Tag Archives: vegan

Xmas Eve parkrun

Posted on by

I don’t often do things like fancy dress but it seemed to be expected at both Oxford and Abingdon Xmas Eve parkruns and, fearing that my bah humbug tendencies would be exposed if I didn’t wear something silly, I spent a total of £8 on ebay purchasing suitable attire to transform myself into an elf.

Feeling the need for a dress rehearsal the day before I put it all on and decided to take a photo in the garden which of course encouraged the rain to double it’s efforts.

Not planning on a PB and my beer delivery having failed to turn up I had a couple of glasses of red wine Friday evening, it was my birthday after all, and woke to find a pleasant if chilly morning for the ride down to Abingdon. There was a fine turn out including loads of Santas, some reindeer, several angels, a Xmas cracker, some superheroes and 2 clowns. One clown being Rich Kennington – the other, I had my suspicions confirmed by a local, was Paul Fernandez who I understand to hold the record for the fastest marathon dressed as a clown with a time around 2:50. Guess who won the parkrun!

Least said about the race the better really. I started non too fast then got slower passed by angels and reindeer alike, by the 4th kilometre I was chatting away and not really putting much of an effort in. The heart was willing but the legs had been tired all week and the wine the night before probably didn’t help. It was a bit hard to take it seriously.

Still excellent fun despite a personal worst of 25:02 33/75. A cup of mulled wine at the finish warmed us up while we watched the remaining menagerie roll in. Not being accustomed to alcohol at 9:30am I felt jolly enough to hop on the fixie just wearing my costume and paid for my failure to put warm gear back on with a rather cold ride home.

 

Oxford Half 2011

Posted on by

There had not been a half marathon in Oxford city since the early 1990s and I was most excited when I heard a new one was in the offing. Months of rumour and uncertainty about road closures and race licences preceded the race but the local rag was behind it and the organisers sounded confident so I got my entry in and focused on the race as the point where I started winding down the distance cycling and winding up the running again in the hope of turning round my summer decline in pace. This would be the longest I’d run since the White Horse Half back in April.

Rumour (wrongly) had it that another VRUK member was entered and as I wasn’t expecting any VCAC runners this seemed a good chance to test run my new vest. Peter said he’d chase me round Oxford on his folding bike to offer support and take photos. Jane had also been put on photo duty as the route passed within half a mile of home. I was planning to get round in under 1:55 and hoping for nearer 1:50 but the main aim was to complete without injury and enjoy the event.

Sensible eating the few days before and not a drop of beer the night before then I was up at 6:30 for breakfast, giving it some time to go down, and on my bike heading for the start at 8:30. Not being a footie fan this was the first time I’d been to the Kassam Stadium despite it being open for 10 years now. Parked the bike against a wall as I couldn’t find the racks then found the loos which didn’t have the usual endless queue.

9:20am I was at the start with loads of other runners but come 9:30, start time, there was no sign of the organiser and we hadn’t had the usual pre-start spiel. Eventually the orgasniser appeared, appologised for the delay due to traffic problems, he and City Council leader Bob Price got their bits over with quickly – and we were off!

Good natured chaos presided for the first few miles, there had been no estimated time markers at the start so fast runners were near the back and fun runners up at the front. We ran through Blackbird Leys and then through the edge of the BMW Mini plant to cross under the ring road via the cycle subway.

We’d passed various groups of local supporters including Audax fast man Howard Waller out to give us encouragement. I bounced the first drink station at 3 miles as a bit early for me then gave Jane a thumbs-up as I passed her. She’d forgotten what vest I was wearing and wasn’t ready with the camera, the resulting picture of my out of focus disembodied head wasn’t quite as planned.

What with the excitement of racing on home territory and the muddle of a start I was running much faster than my planned pace. My miles were nearer 8 minute than the 8:40 I was supposed to be doing. We followed the ring road up to the Six Bells then turned off to run through Quarry Hollow soon joining Old Road, so named because it was the original Oxford London turnpike rerouted at the start of the 19th century due to problems with highway men in Shotover woods.

I spotted Peter about here but he’d just arrived and not got the camera out in time. A good long downhill, Old Road then Morrell Avenue, then we turned left opposite South Park and cut through side streets and a bit of Cowley Road to join the Iffley Road. We had to share bits of this stage with the local pedestrians but for me this only added to the atmosphere. Really was time for me to slow down though as I was feeling the strain and we were only halfway. We crossed Magdalen Bridge on the pavement and ran along High Street a bit before turning off left to follow Bear Lane through to St Aldates.

I decided to gob an energy gel here as we were approaching a water station – just in time for one of the official photographers as it turned out. Along the Abingdon Road now into a strong southerly wind and I was finding it hard work to keep up my 8:40 pace. I was well ahead of schedule though and nothing actually hurt, I was just knackered. Turning back onto onto the ring-road cycleway at mile 12, this time south of Oxford, we were in for a long gentle climb and I slowed a bit more. Under another subway and through Littlemore, I’d forgotten there was a bit more gentle climbing past the old asylum, now mostly residential flats.

On the last leg now and looking forward to getting it over with. There was Peter again with the camera. A runner wearing a ‘No Meat Athlete’ shirt I’d just passed and given a thumbs-up to re-passed me as did a few others. I can’t seem to to manage this sprint for the finish thing. We passed the entrance to the Kassam I expected us to turn through and carried on a bit to the entrance we’d started from. We were to approach the stadium finish line from the opposite direction from that which I’d expected. Then the last few metres and I crossed the line remembering to hit the stop button on my Garmin. I met up with Peter and ate a flapjack while we watched a few or the later finishers come in then it was off home for bath, lunch and a trip down the pub.

My chip time turned out to be 1:47:42, 437th of 1493 460 of 1512 recorded finishers (they’ve been fiddling with the results but this looks to be final – edited on 5th Oct). I was pleased with this result – even more so now 2 days have passed and no sign of damage from that too fast first few miles. Already looking forward to next years Oxford Half Marathon!

Vegan Runners UK

Posted on by

I joined Vegan Runners UK as my 2nd claim club this week, should have done this a while back being as I’ve been a vegan and a runner for several years now. VRUK were formed quite recently, in 2004, but they are growing and active and doing a great job of promoting the healthy vegan lifestyle. I plan to continue running in VC&AC colours in the main but it’s good to have the option of running in the distinctive green and black Vegan Runners shirt at events where VRUK have a presence – and of course it’s always important to stand up and be counted.

Vegan Runners are pretty good at getting the cruelty free running message over using internet publicity and communication, here are some links:

Vegan Runners UK Webpage
The Vegan Runners UK Blog
Vegan Runners UK on facebook
Vegan Runners on the veganfitness.net forum

I did some daft cartoons – click on them to view full size.

Marshalling

Posted on by

First Saturday of the month is my turn to marshal at the Abingdon parkrun. This means getting out of bed at 6:30, earlier than I would if I was running as us marshals need to be at the start for 8:15 so we can get sorted out and in position. No chance of a lie in anyway as we are chicken sitting (careful how you say that) for a neighbour across the way and the girls, who have just been relocated from back garden to front and are still a bit insecure, are making a right fuss and I drag myself over to see to them before they wake the whole street. I think they just want letting out of their inner sanctum so they can have the freedom of their outer compound and scratch up the lawn. I collect the 2 eggs for Jane, as a vegan I won’t eat them but I’m not going to let that stop me looking out for the birds’ welfare.

(Next day edit: Sunday morning I have to get up at 5:30 to go to shut the girls up – just in time to see a fox wandering along the bottom of the road. Foxy gave me a dirty look and scarpered, I left the chickens couped up for another 2 hours but they stayed nice and quiet. I guess I need to listen closer to what they’re trying to tell me.)

So it’s on the bike and off to Abingdon where we meet at Rye Meadows, Andrew is Race Director this week as Lucy is away. I’m to be Marshal 1, my 3rd time marshalling and a different station each time which makes it more interesting. The whole set-up is very well planned with each marshal having a kit with the appropriate arrows and markers and also written instructions and a map showing where everything goes. I check my bag and remember to put my hi-vis waistcoat on then set off for my post making sure I’ve allowed enough time to get everything done then get in position.

First I tie back the gate by the lock, then push a peg into the grass and attach a marker arrow to it. I install the 3km marker where the grass starts but don’t need to tie back the 2nd gate which looks to me like it’s not been closed for a long time. Then onwards past my position to place another arrow and the 1km marker then back to my station with 10 minutes to spare. I’m based where the path runs closest to the Thames river which coincides with a tricky dip in the path and, I notice, a cut off tree root poking several centimetres out of the path where the ground has eroded round it. I tie a bit of red/white tape round this as it’s hard to see and could trip someone.

Five minutes to go so I play with the self timer on my camera phone. I guess they’ll be a couple of minutes late starting anyway but as I’m only about 800m from the start I want to be ready for the rush.

First runner to pass me is Richard Kemp who finished first in last weeks parkrun with a time of 18:08 (while I was in the process of running my slowest yet at 24:32). Another chap on his shoulder and a couple more behind. I cheer them through while warning them to watch their footing. Closely spaced runners pass me in single file, I recognise many from previous runs. As I cheer and warn I notice my heart rate rising and breath deepening as I catch some of that running vibe. A chap with dog on lead and small daughter out front. The last few already getting some space in between them, some taking it easy, some maybe tackling there longest distance yet, some trying to recover after going off too fast. Then Rose the tail-runner. I relax and try to calculate how long till the leaders pass me on the second lap.

Hardly 5 minutes and Rich Kemp is approaching again, running very gracefully on the uneven ground he reminds me of a gazelle on a wildlife film. I give him a clap and he thanks me with hardly a hint of huff and puff. Maybe 20m behind the chap in 2nd place passes and a similar distance again to the third. No lead bunch this week, short of mishap or sudden energy bursts I suspect the top finish placings are already sorted.

Runners are well spaced out now and the sweat and strain of the first lap is showing through. A few are taking walk breaks. Not dad, dog and daughter though who are keeping up their steady pace. I try to offer encouragement and get a surprising amount of smiles from hot, exhausted faces. No one trips on the root or slips into the river which is a relief. Those at the back might be having to keep going twice as long as Rich at the front, it’s not the easy option being slow. The tail-runner passes accompanying a walker and that’s my signal to start packing up.

I follow them and collect the furthest markers, it’s good to see the back marker is now running, the walk was just a break. I retrace to the lock and the lock keeper hands me the rope from the gate, I wonder if he’ll tell me off for tying it back when it has a notice on asking people to shut it but he just thanks me for coming back to collect it. A few ladies and a chap jog over the lock followed by a grinning chap built like Rambo. He tells them to stop, stretch and concentrate which they do. I realise this must be the ‘military fitness’ thing I’ve heard about, looks sort of fun. I stop to pack all the Marshal 1 kit away in it’s bag and explain about the parkrun to a curious passer-by who says she’s a runner and sounds really interested.

A bit of drizzle now and I jog back to the finish picking up the damp maps and stuff from the start on my way past. There’s been a bit of a problem with one of the barcode scanners meaning the finish order has had to be recorded by hand but otherwise things have gone well. I make a point of telling Andrew about the tree root and he knows exactly where I mean. Then it’s back on the bike, passing the military fitness folk who are doing press-ups in the middle of town, and I’m home in time for elevenses with my legs feeling much fresher than this time last week.

 

Anthony Maynard Sportive 2011

Posted on by

Another poor nights sleep and I really didn’t feel like driving to Theale and winching the fixie round a hilly 110k in the rain. Still I dragged myself away from my computer game and into the car and shoved Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in the CD player to try and get in the mood.

Parked and got me bike out then went to collect my frame number and timing tag and say hello to fellow Vegetarian Cycling and Athletics Club rider Steve. Being an audax rider who just does this particular sportive I still find being surrounded by several hundred other riders a bit novel. A good look at all the carbon fibre and narrow tyres about revealed a couple of other riders had mudguards of sorts but I couldn’t see anyone else with just the one cog.

The riders doing the Anthony Maynard Sportive 190k option were mostly on their way and it was the turn of us on the 110k to have our chips dibbed then be sent off in groups. I’d have done well to have noted the time so I knew whether I was on target for the bronze standard 5hr 30m I was after but ended up having to work on the assumption that we were dibbed at 8:40. Steve hung back for the first few kilometres then passed a good few of us as he disappeared impressively up a hill.

Was it raining already? I can’t remember but suffice to say that the few dry bits were the exception rather than the rule. The first climb up onto the downs surprised me by it’s apparent absence, we somehow ended up on top by the Four Points Pub without me even having to get out of the saddle. We rolled along into the wind through the ups and downs of the road through Compton and the Ilsley’s. Some stitching broke on my saddle pack so I had to stop a couple of times to make sure all was secure and to do something about the infuriating knock of buckle against mudguard. I held my own till the long descent down Chain Hill into Wantage but then had the inevitable experience of many riders whizzing past as I feathered the brakes to keep my cadence at a bearable level.

I’m familiar with the steady climb up Hackpen to the first checkpoint and local knowledge assured me that we’d be downhill and out of the wind immediately after so I enjoyed the climb up in the rain past the photographer. In fact I seemed to be going pretty well and the disillusioned morning mood had swung out the other way into the dizzy ‘isn’t this rain great’ glad to be alive that can come with riding a favourite bike on a fine route.

I ate a banana and refilled my water then grabbed a packet of organic mashed lentil baby food for later after being reassured it wouldn’t do strange things to my stomach. Less than 5 minutes stopped and I was heading downhill for Lambourn. The rain was giving us a brief break and I thought I’d entertain myself by counting the discarded gel sachets that sportives are reputed to leave in their wake. In fact I saw only one during the next five miles – just wish the motorists were so conscientious with their empty cans and bottles.

The turn eastwards at the Lambourn ‘bifurcation’ was rewarded with a noticeable tailwind but also with a particularly wet period which left me wondering just why I was lugging a jacket round if I wasn’t going to put it on. I was quite warm enough with a base layer under my shirt though so couldn’t see the point. This stage was the easiest of the three but the combination of Newbury Downs flint and the wet had caused an epidemic of punctures and I must have passed dozens of riders changing tubes by the roadside, amongst them club mate Steve. I waited for the gentle bump of rim against deflated rubber but it never came.

I was making good progress and reckoned I could easily meet my target time even if I did have to fix a flat. Without problems finishing in 5 hours seemed a possibility though I knew not to under estimate the lumps in the last section. I tried to open the baby food with my teeth then realised I was on track for a messy experience and stopped for 30 secs to open and consume the cold lentil curry. Hmmm – odd but nicely savoury!

Less than 5 mins stopped at the next checkpoint then onwards over the series of bumps known locally as the Boxford Alps. I doubt any of the climbs exceeded 50m but there are at least 4, I felt near enough the finish to put my all in as I honked up them passing twiddling geared riders then watched the same riders pass as I had to use the brakes on a couple of the descents. The rain stopped and a sign saying ’10k to go’ inspired a couple of small groups to wind it up and pass me. I hung on to a group but they were doing 35kph and while I maybe had the energy my tired legs really didn’t like the cadence so I let them go.

One last hill, Red Shute, where I passed a couple then we popped out the end of a little lane and the finish was in sight. I dibbed my chip and went inside to hand it in where I was given a little printout slip saying 4:48:55 Bronze. I reckon I was about halfway down the field which is good enough for me particularly on fixed. Bike in the car and I headed home feeling as cheerful as I had miserable on the journey down.