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I will have to try some of these! Your loaves look great.

Consulted Roger Philips and Bloomsbury pocket guide, both seem to agree but you lot are wiser than I...
They just smell like mushrooms you'd buy from the shop.

And again

Oysters again

These growing on a rotting trunk... Oysters? More pics below (mobile only allows one attachment at a time).

Thanks for the replies all! Would be good to do some foraging with the family and get them excited about it so glad they can pick. Naturally will make it clear we don't eat anything without ID etc etc.

Quite looking forward to heading back for the oysters tomorrow... I bet they turn out to be something else once I take a closer look!

Another question, apologies if this sounds stupid but if you handle a poisonous mushroom do you treat your hands as toxic until you can wash them properly?

With the kids we always tell them not to touch any fungi we see out and about but is that overkill?

Thanks, got hold of another book today so will check against both to be sure before harvesting any. Oysters seem to be one of the safer varieties just based on number of edible types but still would rather not poison the family!

Think I spotted chicken of the woods nearby too so will scope that out and report back.

Just thought I'd mention something a few people have mentioned before bit I'm impressed with the difference it makes...

I'm lining the banneton with ground rice and nothing sticks at all. Dough just plops right out whereas before I'd often have to tease bits off - especially if over proved.

mentally

Totally get this. When I've been injured telling myself that doing the exercises was what I needed to do to be able to run again helped with that aspect. It's very frustrating not being able to run but allowing yourself to heal fully is the fastest path to running pain free again.

If walking doesn't aggravate it then you could go out at your normal running times for some outdoor time, might help with the mental aspect too?

And we'll see an increase of "it's no worse than the flu" excuses.

I can't offer anything other than general advice as never had Achilles issues but tendons and ligaments take a long time to heal if they are damaged. Ideally you need to identify - with the help of a good physio etc - the root cause and address that. Otherwise every time you start running again you just aggravate the old issue. Finding a good physio might mean non-NHS but if you can enjoy running again then it'll be money well spent.

Heel drops are supposed to be good for Achilles issues, you could try adding those to your exercises?

Think I've found some oysters, consulted the Roger Philips book and they look the real deal. Anything to look out for that might mean they are something less tasty and more deadly?

I've left them alone for now, and no pics, sorry.

Anyone with a treadmill desk setup? I like the idea to stop the sedentary working taking it's toll on health over the years. I think I should be able to walk slowly and work, and potentially jog slowly if I'm on a call (with no video). How loud are the unpowered ones?

My ideal setup atm would involve one that folds up, with a folding desk mounted on the wall so it takes up a small footprint when not in use (due to small house).

I've worn the Escalante 1 and 1.5. They are cushioned so not a barefoot shoe but zero drop and a wide toe box which I get on with. Been looking at getting the 2 as I'm approaching 900 miles in my 1.5's.

Trying for first 50 mile run on Sunday

Nice one! Listen to @rhb upthread and you'll be fine:

Don't get:
Injured
Cold
Wet
Hungry
Thirsty

Plus take more food than you think you'll need and walk when you feel like walking.

dual carriageway hard shoulder in the middle of the night

Precisely what I'd like to avoid!

Coros

These guys' USP is long battery life. But to get over 24hrs you still need to get their mid range* Apex model.

I'd happily have the functionality of their Pace 2 with longer battery life. Seems if you want long battery life you also must want all the multi sport, mountaineering etc functionality so you have to shell out £500 just to record some long runs. I can't really justify that sort of expense on what is essentially a toy.

*Expensive, just less expensive than their top line model

Don't get:

Injured
Cold
Wet
Hungry
Thirsty

Good advice for most events!

I generally try to keep stops to a minimum on ultras. This one has no aid stations so there's chance of getting stuck by a table of food but will try to stick to the "keep moving" mantra.

I could have a straighter route if I followed more A roads, but a quick look on street view shows no pavements for a lot of them so I'm trying to stick to small roads and public rights of way as much as possible. Makes it a bit longer but much more pleasant!

I'll be heading South, hopefully that will mean someone can come and pick me up when the 24hrs is up without having to drive too far.

Good luck for SDW100, that's one I'd like to do some day.

Some top end watches will last that long but they are pretty expensive. I'll most likely use the powerbank method to charge, record and navigate at the same time.

Thanks, it will be very different from any other event I've done!

Now a question - Escape from Meriden approaches and I know there are one or two veterans of the event on here. Any pro tips?
I've got a route plotted out which will give me just under 104 miles distance travelled for just under 92 miles as the crow flies which doesn't seem too bad (?) if I'm having a good day I can continue onward for more miles.
I'll pass my house about 80 miles in which could go either way but gives me more options for food/clothes etc. Just need to resist the temptation to go to bed!

Glad I wasn't running a marathon this morning. Grim!

I was out pacing a friend through their first marathon instead of them running Manchester. Can confirm grimness of weather. When sheltered it wasn't too bad but the rain never stopped and when the wind was in our faces it was pretty cold. He did pretty well for his first marathon, although a little slower than he'd hoped. I felt ok afterward but very sleepy/groggy which has continued today. Naturally I'm going for the snack constantly recovery method.

And parkrun no longer starting up in October.

Sadly, after significant consultation and discussion, circumstances outside of our control have dictated that parkrun cannot return in England by the end of October, as we had hoped. We know that many people will be disappointed to hear this news, and that it is likely to add further to existing anxieties and frustrations. Please do know that we will continue doing everything we can to support our parkrun family, and we remain committed to reopening parkrun events as soon as circumstances allow and local stakeholders are comfortable.

Since we announced our intent to reopen in England, from an incredibly positive position and with support from DCMS and the Deputy Chief Medical Officers, things have changed. The Government has introduced new restrictions on social gatherings, local lockdowns have been implemented in several regions, and, earlier this week, the Prime Minister suggested that more stringent measures could be in place right through the winter. Understandably, local public health leaders are anxious about groups of people gathering, and, whilst events such as parkrun are exempt from the six person rule, we feel, at this moment in time, that it would be insensitive to push forward with reopening.

Whilst we reluctantly accept this reality, parkrun’s absence will come at a cost. As we head into winter and face the many associated seasonal health issues (both in terms of COVID-19 and other mental and physical illnesses), we believe parkrun has an incredibly important role to play in supporting public health. We also strongly believe that, as existing and emerging evidence suggests, and contrary to popular opinion, that there is little or nominal risk of COVID-19 transmission at outdoor physical activity events such as parkrun. Increasingly, we are seeing outbreaks traced to indoor work and social environments, yet to date there is little if any evidence of outbreaks directly resulting from participation in outdoor physical activity events.

The health of our nation is facing its greatest challenge in decades, inequalities are increasing, and disadvantaged communities are suffering disproportionately. It is absolutely critical therefore that decisions to restrict activities, particularly where there is a demonstrable public health benefit, are based on robust evidence. And whilst caution should always be taken, where evidence is lacking it should be rapidly developed such that where risk is sufficiently low, activities can be supported to return.

It is essential that, as we map out the coming weeks and months of our collective efforts to get back on our feet, we look beyond baseless assumptions and a culture of fear, and move toward evidence-based interventions. We must act now if we are to avoid irreparable damage to the health and happiness of our communities.