MY 100 ULTRAS CHALLENGE - 2024 PROGRAMME

(Quick link to my donations page, click here: Wonderful )

(And I've a Facebook fundraiser if that's easier for you, which ends on the 23rd April.)

Thanks for stopping by my blog.👍

I've done all my actual ultras - as opposed to my virtual ones - through https://www.actionchallenge.com

They are a wonderful company who cannot do too much for you. Highly recommended. And I shall be doing 4 events with them this year:

The London Winter Walk at the end of January (accompanied by my two granddaughters and one of their boyfriends!); Easter50 Challenge; North Downs50 in August; and the Thames Path100 Challenge (continuous) in September. 🙂

Here I try and detail all my ultra adventures - don't always succeed, as I'm not the most disciplined bloke in the world - both for my own amusement, and for anyone who is interested. I do ultra marathons for two reasons - one because they're bloody good fun, and, more importantly, they are also a means of fundraising for charities which are dear to my heart, and benefit the animals. 

I appreciate that times are hard - but these are also difficult times for charities, as I'm sure you'll appreciate. Through my ultras, I'm fundraising for Viva! who have been very active rescuing animals from Ukraine - and have an animal sanctuary in Poland. They also do sterling work exposing the horrors of animal abuse in farms and slaughterhouses. Here's a link for anyone who is in a position to donate, Wonderful * (whose services are completely free). Many, many thanks for the awesome support my efforts are receiving! And the animals thank you, also.

*If you have any trouble with this link, please email me at paulwyoud(at)gmail.com.

I have several people to whom I look for inspiration - and I found most of these on Rich Roll's podcast. Rich Roll himself, of course, is one of my heroes, being a vegan ultra runner and ironman extraordinaire. Through his podcasts I've been introduced to a whole range of endurance athletes and positive thinkers. David Goggins and Fiona Oakes, stand out - two of the most inspirational athletes around today.

SPICY FRUIT SODA BREAD CIABATTA STYLE

Ciabatta is more than just an expensive loaf - I've always maintained that it is also a method. Any bread recipe can be made in a ciabatta style, simply by increasing the amount of hydration. In this recipe I've increased the water by 25%, which creates a sloppy, sticky dough. But here's the thing, this is what makes it so easy.  There's no kneading involved - it's mixed entirely in the bowl, then tipped out onto a baking tray. With this soda bread recipe the bread goes straight into the oven* - if you were to apply this method to a yeast-risen recipe then you would of course need to let it rise first.

Ingredients:

200g (8oz or 1 mug) self raising flour

25g sugar

Dsp mixed spice

100g (4oz) sultanas (or any dried fruit)

100g (4oz) chopped dates

156g (6.25oz or 1 mug) water 

25g olive oil (optional)

Before starting, turn the oven on to 220C (425F), and prepare your baking tray.

Method:

Measure the dry ingredients, then mix them to together to avoid the spice creating streaks, then add the water and oil, if using. Mix into a very wet dough using a stiff spatula or a table knife.

Position the bowl above the baking tray and scrape the dough out into the middle of the tray. Wet your spatula or fingers and smooth out any obvious lumps and bumps.

When you're happy with the shape, put it straight into the oven for 24 minutes, turning it round after 12 minutes, for an even bake.

Notes:

This is a variation on my usual fruit soda bread, which uses a 8:5 ratio, flour to water, so 200g flour to 125g water, or 8oz flour to 5oz, which I would make into a dough, knead a few times, before shaping it into a round, cutting a cross in the top and then baking. 

Some advantages of the ciabatta method: It was easier to obtain the sticky dough I was looking for - it came together just as quick as a normal dough, probably quicker; no adding a bit more flour or water so that it could be kneaded; and no mess on the worktop to clean up. It did take a couple more minutes in the oven, but apart from that, it’s been a win-win situation.

The loaf is light and less dense than my usual soda bread, and I can't see me ever going back to that method.

*Edit - 9/5/2024:

Since the energy shock of 2022/3 I've taken to baking my bread in a covered frying pan. For this batch I've divided it into 8 smallish baps - say 8 serving spoonfuls, dropped into the frying pan, 4 at a time. then given 6 minutes each side.

Seems to be one missing!😉

PRESS UP CHALLENGES: 1 MILLION IN 10 YEARS - AND 100 IN A MINUTE

Sunday 1th March 2023

One more milestone reached, today - I've now completed 600,000 press ups - in just under five and a half years! Just 400,000 to go - and I've four and a half years in which to get them. I averaged 11,800 press ups a month over the past year, at this rate I'll finish my challenge sometime in my 89th year.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

2 large field mushrooms

Mushroom pate

Pesto

Cayenne pepper to taste

Method:

Using the back of a spoon, spread the inside of the mushroom with the pate, and cover that with a teaspoon - or less, you don’t need a lot - of pesto. Squash any stalk - broken up a bit - into the pesto. Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper.

Microwave for about 5 minutes, until the mushroom is soft. Serve with potato wedges and veg.

Cost (early 2024):

Mushrooms 49p/100g, so - 250g = £1.25
Tartex pate (from my local HFS) is £3.50/200g and you'll need about 50g = 90p

1 teaspoon vegan pesto = 20p

Total £2.35

Bottom: covered with homemade passata