There is No Map in Hell – Part 2

So the release date of my book is two weeks away. I am excited that I will finally get my hands on the actual book on Friday when I go to the Vertebrate offices in Sheffield to sign lots of them. Although it will be a novelty for me to sign a book, I think it might become a bit tedious after a while.

  

Choosing a book title is often really hard but I have been very lucky that the title “There is No Map in Hell” came when I had only just started writing it and for this I need to thank Tara Vallente.  My children were playing a computer game at Tara’s house with her children. In one of the games there was a world they were travelling around with a map to show the way. But there was a part of the world called hell without any map. One of the children shouted out  “There is no Map in Hell” and Tara immediately said that it would be a great title for my book. Luckily the publishers, Vertebrate also liked the title.

Maps have been a key part of my life since I started orienteering aged seven. I love maps and can spend hours looking at maps. If I have to travel the map to me is like an instruction manual showing me the way. However, when I started to suffer really badly whilst running the Wainwrights there was no instructions manual or map telling me how to cope with the pain and carry on pushing hard. I needed to work it out as I went along. 

I am also excited that the book launch is taking place at Wilf’s café on 18 May at 7pm. At the moment there are about 10-15 tickets available at:

https://www.v-publishing.co.uk/books/categories/events/steve-birkinshaw-book-launch-buy-your-tickets-here.html

There is No Map in Hell

I am very excited that the book that I have been working on for the last couple of years will be published by Vertebrate in early May. 

The first half is an autobiography focusing on the importance of running in my life and a description of some important races and challenges. The second half is on my preparations and then my run around all the Wainwright fells, with important contributions from my support team and family.

Writing does not come naturally to me but I am happy that the book is the best I can do. I have tried to avoid going into too much detail about the route and individual fells, which I know can be boring. I have also tried to be honest about my achievements and failures. The editors at Vertebrate have done a great job going through the book and improving it and also asking me additional bits, particularly adding more emotion!! 

It is also great to have a Foreword by Joss Naylor

I hope anyone who reads the book enjoys it

Ups and Downs

I was warned. Friends who have also had chronic fatigue told me that as I recovered there would be a general upwards path but I would have some downs on the way. That is exactly what has happened.

I competed in the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon – formally known as the KIMM) at the end of October, where I was dragged round the elite class by Neil Talbott. 13 hours of hard running through some of the UK toughest terrain, was tough and considering my lack of training I was very happy that we finished 5^th. I felt physically tired afterwards but the symptoms of my chronic fatigue did not reappear. Within a few days I was back running again. Throughout November I started to feel better and better. I was running longer distances and did about 8 hour training a week for 3 weeks. I did some orienteering events and although my navigation was rubbish my running speed was gradually improving. My mind was also finally clear, I could sit at my desk at 9am ready for work. I was really productive and able to multi-task for the first time in 18 months. Basically at the end of November I felt completely back to normal.

Then it hit me again. The ‘brain fog’ reappeared. I am not sure what the trigger was.  I had done a couple of long, hard runs during the week before (I was enjoying the beautiful snowy weather).  I also had a stressful event a couple of days before where I got quite annoyed. Then I competed in an orienteering event, followed by going round a shorter course with one of my children and collecting controls in quickly (all without any food). I thought the ‘brain fog’ would last only a few days but a month later I still do not feel right (this is despite only a very small amount of alcohol over the Christmas period). I am struggling to concentrate and after running for about 40 minutes I start to feel light headed. But the great thing about doing a blog is I can look back and see how much I have progressed over the last 12 months. What 2017 will bring with regards to my fatigue is impossible to say but if I can go out running or walking regularly in the fells then I will be happy. 

I hope anyone who reads this has a great 2017.