So, that's the headline, but the story behind it was far less enjoyable than the result. It was perhaps best summed up by Pamela who said; "I can't understand why you are so keen to do it again when you seemed to have such a hard time and clearly didn't enjoy it?".
Well, like most races, the enjoyment is in the result and the memory after, more so than the run itself - most running is 'hard'! AND, this year was perhaps worse than any run before.
The story. Arrived in Milngavie as usual on Friday afternoon to pick up fresh supplies from Tesco and have a nap in the Premier Inn before tea of Pizza and Tiramisu at Toscana on Milngavie High Street. There was then time for a couple of hours kip before registering for the race, getting weighed and giving blood and urine (for a research study into the effects on the body of ultra running).
Then at 1 am sharp we set off into the Glasgow night.
The first sections went very well and by Drymen I was already up on schedule and ahead of last year's time.
I felt good up through the forest to Conic Hill but it was at the top of the hill that the fist sign of things to come emerged (well almost!). Following a long draw on my Camelbak and intake of Nuun electrolyte I heaved hugely and it was alI I could do not to actually throw up - not fun, and not a good sign. I continued OK though and was able to refuel at Balmaha without any side effects (I did however hand Pamela my false tooth - didn't want to lose that later! - which was clearly a sign that all was not well).
Loch Lomond from Conic Hill
I was now finding it hard to take on board much water without gagging and was only taking the smallest bites of food - mainly dry biscuits. BUT, my legs felt good so I stuck to plan and ploughed on along the side of Loch Lomond to Rowardenen.
I now faced about 18 miles without contact with my support crew and decided to ditch the electrolyte and go with plain water - I had more Nuun waiting for me at Inversnaid but would have to ditch that as well and hope the mountain rescue team there would have plenty of water to spare, though I also had two small bottles of Coke in my drop bag.
I hate the run along the side of Loch Lomond, at times its more of a walk/scramble than a run and for the distance, takes a disproportionate amount of time.
Still, and despite not eating or drinking much, I made good time and arrived at Criagmyle Cottage (the new meeting point a mile on from Derrydaroch) ahead of last year's time and with one of my quickest lochside runs. I ate OK here, fresh peach, bit of sandwich I think, tea and then set off with a bag of ready salted crisps - I did suffer from incredibly itchy feet and legs here, not sure if it was the midges (who were out in force) or the change in air temperature after removing my longs and changing into shorts. The 'pain', not unlike chilblains, persisted for about quarter of an hour - not fun and a bit weird.
From here to Auchtertyre is another section that I generally don't like but I found myself running well and quite enjoyed it, that is until crossing the A82 and approaching St Finnan's Priory. I had caught up with two runners here, but soon found myself dropping back again as I felt really sick - and then I was, bent double and spewing up all the fuel I'd taken on board. I was proper projectile vomiting. I wasn't far from the farm and checkpoint, so walked in slowly wondering what had hit me.....
Auchtertyre is just over half way, from here I only had about 45 miles to go! I really didn't feel like eating anything, so asked Pamela and my Dad to boil up some water for my Camlebak, went and got weighed and set off for the shortest of our legs (about 2/3 miles) to Tyndrum.
Brodie's store in Tyndrum
Ran/walked OK and arrived at Tyndrum feeling sort of OK. Very short stop here then set off for Bridge of Orchy. This is one of my favourite sections and after nibbling on a very dry Granola bar starting jogging then running and arrived in BoO in good time, but feeling a bit drained. No more sickness, boiled water was going down OK, but definitely feeling low on energy. Tried eating peaches, but Waitrose let us down with a couple of very unappetising 'just ripe' fruit. After those aborted snacks I really didn't feel like anything but took a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer bar with me and jogged down to the checkpoint.
Trail from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy
Here I met Phil Robertson - first time WHW finisher last year, but sadly injured this year and out of WHW and UTMB, but somehow he couldn't keep himself away and had volunteered to sweep up from Kingshouse. WHW and many races like this only happen because so many people volunteer their time. Thanks Phil!After BoO another short section over an annoying little hill to Victoria Bridge. I seem to remember this being fairly uneventful and can't remember much about the change over either. Anyway, set off for Rannoch Moor, one of the longer stints at 8 to 9 miles loaded up with two ginger biscuits and more boiled water. At this stage, although feeling depleted of energy (and a bit worried about the effect on running so far on 'empty') my time was good and according to the calculations in my head, not only was there a very good chance of improving on last year's time, but breaking the 22 hour barrier seemed possible.
With this in mind I put my head down and starting running this section much earlier than usual and passed quite a few runners early on.
Things went well until the very last climb on the Moor before the descent to White Corries. I'd just passed a runner and their support who looked like he had decided to call it a day when I felt that horrible sick feeling and promptly threw up what little food and water I'd managed to take on board - and I mean every last drop. It was horrible. Still, nothing much to do about it apart from walk the last of the hill and then run the descent to White Corries to get the section over with as quickly as possible. I arrived at White Corries and collapsed into my chair.
I don't think I was very communicative or indeed very polite to my support crew at this point (though I think that was probably a bit of a theme throughout the day....) and felt a degree of despair. I was running well, my muscle strength was good, but I was throwing up everything, including the trusted formula of warm boiled water and crunchie bars. We still had 25 miles to go and quite a few hours on the move.....could I do it?
The view from white Corries - worth keeping going for?
Again, I don't remember eating at this stop, I think I tried some Coke and set off with another Tunnocks bar. This section had been unbelievably slow last year (I threw up at White Corries after downing a bottle of Lucozade, so walked it) so I made the effort to run down to Kingshouse, through the checkpoint and out along the road. I then started the climb up the stony path before the easy descent to Allt na Feadh. And then I threw up again.....and again, it was everything. So, just like in 2008 I ended up walking to the foot of the Devil's staircase and recorded yet another really slow three miles (on the plus side, I could make up heaps of time on this section next time around!!).
So, 21 miles to go, three significant bouts of vomiting, feeling really, really low on energy, BUT still up on time......
I sat in the chair at Allt na Feadh shivering, covered in towels, coats etc and thinking "is it all over?". There was no way I was going to eat or drink anything and I had 21 miles ahead with two big climbs. I'm not sure how my thinking went, but I finally decided to pack a small bottle of coke and then set off up the Devil's staircase (at this point, I don't think I said a word to my poor support crew...).
The climb up the Staircase was deliberately slow but I still caught up with a runner just passed the summit. I stopped here to drink some of the coke, thought about putting on my jacket, but decided against and set off on the long descent. Gradual at first, then steep down the Alcan service road.
Looking down onto Kinlochleven
I stopped again before the road and finished off the Coke and the run down was good. 90 minutes for this section felt like I'd made good time and indeed after a sit down at Kinlochleven I was ready to go again knowing I was 45 minutes up on last year's time. The big question in my head was, "could I gain 15 minutes in the last two sections to get that elusive 21 hours something".I knew not to talk about this to Pamela as I know the answer would be "don't be silly", but she would support me if I decided to go for it.....as in previous years Pamela joined me for this last 14 miles, but we didn't know if she'd run beyond Lundavra as her knee is still causing her problems.
We set off running the short road section before veering off into the woods and the long slow '1,000 ft straight up out of the car park' climb onto the Lairig Mor. Now, last year when we hit the top of the climb and the long, gradual drag to the turn into the Lundavra forest we encountered a fantastic tail wind that really did blow us along the Way. No such luck this year, but we were soon running well and it felt as if we were making good time and running at least as much, if not more than in 2008.
Then, just after the turn towards the forest I threw up again. Horrible.
This slowed me to pretty much walking pace and we rather limped towards the curling smoke from the bonfire the marshals and supporters had got going at the checkpoint.
On arriving at the checkpoint I also then knew that sub 22 was very unlikely as we'd taken 15 minutes more on the last section than in 2008, a factor clearly of last year's tail wind.
Still, a new PB was definitely on, so after a very brief stop - and no food or water - set off for the last 7 miles. The one big high, it was still daylight and we were in with a shout of making Fort Bill without the need for head torches! Only, just as we were about to leave Dad announces that he'd been unable to start the Prius since he arrived at Lundavra - so Pamela ran through the checks (sounded like being in an aircraft cockpit) and we left him to it, wondering if we'd see him in Glen Nevis. Or not!
We set off much slower than last year, without the prospect of sub 22 then the motivation was gone, but we ran/walked until we hit the forest (all of this section used to be in dense forest, but alot was felled before the 2008 race).
Once in the forest it gets dark, really dark, even during the middle of the day! So I did put my headtorch on at this point, more to avoid tripping up than anything else. The route rises and falls, passes spectacular waterfalls and meanders through eerily quiet woods.
Eventually we made it out of the forest onto the long stony forest track down into Glen Nevis and the last mile of road to the finish. Ben Nevis was clearly visible ahead (though topped, as ever, by cloud) and we started our descent.
The south face of the Ben looking across Glen Nevis
Very soon after we heard voices behind and turned to see Aileen Scott closing in.This did spur me on to run a little, but having heaved massively in the woods not long before (the sound boomed around the woods scarily!), this didn't last long and she and her support runner soon passed. Apart form Aileen, we'd only seen one other runner since Kinlochleven (who we passed just before the Lundavra checkpoint).
The descent though is endless, and walking it seemed to take forever, so we eventually decided to run and before too long turned the corner to see the Braveheart car park and the Glen Nevis road ahead. Luckily, Dad was there in the car, but despite waving we got no acknowledgement (the engine was turned off, so when he flicked the lights, nothing happened...). So Pamela had to detour off to make sure he'd seen us while I ploughed on ahead.
It seemed to take ages for Pamela to reappear, and Dad even longer in the car, but we raced as fast as we could towards the finish.
Unlike last year, I held my pace so that Pamela finished with me and with a final sprint across the leisure centre car park I held open the door for her and we finished in a new PB of 22 hrs 25 minutes and 54 seconds AND 30th place!
I then got weighed (I'd lost a stone!) and had my blood taken and decided the urine sample could wait till the morning. It was then off to the Travelodge to crash out.
Felt pretty good the next day, though it took me a few days to refuel - I really felt drained after this year's race. The presentation ceremony was great - some fantastically fast times this year and, as ever, some heroic finishes. And, before the ceremony we analysed this year's race to see that all the time made up on last year was in reduced stop times - so, can I go faster? Well, on one level yes, just by cutting down on rest times. I also felt strong this year and feel I could run more of each section. So sub 22 feels possible, but there are so many other factors - not being sick! the weather (tail winds, head winds...). Who knows, other than that I do want to do this again!
The End. Well nearly, actually the race finishes about 100 metres on at the Fort William leisure centre.
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