Coasting

Running Around the Coast of Britain – Life, Love and (Very) Loose Plans

Running away from your problems doesn’t solve anything - but sometimes it’s more fun than dealing with them.

Elise was spending a lot of time crying on buses. She had just graduated from university; had a shiny new flat, her first proper job and a budding relationship - and they were making her miserable. Sitting at work one day, she hit upon the obvious solution. Run 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain, carrying her kit on her back. Six months later Elise set off, with absolutely no ultra-running experience, unable to read a map and having never pitched a tent before. Over the 301 days that followed, she developed a debilitating fear of farmyard animals, cried on a lot of beaches and saw Britain at its most wild and wonderful. With heart and humour, Elise explores the thrill of taking risks and putting your trust in total strangers, and learns some home truths along the way.

©2021 Elise Downing (P)2021 W F Howes

A Struggle

I struggled to get through listening to this book. The author takes on a substantial challenge, running the coast of Britain over a 10 month period. While the stories of the generous hospitality she received along the run are heartfelt and encouraging, she struggles to get outside of her own solipsistic universe. Occasional binge drinking alongside of a breakup with an abusive boyfriend features prominently in the narrative. There is little description of the places she visits, outside of the challenges of the running itself. While it is clear that she has matured somewhat by the end of the 5000 mile journey, it doesn’t really redeem the book itself.