The story began about 8 years ago, when I was doing a lot of more 'serious' running, marathons and the Chasqui Challenge in Peru with my good friend Caroline:
There were 2 'local' races that were quite high on my to-do list - Cape Wrath Marathon and Devil O The Highlands. This year, I've finally got around to entering and completing them both!
So, onto the Devil!
I entered....and I waited....for what seemed like ages...for confirmation of my place...and then it arrived! OMG what have I done, the nagging doubts crept in, and were quickly batted away...I CAN do this....because I WANT to... So, training plan in place (it helps to have a husband who's a PT!) I embarked on the gruelling schedule, trying not to let the 'day job', the 'part-time job' or life get in the way. Along the way, completing the Cape Wrath Marathon (4hr 20) followed swiftly by the Strathearn Marathon (4hrs) and the Bealach Beag cycle sportive (finally getting all the way up the hill without stopping, for the first time in about 5 attempts!).
After some last minute panics in training (one being the change of heart about not wanting to run any of the route before race day), race week finally arrived..... Crash course in taperitis...mid-week sickness/flu/lurgy and lots of last minute doubts and panic about the impending thunder and lightening forecast for Saturday in Tyndrum....Friday finally upon us....Clark went off to work (smart idea!), while I seemed to spend most of the day packing and re-packing race kit and support kit, before we set off to the By The Way site in Tyndrum where we were sharing a lovely cabin with John & Katrina Kynaston, Iain Wallace and Ada Stewart. The pasta plan went out of the window en route and we stopped for fish and chips (dinner of champions) in Callendar. The rest of the evening was spent watching the Olympics, drinking tea, and chatting with our house mates, and the legendary Debbie and Marco Consani who popped over to share our TV!
4am alarm call, was followed by some forced porridge eating, while John, Clark (both not running) and Ada kept us all calm with their relaxed approach to the day! And off to registration....eyeing up the other competitors, all shapes and sizes, collecting the race number, and the fear of the weather turning from the thunderstorms earlier forecast to 'it's gonna be a hot one!'
And ready for the off.....
I set off at a reasonable pace, buoyed by the cheers of the supporters at the start, and the general camaraderie of the start of races, and soon got into chat with Katy, who we'd met on our training run from Tyndrum (12 miles out, 12 back) 3 weeks earlier, and she mentioned how strong I'd looked bouncing back up the hill from Inveroran ("great" I thought, I CAN DO THIS!)...I soon lost her however on the incline as the path narrows up the hill, before dropping down under the archway. All the time conscious I must NOT go too quick at the start, 43 miles is a might long way to run, and I've never done anything even close! Chatted to a guy called Andrew who was also trying to ease the pace (but was too quick for me) and then kept on mostly on my own to Bridge of Orchy (ahead of schedule!), eating and drinking according to plan!
Clark was already there to support, and received his first change of instructions ("I'm not changing my camelbak at Glencoe" I yelled as I ran on past!) - the one I started with has pockets on the waist-band and the 'spare' doesn't!
Through BoO and started walking up the hill, realising I was in tow with Darren Barnes (who I'd been chatting to on Facebook quite a lot before the race). We talked and walked (along with a guy from Fort William (Ian I think) to the top of the hill, where Darren met his mate Dave and stopped for photos while I kept trotting on down the zig-zags (and then they whizzed past me!) to Inveroran..."home of the midge". From there right onto Rannoch it was like midge rain!
Past Victoria Bridge, and running, walking and chatting with Darren, and Carol Martin on and off, until Darren shot off, and then I caught up with Carol on the long climb up to the flag-wavers (Helen Munro), which were a welcome site!
And down into Glencoe, to meet my lovely support crew (Clark (husband), Adrienne (sis-in-law) and Jacqui (buddy)) who were enjoying the sunshine! I was on schedule at this point (c3 hours I think...must check garmin!) and longing for a sweat-free t-shirt, a face wipe (to get rid of the dead midge's) and some diet coke! Tried to eat some banana cake, got the camelbak refilled and got marching on ASAP!
Struggled a bit on the next section - seemed to be alone with no-one in sight (apart from lovely cheer and point in the right direction from the crews at Kingshouse), until I stumbled upon Iain Beattie heading up the hill behind Kingshouse (and he clearly wasn't having a great day, or in the mood for talking!), so I plodded on, passing someone fixing their blisters, and then caught up with Carol again briefly before Allt Na Feadh, but she was moving better than me at this point.
This part of the route was all new to me, and while I was looking forward to the views at the top of the Devil (which, given the baking heat and blue skies were AMAZING), I was fearful of getting there! I think it took me the best part of half-hour to get to the top, boosted only by the infamous Fiona and Pauline (in devilish 'disguise') handing me a jelly baby somewhere near the top! Was clearly suffering from dehydration by this point and desperate for something cold to drink (not the warm SIS from the camelbak!). Admired the views, walked a bit to recover, drank from some streams and then texted down a request for cold water and ice lollies from the support team who would be at Kinlochleven waiting for me (thankfully they succeeded with my random request!) as eating and drinking by this stage was making me feel sick! Stuck the headphones in and tootled down the way to KLL....arriving again, in pretty good time, given the conditions and how I was feeling!
I think I was probably pretty uncooperative with the support crew at this point (well, I know I was...SORRY!!), but took some more gels, sports beans...scoffed my ice lolly, and took the other for the trek out of KLL, and was off (Clark chasing me with a dry clean buff at this point!), not looking forward to the next climb and knew this whole section was going to be the toughest and slowest. Persevered up the hill, hoping to get some running legs onto Lairig Mhor, but to be honest, was still struggling to get the motions. A bit of ipod listening and concentrating on walking 'fast' and running the downhills/flats (I could hear PT Boy shouting this in my head), until meeting the lovely Jeff from Wilderness Response, who along with taking photos, offered water, Irn Bru, chocolate...and a seat on his rock, along with a pat of his dogs (thanks Jeff!!)!
I knew it wasn't far to Lundavra from here, and the team had agreed to meet me there, with the likelihood that Clark would buddy me on the final section. The second Wilderness guy also gave me some Irn Bru, the sugar obviously kicked in, and I overtook a couple of runners over the next few miles...the thoughts of a cold Red Bull dragging me on!
Clark was like an over-excited puppy when I arrived, desperate to run...and the girls had started bets on when I would shout at him (in reality this took about 20 seconds!). So, Red Bull quaffed, and we set off marching up the hill (me with my headphones in to drown out the "encouragement" Clark wanted to offer). I could feel my left calf and shin starting to cramp up at this point but didn't own up! I knew the end was near, and there was no chance of failure, so dug in, and started to listen to Clark's support (after all, that's what I wanted him there for!). And then there it was, that final climb before the fire road - hurrah! Slightly distracted by the support runner of the guy in front falling into a ditch at this point, but trudged up that hill to the WHW maker that symbolised (a) relief from the uphills and (b) a long way down!
The descent was as long as I remembered from the training recce and I kept fighting the quad burn willing me to walk (it's downhill FFS!!), and I started at this point to remember something JK had mentioned about reflecting on the journey, the race, and what it meant and why I was there (and a bit, a lot about Dario (probably more stories for another day)).
And then the junction sign-posting 'Braveheart' (and did another wee "hurrah" in my head...and stopped for a drink, a gel and a power-march until the feeling of vomit passed!). Clark met the support girls in the car at Braveheart, and with a final swig of Red Bull and cold water I was off alone along the dreaded tarmac ("run...run...." my head was shouting, whilst my quads were yelling "WALK"). A mixture of both, as the sounds of the finish grew nearer and that final energy to keep going kicked in.....AND I MADE IT!!! 9 hours 22 minutes (and a bit) was better than I'd ever imagined (not really even in my Bronze, Silver, Gold targets I had in my head (having listened to one too many WHW podcasts JK!!)
And, I didn't end up broken, in hospital, or hating it! I'm ready ultra-running world, BRING IT ON!!
Well done, brilliant running, and what a cracker of a race to pick for your first ultra, there's no stopping you now you're hooked, enjoy x
ReplyDeleteGreat report Amanda. A superb debut. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWell done to Clark as well. Are you posting his photos anywhere?
Well done, Amanda! x
ReplyDeleteThanks guys :-). John, I think Clark took more pictures of the scenery than he did of runners or me!! Must give him some better instructions next time!!
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