3rd June 2010 | How to Drive a Tank...
Ever wanted to run but didn’t want the pain? There is a simple running plan for beginners that I included in How to Drive a Tank that many have responded to. It’s outrageously simple, and anyone can do it.
How to Run
Remember all those Ethiopian track stars that honed their skills without fancy modern training kit? Like walking this is one of those skills that we all naturally have. We all used to run around like maniacs as kids, in the park, or on the football pitch. But as adults all we seem to
remember are those ‘cross-country’ days where we forced to run around a track endlessly in the rain. The thought of running filled me with dread as a younger man, I lived on a beautiful park and one day I thought I’d give it a go. I did what we were taught to do in school, just go at it. About a hundred yards later I had to pull over hold onto a tree and wheeze like a coal miner. I was an extremely heavy smoker at the time which didn’t help. I gave up. Then I found Hal Higdon’s excellent book How to Train. In it he detailed a running plan originally designed by the ex-military coach Chuck Cornett for the over 50s. It’s called the 30/30 plan and it teaches you how to run properly, unlike school.
The Plan – Everyday for 30 days do the following:
Go away from the house for 15 minutes, then turn around and come back to it for a further 15, total time: 30 minutes.
Walk for the first five minutes – this is your warm up.
Walk for the last five minutes – this is your cool down.
For the middle 20 minutes jog or walk as long as you do so easily and do not push yourself. To begin with in your 20 minutes, try jogging 30 seconds, walk thirty seconds and slowly build up your time.
Always listen to what your body tells you. If you want to go faster do it, if you want to go slower, or walk, do that too. I guarantee you that after a week or so you’ll be wanting to go out every day, because if you don’t you’ll miss it.
After your 30 days you’ll be running a mile or three every time you go out and it won’t have been painful in the slightest. After that if you begin to run a little further you’ll find out that lovely little secret of runners everywhere, after 20 minutes the endorphins kick in. You won’t even want to stop.
Hal has updated this plan on his website where you can also find all his other running plans, from 5k to Marathons. In the next few days I’ll add another post on how to increase your aerobic capacity so that you can run faster and longer and with less recovery time between runs.
1st April 2010 | How to Drive a Tank..., Reader's Questions
Sam Chell, one of the readers of How to Drive a Tank… asks, “How can I get in contact with some of the people you met in your book as i am really interested in doing some of the things you did? Please help me if you have the time, thanks.”
Well Sam, it’s a good question and one I’m asked regularly, so, by section, here are the people, companies and books I used to do the things you read about in Tank. Book links are at the bottom.
Section 1: Life skills Every Man Should Have
Frank in a Tank
Chapter: How to Drive a Tank
Tank School
Contact: Alastair Scott
Tel: 07971 635189 / 01873 880301
Email: alastairgscott AT tiscali.co.uk (replace AT with @)
Web: http://www.tankschool.co.uk/
Chapter: Handbrake Turns and Other Naughty Driving Skills Read the rest of this entry »
9th March 2010 | How to Drive a Tank...
How to Drive a Tank…in German. One sample chapter that is. ‘How to Hire a Hitman’, or now, as the Germans say: ‘So heuern Sie einen Auftragsmörder an‘.
Let me know what you think. If you have any English to German translation needs don’t hesitate to contact on Dominik Zander on sanjose1(AT)gmx.net or Donal Elsted the innovative creator of the experiential language learning centre Lerner Leben. You can also check out their website in both German and English.
There may even be a French translation on its way.
21st January 2010 | Journalism
A colleague writes:
I’m volunteering for a project called 100 Stories for Haiti.
We’re putting together an e-book of short fiction to sell to raise money for the Red Cross and their relief efforts in Haiti after the earthquake. If you’ve got a few hours spare to help it would be massively appreciated.
We need: short story submissions, editors and sub-editors
If you want to send a short story, please follow these guidelines:
- No more than 1,000 words
- Stories themed around hope and no stories containing graphic violence, death or destruction
- Send all stories in the body text of an email to 100storiesforhaiti AT gmail.com. Stories sent as attachments will not be opened.
- Stories must be received by Monday 25 January 2010
I’m happy to answer any questions but you’re probably best going straight to the originator of the project Greg McQueen at 100storiesforhaiti AT gmail.com
Press release available from me on request
Thanks muchly.
Sarah
4th January 2010 | Reader's Questions
Happy new year to you all! And many thanks to all the readers of my book for your queries over the Christmas period. I now have a backlog and will try to respond to you personally or post the answer here if it’s a question I’ve been asked more than once.
Max from Jersey asks…
“I am a French man based in Jersey and I read your book. I really enjoyed it. I was wondering if you were considering to translate to French at some point? I think it would be a great success in France. Thanks in advance for your answer. Best wishes, Max.”
Thanks for your question Max. I know there are several translation talks going on at the moment and if a French version is commissioned I’ll let you know here. For German readers we should start one or two translations of the sample chapters on the book page in the coming weeks.
Thanks again, and to all my readers, feel free to ask questions at any time. I will always try and respond to you, although please bear in my mind that sometimes my workload or location often means I can’t.
Keep smiling, F.
remember are those ‘cross-country’ days where we forced to run around a track endlessly in the rain. The thought of running filled me with dread as a younger man, I lived on a beautiful park and one day I thought I’d give it a go. I did what we were taught to do in school, just go at it. About a hundred yards later I had to pull over hold onto a tree and wheeze like a coal miner. I was an extremely heavy smoker at the time which didn’t help. I gave up. Then I found Hal Higdon’s excellent book How to Train. In it he detailed a running plan originally designed by the ex-military coach Chuck Cornett for the over 50s. It’s called the 30/30 plan and it teaches you how to run properly, unlike school.
