Tag Archives: Vegan Runners

Feeding The Vegan Welsh 3000s

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So, having failed to actually get up even one Welsh 3000 but still wanting to be part of the Vegan Welsh 3000s adventure, Jane and I were to be found at 7:45am on Saturday the 15th June trying to erect a tent in a very windy car park next to Llyn Ogwen which lives between the Glyderau and the Carneddau mountains in Snowdonia. I’d volunteered us as a food stop where the hardy ultra runners could rest and refuel with strictly vegan calories before tackling the last stage of the race.

We had already been staying in a B&B near Llanberis for a couple of days and had enjoyed a bit of wet but pleasant walking plus a visit to Caernarfon. The veggie/vegan B&B, Graianfryn, was brilliant and did us home-made, exciting, nutritious breakfasts and evening meals complete with vegan wine or beer options. I’d had a couple of fair nights sleep for a change but Friday I’d been arm achy and knackered so I wasn’t that fresh.

The grassy area we were trying to pitch in only actually had about an inch of grass under which was stone so we tried to pin the tent down pushing the pegs in sideways. It was gusting really strongly and despite assistance from Rachel who had volunteered to help us I was beginning to despair of getting the thing to stay put even before the first runner arrived. We managed to untangle and attach a few extra guy ropes that had never been needed before and I eventually sussed that by tucking the pegs under the edge of the various boulders sharing the grassy bit I could get them to stay put. The side of the tent still blew in so far it almost pushed the table over but it would have to do.

Ogwen food stationMeanwhile food supplies and runners bags arrived from the previous food station at Nant Peris and we added vegan pizza and sausage rolls to the supply of sandwiches, cake, bananas, dried fruit, crisps nuts, 9bars, flapjacks, tea, coffee and energy drinks we were offering. It seemed like a lot of food for around 30 starters but while the faster runners just stuffed their faces, downed a coffee, filled their pockets then were off as the day went on the less hurried participants took the chance to unwind, have a decent sit down and  have a proper picnic.

Boris Gaspar, our first runner, approached from the Carneddau as he was one of only two attempting the 84k extreme event which amounted to running all the 3000s then turning round and running them again. He had started an hour late after getting a puncture so by the time he arrived around 9:30 we were ready for him. He was looking fresh despite 14 miles already done and after a munch sprung up the rocky path towards Tryfan like he’d only just started.

Boris heads for TryfanCharlie Sharpe was with us for his first visit half an hour later also attempting the 84k version but starting at the other end so he’d already covered the Snowdon Massif and the Glyderau. A super fit member of team 9bar Charlie looked in better shape than I usually do after a 5k parkrun and was soon on his way up the Carneddau.

Charlie heads for Pen y Ole WenThings were getting busy for us now with Dan Page, who went on to win the 55k in 8hr 45m, followed by a steady flow of faster runners. Vegan Karl Garside had acquired a rather purple looking swollen ankle but the tape applied to support it seemed to work as he went on to finish in 4th place. A minor cock-up meant a couple of the runners drop bags had gone AWOL resulting in a disappointing end to the dream of dry socks. The excitement and feel good vibe was almost visible.

The day had turned out pretty dry and sunny despite a foul forecast and the start of the race having been greeted with a hail storm on the way up Snowdon and poor visibility on the tops. We were told it was really windy on the summits though and the organiser’s switch to an alternative route avoiding the arête of Crib Goch was a good call. Down in the valley we were still struggling to keep the tent up in the strong gusts and any spare minute found me trying to rescue another guy rope from the impossible tangle they’d become. The side of the tent would blow right in and it later turned out a couple of the poles had split. We tucked the camping stove right into a corner behind a wall and it worked well enough to keep a couple of flasks topped up with boiling water for tea and coffee. When things calmed down a bit we got the frying pan out and started a production line for vegan bacon sarnies which found appreciative consumers amongst many of the not- usually-vegan participants.

John BatesonSeveral members of Vegan Runners UK were taking part including Simon Dally, John Bateson (above with organiser Kirsch Bowker), Kate Fitzgibbon and Roger Mills. Runners families, volunteers and supporters from Sea Shepherd cheered in participants as well as welcoming various walkers and runners who were nothing to do with our event. A few people dropped out, another 14 miles starting with a 600m climb was just too much, and I forwarded on their race numbers to marshals down the line. Time flew and around 2:40pm we greeted the last 5 who had got lost and missed out Tryfan while adding on a few miles, 3 of these decided to call it a day but 2 decided to carry on after a feed and a rest.

The mountain marshals who had been stationed for many hours on the surrounding peaks in some pretty hairy winds made their way down to us – another Boris, Jake, Jeannie and Joe. A tired Te had arrived with van and we knew Charlie would be with us soon on his return leg, he was refuelled and on his way back up Tryfan about 4:30pm.

Arrival timings were obviously rather vague at this stage 12 hours after the start and we had one of several comedy moments. We set food – cold bacon sarnie, banana, 9bar, water etc etc – aside for Boris so we could leave Te and Rachel to look after him and get ourselves decamped. The hastily arranged support for Charlie’s next Nant Perris stop hadn’t arrived for his drop bag at the unrealistically early time agreed so Te went off to wait for him and when Kirsch did arrive we packed all the remaining food along with the Vegan 3000s flag etc in her car so we didn’t need to take our knackered selves to Rowen. (They were having a fine party there but I was only fit for my bed.) Boris arrived about 6pm and we realised all his supplies had somehow been taken away in Te’s van. Oh no! Jane and Rachel raided their lunch boxes and water bottles and succeeded in feeding him a feast of oatcakes and grapes and stuff which did the job.

Meanwhile I was desperately trying to stem the flow of blood from a small but unstoppable cut on my thumb I’d somehow got from a sharp end on the flagpole. Double plasters were washed off in the red flow, the finger bandage saturated in minutes – I ended up applying the eye bandage from the first aid kit with the eye pad positioned to staunch the flow. Marshal Boris and Rachel headed for Rowen then Jane and I started to take the tent down just as the wind really got going and, tent by now uninhabitable, it started to piss it down – first proper rain we’d had all day and came too quick to get the waterproof trousers on. Think I was back in my bed at the B&B before the last runners had even finished I was so knackered!

Of course we were just a place on the way for these mountain runners – the real event was going on hundreds of metres above us in sunshine and wind and sometimes cloud. This photo by Patrick Lewis gives you a better idea of what it’s all about, click on it to visit Flickr and see many more.

Up On Top

Otmoor Challenge 2013

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Checking back to my report on last year’s Otmoor Challenge I see that this year I was definitely going to go under 2 hours. Very funny! I settled for a target time of 2:15 instead with no certainly I could even manage that.

Come the day I was knackered what with my shoulder having moaned non-stop for days and the knock on effect of only managing to sleep in brief shifts between doses of ibuprofen and tiger balm. Friday night I accidentally made matters worse by deciding on a return to the paracetamol and codeine during the night but the blooming stuff didn’t seem to work.  I had to get up though as I was on the Oxford parkrun volunteer rota and needed to be there at 8:15, I breakfasted and set off bleary eyed muttering that I wouldn’t be doing Otmoor today. I was marshalling and was glad I took the camera as it was sunny enough for some decent photos and my victims were very game.

Oxford parkrun GorillaSo 1pm I was on my bike cycling to Horton cum Studley for the start having decided a nice dawdle round at the back in the sunshine would be more fun than sitting at home moaning about my arm. I wore my ‘Stop the Cull’ t-shirt over my vest and this got an approving comment from the lady handing out the race numbers. An energy gel, a couple of ibuprofen and a big drink of water then I positioned myself right at the back for the start and dead on 2pm we were off.

A nice slow start as we jog out the entrance, right down the road then onto a rough track at the end of a cul-de-sac in Horton. Few as slow as me though as I keep it real easy for those first couple of miles cross country till we join the road just before Murcott where the Hash Otmoor Elite Squad were already on their first beer outside the pub. Several miles of minor road now through Fencott, Charlton and Oddington where the same chap as last year standing outside the same pub told us to get a move on again. We’d spread out quite a bit by now and while I’d passed a couple and been passed by a few I was still keeping the pace very easy in the hope of saving some energy for the ‘endless field’ and the hill after it.

It was good to turn down a little avenue then back off tarmac onto field paths again. There was a tricky little wooden bridge and some gnarly surfaces though and my arm was starting to throb as the painkillers wore off. I was pleased to walk a few paces at the Noke water station, drinking a full cup to wash another gel down with. It was getting a bit too warm for comfort – Otmoor Challenge always seems to manage a sunny day – and some of my companions at the tail end were showing signs or wear as I’m sure I was. Shouting and hullabaloo behind announced the approach of the Hash Elite Squad who passed me in a fragmented state of exuberance and exhaustion.

The field went on and on with it’s narrow bits of path with awkward camber and surface. My arm hurt and I wanted to walk but had to keep reminding myself that, unlike sore legs, it would feel no less painful walking or running. The plan was to run everything except Otmoor Lane hill which climbed along the route of the old Roman road from Otmoor nature reserve to Beckley so a couple of miles was spent really looking forward to the hill. When it came to it a walk 3 telegraph poles then run 3 strategy worked fine and I think the only runner who passed me was a straggling Hasher who invited me to join him at their beer stop near the top. I declined and carried onto the last water stop. Then a bit more hill and we were almost home.

The grassy downhill was great as my legs were still good enough to enjoy it, it’s a pity about the stiles. Then a little path and a bit of track before coming out on the road for the last flat mile to the finish. The official walkers route rejoined ours along here so knackered runners, backpacked walkers and traffic gave a busy feel after all that countryside. Soon but not soon enough I reached the turning into the finish field and crossed the line in just under 2 hours 20 minutes – 310th of 353 runners. I was very glad I’d bothered to be there but also pleased I’d thought to bring the tube of ibuprofen gel to rub on my shoulder and ease the cycle ride home over the hill. Definitely going under 2 hours next year 🙂

Chalgrove Festival 10k 2013

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There’s a definite pattern emerging with running and this blooming shoulder. Try and push out of the comfort zone and end up with a disappointing result and a sore arm – slow and easy gets much the same result without the disappointment and a slightly less sore arm. Unlike last year, when it rained a little, this years Chalgrove Festival 10k promised to be a proper Bank Holiday scorcher. So I applied a good layer of sun-cream and left myself plenty of time for the 10 mile ride there and arrived with a vague intention of finishing under the hour but not if this meant any excessive huffing and puffing.

I had no trouble passing the spare 40 minutes after I’d picked up my timing chip. The festival was already starting to build up and I went and had a look at the old cars and the huge Merlin helicopter in one field. Then a visit to the vintage and miniature engines chuffing away pumping water to nowhere or lighting electric lamps, should have taken a photo of the slightly surreal set-up with a vintage pump circulating water in and out of a bowl in which a plastic lady from a later era sitting in a deck chair cooled her feet. The strong, warm sunshine, the smell of warm oil and sound of early Beatles blasting out from the merry-go-round coming together to make a fine environment.

I ate a gel, drank half a pint of water, said hello to the IWCA contingent and a couple of other familiar faces then we were summoned to the start area. The Race Director announced that the starting gun today was in fact going to be some old canon and might be a bit loud. I avoided the warm-up gymnastics and found a quiet bit of field to get the blood flowing. I hung round near the back of the field and chatted with a bloke doing his first race and explained how the timing chip thing worked and how his published time might be a bit slower that he thought if it turned out to be gun to chip, I couldn’t remember from last year. We couldn’t really hear the announcer and the canon was not visible to us so we’d half forgotten about it. I think everyone jumped in unison when it did go off!

Chalgrove 10k Starting Canon 2013

Thanks to Chalgrove Festival for the pictures

We were off, backwards down the finish straight with the beep of the timing mat confirming it was chip to chip. I started my Garmin but just had it showing the time of day with no flashing up the mile pace etc. A view people gathered to see us off, many with ‘rather you than me’ looks – good viewing as the start/finish straight cleverly cuts right through the middle of the festival ground.

Chalgrove 10k Start 2013Out of the field, down a tatty drive with a couple of bigger potholes marked in yellow, then onto the road where I spotted Howard who looked like he’d cycled out to support someone. A few faster runners who’d been trapped at the back passed us, I gently overtook a few gone off too fasts. By the time we’d turned into the lanes before the first mile was done several red sweaty faces were making an appearance. The forecast only predicted 20 degrees C but it was more like 25 according to my weather station when I got home. After our extended winter and recent, bitter, north-easterlies we weren’t fully ready for proper sunny weather.

We continued on, a bit of descent but a very slight headwind, I resisted getting carried along when the occasional faster runner passed and held back to be sure before passing others. I was quite warm enough and was glad of a squirt from some kids water gun as we passed through Berrick Salome. An unfortunate but appropriate earworm had taken hold courtesy of Simon and Garfunkel – over 30 minutes running left and the same 6 lines before the words ran out and someone pushed the repeat button.

Slow down, you move too fast ...

Slow down, you move too fast …

Halfway and we had changed direction and were glad of the water station at Roke. I walked a couple of steps to make sure a full cup went down. Gently climbing for a mile now with a steeper bit and a false summit. Several walked, several charged up it like it wasn’t there – a few did a bit of both. I just eased off a bit, but not too much, and plodded on. A bit of sweat dripping into my eyes to remind me that a hill in the sun is always going to be taxing.

Then gently down for a good way which was welcome as I had a slightly sore foot and my arm was having a grumble. Good thing I’d not pushed my self or I might have ended up joining the ranks of run a bit – walk a bits of which there were a few complete with that ‘angry at my body for letting me down’ look. I picked up a couple of easy places but had neither urge nor energy to challenge the threesome who passed me on the finish straight. The festival was really bustling now and there was lots of cheering near the finish, this is a great race to bring your family to if you’ve got one.

Chalgrove 10k Finish 2013I handed in my chip then, after queuing a minute, realised I really didn’t need yet another running shirt however nice so went to the water. They were struggling to keep enough  full cups on the table to sate the roasting runners so I headed back to get my bottle off my bike instead managing to intercept a bottle on the way. I cheered in a few later arrivals then back on my bike for a gentle, tiring, but not unpleasant ride home. Result was 56:56 243rd of 352 – as good, maybe better, than expected.

Interesting twist back at work the next day when I wander over to the other building to see a chap who’s been there as long as me but I’ve hardly had cause to talk to. There he was wearing his Chalgrove 10k shirt – 5th over all and won his age group – well done Rob 🙂

Shotover Resolution Run 10k 2013

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The omens were good for the rescheduled Resolution Run 10k up Shotover. This fund-raiser for the Stroke Association (their website says they don’t fund animal research) was postponed from a freezing, muddy, snow covered day in March to the 21st April which promised spring sunshine instead.

Along with the improvement in the weather there seemed to be progress with my frozen shoulder. The aching, previously consistantly uncomfortable since early February, had started getting noticibly worse a couple of weeks ago. Despite my daily diet of 3 doses of ibuprofen and 2 of paracetamol and codeine the night pain seemed to have spread to every muscle even vaguely related to my shoulder and I could find no position comfortable to sleep in for more than a couple of hours. I was reconsidering the option of a cortisone injection. Then a few days ago, just as I was about to start 2 weeks leave, I realised I couldn’t even feel it through the painkillers so stopped taking them. The pain seemed to have retreated to the quite bearable ache it started as at the end of last year and for the last 3 days I’ve just been using Tiger Balm and occasional ibuprofen gel if it gets uncomfortable. Hope I’m not speaking too soon but seems the 1st stage of frozen shoulder, the painful stage, may be over just leaving the frozen and rehabilitation stages to go through. Unfortunately I still can’t raise the right arm above shoulder height so it wasn’t just a bad dream and I’m going to have to keep at it with the daily physio exercise regime. (Three days later and it’s back to the aches and ibuprofen – oh well!)

So out the door I went, Garmin set to show nothing but the time of day as I had no plan to rush round, and jogged the half mile to Brasenose Woods then onwards through them to walk and jog up Shotover Hill to the the start. I passed a couple of puzzled marshalls on the way and explained that I lived less than 2 miles away. Ten minutes to start time and I found a lot of purple clad people being warmed up in the field by Military Fitness. I couldn’t see the registration tent but a volunteer relieved me of my donation which I’d paper clipped to my race number. We headed out onto Shotover Plain where registration and start/finish became apparent and chatted till we were called for the start talk. I couldn’t see George who said he might enter on the line but Barry from the parkrun was there. I let a few people know just how very hilly the course was going to be!

Then we were off – 1 lap for the 5k and 2 for the10k. I started about halfway down the pack and gained a few paces running along the Plain despite taking it easy. We entered the forest at the western end and followed the curving, now almost dry, trail to the top of a lovely long descent that I run down most weekends. Emerging into the field at the bottom we ran round 3 sides of it instead of straight across to get to the still muddy gap through to the next field. Again right round 3 sides, both fields are sloping so gently up then fast back down, a chance to see how many were in front – maybe 20 runners but I was expecting several to pass me as I walked the steeper hills.

Along the path at the edge of Brasenose Woods, a pretty showing of white and yellow flowers, then across the end of The Ridings and up the bridleway. As planned I walked the steep 1st part of this, I’d already been up it once today, and was passed by 2 or 3 runners one of whom I re-passed as I started running on the flatter bit and he ran out of puff and took a walk. Instead of going all the way up we took a path to the left which swooped down then climbed steeply – my 2nd planned walk. An arrow sent us right up a path that led to the big field at the top where the warm-up had been. I spotted a couple of fast runners emerging from a path to the left, it seemed someone had tampered with the arrow and I was lucky it had been reported and replaced by the time I got there.

Resolution Run 2013

Instead of going back onto the Plain we ran the parallel path through some of the loveliest bits of the forest with some very old oaks. The 5k was sent left to run back along the Plain to finish while we continued on. I think a few of us may have missed an arrow here and followed a parallel path as we spotted one of the arrows on the long downhill to our left and cut through to join the path while another runner was already descending and had obviously joined the path further up. Subsequently comparing my Garmin track to the the map there didn’t seem to be a lot in it.

Then down for a second time, round both the fields again, tiring a bit and losing the odd place to the more determined but loving the race. My second walk up the hill, a young woman passing me. Down and up the next one, losing another place to a young chap with a backpack. Then along the top path to be marshalled back onto the Plain for the last kilometre to the finish where I saw I could just scrape in under the hour and managed to push the pace a bit. The lady who’d passed me offered a swig of her lemon and I hung about to see Barry finish not far behind me then a pleasant run down the hill then back home, passing the marshall at the Ridings for the 4th time as she closed up shop. 59:54 28th of 48 participants.

Resolution Run 2013 Finish

I do like a good trail run in the sunshine 🙂

Brill Hilly 2013

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Having taken it easy at the Oxford parkrun on Saturday and refrained from beer drinking the evening before I was reasonably confident I could get round this years Brill Hilly in about 55 minutes despite my new found slowness and constant diet of painkillers. What with a strong and gusty wind and a big hill 12 miles seems like a long ride at the moment so I opted to dust off the geared road bike and carry my running shoes to change into at the start. This proved to be a big mistake because after a mile or so my frozen shoulder was having a good old grumble about the extra weight and different position forced on it by riding with drop bars for the first time this year. On top of the ache I was fighting to keep the bike stable in the gusty wind and down-hills I’d have loved a year ago became frightening as I tried to relax on the bike while hanging on the brakes. I suspect I was inadvertently favouring the duff shoulder and putting too much weight on the left arm causing the bike to feel really unstable and skippy.

So it was feeling somewhat jittery and with a numbly sore arm, sort of like shin splints in the wrong limb, despite the ibuprofen I’d taken earlier, that I arrived at the start venue. An energy gel, a drink, taking a moment to appreciate the sunshine and a chat with various familiar faces and I was feeling a little more invigorated by the time we needed to make our way to the start by Brill windmill. Considering strategy I had a dilemma – it was unlikely I was going to finish far from the back in my present decrepit state, but I was quite capable of storming down the hill that makes up the first couple of kilometres with the first half of the field. Where to start? I opted for starting far enough forward not to get blocked by slower descenders and to accept that lots of runners would pass me later as they reclaimed their rightful places.

Caught unaware we were off! Ailments forgotten I flew down the hill to a sub 7:30 minute first mile and, the descent much gentler, an 8:10 2nd mile. As the excitement and the descent eased I weakened though and let myself slow to a sustainable pace. Around the halfway mark, with about 90 seconds ‘in the bank’, we turned into a powerful headwind and I knew 55 minutes wasn’t going to happen. We continued along pretty lanes on the well marshalled course with hardly any traffic. The climb back up started earlier than I expected and I found myself struggling unreasonably. Efforts to push harder made me feel sick and wobbly, my upper arm ached like someone had punched it, my Achilles moaned like I’d run 14 miles not 4.

I reverted to the walk-run strategy before we’d even got to the steep bit, it wasn’t that hard psychologically as I’d drifted far enough back down the field to be amongst other walkers. I made a point of choosing in advance where I was going to start, or stop, running so as to keep control and on a walk bit chatted to another walker about the advantages of this strategy. I used the example of saying I was now going to run as far as those 2 spectators 200 metres up ahead then decide on how far I’d let myself walk before I actually slowed to walk. Unfortunately said spectators took this moment to start marching off towards the top of the hill so I had to revise the plan a bit.

Knowledge of the course from last year proved useful when I remembered how the 9k marker seemed to be a long time coming but shortly after it the road levelled off and even I could get running again. We continued through the middle of Brill, me feeling not so bad now considering, and followed the road curving left towards our turn for the finish field. Now still into the strong wind I realised we were about to turn left into a road then left again meaning a tailwind finish. A glance at my watch and a sub-hour finish looked just possible. I wound up the pace – which is about the equivalent of a tortoise making a break for freedom at the moment – passed someone for the first time in a while – and turned into the finish field. Almost there and there was a 1 hour announcement but at least I’d tried for it. Final score was 1 hour and 23 seconds 149th of 178 finishers.

Brill Hilly 2013

I grabbed a banana and a drink, nice to feel hot at the end of a race after that winter, and went to see how some of the others had done. Paul Brackett’s brother Peter had won 2nd MV50, Paul told how he doesn’t bother with watches and times anymore. Adrian said he thought he was pushing too fast as he was running at my pace and hadn’t expected to beat me round –  I’d seen him in the distance halfway up the hill when I was at the bottom so he doesn’t want to be holding back for me in the future.

I collected my bag, changed into my cycling shoes, and struggled back home against that wind. The descent from Brill had been a lot more fun running than it was getting buffeted around on my bike. Not an enjoyable ride, I was totally knackered. A chuckle on the way up the hill to Stanton St John where a photographer knelt by the road taking several shots of my slow progress only to be informed I was nothing to do with the event he was attached to – turned out to be the Westminster to Islip Big Bike Ride, hope they had fun!