Feb 2025 – Charlierobinsonbooks

What a Difference a Day Makes

I probably don’t need to tell you, but nature is such a phenomena in so many ways. I have started my new book a few weeks ago and was really struggling with the theme. I had the first half of Chapter One written, but I wasn’t sure what it was I was trying to write. The answer? Hike, get outside, climb the hills and let mother nature give you the peace and inspiration you need.

After two hours of hiking up, what we call, the 7 Hills I had the storyline mapped out, This will be the third book featuring Billy Lynch, his friends and family. The trouble that boy and his father get into is… believable, well kinda 😂

After the tranquillity of the forest and the hills and the turn in the weather I decided this week a trip to the coast would be in order. There is something awesome about rough seas. As a young man I once had the privilege of spearfishing during a storm in Gran Canaria. These days when I look out to sea I wonder if I was actually quite mad. But the today’s trek served it’s purpose as I walked I was inspired to write the darker side of the next book. Needless to say not everyone will survive. Ah, days can be so very different 😉 Happy Trails, folks x

Santorini

I was told Santorini was the most beautiful of all Greek Islands. I often wonder who comes up with this information. I mean yeah… it’s beautiful, but more beautiful than Kefalonia? I suppose it could be. It has whitewashed villages chiselled into the hillside with their blue… sorry AZURE rooftops. Apparently if you use the word AZURE instead of blue it gives you a heightened state of relaxation🤔. There are, of course the sunsets, these are the best sunsets in the world. So I am told.

If you’re seeking culinary delights on holiday then Kamari in Santorini won’t disappoint. The Voodoo Bar has a fabulous menu so, we had to go back twice. As an avid fish and seafood fan, a Greek island is always a food adventure for me and this place didn’t disappoint. Crispy calamari and whole sea bream was lush.

“What about the running?” I hear you ask, or not but you should know me by now. There are some great places to run or, if you’re not a heat lover like me, you can walk. I found a hill and I love hills, it was at the far end of the village. It led to Ancient Thera, built in the 8th Century BC at the top of the hill (although they call it a mountain) so, my wife suggested we walk it the day before and hide a bottle of water at the top. What a great idea! Ancient Thera is a surprise for you at the top, though. Quite a vast ruin and steeped in history.

The day before I planned to run, as I say, we walked to the summit, the mistake we made was walking up the road and down the trail. It would have been much better the other way around. The road was fairly easy.

The trail coming down… not so much 🤣

The following day I found running up and down that hill looked tough but was a lot easier than it looked and in the heat of a Grecian sun was so enjoyable.

On the final day we visited the volcano at Nea Kameni, this is nothing like Etna as the crater is underwater but sparked the legend of Atlantis. It’s main eruption around 1645BC wiped out the Minoan Civilisation with columns of ash and gas reaching kilometres into the air and and a massive tsunami.

So that’s about it my friends, we got to see the famous sunset from the boat as we headed home and I guess as sunsets go it was OK (bearing in mind I am a Yorkshireman 😉)

Happy Trails x

Women Runners and the Stigma

February 24th 1981 (45 years ago) the IOC President announced there would be a women’s marathon at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Before that it was considered unsafe. Even as late as 1967 it was thought that if a woman ran marathons her uterus may drop out and hairs would grow on her chest and back. It had been a long a struggle. One of the most famous campaigners, being Katherine Switzer who entered the Boston Marathon in 1967. Just after the race started the run director ran at her, trying to rip her numbers off and shouting. ‘Get out of my race!’ Her boyfriend, Tom Miller, knocked him to the ground and she carried on to finish the race.

Hard to believe these days when we have so many accomplished female athletes. But are we there yet? As late as 2010 Gian-Franco Kasper, president of the International Ski Federation, said the female uterus might burst during landing from a ski jump. In 2005 he said that ski jumping is “not appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view.”

Another myth is that extreme exercise halts women’s periods. Whereas the truth is… that weight loss is a more likely reason. Girls gain weight when they reach puberty. If young female athletes are encouraged or even bullied into losing weight this can result in eating disorders. When they expend more calories than they take in? Normal body functions like menstruation can stop, due to a lack of nutrients. If menstruation is halted for a long period of time, with a lack of nutrients, it increases the risk for low bone mineral density. This, at a time when they’re bodies are developing and so leads to injury. Leslie Heywood and Mary Decker two of many examples. I’m no medical expert, but I’ve seen how many of our top young athletes have suffered injury after injury early in their careers.

blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2015/05/14/highlights-from-the-female-athlete-basem-spring-conference-2015/↗

But anyaways… back to the subject. After years of struggle and establishing themselves on the world stage of athletics it appears it’s still not over. Eilish McColgan has had abuse because “some” people think she is too thin. I know some excellent female runners who have been told they aren’t slim enough. Someone’s size, weight etc has nothing to do with anyone else. The stereotype that women are weaker and less athletic is inaccurate and damaging. Whether it is on the world stage or at local club level, the fantastic success of females should be (and sometimes is) recognised upon their ability and not on their looks or gender.

Finally… sixty percent of female runners claim to have been harassed, verbally abused or even physically abused while running. I remember some years ago when I was working in construction two young lads wolf whistled at a woman from the scaffold. She reported it to a manager and they were sacked that day. Yet here we are ten years later and it appears to be worse than ever. The question is what can we do? You can raise awareness, educate, legislate (but it’s already illegal) In my day a baseball bat or a lump of 2″x 2″ with some nails hammered in, worked wonders. But that is frowned upon today 😉So we advise girls not to run at night, on their own. Hmmm… isn’t that kinda handing over the streets to the bullies and abusers?

Happy trails, folks. x