FAQs about Man Vs Clock
Here are the questions I get asked most often about Man vs Clock, travel, running, writing, business, and the slightly unusual life I’ve somehow ended up building.
1. What exactly is Man vs Clock?
Man vs Clock began as a personal challenge to completely change my life within 365 days.
Today it’s where I document unusual travel experiences, ambitious fitness challenges, books, and practical resources, all built around one simple idea: making the most of the time we have.
2. Do you still travel full-time?
Not anymore.
I still travel regularly (and I doubt I’ll ever stop), but I no longer disappear for years at a time.
These days I split my time between travel, fitness, writing, publishing, running online businesses, and slowly working my way towards visiting every country on Earth.
Regions
3. How many countries have you visited?
I’ve currently visited 157 of 197 countries (193 UN member states + 4 observer states), along with dozens of territories that don’t appear on that list.
My long-term goal is simple: visit them all.
You can also explore my interactive map to see where I’ve been.
4. Why do you want to visit every country?
People often assume it’s about collecting countries, or ‘country counting.’
For me, it isn’t.
That rhetoric suggests the process is somehow inauthentic, when in reality I have had experiences on the road that have moved me way beyond what words could ever express.
One of my favourite things about travel is the unexpected connections it creates.
In the future, if I’m chatting to anyone from anywhere in the world, I can say, “Oh yes, I’ve been there.”
That simple sentence almost always changes the conversation. Having common ground with almost anyone you meet is incredibly rare, and I love the idea that one day I’ll have that almost everywhere I go.
5. What kind of travel do you write about?
Mostly unusual travel.
That could mean cultural festivals, remote destinations, weird wildlife encounters, endurance events, mountain climbs, or simply places that don’t receive the attention they deserve.
That said, I also appreciate a glass of wine and a bowl of pasta in Italy, a luxury hotel every now and then, and the occasional destination that doesn’t require risking my life or raising my blood pressure to reach.
6. Are all the photos yours?
Most of them are. If a photo isn’t mine, it’s credited accordingly.
Photography has never been my strongest skill.
7. Why do you write about running as well as travel?
Because both come from exactly the same place: curiosity.
I enjoy seeing what happens when I push myself physically, mentally, or geographically.
Sometimes that means running an ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert. Sometimes it means chasing a faster 5K.
Running and writing are two of my greatest passions, so combining them felt inevitable.
8. Can we work together?
Absolutely.
Through MVC Publishing, I work with brands, tourism boards, businesses, and self-published authors on publishing, SEO, content strategy, and digital marketing.
If you think we’d be a good fit, I’d love to hear from you.
9. How do you make money?
A mixture of publishing, SEO, books, affiliate partnerships, commercial collaborations, consultancy, and a few other online ventures.
Truthfully, I probably spend more time thinking about building businesses and how to make more money than planning my next trip. When I’m not travelling, I’m almost always working on one of them.
10. What’s next?
Finishing my goal of visiting every country on Earth (and trying not to get too fat in the process).
Writing more books.
Taking on challenges that seemed like a good idea at the time.
Probably announcing another fitness challenge before fully recovering from the last one.
When I am travelling alone I am very rarely lonely if I’m by myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’d prefer to share happiness with good company, but I am more than ok when I’m by myself as I’m a very independent person.
I only feel alone in a crowd of the wrong type of people. If you haven’t travelled a lot on your own then you may have this misconception that you’ll always be on your own because you left home solo.
Thankfully, this is very far from the truth.
You can meet people and make friends on the road as you travel; many of them are fair weather but I have made friends for life that I met whilst travelling.