Always Another Adventure

Many people have started wild swimming during the pandemic as a way to de-stress and stay fit.   Lifelong swimmer Dr James Douglas, a General Practitioner in the Scottish Highlands, has advice for new swimmers and those who have been doing it a long time.  He describes two (thankfully rare) conditions that can affect outdoor swimmers, one of which is very like a stroke.  Yet some doctors might be unaware of its existence.

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Fifty episodes seems a good time to bring the first series of Always Another Adventure to a close.

When will series two start - I don’t know yet.  It’ll be when I have the energy and enthusiasm to chase guests who interest me and start recording with them.

In the meantime my efforts  are directed towards the Always Another Adventure YouTube channel.  Please check it out if you haven’t already.  Oh and stay subscribed to the podcasts please, then when they return a new one will drop into your phone.

You might like to know 89% of you download to a mobile device.  69% of you use an iPhone.  49% of you use Apple Podcasts.  17% use an Android phone.  Very few of you listen on a smart speaker - too few to count. 

85% are in Europe, 8% North America and 4% Oceana.

Since starting in March 2020 those fifty episodes have received more than 65 thousand downloads, and I hope they’ll continue while we all wait for series two.

Each episode gets about 1500 downloads with the single most popular episode being Donnie Campbell’s record breaking self propelled Munro round with well over 2000 listens.   Mark Beaumont, Emily Chapel and Josh Ibbett are not far behind.

They’re all still available for download and I expect those numbers to increase.  Sea Kayak Podcasts, which I stopped updating a decade ago, received 27 thousand downloads over the same period.

So I hope I’ll be back with series two, and although I can’t say when, I hope you’ll join me over on YouTube or at AlwaysAnotherAdventure.com  I’m Simon Willis, thanks for listening.  Bye. 

The one and only Adventureman superhero, Jamie McDonald has run across continents to raise money for hospitals which treat sick children.   Here he talks about running 5,500 miles across 22 States of the USA entirely unsupported. 

As a child a spinal condition threatened his ability to walk.  Now his Superhero Foundation has raised more than one million pounds for sick children's charities.

The book of his latest adventure is called Running America, and it's very good (honestly - I read and thoroughly enjoyed it).

Buy Running America on Amazon UK

Jamie's website: AdventureMan.org      Twitter    Instagram    Facebook

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

Many listeners will be used to training for events of big trips.  Mike Dales calls these 'five course days' and wants you to pay more attention to the 'bread and butter' days. 

His book Find Time for Exercise gives ideas for daily challenges to keep you moving which in turn creates greater base levels of fitness, no matter your starting point.   Mike and his partner run, walk, cycle, kayak or ski at least 5km every day and have done so for eight years.

FindTimeForExercise.com     Twitter   Instagram   Facebook    YouTube

Book on Amazon.co.uk


If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

We’re stepping out of the monthly schedule with this podcast to bring you something extra.

There are two parts to this conversation with Nick Butter who we heard from in episode 38.   The second part is about setting a new record for running around the coast of Great Britain.  The first is about a new, worldwide charity he’s establishing that is so different I genuinely think you’ll be interested in hearing more. 

www.the196foundation.com/      Instagram 

nickbutterrunning.com/     Instagram

There are nineteen, sort of official, long trails on this island and Martyn Howe has waked them all.   I’ll talk to Martyn about Long Distance Walking and his new book Tales From The Big Trails.  And we won’t stop there.  Because Martyn is quite a cyclist too having, among many other things, circumnavigated the north-sea by bike.

Martyn's Website    Instagram   Twitter   Facebook     
Buy Martyn's book at Vertebrate Publishing   

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

She set out to run around the world.  She could become the first person to do it during a global pandemic.

Marie Leautey, better known as 'Lootie', faced barrier after barrier while trying to run across Europe but she succeeded.  She speaks to us on her first day in the USA as she prepares to run across her second continent.

Lootie's website is Lootie-run.com     Donation page

Strava     Garmin     Instagram    Facebook

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

It’s hard to overstate how ill prepared Elise Downing was to run around the coast of Britain.  But she did it, covering the five thousand miles in ten months.  Her very readable book about the adventure is published July 2021 and is called Coasting.  Here Elise reads excerpts from the book and how she went from jogger to ultra-runner.

Elise's Website      Facebook      Twitter    Instagram

Buy the book on Amazon

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

We cover a lot of ground with Dr Ian Walker, which seems rather fitting.  He ignored sport until the age of 40 then threw himself into ultra-running before abruptly switching to ultra-distance cycling and setting the trans-Europe world record.  He's also a psychologist researching drivers' behavior towards cyclists and has some fascinating insights about helmets and staying safe on two wheels.

Ian's book Endless Perfect Circles      Twitter     Instagram

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website 

Henry Gold  runs the travel company TDA Global Cycling which organises epic, expedition- length rides that cross continents.  This is not an advert for his business, it’s a story of life filled with adventure.  Henry is not an athlete and regards cycling as a means to an end.  It was almost by accident he started a business which allows other adventurers to fulfill their cycling dreams.

TDA Global Cycling website      YouTube   Twitter   Instagram   Facebook

If you enjoy this podcast, please support the hosting costs by buying me a virtual coffee at www.ko-fi.com/sunartmedia

Check out our YouTube channel and website