Cumulis Humilis Congestis (?!)

When was the last time that you actually looked up and "saw" clouds? I don't mean just seeing if it was going to rain, but actually took a minute to look at all the different types of clouds in the sky? Think I've finally lost the plot?

As kids, I think we can all remember a time when an afternoon lying on our back and seeing what clouds resembled constituted a perfectly reasonable way to waste time. It was just such a fond and distant memory that came back to me when I came across this book on our recent holiday in Cornwall: The Cloudspotters Guide. As a result of reading it, I now look up in the sky every day to see what's up there (usually while driving, though not recommended) -- and bore senseless my friends with latin names that sound totally made up on the spot such as "Nimbocumulous Opacus" or "Stratus Fractus Translucidous". But I have to admit, if I'm not sure what a particular genus of cloud is that I'm looking at, it does get described as "Man with bird on shoulder" or "dragon eating a car".

You should read this delightful review of the book, and the author, in the Washington Post. And you can learn more by visiting the Cloud Appreciation Society web site. Needless to say, my membership is currently being processed and I hope to sport my saddo t-shirt soon!

The serious outcome of the book is that I will be able to (in a limited way) forecast the weather each day on my fast-approaching walk from Stratford to London. And when I don't have my head in a map navigating the route, I'll enjoy brushing up on my cloud spotting skills.

(I'll use this opportunity to clear my concience and apologise to a colleague at work who I recently bored rigid with talk of cloud varieties on a two hour flight back from Barcelona. Sadly for him, the fasten seat belt sign and a stern BA trolly-dolly prevented his numerous attempts at escaping. Sorry.)

Views along the run

Here's a few pictures that piece together the views along my usual run. It's totally blurred to me because a) I wear thick glasses and I don't run in them b) I'm usually "head down" trying to get to the end. But tonight I took a few pics along the way. The weather was foul, but it gives you an idea.

The run starts with Hobbes setting the pace down the street from our home behind Holy Trinity church to the theatre park by the river Avon (pic 1), through to the Swan Theatre (pic 2), then on to boat basin and over the bridge that overlooks the soon to be renovated Royal Shakespeare Theatre (pic 3), along the other side of the river Avon passing Holy Trinity church again on the right (pic 4) into the final iPod "power song" 1/4 mile stretch back to the house. Phew. Hobbes finds his own way to cool off (pic 5), thanks to our English summer rain.

Holy Trinity church is where William Shakespeare and his family are buried. It attracts about a quarter of a million tourists a year. The scaffolding around the spire (pictured above) has been up for about a year because there is an extensive amount of careful restoration work being done. The church was originally built in the early 13th century -- I guess it's about time it got a new roof.

The Route

At the weekend, I bought the maps to help me plan and navigate the walk. They are illustrated here, from Stratford on the left, through the Cotswolds, Oxford, Chilterns hills and finally London on the right. It's quite a hefty bunch of maps, which got me thinking about the amount of kit I'll need to carry on this journey. I'm already thinking about mailing pre-paid envelopes to the B&B's that I plan to stay at on the route so that I can mail back used maps... hmmm.... maybe I can simply mail back dirty laundry too so that my pack gets lighter the further I go? Wouldn't want to open those jiffy envelopes a week later!

Training for the walk is going well. Three weeks after starting to run again, I have shaved off seven minutes from my original time. I took a GPS with me during my lunchtime run today and recorded the details so that I can see improvements (anyone who works with me will audibly groan that I use metrics in my personal life too!) The stats were grim, but a hell of a lot better than three weeks ago. The GPS told me that my regular run is 1.26 miles long and I ran it today in 13 mins 27 seconds, which is an average of about 5 miles per hour. My fastest speed was 13 miles per hour, which I must confess probably coincided with running past the long queue of female university students waiting for returned tickets to see King Lear outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Needless to say, I probably kept the pace until I turned the thankfully close corner.

Finally, I'm a little closer to my sponsorship target thanks to very first donation coming from Christy in California and, of course, thanks dad! There's a link now on this page to the "just giving" web site -- it's easy for anyone to donate from anywhere in the world.......

Sponsor Me Please!

If you'd like to sponsor my walk from Stratford to London (see below) in aid of the Shakespeare Hospice, you can do it quickly and easily by visiting my "Just Giving" web site with your credit card.

If you are in the UK, the tax man will add 28p to every penny you donate. If you are outside the UK, it's easy to donate with your credit card. My company will match all donations up to a limit of one thousand pounds. So, if I reach my target, we'll donate two thousand pounds to an incredible charity that makes a huge difference to those that need help at the end of their life.

Every penny counts, so please do sponsor me. Go on, be the first!!!

You Lied, Mr Nike Salesman

After a week of running (see previous post), I have shaved a gratifying 90 seconds off my usual run. But no, Mr. all-smiles-and-warm-reassurance-Nike-salesman, the running shoes you sold me have not miraculously transformed my out-of-shape hulk into the guy in your advert overnight. And given the constant embarrassment of puffing and panting past throngs of tourists representing every nation on earth here in my home town, I'll be more than happy with the "skin-deep-look-cool-when-running" you promised me over the "deep-down-working-damn-hard-to-actually-get-fitter" option I'm currently experiencing!

The bottom line? I guess adverts lie. As a man in PR, I find this shocking.

The implied message that I so gladly bought into was that, like the guy in their Nike TV commercial, one day (very soon) I'd throw on my new running shoes and go show off my incredible cardio fitness to admiring onlookers as I pound the city streets. How far from reality am I! But one thing I do agree with -- the influence of the "power track" on your iPod. I have quickly realized that my usual choice of music, jazz, isn't going to help me forget those worsening stomach cramps. Oh no. So I dug out what K affectionately terms "dad rock" ('90's band the"Primal Scream" - quite literally a good choice) and cranked it up loud. Yes, it took my mind off the pain and focused my thoughts better, but it also had another positive benefit; I could no longer hear myself gasping for air.