Baltic Adriatic Run 2011 - Psychogeography

Woke up in the middle of the night, which I rarely do, thinking Baltic/Adriatic.
Last Summer's run from John O'Groats to Lands End had many wonderful psychogeographical aspects. My perception wandering northeast/southwest, North Sea/Atlantic Ocean, Scotland England, roadside/canalside/cattle trail/military road/mountain path, caledonian mythologising, Jacobite incursion/retreat/defeat, suppression of culture and language, redcoated army of occupation, Cheviot borderland, cattle and sheep robbing, boggy borderlands, remote outpost of Roman Empire, mountainous backbone of England, king cotton canals, ancient rivers, southwest pagan/celtic remnant, hedgerows, accents, placenames, conversation scraps, shared jokes, blank stares, skies, trees, roadkill, roadsigns, car horns, tourists, fudge, cheesecake.
Baltica Adriataica is creating space in my head and enacting a symbolic occupation. Baltic Sea, ancient source of amber, magical substance, trapped insects from a million years ago, traded south to the Black Sea and, oh yes, the Adriatic and the Roman Empire. Christianity spreading like a stain, Holy Roman Empire, Martin Luther and bloody reformation, Peace of Augsburg (where did that come from?). Cold north/warm south, traveling from barley and beer to grapes and wine along rivers older than civilisation, bloody wars I know nothing of, bloodier and more recent ones which made the map of modern Europe, an Iron Curtain from the Baltic to the Adriatic, Berlin Wall, Prague Spring, east/west, north/south. Ikons, armies, faiths and flags, a landscape stinking with history. I am overwhelmed. I long for something clean and pure and inhuman. Mountains cold and old, the careless, ragged Carpathian ridge lit by a full moon, white as bleached bone.
I need to get back to sleep.

Baltic Adriatic Run 2011 (BaltAd11)

OK. You heard it here first.
In July of next year I am going to run from the Baltic to the Adriatic. I'll start, maybe, in Kaliningrad, or Gdansk, or, possibly, north Germany, I'm not sure yet, and finish in, probably, Venice. The route is pretty open at the moment. I will, however, make sure the journey covers over a thousand miles.
I'm feeling pretty fit right now. In fact, despite a shaky year (post John O'Groats/Lands End), I am sure I am fitter that I was at the same point in the preparation for that last big run.
I spent a lot of time this summer working on a book length account of the John O'Groats/Lands End run and have completed a first draft. I will continue work on the second draft as I find time.
My priority at the moment is the preparation for BaltAd11. Suggestions for an alternative to 'BaltAd11' as a shortform name for the project would be appreciated.
I am also working on a new solo show, working title 'Run'. Or, what do you think of 'Thousand Mile Man'?
I will be making regular updates to this blog as training and other preparations move forward.

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.