Adam in Runderland

I finished my review of 2019 with the following words: 'Welcome 2020, what delights will you hold?' Little did I know... Despite this year being turned upside down and inside out by the pandemic, it has had little impact on my running, and for that I am thankful. I've managed over 2100 miles, set and completed several challenges and managed to avoid serious injury or illness. There are two areas that have been affected. The first is the lack of parkrun. For the first time in eight years I have been unable to join with my fellow runners at 9am on a Saturday morning for my highlight of the week.  The second is the cancelling of organised races. I wasn't due to enter many this year, and certainly haven't been inconvenienced like those accepted for the 40th London marathon, but I miss the opportunity to run with others, the atmosphere, the supporters, the bling. Hopefully both these things will resume in 2021 and I will enjoy and appreciate them all the more. Some runn...

On October 17th I attempted to run the Capital Ring with Matt Shimwell. You can read my account of our run  here . I made it all the way from Grove Park to East Finchley before having to call it a day.  Sometimes you need to know when to push through and when to stop. I had certainly pushed through to get that far, but I also knew I would have to split the Capital Ring into two sections and return to complete the last part. Just over a month later, the 28th November to be exact, I returned with Matt hoping to finish the route. We took the train to Finchley from Lewisham and arrived at 7 o'clock in the morning. It was very quiet, in part due to the lockdown, and incredibly cold as we set off. I knew the first few miles as I had finished in Highgate Woods in October. This time there were less leaves on the trees and the darkness and early morning mist made for an eerie atmosphere. Highgate Woods became Queen's Wood and in no time at all we found ourselves in Highgate itself and ...

Since finishing my run around the streets of Lewisham I have enjoyed heading out with no plan in mind. London is full of green spaces so I have primarily headed for these. The Green Chain Walk is a 40 mile route that links over 300 places between the Thames and Crystal Palace. I decided to roughly follow some of this, but only in a sense of weaving in and out of it rather than following it religiously. This took in Mountsfield Park, College Meadow, King John's playing fields, before arriving at The Tarn. This was a small park with a lake, lots of Canada Geese and an ice well. I then headed through Eltham to Eltham park south, crossed the A2 into Eltham park north and entered Sheperdleas Wood. The floor was carpeted in golden leaves and I broke off the main track to explore. Arriving at another road, I crossed over and passed through Oxleas Meadows before diving into Oxleas Wood.  Trails abound here and it is very hilly which had resulted in thick mud tracks along the bottom edge. I...

'If you have ever wondered what makes you lace up your trainers, and why you keep coming back for more...' So ends the back page summary of this book. A good hook for a good book. I think I know why I run, but it is always good to read what someone else thinks. The book was also a tale of Robin's attempt at the Spartathlon and I was interested to read how he had made the journey to attempt one of the hardest races in the world. What I actually discovered, along with his account of the Spartathlon, was a great summary of many other running books I have read. It contains quotes and lessons from Richard Askwith, Scott Jurek, Roger Bannister, Haruki Murakami, James Fixx, Dean Karnazes, Paula Radcliffe, Emil Zatopek, Chris McDougall, and Alan Sillitoe. I was surprised there was no George Sheehan however. Other authors quoted include some of my favourites such as Roger Deakin, Antoine Saint-Exupery, Henry David Thoreau, Richard Mabey, William Feinnes and Sara Maitland.  The book ...

On one of my recent trawls through the nether regions of Amazon I came across this small gem: Running's strangest tales by Iain Spragg. I was in search of running books I had not yet read and this came along on my fifteenth click of the NEXT button. The author has put together a miscellany of stories and anecdotes from the world of running. At times funny, at others beguiling, it covers elite athletes, amateurs and everything in between. It covers marathons, sprinting, cross country, obstacle courses and any other type of run you can imagine. From running naked to being attacked by animals, people knitting 12 foot scarves while competing in a marathon to Olympians being too drunk to complete the course, it has something for everyone. I found it a good book to pick up and put down when I had a spare few minutes. There are 95 tales altogether, each no longer than two pages. It is quite a feat of research and editing.  My favourite chapters include: Lily Groom winning the London to Br...

Photos: Paul Stafford It is over. After months of pounding the pavements and staring at Google Maps I have finally managed to run every street in the Borough of Lewisham. I completed the last road - Angus Street, Deptford - on the 17th November.  It has been an interesting experience for a London newbie. I have discovered hidden parks, creative graffiti, tower blocks and mansions. Lewisham is a diverse location in terms of economics, culture and ethnicity which make it a fascinating place to explore. The route had begun back in April with my first run from my home in Hither Green to Mountsfield Park and has spiralled out over seven months. No doubt some roads have been run dozens of times as I have headed out and back. This makes it impossible to know how many miles I have covered, but needless to say it is more than the number of miles of streets. This is also due to the cul-de-sacs that need running both ways and doubling back to connect streets. People have asked which was my fa...