Mountain Fuel

I'm not certain that anybody looks at blogs these days, and maybe especially not blogs as infrequent and inept as this one. Never mind that. So, scrolling down will reveal that I have decided to undertake a long run to raise some cash for a friend of mine who has motor neuron disease. I have been emailing running product companies up and down the country - and some on the continent  - in the hope that they might offer some support for a good cause. 

One such company that replied offered me a discount on their product, which is better than a poke in the eye with a big stick. Mountain Fuel is a company based in Cumbria that have developed a range of 'naturally balanced nutritional supplements' that claim to not need to be taken with water. Their 'hydrogel' combines carbs, electrolytes, and water to to produce a sports gel that is easy on your stomach.

I bought a discounted Sports Jelly Taster pack and tried it out this weekend. I used two of the sachets on an eleven mile run in the peak district and compared the two - 'Sports Jelly +' which is vegan, gluten free and contains 30 grams of carbs, electrolytes, and 50 grams of caffeine, and the 'lemon and lime sports jelly' which is 20 grams of carbs and electrolytes. 

Being a historian, I'm not best placed to comment on the nutritional science behind the labels. The extent of my understanding is that when I am running distances, I need to take on my body weight in kilo's as carbohydrates in grams for each hour that I run. But beyond that, I'm just trying to get by...

I preferred the flavour of the 'sports jelly +' over the lemon and lime - the latter was just too sharp for my taste buds - but, more importantly, these little sachets made the difference to my running when I needed it most. Unlike the sickly sugary taste of something like SIS Go Energy, the Mountain Fuel sachets were pleasant to use, went down easily, and felt like they were delivered directly to my muscles. This gave me the more than adequate and immediate lift that I needed without any stomach issues like cramping. 

This was really impressive. As I am trialling different kinds of food intake for my running of the West Highland Way in October, 2024, I also had some peanut butter and jam sandwiches on this run. 

That was a different story altogether. 

People have been very generous in donating to 'Run the Highland Way for Chris' and the current total rests at £450, just shy of my £500 target. That is fantastic. I have also had some responses from the companies that I have approached, and I will bring some reviews of that stuff, as and when.

'Run the Highland Way for Chris'

https://gofund.me/5897d10f

I found out recently that my friend Chris Burton has received a diagnosis for Motor Neuron Disease (MND). Chris is a respected and well-loved activist in my hometown music scene and has been for thirty years, easily. We go back to the late 1980s. If I had not met Chris, I may never have played music or met the people who made up the music scene I was a part of for a few years back then. He was crucial in the building of our 24/7 rehearsal and gig space AKA ‘The Fridge,’ a weekend haunt of many of our mutual friends. He has also been active in the national scene and has many friends up and down the country. If I tried to list the bands he has been in and projects he has worked with, I am sure I would miss a few. Like everybody who knows Chris, news of the diagnosis has hit hard, and I know that the disease has already led to major challenges to his daily life. It has made his work as a graphic designer and musician impossible. I was told about this in January and Chris has had to make some significant adjustments. He now uses a wheelchair for mobility and has had to move into adapted accommodation. Even in this short time, his quality of life has been diminished. MND is a cruel disease that shortens the lives of all sorts of people regardless. Thankfully, it is rare, but there is no cure. While the disease affects the body, it tends to leave the senses intact. This is why it is so important that everything be done to help Chris get the things that he needs – some of those things include Eye Gaze tracking technology, a condition-specific wheelchair and a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Sian, his partner, has been fundraising and it is heartening to see just how generous his friends and the scene have been. The fundraising is close to the £10,000 they hoped for. So, I also want to do something to raise some cash. I don’t want to look back in five years’ time and think that I didn’t do anything to help Chris at a critical time. I have hit on a foolhardy idea that I think is achievable. I am going to ‘Run the Highland Way for Chris.’ It is a national trail that links Glasgow to Fort William. People have been doing it as a race for years now. In fact, it is one of the longest established ultra races in the world. The West Highland Way runs through some of Scotland’s most iconic and scenic landscapes, over a couple of hills and alongside Loch Lomond. Some of the ground is a challenge but it is nothing compared to the challenge of living with MND. Of course, I have never run a hundred miles before - which is good because the Highland Way is shorter than that, at 95 miles. I am hoping that I can do it in under 35 hours. If I can do it in 30 hours, that would be something. I have a small support team who will meet me at several points along the Way with food, hugs, changes of socks and fresh Body Glide. It will mean running through the night and on into the next night, in whatever weather the Highlands throw at me. I am training to do this in the first weekend of October, so at least the midges will be gone, and the wind will be in my favour. So, if you can see your way to donating, we will see what we can do to help a friend.

100 miles is a long way to run. Thankfully, 96 miles is a bit shorter

...watch this space...