I never got round to creating a map illustrating the route I travelled for Heights of Madness. The publisher didn’t require one; nor did I fancy the daunting task. Besides, I am no artist. Six years on, someone has done it for me. It is a work of art, I think. The yellow clouds are the…
The ‘agony and ‘ecstasy’ of the Scottish islands
Below is the text of a very recent review for Isles at the Edge of the Sea, written by Lee Allen, the man behind lovescottishislands.com – a neatly-presented website packed with enthusiastic information on the islands of Scotland. Having been to many of the islands that Jonny has visited, I approached this book with a certain amount…
South of England Cross Country Championships 2012
The South of England Cross Country Championships – the ‘southerns’ – is a January barometer of fitness and fight, a race in which the weak of spirit can find themselves painfully exposed. South of England, in a running context, means everything below an imaginary line drawn between Bristol and The Wash. That swathe of England…
Winter Tanners 2012 results
The results for the Winter Tanners have finally appeared. It was not a race – the LDWA make that abundantly clear. Still, it is good to compare yourself with others. And comparing myself with others, I did alright: second, in fact, in 4 hours, 20 minutes. I trailed the leader by two minutes; he was…
Box Hill fell race 2012
Today was my third Box Hill fell race. I clocked 62.52 in 2008, 57.23 in 2011. I was quicker still today, breaking the line in 55,45. With this rate of progress, I’ll break the course record in about 2017. Every runner wants to develop, to be faster, but it doesn’t get any easier. I strode…
There’s always someone madder…
Running around Tooting Bec Common tonight, still bathing in the warm glow of my newly-annointed status of ultrarunner, I remembered that however far you run, however fast you go and however heroic your exploits, there’s always someone madder. That runner’s got an unusual style, I thought, as a lean fellow came bounding towards me. He…
Winter Tanners 2012
I very nearly didn’t run the Winter Tanners. My right soleus had tightened up following a hard track session on Tuesday, and by Friday I was on the cusp of dropping out. I had gone to work on the muscle on the foam roller the night before, aggravating it further. I was hugely disappointed. Suddenly,…
Winter Tanners: six days to go
By this time next week I might just have the smug satisfaction of being able to call myself an ultrarunner – and no longer a mere marathoner. By this time next week – as a consequence – I imagine I’ll also be in a great deal of pain. An ultramarathon is classified as anything longer…
How do you follow a man like Cameron McNeish?
Many ‘adventurers’ include the words ‘motivational speaker’ in their ‘job’ description. I am not a ‘motivational speaker’. Perhaps I lack essential ‘motivational’ qualities? Nevertheless, I’m making a rare foray into the world of public speaking next week. I will be at The Outdoors Show at Excel London on Saturday, January 14, when my subject will…
The New Year’s Day run
With a big year of sporting endurance ahead (more of that in due course), I had to start 2012 as I mean to go on. That meant braving the wind and rain lashing the Fylde coast. The stretch from St Annes pier to Blackpool’s South Pier, along the beach, was straightforward. Although, I’m glad I…
The best place to run in Britain
The best city for running? The answer is subjective, of course. Who am I (or anyone else, for that matter) to suggest Nottingham is better than Norwich, or Dundee is better than Derby. We all have favourite places, whether we’ve lived there for 50 years or once passed through on a sunny afternoon and thought:…
North Berwick Law
Twice in the last few years I’ve cycled past North Berwick Law and resisted the temptation of what must be one Scotland’s most stupendous little hills, topped with a whale jawbone. It was a splendid day for it. A furious wind on the summit. Bass Rock as clear as a button across the sea. The…
Heights of Madness 