Stubborn

The post-race honeymoon lasted a bit longer than perhaps it should have.

There was the 'recovery' week...lots of chilling on the sofa, a cheeky wee spa day at Gleneagles, a great girls day out in Edinburgh with my sis-in-law telling everyone who'd listen that I'd run the WHW the weekend before, while I knocked back several cocktails and a fair amount of bubbles...

West Beach - Berneray

Following this, there was the 'hospital' week, which saw me back to work, Clark go under the knife, and my head be all over the place. A few wee 2-3 mile shuffles to exercise the dog, but nothing much.  

Thankfully the operation went well, and then week 3 saw us off on holiday to Berneray for some R&R in the sunshine.  No, my tan didn't come out of a bottle!

And then back to work again before another few days off for a wedding.

Pretty much naff all training and a considerable amount of eating and drinking (well, I'd been almost on the wagon for several months....), this was not doing my waist-line or my mental state any good!

And (having spent some time analyzing and trying to deconstruct myself), there's a thought that actually there's a part of this process a little like grieving.  For 2 years, almost every waking thought and decision was about completing the WHW race.  

Now it's done.  It's feels AMAZING, and sureal, and a little like WOW, if I can do THAT, then....  

But it's gone....nothing can take away the achievement, but there's a void where all that training happened, and all that thinking and control was..... (and before anyone says it, training for next year doesn't need to start in earnest...yet)

Even the thought of the impending Devil of the Highlands and the Triple Crown (completing all 3 races on WHW in the same year) couldn't seem to spark the motivation.  Resting after something so epic and traumatic for your body as the WHW is vital. Sometimes it's not about physical pain and scars, there is damage you cannot see or feel, and you need to be mindful of this and not try to carry on like everything is "normal". Maybe I've been a little too mindful?  Or maybe, actually sensible?

Me, Alan & David at the start

So, 6 weeks after WHW saw me arrive at the start line for the Devil.  The longest training run I'd done since was 10 miles.  I'd given the race-day prep very little consideration, and on the whole was pretty relaxed about it.

That's by no means suggesting I thought it was a done deal.  43 miles and some of the toughest WHW climbs is a BIG deal, no matter what.  Be this the first, third or tenth time you've done it, there's no guarantee that even if your training was 100% successful, that you'll complete.  And doing it so close to WHW is not ideal timing.  

I'm just a stubborn, ambitious kinda donkey. I'd decided early on, that if I was to do WHW, I'd try and do the Triple Crown...I may never get the chance again....

There felt to me like there was a 'different' atmosphere about the Devil this year.  There wasn't the same buzz at By The Way the night before and many of the 'regulars' didn't seem to be around that evening, or on race day.  I know there has been a lot of 'healthy debate' about the event, and I'm not going to get into that here.  I think that's a contributor to how this felt though.  And, in honesty, I think this will have been my final run of the 'official' DOTH event, so maybe I felt strange because of that.

Caroline and I approaching Bridge of Orchy

A good number of faces were there to share hello's, last minute panics, and good wishes at registration. I caught up with Caroline...a good friend, who I was lucky enough to share one of the other most amazing running adventures of my life with, 9 years ago when we ran the Chasqui Challenge in Peru (that's a flashback blog for me to write some lonely winters night!).  

A wee sit down at Glencoe

And as fate transpired, we ended up running the whole Devil together - an unplanned turn of events which I believe worked beautifully in both our favours.  We started at the back (my usual outcome) and gradually picked our way along the route.  

At Lundavra (post Red Bull)

The weather gods were kind to us, and when I felt low (pretty much from Glencoe to Jeff's rescue point high on Lairig), Caroline was strong and motivating, and hopefully vice versa (maybe not after Lundavra when I'd had a can of Red Bull and a ton of Kendal Mint cake and got the smell of the finish.....).

My head and body struggled in the middle stretch. Caroline is great at climbing, with many years of munro's in her legs.  I think the WHW was still in mine, and mentally, I wasn't doing the race for the 'right' reasons....and the last time I'd been there, was a whole different ball-game, but most of those memories are still sharply etched across my body.

The finish!

That aside, the end result was success, and elation!  We'd done it, and notched up a very tidy 10hrs 11 minutes to boot!  And we only got wet in the last 4-5 miles!

I'm not going to review the race in anymore detail than that. 

On reflection, for some lessons.....

• Fuelling, I didn't get quite right again this time.  I think the humidity played a part there.
• Kendal Mint Cake was a great addition though.
• Nuun maybe isn't the right fluid in all situations (or I've gone off the flavours I have...)
• Kit, worked well.  Especially saw benefit of the arm sleeves - pulling up and down, rather than on/off. Others are starting to compete for my purple domination though!

A few of the usual suspects having an
impromptu dinner in Real Food Cafe on the way home

I'm delighted with what I've achieved so far this year, and sometimes when I think about it, it just seems crazy....I AM one of those CRAZIES I used to joke about how bonkers they were...

And it's been done with amazing support, and an amazing bunch of friends, who are there for you, every step of the way!

So, what's next?  Well, I've done quite a lot more recovery....wine, cheese, sweeties are all very close friends again....I'm carrying about half a stone more than I'd like (that I need to kick into touch)....and there's a few more events to see me through the next few months.  This weekend I'm off to the South Coast to complete the LDWA Dorset Doddle 32 mile walking event with my brother...course profile looks suitably scary..... And then it's time for Glenmore 24 (and the pre-race pirate party?!?!), and rounding off the year (hopefully) with the Glen Ogle 33(ish).

Not forgetting, last weekend saw Johnny Fling's infamous party....hmmm....maybe there's a whole blog to be written about that.....