In The Spell Of The Barkley

'A wonderful, compelling read' Vassos Alexander, radio presenter and ultrarunner Welcome to the Barkley Marathons, a fever dream of an ultra event, inspired by a prison break, heralded by a conch blast, paid for in cigarettes and socks, and completed only by a select few. A race in which competitors haul themselves up mountains, through extreme weather conditions, beyond pain and exhaustion, mile after mile. Completed 60 miles? That's just the fun run. Journalist and ultrarunner Michiel Panhuysen is a multiple-time Barkley entrant, having fallen under the spell of this most enigmatic of races – and its presiding philosopher-genius organizer Lazarus Lake – in the early 2010s. On each occasion, the Barkley won. The Barkley nearly always wins. In the Spell of the Barkley is a story of sporting obsession, exploring what drives individuals to challenge themselves at the limits of what is possible – and what it takes to succeed.

A glorious photographic record of the superhumans who have completed the Barkley Marathons, one of the most mythical running races on earth. It is a race like no other: There is no website to take entries; participants are selected from those who find a way to submit written applications and a $1.60 entry fee; only around 40 people are chosen to run, with condolences from the race director. The course, based in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, takes place amid unforgiving landscapes and harsh vegetation, often in horrendous conditions with poor visibility. Runners must complete five 20-mile loops - those who manage to complete only three laps are deemed to have achieved the 'fun run' - with a total elevation climb equal to two ascents of Mount Everest. Since 1986, only 15 people have ever finished. This exceptional publication celebrates their unbelievable achievements. Until relatively recently, the event was known only by true insiders, but with the increasing popularity of trail running and the race's inaccessibility to anyone except the participants and a handful of media, it has attained mythical status. Thanks to ultrarunning photographer Alexis Berg and L'Équipe journalist Aurélien Delfosse, we now have a record of these superhumans - many of whom are unknown in sporting circles - who have completed the race. Crisscrossing the United States to meet each finisher, Berg and Delfosse travelled from New Hampshire to Oregon via New Mexico, Colorado, California and Utah, capturing stunning photographs and in-depth interviews with the finishers. These stories inspire awe, respect and reflection at the limit of the human spirit.

What begins as an exploration into why a certain popular long and brutal Tennessee footrace exists soon expands (rather humorously) into a much broader philosophical examination of why anything at all exists. Two runners in the race don't actually get very far, but spend most of their time discussing it and arguing their thoughts about almost everything. They don't like each other very much either, but they've haplessly stuck together (for survival) and do respect one another's ideas (while trying forever to argue them down). This is adventure not in the physical but in the mental sense. It will challenge just about everything you hold sacred and believe in, and it should make you think. This is not for the passive masses, the followers-blindly, or those intellectually squeamish peeps that happen to find themselves already entered--without asking why--in the (human) race, "the race that eats its young."

Taking a turn caring for the class pet hamster, Marion is devastated when the hamster goes missing and she receives an anonymous letter in her locker with clues leading to a mysterious scavenger hunt.

The Barkley Marathons is a 100 Mile Run and a 60 Mile Fun Run held annually in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee, in late March or early April. Since the race began in 1986, only 9 runners out of about 700 have finished within the 60-hour cutoff. The course itself, which has changed distance, route, and elevation many times since its inaugural run in 1986, currently consists of a 20-mile (32 km) loop with no aid stations except water at two points along the route and the runner's parked car at the beginning of the loop. Runners of the 100 Mile version run this loop five times, with loops three and four being run in the opposite direction and loop five being runner's choice. Runners of the 60 Mile Fun Run (considered to be harder than Hardrock) complete three circuits of the loop. With 54,200 feet (16,500 m) of accumulated vertical climb, the 100 Mile Run is considered to be one of the more challenging ultramarathons held in the United States, if not the world. In addition to running, competitors must find between nine and 11 books (varies per year) and remove a page from each book as proof of completion. --

*A Good Morning America Buzz Book* *A LitHub Most Anticipated Book of 2022* The definitive biography of Charles Barkley, exploring his early childhood, his storied NBA career, and his enduring legacy as a provocative voice in American pop culture He’s one of the most interesting American athletes in the past fifty years. Passionate, candid, iconoclastic, and gifted both on and off the court, Charles Barkley has made a lasting impact on not only the world of basketball but pop culture at large. Yet few people know the real Charles. Raised by his mother and grandmother in Leeds, Alabama, he struggled in his early years to fit in until he found a sense of community and purpose in basketball. In the NBA he went toe-to-toe with the biggest legends in the game, from Magic to Michael to Hakeem to Shaq. But in the years since, he has become a bold agitator for social change, unafraid to grapple, often brashly, with even the thorniest of cultural issues facing our nation today. Informed by over 370 original interviews and painstaking research, Timothy Bella’s Barkley is the most comprehensive biography to date of one of the most talked-about icons in the world of sports.

The Little Witch's Book of Spells is an enchanting compendium of spells, potions, and activities for kids 8 to 12 years old. Young witches-in-training will discover spells to resolve problems, foster friendship, and engage with the natural world. This spellbinding book guides readers on how to craft a magic wand, befriend a fairy, and read tea leaves, as well as glossaries of magical terms and symbols. • A playful and immersive guidebook to all things magical • Filled with simple activities using easily found ingredients • Complete with lush illustrations The Little Witch's Book of Spells harnesses magic and the imagination to help little witches feel powerful, tap into creative energy, and practice self-love. Spells and activities include Best Friends Forever Spell, Jump Rope Protection Spell, Get Well Soon Elixir, Blanket Fort Magical Fortress Spell, How to Make a Magical Fairy Garden, and Mermaid Bath Spell. • Perfect for young readers interested in magic, fans of Harry Potter, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and fantasy series featuring witches • A mystical, fun, and empowering book of spells that will have any child enthralled by the magical world • Great for millennial parents who want to encourage imagination, creativity, and play • You'll love this book if you love books like The Book of the Secrets of Merlin Wizardology by Candlewick Press, Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal by Glen Bird and Liz Catchpole, and The Unofficial Harry Potter Spellbook: Wizard Training by Michael Gonzalez.