Feet in the Clouds

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GrahamB

Might be my final word or two:



O-RR is still in its first edition. It is a practical book and brings together a wide range of information-some of which will make you a better runner.

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That's what I'd disagree with. It may do, but most 'serious' runners will already have that information to hand. It's a great intro book, though.

Your point re FITC is understood, but I think you fail to understand other peoples view or somehow your view is more important.

A piece of literature like FITC is a piece of art, some will like it, some will love it, some will think it's OK. I'm not a big fan of the Mona Lisa, bit of a sour face if you ask me, but others seem to like it.

I think FITC was written for a range of audiences, from outdoors people,, hill walkers and fell runners, and road runners but also the wider general public. There is a genuine interest in the sport from joe Public, it is percieved as quite a mad and difficult sport which we all know really isn't the case. Racing on the flat is no easier than racing on the hills.

A text book like SRORR has a much smaller target audience and is just in such a different genre of book, which was why I was genuinely suprised to see it offered up as a comparison.

Of course of the 2 books, if any, ORR will be the one that provides an improvement, but I'd say that FITC was inspirational to me and played in my mind in my Paddy Buckley round, not wanting to go through what he did, but also avioding his pit falls.

I just feel ORR could have contained more technical information and removed some of the sections, possibly there's room for a further volume then for more experienced runners, developing the more techical aspects.

Do you have the original MNFR?

If not then definately worth a £5, not seen this one to compare, but will do and get back later this week.

FITC is a certian type of book and it's not fair really to compare. I happened to read it at just the right stage of my running, with a few years under my belt and looking at longer races and training for the BG. I actually read the bit about Borrowdale the night of the race in my tent in Keswick with a nice glass of red and blissfully aching legs. Grand!

I'm really confused by GrahamB's views on FITC; all that Richard Askwith has done is a Nick Hornby 'Fever Pitch' but for fell running instead of football spectating. More over the book has a sense of humour (that maybe GrahamB doesn't get or doesn't have ;))

right - well I said I was going to report back after I'd read FITC, so here I am...

...er... it was OK :o

that review in full:

Not very well written as a book.
Laying down some of the "old-time" history was a job well done, although the so-called "interviews" with the legendary figures were disappointingly thin/uninformative and, as such, seemed a lost opportunity.
Some of the individual passages read very well as journalistic pieces - you can imagine them in Sunday-supplement or in-flight magazines - and are very funny/entertaining.
However, as a book, it seemed rather contrived and messy - there didn't seem to be an overall "point" to it.
The "bitty" nature of it helps to make it a "page turner" though, and it's definitely worth borrowing a copy, and reading it once.

will this do...?

Seems to have generated a good deal of comment and some controversy this one.

Well, for what it's worth, and as an inexperienced runner of modest ability, I loved it. I read it when just starting to run (3 years ago) and it gave me an idea about what fell running was about. I found it a bloody good read even if I have to agree with much of what is said above.

I've just re-read FITC and once again enjoyed it thoroughly, although this time his fixation with the Bob Graham grated a bit more than last. To me its a shame that, in many ways, the book is structured around his BGR obsession rather than just running in the fells as a worthy obsession in itself.

Second guessing why some people are less keen on the book, I suppose its because they might be more interested in the best methods of fell racing (and prefer books geared to that and training that goes with it) rather than just the experience of fell running, regardless of whether you're racing or not.

Personally I'd have loved more of an emphasis on solo fell running just for fun, a little less on the elite end of racing, a bit more of his race commentaries (the Borrowdale and Ben Nevis write ups are terrific), a bit more on Joss Naylor but maybe less on the historic stuff (and the whole professional vs amateur thing) and the BGR. All round though its a great read and has probably contributed a lot to the widening interest in fell running; he mentions the low turn out for PPP in 2003 and ditto Ennerdale etc and felt that the long and hard races were in decline but I'm not sure that's now the case thankfully.

[QUOTE=Stolly;132427]Personally I'd have loved more of an emphasis on solo fell running just for fun, a little less on the elite end of racing[quote]

I suggest you read Stolly's running adventures.:)

See where you are coming from Stolly and sort of agree he missed out the joy of solo fell running, totally really, but he could only cover so much, but yes solo running in the fells is quite special.

Re his obsession with the BGR, I thought that came across well, it sorts of explained so well that it often is an obsession. A few do just run these things off little prep, but for many of us they are that years running. Lasy year my year was the PBR, hours recceing, it's your life, and I thought that came across well with the amount he talked about it. for many the BGR is quite an obsession. I was talking to a TV presenter this week who said despite never having ran in the hills until this week (I shadowed him around his first ever race as part of a TV show) he's got the idea of doing the BGR firmly planted in his mind because of FITC. It's great the affect FITC has had.

He's probably played a key part in raising the profile of the classic lakes races, but so did the creation of the series, when did that happen?

Anyway the Snowdonia longs are still quite under supported and are only just viable. A petty. The new Long in Snowdonia, Foel Fras only attracted 50 or so runners making a long race barely viable. Short races can get by with low numbers, the longs need enough runners to cover costs that are not cheap.

I think FITC was great. I wouldn't want to compare it with something else. But I liked his obsessional bits, it introduced the sport to lots of others who knew little and because of the way it was written my children, one a reluctant reader, have read chapters ( not necessarily in order) and spotted people they know or who have seen / met. It has also allowed them a perspective of how good some"old" people used to be. ( better not name names or chapters here) As they meet "new" to them people they reread or read another chapter. These kids are afterall the future of fell running, so keeping them interested is important.