One Step Beyond

Welcome to Episode 10 of One Step Beyond, a show that encourages you to take a step outside your comfort zone and enrich your life.This episode: IF NOT NOW, WHEN?The title of a Primo Levi novel served as motivation for British sculptor Peter Naylor to attempt the 153-mile, 2-day run taken by Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta in the year 490BC. (Pheidippides was sent by the outnumbered Athenian army to recruit the Spartans in their impending battle against the invading Persians. He promptly ran back again!)The course has been commemorated in an annual Spartathlon run since 1983, but Naylor is no elite ultra runner. Rather, describing himself as someone who “doesn’t really like running,” he details how at the age of 66, propelled by little more than his love of Greek history and a belief that all things are possible, he wrote his will, jumped on a plane to Greece, and tackled the course unsupported. He promptly returned the next year to do it all over again – and vows to do so once more as a septuagenarian.In a conversation full of self-deprecation and humor, Naylor talks about going off course for over twenty miles, sleeping by the side of the road, and drinking from water bottles left in the gutter by Spartathlon runners. He also explains how the endeavor was a “life-changer,” and why we are all capable of so much more than we may think.Additionally, we discuss whether the legend that has Pheidippides then running the 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of Athenian victory – for which the modern-day marathon race was named – rings true, or whether most of us long-distance road runners are celebrating a myth.Separately, I connect the dots to my own recent unsupported run of the Escarpment Trail in the Catskills and a recent visit to the outdoor playground that is the White Mountains of New Hampshire.Resources for this episode:(Links can additionally be found at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/if-not-now-whenPeter Naylor can be found at https://www.peternaylor.co.uk/(Note: the Harriet Quimby statue referred to in this episode has not yet been commissioned.)More information on the Spartathlon is at https://www.spartathlon.grThere are multiple online history sites that detail the legend of Pheidippides' run to Sparta and back, and the potential myth of the original Marathon run. The Wikipedia page for Pheidippides credits many sources, allowing readers to conduct further research.For questions or comments about One Step Beyond, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitterAnd your host can be found here:tonyfletcher.net  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you… Welcome to Episode 9 of One Step Beyond, a fortnightly show about positively engaging with the world outside our door, with host Tony Fletcher.At the age of 4, Manu Shrestha, along with her two siblings, was found abandoned on the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal, a not uncommon occurrence in a country of devastating poverty, where women generally have little by way of education, opportunity or rights. Manu was taken in by House With Heart, established in the Kathmandu neighborhood of Boudha in 2001 when the late Beverly Bronson took guardianship of two abandoned boys, and which has grown over 20 years to become "a home for abandoned children, an education center for impoverished women and children, and an outreach program for needy families."Now, at the age of 22, Manu is about to start her Junior year at an American college, studying for a nursing degree with the intent of become a nurse practioner, a role that does not exist for women in Nepal. Manu is not the first House With Heart alumni to receive a college education; she is, however, the first to come to the USA. On this episode of One Step Beyond, I talk with Manu about her incredible life journey so far, from the streets of Kathmandu to the mountains (alright, the hills) of Vermont, and her intent to give back to her community once she graduates. We are joined by House With Heart chairperson Colleen Boland.Also: I ruminate on the summer of staycations, and why I undertook a lengthy mountainous trail race after the race was canceled.Please take time to visitHouseWithHeart.org where you will find links to the charity's social media, and resource information that I quoted in this story. For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitterAnd your host can be found here:tonyfletcher.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you… Welcome to Episode 8 of One Step Beyond, a fortnightly show about positively engaging with the world outside our door, with host Tony Fletcher.On this episode, we journey to Kenya, to talk with Nava Osembo, the co-founder and CEo of Enda Sportswear, Africa’s first performance running shoe company and a socially conscious, environmentally friendly, community-based company at that. Then for our local outdoor field recording, we're off to the races for the first time in several months, to find, not surprisingly, that things have changed significantly due to covid. The fun factor, however, has not, and I’ll offer tips for those of you looking to run your first race. Resources for this episode:(URL hyperlinks can always be found at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/ep-8-kenya-enda-and-off-to-the-racesEnda websiteEnda on YouTubeEnda on InstagramReuters article on Kenyan renewable energyCleanTechnica article on Kenyan energyKingston X-Country Summer Series on FacebookAnd your host:tonyfletcher.net For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you… Welcome to Episode 7 of One Step Beyond, a fortnightly show about positively engaging with the world outside our door, with host Tony Fletcher.On this episode, we go from the Catskill Mountains to the mountains of Colombia, in South America, with artist Ric Dragon, who gave up a successful business in the USA to pursue a dream of a rebirth abroad, founding an art center outside of Bogotá, Arte Sumapaz. Then we venture back onto the Catskill Mountains with legendary race director and coach Dick Vincent, to discuss trail running. Inevitably, in both stories, Coronavirus has had a significant impact, and we find ourselves discussing this, too.Resources for this episode:(URL hyperlinks can always be found at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/ep-7-from-the-catskills-to-colombia-and-back.)Arte Sumapaz websiteArte Sumapaz InstagramArte Sumapaz FacebookRic Dragon artist pageCoach Dick Vincent Facebook Escarpment Trail Run websiteThe Ultimate Guide to Trail Running - a fantastic introduction to the sport, via Barnes & Noble.(But support your indie book store)!Tony's GoPro video running this section of the Escarpment Trail in 2017And your host:tonyfletcher.net For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you… Welcome to Episode 6 of One Step Beyond, a fortnightly show about positively engaging with the world outside our door, with your host Tony Fletcher.On this episode, you’ll hear my interview with Carla Rhodes, who turned her own life around a few years ago when she quit drinking and picked up a camera, and is now receiving awards left right and center for her wildlife images while also seeking to make a difference with her photography. I then pick up from where our last episode left off on the running front, discussing how to fit speed work into your daily routines, in the process of my undertaking a virtual - though certainly physical - mile race. We discuss the long-overdue rise of female guides on the Inca Trail in Peru and how to help support them in this time of Coronavirus. And I’ll recommend some other podcasts that delve deep into subjects that this show cares about – which means that hopefully, you will too.Resources for this episode:(URL hyperlinks can always be found at https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond/ep-6-into-the-wildlife-and-beyond.)Carla Rhodes Photography websiteCarla Rhodes on InstagramHargila Army on FacebookGofundme.com/f/support-for-peruvian-mountain-guides/keeping-track.com/burnitalldownpod.com/episodes/162gunksrunner.com/paincave/2020/6/12/episode-61-eracism-with-yassine-dibounlipp.media/podcast/shit-abroadbarefoot-backpacker.com/category/podcast/And your host:tonyfletcher.net For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you... Join author, journalist, broadcaster and music-lover Tony Fletcher, on this new podcast about positively engaging with the world outside our door.EPISODE 5:In December 2019, 52-year old high school teacher Paula Lucas could barely walk up her building’s stairs, due to breathlessness, heart palpitations and other health concerns from being severely overweight. Concerned that she might drop dead in front of her students, she turned vegan before the year was out, and in March, embarked on the From Couch to 5k Program, running for the first time since she was herself at high school. I talk to her about her journey.You can view Paula Lucas’s video diaries, Paula’s Plant Based Pilgrimage, on YouTube: Following up on the mini-series ‘From Kingston to Kilimanjaro,’ I also talk to Henry Stedman, author of ‘Kilimanjaro: The Trekking Guide to Africa’s Highest Mountain,’ and a tour operator in his own right. He discusses how the coronavirus has put an end to almost all mountain climbs, and what his company and others are doing to ensure the welfare of the mountain’s guides and porters. You can find Henry at ClimbMountKilimanjaro.com. The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project is at kiliporters.orgPlus, I find solace hiking in the Catskill Mountains, question what it means to “step outside your comfort zone” in the quest for racial justice and equity, and point listeners to other podcasts that delve deeper into some of these issues. It’s a magazine show, after all.For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Join One Step Beyond on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you... Join me, Tony Fletcher, on this new podcast about positively engaging with the world outside our door (once we can get back to it!).EPISODE 4:The 4-part mini-series From Kingston to Kilimanjaro wraps up, as our team wrestles with a seemingly endless overnight slog up the side of a volcano, serious attacks of altitude sickness, and a long and desperate slog on the last stretch to the roof of Africa. Do we all make it to the summit? Let's put it this way: there are celebratory dinners and dances at the end of it all.In August 2019, I set off from Kingston, New York, with four friends and a Tanzanian-born guide, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 ft, or 5895 meters above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. About 50,000 people a year attempt the summit; not all of them make it. The intense demands on the body in ever-thinning air cause many people to give up before they can reach the peak.I’m a writer and broadcaster by trade, so I brought my recording devices along with me for the journey up the mountain. Over the course of this mini-series, it’s my hope that you’ll be able to experience a little bit of what it’s like to go on an adventure like this, and that by the time we are all done, you’ll be ready to embark on one of your own.For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.netFind us on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you... Join me, Tony Fletcher, on this new podcast about positively engaging with the world outside our door (once we can get back to it!).EPISODE 3:The 4-part mini-series From Kingston to Kilimanjaro continues, with shrinking glaciers, blistering winds, sudden snow, and a two-hour nap at extreme elevation before an attempt on the Kilimanjaro summit.In August 2019, I set off from Kingston, New York, with four friends and a Tanzanian-born guide, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 ft, or 5895 meters above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. About 50,000 people a year attempt the summit; not all of them make it. The intense demands on the body in ever-thinning air cause many people to give up before they can reach the peak.I’m a writer and broadcaster by trade, so I brought my recording devices along with me for the journey up the mountain. Over the course of this mini-series, it’s my hope that you’ll be able to experience a little bit of what it’s like to go on an adventure like this, and that by the time we are all done, you’ll be ready to embark on one of your own.For questions or comments, or to subscribe to the newsletter, e-mail Onestepbeyond@ijamming.netFind us on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you... Join me, Tony Fletcher, on this new podcast about positively engaging with the world outside our door (once we can get back to it!).EPISODE 2:The 4-part mini-series From Kingston to Kilimanjaro continues, with phallic trees, a first sighting of Kibo, an encounter with the Spice Girls, and a serious attack of altitude sickness.In August 2019, I set off from Kingston, New York, with four friends and a Tanzanian-born guide, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 ft, or 5895 meters above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. About 50,000 people a year attempt the summit; not all of them make it. The intense demands on the body in ever-thinning air cause many people to give up before they can reach the peak.I’m a writer and broadcaster by trade, so I brought my recording devices along with me for the journey up the mountain. Over the course of this mini-series,it’s my hope that you’ll be able to experience a little bit of what it’s like to go on an adventure like this, and that by the time we are all done, you’ll be ready to embark on one of your own.E-mail the show with questions or comments.Subscribe to the newsletter.(Onestepbeyond@ijamming.net)Find us on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you... Join me, Tony Fletcher, on this new podcast about positively engaging with the world outside our door (once we can get back to it!).EPISODE 1:In August 2019, I set off from Kingston, New York, with four friends and a Tanzanian-born guide, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 ft, or 5895 meters above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. About 50,000 people a year attempt the summit; not all of them make it. The intense demands on the body in ever-thinning air cause many people to give up before they can reach the peak.I’m a writer and broadcaster by trade, so I brought my recording devices along with me for the journey up the mountain. Over the course of this four-part mini-series, the first episodes of the new podcast One Step Beyond, it’s my hope that you’ll be able to experience a little bit of what it’s like to go on an adventure like this, and that by the time we are all done, you’ll be ready to embark on one of your own.E-mail the show with questions or comments.Subscribe to the newsletter.Find us on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join author, runner, broadcaster, and traveler Tony Fletcher on this new show about positively engaging with the world outside our door (once we can get back to it!).Whether it’s to hike a local trail or climb a distant mountain, travel to a new country or explore culture close to home, run a first 5k or tackle an ultra-marathon, One Step Beyond encourages you to take a step outside your comfort zone and enrich your life. With interviews, features and field recordings.Questions or comments? E-mail onestepbeyond@ijamming.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.