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Summer Speed Challenge, a li'l midweek update with cramp news! πŸ‘Ύ

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathon
β€’75 Replies

Hi all!

β˜… Just so you know, if any of your challenge runs are a little more or less than your stated distance, let me know and I will include that in the calculations to give you an accurate result. Your data will be presented as the increase (or decrease - it happens!) each week in pace as seconds/km.

β˜… In running news, here's an article about the latest research into the causes of your old friend the CRAMP! Particularly interesting are the theories about the mechanisms of pickle juice magic :)

trainright.com/muscle-cramp...

Speedy running, all!

Abix

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roseabi profile image
roseabi
Ultramarathon
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75 Replies
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misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

Ta. Pickle juice can be used in bread making too

There’s a use for everything πŸ˜πŸ‘

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

... except for those tiny little cycle paths that don't go anywhere :D

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Titter πŸ˜ƒ

The dog and I followed a bogus trail which landed us in some wild roses at the end of a point of no return The dog looked at me with disgust πŸ™„

All good fun though ey. Although it is easier to turn a dog round in a confined space than a bike ☺️

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

True dat

Maddee_6333 profile image
Maddee_6333Half Marathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

You’ve been to Burgess Hill then 🀣

Rignold profile image
Rignold

How bizarre, I have been having a conversation about the merits of pickle juice on Facebook last night.

Great album choice btw

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Ha, yeah I saw that, and then this article coincidentally appeared in the Ultramarathon Daily News blog I was catching up with.

I thought the Smell seemed appropriate, as I would like to give the pickle juice a try but I'm sure I'll just end up with it all down my top...

ju-ju- profile image
ju-ju-Marathon

The American ultra running group I am in on FB bang on about this all the time and they have flavoured drinks and god knows what else embelished with it... I love a nice gherkin but I cant say I have ever drank its juice.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toju-ju-

Mmmm gherkins...

I need to join that group, they sound funny :)

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

I grow cornichons and eat them as is. No pickling em here. Yum πŸ˜‹

Got loads at the mo πŸ˜ƒ

Whatsapp profile image
WhatsappHalf Marathon

Prevents cramp and and chance of getting kissed too!

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toWhatsapp

Oh no! But then again I don't usually get many offers when I'm out running...

Whatsapp profile image
WhatsappHalf Marathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

No me neither, not since I was a kid and played kiss-chase!

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathon

My wife and children laugh at me for my fondness of things pickled. Especially picked onions which are really hard to come by here. But even I draw the line at drinking the juice. Cant see that going well on a hot marathon day 🀒😊

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

I love pickles too! Maybe you should get into pickling?

I think pickly things could make a nice change from all the sweet stuff during a marathon...

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

My family may disown me if I did that. 😳But after all this pickle talk, Maybe we should try some baby dill pickles on our next long run? If we can take cheese then why not pickles? There’s no bad time for a pickle after all. Not the juice tho, I can’t endorse that message...

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

Do you know Branston Pickle? Ima take a cheese and Branston sandwich with me :D

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

I’ve heard of Branston but never actually tried them. It sounds good to me though πŸ‘πŸΌ

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

It's a sort of chutney. My brother lives in the US and he tracks it down wherever he can, so it's probably addictive...

APScotland profile image
APScotlandβ€’ in reply toroseabi

You could be right ... I lived for 2 years in the USA and the only two foodstuffs that I craved were Branston pickle and steak pie. I never did find a pie but was ecstatic to track down the Branston - even at 4x the UK price :)

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toAPScotland

There you go then :)

Americans love their pies, but they do tend to favour the sweet ones...

APScotland profile image
APScotlandβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Indeed ... cherry pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, key lime pie - anything but steak pie :)

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toAPScotland

I thought I would die of pie last time I went over there - there was this Pi day party...

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Thats my kind of party. I love me some pie πŸ₯§

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

There was this chocolate pecan pie, oh my ears and whiskers.........

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Good gravy! Sign me up!

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Looks like I can get it on Amazon. And they have my Marks and Sparks pickled onions too! Going to place an order once I get enough stuff to qualify for the free shipping :)

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

Pickle heaven!!!

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Yes! At this rate I will be living on the front porch soon!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toDecker

I grow dill and cornichons. dill has to be the best scented plant, ever

Put them together and mmmmmmmπŸ˜‹

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Beetroot. Carnage 😁

Rignold profile image
Rignold

I used to get debilitating calf cramps on obstacle races. Then I discovered pickle juice and it worked a dream. I did a 32 mile obstacle race and had a small bottle of it in my water belt. I ended up administering it to (and curing) so many other runners , including a whole team of Italians, that I got the nickname Dr Pickle (which sounds better in a flamboyant Italian accent)

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

The liquid from a supermarket jar of pickles? The "juice" part confuses me :)

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Well home pickles are better as less artificial additives etc obvs but supermarket at a push. I would go for a proper kosher brand rather than a supermarket own brand. But yes, it is the pickling liquor that is the magic.

Have a read of any of the works of Sandor Katz

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Can see no artifice mentioned on my Polish gherkin jar label - other than that of the pickling itself I suppose!

Thanks for the tip! As an ex-microbiologist this fascinates me, although I'm still not sure about drinking that kombucha stuff :)

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

what troubles you about kombucha?

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Sounds horrible!

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

lolwut? It is delicious. It takes on whatever flavour you make it with.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

:) Over and above the general sweet-vinegary-tea-ness?

It's fizzy though, right? I can get with that.

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Yes.

And you can terrify children and some adults with the mother Scoby. My children and GF will not go in the same room with the β€˜organisms’ in jars.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Win-win!

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

And when the mother has too many offspring you can either cut them up and put them in smoothies or dry them to a semi jelly/jerky consistency and have them as running snacks

Maddee_6333 profile image
Maddee_6333Half Marathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

This is fermenting, you’re talking about, yes?

Would you what I’d need to ferment milk? I quite like Kefir, but everywhere I go it’s pasteurised, which I think defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

Maddee_6333 profile image
Maddee_6333Half Marathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

But... kombucha is fermented isn’t it? That’s not the same as pickled...

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toMaddee_6333

We digressed into fermentation as Abi mentioned kombucha. Pickling and fermenting are different yes, although some pickles are fermented so they are not mutually exclusive.

To make your own kefit, all you need is some kefir grain as a starter (you can get them on Ebay) and some milk and a clean non metallic vessel. You can also make water kefir.

Maddee_6333 profile image
Maddee_6333Half Marathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

I love a good digression πŸ‘

Thanks πŸ™‚

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toMaddee_6333

I went to Sandor Katz's website and got all excited by all the fermentation :)

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Someone's freecycling a kombucha SCOBY in Brighton :D

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Grab it! An exciting new life of fermentation and enhanced gut biomery awaits! Surely this is fate calling?

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

Argh!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

i worked next door to microbiology, in histopathology. Different hospital to yours though 😁

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

I worked in a factory :D

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

😁

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

That’s amazing! So it actually works! It sounds like you need just a little at a time?

Rignold profile image
Rignoldβ€’ in reply toDecker

yes,

a couple of sips.

Decker profile image
DeckerUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toRignold

I don’t currently run long enough to get serious cramps but it is good to know there is a solution for them

C3PO profile image
C3POMarathon

This explains the pickles being served at the very hot Helsinki Marathon/Street Run.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toC3PO

I need to run that marathon.

Sqkr profile image
SqkrHalf Marathon

Man I love drinking the juice from cornichons and such, when I was little I used to steal vinegar from the cupboard and drink that too. At last! I have a good reason for doing it!

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toSqkr

:)

APScotland profile image
APScotland

Cider vinegar is reputed to have all sorts of health benefits - would this prevent cramps too? I give it to my pet hens in their drinking water every day, and once used it to treat an acute snotty nose/cold in one of my cats - amazingly effective!

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply toAPScotland

Unknown - perhaps you could give it a try!

Whatsapp profile image
WhatsappHalf Marathonβ€’ in reply toAPScotland

Have your chickens have ever complained of cramp?

APScotland profile image
APScotlandβ€’ in reply toWhatsapp

No! It obviously works! ;)

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

The ACV with the β€œmother” in it from the pet shop is fine for us to drink. Not sure it helps with cramp πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ It’s said to lower cholesterol 😁. Good for hard skin on the feet too 😁

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

The pet shop sells it?

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toroseabi

Yup, as it’s in additive for poultry water. Keeps them laying yer see, and in all-round tip top health It has to have the β€œmother” in it which gets killed off in the pasteurised supermarket version, eg wine vinegars

You can buy it for humans, unpasteurised but safe for human consumption from Aspalls and the like, but it’s dearer than from t’pet shop. You can see it online for more info

APScotland profile image
APScotlandβ€’ in reply toroseabi

... and most decent grocery stores, for humans too ;) Organic with mother is the best.

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

Right then. Is this where we are posting run times ? If,so, for my 8 k last night my time was 50:02. Dang! 😬

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

Aw :( Well, next week is a new week! :)

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

I am a bit done in this week. My calf is complaining bitterly. I blame the cross trainer 😁. The PT fella got me going on it, doing fast 400 km intervals

It’s new to me so a bit brutal I thought πŸ˜ƒ. Great fun though. Who knew 😁

I wore my new Nike’s last night and they were fine. Bit hot though with my new free Karrimor socks ( 2 pairs)πŸ‘. No, I,didn’t wear two pairs πŸ˜πŸ˜πŸ˜πŸ™„

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

Sorry to hear about the calf. I guess it's getting stronger though!

Thank goodness you didn't wear both pairs :) Hoorah for Nikes!

APScotland profile image
APScotlandβ€’ in reply tomisswobble

Wow! Not surprised you're done in! 400 km intervals??? You could paddle in the sea if you live near enough ... very good for sore calves / feet. They do it for racehorses too :) :)

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonβ€’ in reply toAPScotland

400 metres I think I should have said β˜ΊοΈπŸ˜ƒ

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

Nikes seem well made compared to the Saucony. The last pair of Saucony I bought, and sent back, were like a composite felt rather than a woven mesh. Hmmm. Paper shoes! I am still trying to find the elusive Kinvara 5 though. Sigh

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