Addo 100 miler Sunset

Have you ever wanted to give up? To quit so hard that the thought of not quitting, or not being able to quit for whatever reason, makes you angry to your core. God knows I have. Hell, most of the time quitting is the least of my worries, it’s getting started that’s the real bitch.

To be clear, I’m not writing this in some vain attempt at another inspirational running post about never giving up or refusing to quit. In fact, there are many things I think we should all quit right away: Smoking (cigarettes at least), talking shit behind someone’s back, trying to please everyone all the time, driving while drunk or high, being a dick. I could go on but I think you get the idea. I’ve done all of the above and more at some point and probably will again in the future, so who am I to judge?

I like running, probably a little bit more than the average person but I’m an addict by nature and therefore my self-proclaimed passion for running ultra-marathons makes sense. I only started running about 4 years ago, completing my first marathon in September 2015. Since then I’ve run lots of marathons and even more ultra-marathons, most of them with my long-suffering wee buddy of 20 years, Richard van der Spuy. Before we started running together, the first 16 years of our friendship would read something like Hunter S Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I suppose we’ve always been keen to explore the unknown so to speak. Now in our 40’s, a hundred-mile trail run seemed like the kinda party we would enjoy.

Addo 100 miler - Rich
Rich on the rampage

Addo Elephant Park 100 miler is a beautiful bitch

On Friday March 2nd 2018 at 2:00p.m, Richard and I started out on another innocent little adventure known as Africa’s Wildest Run. The Addo Elephant Park 100 Miler. That’s 161km’s of trail running with a total elevation gain of 5600m, although my Suunto Ambit Peak3 reckons it was 6480m of elevation.

Understandably the field for such an event is rather small, I think only 56 started the race with us. At the pre-race briefing and while hanging out in the race tent before the start, it once again seemed obvious to Richard and me that we were imposters who didn’t quite belong. The other competitors always seem to be better prepared, more knowledgeable about what lies ahead and they all look stronger and more legit so to speak. I’m quite sure this is just our own insecurities manifesting, both of us have spent most of our lives battling insecurity and self-doubt, my own Mother still reminds me that I apparently pissed the bed until I was 6 years old. Personal confessions aside, I guess we kinda enjoy the self-imposed outsider tag.

Also, I can’t be asked to get deep into the matrix of higher grade admin that I somehow associate with race preparation and strategy. I leave that up to Richard, he’s much more diligent in these matters, I can trust him, he’ll know what to do and where to go if we have a problem during our little outing. So, there we were, in the race tent attaching GPS units to our kit and numbers to our T-shirts and making final preparations as best we knew how with about an hour to go before the gun. We were sitting at different tables at that point when Richard walked up to me briskly with eyes wide open carrying his open camel-bak in one hand with half his gear hanging out.

“I can’t sit at that table anymore dude, they’re freaking me out.” He said in a frightened hurry.

“WTF!?! What’s their problem?” I asked as if ready to defend my wee buddy from a pending attack.

“No no, they don’t have a problem, I think we definitely do though. I was listening to them talk about the course while they studied that fucking map that I’ve never seen and they were speaking about sections of the course and discussing a race strategy using words and phrases that I honestly didn’t even understand.”

“Oh well, maybe we just try follow them then hey. Shit.” I offered as a solution to what Richard now saw as very clear and present danger.

Jim smiling on Addo 100 miler

The Grand Deception – How to get the doctor to make you quit.

After about 20 hours and 111km’s of grind, I approached the compulsory medical stop of the Addo 100 Miler fundamentally committed to quitting, I was done. I had run 118km of challenging trail already, more than I had ever run before. I was part of a very small group of people who had dared to tackle the 161km Addo course in the first place and I had every right to quit. I was tired, sore, blistered and not exactly digging it, to put it mildly. I was also really scared.

I sat down in the camper chair and the doctor, smiling broadly, said “well done!” and then asked me how I was feeling. I looked up at him and offered a mumbled response. I don’t remember what I said but my lack of enthusiasm dampened his a little. As he continued to run the various medical checks I decided that the doctor would make the decision for me and he would pull me from the race.

Within a minute I had very deliberately sent enough confusing signals to the doctor to raise his concern. I acted a little bit dizzy and disoriented, I stood up and pretended to stumble as if off balance. A few more incoherent mumbles and the doctor informed me that he was making an executive decision to pull me from the race. I had done it, I had masterminded my exit without actually quitting. “Jirre I’m clever hey,” I said to myself. To which my inner voice replied in a tone best reserved for someone you loathe. “Ja, but you’re also a fucking asshole.”

In an instant, I realized that what I was doing was extremely uncool. I was manipulating the doctor to force me to quit, that way it wouldn’t be my decision and I would have a less shameful excuse for not finishing the race. Luckily the results of all my medical checks were 100% solid and after 5 minutes of desperate repentance I managed to convince the doctor that I was actually fine, he reluctantly allowed me to continue.

Rich looking strong Addo 100 miler

The Valley of Tears and when I finally quit

Strange as it sounds, I felt a huge sense of relief that I had managed to undo my deception and was allowed to continue into the Valley of Tears. A very aptly named 17km section of the course I might add, although I managed it a little easier than I had expected. Possibly because I dodged the bullet of my own duplicity or maybe because the cashew nut and date bar that I demolished gave me a much-needed boost.

Whatever, I now found myself at the refuel station after the Valley of Tears having completed about 130km’s of the course. For a brief moment, I may have even felt quite upbeat and positive, the end was in sight kind of feeling, I’ve got this, I’m very strong and clever and honest and wonderful. If I did feel any of this it was certainly fleeting. Once we got up the steep hill and onto the long ridge with about 30km’s to go, my race pace was reduced to a medium/fast walk at best. It was now dark as I entered my second night on the trot, I was fatigued to the extreme and the pain was real. I have however discovered on my journey so far that I seem to enjoy the pain more than most. I have no idea why yet but maybe more about that in a future musing.

Now, on top of the ridge with about 30km’s to go my entire being was reduced to its simplest possible form. It could not be simplified any further while still remaining whole. I was non-binary so to speak; my entire life’s mission was singular and that was to take the very next step. Sounds easy enough but before taking the next step I had to conquer my now insatiable desire to quit. With every single step, despite how tired I was, the battle between taking the next step and the desire to quit raged inside me like a runaway forest fire. Even when I disassociated what little I had left of myself from the rage inside, still it grew in intensity with every step. Honestly, If I could have legitimately quit with only 3 steps to go until the finish line I would have. I crossed the line at about 1:00a.m, sat down and said to Sheena (the race director), I quit. “Ok,” she said, in a way that demonstrated her advanced skill in not giving a fuck about my struggles.

Jim running Addo 100 miler

I really do love trail running, especially the 100 miler

Less than a minute after my declaration to Sheena, Greig Pringle crossed the line. I met Greig at Skyrun and we had become friends based on our mutual love for suffering. Greig and I had run together from about halfway on Addo, we had been through a great deal of self-induced pain and hardship together, encouraging each other as much as we could along the way. Greig had also carried on despite tearing his hamstring with about 15km’s to go. As he crossed the line with only Sheena and I to greet him, Greig started to shake uncontrollably, probably in a state of shock and unable to regulate his core temperature. Sheena looked at what was left of me sitting on a camper chair and asked me with a frown, “What the hell’s wrong with him?” pointing at Greig. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud before suggesting ironically that perhaps he had just run 161km through torturous terrain, could it be that he was tired and sore, perhaps even needed medical attention?

That’s something I truly love about the ultra-distance trail runs that I’ve completed so far. No crowds cheering you on as you enter the stadium to complete your feat. No loudspeaker blaring your name as you approach the elaborate finish line with eager volunteers handing out medals, no paparazzi. Just the race director ticking off your name and maybe a friend or family member who agreed to pick you up after the race. Priceless.

Richard finished a short while later with a dude that he had picked up at the half way mark. As he crossed the line I opened the car door and shouted,

“You’re a fucking champ Rich.”

“Thanks man, so are you.” He replied.

Richard sported a broad beaming smile and from where I was sitting looked a lot fresher than I did. His name ticked off on the finishers list he joined me in the back seat of the car and Tanya, Richard’s wife, started the drive back to our digs about 30km away.

Richard and I spoke a lot for a good 10 minutes or so before passing out. We didn’t say a lot though, we mostly just repeated a few statements over and over with slightly different tones and inflections at best. We laughed and smiled though, we were definitely happy and probably even a little proud of the fact that we had finished.

Jim: “That was so hard man, so fucking hard.”

Rich: “All I wanted to do was quit, for so long dude.”

Jim: “I’ve never wanted to quit so immediately for so long ever before in my life.”

Jim: “I told Sheena that I quit for sure as soon as I crossed the line.”

Rich: Hahahahaha.

Jim: “I’m actually cross that I didn’t quit sooner.”

Rich: “But we didn’t quit man, we finished that stupid thing.”

Jim: “Man, that was so frikken hard.”

Rich: “Jim, I was hallucinating so hectically towards the end man.”

Jim: “Me too dude, tripping balls.”

Jim: “Greig told me at one point that he was following the guy in front of us, I had to stop him and tell him that there was nobody in front of us.”

Rich: “WTF, dude.”

Jim: “That was proper hard. I just wanted to quit so badly.”

Rich: “I honestly quit more than a hundred times.”

Jim: “Easily.”

Rich rocking Addo 100 miler

What next – The Day after Addo 100 miler

The next day we chilled hard. We ate a lot throughout the day as we began a journey of post-race reflection that would last for weeks, months even. I’m writing this 6 months after the race. We’ve completed West Coast Marathon, Two Oceans Ultra and Comrades, Bastille 50, NumNum and Sping Mweni since we ran Addo 100 miler, but the experience is still fresh in my mind. I’m still trying to figure out what we learnt running Addo while also trying not to overthink anything. Richard and I still enjoying referring back to the adventure in all its torturous glory. It was an experience, it was fun, it was wild.

Tomorrow we’ll be lining up for our 2nd 100 mile race at Karkloof. Some good friends will be joining us for the their 1st 50 miler; Shane, Ryan and Dom. Our gang of imposters is growing.

Hopefully we’ll all finish with enough of a sense of humour intact to sign up for Addo 100 miler in 2019. Yes please.

Addo 100 miler water stop

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

6856 COMMENTS

  1. Well writtern Jim and felt like I was there with you. This is inspiring and I know you don’t try to be, but even in the moments we find ourselves as imposters, outsiders, the true self appears. Good luck to you and Rich. I hope the pain finds you.

  6. This is the perfect blog for everyone who hopes to find out about
    this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost tough to argue with
    you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put
    a fresh spin on a topic that’s been written about for a long time.
    Great stuff, just great!

  7. hi!,I really like your writing so so much!
    percentage we keep up a correspondence more about your article on AOL?
    I require a specialist on this space to resolve my problem.
    May be that’s you! Looking ahead to peer you.

  9. Hello! This post couldn’t be written any better!
    Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate!

    He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this write-up to him.
    Fairly certain he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  10. certainly like your web-site but you have to check the spelling
    on quite a few of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to inform the
    reality however I will certainly come again again.

  11. Hello! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone
    4! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts!
    Carry on the outstanding work!

  12. You can certainly see your skills in the work you write.

    The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say
    how they believe. All the time go after your heart.

  13. Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your article
    seem to be running off the screen in Safari. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you
    know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon.
    Cheers

  15. Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
    I will make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the
    post. I will definitely return.

  16. I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it
    up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later.
    All the best

  17. Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.

    When I look at your blog site in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it
    has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, amazing blog!

  21. My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from a
    different page and thought I may as well check things out.
    I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to
    checking out your web page for a second time.

  22. I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your web site.
    Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems?

    A number of my blog visitors have complained about
    my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks
    great in Safari. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?

  26. Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.

    Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! However, how could we communicate?

  27. Hello my friend! I wish to say that this post is amazing, great written and come with approximately all important infos.

    I would like to look more posts like this .

  61. Hey There. I found your weblog the usage of msn. That is an extremely smartly written article.
    I’ll make sure to bookmark it and return to
    learn extra of your useful info. Thank you for the post.

    I will definitely comeback.

  65. Superb site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any discussion boards
    that cover the same topics discussed here?
    I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get comments from other experienced individuals that share the same interest.
    If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
    Cheers!

  72. What i do not understood is in truth how you’re not actually much
    more well-appreciated than you might be right now. You are so intelligent.
    You recognize thus significantly relating to this matter, produced me for my part believe it from a lot of numerous angles.
    Its like women and men aren’t interested except it’s one thing to accomplish
    with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs excellent. At all times
    take care of it up!

  74. I seriously love your website.. Excellent colors & theme.

    Did you create this website yourself? Please reply back as
    I’m wanting to create my own personal site and would love to learn where you got this from or just
    what the theme is named. Kudos!

  76. Admiring the commitment you put into your blog and detailed information you offer.
    It’s awesome to come across a blog every once
    in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed
    material. Wonderful read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  79. Undeniably believe that that you said. Your favorite justification seemed to be at
    the internet the easiest factor to take into account
    of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed whilst other folks think about
    worries that they plainly don’t realize about. You managed to hit the nail upon the
    top and also defined out the whole thing with no need side effect , other people could take a
    signal. Will likely be again to get more. Thanks

  81. Hey! I know this is sort of off-topic but I needed to ask.
    Does building a well-established blog such as yours require a lot of work?
    I am completely new to running a blog but I do write
    in my diary every day. I’d like to start a blog so I will be
    able to share my own experience and views online. Please let me know if
    you have any suggestions or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers.
    Appreciate it!

  85. I am not certain where you’re getting your info, but great topic.

    I must spend a while finding out more or working out more.
    Thanks for excellent info I was looking for this
    information for my mission.

  94. Cool blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
    A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out.
    Please let me know where you got your theme. Thanks a lot

  95. Hmm it seems like your website ate my first comment (it
    was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole thing.
    Do you have any tips for rookie blog writers?
    I’d really appreciate it.

  97. Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you
    are just extremely magnificent. I actually like
    what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you are saying and
    the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it smart.
    I can not wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great web site.

  100. Hello, I think your website might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog site in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening
    in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.

    I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, excellent blog!

  103. Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re
    working with? I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a difficult time making a
    decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique.
    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  111. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after checking through some of
    the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back frequently!

  112. Thanks for the marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it,
    you could be a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and
    will come back very soon. I want to encourage you continue your great writing,
    have a nice morning!

  114. Its such as you read my mind! You appear to understand a lot approximately this, like you wrote
    the book in it or something. I believe that you just can do with some percent
    to pressure the message house a bit, however instead of that, that is excellent blog.

    A great read. I will definitely be back.

  115. Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is important and everything. But think of if
    you added some great photos or video clips to give your posts more, “pop”!
    Your content is excellent but with images and videos, this website could
    definitely be one of the most beneficial in its niche. Excellent blog!

  128. Please let me know if you’re looking for a article author
    for your blog. You have some really good posts and I feel I
    would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d really like to write some
    articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
    Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Many thanks!

  130. You are so cool! I don’t believe I have read through anything like this before.
    So nice to find somebody with unique thoughts on this
    subject. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This web site
    is something that is required on the web, someone with a bit of originality!

  132. Howdy, i read your blog occasionally and i own a
    similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam comments?
    If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you
    can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving
    me crazy so any help is very much appreciated.

  134. You really make it appear so easy with your presentation however I find this matter to
    be actually something that I think I would never understand.
    It seems too complicated and extremely vast for me. I’m taking a look forward
    to your next submit, I will attempt to get the cling
    of it!

  142. I think that what you posted made a lot of sense. However, think on this, what if
    you were to create a killer title? I ain’t saying your information isn’t good., however what
    if you added a title that grabbed people’s attention? I mean This is not an inspirational
    running post | Jim & Rich is kinda boring. You might peek at Yahoo’s front
    page and watch how they create article titles to get viewers to
    open the links. You might try adding a video or a related picture or two to
    grab people excited about everything’ve written. Just my opinion, it would bring
    your website a little livelier.

  143. Hi! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post
    reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept chatting about this.
    I will forward this page to him. Pretty sure he will have
    a good read. Thank you for sharing!

  146. What’s Taking place i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this
    I have found It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads.

    I am hoping to contribute & assist other customers like its helped me.

    Great job.

  147. Greetings from Florida! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to
    browse your website on my iphone during lunch break.
    I enjoy the information you present here and can’t wait to take a
    look when I get home. I’m shocked at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile ..
    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, great blog!

  155. Right here is the right website for everyone who would like to understand this topic.
    You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I personally will need
    to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject
    that’s been written about for ages. Great stuff, just excellent!

  161. This is very interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
    I have joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post.
    Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!

  169. Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a
    great author.I will always bookmark your blog and may come back at some
    point. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great posts, have a nice day!

  170. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style
    seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique.

    P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

  171. Howdy I am so excited I found your blog page, I really found
    you by mistake, while I was searching on Bing for something else,
    Anyways I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a incredible post and a
    all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design),
    I don’t have time to look over it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I
    have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the awesome work.

  174. Hello, Neat post. There is an issue with your website in internet explorer,
    may check this? IE nonetheless is the marketplace chief and a good element of folks will pass over your magnificent
    writing due to this problem.

  176. We are a group of volunteers and opening
    a new scheme in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on. You have done an impressive job and our
    entire community will be thankful to you.

  183. When I originally commented I clicked the
    “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get several e-mails with the same comment.

    Is there any way you can remove people from that
    service? Thanks a lot!

  184. Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was
    curious about your situation; we have created some
    nice practices and we are looking to swap methods with other folks,
    please shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  189. I was curious if you ever considered changing the layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect
    with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only
    having 1 or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  196. of course like your website however you need to take a look at the spelling on quite a
    few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and
    I in finding it very troublesome to tell the truth however I’ll certainly
    come again again.

  199. Howdy, I believe your website may be having web browser compatibility issues.
    Whenever I look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues.
    I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up!

    Aside from that, wonderful site!

  200. Hey there fantastic website! Does running a blog such as this take a great deal of work?

    I have virtually no understanding of computer programming
    but I had been hoping to start my own blog soon.
    Anyhow, if you have any recommendations or techniques for new blog owners please
    share. I understand this is off subject however I just
    had to ask. Thanks!

  201. Hey! I understand this is kind of off-topic however I needed to ask.
    Does building a well-established blog like yours take a large amount of work?
    I am brand new to blogging but I do write in my diary on a
    daily basis. I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and feelings online.
    Please let me know if you have any kind of ideas
    or tips for brand new aspiring bloggers. Thankyou!

  202. Woah! I’m really enjoying the template/theme of this site.
    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very hard to get that
    “perfect balance” between usability and appearance.

    I must say you have done a excellent job with this. Additionally, the blog loads super quick for me on Firefox.

    Outstanding Blog!

  209. I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or 2 images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  216. Hi! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could get a
    captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
    having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  217. First of all I would like to say excellent blog! I
    had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind.
    I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your thoughts prior to writing.
    I have had a difficult time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out.
    I do enjoy writing however it just seems like
    the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any
    ideas or tips? Kudos!

  227. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me.

    Anyhow, I’m certainly happy I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!

  233. Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit
    and sources back to your website? My website
    is in the very same area of interest as yours and my users would truly benefit from some
    of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
    Appreciate it!

  246. Please let me know if you’re looking for a article author for
    your site. You have some really great posts and I believe I would be a good
    asset. If you ever want to take some of
    the load off, I’d love to write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back
    to mine. Please blast me an email if interested. Thanks!

  251. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure
    of your blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got
    to say. But maybe you could a little more in the
    way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two pictures.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  253. Simply desire to say your article is as astounding.

    The clarity in your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject.
    Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated
    with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue
    the gratifying work.

  254. Hmm it seems like your site ate my first comment (it
    was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what
    I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer
    but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any tips and hints
    for newbie blog writers? I’d genuinely appreciate it.

  255. Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site?
    The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your
    broadcast offered bright clear idea

  260. I have been browsing online more than 3 hours these days, yet
    I by no means found any attention-grabbing article like yours.
    It is beautiful value sufficient for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers
    made just right content material as you did, the net
    can be a lot more helpful than ever before.

  263. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this,
    like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with
    some pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog.
    An excellent read. I’ll certainly be back.

  270. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog.

    Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A small
    number of my blog visitors have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari.
    Do you have any tips to help fix this problem?

  271. Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you
    actually understand what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked.
    Kindly also visit my web site =). We can have a link exchange
    contract between us

  272. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest
    twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for
    quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with
    something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything.

    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  278. Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
    A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand
    out. Please let me know where you got your design. Thanks

  282. I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you create this website yourself or did
    you hire someone to do it for you? Plz respond as
    I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to know where u
    got this from. many thanks

  284. Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you will be a great
    author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will come
    back later on. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your
    great job, have a nice holiday weekend!

  287. Excellent items from you, man. I have consider your
    stuff prior to and you are simply extremely fantastic.

    I really like what you’ve received here, really like what you
    are stating and the way by which you say it. You’re making it entertaining
    and you continue to care for to keep it sensible. I can not
    wait to learn far more from you. That is really a terrific website.

  288. My brother suggested I would possibly like this blog.
    He used to be entirely right. This publish actually
    made my day. You can not imagine simply how a lot time I had spent for this info!
    Thank you!

  294. What i do not realize is in reality how you’re
    no longer actually a lot more neatly-liked than you may be right
    now. You are very intelligent. You understand thus significantly on the subject of this subject,
    produced me in my opinion consider it from so many various angles.
    Its like women and men aren’t interested until it’s something
    to accomplish with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs
    excellent. At all times care for it up!

  297. Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old
    daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed
    the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside
    and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is
    totally off topic but I had to tell someone!

  302. This is really interesting, You are an excessively professional blogger.
    I’ve joined your feed and look forward to searching for more of your wonderful post.
    Additionally, I have shared your web site in my social networks

  317. Hi there are using WordPress for your site platform?
    I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you
    require any coding expertise to make your own blog?
    Any help would be really appreciated!

  318. Undeniably believe that which you said. Your favorite
    reason appeared to be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware
    of. I say to you, I definitely get irked while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about.

    You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the
    whole thing without having side effect , people can take a signal.
    Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

  320. Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it,
    you happen to be a great author.I will ensure
    that I bookmark your blog and will often come back in the foreseeable future.
    I want to encourage one to continue your great writing, have a nice holiday weekend!

  322. Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about this,
    like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with a
    few pics to drive the message home a little bit,
    but other than that, this is excellent blog. A great read.
    I will definitely be back.

  324. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems
    as though you relied on the video to make your point.
    You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw
    away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something
    informative to read?

  327. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to
    my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some
    time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience
    with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything.

    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to
    your new updates.

  331. Hello there! This post could not be written any better!

    Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate!
    He always kept talking about this. I will forward this page to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  335. When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I
    get four e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
    Thank you!

  338. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the page layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content
    so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images.
    Maybe you could space it out better?

  340. Thanks for your personal marvelous posting!
    I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.
    I will remember to bookmark your blog and definitely will come
    back later on. I want to encourage you to continue your great writing, have
    a nice holiday weekend!

  342. I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your blog?

    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could
    connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only
    having 1 or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  345. You are so cool! I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before.
    So good to find somebody with some original thoughts on this subject matter.
    Really.. thank you for starting this up. This web site is
    one thing that is required on the web, someone with
    a bit of originality!

  349. This is the right webpage for anyone who hopes to understand this topic.
    You know a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I
    actually would want to…HaHa). You definitely put a
    fresh spin on a subject that has been written about for decades.

    Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!

  355. Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better!

    Reading through this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always
    kept talking about this. I will forward this page to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  356. Good post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon on a daily basis.
    It will always be exciting to read content from other writers and use something
    from other sites.

  359. I have been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality
    articles or weblog posts on this kind of space .

    Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this website. Reading this information So i am glad to express
    that I have a very excellent uncanny feeling I found
    out exactly what I needed. I most certainly will make sure to don?t put out of your mind this
    web site and provides it a glance on a constant basis.

  361. I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing
    this site. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade
    content from you later on as well. In fact, your creative
    writing abilities has inspired me to get my own website
    now 😉

  362. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you are working with?
    I’m experiencing some minor security issues with my latest website and I’d like to find something more secure.
    Do you have any suggestions?

  365. Hi excellent website! Does running a blog such as this require a large amount of work?
    I’ve very little understanding of computer programming but I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyways, should you
    have any recommendations or tips for new blog owners please share.
    I know this is off subject but I just wanted to ask.
    Thanks!

  366. An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I think that
    you need to publish more about this issue, it may not be a taboo matter but typically folks don’t discuss such issues.
    To the next! Many thanks!!

  367. Good day! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering
    if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form?

    I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one?
    Thanks a lot!

  372. Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This
    is a really well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to read
    more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.

  376. Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old
    daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.”
    She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic
    but I had to tell someone!

  378. I’m extremely impressed along with your writing
    abilities and also with the layout on your weblog. Is that this a paid theme or did you customize it your self?

    Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to
    peer a nice weblog like this one these days..

  388. Hey there this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code
    with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so
    I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.

    Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  391. I believe that is one of the such a lot important information for me.
    And i am glad reading your article. But wanna statement on few basic things, The site taste is ideal, the articles is actually excellent : D.

    Good activity, cheers

  395. Everything published was actually very reasonable.
    But, consider this, suppose you were to create a killer headline?
    I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your website,
    but what if you added a title to maybe grab people’s attention? I mean This
    is not an inspirational running post | Jim & Rich is a
    little boring. You should peek at Yahoo’s front page and
    watch how they write article headlines to get people interested.

    You might try adding a video or a pic or two to grab readers interested about what you’ve written. In my opinion, it might bring your posts a little bit more interesting.

  399. Hi there, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and
    i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback?

    If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated.

  406. Hey there! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a
    quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading your posts.
    Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same topics?
    Many thanks!

  408. You really make it seem so easy along with your presentation however I to find this matter to be really
    one thing which I think I would never understand.
    It sort of feels too complicated and very extensive for me.
    I’m taking a look forward for your next submit, I’ll try to get
    the grasp of it!

  410. An impressive share! I have just forwarded
    this onto a friend who had been doing a little homework on this.
    And he in fact ordered me dinner simply because I stumbled upon it for
    him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this topic
    here on your internet site.

  414. Hello! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.
    Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have
    done a outstanding job!

  419. I think that everything said made a great deal of sense.
    However, think on this, what if you added a
    little content? I am not saying your information is not good,
    however what if you added something that grabbed folk’s attention? I mean This is not an inspirational running post |
    Jim & Rich is a little plain. You could look at Yahoo’s
    front page and watch how they create post headlines to grab viewers
    to open the links. You might add a related video or a
    related pic or two to get readers excited about everything’ve got to say.
    Just my opinion, it would bring your website a little bit more interesting.

  420. First off I want to say excellent blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you do not mind.
    I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing.
    I’ve had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out there.
    I truly do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost
    just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or hints?
    Many thanks!

  428. Hello there, I discovered your site by the use of Google at the same time as searching for a similar topic,
    your web site came up, it appears to be like good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

    Hi there, simply was aware of your blog through Google, and located that it
    is truly informative. I am going to be careful
    for brussels. I will be grateful when you proceed this in future.
    A lot of other folks might be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  430. Greetings from California! I’m bored to death at work so I
    decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break.

    I enjoy the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
    I’m amazed at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile ..
    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, excellent blog!

  431. Hey there! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
    My blog looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4.
    I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able
    to correct this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share.
    Many thanks!

  433. This design is spectacular! You definitely know how to keep
    a reader entertained. Between your wit and
    your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job.
    I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you
    presented it. Too cool!

  438. I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
    I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already
    😉 Cheers!

  439. I am really loving the theme/design of your blog.
    Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility
    problems? A couple of my blog visitors have complained
    about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari.
    Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?

  441. Just desire to say your article is as surprising.
    The clearness in your post is simply cool and
    i can assume you are an expert on this subject.
    Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post.
    Thanks a million and please keep up the rewarding work.

  443. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like
    you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but other than that, this is fantastic blog.

    An excellent read. I’ll certainly be back.

  455. With havin so much written content do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or
    copyright violation? My blog has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it
    appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do
    you know any methods to help prevent content from being ripped off?
    I’d truly appreciate it.

  458. When I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails
    with the same comment. Is there a means you are able to remove me from that service?
    Cheers!

  462. Awesome blog! Do you have any helpful hints for aspiring writers?
    I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There
    are so many options out there that I’m totally confused .. Any ideas?
    Thank you!

  467. I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site.

    I really hope to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as
    well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated
    me to get my own, personal blog now 😉

  474. I do not know whether it’s just me or if everybody else encountering issues with your website.
    It appears as if some of the written text in your content are running off the screen. Can somebody else
    please comment and let me know if this is happening to them as well?
    This could be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
    Kudos

  476. Have you ever thought about including a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is important and all. But imagine
    if you added some great visuals or videos to give your posts
    more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with images and video clips, this site could
    definitely be one of the greatest in its field.
    Terrific blog!

  479. First off I want to say terrific blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you do not mind.

    I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your head prior to writing.

    I have had a hard time clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out there.
    I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems
    like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying
    to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints?
    Kudos!

  480. Hmm it seems like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to
    everything. Do you have any tips for rookie blog writers?
    I’d certainly appreciate it.

  481. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who had
    been conducting a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me lunch simply because I found it
    for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
    Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time
    to discuss this matter here on your web site.

  484. I am curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be working with?
    I’m experiencing some minor security problems with my latest blog
    and I’d like to find something more safeguarded.
    Do you have any suggestions?

  498. Magnificent beat ! I wish to apprentice at the same time as
    you amend your web site, how can i subscribe for a weblog web site?
    The account helped me a appropriate deal.
    I had been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided vibrant clear idea

  499. Very good blog you have here but I was curious about if you
    knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked
    about here? I’d really love to be a part of community where I can get
    suggestions from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same
    interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
    Thank you!

  510. Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it
    to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell
    to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!

  516. I have been surfing online greater than three hours lately, yet I never discovered any fascinating article
    like yours. It is lovely worth sufficient for me.
    Personally, if all site owners and bloggers made excellent content as you did, the internet
    might be a lot more helpful than ever before.

  518. Hi there would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using?

    I’m planning to start my own blog soon but I’m having a
    difficult time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and
    I’m looking for something unique.
    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  525. I simply could not depart your website before suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the usual info an individual provide
    for your guests? Is going to be again often to
    inspect new posts

  527. Just wish to say your article is as amazing.

    The clearness to your publish is simply excellent and i can suppose you are knowledgeable in this subject.
    Fine with your permission let me to seize your feed to
    stay updated with impending post. Thank you a million and please keep up the rewarding work.

  531. We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
    Your website offered us with valuable info to work on. You’ve done a formidable job and
    our entire community will be grateful to you.

  552. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to get set up?
    I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web smart so I’m not 100% certain. Any tips or advice would be
    greatly appreciated. Thank you

  557. Right here is the perfect website for anybody who
    wishes to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa).
    You certainly put a brand new spin on a subject that’s been discussed for many years.
    Great stuff, just great!

  559. After looking at a few of the blog articles on your website, I seriously like your way of blogging.

    I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back in the near future.
    Please check out my website as well and let me know what you think.

  561. I’ve been browsing online more than 2 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
    It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all site owners and bloggers made good
    content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful
    than ever before.

  564. I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone else
    experiencing problems with your website. It looks
    like some of the written text within your content are running off the screen. Can someone else please comment and let me know if this is
    happening to them too? This may be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this
    happen previously. Kudos

  565. Its like you learn my thoughts! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something.
    I think that you can do with some % to force the message home a bit, but
    instead of that, that is fantastic blog. A fantastic read.
    I will definitely be back.

  571. Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or
    guest authoring on other sites? I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and would really
    like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would appreciate your work.
    If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.

  588. I don’t know whether it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else encountering problems with your website.
    It appears as though some of the written text within your content are running off the screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them
    as well? This might be a issue with my internet browser
    because I’ve had this happen before. Appreciate it

  590. Hi there, There’s no doubt that your web site could be having web browser compatibility
    issues. When I look at your web site in Safari,
    it looks fine however, when opening in Internet
    Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide
    you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic blog!

  592. I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site.
    Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues?
    A number of my blog visitors have complained about my blog not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Firefox.
    Do you have any solutions to help fix this problem?

  599. Can I just say what a comfort to discover someone that really knows what they are talking
    about on the internet. You actually realize how to bring an issue to
    light and make it important. A lot more people have to check this out and understand this side of the
    story. I can’t believe you are not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.

  602. Hi there fantastic website! Does running a blog similar to this require a lot of work?
    I have no knowledge of coding but I was hoping to start my own blog soon.
    Anyhow, should you have any ideas or techniques for new blog owners please share.
    I understand this is off topic but I simply had to ask.

    Thanks a lot!