Non-cruel Christmas Fuel

There's been a flurry of parkrun activity amongst GO VEGGIE members over the festive period and some super competitive performances have hopefully made other parkrunners have a quiet think about their traditional Christmas dinner.

Members have been active at Leeds, Sheffield, Nostell, Wakefield and Eastbourne.

A good few age group wins have been registered as well as some impressive overall performances. Mick W in particular had a good run at Concord Park in Sheffield (pictured) and dropped impressively into the 19 minute bracket - a time he's well capable of but which often eludes him as he generally gravitates towards tough, hilly and twisty events that just don't lend themselves to PBs.

The next weekend or two promises to be a busy time with members having all manner of trail and cross country races planned. Good luck especially to Rosie Wigg who's taking on the formidable Wooden Tops Auld Lang Syne event: eye-wateringly hard does not even begin to describe it. The list of competitors makes interesting reading; particularly noteworthy are a couple of chaps called Brownlee...

PECO 2/5

The dedicated trio of Mick, Emma and Rose were out again last Sunday (14th December) for round two of the PECO winter 2014/15 XC race series. This round was held at the splendid-for-an-afternoon-out venue of Nostell Priory where, for a couple of hours, 400+ cross country runners responsibly undid the Capability Brown inspired serenity of the historic grounds and parkland.

The usual mud and slog were apparent but all 3 GO VEGGIES performed well and finished high enough up their respective orders to 'count' for their local team (the PECO series is a team based competition run under UKA rules which obliges all competitors to run for a fully UKA affiliated club). This is no mean feat as the quality of competition - even to be able to 'count' - is very high.

Mick continues to improve and is undoubtedly approaching the ranks of elite-for-age runner, while Emma and Rose (pictured) finished well up their age group order with Emma achieving 12/30 and Rose 10/29 positions.

New Members' Welcome

A big welcome to new members Phil Shreeve and Ryan Procter.

Phil is a runner and gym goer who hasn't competed in a while but still enjoys multiple runs per week for the pure enjoyment of it; he particularly enjoys running on crisp and sunny days - here's hoping the early months of next year deliver.

Ryan has concentrated much of his efforts on coaching in recent years but still keeps his hand in, mainly with running events, but is also known to tackle the occasional multisport race. When race-fit Ryan is a force to be reckoned with and has some elite performances to his credit.

It's a great pleasure to welcome both to the GV community.

Recent Runs

GV have been out in force again this past two weekends.

Emma S and Rosie W took to the mud and slop of the fields and woodlands of Crossgates (Leeds) in the opening round of this year's series of Yorkshire based PECO cross country races. The PECO series has become incredibly popular in recent years and attracts some very high quality runners. It's not unusual to find famous members of the GBR elite triathlon squad turning up to blow the winter cobwebs off. Though not troubling such exalted company, Emma and Rose both reported having a ton of fun and waxed lyrically and hysterically for a very long time indeed about exploits at one particular water jump. Both achieved commendable top-third-of-their-age-category finishing positions.

In parkrun news, Mick W, Claire Whitwell, Emma S and Rosie Wigg have been out there at various venues including Pontefract, Nostell Priory, and the fearsomely tough Temple Newsam (well done Claire). For anyone brave enough, the Temple Newsam parkrun is basically (or at least feels like) 4K uphill and 1K down; it's tough! A number of age group wins and top 10 overall results have been recorded by GV; well done to all for getting out there and for obligingly looming atmospherically in imposing bright orange out of the mists.

Sunday (7th December) saw Rose and Emma out yet again at the truly inspirational venue of Sherwood Forest to compete in the Edwinstowe 10K trail race. This event is always superbly organised and takes on the pathways and trails of the old-as-the-ice-age forest, including a reverential pass of the medieval Major Oak itself. Both did really well with Rose finishing 15/119 and Emma 19/119 in the female vet category.

Water Sport Indeed

Mick W was in cross duathlon action again on Saturday (29th November) in the 3rd and final event of the popular and very well organised Midland Off Road Race Series.

Sunday's round was based at the National Water Sports Centre near Nottingham - water being the relevant word. The signs were ominous when the organisers contacted every competitor the night before the race advising them to allow extra time to arrive as the venue car park was flooded!

Sure enough, the 5K run, 16K bike, and final 2.5K run were all a squelch-fest resembling archetypal Glastonbury scenes; but with no stages, only a few tents, and much less pretentiousness. Mick's choice of running footwear was not the best and a comedy-slither round the first 5K saw him needing to put in a top-drawer bike performance to salvage some places. Fortunately he was up to it and his MTB background saw him absolutely blast the leg to take on the 2nd of the runs well up the overall field.

Proving those long endurance training efforts are actually worth it, Mick held on in the run for a splendid 2nd in age group and 23rd overall position.

A major bonus was that his consistency in the three counting events saw him as series winner in his age group.

Go Veggie!

Running Roundup

There's been a flurry of parkrun activity this past two weeks with several members putting in appearances at Pontefract, Thornes and Nostell Priory. Best performance of the past two weeks was an age group win and 5th overall for Mick W at Nostell in a very good time of 20:38. No mean feat on this twisty and hilly course.

Members have also been involved in a couple of 10Ks with Claire Whitwell competing in the Leeds Abbey Dash and Rosie Wigg racing in the Barnsley 10K. Claire has only done a couple of 10Ks previously and wasn't sure how the Dash would go as she hasn't run that much recently. Happily though, she quickly got into her stride and beat her own time in last year's running of the event by about a minute. Claire has an eye on the Dewsbury 10K early next year and is also thinking of upping her distance and going for a 10 miler, or maybe even a half marathon.

Like Claire, Rose also hit a pretty good rhythm in the Barnsley event and managed a superb12th/57 position in her age category. The Barnsley event has a few killer hills which made Rose's time of just-into-the-50-minutes-slot very credible indeed.

Inspirational Marvel

Jon Z is an inspiration.

Jon has competed in triathlon to a high standard for many years and is our resident Ironman. For those who do not know, the 'long course' triathlon distance comprises a 2.4 mile swim followed by a body-breaking 112 mile bike leg - and then concludes with the small matter of a full marathon distance run of 26.2 miles.

These events are truly tough and require incredible physical and mental endurance.

Jon has entered two half distance and one full distance event in 2015, and in doing so makes the truly tough almost incredible. Why incredible?... well; Jon has had a few health issues this past couple of years and in the summer of 2014 had to have major heart surgery.

The two half-ironman distance races scheduled are for next May (Belvoir Castle and the Outlaw Half), and the full distance event is the prestigious Challenge Weymouth - due to be run in September.

If he can complete the full distance Challenge Weymouth event, Jon could make medical history by becoming the first person with a pacemaker and artificial heart valve ever to do so.

The inspiration that comes from Jon's determination cannot be overstated. An enforced early start on the occasional Saturday morning to do the local parkrun just doesn't seem that big a deal any more.

Awesome stuff!

English X-Duathlon Championships

Spurred on by his recent cross-duathlon début, Mick W took to the start line of no less an event than the English Cross Duathlon Championships on Saturday (8th November) and - at the Sherwood Pines venue - found himself surrounded by a lot of very thin people and about two million pounds-worth of carbon.

His enthusiasm obviously proved contagious as - somewhat surprisingly - older sibling Steve broke his winter hibernation and also gave the event a go.

Because of the numbers involved (more than 500) the race, which comprised a 5K run / 20K bike / 3.6K run, was split into two age-group-dictated waves.

Mick's race started at 8.00am and conditions were ideal. Overnight rain had quickly drained away in the sandy soils of the Sherwood Pines forest and left the going fast and good. Mick showed he meant business right from the off with a middling 6-minute-per-mile pace seeing him in a decent position at the first transition. His bike leg was - as in the last race - super fast and it saw him steam past loads of fellow racers and well up his age group ranking into10th position. Showing that he's getting the hang of it, he even managed to maintain a low 7-minute-per-mile pace for the second run leg and - highly credibly - held on to his 10th place in age group until the finish. Given that Mick's just started out in duathlon, and the level of competition at this English Championship event, that's some good going.

Steve's race started at 10.30am, about an hour after the heavy and persistent rain did. Conditions for this second wave were atrocious, described by the organiser as the worst they'd ever encountered in the many years of running this event. Fair to say, before Steve's start, much sibling banter went back and forth complete with some fairly forceful instructions to 'man up'.

Steve begrudgingly, but dutifully did. An intentionally steady first run saw him retaining enough energy to hammer the energy-sapping quagmire-like bike leg and hang on in the second run for a splendid 2nd place in age and the booty of a Triathlon England silver medal.

Fair to say the conditions were contrary to the brothers' strengths. Mick is a very accomplished bike handler and would have undoubtedly gained even more places in the atrocious 2nd wave conditions. Steve, on the other hand, may well have prioritised attempting to keep his bike clean over his championship chances.

Parkrun Proliferation

A few members have been active in parkruns this past few weeks - these are (for the uninitiated) fantastic, totally inclusive, free 5K runs that cater for everyone from people starting on the road to a more active lifestyle to super-fast elite athletes looking for a bit of top-end training.

Mick and Steve W have turned out for the past few weeks at Thornes and Nostell Priory respectively whilst Emma S took a break from an otherwise recreational weekend away and made efforts to spread the Veggie message in Brighton.

Some good age group performances and decent overall positions have been recorded, but most importantly quite a few fellow parkrunners at the 'new' venues have been asking questions about being veggie and running...

Multisport Mick

When the multisport terrain changes, use a different brother.

The mud and murk of Autumn doesn't necessarily mean a complete end to the multisport season and it's this time of year that off-road duathlons are a common calender fixture.

Whereas Steve W will happily lose a place to avoid the tiniest puddle, Mick W has a thing about off-road events - the muddier the better. Fair to say he has a definite leaning towards mud and mire with his background in MTB racing; plus trail, x-country, and (recreational) fell running.

And so it came to pass that the inevitable happened and last Saturday (18/10) he found himself combining his disciplines and well and truly on the start line of the Clumber Park Off Road Duathlon (5K run - 17K bike - 3K run). This entirely off-road event featured plenty of tough little climbs, many a gloopy-mud section and over 200 people all trying to be on the same bit of single-track at the same time.

Mick had a solid first 5K (21.09) and then tore through the field on the bike (we aren't allowed to mention this super-fast leg was interrupted by an uncharacteristic spill) before hitting the second run section and discovering first hand why brick training is a good idea. Anyone that hasn't tried to run fast after an all-out cycling effort should give it a go: it's fun...

Luckily Mick had  (secretly) brick trained and coaxed his jelly-legs round the last 3K to an absolutely superb 6th in age and 38/200+ overall at his first ever try.

He has two more x-duathlons upcoming and we are watching with great interest.

Three out of Three

Steve C and Len were on top of a country - again - last week, courtesy this time of Mount Snowdon.

It was something of an achievement, not just in its own right, but because the summit marked the successful ascent of the third of the GB peaks this year. Steve and Len set out their stall to reach the top of Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis, and Snowdon within the year in an effort to raise a not inconsiderable sum in sponsorship cash for the noble Pounds for Poundies cause.

The bemused train passengers on the Snowdon Mountain Railway can't have realised the virtuous dog-saving back-story as they watched Steve and Len fully harnessed up doing what they do best.

Actually, we're not quite sure which is weirdest: a dog and man racing up a mountain, or a rickety train pottering down one.

Emma and an Old Man

Or rather the Old Man...of Coniston.

Emma and seven other ladies from Ackworth Road Runners took on the beautifully set, yet extremely challenging, Coniston 15K trail race last Sunday.

Just as it says on the tin, the race takes in tracks and paths on the slopes of The Old Man of Coniston and is, in places, lung-bustingly steep. The surfaces are also predictably muddy / rocky in equal measure making every step a calculated one. Add the inevitable October-in-the-Lakes weather (it hailed at times), and it's not difficult to imagine how tough the event is.

As if not satisfied, the Ackworth ladies, en masse, assumed the event registration point was at its traditional spot only to find the organisers had most inconsiderately moved it and had the nerve to imagine any of the competitors would actually read the pre-race instructions sent out with each race package. Suffice to say the entire confused herd of Ackworth ladies had to shuffle pretty quickly, on foot, a total of an extra 5 miles to be able to register and get to the start on time. Maybe if just one of them had spent a few less seconds loafing in the tub...

In spite of it all, Emma safely negotiated the route, which has a cut-off time of 3.5 hours,  in a thoroughly decent 1:48. Fun?... well she says so.

Parkrun Win for Rose

Wakefield Thornes parkrun saw Mick and Rose W in GO VEGGIE action on Saturday (4th October).

Mick managed a credible 13th overall in 21.18 on this tricky multi-terrain course, but it was Rose who really pulled out all the stops finishing a very impressive 30th overall and taking a storming win in the female category.

A parkrun and a stark run

Mick W and Emma S were in running action this weekend but had very different experiences.

Mick, still gently returning from a nagging foot injury, had a go at the new Wakefield Thornes parkrun which - for anyone interested in visiting - he reports as being a good, testing, undulating mixed terrain affair. A very respectable 13th overall in 21.03 amongst some very stern-faced Wakefield Harriers (the local 'serious race' club) bodes well for some off-road sprint duathlons that Mick has coming up.

Emma had it tough on Sunday. The Isle of Axholme half marathon had a good number of the field excited by the prospect of PBs on what should be a fast course in this esoteric area; the weather had other ideas though. Unseasonable stiflingly hot / humid and no-oxygen-stuffy type conditions sapped the strength and will of just about all the field with many retirees and many who finished clocking personal worsts. Emma confesses to considering packing on a few occasions but battled on to the finish line; a silent gathering point for exhausted and bewildered souls.

Running is fun.

Finishing with a Bang...

...but not in a good way.

A rear wheel puncture saw Steve W out of the Teesdale Sprint Triathlon (400m swim / 28K bike / 5K run) tantalisingly close to the finish of the bike leg.

It was a pity as Steve reports having gone pretty well up until that point with a sub 7 minute swim and a much time gained on fellow competitors on the tough bike course which features a stretch that is - though undulating - essentially seven miles up hill. It was, naturally, almost at the top of this where Steve punctured out.

Doubly disappointing was the fact it was Steve's last triathlon of the year - not the most satisfying way to cap a tri-season that has featured many age group wins and some very respectable positions overall.

Derby Day

Steve W was clearly on something of a mission in Sunday's (14/09) running of the Derby Sprint Triathlon (Swim 400m / Bike 18K / Run 5K) as he beat his previous two results on the same course (last done by him in the late 2000s) by a good three minutes. At this rate of improvement we reckon he'll be flying by the time he reaches his 60s.

Steve comfortably won his age group and was 9th overall in a field of well over 500, a decent number of whom were young enough to be his grandkids.

A Sigh of Relief...

...because last Monday saw the last of 2014's formidable Trunce events. Monday's was the 9th of 9 events and Rosie Wigg - our most prolific Truncer this year - once again took to the start line in spite of knowing the pain to come.

It definitely is that kind of event, it either puts you off for life or gets under your skin. Either way, it's worth a bash; go on, you know you want to...

Conditions were (for the Trunce) reasonable, and Rose made the most of them by getting to within a few seconds of her course PB and finishing a highly credible 29/81 in the female field.

Come 2015 we'll be back; except for those of us who think it's just to bloomin' hard.

Tri Overload

In an effort to regain some race fitness after five weeks of loafing around on holiday Steve W is now half way through a 4 week in duration sprint-tri-every-weekend-bound-to-end-in-injuryathon.

The Newbiggin open sea sprint on 31/08 (750m swim / 20K bike / 5K run) saw Steve getting back into the race-groove with a slightly running-out-of-beans last 3K seeing him going rapidly backwards to finish 2/35 in age group and 22/265 overall. We're told the belly full of salt water / unidentified flotsam from a 'thrashy' swim didn't help.

The Louth sprint one weekend later (750m swim / 22K bike / 6K run) saw a better paced effort resulting in an age group win and a 2nd out of 162 overall. Steve particularly enjoyed the bike course on this event which was a twisty-turny have-to-pick-a-line affair over quiet country lanes that played right into the hands of anyone from a sporting course time-trialling background.

Good Race Face...

The great clothing scandal

Emma S competed in an open 10 mile time trial in Boroughbridge last Saturday (6th) and got close to her course best time in spite of not attempting a pure time trial race for about 4 years.

A credible effort, but lost in scandal.

Emma took her GO VEGGIE trisuit to the event by mistake which meant rocking up to the start line without being clothed in sleeves 'to the mid-upper arm' as per open time trial event rules. The Cycling Time Trials officials did what CTT officials do best and hauled her over the coals. At least three gentlemen of a certain disposition separately took her to task for having the audacity to ride her bike with her upper-upper arm exposed. They like their rules, do CTT.

Not one of them though, whilst referring to sub-clause x of rule y, were in the slightest bit interested that she wore GO VEGGIE kit as opposed to the kit of her 1st claim affiliated club, Featherstone Road Club, indeed one even nodded approval.

So well done Emma on two counts: for a credible race-effort, and for proving that riding in GO VEGGIE kit - when not worn so daringly anyway - is just fine and dandy with the guardians of the 19th century.

Illness, Injuries and Holidays...

...have all conspired in recent weeks - weird how everything always happens at once.

Steve C and Len were up to their usual ultra-tricks in late August with a 'recreational' attack on the summit of Ben Nevis. The duo had a pleasant enough start but as is notoriously the case, the ascent brought its own weather with increasing wind and - by the top - heavy rain. The full ascent was knocked off in just 2:35; the usual time for a fit hiker is three and a half to four hours.

Len (and probably Steve too if we're being honest) put on their best hard-done to faces at the top in order to extract snacks from bewildered hikers before turning and disappearing back into the clouds for an equally impressive 2 hour descent.

The epic was unusually finished with a dip in Lock Lomond and - more usually - a pub...

Twice in 1 week

Rose returned to Nostell Priory for the second time in less than a week. Having competed in the Ackworth Road Runners  Priory 10k  last Wednesday evening, Rose was back to support the testing of the new Nostellpriory parkrun which commences this Saturday. Over 90 runners participated in this invitation trial event which was a complete success. Great news for the inaugural event which takes place this Saturday. DFYB.

Eccup 10

That's 10 mile and not kilometers. Rose ups her racing distance (forcefully) to comply with local grand prix requirements in an effort to bag some extra points. The Eccup 10 Mile is an undulating mix of quiet roads and reservoir trail paths between Leeds and Harrogate, the latter a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and Red Kite central.

Rose finished 1:26:26 positioned 18/57 in the F35 category.

Jane Tomlinson 5k Canal Race

More river than canal but you get the idea. A scenic, annual 5k fundraiser which is relatively flat and attracts big numbers for an offroad waterside loop aside the River Aire. This 10th Anniversary edition witnessed the return of four GV members battling with higher temperatures and lower slug and snail count to the previous year. All four finished well within the top half of the field, Steve W first GV back in 18:58 securing a respectable 21/304 position. Mick W equaling his 5k PB in 20:07 placed 41/304. Rose W 105/304 proved that her injury is well behind her producing her fastest time since April and only 30 seconds off PB pace in 23:10. Emma S 111/304 who is currently on triathlon form smashed a minute and half off last years result in 23:26. All money raised goes to www.janetomlinsonappeal.com for children's and cancer charities.

No gastropods were harmed in the making of these results.

Vegan Carneddau Mountain Race

Steve C and Len were in action at the Vegan Carneddau Half Marathon in Snowdonia on Saturday (28th June). This was quite something given that Steve has been sidelined for many weeks now with an injury that's required many arduous and ongoing physiotherapy sessions.

We doubt whether the physiotherapist's recent advice included competing in a fell race where the course takes in an unmarked mountainous route of approx 13.1 miles with 1,100m of ascent and no aid stations. To add to the spice the organisers make it quite clear that competitors need to be a competent navigators with the stark warning that if the cloud comes down then the Carneddau are "renowned for being tricky" (read: "we'll never see you again").

Untroubled by such trifling consequences, Steve and Len took on the event in dank and drizzly weather - making the going on some of the wet and slippery rocks pretty 'challenging'. At one point, on an almost vertical section of Pen yr Ole Wen, a couple of concerned hikers asked Steve if he needed help and then watched open mouthed (after a polite refusal) as Len weaved and scrambled his way up the ridiculously steep terrain with Steve in his wake only occasionally having to guide, and not act as ballast.

With only one slight navigational blip the duo made it and completed the full event without major incident. A genuinely impressive achievement at any time, truly bonkers off the back of very little training following an injury. The next physio session should be fun...

The Trunce lets down its guard...

Monday's (23rd June) Trunce smiled upon the competitors. Dry conditions and low river levels made the 5th of 9 runnings simply difficult, instead of the more usually encountered ridiculously difficult.

Mick W took full advantage and recorded an event PB of 32.12, edging ever closer to the fabled sub 30 minute club. Mick was a highly credible 17/75 in the very competitive Male Vet 40 category.

Rosie Wigg was also in action and continued her return to form and just missed out on a sub 40 minute run finishing a solid 17/37 in the Female Senior category . We have every faith that Rose will be into the 30's very soon.

If these times don't sound impressive for just over three and a half miles, we urge you to go and have a bash...

Allerthorpe Tri

Emma S continued her good form in Sunday's (22nd June) Allerthorpe Sprint Triathlon (S750m / B24K / R5K) improving by 5 minutes on her time in last year's running of this same event. In spite of a slower swim - which is no surprise as this event is a notorious bun fight - Emma stormed through the bike section and held on with a solid run to finish 5/21 in her age group and 17/54 overall in the female field.

Northumberland Tri

Emma S and Steve W realised that it paid to be from the North East when trying to understand the pre-race briefing at Sunday's (8th June) Northumberland Sprint Triathlon (S850m / B20K / R 5.3K).

Perplexed by too many why-ayes and marras they both decided the best strategy was just to follow everyone else into the pleasantly warm but silty-and-weedy Druridge Bay Country Park lake in the hope that their pre-race recces had been sufficient.

A frantic washing-machine of a (longer-than-standard) swim was followed by a true quagmire in transition - which thanks to a pre-race downpour looked more like a mass mud-wrestling bout than anything - and 20K on the tougher-than-it-looks bike course, before round two of the mud-wrestling ring and a final 5.3K run round the mixed terrain pathways of the country park.

Emma improved massively on her time at last year's running of this event and managed to finish 5th in her age group. Steve also improved and went well, getting back to something like top bike form, winning his age group and finishing 11/199 overall notwithstanding some very strong competition.

In spite of it taking a full two days to dry and clean all the race kit this event is a cracker. It's in really pleasant surroundings right on the beautiful Nothumberland coastline with nature reserves making a fantastic backdrop. Highly recommended (unless you are fast).

A Rainy Trunce

Emma Smith has a reputation for having a real turn of speed when chased by stinging insects. We're not sure if any were present in Monday night's (2nd June) Trunce but Emma was certainly on a mission. The conditions were foul to say the least, with heavy rain just before and during the event leading to truly shoe-sucking squelch for most of the 3.8 mile course. Matters weren't helped by the odd patch of angry nettles and the copious reminders that cows share much of the land over which the Trunce runs. Emma simply shrugged the conditions off and finished a superb 4th in her age group. This run was on the back of a successful Doncaster parkrun debut just two days earlier where she managed  a 3rd female overall position.

Also present at the Trunce were Steve W and Rosie Wigg. Rose was deliberately careful as she's still coming through Achilles problems (thinly disguised fell races in wet and muddy conditions are maybe not the best way to rehabilitate) but still managed and a very creditable 25/64 overall in the female field. Steve - who will run on inefficient lines to avoid getting wet and muddy - somehow still managed to finish with relatively clean shoes, a 3rd in age group, and a 27/263 overall position.

British Sprint Tri Championships

The British age group sprint triathlon championships were held at Eton Dorney (the Olympic rowing venue) on Saturday (17th May) and saw a gathering of elite age-groupers from all corners of Great Britain bidding for national medals.

British Triathlon competition rules mean that in events such as this you only race against other competitors in your own 5-year age band so, for example, should you happen to be a  sprightly 33 year old, you would race in the 30-34 year age bracket.

Steve W isn't 33, but did race, or at least raced the bike and run sections. The swim - 750m in the open water of the rowing lake - was to prove something of an undoing with the lead swimmer leaving the water some 3 minutes ahead of the Go Veggie contingent. Steve was able to pull some time back on the 21.6K bike leg and indeed recorded the quickest bike performance of the race; he also went on to hold his own in the 5K run leg which ultimately saw a close-run battle for podium positions.

At the end of the piece Steve came out of it with a credible 5th position and an ongoing bewilderment with people that can swim 750m in under 10 minutes.

Askern 10K

The Askern 10K event run on Wednesday 21st May was well attended by Go Veggie members, a couple of whom had half an eye on PBs. Unfortunately the event was something of a suffer-fest with a high temperatures and a thick oppressive humidity making for very heavy going - in spite of the 7.00pm start. Of the almost 700 starters, few seemed pleased with their times on this otherwise fairly fast course. Most seemed about two minutes behind their usual 10K pace.

Mick W, Emma S, Rosie Wigg and Steve W all gave it a go and times ranged between high thirties and low fifties. Emma ran well against locally known competition and thankfully Rose seemed to get round unscathed following an enforced four weeks out with an Achilles injury.

Emma podiums again...

Emma S was a visitor to the podium again this weekend when she took a 3/50 in her age group in Sunday's Driffield Sprint Triathlon (S400m / B18K / R5K).

Emma put in a particularly good bike leg and held onto her recent good running form - in spite of soaring temperatures - to keep the vast majority of the women's field at bay. Her performance was good enough for a 22/118 finish in the female field overall.

Here's hoping the form, concentration face, and podium visits, continue.

Parkrun in the Sun

Saturday saw the first seriously warm parkruns of the year forcing something of a radical re-acclimatisation. Mick W and Jenna G were in action, Jenna at Bradford, and Mick at Pontefract.

The energy-sapping conditions didn't slow either down too much with Jenna - on her parkrun debut - managing a 2nd in age category, only 30 seconds or so adrift of the age category winner, and 25/167 in the female field overall. Jenna's performance didn't go unnoticed with one of the local clubs trying to poach her, even before she was back to being able to breath properly. Hands off matey!

Mick, meanwhile, managed a new Pontefract venue PB in 20:14 - a serious 30 seconds + faster than his previous best on the course. The time was also good enough for an 18/271 overall.

Seriously impressive stuff from both.

Thigh deep in River Don

The sunny skies over the latest Trunce (12th May) belie the fact it's been pretty miserable of late.

Conditions underfoot were more reliable indicators with plenty of mud slides and foot tangling vegetation to keep amusement factors high. A better indicator still was the level of the river, where, on each of the three obligatory crossings, full dunkings were a common sight.

Emma S, Jenna G, and Mick W all got stuck in and all performed solidly. Emma was 33/103 females and Mick sneaked an event PB. A particular cap-doffing to Jenna though, this isn't the kind of race that should mark a return to competitive running, yet a top 2/3rds of the female field finish in this company show that Roller Derby breeds them tough.

All allegedly enjoyed themselves but no polygraphs were to hand.

Weekend Round-up

Mick W and Emma S turned out for Saturday's Pontefract parkrun and both had an eye on carrying good recent form into a new venue PB. Unfortunately weather conditions thwarted both with a swirling breeze constantly hampering swift progress. Mick was in the 20 minute slot again, but missed his venue PB by an irritating 2 seconds. Emma was a little further adrift but still managed an age group win and was 7/83 overall in the female field. Both are hoping to carry current form into their next Trunce appearance.

On Sunday (10th May) Steve W was again battling it out in the Grantham Sprint Triathlon (S400m / B18K / R5K), not only against 150 or so other athletes, but also against the treacherous weather. This race seems besieged by poor weather, the 2012 edition was notorious and still ranks as one of the coldest ever run with temperatures as low as a wind-chilled 3 degrees C and foul torrential rain. Sunday's race wasn't quite in this league but still saw extremely tricky bike conditions with lots of standing water, sideways rain, and a strong westerly wind.

In spite of the cold, wind and rain, most entrants took to the startline and just plain got on with it. Steve took an age group win, was 8th overall, and reports it only took a couple of hours in the woolly hat and winter jacket to get warm again.

Emma on Form

Emma S and Steve W were on GO VEGGIE triathlon duty last Sunday (4th May) at Epworth, in the ever-so-slightly-arcane Isle of Axholme.

Distances were S400m / B20K / R5K over a course that was quite tricky and needed careful attention in order to pick quick (and safe) lines. The bike section in particular featured some very narrow lanes that had roller-coaster type undulations where the carriageway had sunk under the weight of the frequent (and huge) agricultural traffic. Even the run got in on the act with much of it being on grassy / hard-packed-mud type farm tracks which were subject to the same never-quite-able-to-find-a-flat-bit kind of sensation.

Emma did ever so well. She put good time into almost all the female field on the bike and backed this up with a good strong run to finish on the podium in her age group (3/14) and a very creditable 6/43 in the female race overall.

Steve meanwhile did a sub one hour time which saw him secure an age group win and finish 5/145 overall.

Self Flagellation

Steve C and Mick W can hurt themselves. Steve recently completed the utterly bonkers Evesham Ultra 45 miler and though characteristically tough on himself in terms of performance clearly gave it everything. The proof? - he still had to have assistance in putting on shoes and socks a full four days after the event.

Meanwhile, Mick returned to the Temple Newsam parkrun specifically to hit the red-zone in the event's notorious uphill finish (pictured).

Why? - who knows...

Mick did well with a 2nd in age group and 17/180 overall and Steve is now well on the way to being able to dress himself unassisted.

Swim, Bike, Run - Lincoln

Sunday 27th saw Steve W and Emma S on the start line of the Dave Lloyd Lincoln Sprint Triathlon (Swim 400m / Bike 22K  / Run 5K). This is a well organised and popular event with something like 600 competitors throwing their hat in the ring this year.

The bike course for this race has a notorious hill at about the two mile mark where the traditionally flat(ish) Lincolnshire countryside - undoubtedly for perfectly explicable geological reasons - suddenly changes levels. The hill is only short but it is brutal. It really is bottom-gear-and-grind stuff and it is common to see people off and pushing (funny in cleated bike shoes), or quite literally falling over sideways whilst still attached to the bike.

Both Go Veggies knew what to expect though (see Emma's bike choice) and survived the encounter unscathed, apart - that is - from the general sensation that that kind of thing can't be good for you.

Though complaining (again) of not feeling so good, Steve won his age group and was 15th overall whilst Emma - who paced the event really competently - just sneaked into the top 10 in her age group and only just missed out on a top-half-of-the-entire field placing (including all male competitors).

Kinder Scout Ultra Prep

Steve C is in the last phase of preparation for the Evesham Ultra 45-ish mile grueller in a couple of weekends' time and spurred on by sidekick Len decided to do an in-no-way-bonkers warm up by attacking the Peak District's infamous Kinder Scout. Good weather and a full-of-beans Len saw the full 15K fell well and truly ran in only 2hrs and 20mins.

Len sorted the summit selfie whilst Steve enjoyed some mesmerising displays thanks to a chance interplay of wind and water droplets which did a good job of inspiring a sense of well-being pending the by now customary post-fells pub visit.

Anyone who hasn't had a half of lager on an empty stomach after running for 2hrs+ may wish to experiment.

Mr Consistent

Go Veggie's number one time-trialist Rob Dickinson, who rides 1st claim for Clitheroe Bike Club, is consistently hammering out top-20 overall finishes in this year's Lakes & Lancs SpoCo series.

These events are tough and highly competitive; frequently attended by best-in-the-land riders, including the odd visit here and there by pro racers looking to sharpen up their speed training and bike handling skills.

Speaking of bike handling, the courses are all, as the name suggests, 'Sporting Courses' which is - if we are being honest - a euphemistic term for evil. On the ground L&L SpoCo means lots of twists and turns, ferocious hills, an abundance of poor road surfaces, often dramatic upland weather, unexpected tractors / animals, and 'interesting' farmyard debris etc.

Basically, to ride competitively in these events - which can be anywhere in the region of 10 to 50 miles, you have to be fit, strong, skilful and super-confident. They are not for everyone, but they are a true reflection of time-trialling prowess - in exactly the same way that being sucked along a dual carriageway 'corridor' by massive articulated trucks - is not.

Rob is featuring well in the overall standings at the moment and is consistently up there in his MV age category.

Keep banging them in Rob, we doff our caps in genuine respect.

Almost an AGM

GO VEGGIE had a good turnout at the Joe Salt Memorial multi-terrain 5K on Wednesday evening (9th April). The race was based around the very pretty landscape of Cowm Reservoir near Rochdale but the views came at the price of a steep, straight-off-the-start-line climb of about 350m duration that had even the most experienced runners popping and wheezing. Who needs peripheral vision anyway?

As if by design, the 5 GVs present strung out almost equidistantly through the field so no matter the level of competitor ability, everyone there had a GO VEGGIE shirt either just in front, or just behind them. We promise it wasn't planned this way.

Fastest GV time was somewhere in the short 19s, slowest was in the short 24s. More details to follow when full results published.

First Bearded Tri

Steve W raced in his first sprint triathlon of the new season last Sunday (6th April) at South Hunsley, East Yorkshire. Distances were S400m / B24K / R5K. The bike course on this particular event has some ferocious descents and rain on the day made simply staying upright something of a priority.

All worked out well, and though reported to still be lacking a bit of bike speed, Steve comfortably won in his age category and managed a 5th position overall.

Because he didn't crash and went OK, Steve now superstitiously refuses to shave off his full and manly beard, someone needs to have a word...

Wakefield 10K

Emma S and Rosie Wigg both competed in the Wakefield 10K road race on Sunday and had the pleasure of 5K of nagging headwind to add a little spice to the already wearing, relentlessly undulating, course.

Both performed really well. Emma was 11/98 in her age group and Rose 4/110. Rose continues to improve and was close to her 10K PB, in spite of this not being a fast course. That sub 45min 10K still beckons!

The Trunce

It's as esoteric as it is hard, the massively famous - but only if you know somebody that knows somebody - Trunce.

A proper no nonsense, no frills, no-divas-thank-you off road race series that is only learned about through whispers in dark corners of club rooms.

There are no marshals, no route markers, no changing areas; there are though, plenty of grizzled old sweats who've been running the fells since they were teenagers. It's the kind of event you only do once, or can't stop doing.

Mick and Rose gave it a go last Monday night. It remains to be seen if they will return...

Muddy Bottoms

Last Sunday saw Steve C in action (minus Len who was relegated to spectator) in the LDWA Muddy Bottoms 17 mile event held around Bamber Bridge, Preston. Many LDWA events are thinly disguised endurance cross country / fell races and generally best avoided for people with a weak (or even normal) constitution.

This particular event included a route description and map and a promise of getting wet and muddy - some of the mud was farmyard based; it probably wasn't mud.

Steve managed to form an alliance with a couple of other competitors on about the same pace which helped with the navigational aspects and reported generally having a good time of it; even 'enjoying' some of the more scenic woods and streams sections.

Clocking a 2:58:40 was good enough for a 7/37 overall position and the jogging-back-to-the-car-after-the-event pic makes it look like at the 3 hour point Steve is just about getting warmed up.

PB for Mick

MTB-er Mick W took a huge chunk from his 5K running best at York's parkrun on Saturday. Hands up who wouldn't settle for taking the best part of a minute off such a relatively short distance race?

Mick got close to the 'magic' sub-20 mark clocking a 20:07 and we reckon that if he'd have fully concentrated on the race and not his Stevie Wonder impression, he might have dropped into the 19s.

Emma Smith and Rosie W were also in 5K action, Emma at Pontefract and Rose at York. Both were within half a minute or so of recent bests; all boding well for upcoming open events.

North Yorkshire Fun

Both Mick W and Emma S were in action in North Yorkshire last Sunday and though seperated by only a few miles were in very different events.

In a build up to later targeted events, and in order to get a good long race-pace effort in, Emma did the Thirsk 10 mile road race. The event was a good one and though the racers were subject to hailstone in parts, quite a few PBs were recorded. Emma was just short of her own but successfully accomplished the 'training-race' objective and was able to sustain her target pace right up to mile 8.

Mick on the other hand was on MTB duty, with his first race of the season in round 1/6 of the Altura Nutcracker series. This series is fiercely competitive and attracts many notable and sponsored riders. Past champions and ex-pros are fairly commonplace amongst all the age groups competing.

Round 1 was on the internationally acclaimed and purpose-built Dalby Forest XC track (rarely made available to the public) and was, unsurprisingly, a challenge to simply ride. Huge drop-offs and some highly technical sections had competitors picking lines with care. A flavour of the event can be seen here.

Mick performed admirably in the company with a top half of the field finish. First time out on a new race-bike too. Promising stuff.

Dua Duathlon

Saturday saw Steve W involved in his second world duathlon sprint qualifier in under a week. This time the event was held at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and was in the standard format of: Run 5K / Bike 20K / Run 2.5K.

The event was massively subscribed and somewhere in the region of 450 competitors took to the start line. As at Oulton Park the weekend before, the level of competition was high and though still lacking some bike speed, Steve managed a 2nd in age group finish and a better-than-could-be-hoped-for 18th overall.

This year's world duathlon age-group championships are to be held in Pontevedra in Spain and it is probable that Steve will qualify for the GB team in a strong position. Only one qualifying race remains before the full team is announced.

Rose Clocks 50

Rosie Wigg has hit something of a milestone in completing her 50th parkrun. As well as being presented with the official T-shirt she also knocked off an age group win at today's Pontefract event.

Respect!

Weekend Round-up

Mick W and Rosie Wigg tried out a new (to them) parkrun on Saturday: Cross Flatts in south Leeds. The course is reportedly a lumpy affair with a flight of steps to negotiate (upwards) and has a ready-made pool of enthusiastic spectators in the form of some good old-fashioned tramps on benches. Urged along by the good-natured residents, Mick finished a very creditable 7th overall and got to within a few seconds of his current parkrun PB. Rose was on great form too and finished 3rd female and an impressive 15th overall. Both avoided the impromptu drinks station.

In the Lake District meanwhile, Steve C and Len were again engaged in another perfectly sane assault of 'the tops'. On this occasion Len briefly became the highest dog in England whilst waiting patiently for Steve to capture the moment, and his breath, at the top of Scafell Pike. The duo made the full ascent / descent from Wasdale head in an impressive 2:15, much to the bemusement of regular hikers who must have wondered what was going on as the combined man/dog machine hammered by. When leading, Len - naturally - will often pick lines that make perfect sense to a dog, if not to the following biped. Whilst pottering round the local park this is of little consequence; when running up and down the slopes of England's highest peak it is slightly more concerning. Fortunately only one mishap occurred and that was near the end of the trek when Steve mentally switched off for a few seconds with the inevitable consequence of a slam. Both are OK though.

In Cheshire, Steve W took part in the Oulton Park Spring Duathlon (run 4.3K / bike 21.5K / run 4.3K) which was a heavily contested affair thanks to its world sprint duathlon championship qualifier status. About 350 people took part and the vast majority had virtually no body fat and a very purposeful look about them. Notably, with about 5 minutes to go to the race start, not one huddle-near-the-start-line formed - every single person there was very seriously warming up. The race was made extremely tough by a total of about 14K of bitingly raw block-headwind which saw many a shoulder sag in despair every time it was encountered in the multi-lap event. Though Steve is still lacking a little bike form he managed to win his age group and, given the quality of competition, was happy enough with a top 10% finish overall.

Weird Weekend

A couple of GO VEGGIES were a bit out of sync this last weekend. Rosie Wigg was held up in traffic and missed the start of the local parkrun by 5 minutes or so. Undeterred she dutifully went to the start and under the perplexed eyes of the parkrun officials got on with it anyway. Her official time was 28mins and change; her actual time was at least 5 minutes quicker.

Steve W meanwhile took to the open time trial scene in a Teesside based 21 mile sporting course event. The idea was to set up a bike for the Kitzbuhel (mountainous) sprint triathlon event in a few months time and to evaluate how much bike-speed damage had been done by the enforced two months lay-off over winter.

The bike set-up went quite well but it was established the damage was substantial...

New Member Welcome

Welcome to new member Jenna Greenwood, better known to many by her Roller Derby name of ‘Bonnie Bubonic’. Jenna plays derby with the Leeds Roller Dolls collective and has featured in many bouts in her primary role as blocker for the LRD Whip-Its. Amongst her highlights she has played in an international bout in Austria where the Whip-Its took on the renowned Vienna Roller Girls.

As well as derby, Jenna is also known to take on the occasional 10K race and Zombie survival run.

A most welcome – if slightly scary – GV addition.

More Muddy Madness

Last Sunday (2nd March) saw the last in the series of this year's PECO cross country races, this time held at Northcliffe Park in Shipley. Though not the quagmire of round 4, the race was once again dominated by lengthy ankle-deep mud sections. Adding to the fun were a couple of very steep climbs; climbs of the sort that make even very serious runners wonder why they didn't just stay in bed. It was, altogether - as is the norm with these events - tough.

All told though, the event was again superbly organised and - once it was over - the GO VEGGIES present were all pleased they'd made the effort. Emma S and Rosie Wigg finished the race valiantly and remained upright throughout - quite some feat. Mick W took a heroic tumble and finished about a kilo heavier than when he started thanks to a good deal of the local landscape stubbornly remaining attached to his leg. Steve W - though staying upright - again finished with odd scrapes and lacerations to both face and arms. Nobody understands why this happens.

Mick and Steve both 'counted' for the team's age group categories with Steve 5/41 in his age group overall.

All the GO VEGGIES took part in the PECO races for a bit of high-end 'off-season' training. Winter cross-country is a great way to achieve this and all who patronised the series are already looking forward giving it a go when it starts again in November: well in a dreading it kind of way, anyway...

K9s

There were two GO VEGGIE dogs flying the flag again this weekend. Stuart persuaded Emma S to parkrun at Pontefract (pic) and having previously been blamed for slowing Emma down re-established himself amongst fellow whippets as the faster of the pairing. Emma now complains he's too fast.

Steve C took Len down to Salcey Forest to compete in a full-on 5K cani-X event and - as is their endurance-machine wont - they padded the measly 5K out with plenty of training time and distance in both pre and post race runs / stick games / general loafing to break up the drive from north to south and back again. One such jaunt took in 2 full hours at Ladybower reservoir: it is worthy of a mention that Steve never sleeps.

In off-road conditions that are kindly described as 'moist' Steve and Len smashed the 5K Salcey course in 22:12 giving them a 12/33 position overall and a 3rd place rosette in their age category.

Parkrun Prep

As the 'racing season proper' for many GO VEGGIES is just around the corner there was quite a bit of parkrun activity this weekend.

We again publicly applaud the parkrun innovation. The events are fantastic on so many levels and amongst many other things are an excellent way - if you are race-inclined - to sharpen up with high-end efforts.

Mick W and Rosie Wigg were in action at Pontefract where Mick put his ever-so-slightly unhealthy relationship with technology to the test in an attempt to pace Rose to a course PB. It didn't quite work out but they only missed their target by 8 seconds, finishing well up the field in the process with Rose taking 4th female overall. The lead-out train looks impressive (pic) and features a most excellent trying-hard face from the normally sublime Rose.

Steve W meanwhile ran at Locke Park and in spite of being unable to understand anything the deeply Barnsley-accented pre-race commentator said, followed some genuinely fast runners round the 3-lap up-and-down-twisty-turny grueller to a 9th overall.

Two cani-X teams were out too. Emma Smith ran with Stuart at Pontefract and is one of the few people to ever claim that running with a whippet makes you slower. In reality, Emma was intentionally having a steady recovery effort.

On the contrary, Steve C blistered round South Manchester with Len to a 49/308 position in a new venue (and recent seasons') best of 21:29. The 'power of the vest' continues! Though the fully harnessed Steve / Len duo created a massive stir amongst fellow parkrunners Len insisted on being a bit of a diva afterwards and nonchalantly created his own fun playing with sticks leaving Steve to deal solely with the PR duties.

New Member Welcome

We are delighted to be joined by Rob Dickinson and Jon Zigmond.

Rob is an elite time-traillist with a specialism in tough sporting and hilly courses. He's also a mean runner and is capable of knocking out fast 5-10K times. Unsurprisingly he performs well in the occasional duathlon / triathlon to boot.

Jon is a genuine Ironman and has competed many times over the long course distances which for those who aren't sure consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike followed by the small matter of a full marathon run of 26.2-mile (42.2 km). Truly awesome stuff. He is also a prolific age-group and series winner over shorter triathlon distances. Impressive as this is, he is a man of many layers and has a background in world-wide mountaineering; mountaineering of the kind that has you hanging on to every word, mouth genuinely agape, as Jon casually tells the tale...

A steady weekend Len and Steve style

The resident ultra endurance GO VEGGIE machine of Steve and Len have been at it again.

A swim on Friday (Len swims too in a special canine pool) followed by a parkrun age group win on Saturday - and then a 'gentle' 20K effort on Sunday taking in the Calders, Bram Rigg and The Calf (639m): oh, and then a 'jog' down the Dales way - were deemed to have been enough of an effort for the inseparable duo to celebrate with a veggie burger, chips and beer.

We understand veggie dog Len allowed veggie food procurer Steve a few chips, and all the beer...

Steve confirmed for Euro AG Championships

Steve W is confirmed as a team member of the GB Age Group squad for this year's European Sprint Triathlon championships to be held in Kitzbuhel, Austria in June.

Steve competed in last year's Euro Sprint Tri championships in Alanya, Turkey where, in spite of numerous excuses ranging from the blistering heat to a choppy sea swim, still managed to take a silver medal.

The course in Kitzbuhel is every bit as mountainous as the course in Alanya was flat; we await the excuses with interest...

Rose leading Grand Prix

Rosie Wigg's 1st claim running club, Ackworth Road Runners, runs a year-long series in which competitors have to race in a minimum number of selected events chosen from a pick list. Competition is always fierce and at the moment we are stoked that Rose is heading the women's league. There's a long way to go but we have faith...

5K Age Group Wins

GO VEGGIE were out in force today at Temple Newsam parkrun. Steve W returned from an enforced 8 week lay-off to finish 5th overall while Rosie W clocked a nicely co-ordinated 5th female overall. Emma S - complete with beanie-based pony-tail holster - did her first run at this location and managed a 12th female overall in spite of aching legs from a big bike session just yesterday.

Temple Newsam is a really nice location for a parkrun and is a tough course; ideal for hard training efforts: highly recommended.

I think I'll run up Snowdon...

It might seem like an extreme thing to do for mere mortals - especially in the middle of winter - but it's the kind of thing that ultra-eventer Steve Coote, and cani-crosser Len - do on a ridiculously frequent basis. To ease any confusion, Len is half ridgeback and half Steve's best mate; Steve is half endurance robot, and half Len's best mate.They are both veggie and both compete in all manner of competitions.

The trip up Snowdon was necessarily called off just shy of the summit as the blizzard conditions were literally blowing Len about, and he isn't small. In spite of being denied the summit, it was still a good day's training for both - see pic.

Amongst the upcoming events, both will be in action in caniX this season and Steve has some typically bonkers aims like the Hell on The Humber 24 where, for 24 hours straight, competitors run interminably back and forth over the Humber bridge; yes, really...

10K PB for Rose

Rosie Wigg continued the recent theme and benefited from 'the power of the vest' in Sunday's Dewsbury 10K road race. In spite of a fellow-competitor-baulked first few hundred metres, and a less than favourable wind, Rose still clicked off a 48.10. We are sure that all things being equal she has a sub 45min 10K in her legs.

No pressure or anything...

Temple Newsam Parkrun

Mick W steaming to a 2nd in age group at Temple Newsam parkrun.

Park Run PBs

Mick Wigglesworth and Emma Smith were in action in brand-spanking new GO VEGGIE running vests at Saturday's Pontefract parkrun and both pulled out the stops.

Mick, who is really an MTB racer and is just running for a bit of winter fitness did a new PB of 20.56; Emma, who is returning after a bit if a lay-off did a best-of-the-last-few-months time of 24.49.

Mick was 24/300, Emma 92/300.

It seems the vest has the power...