Aug 25, 2015
Today marks 11 years since I had a day off from running. That’s 4,017 consecutive days of running, totalling 72,370 km, or more than 18 km per day. I’m sure the consistency leading up to my run around the world was a major factor in the success of that run, and also a factor in me “running my age” at the recent City to Surf.
Talking about the world run, the reaction to the book continues to be positive. There is a six page article about the book in the current edition of Men’s Style magazine (at least in the Australia version). And the reviews continue. Below is a review from the Weekly Times in Australia.
SURELY a book about running around the world would go something like this: ran on Monday, ran on Tuesday, got a new pair of shoes and kept running on Wednesday.
Not so, as proven by Tom Denniss in The World at My Feet.
Australian mathematician, scientist and athlete, Denniss set a world record in 2013 for the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth on foot after 622 days traversing the cities, towns and deserts of North and South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.
But Denniss didn’t set out to break any records, intending to simply fulfil a dream to get around the globe via “journey running’’, the type of long haul run he adores.
With a chatty, engaging writing style, this high achiever relives his mega journey, taking readers chronologically around the world with him from the starting point of his run at the Sydney Opera House on New Year’s Eve 2011 to the same spot in 2013 to claim his record, beating previous record holder Jesper Olsen by 40 days.
Denniss carefully documented his journey on GPS to ensure verification of his run and met strict criteria that define running “around the world”, such as passing through two antipodal points —two places that are on opposite sides of the planet.
For Denniss, these were in New Zealand and Spain.
Averaging 50km each day, Denniss ran through a range of brilliant and harsh climatic conditions and past many curious onlookers in both built-up and desolate regions of the world.
He successfully adds colour and movement to his book — apart from the obvious foot pounding — by describing the geography, terrain, history and culture of the places he passes through.
This is an intelligent tactic to enliven the “I ran and then ran some more” trap such a book could fall into.
On This Day
Aug 25, 2012
Distance today = 46.97 km; Total distance = 10,568.26 km; Location = Iuka, Mississippi – 34 48.403′ N, 88 10.882′ W; Start time = 0918, Finish time = 1705
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/214890019
I’ve become the Pied Piper of dogs. Today a young dog followed me for miles – all the way to my finishing point. We had to put him in the car and drive him back to where I first encountered the dog. He wasn’t happy when I bundled him out of the car and we drove off, but adopting a dog at the moment is definitely not feasible.
My two milestones for the day were: 250 marathons completed so far on the run around the world, and eight years now without a day off from running. Even during times like my recent break, I still ran a few kilometres each day. I believe its this consistency during the past eight years which has allowed me to manage day after day of 50 km or more.
Many readers will have seen the current video from the Today Show in Australia. There is one correction I’d like to make in regard to the narration. Cameron Williams’ comments implied I walked with some running. Many people make the same assumption, and it has taken me a long time to realise why. It appears to be because of the term “on foot” in the expression Fastest Circumnavigation of the World on Foot. For some reason, this seems to conjure up the image of walking in people’s minds. While walking, running, and any combination of the two, is allowed under the rules, I estimate I have run about 98% of the distance so far, and walked only 2%. And almost all this walking has been while eating, drinking, answering the phone, or checking the maps.
Thanks to the Sunset Lodge in Iuka for providing us with a very generous discount on the room for tonight.
Aug 25, 2013
Distance today = 57.21 km; Total distance = 25,358.05 km; Location = Tatura East, Victoria – 36 26.284’ S, 145 18.824′ E; Start time = 0815, Finish time = 1701
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/364572327
It was a very big day for Dave, breaking Eric’s month old record for the greatest distance run with me in a day. He covered 57 km, which is easily his biggest day of running ever.
The first part of the day was run with Jeff, who was with us for 13 km before Guen picked him up and they headed back to Melbourne. That brings his total to 131 km, putting him comfortably in third place in the Aggregate category. We’ll next see Jeff and Guen on the final day of the run into Sydney.
Lunch was in the town of Murchison, which I last visited in 2007 on the Tour de Bois. There’s a great bakery in Murchison, and we made good use of it.
From there, it was on to Tatura, on a busy and very straight road. My last visit to this town was only two years ago, when I did a big run as part of my training for the current challenge.
Today marked nine years since I’ve had a day off from running. Admittedly, there have been a few very short days of a kilometre or two, but I have managed to average 19.3 km per day over those nine years. I’m sure that sort of consistency is what has allowed me to manage the world run as well as I have.
Anyhow, congratulations to Dave. Today also took him to a total of 209 km, within striking range of Chook’s 272 km in the Aggregate category.
The Hud will be running with me next Thursday. Will he annihilate Dave’s efforts to win the Single Day category, just as Dave has annihilated Eric’s efforts, and as Eric did to Chook before him? We will know soon enough.
