Journal - Andrew Townsend

Parkrun – all you need to know

Here is a brief run down of all you need to know about how to get started with Parkrun. At the end I’ve put a few useful links so just head straight there if you are short of time. IntroductionSo what is Parkrun and who is it for? Well it’s ...

Light at the end of the tunnel

You may be wondering why I’ve been a bit quiet on the site and disappeared altogether from social media. Well the explanation is quite simple – I’ve been struggling with a major injury and long covid for over a year and I’m trying to get back to some semblance of ...

A year in pictures

A year in pictures. I do write in my journal every single day – it becomes a habit just like running every day and it’s really beneficial to talk to yourself – ask any shrink! But at the start of 2022 I decided to keep a visual diary as well ...

The call to adventure

If you had looked at my bio and picture when I was in my mid fifties ‘Adventurer’ would not have been the first word that would have sprung to mind. I was clinically obese, exhausted and demoralised, working long hours in a job I didn’t much care for and I ...

The Picos Mountains and beyond

With so many having access to outdoor space restricted I am making the digital version of Spanish Steps with the breathtaking scenery of the Camino de Santiago and the Picos Mountiains free to download. Of course if you want to pay for it or want the hard copy e-zine then ...

Back on the BBC

Back on the BBC after far too long away. I did an interview with Sarah Walker on BBC Radio Berks which was great fun – she’s really easy to talk to! We talked about ‘Moving Mountains’ (of course) but also talked about the path to adventure, changing lifestyle through small ...

Moving Mountains – available now!

Moving Mountains is available now from Amazon (both in paperback and on Kindle) from Apple Books, Kobo and all leading booksellers. Signed copies will be available from the website in the next few days. Just click on the links below for your preferred option For the paperback or Kindle version then it’s ...

Sonning to Goring along the Thames Path

If any of you follow me on Instagram or read my blog posts, you will know that I am a huge fan of the Thames Path. So much so that I call it my ‘playground’ – and why not? After all I visit it every day unless I am away ...

Running the Camino de Santiago – the adventure begins

I had wanted to return to Spain after my epic run across the Pyrenees in 2016. Sure I had been back for some races, most notably the Riano Trail Run and the Ultra Trail Sierra Nevada. But I wanted to spend a bit more time meeting the people and exploring ...

Virtual races – the new norm?

Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on families, friends, the young and people’s livelihoods. I am one of the lucky ones in that I have kept relatively healthy. I have managed to maintain some of my work projects and I live in a house where I have some space and ...