118 miles in a day

I had been thinking about doing a hundred mile bike ride for a while now. People always ask me “What’s the furthest you’ve ever cycled?”. It was a 93 miler from Southampton to Bridport on the start of my 1000 mile ride around the west of the country. It is pretty flat until you get to Dorchester as well and then it sure climbs. 93 miles seemed a bit lame. I knew I could cycle 100 miles on my mountain bike so why not do it? I am a very slow and leisurely cyclist though. Nothing serious about me. I often stop to take photos and add a pub or two in there somewhere.

I was keen to get back onto the Wylye valley again. I had been up there twice before. Once I cycled 85 miles to Bath by mistake and had some beers with a friend before deciding to catch the train back. The other time I ran from Salisbury and quit at Warminster and got the train back. I was learning the route to run to Cardiff. The plan was to run a 50k a day for a week to get to Cardiff. I think I worked it out as about 200 miles. It was about time I raised some money for charity again, it was going to be Asthma Uk but it needed to be a big challenge. Sadly, I had a bike accident and tore the cartilage in my knee requiring an operation which I later cancelled and decided to strengthen and rehab myself to great effect. So, I ran from Southampton to Salisbury one day (32 miles) and Salisbury to Warminster (25 miles). Then I would catch a train to Warminster and continue the run into Bath and Bristol. Maybe I’ll do that in September for a bit of fun. Anyway, I’m rambling again.

The challenge was set. 100 miles would be cycled for Fluffy butts rescue. I had entered the virtual race a while ago and my medal hadn’t shown up. I messaged them and they said they’d send another one, which they did. Very nice people indeed and they take in and look after various neglected animals. Lovely vegan people and they always post adorable bunny photos on their facebook page. Check them out. I knew I could do it with a bit of effort but it still seemed a bit daunting. This was during lockdown. There would be no option to get the train back home. It would have to be done. At one point I remember the ride being like a swim out to sea and wondering if I had enough energy to turn around and get back to the beach or had I swam out of my depth? A little bit of panic set in at one point. But that’s just my brain’s way of telling me to be careful and think about what I was doing right?

I couldn’t sleep. I think I got 4 hours and woke up at 4.30am. The plan was to set off at 6am. I had coffee and crumpets and set off at 5.30am. I made sure I had the vital stuff in my rucksack. Spare inner tube, bike pump, tyre levers, spare t-shirt, water, energy bar, pumpkin seeds and nuts. I even went back for my sun cream. I also bought a power bank to charge my Garmin watch. My 13 hour battery now lasts for 6 hours. I have had 6 garmins now and they all do this after a year when the warranty runs out and I no longer have any friends who work at Garmin for the 40% discount. I will probably switch to Polar or something. Want to get back into the ultra running again. So will need a better watch. 

I set off in shorts but with a thin jacket, hat and gloves as it was still cold but the sun was coming up. The roads were peaceful, even Romsey road on which I reside. I was heading for Romsey. I usually do Lee lane to Romsey and Belbins to get to Timsbury because of the heavy traffic but not today. Straight down the A3057 which was actually safe to cycle down 25 years ago when I worked in Romsey. Then straight through to the Stockbridge road without doing the little climb in Belbins. It was feeling a little laboured already. It was flat but felt kind of hard going. My front tyre looked a bit deflated. I decided I would stop and check it out at Mottisfont. I stopped at the river test bridge. It was very flat! I pumped up the tyre and put my jacket in the rucksack with my hat and gloves. It was warmer now and I was 9 miles in. I was a little worried about the tyre despite having a spare inner tube.

I carried on into Mottisfont and turning left onto Hatt lane and down the hill into Dunbridge. Right into Lockerley. I knew this route so well as I had done it so many times now. I was getting a little bored of it to be honest. It is very flat though until Alderbury at least. I was cycling through West Dean when I decided I would take a different route back via the New forest. It would be a few more miles and hillier but more interesting for me. As the miles passed I planned out the return route in my head. The roads and lanes were still empty. I saw some deer and a Kestrel hovered above. 

I had a few ideas leading up to this ride: If I got tired early on, I could just do a 50 miler to Salisbury and back. Maybe a 100 miler to Warminster and back? Ideally I wanted to get to Longleat and back which would be 108 miles by my calculations. Wouldn’t it be cool to do 3 counties though? Hampshire, Wiltshire and Somerset. Let’s see how it goes I thought.

My tyre was flat again when I got to East Grimstead. It had to be changed now. The road was narrow but there were no cars out here yet. One girl came past on a bike and another girl out jogging. This was my only spare inner tube. It took me a while to locate where the puncture had come from. Always check the tyre! Feel around on the smooth inside parts. Glad I did as the thorn or whatever the sharp spike was, was still in there. Took a while to retract it from the inside of the tyre. 9 miles to Salisbury now? This was the only place to stop off at Halfords for another inner tube if I needed one. I generally don’t get punctures on a mountain but my front tyre hardly has any grip or tread left. I should have replaced it months ago. Bad Dean Jones.

Into Alderbury and then Salisbury. The roads still quiet at 7.45am. I got to Halfords but they didn’t open until 8am. Do I wait 10 minutes for a spare inner tube? With my patience? No way. I carried on through the park reminding me of the Salisbury parkrun course and past the Cathedral. Under the usually busy tunnel and left past the wetherspoons and the railway station and towards Bemerton.

Once in Bemerton I filled up my water bottle in the cemetery from a tap. I almost forgot this water stop was here. A great way to get free water on the go. I carried on into Quidhampton. Great memories came flooding back from the Salisbury 54321 race. Right and a left and on to the busy A36 for a short time before a left turn into Wilton. More people around now. Straight on until I see the right turn for Great Wishford.

Now, I remember Great Wishford having some hard climbs. I kept pedalling in anticipation but they never came. What I thought of as a hill 3 years ago has certainly changed after living in Cornwall, Devon and Wales. West Hampshire is very flat (Not West Dean hill though!) and this part of Wiltshire isn’t too bad either. Just one quiet road running parallel to the A36 for miles now. Hardly see any moving cars. Most of them are parked in the villages that you pass through. You can’t even hear the A36 even though it just to your right in the distance. All I can hear are the calls of the Yellowhammers in the trees and bushes. Buzzards and Red kites loiter effortlessly above as I easily cycle the flat road. Nothing but fields here but then you occasionally go through the little quaint villages.

I am surprised though as there are quite a few cyclists about on this sunny morning. 90% of cyclists say hello, wave or smile at you. The other 10% think they are too cool to acknowledge or just miserable I guess. I never find many runners very friendly. They never look like they’re enjoying their run either. What’s the point? How can you go through life so miserable? Anyway, I am getting hungry and it’s about 9.30am and I’m about 30 miles in. Nearly a third of the way! I was a bit worried that I had made a mistake about not waiting the 10 minutes at Halfords. There is nothing out here at all really. There is one place I know of though and I was hoping it was going to be open. It seemed to take ages to get there. Where was it again? One of the villages but I couldn’t quite remember. I did the Langfords. Little Langford, Hanging Langford. Then through Wylye, Bapton, Stockton, Sherrington  and finally Boyton where the Ginger Piggery is located. 

When I got to the Ginger Piggery I saw two cyclists leaving who had not long passed me on the road. They were coming out of the courtyard. It can’t be open I had thought. My heart sank. Nearly 40 miles in. I got off my bike and walked around. Yeah, it looks shut. I looked through a few windows and eventually a window opened. “Hello” the woman smiled. “Are you open?” I pleaded. She said I was 20 minutes early but would fire up the coffee machine for me anyway if I could be bothered to wait. I was so happy to get a Latte with soya milk. So much cake on display that looked so good. Sadly no vegan cake though so I just sat down in the sun with my Latte and ate my pumpkins seeds and an energy bar. The little comforts! I managed to take my watch off and plug it into the power bank too, which charged about 15% in 15 minutes. Good stuff. 

More cyclists arrived laughing and joking. A nice bunch. I said goodbye and got back on the bike feeling refreshed from the much needed break as my calves were burning a little bit and my lower back was really sore. I managed to stretch it out on a bench for a bit though. Into Corton and past Tytherington which, as you can imagine, has a very long looking name sign. Sutton Parva and Sutton Veny follow. Up a hill and you’re now off the Wylye valley. It changes. Everything looks more built up now as I head into the town of Warminster.

I miss a left turn and go through the town and end up on a very busy A362. A few cars beeped at me. It was a scarily fast road but I went with it. A nice bit of adrenalin to keep me going. I had lost the NCN24 at Warminster but never mind. This road would get me to Longleat eventually via Cley Hill which looked very nice for a walk. Will have to check it out another time. 

I still wasn’t sure where to go from Longleat as I was at a different entrance which I didn’t recognise. I continued on the A362 and took a photo at the “Welcome to Somerset” sign. I had made it to my third county. Corsley Heath? Never heard of it. Rodden? Never heard of it.

I got to Frome. I had decided that this would be far enough. After all, I had to do a return journey yet and I was 54 miles in by the time I got to the centre of Frome. More race memories returned and a drunken night during the Frome folk festival. A great day indeed. I got myself a couple of Vegan sausage rolls from Greggs and a can of coke and sat in a quiet place by the river. My back was killing me so I stretched it again on another bench. Was so nice sitting in the sun. I was so hungry now as well.

It was time for my return journey but now I was able to easily pick up the NCN route to Longleat.

 I still remember the first time I cycled through Longleat. It freaked me out a bit. It’s all woodland. You cycle past the entrance booth with all the cars waiting to pay to get in. Go past the house and are following signs to the safari park. It’s just parks and gates. I was expecting to get attacked by Lions. I wasn’t sure if I was going the right way. What a strange cycle route. Was I going to get eaten? I sped up as I scanned the fields for hungry Lions. I was sure they would be running for me soon. Maybe I’ll just get the Monkeys? Anyway, they never appeared. I seem to have a habit of thinking the worst of situations. I’ll give you a couple of examples: As teenagers, some friends and I were on the Magic carpet ride at Chessington world of adventure. I hate adventure parks. Scare me too death. Don’t know why I went. I was on the magic carpet ride with my friends when we heard the bolts coming loose and banging on the mezzanine of our magic carpet. So I obviously shouted with fear “THE BOLTS ARE COMING LOOSE!” A few people started screaming louder while my mates laughed. Someone’s pockets were just ejecting a loads of 10p pieces and they were flying about the place.

Onto the Beaujolais marathon, Myself, Mikey, Di and Lawrence were looking for our gíte in a remote area of France. It was dark and snowing. A car pulls up and asks if we’re lost. We are up in the remote hills in heavy snow, there is no one else around. We are going to be led to a barn where we are mugged, tortured and killed. I am panicking with fear again. I am working out my escape plan while Lawrence is being raped in a field! It actually turns out that they were just really nice people trying to help us out! Weird.

Where was I? Ah yeah. I got told off in Longleat for trespassing. It was super busy as well with people picnicking on the grass. No social distancing here! I was taking a photo of Longleat house when a 4x4 turned up with security. I am to stick to the cycle route as I am not a paying member at Longleat. I never would pay. I am certainly not in favour of animal captivity. Goodbye Longleat. 

I climbed a big hill and soon got lost again in Maiden Bradley. The sign was heading for Shepton Mallet. Definitely not the right way. Salisbury was signed behind me. No internet signal for google maps out there. I pondered on directions for a minute or so until I saw two more cyclists. They didn’t know the best way but said maybe through the Deverills. They gave me directions and I spoke to them as we cycled and we both took the right turn. It was very nice around here. They went on ahead and told me to take a right turn at the end. I could see the guy gesturing a right turn with his hand as they cycled out of sight. I was lost and in new territory. It was exciting though and the views were lovely. I think I may have cycled through all the Deverills too. Kingston Deverill, Monkton Deverill, Brixton Deverill, Hill Deverill (No hill?) and Longbridge Deverill. Hills were all around with lovely fields of livestock. I was at the bottom of the valley the whole time. Nice, flat and fast route and then contrastingly back onto the A360. 

It wasn’t too long until I found a right turn back into Sutton Veny and then I was back to familiar territory. I probably still had 45 miles to go but I could relax a bit more now and would stop back at the Ginger piggery for a Sports drink and a Vegan Ice cream.

The sun was still blazing as I sat there in the lovely courtyard but there was a family with a bunch of screaming kids that didn’t offer the serenity that I had yearned for. I charged my watch again and got chatting to a cyclist on the next table. He was my age, maybe older? From Salisbury and supported Wycombe Wanders. His son supported Chelsea. We spoke about cycling around Hampshire and Wiltshire and how busy the Wylye valley was this morning with fellow cyclists. I said goodbye and told him he’d probably catch me up on the way home.

He did catch me up and he cycled at my slow pace for about 5 miles while we chatted away and moaned about the screaming kids from earlier. He also mentioned another café in Hanging Langford at the Nature reserve. Apparently there is a nice lake to walk around too. I’ll add it to my list. He had to leave me to get back home to watch Chelsea lose 4-0 with his son..lol. I never did ask his name but then I’ll probably never see him again. He was a nice dude though and very down to earth. The miles flew by as we chatted and I was back in Salisbury in no time. Still no puncture either. 

Salisbury was busy with people walking around the town and the cathedral now. I had to cycle on the path to get back to Alderbury because of the traffic. I took a right turn and followed the sign to Downton where I decided I would be stopping for a nice cold beer in the pub. I had remembered how hilly it was from Alderbury to Downton and this time is was true. Hilly for Hampshire anyway. I had just passed the 93 miles. I was now setting a record for my longest mileage in a day. I felt ok too. Legs were a little achy but nothing too serious. I was surprised that I didn’t have a sore bum. I must be putting on weight again! After some biggish climbs I arrived in Downton. Chained my bike in the garden of the Wooden Spoon pub and ordered a nice cold pint of beer and some salty crisps. This is was heaven. I sat in the garden alone and charged my phone with the power bank. The beer went to my head quickly and I felt quite light headed. I really wanted another one but thought it might be a bit dangerous. I’ll wait until I get to The Compass Inn in Winsor for another pint. Only 8 miles from home. I gave my details to the landlady while I chatted to the 4 men sat down in the pub. “You’ve cycled 98 miles because you can’t run and are injured?” They all laughed. I know it sounds crazy but it’s true. I would have been running instead of cycling if I could. One guy was from Swaythling. We chatted about pubs and other stuff and then I told them my route home as they had asked. Up the hill, through Woodfalls, Brook, A nice fast downhill into Bramshaw. Furzley, Newbridge and Winsor. 

Sadly the Compass Inn was rammed and my Gear cable had just snapped (or so I had first thought). I didn’t bother with the pub and carried on and now stuck in 2^nd gear. The Rembrandts song came into my head frequently. Mostly that day though I had been singing Eddie Money’s - Two tickets to paradise along with Knick knack Paddy whack give the dog a bone. Random.

I was so hungry now. It just hit me. I was starving. I might even starve to death! I was over 100 miles in now. In fact, I had passed the 108 miles planned at the pub in Winsor. I was so tired now. Through Tatchbury mount/Loperwood and down to Calmore. As I took a corner, my back wheel clipped something like a block of wood or something. I lost control for a short time and the car coming towards me dramatically swerved to avoid hitting me. I thought it was a slight over reaction but then I was tired with 110 miles in my legs and 10 hours in the saddle. Still no sore bum but my left palm was going numb now and losing the feeling. My back was really hurting too. The rucksack felt heavy now. I didn’t even use the clean t-shirt in there but you never know. It was a nice sunny day but not too hot with a nice breeze. I had picked the perfect day. Rather than go through Testwood lakes I chose Hill street and Manor farm and onto the testway out to Lee lane. I knew I only had 4 miles to go now. Maybe I would stop at the Four horseshoes for a pint in Nursling? Nah, I was too hungry and it was full of chavy looking kids. I couldn’t be dealing with that. I was becoming irritable now. 

At 118 miles I was home and safe. 10 and a have hours in the saddle and 7000 calories burned according to strava. I think I ate that when I got in though. I was suffering from Nausea when I got in. Head was spinning, the room was moving. It wasn’t hot enough for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Not enough food eaten? I think it was probably motion sickness from riding for so long. Anyway, I’m all good now. I remember thinking about 75 miles in… Why do I do these things? It seemed like a good idea. I think that when we push ourselves like this, these memories get etched forever. My happiest memories strangely enough are of me struggling through bouts of endurance. My 1000 mile bike ride, Running for 12 hours, The Thames Trot 50. The Ely 45 mile Ultra. These are my favourite memories. My greatest and proudest moments that I can relive over and over in my head. Money can’t buy these things (although I did pay to enter them). Anyway, that’s my story about my longest bike ride. I went into more detail than I realised I would. I love writing these blogs but struggle with motivation to start them. If you got this far.. well done and thank you. Join me for an adventure sometime.x

Start of July 2020

Well, the healthy eating isn’t going so well. My excuse is that, I find it harder when I can’t run. My hip flexor is still damaged and I haven’t really run for a month now. I am doing more cycling and core work though. It’s going to take a while to heal too. Another month maybe? I will attempt a slow mile next Saturday. Good news is that my weight hasn’t really moved at all. So I will just recap on last weeks activities.

I’ve been out for walks most days and during the walks I usually do some push ups or chin ups at the park. At home I will do sit ups and other core work and stretching. My back still hurts a bit from falling out of a tree. 

I feel like I’m going a bit stir crazy lately as I’m not fit to run and haven’t had a job since the end of February. There are still no climbing gyms open either which is what I am missing the most lately.

So, I decided to apply for a job on Monday and they phoned me on the Tuesday. On the Wednesday I was walking to Calmore for an Interview. Of course I got the job! I never thought I’d be so excited about going back to work. It’s only 2-3 days a week at the moment. 8-4. Some great hours too. Bit of a mixed day as I had to rush home from the interview to attend my brother’s funeral. It was a nice service and lovely to catch up with the family. I had a few beers too!

The next day I had planned to meet up with Disgo Dan in Woolston for a bike ride at 9.30am. We were going to Lee-On-The-Solent. I worked it out to be about 40 miles for me as we would have to cycle to Bursledon and Warsash as the Pink ferry isn’t running from Hamble yet. 5 and a half miles to meet Disgo and then we set off through Woolston and into Weston and Netley. From Hamble I followed Dan into Lowford and then we crossed the bridge at Swanwick and turned right onto the gravel path the other side of the Hamble river. A nice ride with the high tide but a bit of headwind. Into Warsash and then Chilling and Old Hook village. I got us a bit lost and took a wrong turn. I have done this route a few times but then I have done thousands of routes. I can’t remember everything at my age now ;) We ended up on a busy road into Stubbington and then Lee-on-th-solent where we stopped for chips on the sea front plus I had a vegan sub! We headed back the right way through Titchfield haven and then had a couple of beers at Dan’s before I cycled home and clocked up 49 miles. Such a great day and we didn’t get wet. 

Thursday saw me attempting to make my own Soya milk. I bought a blender from Sainsburys for £20 and another £10 on 5kg of Soya beans of the internet. I get a lot of inspiration from Ellie Busby on facebook from “Nutrition for Vegan runners”. Soya milk has the most nutritional value than all the other milks too. Alpro is the most common non-dairy milk on the market too which isn’t good from a vegan point of view as they also deal with animal products. I worked out that making my own milk will cost me 30p a litre and I won’t have to go to the shop for it. 

I soaked 200g of soya beans for 12 hours in water. Drained and washed them. Softening them with my fingers and then I put them in the blender with clean water. It turns into a white liquid. I also add a date to sweeten and some salt. It then has to be strained to separate the milk. You can use the mush to make burgers as I watched on youtube. I didn’t do it this time though. I need a better strainer. I have now ordered some nut milk bags to strain the milk properly. You can use a cheese cloth if you have one. Anyway, you need to bring the milk to boil and then let it simmer. It was a bit of a messy process the first time around but now I feel more confident that my next attempt will be much better. I made a litre which I stored in the fridge for my coffee. Think I may add another date next time. Some people use syrup and other sweeteners. Another good thing about making your own milk is that all the ingredients are natural and better for you. 

Friday saw me going to work for my first day. A lovely small company with nice people to work with. One is a runner who has started his own running group, Waterside runners. I spoke to another guy about my bike ride and my manager has a great sense of humour and he also got “Powerslave” the Iron maiden record delivered on vinyl and has his own “Metallica” cup in the canteen. I can see it being a good place to work and loved my first day. Then I spent an hour with my old work buddies around the corner at DX. Chatting and catching up on all the gossip. 

Saturday saw me going to the pub with my dad. Two pints in the wetherspoons. We sat down and both took turns ordering on the app. Then a walk up to the King’s arms which was much better. Listening to music on the jukebox and laughing and chatting with others in the garden. We did drink a bit much though but the social distancing worked very well as you’re not really allowed to stand around unless you’re waiting to get served which was never busy. Plenty of sanitiser too. 

That’s it really. Still been reading a lot during lock down and learning Welsh everyday. I also enjoy youtube videos on health, nutrition, bouldering and “Big questions with the Dead Milkmen” every weekend. 

Spending less time on facebook feels good for me too. I am just logging on at the weekends now and no messenger too so people are just texting me or using whatsapp. No politics, news or opinions or scrolling through the same shit everyday :)

 

A bad photo I found at my Sister's of me and my Mum. Who wears t-shirts over hooded tops? 

Let's feel better

       

        Today is Monday the 22^nd of June. I’ve been meaning to eat healthier for some time but never got around to the discipline. I find that the success rate is higher if I write out a plan. Today is the day that I start. I’ll start with a daily weigh this morning. I have also written a list of recipe ideas for the week so that I know what to eat for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. The worst thing lately for me has been my sugar craving in the evenings. This is usually in the form of Crisps, chocolate or a pack of biscuits dunked in a cup of tea. This, for me will be the toughest test over the coming weeks. But weight loss is such a simple idea… You just have to stop putting stuff in your mouth ;)

       I have also written out some sort of exercise plan. I currently have a hip flexor injury from overtraining so can not really run at the moment plus I stupidly fell out of a tree which is causing pain in my back, ribs and neck. Ha! Getting old and falling apart ;) I will be cycling and walking with maybe the odd jog down a few roads. I will also being doing some weights with my dumb bells and quite a bit of core work. Push ups, sit ups, yoga stretches etc.. Sometimes I’ll go climbing or do handstands in the park. I think it’s important to make the exercise fun from time to time or else the interest and motivation gets lost. The same applies to the eating. There’s nothing nice about eating bland foods. I’m going to make sure I enjoy the foods that I eat but keep them healthier. For snacks I may have some fruit, nuts or the occasional bar of dark chocolate.

I have read enough books about nutrition to know what works for me but you can never stop learning and that is the beauty of it. Obviously, everyone is different but there are some great tips that I have remembered:

Try and eat your carbs earlier in the day rather than later.

Sleep is very important for burning fat and recovery.

Try to avoid food that takes the body a long time to digest. Meats, dairy etc..

Listen to your tummy rather than you head. Are you really hungry?

Burn fat rather than carbs during your exercise by fasting and going slower and longer.

How big are your portion sizes? How many calories are you taking in?

Randomly fit in some exercises during the day. Sometimes I will just drop and do 15 push ups or 15 sit ups. The more reps you do the easier they will get.

No microwave or ready meals and try to avoid packaged foods which can be tough!

If you feel unmotivated or struggle with depression like me… Just try and clear your mind of thoughts and get out the door. This is great for me. Sometimes I’ll walk and mile around the block and other times it’ll be an unexpected 10 miles.

Remember, when you eat, what are you fueling for?

Don’t eat salad just to lose weight but to replace lost nutrients after exercise. 

Ok, bit of a shock on the scales! Said I was 13st a couple of days ago. Electronic scales are a bit weird sometimes. I try and take 3 readings from different places in the room.

Weight: 13.6 st

Fat: 21.1

Water: 57.6

Muscle: 35.8

BMI: 24.1

Not great but a motivator for me. Heaviest I’ve been in a while. I’m keen to get under 13 stone again and get my body fat percentage under 20 percent too. BMI is too close to 25 for my liking as well. So we’ll see how I get on in the week.

Ok, I guess I should really outline my goals here as well. The plan is to lose some weight. Primarily as a runner I am not too interested in building muscle. Like I once read in a book “Have you ever seen a Kenyan runner weight training?”. I want to feel lean and efficient and I know what it feels like. It feels fantastic! The core work is the most important for me at the moment as it will also help with my strength in bouldering and climbing. Hoping to get a decent shaped body in the process as well. Get the tummy flat would be great instead of the holding it in..lol. I do not want to get so skinny that I have no upper body strength though. I have read about such athletes who run sub 30 10k’s but can barely lift a bowl of rice after training. Ha! Wishful thinking ;)

Todays food was:

Breakfast;

2x Crumpets for breakfast with a vegan spread

Lunch;

2x beetroot hummus wraps with rocket, peppers, tomato and cucumber.

1x Banana

Snacks;

1x Kiwi fruit and a dairy free yoghurt

Dinner;

Rice, tofu, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes with garlic and onion.

Snacks;

Nuts and an orange

I did a 25 mile bike ride (very flat) 1200 calories according to strava?

A 3.5 mile walk = 300 calories

Because of my back pain, the sit ups and press ups were a no go but I did do 3x 30 high knee raises and 3x 1 minute planks.

I was supposed to post this blog last night but was lazy.

Tuesday 23^rd of June (Day 2)

13.4 st

20,9 fat

57.7 water

35.9 muscle

23.9 Bmi

Breakfast;

Oats with Cinnamon, flax and chia seeds in soya milk.

Off for a 40 mile loop on the bike soon.

Anyway, we’ll see how it goes. Writing this is to really to make my thoughts more lucid and give me something to read back and get my focus. It may help someone else, who knows? Let me know if you are trying something similar or just want to swap some tips or want some tips about Vegan nutrition or great books to read. I will mention some of these things in the coming write ups anyway. Writing this will also put pressure on me to achieve my goals. Thanks for reading if you got this far. I will probably update on Friday or the weekend and let you knwo my progress. Would love to hear about yours too. I will also recommend books, youtube channels, and other things that have inspired me. Cheers.x 

Review of 2019

           2019 started by waking up at Carl’s farmhouse in the darkest depths of Cornwall. We decided to skip the parkrun but we did do the Brown Willy run from the Infamous Jamaica Inn in Bolventor. Brown willy is the highest point in Cornwall. A very boggy and rutted 7.5 mile loop but I was told that these were the best conditions in years! Anyway, I think I wrote a blog article about it on here. It was a great day with pints of Rattler at the finish line.
At the time I was living with my friend Nick on the Barbican in Plymouth. Very nice indeed with the water on your doorstep. I was still struggling a bit with the weight, fitness and I was drinking most days. So many pubs and so many people willing to buy you a pint! Anyway, even though Mt. Edgcumbe was my local parkrun, I often did Plymvalley instead as there were only two massive hills instead of a 3k climb at the start. I also enjoyed the monthly Tavy 5k which only cost £1 and you just bought your race number back every month. The 3k series were good too. My 3k times never look good as again there were plenty of hills around the parks of Plymouth football stadium. I also did some nice friendly runs with Storm running club in Plymouth.
In February, my friend Adam came over for the weekend and along with Carl we went to Totnes to “Beat the train”. Only Carl beat the train. I could blame the slippery mud with road shoes but Carl was fast becoming a better runner than I. I think the train took an hour and I did 61.12. Not even sure how long the course was. We all ran longer anyway due to no marshal or clear turnaround point at the other end! 

23^rd of February was my last race in the West country before I moved completely back to Southampton. Mike Mat and Carl were the others. The Looe 10 which is a Cornish grand prix race is so hilly that I found myself laughing as I tried to walk the hills. It took me nearly 98 mins to run this 10 miler and I was running pretty well I thought! 1600ft of elevation. That’s 160ft of ascent per mile. Carl obviously beat me in a sprint finish with our only sub 7 min mile. Oh yeah and we did Eden project parkrun a few hours before the Looe 10 race…lol.  

That was it. I was living back in Southampton. That would keep me out of the pub everyday for sure! I was now weighing in at 15 and a half stone. I wanted to get back in shape from 2017 but was really struggling and was never good at disciplining myself. I did a few parkruns including the new Mountbatten school one in Romsey and also a lovely one at Dinton pastures.
I was working within a couple of weeks of being back and I’m still there now, despite leaving there and returning. I work late shifts so it’s very unsocial hours but it means I get to run in the mornings and also go Bouldering which I took up sometime over the summer. I just booked a course and went along alone. Glad I did as I absolutely love it now and it’s the best core workout you will ever get.
I’m only keeping the job until March though as I want better hours and I’ve saved some money too being back at my Dads. So, I’m thinking about moving to Wales in Spring but we’ll see. I’ll make that decision nearer the time.

In April, I got a Devizes half place thanks to my old club running buddy Adam Wills. He was smashing out some really quick times but sadly an injury came. I went with Rob Benham, another club legend. I met both these guys in 2011 when I first joined Lordshill Road runners over 8 years ago now! It wasn’t flat and I didn’t do great but it was a good race. I think Rob had to leave me at 5 miles. He was only jogging around as well..lol. 1hr 41 mins. It was a start at least. I hadn’t raced a half in a long time and it showed.
What seemed like the hottest day of the year was Good Friday. I did the Wiltshire Good Friday 10 race. My Dad and I were on our way to Wales anyway to see the family. I only saw one other runner I knew and that was Paul Johnson stood there in that noticable Red and White stripped vest. An old rival but a super nice guy. He always makes me laugh. Anyway, he nearly beat me by 10 minutes on that stupidly hot day and my easter egg melted on the way back to the car. 73.04 was my shameful time.
The next day in Wales I caught the train to Neath and did the most beautiful parkrun I have ever done in all of my 48 locations at the time. It’s called Gnoll parkrun. A stunning country park with a lake, a river, old ruins and some hills. 

         May came along and it was time to do my favourite race of all time. First Di, Mike and I did Melksham parkrun where they had a “Bonnie Bollard”. It was a cardboard cut out of Bonnie Tyler’s face that they stuck to the bollard as it was the “Turnaround” point. Genuis! The Bratton hilly was so beautiful as always. The tough first mile uphill. The views of Westbury and Wiltshire from high above. The ups and downs in the lovely sunshine looking out at the colourful fields of flowers. Don’t forget “The sting in the tail” and the end of this race. It catches so may people out. Sadly, I found out that that will be the last time it will ever be run. It had been going for 18 years I think. Sad to think I’ll never run that route again due to private land that we were allowed to run on in the event. Goodbye Bratton, you will be dearly missed.x
Anyway, also in May saw me, Carl and Mike do the Ciderthon in Taunton. A half marathon we did in fancy dress and drank about 40 ciders. They were small cups but we had about 3 at each station. There were 13 stops. When we got to 10k I felt hammered and decided to run a bit faster to sober me up. It might have worked, I can’t remember. Never again! 1hr 55 isn’t bad though. 

In June I did my 5oth different parkrun location at Bushy parkrun. The home of parkrun. It had to be done. I went with Helen and Andy. It was also Mr.Herman’s 50^th parkrun. It was a great course and over 1100 runners. The week after was lordshill 10k. I wasn’t fit still. I decided to try and pace another Andy for a PB but it didn’t happen.
I was trying to get quicker on the 10k’s now. Josh talked me into 4 Marks 10k along with Di and Danni but sadly Mike came but only as an injured spectator. I remmeber taking the piss out of Josh’s 10k time here and then we ran it. I didn’t even beat his time from the previous year. There were hills and mud and stiles to climb but a wonderful low key trail race. Di and Danni also won trophies for their efforts! Not bad considering the day before, with the excetion of Josh, we all ran the Serpent trail half marathon in Petersfield.
A week later I ran an SB for 10k at Wyvern 10k. 43 mins but a long way off a PB but things were starting to improve.
The following week I went back to Cornwall to run 36 miles of the Saints way and then the Magnifient 7 on the Saturday. It was a steady plod around for the pair of us. 

August arrived and so did the Sturminster Half. A great race but a much slower time than previous years. Another 1 hr 41 for me.
Salisbury 54321 was my first marathon in a long time despite plodding out some slow ultras including a 34 miler from Southampton to Salisbury with Carl. I waited an hour for Di and Mike but they had run the wrong way and Di fell and fractured her arm. I went to the pub on my own instead.
The last day of August saw myself and Carl meeting up in Castle Cary for the 30 miler Conquest of Avalon. A fantasic race organised by Albion runners. Dave Irwin has also written a couple of good books. Carl beat me by over an hour this time. He does run on Bodmin moor most days though. That’s my excuse this time anyway.
Josh talked me into doing Salisbury Half and I’m glad he did. It was a great race and a fast course despite the wind and rain. My mate Barry was marshaling and saw Chris Maple from Sailsbury too. 1hr 36 was my quickest half this year. Havant and Littlehampton made up my 52^nd parkrun locations. Josh got P1 at Havant too! I remember pacing my friend Greg for his first sub 25 parkrun at Fareham too. That was a good day with Josh and Disgo Dan too.

            October and the Great South run soon came around. I was nervous at the start but pleased to run mostly a sub 7 pace and run a 68.44 10 miler. My fastest in a long time. I was very pleased with myself and I was now starting to lose some weight. Josh and Disgo also got great times and we got the train back with Gary Painting. It was a great day out. Loved it so much.
Think I missed out the Tadley 10 which was a lovely undulating 10 miler. Think I did 72 mins there. I was happy again. I was losing weight, running more and getting quicker.
For some reason or other, In October I decided to give Veganism a try. I had watched a few documentaries like “Game Changers”, “What the Health” and “Forks over knives”. Something clicked and there I was.. A Vegan. Anyway, more on than in a bit.

In November I did the Gilly Hilly 7.5 with Mike and Danni. It was a fantastic race with lots of hills but all road, my favourite. I feel that I ran very well in that race, yet barely made the top 30. Then I went back to Poole parkrun with Josh and Disgo Dan. They both got PBs and I got a sub 20 and SB of 19.39. I was over the moon and Josh owed me a Vegan breakfast for the sub 20. Happy days!
Wimborne 10 was still my 10 mile PB course from 2013. 66.59. My only sub 67 mins. I went with Mikey and met Kev Willsher there. It had some hills and a very big one at the end but it was a faster course than I remembered. We both got PB’s 66.44 for me. Exactly 2 minutes faster than the great south run. Was it the Vegan diet or just the weight loss from the vegan diet? I was wondering what my recovery would be like too. There were even free Vegan cakes there. No medal though but I got my time. 

End of November I did my 200^th parkrun at Southsea. It was great to see the Kelly family and Dave Keates. Greg was also there with his wife Charlie. It was windy but I got a time of 19.38. I think Greg got a PB too? We then went for a really nice vegan brekkie after a bit of walking around Albert road.
I did a very hungover Weymouth parkrun in 20.05 and then a Salisbury one in 20.21. I really struggled that day and Chris Maple beat me in a sprint finish. Haha. He then apologised.
Last race of the year was the Portsmouth Coastal ultra. Neither Carl or I had really trained but we did it anyway. We pretty much ran the marathon together. It was brutal underfoot and said it was the worst conditions in the 10 years of the event. The shingle and headwind on the ultra part in Hayling Island was ridiculously tough. It was great to see kiernan at the aid station though and a few familiar faces on the way back. I pushed on with some run/walking after leaving Carl at 26ish miles. It was so windy and I really had to dig deep to finish but finish I did with a time of 4hr 48 mins. I beat Carl for the first time in ages! My first ultra as a Vegan too. He was less than 5 mins behind. Sadly, he is still feeling injured. Over all it’s been a great year for me. Sure took me a long time to get that 10 mile PB. Kev has always been a great inspiration and a great influence though as well as the Mattingleys keeping me straying off the good paths in life, plus all the car sharing of course. 

I have lost 2 and a half stone. Currently weighing in at 12st 12. I am eating more healthier and feeling the benefits of a vegan lifstyle. It’s not a diet so it makes it easy to do. I have rubbish discipline but feel that it’s not really required for this. I think I am happy to stay Vegan. I have a lot more energy and my concentration is sharper. I had to buy some more jeans and t-shirts the other day though as my friend Carl said I looked like a homeless crackhead with all my clothes hanging off me. The pic at the bottom of this write is me now. The weight isn't really coming off me now but it's the first time my body fat percentage is under 20% but only just. That'll be the beer then! 
10 year ago I was almost 6 stone heavier! Running sure saved my life. Now, if only I could stop that binge drinking! See you next year for some fast times hopefully. Fewer junk miles and more speed sessions. Hoping for some better parkrun and 10k times. First race… Goodwood 10k on the 2^nd of Feb. Better get training.