncomfortable rain. And it was a wet, soggy walk over boggy fields. And soggy, boggy, cold water squelched in my poor Mizuno Wave Riders. Running shoes were never meant to endure this.

Approaching Lothersdale I decided it was time for a break. After an indifferent but imaginatively priced lunch in the surly, parochial atmosphere of the Hare and Hounds pub I walked in the wakening sunshine the three and a half miles to Skipton where I got a train to my brother William's place in York.

Today I'm having a day off and lazing around in the company of William and Angelina and nieces and nephews Julia, Rebekah, Matthew and Steven. And the sun is shining again.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 26 Afternoon

I got lost for a bit just after leaving Thwaite but when I eventually got on to the flagged path up to Great Shunner Fell the way was clear and I got a good pace going. Coming down the other side was even better. Flagged path or stony track all the way down as clear as the Edgware Road. I flew most of the five miles down to Hardraw.

Nearer the bottom I was able to do a good deed. An elderly scandanavian lady had become separated from two of her friends and by the time I had finished running up and down they were all together again.

I sat on a bench by the river and had breakfast in a can and a Mars Bar. Then I headed over the fields to Hawes. It was only just over a mile but now I feel wiped out. The heat is incredible. I'm sitting in a pub with a pint of Coke and a pot of tea trying to rehydrate.

It's only three twenty so plenty of hours left once I get going again.

I saw a sign for the Wensleydale Cheese Visitors Centre. I mean I like cheese. But do I want to visit?

Saw another sign, a handmade one, for, "Logs, sticks and potatoes".
That one I loved.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 26 Morning

I got up and left Keld early, without breakfast, detemined to get good mileage done today. It's now ten o'clock and I've done the three miles to Thwaite already so I've stopped for tea and a bacon roll at the Kearton Country Hotel which is very nice, big pretentions for a little place, but why not.

The bacon roll has just arrived, delivered by a chef in whites. Oooh er! I just sent him off for some English mustard.

I better make the most of it. After this it's nine miles across the fells, including Great Shunner Fell which the guide book expects me to be very excited about.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 25 Evening

When I mentioned to the campsite owner at Middleton-in-Teesdale that I was going from John O'Groats to Lands End he gave me my four quid back. Result. So that was a nice start to the day.

At the Conduit Cafe where I had breakfast they have a Pennine Way Walkers visitors book. That made for interesting reading. I wrote a few lines including a plug for the blog and the Edinburgh show.

It has been another great day for running. Not as hot as yesterday, more overcast and even drizzly at times, but still great. And I only got lost a couple of times. It was pretty boggy in places but I think I'm getting used to that.

Eighteen miles in and just before seven in the evening I reached the Tan Hill Inn. Remember, the double glazing ad, the highest pub in Britain. I chugged down four Mars Bars instead of stopping for a meal. But the pub was pretty cute and I did have a lovely cup of tea before jogging the last four, mostly downhill, miles into the little village of Keld.

I bought a couple of things at the campsite shop and pitched my tent so I'm all set for the night.

I'm a bit concerned about my progress. This is day 25 and I don't think I'm quite halfway yet. And I'm doing twenty odd miles a day rather than thirty plus. I mean I'm not desperately worried but it would be nice to have a fair amount of breathing space before the Edinburgh Festival starts. Still that's not till August 8th.

Whatever, no worries.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 24 Evening

I had a lovely evening meal last night of tagliatelle with a mushroom and cream sauce at the Youth Hostel in Dufton. Fanastic. Great company too. Including a couple who are doing Lands End to John O'Groats in instalments. So our paths were crossing about half way.

It had taken me two days to cover the twenty miles from Ashton to Dufton due to getting lost and fogbound etcetera so I was tempted to take to the road this morning just to get some miles done.

But at the last minute I changed my mind and decided to stay on the Pennine Way as being more in the spirit of the thing. Anyway, I'm glad I did. Today was one of the best days so far. Sunshine all day and I was feeling good so most of the 21 miles from Dufton to
Middleton-in-Teesdale were running miles. The terrain was varied, the route clear and some of the scenery stunning. The great glacial gouge of High Cup Nick is just astounding.

I've just had a steak and ale pie with chips and mushy peas in a hotel here and in a minute I'm going to look for the campsite.

I've burned my shoulders by running with my shirt off this afternoon. Otherwise I'm as fit as a fiddle.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 23 Afternoon

When I woke up on Great Dun Fell this morning the fog was as thick as it had been the night before. And it continued that way. I had the last of my food, a tin of beans and sausage for breakfast, and then at about eleven decided I had to make a move.

I packed up the tent and then started to test out the different paths/tracks that had bewildered me the night before. Then, out of the fog loomed four figures. I tried to keep the desparate whine out of my voice as I asked them if they were on the Pennine Way.

They were, and they were able to guide me onto the right track. Did I mention there's a top secret radar installation on top of Great Dun Fell? Anyway, there is. And all I had to do was follow the perimeter fence till I found the tarmac road and follow it downhill. It would be signposted all the way to Dufton.

It wasn't quite as easy as that but it wasn't that difficult either. I got almost lost a couple of more times before I got below the fog just after one in the afternoon and it was downhill and sunshine all the way to Dufton.

I arrived in Dufton at two thirty to find that the Stag, the only pub, stopped doing food at two and didn't start again until six.

OK, I thought I'll get some food from the shop. The shop was closed and had been, the lady next door advised me, since November. Mmm, echoes of Garrigill.

Then the lady offered to make me a pot of tea and a sandwich. Result.

I was enjoying my tea at the table outside the shop when I was joined by two other ladies who were boycotting the pub because on their last visit the landlord had been rude about the effect their muddy boots were having on his brand new ten thousand pound carpet.

Soon there were four of us sitting with our tea outside the defunct shop. This attracted the attention of the pub which was just across the tiny village green. I hope I haven't started a feud.

My new buddies were doing a quiz about famous women and we had fun with that for a while. Then my brother Willie called to say that since I was going to be passing his part of the country, York, he wanted to meet up and go a couple of miles with me. Cool.

I was sorry to see my quiz buddies go in the end. (If any of you read this do drop me a line.) When they left I walked the few yards to the Youth Hostel and waited till five and signed in.

The evening meal is a seven. Perfect.

John O'Groats to Lands End -Day 22 Evening

I started the day in a real Lands-End Here-I-Come kind of a mood. I had a lovely breakfast in the Youth Hostel at Alston in very convivial company. We had a lively discussion about modern sculpture among other things.

I got going about ten thirty and ran along the river the five or so miles down to Garrigill. At eleven fifty I arrived in this tiny settlement where the pub opens only four days a week for five months of the year. As chance would have it, it was ten minutes till opening time so I waited and had a cup of tea. Pretty quiet pub the George and Dragon.

I continued out of Garrigill on towards Cross Fell with some nice uphill running. I managed to lose the path for a while and by the time I found it again I had missed Cross Fell. I know, how can you miss the highest mountain in England outside the Peak District. I just did, OK.

Anyway, I continued along a paved section of the track (hard to get lost) to Little Dun Fell. And then the mist came down like the final curtain. Within minutes visibility was down to yards. This was about six o'clock.

I stayed where I was on the summit of Little Dun Fell for a bit but it didn't look like clearing. Not long after that, by coincidence, one of my breakfast companions happened along. He had just come from the direction I was headed and was able to guide me to the next peak. So I got as far as Great Dun Fell but then the paved section of the track ended and without sight of any other significant landmarks I wasn't getting any further.

About seven thirty I decided to wait it out till morning and pitched the tent right by the track.

I have food and plenty of water and I am warm enough in my sleeping bag.

I'm sure the fog will have cleared by morning and I can head on down to Dufton.

No worries.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 21 Evening

On the wall in reception at the Youth Hostel in Alston, which is where I staying tonight, there is a big map of Britain and, though I am trying real hard, I cannot convince myself that Alston is anywhere near half way down. Have a look yourself.

After a long run of hot weather today was cooler. Overcast in the morning when I set out from the campsite in Greenhead after a quick Mars Bar breakfast. Then drizzly in the afternoon after a functional lunch of beans, cold from the can.

And Northumberland is soggy enough quite frankly. If Britain was a bed Northumberland would be the wet patch. What a soggy, boggy wet place.

But I'm in Cumbria now and Alston in Cumbria has red squirrels. I even saw one. Then I saw a sign which gave a number to call if you see any grey squirrels. That's right, if you see a grey squirrel you're supposed to grass it up.

When I arrived in Alston at about 6pm after 18 miles of being lost in a bog I had had enough. By the way, have you ever tried to run in a bog? I know, I'm whinging.

Anyway, I went straight into the Cumberland Hotel and, remembering last evening's feast, ordered lasagne. Well it was very nice but with the little side salad and a little roll just NOT BIG ENOUGH. So I followed it with lemon cheesecake and ice cream, again very nice but NOT BIG ENOUGH!

So I'm sitting in the Youth Hostel topping up with chocolate bars

Highlight of the day was the little old lady who ran the campsite in Greenhead. I paid her my four pounds on coins and then as we chatted she started giving it back to me. I mentioned I had come all the way from John O'Groats and she slipped me a quid for that. When I said I
had eaten in the Hotel the night before she made me take another quid back, "because everything is so expensive." Not her campsite, it's not. I had to scarper before she ended up making a loss.

My trekking pants have developed a sweat stain which makes it look as though I have pissed myself. They are in the washing machine right now but it has been an embarrassing couple of days.

I'm looking forward to a night in a comfortable bed. I've ordered porridge and the veggie breakfast for tomorrow morning. I think the Belly Busters might have been slowing me down. Although I'm fairly sure I haven't lost any weight yet.

Later, amigos.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 20 Evening

Yesteday afternoon it took me 6 hours to do the 15 miles from Byrness to Bellingham. In Bellingham there was no sit down food to be had after 9. Had to settle for sausage and chips takeaway.

I paid five quid to camp at Demesne Farm campsite and found out next morning it was another 50p for a 6 minute shower. What did I get for my five quid?

Belly Buster breakfast at the Caff in the Library at Bellingham. Followed it with cheesecake and ice cream. It was after noon when I eventually got on the road.

Trekked thirteen and a half miles south to Hadrian's Wall. Hard going with the Belly Buster on board, alternatively soggy or rocky or heathery underfoot, and the route was all chopping and changing. I just couldn't get it going.

At Hadrian's Wall all of that changed. The food was digested, the route was easier to follow and the views were stunning as I ran along the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.

There was nobody else in sight and I felt like a wild Pict having a look around the day after the legionaries went back to Rome.

Nine thirty when I arrived at Greenhead pretty beat. Kitchen closed at the Greenhead Hotel but they managed to put together a big plate of lasagne and veg.

I think there's a campsite in town.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 19 Lunchtime

Injury Update: left foot has been perfect for a few days now except for a recent blister on the sole, right foot is about 95% and getting better, slight sunburn to face, arms and legs - haha.

Getting lost last night meant that I had no food for supper or breakfast. It took me three hours to cross the wild and soggy Northumbrian moors between Chew Green and Byrness so by the time I reached The Filling Station Cafe "The First and Last in England" I was ready for the big breakfast. It's a measure of my hunger that I actually ate the black pudding.

O yeah, I crossed the border into England last night at about 9pm. Where I crossed, the frontier was just a farm gate. There was no guard or customs or anything, this was the middle of nowhere in the Cheviot Hills after all, but the Northumbrian Council must have known I was coming because they had left a note advising me that countryside access legislation is different in England from what it is in Scotland. I think they were referring to my wild camping habits.
Anyway, they ended by wishing me a pleasant day on the hills so thanks for that.

I've just followed the black pudding breakfast with a bit of rather soggy cheesecake. Very soggy place Northumbria. Thank goodness it isn't raining.

Almost 1.30pm and I'm about to stock up with food and water and do the 15 miles between here and Bellingham.

See ya later!

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 18 Bedtime

After leaving Morebattle this afternoon I had intended to follow St Cuthbert's Way to Yetholm for the start of the Pennine Way going south.

Anyway, I missed a turning and lost St Cuthbert. Without a proper map, I know, I know, I couldn't find it again. I did, however, with the help of the old Roman road Dere Street, trip over the Pennine way and I now find that I am a good bit further on than I would have been
had I not got lost in the first place.

I'm camped on the Pennine Way at Chew Green a kind of old Roman settlement not far north of Byrness where I'm hoping to get breakfast in the morning.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 18

Up and away at just after 6am this morning and, yes, I had been camped just down the hill from Maxton Kirk.

The early start did not make for good mileage. Struggling all day to keep it going, stopped three times to have a sleep by the path.

Also struggling to find food. After breakfast of Mars bar and a tin of beans and sausage no shops until three in the afternoon when I reached the tiny little town of Morebattle with an empty belly and an empty waterbag. And this on the hottest day so far, real scorchio.

It's 4.30 and I've just eaten at the pub in Morebattle. Better get going again.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 17 Night

After tea at the Clovenfords Hotel some nice running through a hot afternoon on to Galashiels and Melrose where I had a very frustrating time trying to find some cheesecake. In the end I had to settle for a caramel slice - can you believe it?

Anyway, at Melrose I got onto St Cuthbert's Way which is pretty cool, though I did have some navigation issues which slowed me down.

I'm now in my tent in a wood just outside Maxton, I think. I'll find out tomorrow.

'Night, folks.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 17 Early Afternoon

It just came on to rain. More often than not I would keep running through it but I felt like a break so I've stopped for a pot of tea at the Clovenfords Hotel, Clovenford. Not having anything to eat. The Whistle Stop breakfast, wonderful though of was, made for slow progress this morning and I'm only really getting up to speed now. I'll just have the tea then batter on along to Galashiels and Melrose.

Was getting philosophical before the rain came on.

Endurance running is a thing of the body, mind and spirit, the trinity of self. The trinity of wholeness and health. That is the revelation of running, that these three things are the same.

Run well, my brothers and sisters. Run the Road to Endorphia and hear the jingling, joyful laughter of the cosmos.

I am simply buzzing with endorphins today. What a blast.

Clovenfords Hotel has tourist music playing; a high blown, swollen, positively gouty version of the Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. It's hilarious.

On the wall opposite is a Victorian print of musket wielding highlanders fighting in the Crimea. Outside is a big statue of Sir Walter Scott. For some reason it's all incredibly funny.

These are some good endorphins.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 17 Morning

A good night's sleep in the tent by the river Tweed and a short bleary-eyed walk took me to the Whistle Stop Cafe and Flower Shop in Innerleithen where I have just finished the Big Breakfast (2 eggs, 2 sausages, double bacon, mushrooms, beans and an malevolent looking circle of black pudding which I left on the plate - and toast and coffee).

The name of the Chinese takeaway opposite is called Happy Days. This, for some reason, touches me and I am close to tears and as happy as I have ever been in my life. Even the evil eye of the black pudding is part of the perfection of the universe.

The lunchtime special here at the Whistle Stop is lentil soup and strawberry cheesecake. I think about cheesecake while I sup my second cup of coffee and listen to Bob Dylan and the relaxed and cheerful chatter of the other patrons.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End Day 16 Evening

Altogether a lovely day. I left Carluke at about ten thirty and headed south and east along A-roads towards Peebles and the Scottish Borders.

Quieter roads than yesterday and much more rural. Grazing sheep, cows, some horses, llamas, yep quite a few, and one very clean pig.

Sometimes the road was lined with very old native British trees, sycamore, beech, horse chestnut.

I had started on Weetabix and banana and kept going the thirty miles to Peebles on a tin of beans and sausage and five Mars Bars bought at the Co-op in Carnwath.

Apart from a quick pot of tea at the Nestlers in Newbigging and a twenty minute sleep by the side of the road five miles outside of Peebles it was pretty much all go until I reached there.

I want to try as far as possible to get 35 miles a day so after a takeaway pie and chips eaten on a park bench I left Peebles behind and headed along the Innerleithing Road for another five miles.

I got that done and now I'm in my tent, pitched by the side of the path in a kind of riverside walk. Not a great spot but the best I could find.

There was a feeble attempt at rain there just as it turned dark, but it wasn't very convincing. I hope it's dry again tomorrow.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 15 Evening

I spent a large part of Day 13 and Day 14 laying on my mum's couch with my right foot wrapped in a packet of frozen peas. Most athletes keep a couple of packets of frozen peas in the freezer to treat injuries bacause a packet of frozen peas will mould itself to any body part unlike, for example, a packet of frozen yorkshire puddings.

But today I got up and after porridge and banana packed my bag and headed into Glasgow to take up where I left off.

Today was a run through the greater glasgow/lanarkshire conurbation. Central Glasgow, over the river to the south side, Gorbals, Govanhill, Cathcart, Toryglen, Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Halfway (halfway to where?), Blantyre, Burnbank, Hamilton, Motherwell, Craigneuk, Wishaw, Bogside, Carluke. That's not far short of 25 miles. I really enjoyed this run in the sunshine through the streets of my childhood and youth. These are the places my family comes from, where many of them still live. I'm glad my run included these places. The country isn't knitted from bits and pieces of long distance walking routes.

I'm staying in Carluke tonight at my sister Liz's place.

Tomorrow I'm heading on road toward Peebles and the next day on to Melrose where I can pick up St Cuthbert's Way which will take me on to the Pennine Way starting at Kirk Yetholm.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 12 Evening

Yesterday after scoffing a delicious vanilla cheesecake at the Rowardennan Hotel I continued jogging down Loch Lomondside in warm sunshine.

Arriving at Balmaha just before five I found the village shop closed. The best I could do for provisions was five Mars Bars from the Oak Inn next door.

Then up and over the challenge of Conic Hill. The last time I crossed Conic Hill was in the face of a cold wet wind-driven rain, my feet slipping and splashing over the cold soggy ground. This time was a long hot tough climb round the shoulder of the hill followed by a fun risky tumbling jog down the other side. You never climb the same hill twice.

Beyond Conic Hill it was through the forest and then past Drymen where, come eight thirty, I decided it was time to call it a day and stopped at a campsite.

I woke at four this morning to the sound of rain. I dozed on and off until nine and it never let up. It was raining all the time I was packing up and it rained from the time I got going at ten all the way down the road to Milngavie where I bought two scotch pies from a bakers shop and ate them standing in the rain. And it rained all the way down the Maryhill Road into Glasgow.

Somehow the rain had penetrated my waterproof defences by crawling over the waistband of my waterproof trousers. My trekking pants were wet. My running shorts were wet. My leggings were wet. I was wet through to the soggy marrow of my miserable bones.

I sat at a bus stop on Sauchiehall Street and became aware that the rain had stopped and the sun had come out.

The good news is that I'm now about quarter of the way to Lands End. My left foot is back to normal and my right foot is getting there. I've been going for 12 days and I've come not far short of 300 miles. That's about 25 miles a day. I projected 35 miles a day but I had to contend with two injured feet so I'm still well pleased and expect that daily average to increase.

I'm at my mum's now where I'll be taking a break for a day or two. I'll be back on the road Friday or Saturday heading further south.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 11 Lunchtime

I had a long break at Paddy's Bar at Tyndrum yesterday but was raring to go when I left at about four in the afternoon. I powered on down past Strathfillan Wigwams without stopping for one of their sausages on a roll. And then through the forest and past the turnoff for Crianlarich and suddenly it was eight in the evening and I had a quick stop for a cup of tea in the bar at Beinglas Farm.

And then further till I reached the broad still waters of Loch Lomond shining like hope. And further still along the loch's wild and rocky west bank till it was ten o'clock and I pitched my tent in an almost flat patch of grass just off the track.

After a dry and comfortable night I rose early this morning to the worst midgie swarming of my life. Thousands of the evil little bastards crawled all over my face and neck and hands as I struck the tent and packed up. If it wasn't for Jungle Formula insect spray I would have been bitten to a pulp.

The midges mostly don't bother you while you are on the move so I hiked the couple of miles to the Inversnaid Hotel and had breakfast out of a tin sitting on a bench.

It has been one of those damp overcast midgie plagued mornings and my energy has been quite low jogwalking through Rowerdennan Forest. There are more people around than I've seen any day so far including, celebrity alert, James Michie off of Taggart strolling through the forest with three of his mates.

It's almost two in the afternoon now and I've just finished the Ben Lomond Burger in the Rowardennan Hotel. Looking outside the sky seems to be clearing and the sun is trying to make its presence felt.

I think I'll have some cheesecake before I make a move though.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 10 Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon after a long break at Kingshouse I headed across wild Rannoch Moor. It's a long road but it was a good run and by the time I was getting near the end it was about seven thirty and I was trying to decide whether to stop at the free campsite at Victoria Bridge or push on over the hill to Bridge of Orchy.

Then a crackling thunder ripped the sky open and it began to pour down. I picked up the pace for the last mile to Victoria Bridge and put my tent up in a relentless rain.

Everything was wet apart from my sleeping bag and air matress and my shirt and pants. All night I lay still hoping I wouldn't roll over in my sleep and soak my sleeping bag on the wet floor of the tent. I mean the floor was wet, there were little puddles.

But this morning was good. I had managed to stay dry and my feet felt good. I mean really good. Not fixed but definitely on the mend and ready for running.

The rain stayed off for long enough to let me towel dry the inside of the tent and I got going over the hill.

At Bridge of Orchy I decided that the hotel was too posh for breakfast and jogwalked on to Tyndrum where I've just had a mega double bacon cheeseburger with chips, coleslaw and salad at Paddy's Bar. £7.50 - bargain.

It's well into the afternoon now so I better finish my tea and head out to get the miles done.

More later.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 9 Lunchtime

Got up early and was on the go by 6.30 through a warm clear morning across Larrig Mor to Kinlochleven. Once the stiffness was out of my feet I did some nice running.

Then the long climb down into Kinlochleven where I bought bug spray and chocolate and the longer climb back out onto the mountain pass. And then running some sweet miles as far as the Devil's Staircase where of started to rain half way down.

I got to the Kingshouse after three and have been lunching on cheesecake, ice cream and Irn Bru.

I'm gonna leave soon and head across Rannoch Moor.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 8

Was feeling low last night, lying in my tiny cold tent with two busted feet nothing to eat but the emergency honey and rain forecast for the next five days.

I tried to lift myself up with some music. Joni Mitchell is great and will lift you way up high if you are a little bit high already, "and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses".

But the sun was down and I was about as far from a Chelsea Morning as it was possible to be. So I turned to Blind Willie Johnson, the great old gospel bluesman, and let John the Revelator make a temporary believer out of me. Then the battery ran out of juice.

This morning I woke up up hear the rain pattering on the roof. When it stopped about ten I decided to get up while the going was good and make move.

I packed up my soaking wet tent and got going. And the sun was out. And, despite the forecast, it stayed out and the rest of the day was warm and dry.

It's a long drag from Laggan Locks to Fort William with no place to get food. I got there about five and bought a whole cooked chicken from Morrisons supermarket for £3.68. Now I know how those birds are kept so that they can be brought to market as cheaply as that and I'm
not making any excuses. I just had to have that protein.

Then I got on the West Highland Way and made the long climb out of Fort William and through the forest. I camped by a stream at the edge of the forest ready to cross the larrig in the morning. A good day.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 7 Evening

Late start today. Walking and running a bit along the side of the Caledonian Canal and Loch Oich. Got a bit further than Laggan Locks but have now stopped to camp. Short day, low mileage. No idea how far I have come.

Now sitting in the sun with my throbbing, injured feet bathing in the chilly waters of the loch.

Beautiful sunny day today.

Kytra Lock Caledonian Canal - Day 7

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 6 Evening

Camped just south of Fort Augustus on a damp patch of ground between the canal and the river.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 5 Evening

Frustrating day. Was so up for running through the terrain at the north end of the Great Glen Way. Legs lungs heart muscles joints, all wanted to play but my left foot just wouldn't ante up and get in the game.

Have pitched my tent, probably illegally, on some Forestry Commission type land. It's a complete shambles, I'm on a slope and the pegs are fixed to what is effectively mulch but I just needed to get the weight off my foot.

I'm up the hill just south of Drumnadrochit. I did something over 15 miles today but haven't got a map so not sure.

Highlight of the day was stopping at the Abriachan Campsite at Wester Laide, the funnest, funniest, funkiest stopping point of any long distance route I've ever travelled. I stopped for coffee but stayed for lunch.

I'll fill in the details later. This has to me quick in case the iPhone battery runs put.

Basically, everything is great except my foot. And even that's great because the pain and frustration are probably teaching me some fine Buddhistic virtue which will come in handy whenever I have real problems.

I can hear the rain pattering on my tent. Mostly dry today, by the way, but not completely.

Signing off now, going to sup on tinned sardines and chocolate.

Yum yum.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 5 Morning

I'm lying in bed in a ten bunk room in a hostel on Rose Street in Inverness. The budget can't handle many more guest house stays.

Anyway, yesterday was pretty gruelling. I was determined to get the 34 miles to Inverness put of the way and see the last of the A9/A99. I'm sure it's the on road running which has done my feet in. Yes, this morning the swelling on my left foot is worse and there's painful swelling on the top of my right instep.

Anyway yesterday morning (day 4) after a cooked breakfast at the guesthouse in Tain I bought a 150 gram bar of chocolate and got going around 10am. I just kept plugging away, walking, having brief rests and short running spells and reached Imverness just after 9pm. I was worn out and hungry and felt no shame at all in scoffing a Big Mac Meal.

My feet may both be swollen and sore but everything else is fantastic. After 120 miles in 4 days my resting heart rate is 44 beats a minute and my muscles and joints feel fine.

Today is the start of the Great Glen Way which will take me to Fort William where I can join the West Highland Way, so that means it's mostly off road all the way to Glasgow.

It's 9am now so I'm going to get up and find some breakfast and get the stiffness out of my feet.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 3 Evening

I'm resting up at a Bed and Breakfast in Tain. I got off the road at 5 in the afternoon after covering about 15 miles, 10 at a run-walk-run and 5 just walking.

The swelling on my left foot hurts. The impact of running is definitely not helping. Walking ain't too good either.

Mostly dry today. Dornoch Firth Bridge pretty impressive. I love running over long bridges. I had to walk this one though.

Lying in bed now hoping my foot heals itself. If I can't run tomorrow I'll walk just to get the miles covered.

Slept earlier and now, just after midnight, I'm watching TV. Also focussing the healing energy of the cosmos on my left foot. Whatever.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 3 Morning

A long soak in a bath at the Stags Head in Golspie is followed by a
good nights sleep and an aggresively carnivorous breakfast.

The twinge in the outside of my left foot just forward of the ankle
has manifested itself as a swollen red bruise. It complains when I
walk. Let it complain. All I'm gonna give it is a tightened shoelace.

I'm packing up now and I should be on the road by just after 10.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 2 Evening

And so I arrive in Golspie which, depending on whether you put your faith in Google Maps, the official road signs or the old Victorian stone waymarker outside the Sutherland Hotel, is either 68, 72 or 73 miles from John O'Groats.

I'm going with the Victorians. They have precedence. And that means I'm averaging 36.5 miles a day so far. Hoo Rah!

Injuries: General muscle soreness in shoulders, back and legs, suspicious twinge in left ankle, significant chafing to lower back and scrotum, sunburnt forehead, blister on sole of left foot.

Mood: Tired but happy

By the way. The sheep aren't staring at me any more. None of them. It's like they're deliberately ignoring me. And I get the feeling they know it's winding me up.

Wooly bastards.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 2

Yesterday I made the daily goal of 35 miles by reaching Latheron, following the A99 all the way. Then at about 9.30pm tiredness and a lack of a suitable place to camp led me to wimp out and put up at a B and B.

And I'm glad I did. Alan Tanner who owns the Old Manse guest house made me a big cheese and tomato sandwich which I ate in the kitchen with a pot of tea while I chatted with Mr and Mrs Tanner.

Ten hours sleep and breakfast of porridge, poached eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, fruit juice, coffee and I was ready to go again.

I'm in Helmsdale now having done the 19 miles from Latheron mostly in the pissing rain.

I'm having lunch of Cornish pastie, chips and beans. I'm 55 miles from John O'Groats and 15 miles short of Golspie which is pretty much my destination today. It's only 3.30 so I'm doing pretty good.

In fact everything is good, although I do find that I don't like being stared at by sheep.

Later, dudes.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Day 1

Yesterday's travel "challenges" didn't end with missed bus at Buchanan Station. Never mind why or how but I ended up walking in the deep twilight which passes for darkness here along the top edge of Scotland with the Orkneys just across the water to my left.

I would have pitched my tent in a field but they were all occupied by sheep or cows, and in more than one case a fearsome looking bull.

So it wasn't until I found the Stroma View campsite at one thirty in the morning that I got my head down.

This morning I got up late, almost eleven, and after paying the campsite owner, a thoroughly nice chap from Wimbledon by way of Bournemouth, my four quid camping fee I walked the last mile and a quarter into John O'Groats.

On the way I was passed by a couple of dudes in fancy dress on a tandem who had just cycled up from Lands End.

I had a completely insuitable breakfast of fried egg and flat sausage on a roll from the snack bar and then got changed into running gear.

Three and a half hours and seventeen miles later I'm having a decent portion of chicken curry and rice in the Bridge Cafe in Wick.

Once that settles down I hope to do another 18 miles or so before bedtime.

I'm on my way.

Joemobility to John O'Groats

I love public transport. For me public transport, or 'joemobility', is one of the wonders of the civilized world. Buses, trains, planes, tube trains, if you don't expect them to come and go at your whim, but just relax and go with the flow, it's a great way to travel. Listening in to other peoples conversations, chatting with strangers, reading, dozing - you can't do all that while your driving. At least not without a certain degree of risk.

But every so often this beautiful organic system will turn round and bite you in the arse.

It happened this morning. Long story short, it took me the biggest chunk of three hours to cover the fifteen miles from Newarthill to Glasgow and I missed the Thurso bus by 20 minutes.

Still, no worries, the lady in the booking office at Buchanan Station charged me £1.50 to rebook me on the bus going two hours later and I'm good to go again.

So I had lunch of a Pie Supper (£3.70) and a rather nice takeaway coffee (£1.20) on sunny Sauchiehall Street while I soaked up the atmosphere and a better than indifferent busker covered some excellent songs.

I'm on the bus now and due in Thurso at 9.45 pm so I suspect I may have to wait until tomorrow to do the last 18 miles to John O'Groats.

Anyway, I'm still on track to start running sometime tomorrow morning.

John O'Groats to Lands End - D Day minus 2 (adendum)

Checking my bag again and running through in my mind the absolute necessities for the journey ahead I am appalled to find that I haven't packed a tin opener. Or a spoon. What was I going to do with the sausage and beans - bite my way in.

While the rest of the world is focussed on Swine Flu I am reserving my pandemic-paranoia for Lyme's disease. The tiny bloodsucking ticks which spread this dread malady lurk in the long grasses of the British countryside waiting to attach themselves to passing mammals.

As a mammal that bothers me.

The good news is that ticks can neither fly nor jump. So stay out of the long grass and don't rub yourself up against passing deer or sheep and you should be OK.

The bad news is that if you do spot one of the mites having a meal at your expense and pull the little bugger off it is liable to leave its barbed mouth parts festering in your flesh.

But worry not. Technology has the answer in the form of a little device called a tick twister, a hooked prong which enables you to detach the parasite without leaving any part of it emebedded beneath your skin.

The Chemist didn't stock this useful gadget but the Brannock Veterinary Practice in Newarthill High Street was able to sell me one and I now feel that I am prepared for anything the Scottish
countryside has to throw at me.

John O'Groats to Lands End - D day minus 2

I'm on Motherwell now, at my mum's, base camp for the John O'Groats to Lands End run.

I have bought my bus ticket to Thurso. I'll be leaving Glasgow Friday lunchtime and arriving Thurso that evening, having changed buses at Perth and Inverness. I need to check there's a local bus I can take for the final eighteen miles to John O'Groats.

I start the run Saturday morning, 6th of June.

My running bag, the recently purchased Salomon XA 20, is packed (tent, sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping mat, water bag with about 2 litres of water, towel (actually, I cut my favourite lightweight towel In half so only half a towel really), toothbrush, toothpaste, wet wipes, bugspray, Compeed blister patches (as advertised for use with high heels), compass, squeezable plastic bottle of honey, tin of beans and sausages, the tiniest and brightest of headlamps (a gift from Glenn), scissors, needles and thread, safety pins, wallet containing usual stuff (including an unreasonable amount of cash for buying an unreasonable amount of food along the way), change of clothes (1 pair of socks)).

The iPhone will be attached to my belt, safe from the elements in its waterproof Aquapac.

Fully loaded, the bag tips my mum's bathroom scales at 14 pounds. Perfect!

Karola Gajda, in her dual roles of graphic artist and tireless publicist, has been sending me updates of the flyer for The Road to Endorphia which, of course, has to be ready in plenty of time for the start of the Edinburgh Festival.

So everything is moving forward.

I can't wait to start running.

The Road to Endorphia - Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

Writer/Performer Joe Donnachie Prepares for
Edinburgh Festival by Running from
John O’Groats to Lands End

The Road to Endorphia
Devised and performed by Joe Donnachie

In June 2009 writer and performer Joe Donnachie will run from John O'Groats to Lands End. A thousand miles or so should get him in the right mood for his running related one man show, The Road to Endorphia, which premieres at the Edinburgh Festival in August.

Joe Donnachie currently specialises in producing running related works.
2003 Various Dates - Beat the Bus - Joe races a London Bus along its entire route
2008 Edinburgh Festival - Run Man Show - solo show based on various runs undertaken in summer 2008 including Glasgow to Inverness and Inverness to Glasgow
2009 Edinburgh Festival - The Road to Endorphia - solo show largely based on a run from John O'Groats to Lands End to take place in June 2009
The Edinburgh Festival promises to be another marathon for Joe. In 22 days he will perform his show 36 times and plans to jog between his venues on the Royal Mile and in Leith.

Royal Mile Tavern, 127 High Street,
Starts 1.30pm (running time 55mins)
Daily from August 8 – 29
also at
Cruz, 14 The Shore, Leith
Starts 6pm (running time 55mins)
10 – 13, 16 – 20, 23 – 27 August

www.joedonnachie.com

(photos and blog about preparation and execution of John O’Groats to Lands End run)

Contact Joe Donnachie 07709 588 531 joedonnachie@hotmail.com

Richmond Park Deer

There were lots of deer around when I took this picture. That's the path I run along.

There were lots of other people around too. The deer seemed pretty chilled out about it though.

Last Richmond Park Run Before John O'Groats

I bought a new bag the other day. A nice little twenty litre day pack, the Salomon XA 20. It's the bag I'm going to use on the John O'Groats to Lands End run.

This morning I packed it up with pretty much everything I'll be taking with me. Tent, sleeping bag, waterproofs. The Camelbak water bag zipped into it's own compartment and the sleeping mat got lashed to the outside. I even packed food.

It was a beautiful hot day in the park and it was a lovely run. The new bag was a lot more snug than the old one and ten miles was little effort.

I had the iPhone on my belt in its rainproof Aquapac and banged out the miles to high energy music. I raced a couple of cyclists up the big hill and left them behind easily.

On a sunny Sunday the park was busy with walkers, runners, cyclists and picnicers. That didn't seem to bother the deer though. They were grazing right up to the main path. I took some pictures with the iPhone.

Ok, now this is really unexpected. I can't, at this point, decide to attach a picture of the deer to this message. And I've checked online. Once you've started a message on the iPhone there's no way to attach a picture.

Instead, this is what you have to do. If you want to email a picture you need to go to the picture you want and then select the option to email that picture, and then write the message. That seems silly to me. It makes me wonder if you can email more than one picture at once. Hmm.

Never mind. The deer gets a post all to himself.

Heading to John O'Groats - First iPhone Post

OK I cheated on that last post and emailed from the laptop. I'm still
not too slick on the iPhone keypad.

But I won't be taking the laptop with me so I'll have to get used to
the phone.

Actually, it's not too hard to get used to. And the predictive/corrective text facility on the iPhone is brilliant.

If this posts ok the next step is to see if I can get some pictures
and video up here from the phone.

Anyway, I've got my ticket to Glasgow. I'll be traveling overnight
Tuesday and arriving the morning of Wednesday 3 June.

I'll head up to John O'Groats a couple of days later and just start
running.

Right. This post is being emailed from the iPhone.

Updating Blog On The John O'Groats to Lands End Run

During the John O'Groats to Lands End run I'll be updating this blog daily from the road.

At least that's the intention. I can email my blog update from the iPhone. That's what I'm testing out now.

So as long as I can keep the iPhone charged up I should be OK.

When traveling along the West Highland Way I found that pubs were quite happy to let you plug in and juice your phone up. I usually asked just as I was about to order my food. Maybe that made a difference, I don't know. Anyway, that way it can be charging up while you're waiting for, eating and resting after your meal.

There's also a little portable gadget called a Freeloader which charges itself up from a small solar panel and then allows you to use that charge to recharge a range of different mobile devices. It's about 20 to 30 quid I think. So I may get one of those.

I should also be able to attach pictures and video to the posts.

Oh yeah, I just bought a thing called an Aquapac for the iPhone. Effectively the Aquapac is a watertight plastic bag for the iPhone (or any MP3 player really) which allows you to plug in earphones and allows access to the touchscreen so you can continue to use the iPhone/iPod in the pouring rain without it getting water damaged. The lens is obscured by the bag so you don't have use of the camera but, hey, who wants pictures of the pissing rain.

So here goes. Let's see if I can email my blog update.

One More Run Around Richmond Park

Up and out this morning at 4.45 for ten miles before breakfast and I have Richmond Park all to myself.

Except for the rabbits and the jackdaws and the deer.

And the coots. The coots, out of the water, walking in the grass at the edge of the pond in their big comedy feet.

And at last another runner, and a cyclist and another. And then I'm headed home along Priory Lane and Upper Richmond Road and ten miles is over before I know it and I'm sitting in bed typing and eating porridge and honey and then I'll snooze for half an hour before getting up for work.

Fantastic!

John O'Groats to Lands End - The Preparation Continues

Still running, still eating, still sleeping. Still routeplanning. Still making decisions about equipment.
I've got my new iPhone 3G. Communications, music, internet access, maps, photos, video, note taking.
Only two weekends left before I head up to Scotland, round about the first or second of June. Visit family. Start running a couple of days later.
Excited and fearful. Trying to run conservatively. Every twinge is a snapped tendon or an exploded knee. But then the excitement gets to me and I run like a lunatic.
The last few days of office work are an agony of tedium. Human physiology is not built for this endless sitting, the human brain for this routine.
My social skills are shutting down. I say nothing or I say the wrong thing. I swear inappropriately, talk to myself, laugh at my internal dialogue. I stretch, stand, look out the window. I gather weather evidence from clouds, light, moving trees.
Soon. Soon. Soon.

John O'Groats to Lands End - The Coleman Kraz X1

After a scorchingly fast ten miles this morning and a pasta lunch I pitch the tent in the back garden. Even though my construction skills are pretty rusty I manage to put it all together in about eight minutes. It looks great.

I bought the Coleman Kraz X1 early last summer in Tiso in Glasgow's Buchanan Street. It has been a fantastic deal for eighty quid.

It sleeps one person comfortably with room for your gear especially if you're traveling light. And it packs up small and light, weighing in at 1.65kg, or 3.63lbs.

I gladly testify to its remarkable waterproof qualities. It kept me dry through some pretty vicious downpours last year. It's also insect proof which is vital if you're out in the bush in Scotland's midgie season.

Some users of the tent have reported online that it's not so great in the cold. I can imagine that. It is a two skin tent but the outer skin doesn't quite meet the ground so there's a gap. And although the lower part of the inner skin which protects you from the ground is absolutely waterproof, the upper part is just an insect proof mesh. Apparently the wind whistling through that gap can make itself unpleasantly felt.

Having said all that, I used it all through the mixed weather of last year's summer and never spent an uncomfortable night.

And looking at it now I'm thinking about the good memories of last year and the new ones I'll make this year. I can't wait to get started.

John O'Groats to Lands End Calorie Binge and Press Release

My mirrored fizzog has been looking back at me in a rather wan and gaunt manner of late. So yesterday I took the day off from running and tried to ingest as many calories as possible while expending the absolute minimum of energy. I need to put on a few spare pounds before setting off from John O'Groats.

A late breakfast of eggs, sausages, bubble, tomatoes and a couple of slices of toast was followed by chocolate chip pudding and ice cream.

And this was the sunny afternoon that Glenn decided to inaugurate his new Weber Grill so lunch was a beefy barbecue excess. With another gooey pudding.

I'm usually strictly an H2O guy but today I invested in a couple of litres of a fizzy orange abomination whose brand name shall get no oxygen of publicity from me. And I guzzled and guzzled and guzzled.

In the evening I spent some time sluggishly working on the press release for Edinburgh while dunking chocolate digestives.

I was invited to a second barbecue sitting but couldn't face it.

This morning I don't feel a gram heavier. Ho hum.

But today I am as excited as I have been for months. I read my own press release with growing wonder. An unexpected email from a friend I haven't seen in ages tells me that she will be performing at the Gilded Balloon in August.

And once again the Edinburgh Festival begins to exert that peculiar artistic gravity which pulls all the spare creative energy of the planet to its heart.

I'm heading out for a ten miler now and when I get back I am going to practice packing the bag I will take with me on the Big Run. I need to check I have everything I need. I'll pitch the tent to make sure all it's poles and pegs are present and intact. I'll take a walk to the pharmacy to stock up on bug spray (midgies) and micropore tape and sun block.

I have to do route planning and trawl the internet for sources of GPS waypoints. I have to work on my press list. Oh yeah, and I must I must I must finish designing the flyer for the show and get it print ready soon soon soon.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Five Weeks To Go

Only five weeks to go before the start of the Big Run. Last minute nerves.

I'm working full time Monday to Friday up until then so that makes it harder to fit in the miles. It will make things more sorted financially, so that's good.

After a big mileage week (130) the week before last, last week I only managed 50 miles. This weeks total will be 90.

So I'm getting the fear that I'm not doing enough miles to be fit enough for the run.

But I don't want to push the mileage too hard because I'm afraid of overtraining at this point. I'm also afraid of developing some kind of overuse injury. My achilles tendons feel absolutely fine now after some problems earlier on.

Now my worry is a tenderness that I feel along the front of my shins after a run. It reminds me of the shin splints I developed a few years ago. That put me out of the game for months.

So, on balance, I'd rather start the run somewhat undertrained but injury free and with my enthusiasm intact.

I do feel fantastically fit, though.

Months ago on weekends I was running 18 milers and the occasional 25 or 30 mile run. Then I thought, wait a minute I want to be running 35 maybe 40 miles a day but I'm not going to be running that all in one hit. I'm going to be running it in chunks. So I stopped doing the big long runs and started running 10 milers, but often doing two or three a day. I thought that made more sense.

But I did the 10 milers relatively fast, without a break and running all the hills. Usually eight and a half to nine minute miles. That's quite hard running if you're doing three in a day. I was thinking, train hard, run easy.

In June, when I'll be doing the run, each day will have about 16 and a half hours of daylight. That's a lot of running time. So I can afford to run more slowly than I have been in training. It takes less energy to run the same miles if you run more slowly. And I don't have to run the really tough hills. I can take a walk break whenever I want. I can take it easy. It's not a race. As long as a I do the miles.

My goal is a pretty loose kind of goal. I'm going to travel from John O'Groats to Lands End on my own two feet, running most of the time, off road most of the time, carrying my own gear, refueling with food and water as I go. The distance should be something like 1,150 miles and I'd like to do it in not too much more than a month.

35 days at 35 miles a day ought to about do it.

Put like that it doesn't sound too hard. And I honestly believe it isn't. It's what I was born to do. OK I've been running fairly seriously for a few years now and training specifically to do this for several months but my physiology has been in preparation for this kind of thing for a couple of million years.

You know something, I'm going to stop worrying about it. Right this minute I'm going to get up and go out for another run. Richmond Park will be beautiful in the sunshine. And I'll have some porridge and banana when I get back.

Then I'll finish off the press release for the The Road to Endorphia and get it off to some people. The Edinburgh Festival is only about 13 weeks away.

Hey Ho! Lets Go.

John O'Groats to Lands End - Training Ups and Downs

Last week I ran 130 miles. That's 13 ten mile runs. I ran once on one day, twice on three days, three times on two days and I had one day off. I took the day off before the last day so I was relatively fresh for that last day of running. That was one of the days when I ran three times. I was feeling so good that I ran all three of my runs really fast. I mean each of those three runs might have been faster than any other run that week. I ran hard and fast that day. All in all it was a good week.

This week in five days so far I have run 30 miles. I thought, that's OK, I've been working this week. I'll make it up at the weekend.

I couldn't get out of bed this morning (Saturday). I eventually dragged myself round the corner for a big breakfast just after noon. I had the sausage, egg, bubble, beans, tomato, toast and tea then did some shopping. I got a few things from the nearby Tesco Metro rather than getting the bus to the big Sainsbury's. That was a measure of my lethargy. Another sign of low energy might have been when I was stood in the aisle almost blubbering because they didn't have "proper" porridge.

I got home around two and unpacked my paltry stock of groceries. Then I went upstairs. Without thinking I lay down on the bed. I barely got my shoes off before I fell asleep in my jacket. I woke up at four.

I ran in the rain yesterday morning but this afternoon, after what must be about fourteen hours sleep in all, the sunshine can't tempt me outside. I'm sitting in bed typing this.

Still, my appetite seems to be fine and I'm getting some admin e-mails done. I've organised a second venue for the Edinburgh Festival. Well, I should say Peter Buckley Hill, of PBH's Free Fringe, organised the venue. All I have to do is take him up on the offer. It means I'll now be doing a total of 36 performances of The Road to Endorphia in Edinburgh. I need to update the Fringe Programme listing with the new venue details.

I also need to get photographs done, a press release written, a flyer and poster designed and made print ready. I need to study and plan the route from John O'Groats to Lands End. I need to plan and book transport - how I am I going to get to the top of Scotland? and how am I going to get back from the extreme southwest of England? I need to write a show. I need to write a show that is funny and interesting. And I need to get up off my arse and run upwards of a hundred miles a week for the next three weeks so that I will be fit enough to do the run or the fact that Tesco Metro in Mortlake doesn't have "proper" porridge will be the least of my troubles.

Anyway, in the eternal words of Scarlett O'Hara, I'll think about that tomorrow.

Right now I'm going to get up and have some microwave lasagne with a couple of baked potatoes. Yeah, the appetite is still working.