Race8 – Devil O’ The Highlands
I’m not sure why the Devil O’ The Highlandshad to start quite so early, but apparently it did, so at 4am I set off fromFort William with a quarter of my support team (Thanks Mum!) to get to Tyndrumfor the start. The timings did mean some spectacular views along the way, somaybe it wasn’t too bad after all!
Leaving the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum, wewould follow the West Highland Wayfor 43 miles to FortWilliam. I was hoping fora time of about 8 hours. First stop, Bridgeof Orchy. The trackstayed pretty close to the road for the first section, as all the support crewswent past with horns blaring and support crews cheering…
The path for almost all the route was awide cobbled sort of track, a bit hard on the knees but not too hard to follow!After a quick stop at Bridgeof Orchy it was on to thenext one… A bit damp along this section, and running along beside a wood the midgesattacked! Whilst hopping along slapping my legs I wondered why no-one else wasbeing eaten – they must all be hard-skinned Scots or something. Anyway, I decidedthat the Hop-slap was not the quickest way to travel and gave up and ranfaster, eventually getting to some slightly higher ground with less of theblighters.
The next checkpoint was the Glencoe SkiCentre at about half way, where I again met my (now rather damp but stilllooking enthusiastic) support crew. Off again down the valley, then after awhile the only real climb on the route – The Devil’s Staircase. I was glad tobe running rather than riding when I overtook a couple of cyclists carryingbikes up there, felt pretty good and caught a few people on the way up…Unfortunately I was freeeeezing at the top and couldn’t get my jacket on, sothey got past me again, but nevermind. I got to Kinlochleven in just under 5hours and carried straight on through; unfortunately the crew had not made it.I met up with them again on a forest track towards the end, just before thefinal descent down into FortBill.
The run down seemed to take a long time, Iremember looking across at the campsite but it never seemed to get any nearer!Anyway, all the way down to the road then a sprint for the last mile or so toget under 8 hours… 7:56 and 27th place. At least starting earlymeans there’s plenty of time for food and beer with the support crewafterwards.
Race9 – Bullock Smithy
It definitely rained before the BullockSmithy. I wasn’t feeling that up for 56 wet miles in the peaks when I woke upon Saturday, but once I got out towards Hazel Grove I was excited again. Asusual I was very unprepared (trying to mark up a map on a busy train was notthe best idea).
Anyway, a few hours later the man bangedthe anvil and we were off! Quite a tight squeeze through the first gate so Itried to get near the front, then up the road a bit and onto a track… “Hang ona minute, I’m right at the front!” But not like normal when I set off far toofast, this felt fine. It was all very strange, until about 20 people cameacross a golf course and joined just in front of us, everything back to normalthen!
After a few hours I was running in a groupwith three others, including John who knew the way. We were making good timeand feeling all right, and it wasn’t even raining (yet)! Having only stoppedvery quickly at the first few checkpoints we decided to have a few minutes atEdale, and some good rice pudding and fruit before setting off up to HollinsCross. Unfortunately John started to get bad cramps going up through the farmso we went on to the top of the hill. The climb didn’t seem to take too long, wefound the Castleton checkpoint with a bit of help from Mr. Hartell, and set offup Cave Dale. The path was definitely more of a river here, but I felt good andwas enjoying this race!
By the Peak Forestand Millers Dale checkpoints I was a bit knackered, but we had now done halfthe distance and about 5000 of 8000 ft climb, still with some daylight left.Three of us were running together, I had a slow section along a delightfulcow-slurry-river-track but then a better section a bit later on, so we eventuallydecided to stick together through the grouping checkpoints. More rivers of poo andscary cows followed as it started to get dark, then to get a bit damp… Ah well,we had about 9 hours more dry weather than I had expected!
With all three of us doing the route forthe first time our navigation was slow, but we got round the rest without anymajor problems, although we took a while to find one of the later checkpoints.Running along beside the trainline after the last checkpoint I felt reallyrubbish, my legs were completely dead. One of the guys I was with was reallysuffering and being sick, but Nicky Spinks was still running strongly. We knewshe had been in first lady position all the way round, but I think we were gettinga bit nervous towards the end. Off the canal, and into the last 2.5 miles,starting to feel a bit better and still running, but suddenly we seemed to bein among loads of people and two ladies came past us! We gave chase, and somehowmanaged to run the last few miles fast enough to stay ahead of the others,finishing in 13 hours 18 mins and 19th place.
This was one of my favourite races of theseries so far, nice and long, an interesting route and a bit of racing to getthe adrenalin going at the end! Slightly embarrassingly, I also won the trophyfor the fastest Scout. I have not actually been a Scout for a few years now,but put myself down on the entry form as an occasional helper, and seeing as notrue Scouts finished the race I suppose I don’t feel too guilty!
Just three races in three weeks to go now…
