Brief report:
Fantastic race. Don't miss it. Ran better than expected and finished in
8:25:13 for 43 mile hilly trail race.
Long report:
Yesterday's race must rank as one of the most fantastic races I've ever run.
This was a 43 mile race following the route of the West Highland Way, a long
distance footpath that runs from Glasgow to Fort William. The full distance
is 95 miles but I'm not quite insane enough (yet) to want to run all of it.
Instead, I (and about 50 others) "cheated" and started at Tyndrum and ran
the second half of the route.
A 6 am start meant the there was little sleep for any of us what with rising
early and stuffing our faces with bacon butties and having to register
between 4 & 5:30. The sky was getting light and it was pleasantly cool at
that time but the sky had disappointingly few clouds to be seen.
After final farewells to my support team (along with instructions not to try
to meet me before the 19 mile point) we all duly scampered off on the dot
of 6:00 and I spent the first couple of miles relatively going "backwards"
as I tried as hard as I could to run "as slow as possible" and then slow
down some more. After a poor month's training (only 60 miles in all and a
bad bout of campylobacter at the beginning of it) and the fact that this
was 13 miles further than I'd ever raced, I was just a little apprehensive
about how I'd run. It seemed prudent to harbour my recourses as much as
possible.
On the map, the stretch between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy doesn't look
particularly inspiring but between 6 and 7 am with the sun hitting the hill
tops and cloud in the valleys, it was heart-rendingly beautiful. The WHW
may be a bit of a tourist highway but for those first few hours of the day
until the walking traffic built up, it was a fantastic place to be.
I was worried about the next stretch from Bridge of Orchy to Kings House as
at this time last year (on a hotter day), the midges were absolutely awful.
Runners were arriving at Kings House with a black crust of insects covering
their throats and forearms. Fortunately, the slightly cooler weather
(although it was warming up by now) and gentle breeze meant that unless you
were foolish enough to stop moving or pitch a tent, they never became more
than a minor irritation. The paths were still quiet and the stretch across
the Black Moor to Kings House once again delighted by providing fantastic
views.
At Kings House I met my wife and support runner. This was about the 19 mile
point and I'd taken a leisurely 3:20 to do it but as I wasn't racing for a
time, just completion, I was happy with this. It had been hugely enjoyable
up to now and I hoped to carry on in the same way. I'd sucked my camelbak
dry so after a quick top up and one of those Muller rice thingies and a
banana, I was ready to head off.
Regarding nutrition, in training I'd found that if I consumed a 45g gel
every hour and one or two Succeed capsules, I felt that I could just run
and run as long as I kept the fuel coming. I more or less stuck to this and
found that my stomach stayed happy throughout the whole race and I had none
of the nausea or cramps that seemed to afflict a lot of the other runners
during the race.
After Kings House there's a short stretch (about 4K) to the base of the
Devil's Staircase, a windy path that hauls you up and over the mountain
ridge towards Kinlochleven. The descent to the town was one of the more
painful parts of the race. It's long and steep and rocky. My toes, feet and
knees were taking a steady pounding and I was convinced I was going to have
a clutch of black toenails by the end. Still, the views more than made up
for any physical discomfort and I duly arrived in town to meet my support
crew for the second time. I had another Muller rice and a few pretzels but
in truth, I just wasn't that hungry. I was still feeling good though
("insufferably euphoric" would be another way to describe my mood) and after
another fluid refill and more gels for my stash, I headed off again after
less than 5 minutes.
The climb out of Kinlochleven was pretty steep but steep climbs meant I got
to walk and my feet were always thankful for walking breaks. After a few
miles you hit a good track that just goes on *forever*, or at least feels
like it does. Annoyingly, it has few parts that are steep enough that you
feel you can justify walking so you end up having to run nearly all of it.
The path runs through a long valley and scenically, it's relatively dull so
the time drags somewhat. Still, somehow one foot keeps moving in front of
the other and with about 7 miles to go, I meet my wife for the final time
where I satisfy my craving for chicken soup, had a small pot of fruit salad
and a few more pretzels.
After that much of the path is through forestry plantations which limit you
views but result in you suddenly popping out into Glen Nevis with the
stunning mass of Ben Nevis suddenly right there in you face. After that,
its a 4 mile gentle descent into Fort William though more forestry roads.
Not terribly exciting and frustratingly, running downhill harder than
running uphill because of aching knees and feet. I'd been playing tag with
a runner for the last 35 miles who I could always pass on the uphill
stretches but he always caught me on the downhills and he got an
unassailable lead over me on the run for home.
The last mile and a bit are along a main road which feels pretty rotten
after all the off-road stuff but as the end hove into view, I sprinted for
home and finished in 8:25:13, a time that was far better than I had hoped
for. I was in about 25th place (out of 50 odd starters) which was even more
pleasing. I'd had no cramp, no stomach upsets, no "hitting the wall" or any
real problems and I still felt as if I was good for more miles at the end.
Even my toenails stubbornly refused to go black. I really couldn't have been
happier with how it had gone. When I get my films developed, I have a few
photos to bore you with as well.
Races just don't get any better than this. Don't miss it nest year.
Tim
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