It's all about running...

No Berlin Marathon for me...

2011-09-13T12:31:00.002+01:00

As last year I have to do without the Berlin Marathon... :-(

About three weeks ago my left knee started to make problems on a very moderate training run. Without any warning really. No tumble or fall or twist but within a mile or so it started clicking and crunching and severe pain and it felt something was not quite as it should be. The problem did not disappear and I (well, Silke actually) managed to get an MRS organised quickly and yesterday the result showed extensive damage to the meniscal cartilage. That is nothing which will just disappear just by itself and will prevent me from running so I will need surgery to get that repaired (it's more a cartilage removal than a repair actually) but hopefully 4-6 weeks later can start training again and see how that goes.

My season is effectively over. I hope my ultra running is not though... and now it's all about patience and wait and see and having some luck and hoping for the best.

To look at the bright side. My season has been great anyway. A 100k for Scotland and winning the Celtic Plates. A massive WestHighlandWay Race PB. Finally I got into my best shape ever and ran my best race ever: The Devil O The Highlands. And having a good rest after that season is needed anyway.

So let's look forward to 2012!

Running with Paula and Haile!

2011-08-24T13:37:00.003+01:00

I am looking forward to the Berlin Marathon and I will be in good company: Both Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie will be at the start in Berlin in just about four weeks.

Since I have got a 2:40 start I will be right behind the elite guys and since the men start on the right lane and the women on the left lane the right side will be more crowded and I'll pick the left so I hope to catch a glimpse of Paula at the start just before she will disappear in the distance...

The Devil O the Highland 42 mile race two weeks ago was my best race ever so far. By quite a margin. So if I can get into that shape again and manage to transform some of the endurance into sharpness (don't ask me how I am going to do that since I do not know that yet) I would expect a PB in Berlin. And even a substantial one. I know it will not quite work that way really since I am still recovering from the Devil's and endurance and speed are quite difficult to convert but I am optimistic enough to run my fastest Marathon ever.

My Marathon PB is 2:46:06 chip time and 2:46:10 gun time. Produced in Berlin two years ago. My plan is to crack that PB and get under the 2:45.

I have just completed my 1st 10k in many years (I do not have any 10k on record at all). I ran the Bute Highland Games 10k in 36:19. A PB but also a PW if you want since I have also no slower run recorded.

It was a great day out in Bute in fantastic weather and it was a privilege to be part of the Highland Games which were brilliant. My club mate Stephen Trainer won the race and defended his title. He was challenged by Garscube's Joe McKnight but managed to break away during the last k and won in 34:05.

My 36:19 is surely not enough to allow a sub 2:45 Marathon but I have a few excuses since I am still recovering from the Devil's and it was windy and the course was not the fastest anyway. Jada jada ;-)
and I have started to suffer from a bunion (small toe) which developed during the Devil's and is very painful. But it's harmless. So ttfu and get over it!

Let's see what the next couple of weeks bring regarding fitness and speed!

Devil O' the Highlands 2011

2011-08-15T15:47:00.007+01:00

A 42 mile trail race on the WestHighlandWay

Results

Pre Race…

After the WestHighlandWay race it took a while until I was backto a normal running routine. It was seven weeks between the races and it was bothrecovery and building a solid training base for the Devil’s 42 miles. And ittook about three to four weeks until I actually had the 95 miles of the WHWRace out of my system. And the training runs which followed felt like an actualbreakthrough. It felt I was not just recovering from the WestHighlandWay Racebut getting into a shape I had never been in before.

Route	Day	Distance (miles)	Climb (metres)	Pace (minutes/mile)
30k Loch Thom Loop	Tue, 19 Jul 2011 6:09 PM	18.64	366	07:04
12k recovery	Wed, 20 Jul 2011 6:17 PM	7.71	141	08:39
30k Loch Thom Loop	Thu, 21 Jul 2011 5:53 PM	18.65	378	07:11
30k Loch Thom Loop	Fri, 22 Jul 2011 6:38 PM	18.65	361	07:09
30k Loch Thom Loop	Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:29 AM	18.65	353	07:13
30k Loch Thom Loop	Sun, 24 Jul 2011 5:34 PM	18.65	359	07:32
19k flat	Mon, 25 Jul 2011 5:52 PM	10.98	116	08:21

5x 30k in one week, all enjoyable running in great weatherand great recovery. And at a brisk pace.

My confidence grew that I would be able not just to smash my6:22 PB but even break the 5:50 which would be a 30+ minute PB. I wascareful with making my prediction public though since I had been wrong with myoptinistic predictions on a few occasions. But when asked Icommitted to a sub 6 hour result confidently.

During the taper however all that confidence vanished again.From that 100+ mile week I dropped to 42 miles. the following week. We travelledto Germany fora week and I am not someone who enjoys the endless queuing at airports anddriving and sitting and eating and eating and waiting and whatever. There weregood moments during that week of course. Seeing the relatives and family and soon but my legs started to feel sluggish and sore. I gained weight (which Ihate) and it felt that I lost all that great shape I had been in only a weekbefore.

Finally we arrived in Tyndrum the night before the race andmet the Kynastons and Consanis and the race mood started to return and it wasgreat to be out for the races again. I said again I could run under 6 hours butto be honest I was not so sure anymore.

Support:

Silke was providing support again and I also Peter Dugganhad kindly agreed to help with the support. With ~~two~~ three completed WestHighlandWayRaces and a sub 24 Ramsay Round he was more than familiar with the requirementsof an ultra runner.

Peter, myself and Silke

Race favourites:

For me it was Matt Williamson and Lucy Colquhoun. And when Isaid Lucy was a race favourite I meant for the overall title. Although Iconsidered Paul Hart’s 5:40 PB andalso George Cairns’ 5:42 out of myreach I did not expect them to be that fast this year. Lucy and Matt howeverwere in great shape so those were the runners to beat.

A note to the charts below: I could not resist to provide a bitof statistics. In particular to illustrate the significant difference in speedI was about to produce in the race in comparison with the 2010 race.

The start:

Sadly George Cairns did not show today but Paul did and asit turned out he was in a much better shape than I thought he would be.

Tyndrum – Bridge of Orchy (6.6m / 10.6k)
Leg 45:20

John (Kynaston) had asked me before the race in what time Iwould do the first section to BoO. And I said 45 mins. I think he lifted an eyebrow but for some reason I though that was appropriate.

I did start quite infront of the field and moved up the climb out of Tyndrum quickly but it wasRoss Moreland who actually went into the lead. Followed by me and Paul Hart andCraig Cunningham. My legs started to feel great so I thought I could take thelead so I would have more space and could easier navigate. I managed the firsttechnical bits just before reaching the tunnel under the railway really welland on the downhill I just let the legs go and clocked a few ridiculously fastsplits. Whenever my Garmin bleeped and showed my the last split I almostlaughed in disbelief. How long would I be able to maintain this pace?

I reached BoO after 45 minutes (as promised) but that wasnot important. I had a narrow lead over Paul Hart and really enjoyed being in 1^stplace for now. I have been in the lead (temporarily) in a few races before,including the Celtic Plates 100k and the Highland Fling 2010 and West Highland Way race (2010). Without winning or even to have any intention to win any races though.

Bridge of Orchy– Glencoe

Leg: 10.7 m / 17.2k / 1:20:10

I had a slightly modified bottle swap strategy for thecheckpoints. Instead of swapping an empty bottle with a full one I asked my support to either hand me a bottlewith electrolyte or with recovery drink. Or water even. I wanted to fill up mybottle myself. Sort of. I wanted that for a couple of reasons. Firstly I hadonly one bottle which actually stuck properly in my belt without occasionallypopping out. Secondly I could just top up the bottle with the fluid of mychoice. Even mix the content (for example just add some plain water toelectrolyte to dilute the drink if it was too sweet, or vice versa). Anywaythat strategy needs rethinking as it later turned out.

I was out of the checkpoint quickly though and still in thelead heading up the hill behind BoO. I tried to maintain an even effort anddecided to walk some of the steeper bits. I noticed here that I was not quiteas well prepared for steep climbs as I was for almost everything else. As soonas it got flatter I got faster again.

Leading the race out of Bridge Of Orchy. Picture by Davie Hall.

Though and the best surprise of today wasthe downhill. I could run aggressively and as fast as never before and enjoyingevery second of every downhill of the entire race. When I reached the Hotel atthe bottom and met Silke I asked her to take the bottle and refill it and handit back to me at Victoria Bridgebut she did not allow that. She insisted I had to refill it now and carry abottle all the way otherwise I would be disqualified. O dear! I had nearlyforgotten about that rule! So I took the bottle back and got another top up at Victoria Bridge. Paul Hart passed me heresince I lost a few seconds here.

Paul was running strong and I was not sure what to do.Should I stick behind him or overtake him? Should I drop back? Was he too fastfor me? What was the pace I should be going?

I dropped back a little to have enough space to be able to readthe running line since the cobblestones from that old military road are a painto run and whenever possible we both ran on the narrow dirt path on the side.That was not always possible though. Even the walkers had problems with thepath here over the more.

The scenery was stunning though. The weather was justperfect today. Certainly in the morning hours when it was still cool. Thesplits produced by my Garmin kept showing a fast pace. And the legs did notshow any signs of tiredness yet.

Once we started the descent into Glencoe however I could nothold back on the downhill and passed Paul. I have done that downhill many timesbut never felt I so strong or confident on that technical rocky path.

I was ahead of schedule by quite a margin. I had told Peterthat the fastest times of previous races were about 2:10 (in fact I believe it was Craig Stewart who holds the“record” in 2:07).

I got there in 2:05(according to my Garmin). I know a fast first half does count for nothing in anultra race if that pace cannot be sustained. But I felt that I was strongerthan ever before. And I was not pushing it. So I got to the CP early and Peterand Silke were not quite ready with preparing food and drinks but that was dueto myself giving them a completely wrong arrival time (I think I told them Iwould be there at 2:15). So althoughI may have “lost” a few seconds here I was not feeling rushed or in a hurry.All what counted today was that I feltgreat.

Glencoe – Kinlochleven

Leg: 10.5 miles / 17k / 1:26:30

Paul was not far behind when I left the checkpoint towardsthe Kingshouse Hotel. I was moving fast and saw Marco coming my way. “you aregoing fast” he said. He did not say “too fast” though. Was he worried that Iwas going too fast? “I know” I responded. He lifts his hand for a high five andsmashed the pancake I was holding in my hand into crumbles. Well, I could noteat much of it anyway…

I passed the Kingshouse Hotel and enjoyed that bit of tarmacroad before I turned right and went up the hill on that strange section towardsthe staircase which nobody really likes. Including me. That rocky, muddy pieceof lost trail which climbs up the hillside for no apparent reason. And thendrops back towards the staircase where the real climb starts.

I met Peter and Silke just before the climb up theStaircase. Refilled my bottle, swallowed a gel and took one with me. I hadstarted to feel a bit unwell and needed to find a private spot somewhere… I hada minute lead perhaps on Paul and I turned my head a few times on the climb tocheck who was chasing me. I noticed a runner behind Paul when I looked downjust before I reached the top and saw Matt climbing up the hill not far behindPaul but I felt he was moving quicker than him. So that was probably the end ofme leading the race soon I thought. The staircase is not a big climb but whenyou push it too hard you may have to pay the price for it. I certainlyregretted that I had not done any substantial training on steeper climbs like thisone.

As soon as I reached the top however my legs felt strongagain and I was quick on the downhill and managed the technical bits reallywell. I had to stop for a private moment though. I was a bit surprised that noother had caught up with me though. But I picked up a good pace again and thedownhill into KLL went well too. I was in a bit of a hurry now. Could I winthis race? I had asked my team to prepare a double espresso which I just couldnot swallow. To dilute the black substance I decided to top it up with energydrink. We had plenty of water in the car but I did not want to lose any precious time… That mixture did not taste any betterbut I swallowed it anyway.

Kinlochleven – Lundavra

Leg: 7.2m / 12.3k / 01:08:00

I was still leading when I left the Kinlochleven Checkpoint.I was delighted with my 3:32 splitbut what could I win or lose on the last section over the Lairigmore? The climb would certainly not be any easier than thestaircase. And it wasn’t. My stomach started to feel unwell. And there was afeeling of sickness spreading from my stomach to my head and even my legs.Maybe it was that espresso mixture?

Just before reaching the end of the climb I saw Mattprobably less than a minute behind me and he was closing the gap. It was a bitof a shock but I knew that I could not defend my lead. In fact there was moreto worry about than not winning the race. I started to feel absolutelyhorrible. Matt had closed the gap and was running next to me now. Some sort ofawkward situation. He said something. I respond something. I think I said I wasfeeling great. But I was not quite truthful with that. I was about to collapse.There was an awful feeling of fatigue creeping through my legs. 3:32to KLL and now BANG! I had overcooked it.

A week on I think it was the heat which caught me. And thatsilly brew of electrolyte and coffee. with bits of vanilla shake in it.

Thankfully the racewas supported by the Wilderness Response team over the Lairigmore and I reachedone of the posts and asked for some water. I drank a cup of cool water andpoured some of it over my head. I thanked the mountain rescue guy and soonstarted to feel better. At the next river crossing I stopped and poured morewater over my head and neck. Even better. I soon started to pick up a veryreasonable pace again and felt much better and I was back in the race. Thefatigue went and the flat bits and down hills went really well again.

Lundavra – Fort William (Finish)

Leg: 7m / 10.7k / 00:55

Silke and Peter are a bit disappointed that I am in secondplace now. Matt was about five minutes ahead now and most likely out of myreach. I was not quite that disappointed and felt still good (or good again)and looked forward to a massive PB. Although my right foot was pretty messed upnow and my old tendon injury was threatening to come back with a vengeance. ButI still enjoyed the rest of the race in sunny weather feeling strong (and wascheered on in the Nevis Forestby Karen and Helen who ran the opposite way). The descent into Fort William was not bad either. Therewas no issue to get into a decent pace on the flat bits.

So I finished in 2^nd place and probably even moreimportantly in a time of 5:35 whichwas a 47 minute PB. And I was just amazed by that. There was almost nodisappointment whatsoever for missing 1^st place.

Lucy Colquhoun finished not far behind in 5:47 in 3^rd place and totally destroyingthe old ladies record by more than one hour. One of those records she leavesbehind which cannot be broken unless by herself.

Lucy (5:47 CR, myself 5:35, Matt 5:32)

Debs (2nd gal), myself, Lucy and Matt at the prizegiving.

My Splits 2011 compared to 2010

	2011 Splits	2010 Splits	Miles	Kilometres
Bridge of Orchy	00:45:20	0:49:00	6.6	10.6
Glencoe / Blackrock Cottage	02:05:30	02:21:00	17.3	27.8
Altnafeadh (bottom of Devil’s Staircase)	02:36:00	02:55:00	21.6	34.5
Marathon Distance	03:20:00		26.4	42.2
Kinlochleven	03:32:00	03:58:00	27.8	44.8
Lundavra	04:40:00	05:21:00	35.0	57.1
Fort William	05:35:00	06:22:00	42.0	67.8

A big thanks to the the organizers of the race for making this such a great event. To the Wilderness Response Team. To the Marshalls. The voluteers. Davie Hall for the great pictures. Thanks Silke and Peter for flawless support.

WHW 2011 - Race Report

2011-06-26T17:46:00.007+01:00

I have tried to get a decent race report together. Not an easy task (as always) since there is a lot happening before, during and after the race which is important. But I have decided to just publish this now, otherwise It will take month...

Results

I have borrowed a few of the great pics from Alan Young, I hope he does not mind (there was a blogger icon next to the pics).

Training went well altogether. Although I was not following a training schedule. And apart from one run with Marco in the Kilpatrick Hills. I have had another run with him and Richie earlier in the year and I had the impression Marco was almost up to par with Richie. On that Kilpatrick run I was no where near his shape and he completed another loop (incidentally wearing a heavy rucksack) whilst I pulled out. Marco is a huge talent but has no luck since he got injured...

All my following training was easy all on tarmac and pavements. No speed work. I did run up that gentle climb up to Loch Thom (the road up to the Visitor Center) a lot. After work. It was great and relaxing and enjoyable training. So I did not even consider coming back to technical stuff. For the very simple reason that I did not want to get injured. It was all a compromise. I had to face the realities. I had run a 100k race which was a 100% effort and also a hard Highland Fling and I do notice that I am 47 years old. My legs did feel all that hard running and I had to treat those legs with respect.

There was something else. I had this nasty fall only two minutes from the finish of the Highland Fling which frankly had left me slightly traumatised. Not just me. Some of my good friends (including my wife) had to go through some form of distress seeing me there lying in the grass and shivering (although it was hot that day). Because of that fall I had to hammer this into my conscious and sub conscious: DO NOT FALL DOWN!

This major task (although you may think this is obvious for all runners to avoid falling) was written all over my race. I was wearing contacts again which gave me a blurry vision. I had to constantly blink when I was scanning the ground to read the line. And all that wet muddy ground, wet tree roots and the rocky and technical bits (end there was plenty of that) had to be managed. Wet grass had to be better avoided since I was running in road shoes. The importance of that safety element did put me under stress the entire race. But this form of "Stress" which I felt from the start was required. A good thing. For my benefit. And to finish this chapter off I managed to maintain this focus for the entire race.

All the technical bits of the race were negotiated rather carefully. That did cost me time but I also think some of that lost time was not actually lost since in particular on the downhills the slower pace put less stress on my legs.

Neal and Caroline. One of my targets today was to beat Neals 18:42 from 2009.

OK. Let's move to the start:

Silke and Nancy supporting me again. Brave girls!

We are off at 1am on Saturday and it was clear that two of the race favorites Jan Albert Lantink (who had produced a sub 24 hour Spartathlon last year) and the strong American runner Mark Godale would go off fast. Both runners have run the race before, both had finished in second place. Lantink in 2009 and Godale in 2010. And today they were here to win. Both runners were here to beat Richie Cunningham. There was no question about that.

Unlike last year where the pace from the start was rather moderate and I even took the lead for a couple of miles this years start was fast. And I was surprised how large that leading pack was. And I was even more surprised to see Marco joining them. Since he was a) still handicapped because of his injurie(s) and b) had always insisted on a slow start to Drymen... I was however delighted for him that he was going off so confidently and under normal circumstances was certainly capable of running that fast. Unfortunately he had to pull out later. And that is another WestHighlandWay race for him where he can't show his fantastic potential.

The field starts to spread out with the leaders disappearing in the distance. Kate Jenkins has obviously enough of that fast pace and drops back. She has won the race many times before and knows what she is doing. Although she told me after the race that her preparation was not the best. A 20 mile training run on top of her usual races. Well, it was enough for the win but boy (or rather girl) she had to work hard for this win today.

I am running and chatting with Mark Leggett for a while. He would finish in 19:47 a great result and a massive PB for him.

Mark and Helen (both will be in Chamonix for the UTMB this year)

I reach Drymen in 1:42 (predicted 1:45).

Feeling a bit depressed. Same as last year. Nothing to worry about. But I do not like the cold and dripping wet feet. Legs are neither sore nor fresh.
There was no such depression in the Highland Fling. I was going fast but enjoying the race and feeling strong at those earlier stages.

I am at Balmaha in 3:05 (predicted 3:05).

That is 40 minutes behind Highland Fling pace. Kate had caught up again since I walked most of the downhill from Conic hill. All under the safety aspect. And to be honest the lack of technical and downhill skills.

Up to the view point behind Balamha. No smile from a grumpy and distressed runner... but that runner had no idea what was ahead of him! Photo Alan Young

On the way to Rowardennan Kate passes me again. She is too fast for me. My feet are now so muddy and wet that I am getting worried about blisters (Stu, if you read this, please do not tell me I get blisters because I am expecting them ;-)). My feet are cold and they hurt. The stress of watching my feet and the blurry contacts make the whole experience rather uncomfortable.

I think I reached Rowardennan at 4:20 but leave at 4:30 (predicted 4:25)

Decide for a shoe and socks change and cleaning my feet. Well trying to. But that shoe change was a good decision. My feet had started to wrinkle already and that little bit of added comfort was worth it. I left Rowardennan at about 4:30 and I was a bit disappointed about that.

The wide Forest track climbing slowly which winds towards Inversnaid is usually one of my favourite sections and I usually run most of it. Today I have to take walking breaks where I usually don't. I am dropping into a low now. My legs have already started to get sore, my quads which I had carefully treated in training and which have had plenty of rest are already complaining. Where is this going? It is a massive struggle to negociate the Lochside. Prepare for the low points they say and I know this is a big one. I had provided splits for a 17:50 finish this year (which was a one hour PB) and I certainly knew this was ambitious but before the race I was confident that this could be achieved. Now it was in particular the high self expectation of finishing today's race in such a fast time which depressed me. Also I am rubbush at those technical bits along the Lochside. In particular behind Inversnaid. Plus the blurry vision. Getting down to Rob Roy's cave was difficult and stressful.

Beinglas 7:20 (ish) (not a predicted support stop so no time provided beforehand)

Last year I lost 20 minutes between Inversnaid and Beinglas due to injury. This year I was just as fast. Another socks and shoe change and off I am to Auchtertyre. A long section. Usually one which I quite enjoy. Not today. I just keep my head down and work my way along the path. Kate has been out of sight for a while now and reaching the Bogle Glen above Crianlarich another runner in a red vest gets closer. I cannot shake him off and I do not want to. I need to focus on my own race. I have started to tackle the low points by stopping and enjoying the scenery. We had walked the West Highland Way on our honeymoon. We love the West Highland Way. That's why we love the race. It works! There is spiritual energy floating back into me and that energy feels just wonderful. It does not make me any faster though! In fact I just stop and let that runner in the red vest pass me. A good decision.

Don't know when I was in Auchtertyre since my major milestone has always been Tyndrum. Get to Tyndrum in 9:30 with fresh legs and the rest will take care of itself. That was my mantra.

Tyndrum 9:45 (predicted 9:30)

This is kind of a half way point. In fact it is past that. 53 miles done and 42 to go. It is also the finish of the Highland Fling race which I have done 4 times now. 9:45 was a massive disappointment. Silently I had hoped for more like a 9:15 split. One week later after the race however I am uttlery puzzled about this. Since what was about to come in the later stages would probably not have happened if I was faster here...

I see a lot of familiar faces there and it is uplifting even funny. I am shattered and tired. Something inside me tells me to pull out. Marco has pulled out too. Caroline had pulled out. Why not join them? I tell Neal Gibson that there is no way that I could beat his 18:42 masterpiece from 2009.

Consciously and subconciously I had always thought of that half way point as the point where the race starts. I allow myself the first espresso of the day and I am off to Bridge of Orchy. There is not much technical running involved in that section and apart from a strong headwind I am running quickish. I am moving well, feeling strong and enjoying the race again. That section goes in 1:05 and I am in

Bridge of Orchy 10:50 (predicted 10:40)
I do not spend much time here and off I am over the hill where I am greeted by the magnificent Murdo who has placed the Saltire on top of that shoulder overlooking the magnificent Loch Tulla. "You are looking great", "You are in 6th place". I demand jelly babies from him (an old tradition) and get them.
At Victoria Bridge 11:23 (predicted 11:25)
I leave for the Rannoch Moore and I am only two minutes off my schedule. But I have to say here that I never, ever during the entire race ran towards those splits.
I had spent some time before the race to predict them but I did not accellerate or slow down just to meet them. Incidently they were not much different from last years splits and also leaned on George Cairn's splits from last year. And I was not chasing any runner. I was trying to focus on my own race which I thought would lead to the best result.

The run over the Rannoch More is tough but I feel neither weak nor strong. I stop a few times to breathe in that wonderful scenery. The descent to Glencoe is tough though because I am very careful here, my legs are very sore and that little detour to the Sci Centre is utterly awkward to run.
Silke tells me that 4th and 5th placed runners had just left and that I could catch them. But I do not feel like racing someone. The weather is now very bad. Cold and thick rain. The downhill has cooled me down, I am wet to the bones and freezing. With my body temparature dropping it is a real struggle to Altnafealth. I can see a runner just a minute ahead but I am not getting any closer. In fact he pulls away and looks very strong. Silke told me later that I was down on my schedule when I reached the bottom of the Devil's Staircase. The climb up was ok and probably even quick but I was worried about the technical running which was ahead since I could not see properly and my legs were not fresh and there were sharp rocks all over the place which had to be negociated. DO NOT FALL DOWN HERE!!!
I walked many of that technical stuff but always made some time on the uphills were falling was not really an issue.

My struggle did find an end here once I reached the forest track which leads down to Kinlochleven. Many runners hate that descent because it can kill your quads but I found that track in a surprisingly good state and I felt safe. On top of that my legs were responsive and I could control the downhill quite well. Just before I reach the bridge to cross the river I pass another runner (I think it was Paul Giblin) and once at the checkpoint I am cheered on by Silke that I was in 4th place.
Kinlochleven 15:05 in and 15:15 out
I do spend some time at the checkpoint though. I am weighed. Eat something and drink another espresso. Take on a full bladder with my Nathan rucksack, change vest (takes ages since it sticks to my skin), change gloves (which takes ages since they stick to my fingers), dry the Goretex jacket from the inside and off I am. Once I reach the top though I find it here surprisingly warm (feels like 10 degrees warmer than GlenCoe or Staircase) and have to take the gloves and the buff off and even think to take the goretex jacket off but don't want to squeeze it into the rucksack since it is full of sticky gel all over the place. So I leave it on. In fact I had run the entire race from start to finish in that jacket. Some good piece if kit that jacket!

I do love that Lairig More. I have said that many times. Maybe unconsciously I have saved myself for that last section. Last year I have had the most wonderful running experience of my life in that huge place. But to my utter surprise this year was almost the same. Loose boulders all over the place and footing was difficult but I was just flying again. On top of the world. I do not know how that works but it felt like a miracle.

Lundavra 16:40 (predicted 16:40)
On schedule. Spot on. Again during the race I did not think of a schedule as such, certainly not in the second half. Just run as good as you can and the schedule was pure coincidence. And it was always strange when Silke told me "you are not that far from your schedule" since it was completely out of my control if I was or not.
Silke tells me that I had closed the gap to Mark Godale and he is only 10 minutes ahead. I give it a try and push harder, maybe if I see him I get another boost of energy and catch him but when I reach the highest point and the start of the motorway I still cannot see a sign of him. Now it is all more or less gentle downhill and my anticipation was this would be easy to run. But to my surprise it is not. Maybe it is my central governor has decided to shut down. I slab myself into the face to provoke some energy boost but it does not work. I do not hit the 8 minute mile even once. Last year I was flying down here.

The rest is a slow but sweet struggle. I feel very sore but it's just painful and mentally I am looking forward to the finish. But that sub 18 hour finish requires some hard work. I just wish it was over.
At Braveheart Car Park I am cheered on by Neal and Caroline. I did not manage to smile but lift my arm and try to wave towards them. Or at least I try. Now onto the pavement.
That bloody 30 mile sign is just not showing. And even if I get there the Leisure Centre is much further away than usual.

where is that bloody finish... I have enough now ;-)

I finish in 4th in 17:54:47. Greeted by a smiling Race Director Ian Beattie. I instantly apologize in front of everyone for my bad behaviour to my support team. I am utterly grateful for getting here in a massive PB and I am sorry for giving them such a hard job and hard time. Hugs and kisses and I am soo utterly relieved that I am allowed to stop runnning now.

Those guys know what this race is about. Lucy Colquhoun (WHW Race Record holder), Race directors Adrian Stott (12x finisher) and Ian Beattie (8x finisher)

Silke and her sub 18 hours husband

Me and Adrian Stott - one of the great sponsors of ultra running in Britain

Chuffed and gutted. Marco Consani was certainly in sub 17 hour shape but got injured...

Debs Martin Consani. Scottish International and one of the Carscube's "Fantastic Two". Third girl in 19:39! And a PB by 1hour 20 minutes!! (Photo Alan Young)

Sharon Law, the other one from Garscube's Fantastic Two. 19:11 and second woman. Guys watch your back, if you think you are a good runner and think you can beat her you need to run sub 19 next year...

Kate Jenkins defended her title. Just. 19:08 just 3 minutes ahead of Sharon. Just heard that one week after the 95 mile race she is racing again!

More celebrity hunting: The defending Champion defented his title. Like a Champion. More and more unbeatable: Richie Cunningham!

And not to forget:

We now have a second Goblet! On top of slate coasters from Ballachullish! Well the left glas was for me. I was really thirsty!

Thanks to the organizers and sponsors who kept this fantastic event alive and kicking. Thanks all marshalls and volunteers for making this possible.

West Highland Way 2011 - a runner's view

2011-06-23T16:00:00.002+01:00

Maybe you have read Silke's account of my (our) 2011 West Highland Way Race to reflect her experience from a supporters perspective. She did not have an easy job to get me to the finish. Reading other accounts of runners (John Kynaston's or Norry's) you can imagine that their supporters did not have an easy job at hand too. And to call the job of a supporter difficult is in some cases even an utter understatement. Supporters losing one or two days of sleep and often worried sick between checkpoints about the well being of their runner which could be a very good friend, a husband even. Exposure to bad weather and midges for hours and hours adds to the experience...
The runner however is in a different state of mind. He too carries a burden but it is a different kind. You may think that it is the legs doing the work. But right from the start in the darkness carefully watching the trail ahead to find the spot where to place your foot, watching the actual effort, stomach, slight muscle twitches which should alert of injury... and in particular in the second half where placing the feet becomes even more critical... 200000 footsteps on that kind of terrain. And even more. Additionally, after only a few hours of running, the legs become reluctant to run anyway. What I want to say is that eventually running becomes a total and utter mind game sometimes to the extend of total exhaustion, near unconsciousness, hallucinations. Physically you may see injuries of all kinds. Organ failure. Dehydration, hypothermia. You name it...

You would still think that someone who sacrifices a whole weekend including up to two hours of night sleep and gets out in a midge pestered environment in bad weather to help out some nutter who wants to run 95 miles is treated nicely by that running nutter?
The politeness and behaviour manners of a runner:

Imagine sitting at a camp fire on a romantic cool autumn night and slowly sipping hot soup and hot coffee! That feels like a treat does it not?

However, you offer just that to your runner who just takes the thermos flask and wants to wolf down the soup for its salt and starch content he may just say... "eek that's too hot" (after he burned his mouth) "I'll drink that at the next check point". A polite person would have responded "Uhh, that's lovely, nice and hot, just what I need. Thanks you so much" and sipped it slowly with a big smile on his face.

The same applies for the espresso shot. You may have occasions where a hot cup of coffee is just what you need, but if that obsessed runner just want's to swallow the caffeine shot and finds out he has to sip a cup of coffee (his mind set is alerting him that he is losing precious time) he suggests to his support team (in hintsight to the checkpoint at Kinlochleven) that the espresso does not have to be hot because otherwise I will burn my mouth again. Needless to say that the espresso at Kinlochleven was hot again. and it was not actually an espresso (very little water) , it was a coffee (loads of water). So I had to sip it again, rather than swallow.

Other behaviour incorrectness: After one of my support sprayed Deet into my mouth (by pure accident!) whilst I was taking my socks off and breathing in at the same time I had to cough which was a pure reflex of my lungs. That series of coughs was not meant to be an expression of ungratefulness!
And if my wife suggests in her blog that Nancy may even had done that spray in my mouth by purpose to "shut me up" I would not even consider that this was a remotest possibility. For one simple reason: Why would you want to shut someone up who hardly speaks.
All I said was:
"I think I'll go for new shoes and socks again".
Which ones? "
"Just the same again" (I was wearing Nike Pegasus and I brought another 2 pairs of them).
"The yellow ones?" (since I brought a yellow and a grey version which was just the same as I was wearing).
"Just the same" I replied (probably not helful, but I did not understand the question).
"the yellow ones?" she asks again but by all gods I do not understand that question. Is this a question of colour coordination?
"Just the same as I am wearing just now" I reply. I thought that it could not been any easier. Then I got that spray in my face. Maybe it was not an accident after all?
Another dialogue:
Me: "I want my espresso at Tyndrum". There was no "please" in that sentence I know but I think it was a good and helpful instruction.
My wonderful wife: "At Auchtertyre?"
Me: "Naahh, at Tyndrum"
My wonderful wife replies "Not at Auchtertyre?".
Me "I want my espresso at Tyndrum".
My lovely wife: "but in your race plan it sais that you want it Auchertyre".
I could have responded: "Darling, I love you! And I do not want to appear as someone who wants to criticise you. But remember I said to you before the race that creating a nutrition plan (as well as providing splits) in advance of a 95 mile race is tricky. Therefore I may change my mind during the race since I
a) may not be able to run as fast as predicted (for a variety of reasons)
b) may not be able to stomach certain food anymore
c) may suddenly crave some sort of foot at some point of the race (but probably later in the race) which I cannot predict two weeks before the race
d) may advise you of foot or drink during the race but beforehand but well in advance. That is I tell you at one checkpoint that I want something specific at the next check point. This leaving you enough time to prepare.
So this was a clear event of point d).

But back to the dialogue. I simply replied, maybe with a little more affirmative voice:
"I want my espresso at Tyndrum".
I probably even said "make sure it is not hot, so I can just swallow it"

That whole dialogue was not polite (thankfully Nancy did not have her Deet cannon at hand)
but I was utterly exhausted afterwards. And maybe because of my lack of manners I got a hot coffee at Tyndrum (which I had to sip) and no warm espresso.

Let us not forget last years Lundavra incident! When I reached Lundavra last year and was just about to finish my first West Highland Way (after two proceeding agonising DNF's) my support team (Nancy and Silke) was not there.
I did lose some time there waiting for them but the Marshall eventually agreed that I should continue and he would inform my team (after I gave descriptions of them) that I already had left.
So what went on in my head whilst I was storming to the finish? I was worried utterly sick that they could have been in an accident. What if they would not be at the finish? The A82 is a nightmare of a road. And it was a nightmare just not to know why they were late. It was the greatest relief when I saw them at the finish.
For your information, it later turned out that Silke and Nancy went shopping for champagne in Kinlichleven and actually spent some time in the village to find some sparkling wine. Hence they were late a Lundavra.

To close this chapter and sum things up: I am probably just a wimp. The coffee was not that hot. And also my instructions were not that clear. And if I got a little angry than with myself. I was close to tears and cursing myself when I hobbled along the Loch side. 17:50??? What on earth did you get yourself into! I wanted to pull out, call it a day. And never come back to this dreadful event. Enough people call those ultra runners "nutters" and I was the biggest nutter of them all.
However, in whatever state I reached the checkpoints and however I behaved. Whenever I saw Nancy smiling and in particular Silke in her red GoreTex jacket and she jumped around and sprung to live I knew she was worried about me and that was for me the most beautiful sight imaginable. Thanks again Silke and Nancy, I could not have done it without you. You are pure angels!

Highland Fling 2011 (85k)

2011-06-11T21:55:00.004+01:00

So here is a more detailed version of my Highland Fling race. My previous post was about the last 300 yards.
This post is about the rest of the race.

The weather was perfect on race day. Just what I hoped for. "Be careful what you wish for" they say and to be honest the weather was a bit too sunny and too warm as it turned out.
That was a bit of a problem for a couple of reasons. Firstly the West Highland Way was crowded in places. Secondly I did sweat a bit more than usual...

Arriving in Milngavie at 7:15 it was rather cool though. But sunny it already was. And it was getting warmer by the minute!

The Start:
I lined up near the front row. I was hoping to witness another spectacular fast start as I had seen in 2009 when Stuart Mills shot off like a rocket going 5:30 minute/mile pace. But it was not to be today.

Stuart did not quite follow his own "Run as fast as you can, while you can!" pacing strategy today. I was disappointed because of that for a variety of reasons.
I found that runasfastasyoucanwhileyoucan strategy spectacular. And even if it was "wrong" in respect of achieving the fastest end result I considered it as "human" and brave. And I expected Stuart to make his point today that for some that strategy even works for the best end result.

But again, it was not to be. Not for him that is. As you can see from the picture of the start, Stuart (in orange) is holding back.

Thankfully there was another runner though who spiced the race up:

Picture: Montane

A guy with a white cap and a map storming up the stairs behind the underpass. Yes, a map. Someone who did not know the route. A new guy. A dark horse. Andrew James. Storming into the lead. Jezz and Stuart and a couple of other runners join the leaders. Going not quite 10k pace. But very fast.

I could not help it and followed that pace. Almost that is. Keeping the leading pack in sight for as long as I could afford it. My legs were extremely responsive. I was enjoying the fast pace. Soon I get the first splits from my Garmin and notice that I am going too fast. What the heck with sensible pacing. I am enjoying this. The second half will be a punishment. A hangover. But I do not care.

I am running with Dan Gay who for some reason did not seem to breathe much. He was chatting as if he was on a casual Sunday stroll. Some V02 max capacity that runner. Anyway, the mood is good. And although we are in a race and going considerably fast, there was no sign of any competitiveness. It all felt like a training run.

KM KM Split Mile Split (calculated)
1 04:23 07:04
2 04:38 07:28
3 04:25 07:06
4 04:23 07:04
5 04:11 06:44
6 04:19 06:58
7 04:20 06:59
8 03:59 06:24
9 03:58 06:23
10 04:06 06:36
11 04:15 06:51
12 04:15 06:50
13 04:21 07:00
14 04:22 07:03
15 04:20 06:59
16 04:11 06:45
17 04:16 06:52
18 04:40 07:31
19 05:12 08:22
20 04:51 07:49
21 05:09 08:17
22 04:47 07:42
23 04:09 06:41
24 04:33 07:19
25 04:28 07:11
26 04:52 07:50

I decide to take the climb up Conic Hill somewhat easier. I was realising that I had wasted too much energy already. Dan was already ahead and on the climb I was passed by quite a few runners. Allen Smalls first. We chatted for a bit and then he pulled away slowly. A rather storming ascent had Julian Rendall, going almost twice as fast as I did. Equally fast was my 100k team mate David Gardiner. I had no idea that he was such a good hill runner and I frankly expected him to have a great race. Unfortunately he did not and he pulled out later at BeinGlas.

27 00:04:57 07:59
28 00:07:12 11:35
29 00:06:17 10:08
30 00:06:28 10:25
31 00:04:32 07:18

I arrive at Balmaha Car Park (~20m) in 2:26. A PB by quite a margin.

Picture: Davie Hall

I hinted to Silke who I met at the Balmaha car park that I was going too fast. I was still confident to have a reasonable race ahead. But I think I misjudged that slightly. But my mental attitude at the time was certainly not quite as bad as the physical attitude of my legs...
The "Way" was getting crowded now. Runners and walkers alike made the narrower bits of the path a challenge. Certainly for someone who was storming downhill for example.
I passed quite a few runners I knew from other races, blogs and of course West Highland Way Race family members. Exchanged a few words.
At one of the steeper climbs between Balmaha and Rowardennan I was passed by Jack Brown. He looked fresh and he was flying up that climb which I had to walk.
I managed to stay behind him though since we ran into Rowardennen together. The car park was more than busy. Marhalls had all hands full to uncluster incoming and leaving cars and I was glad that I had told Silke not to come here so she drove directly to Beinglas after she met me in Balmaha. She wanted to meet our friends from Germany there (Michael, Silke (yes another Silke) and their daughter Clara).
But I made a mistake by taking only water from here on and no electrolytes. But I ran quite well on the section to Inversnaid. I do like those steady climbs and I ran all of them. Not fast but steady. But I noticed more and more that I had overcooked it with the fast start to Balamaha. The legs felt not as good as they should feel only about half way into that 53 mile race.
In Inversnaid I ignored my bottle of electrolyte which I had in my drop bag and took water again. One reason for taking water was that I could pour that over my head to cool myself. I would not do that with a sirup.
Walkers who has been shipped to Inversnaid or taken the Bus there were spreading in both directions and on the narrow path there were a few queues. It was not always easy for the walkers to just step aside and let the runners past because the path in places was steep, narrow and even exposed. So there is no question that I lost some time here. But I was not the only one losing time. But I made sure not to put any walkers under stress or shout at them or demand my space. I told whoever I met that I was not in a rush. And I thanked everyone who made space for me twice. One "thanks" and one "cheers".
I knew already that I had blown my chances for a good race. I had started to suffer to early. And although I reached Beinglas exactly after 6 hours (as planned for a PB) I kew that I would not be able to carry on fast enough.
I met Silke, Silke, Micheal and Clara but was grumpy and full of negativity. I wanted to pull out. Told them that I ruined my race. All my fault. Silly me.
Again I took only water. It was more than just warm now. I did not feel that I sweat much. But I did. I had not suffered from cramp during races EVER. And I was about to make that experience for the first time.
Usually I enjoy the undulating and steady climbing out of Beinglas towards Derridarroch. But not so much today. And when I passed one of the wooden bridges it hit me. A shooting pain up my right adductor comletely locking me to a standstill. A cramp. I though that muscle was gone and in pieces. When I stopped to find the approproate position to stretch that cramp out my left calf crampted. Then my hamstings. It was everywhere. I decided to get into a normal walk and that seem to help and the cramps settled.
George Reid and another woman came the opposite direction and offered electrolytes but I did had some salt sachets with me and I thanked them and added some of that salt to my water bottle and drank the salty substance I had mixed. Here I was passed by Richie Cunningham. He was moving very well although he was not entirely happy with his race either. But his split for the last section (1:52 I believe) was impressive and totally out of my reach today. Even without cramps.
At Carmyle Cottage I met Silke again with our friends. I wanted to pull out here. I had enough. Save myself for the WHW Race. That was a good enough excuse.
Sharon Law was there too. And she had pulled out. Another unlucky race for her. But I was not allowed to pull out. After a couple of minutes I was persuaded to continue. Marco was there too. He had to withdraw from the race because of injury. Not the luckiest day for him since he was in his best shape ever and he could have gone for the scottish title...
So I continued and to be honest I still moved reasonably well and I have had races far worse than this. Frankly it gradually got better. Maybe the salt water was doing the trick. After crossing the A82 and getting back on the flat I actually enjoyed running again. I picked up a few runners and started to look forward to the finish. I started calculating and with a few miles to the finish I noticed that a PB was probably out of my reach. Getting closer I think I was pretty certain to finish in either 8:11 or maybe 8:12. But then I fell.

Jezz broke his own record but he did not win! The race was won by Andrew James. That was a huge surprise. Allen Smalls came in 3rd. Kate Jenkins won the ladies' title with Debbie Martin Consani in 2nd place.
Results

If you want to know the rest of my race you need to read the previous post. But it's not for the faint hearted ;-)

Highland Fling 2011

2011-05-20T17:57:00.000+01:00

- nothing for the faint hearted -

After all that build up and ambitious expectations I owe those who are reading my blog a report about the race. Since I ran it and finished it...

But I am not quite sure how to write about all this. On top of all the usual stuff which happens in those races there was a bit of an unfortunate "accident" at the end of the race involving my humble self. Just a few hundred yards from the finish. Myself lying there in the heather and not being able to get myself on my feet again for a prolonged duration... Actually the last 250 yards (or 300, not sure) took me 20 minutes which explain my rather slow split for the last section from Bein Glas... Maybe I get this off my chest before talking about the other 99% of the race...

Firstly: I AM FINE, and fit amd healthy! and thanks for all the helpful hands I have seen whilst lingering there on the side of the track between the ticks and ants... Alan and Athole from Garscube, Marco, Silke, Michael, John, Colette and a few faces I cannot remember their names... And sorry for frightening you my friends!

So what happened? I was about to finish the race. In the forest next to Tyndrum and I could already hear the bagpipes. 8:10 of running time had just passed so there was no PB today but I was not running to badly since I had just passed 6 or 7 runners over the last 3 miles...
Two MTB bikers came the opposite direction cycling next to each other and just accelerated to swing up that little incline in was just descending... I had little choice and leave the path and ran on the narrow bit to the left to avoid a collision. I have to admit that I was not quite capable of performing swift and controlled movements
anymore. After running for 8 hours and 10 minutes! In the heat! So without the required precision of placing my feet correctly after that sudden movement I caught a tree root or a rock, not sure, and rather suddenly hit the ground. Chest first.
That considerable impact did take my breath away first but when I tried to pick myself up I noticed something in my chest was not quite right. In fact I noticed soon some considerable heart palpitations. There were two walkers who checked if I was ok and instead of the usual "I am fine" I replied that something with my heart was not quite right. Forgive me the lack of diplomacy. I may have sparked the impression I had suffered a heart attack.

Ultra runners will understand that at the end of a race the brain does not function to its full capacity since the blood sugar is used elsewhere...But I frankly did not quite know what to do, what to say and what was going on. I knew that I did not have a heart attack since there was no pain or any of the known symptoms but maybe I did leave the impression that I may have had one...In fact I have had incidents of that condition when I was a child and in my early teens. But the condition is harmless (I have been told).

Anyway, I was left with a speeding heart rate (about 240bpm, fast but faint) which at the moment did not do the proper job of supplying the required blood to my arms and legs to support too much activity... so to speak. So I decided to lay down and let it settle. But whenever I tried to pick myself up I felt rather weak and decided to lay down again. So I decided to phone Silke to help me out. Since she was only a couple of minutes away I thought that would be best. Well she did not pick up the phone but thankfully I spotted Athole from Garscube and asked him if he could get her... and so on...Silke appeared together with more friends and helpful people and tried all sorts of tricks to get me on my feet. Including pouring cold water down my neck. That did not quite work. Although I started shivering... jada jada. Finally I was persuaded to walk to the finish and indeed I could walk albeit slowly. And finished (wearing a fleece!)...
I know that all did not look nice and I felt miserable.

So instead of finishing in a time of 8:11 or 8:12 I finished in 8:31. And ended up on the podium as 3rd Scottish Vet. Still not bad at all!

But let me assure you again I am fine! In fact an hour after the race I was feeling great and enjoying the activities at the finish.

This is all quite a long post now - although it covers only one percent of the race - so I'll rather write a separate post about the other 99% ...

watch this space!

Highland Fling preview

2011-04-28T23:43:00.004+01:00

The race entry for the biggest Ultra race in Britain has closed. And the starters list is the biggest ever. And the quality of the field is the highest ever.
The question "who is going to win the mens title" on Saturday seems to be a "no brainer" since Jez Bragg will be running. If you look at the top 10 performances of the race of the recent years you will find that only one runner has managed to get close to Jez finishing times. That was Scott Bradley (in his first ultra).

'09	Jez Bragg	07:19:09
'08	Jez Bragg	07:24:50
'07	Jez Bragg	07:26:15
'09	Scott Bradley	07:33:42
'10	Craig Stewart	07:45:13
'09	Allan Smalls	07:47:47
'09	Andy Rankin	07:59:04
'09	George Cairns	08:02:14
'08	Donald Naylor	08:03:38
'10	Thomas Loehndorf	08:09:05

Unfortunately the talented Scott is not running due to injury... Also defending champion Craig Stewart is not running... Marcus Scotney is injured... so who is a candidate for the second place?
Or is there someone else out there who is going for the win? There is always a chance for a dark horse to shine and there we go and a new ultra star is born. Just looking at the Marathon PB's of some runners shows how fast they are:

Smalls, Allen	02:33
Gardiner, David	02:34
Rendall, Julian M	02:29
Mills, Stuart	02:29
Williamson, Matt	02:35
Brown, Jack	70 Minute Half

Surely the return of Stuart Mills will make the race interesting. He's no dark horse but he'll do his "run as fast as you can while you can" and will mix things up.

So what could that mean for the race? Hypothetically...Please forgive me but I'll have a guess: Lets take the fastest split times from previous races

Drymen	01:26	Various
Balmaha	02:23	Don Naylor
Rowardennan	03:26	Allen Smalls
Beinglas	05:33	Jez Bragg

I suspect that all those times will be broken by Stuart on Saturday:

Drymen	01:22	Stuart Mills
Balmaha	02:18	Stuart Mills
Rowardennan	03:23	Stuart Mills
Beinglas	05:32	Stuart Mills

So how much left has he for the last section? He is only human so he will slow a bit. 1:50 perhaps if it goes really well for him. That will give him a 7:22 finish. But Jez wins in 7:14 (CR) after overtaking Stuart in the last section. ->Remember that's all just a hypothetical scenario. Quantum physics, cramps, sore legs and twisted knees may twist the future in a different direction. ;-) But we will find out on Saturday!

But there is other fast folks too. Jack Brown (Cateran Trail CR holder and new Scottish 50k champion), Allen Smalls (just ran a 7:04 100k PB 5 weeks ago). Marco Consani was running extremely well recently but does not start due to injury but he suggests Matt Williamson will have a good race. A 2:35 Marathoner who is also good in the hills. A dangerous combination. If Richie Cunningham gets his car sorted and the dog bites stiched up and makes it to the start he will certainly kick some crazy Scottish Germans arse this time.
There is George Cairns who can go fast (if he wants to) and what about Grant Jeans? He keeps saying that he is not good on trails. But he is a huge talent. Who knows what he can do...
The list of starters is huge and there is loads of potential winners in there and loads of other runners I know and looking forward to meet again on Saturday. And I cannot wait to hear and read their stories after the race.

The Girls:
Let's have a look at the fastest Fling times

'08

Lucy Colquhoun