Jennifer Strong McConachie teaches you to Go Far (book)

I met Jennifer Strong McConachie a few years ago at the Namib Desert Challenge. She was there with her dad to participate in this five-day staged ultra run. These two share a special bond, united by their love of sport, travel and willingness to give anything a try. 

Jennifer has put pen to paper to write a book about her adventures and also about how her participation in challenging events has shaped her life. Her personality is such that she doesn't do anything half hearted and I walked away after reading her book with some new ideas, different perspectives on doing things, insight into some different events out there and a whole lot of inspiration around exploring my home terrain and doing this for myself.

I had the pleasure of writing a review for Jennifer, which, I think, has turned into a forward for the book.

'Go Far: How endurance sports help you win at life' by Jennifer Strong McConachie

Jennifer has indeed ‘gone far’ through the multitude of sporting disciplines that she has embraced – from ultra-distance running to open-water swimming, mountaineering, hiking, adventure racing, multisport and self-constructed training adventures. What strikes me most is not just her preparation and participation in a diverse range of events, but the way that she whole-heartedly embraces and experiences the culture, cuisine, history and art of every destination that she visits. 

 In Go Far, Jennifer takes what she has learned through trial-and-error, considered preparation and research, and her diverse experiences to formulate a life-training approach with the three elements of An Explorers Mindset, Outlier Tactics and Immersion Theory. She embodies these practices in everything that she does. If you are a newcomer to exploring the great outdoors through sport and event participation, Go Far will open your eyes to what is out there for you to discover (activities, events, places), offer sound guidance around preparation, and steer you to getting the most out of experiences and opportunities – in life and sport. 

Seasoned athletes will appreciate a nudge from Jennifer’s insights. Single-discipline athletes may be tempted to broaden their horizons, while those who have been training and participating in events for decades will be reminded of things that they may have forgotten, neglected, or stopped doing – for whatever reason. Expect to be inspired, energised, curious, and ready to plan your next adventure after reading Go Far.

On her Facebook page, Jennifer put a lovely thank you out there, which I'm copying here so that I can save it and enjoy it again.

I want to give a huge shout out to Lisa De Speville for her advanced review of Go Far and writing a forward for the book.

Lisa is a writer, runner and adventure athlete, who has also founded several companies! We met running among the sand dunes of Namibia and she has always been an inspiration to me.

One of my favorite memories with Lisa was hearing about her participating in aerial arts at her circus school in South Africa. I knew I had to do that too someday! I love Lisa's inventiveness and creative approach to living life on her own terms. Lisa, thank you for being a fellow crazy adventure friend and for your time and feedback on Go Far!

Jennifer's author Facebook page is @JenniferStrongMcConachieAuthorPage

Her website is jenniferstrongmccon.com  

You can order a copy of Go Far through Amazon.com. It is available as a digital or paperback version.

Here are some podcasts and interviews with Jennifer that you'll enjoy:

Podcast with Travis Macy (very good adventure racer and all-round nice guy)

Interview by Jerry Schemmel about Go Far for the Amazing Americans podcast and national radio show.

Honing Her Craft is a newsletter about creative womxn. Check out this month's interview where I talk about processes, creativity and writing Go Far.

Short video interview with Jennifer on KAKE News

Deep discussion (19 minuts) on the contents of Go Far for NPR's Marginalia book show and podcast with KMUW.