I have mentioned Running Challenges many times. It is a web based extension with loads of extra stats and silly challenges for parkrun (read about it here).
Anyway, one of the silly challenges is Groundhog Day, where to obtain the digital badge you need to run two consecutive parkruns at the same location with the exact same finishing time. I’ve not managed it, although I haven’t actively tried to, as I simply run how I feel and if I complete a challenge then all well and good.
However, I have completed my own version of Groundhog day. Without intention, I have run the last two parkruns in 23 minutes 46 seconds. I also finished both in 33rd position. Unfortunately, the two parkruns were at different locations, this week at Lancaster and last week at Monsal Trail. I feel that it is more impressive as not only have I finished in the same time, but in the same position. I have to add, that if I’d tried to do this deliberately, I would have failed miserably.
Anyway, today was my 192nd parkrun and my 106th time running at Lancaster.
It was my birthday at the weekend and my lovely wife surprised me with a weekend away near Bakewell. Not just for the three of us, she invited her two sons and their partners as well, so we had a full and lively rented cottage for two nights and one final night for just me, Helen and little Gordon.
As always, one of the first things to do was to find a local parkrun. We stayed in the next village along two years earlier and had completed Graves parkrun (read about it here). However, the closest parkrun to where we were staying was the Monsal Trail. Two years ago it was taking a break post-Covid, but it was now up and running again.
I set off nice and early from our rented cottage, as expected. The webpage had said that the parking meters at the start/finish area were incredibly slow and that there are always queues of people. They weren’t wrong, the meter was very slow, but I got my ticket with enough time for a couple of photos.
At the correct time, I lined up at the start area for the run briefing. It was probably the briefest run briefing ever. Thanks to the volunteers, under 11’s stay with your adult, one dog maximum on a short lead, and we’re off.
The route was a simple out and back one along the famous Monsal Trail disused railway line. Impossible to go wrong. I started a way back from the front as I had a few niggles. My back had been sore, as had my Achilles and knee. Getting old sucks.
There was a good crowd at the run. There were a few dogs, a man with a large drip of snot waiting to fall, a woman wearing a T-shirt with the logo, run, faff, repeat, a couple of people wearing 250 parkrun shirts, old people, young people and a couple of baby buggies. The only person I didn’t spot was anyone wearing a Vegan Runners shirt.
Anyway, I took it fairly easy, speeding up a little after the turn around point, finishing in 33rd place out of 202 runners. It was also my 62nd different parkrun.
As you all know, NENDY stands for Nearest Event Not Done Yet, in relation to parkruns. This Saturday I have a new NENDY, and I didn’t run a new event. Previously, my NENDY was Chadderton Hall near Manchester. However, this Saturday a new event began at Muncaster Castle. Details can be found here.
In theory, if crows flew in a straight line, Muncaster Castle is only 53km away, while Chadderton Hall is just over 70km. Time wise, Muncaster would take almost 90 minutes to drive there, while Chadderton is just over an hour.
My lovely wife has suggested that we simply need to go there for a weekend, which sounds ideal to me.
The weather forecast for this weekend was appalling. Me and my lovely wife had thought about heading to the Lakes to camp for a couple of nights. We put it off as it was supposed to rain almost all weekend. I’m writing this on Saturday afternoon and apart from a light drizzle yesterday, we’ve not had a single drop.
Helen announced that she would like to go for a walk around Arnside. I agreed without hesitation as long as there would be unhealthy snacks at the end. It was also going to be Gordon’s first trip to Arnside. Gordon is our new Pointer puppy. He’s only five months old and isn’t allowed off his lead yet.
As we walked along the beach, Gordon was very excited. New smells everywhere. We also bumped into a couple walking their eight-year old brown English pointer. They both wanted to play.
We followed the coast before heading inland, marvelling at the large, expensive houses, before heading up towards Arnside Knott.
At the top of the field there is a gate which is probably one of the most photographed views in the area. We met an older woman who walked over the Knott every single day, because she knows that one day, she won’t be able to. She brought a tear to my wife’s eye.
There was also a wooden heart hanging in a tree, which was a new addition. Whoever made it has incredible talent.
The views from the top of the Knott are breathtaking, and all the more special for it being a pleasant, sunny day in the middle of September. Obligatory selfie was taken, although having run 15km earlier that morning, I wasn’t about to crouch down so that Gordon could be in the photo as well. Sorry Gordon.
We slowly made our way back down to the shore. Unhealthy snacks were ice-creams and vegan sausage rolls. Helen went with ginger and lime ice-cream, while I went with black current and liquorice.
Back at the car we snaffled the vegan sausage rolls, with Gordon sat patiently waiting. We didn’t give him any, but he did have some dog treats.
Back home and we’re all a bit tired, especially me and Gordon. He’s going to be a big lad when he’s fully grown, and he will also require plenty of exercise. I hear the fells calling.
One of the biggest events in the ultra running calendar in the Lake District is The Lap. This is a 47 mile lap of Lake Windermere. Two events are held each year, one in May and the other in September. Entries open a couple of days after each event. Two days ago I tried to book an entry to next year’s race in September, but I had forgotten my password for SI Entries. There were already 1100 entries, with a limit of 1600. That is a huge number of people for an ultra run, although many people walk it as there is a 24 hour time limit.
Anyway, when I tried to enter yesterday, the race was full, and they don’t operate a waiting list. The entries for the May 2025 event open on the 13th May 2024. I have put this date on the calendar, as I would really like to have a go at this iconic event. There can’t be many ultra runs in the UK with 1600 entries.
This was the first book I received from the Random Book Club, set up by Shaun Bythell who owns and runs Scotland’s largest second hand bookshop in Wigtown. As the name of the club implies, each book will be fairly random. I was excited about this book as I have one of his previous books, Two Degrees West. (Read my review here).
Gerhard Mercator was a mapmaker who solved the problem of how to draw a two-dimensional map from a three-dimensional planet, while also keeping true compass bearings. His whole life was filled with incredible ups and downs, from extreme poverty as a child and being jailed as an adult. Throughout it all, he continued to draw maps, refining them using knowledge exchanged by voyagers and explorers as they travelled the world.
This book is amazingly detailed, however it is a bit overwhelming and hard to read. If anything it contains too much information, making it hard to pull together into a cohesive narrative. Sections of the book are quite readable, but the sheer weight of events and actions, descriptions of maps and globes is staggering.
It has been noted by other reviewers that the book has too much detail to maintain the interest of a general reader. This was the case for me although I found certain parts excellent, overall it was hard to stick with. I found myself trying to read a chapter each night, before picking up something far easier.
I gave the book tree stars, which is harsh considering how much work has gone into the book. However, at times it felt more like an academic text book, it was that heavy.
I’ve been reading Dean Koontz books since I was 18 and he has always remained one of my favourite authors. However, some of his more recent books have felt formulaic. The main character, a woman, independently wealthy, has suffered incredible mental hardship and has become an almost recluse. The Big Dark Sky unfortunately follows this formula.
As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now thirty-four and living in Santa Fe with only misty memories of the past, she begins to receive pleas—by phone, through her TV and in her dreams. Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten.
She isn’t the only one drawn to the Montana farmstead. People from all walks of life have converged at the remote ranch. They are haunted, on the run, obsessed, and seeking answers to the same omniscient danger Joanna came to confront. All the while, on the outskirts of Rustling Willows, a madman lurks with a vision to save the future. Mass murder is the only way to see his frightening manifesto come to pass.
Through a bizarre twist of seemingly coincidental circumstances, a band of strangers now find themselves under Montana’s big dark sky. Their lives entwined, they face an encroaching horror. Unless they can defeat this threat, it will spell the end for humanity.
The above is taken directly from the publisher. I will be honest I read this book last year and had forgotten the plot. It is possibly Dean Koontz’s weakest book, or one of them.
Wilderness is a short prequel to Innocence. Addison Goodheart is a mystery even to himself. He was born in an isolated home surrounded by a deep forest, never known to his father, kept secret from everyone but his mother, who barely accepts him. She is haunted by private demons and keeps many secrets—none of which she dreads more than the young son who adores her.
We never find out what is wrong with Addison. The blurb for Innocence has him living beneath a city, an exile who would be killed if he’s ever discovered.
This is again a theme that Dean Koontz has written about before, most notably with the Odd Thomas series of books, although Odd chooses to be a recluse. Dean Koontz has recently been releasing many of is books on Kindle Unlimited, which I am a subscriber. However, Innocence is not one of those books, and as I haven’t fully appreciated some of his more recent books, I haven’t forked over the cash for this book. I suppose that idea was that I would be drawn in with the “free” prequel and then buy the main book.
I gave both books three out of five stars, which I think was fair. There are plenty of five star books available by Dean Koontz, for example, Phantoms, Dark Rivers of the Heart, or Watchers.
Hell Bent is the sequel to Ninth House, a book I gave a five star rating to. (My review can be read here). Alex Stern returns in the second book to break into hell and steal a soul. What could possibly go wrong?
Warning – Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the Ninth House.
The first problem is of course, finding a gateway into hell, as they are not exactly marked on any map. The plan is for Alex to rescue Darlington, her mentor, who “died” at the end of the first book. Alex and her associate, Dawes, have been forbidden from attempting to rescue him. However, as they are trying to organise a team to break into hell, faculty members are being murdered. On top of this, the crime boss Alex used to work for has a job for her in the area, which turns nasty.
I gave the first book five stars, which was probably a little generous. For this book, I have given it four stars, which is maybe not generous enough. However, I enjoyed Hell Bent, just not as much as I enjoyed Ninth House. There is a third book on the way, which hopefully will be as good as the first one.
Shaun Bythell is the owner of Scotland’s largest second hand bookshop, located in Wigtown. The town is known as a book town as there are a gathering of book shops. What is the collective noun for a group of bookshops?
Anyway, Shaun has been writing a bookshop diary for a number of years, and the third volume has recently been released. It felt remiss of me if I hadn’t bought it from his actual bookshop when we were staying in Wigtown earlier in the year.
The diary doesn’t break any new ground, but it is highly entertaining as he moans at what his customers get up to, or as they ask even more ridiculous questions. If you love reading about second hand bookshops then this book is a must. It will also put you off from ever wanting to own your own second hand bookshop.
When me and my lovely wife were in the bookshop, browsing, I found another recently published book by Shaun Bythell, where he describes the seven different types of customer found inside his bookshop. These include the expert, the young family, or the bearded pensioner.
The book isn’t as good as his diaries, but it is still a fun little read. Also, for some reason, I appear to have ended up with a signed copy.
This book is quite heavy going. It describes the political situation in the UK. It is equal parts shocking and terrifying.
Each chapter discusses different aspects of Westminster, from the lack of representation, the press and the House of Lords to name just three. The introduction covers the ineptitude of Chris Grayling and his mission to over hall the probation service and privatise some of it. The whole process was a complete disaster.
Ian Dunt explains in depth why the first past the post system used in this country to elect MPs is badly designed and huge swaths of the population’s votes are completely wasted. Of course, this system benefits the two larger parties, which means that they are highly unlikely to want to change it.
I found the chapter on the House of Lords to be very interesting. I’ve always had the opinion that the second House should be elected. However, Ian Dunt explains that because many of the Lords are nominated by the House of Lords Appointment’s Commission, which tries to nominate people with experience and not always with political ties. Obviously, the list of Lords nominated by outgoing Prime Ministers is a complete joke and should be abandoned entirely. Bishops having an automatic place in the Lords also need to go. The 91 hereditary peers need to go, and there should be a time limit instead of people being handed life peerages.
The last chapter, Ian Dunt discusses a few proposals that could make the whole system better, often taking ideas that other countries have successfully implemented.
On the whole, this book made me angry. All you need to do is look at the news this weekend where dozens of schools are closed due to crumbling concrete, making them unsafe. Whistleblowers have stated that this issue was known about for years, and one of the first things the Conservatives did in 2010 was scrap the £100 million spending plan that Labour had earmarked for repairing schools.
Beards and Triathlons 
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