Road to Endorphia: Running from John O'Groats to Lands End, my book about the run, is now available for download from Amazon. It's available as a Kindle book. But you can read those on all sorts of devices, your iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac etc. There are Kindle apps for pretty much everything, I think.
Anyway, here's the link:
Road to Endorphia
Please. Buy it, download it, share it, review it.
Sunday 30 January 2011
Ten Miles Richmond Park
After a second recovery day yesterday it was time for a ten miler.
It was afternoon by the time I got out the door struggling against tight muscles. What an old fart.
A real Sunday in Richmond Park. Plenty of walkers and cyclists of all ages. Runners too, of course.
The really fit looking black guy with the blade-style prosthetic left foot was running towards me at one point. I love to see him run. There is something sure and relentless and unforgiving about his steady, fast pace.
Then I heard heavy breathing and scuffing feet behind me and although I had promised myself to take it easy I couldn't let a heavy breathing scuffer overtake me. I pulled forward. The heavy breathing got heavier but stayed with me. It sounded young and female.
The breathing behind me faded a little as I struggled up the first steep hill. But along the flat section beyond the top of the rise I heard it getting nearer again. Shit. She wants to make a fight of it. I put some more into it and edged ahead but she was still there. I held it for a bit, not wanting to provoke her too much. I wasn't sure how much of a battle I could take without losing my porridge and peanut butter.
Then came the downhill section and I could hear her hammering away behind me. I had to really open up then, knowing that, if she caught me, in the fight to stay ahead I could easily lose both breakfast and dignity.
I opened up some more and heard her slip farther behind. Then it sounded like she cut across to the car park there.
Anyway, I slowed down when I crossed the road at the next gate and looked behind me. There was nobody there. Jeez. That's it, no more racing. I did some recovery jogging for a bit and sped up for the last third of the run.
I lay down in a hot bath rather than have to stand up in the shower, made myself a smoked fish sandwich and crashed for two hours.
I've got a lot of miles to do before I'm fit for a run across Europe.
Wasn't able to time my run because the battery has gone in my watch, the old Timex Ironman Triathlon Speed and Distance System. Dunno whether to replace the battery or splash out on a new watch.
It was afternoon by the time I got out the door struggling against tight muscles. What an old fart.
A real Sunday in Richmond Park. Plenty of walkers and cyclists of all ages. Runners too, of course.
The really fit looking black guy with the blade-style prosthetic left foot was running towards me at one point. I love to see him run. There is something sure and relentless and unforgiving about his steady, fast pace.
Then I heard heavy breathing and scuffing feet behind me and although I had promised myself to take it easy I couldn't let a heavy breathing scuffer overtake me. I pulled forward. The heavy breathing got heavier but stayed with me. It sounded young and female.
The breathing behind me faded a little as I struggled up the first steep hill. But along the flat section beyond the top of the rise I heard it getting nearer again. Shit. She wants to make a fight of it. I put some more into it and edged ahead but she was still there. I held it for a bit, not wanting to provoke her too much. I wasn't sure how much of a battle I could take without losing my porridge and peanut butter.
Then came the downhill section and I could hear her hammering away behind me. I had to really open up then, knowing that, if she caught me, in the fight to stay ahead I could easily lose both breakfast and dignity.
I opened up some more and heard her slip farther behind. Then it sounded like she cut across to the car park there.
Anyway, I slowed down when I crossed the road at the next gate and looked behind me. There was nobody there. Jeez. That's it, no more racing. I did some recovery jogging for a bit and sped up for the last third of the run.
I lay down in a hot bath rather than have to stand up in the shower, made myself a smoked fish sandwich and crashed for two hours.
I've got a lot of miles to do before I'm fit for a run across Europe.
Wasn't able to time my run because the battery has gone in my watch, the old Timex Ironman Triathlon Speed and Distance System. Dunno whether to replace the battery or splash out on a new watch.
Friday 28 January 2011
Recovery Day
Last night on the way home from work I did a detour to make the journey up to five miles. Half way through I had to start walking. Bought a couple of chocolate bars and munched them to get my energy up. A drink might have been a better idea. Completed the run but very weary, running for a bit then plodding. Early to bed.
This morning resting heart rate is 62 beats per minute, that's about 20 above my base rate. Time for a recovery day.
Shows how far I am from full fitness. Today is Friday so I'll do a ten miler Saturday and Sunday and make sure I just sleep loads and eat right.
On a different subject, I'm correcting the final version of Road to Endorphia, the book about the John O'Groats to Lands End run. Once it's finished I'm going to publish on Amazon where it will be available as a Kindle eBook.
OK, let's go. Takin' it eazy.
This morning resting heart rate is 62 beats per minute, that's about 20 above my base rate. Time for a recovery day.
Shows how far I am from full fitness. Today is Friday so I'll do a ten miler Saturday and Sunday and make sure I just sleep loads and eat right.
On a different subject, I'm correcting the final version of Road to Endorphia, the book about the John O'Groats to Lands End run. Once it's finished I'm going to publish on Amazon where it will be available as a Kindle eBook.
OK, let's go. Takin' it eazy.
Thursday 27 January 2011
Early Morning Richmond Park Again
I did the three miles home from work yesterday evening and now I'm out early again.
A beautiful not-quite-morning in Richmond Park, bare trees against a sky the colour of iron-rich earth.
I'm working against tight muscles but feeling good. Five miles feels like a half run. I long to do the full ten.
Busy morning. At one point I think a cyclist is heading towards me but it turns out to be another runner blinding me with his headlamp.
On the way back another runner comes up behind me his headlamp scattering shadows in front of me. Jeez, guys, it's not really dark. I pull away and leave him behind.
Then, coming towards me, a little old lady power-walking, really striding it out, in her hi-vis waistcoat.
Then, where the path briefly parallels the road, a beautiful, compact woman running alongside me. Actually, I can't make her out too well but any woman who is out running that fast before breakfast gets my vote. I put some muscle into it and draw away from her and then it's a right turn out of Roehampton Gate.
I give it some extra going up the long slope of Clarence Lane.
Nice.
Time for porridge and peanut butter, I think.
A beautiful not-quite-morning in Richmond Park, bare trees against a sky the colour of iron-rich earth.
I'm working against tight muscles but feeling good. Five miles feels like a half run. I long to do the full ten.
Busy morning. At one point I think a cyclist is heading towards me but it turns out to be another runner blinding me with his headlamp.
On the way back another runner comes up behind me his headlamp scattering shadows in front of me. Jeez, guys, it's not really dark. I pull away and leave him behind.
Then, coming towards me, a little old lady power-walking, really striding it out, in her hi-vis waistcoat.
Then, where the path briefly parallels the road, a beautiful, compact woman running alongside me. Actually, I can't make her out too well but any woman who is out running that fast before breakfast gets my vote. I put some muscle into it and draw away from her and then it's a right turn out of Roehampton Gate.
I give it some extra going up the long slope of Clarence Lane.
Nice.
Time for porridge and peanut butter, I think.
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Early Morning Run Richmond Park
Up and out at 6 am for a quick five miles before breakfast.
Not fifty yards from the house a fox streaks across my path. Run well, my brother.
In the rusty pre-dawn of Richmond Park I keep to the middle of the track, stepping high to avoid stones and holes and tree roots. Just too much light to see the jeweled eyes of the deer and not enough to make out their forms. Alone apart from the distant light of an occasional cyclist.
A really sweet run. I feel fantastic now. Porridge and peanut butter tasting just beautiful. Breakfast of champions.
I'm packing my new Salomon back pack with running gear for the run home from work this evening.
Remember folks, hours on your feet is miles in your legs.
Run, eat, sleep. Run, eat, sleep.
Not fifty yards from the house a fox streaks across my path. Run well, my brother.
In the rusty pre-dawn of Richmond Park I keep to the middle of the track, stepping high to avoid stones and holes and tree roots. Just too much light to see the jeweled eyes of the deer and not enough to make out their forms. Alone apart from the distant light of an occasional cyclist.
A really sweet run. I feel fantastic now. Porridge and peanut butter tasting just beautiful. Breakfast of champions.
I'm packing my new Salomon back pack with running gear for the run home from work this evening.
Remember folks, hours on your feet is miles in your legs.
Run, eat, sleep. Run, eat, sleep.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Preparation for Baltic Adriataic Run
Went shopping at the weekend and bought a new Salomon XA 20 backpack. The last one served me well for more than a thousand rugged miles and nearly two years of daily usage. I did look around but I couldn't see anything to compare with it in the 20 litre capacity class.
I got the bag from Field and Trek in Maiden Lane so it was a short walk to Stanford's in Long Acre. Stanford's is the biggest map shop in Europe, reportedly. At any rate it's big. Maps of all kinds for all over the planet, travel books, guide books, funky travel bits and pieces. There's a coffee shop too.
But I was looking for maps of that middle bit of Europe I'm going to be traveling through. I'm pretty sure I want to start in Kaliningrad and go south through Poland. But I've never been to Poland and don't really know anything about it so I haven't a clue what route would make sense.
I bought a general road map of Poland and countries to the south and a camping map of Poland.
What I need to do is talk to as many people as I can who have done any trekking or general traveling in Poland.
I got the bag from Field and Trek in Maiden Lane so it was a short walk to Stanford's in Long Acre. Stanford's is the biggest map shop in Europe, reportedly. At any rate it's big. Maps of all kinds for all over the planet, travel books, guide books, funky travel bits and pieces. There's a coffee shop too.
But I was looking for maps of that middle bit of Europe I'm going to be traveling through. I'm pretty sure I want to start in Kaliningrad and go south through Poland. But I've never been to Poland and don't really know anything about it so I haven't a clue what route would make sense.
I bought a general road map of Poland and countries to the south and a camping map of Poland.
What I need to do is talk to as many people as I can who have done any trekking or general traveling in Poland.
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