Good to get on the start line. I wasn’t fully fit to finish the thing, but in my head I was ready, if the body would let me.
I signed up early the year before to give myself a reason to train. Then the months didn’t go to plan. Different injuries. The last six weeks I could train more steadily, just the odd niggle.
Most of it was hiking, running, spinning, a bit of gym. The gym changed its hours and shut in the afternoon, so I lost the sessions I usually did.
At the beginning of the year my son — he’s non-verbal autistic — started having seizures. He’d had another the week before the race. The medication, Lamotrigine, gave him a bad reaction. High fever. Rash over his whole body. Time in hospital. I’m glad he came through that harsh spell.
I was nervous leaving him with his brother, in case another seizure came. I was glad the Lord answered my prayers. He was fine.
Race day my wife and I left Helensburgh at 7am. Fort William. Toilet at Morrisons. I knew the ones at registration would be busy with folk waiting to go.
Inverlochy Village Hall. We arrived as the bus from Milngavie pulled in, so I was glad about Morrisons. Registration was easy. Organised. Disclaimer, number, tags for the drop bags if you’d forgotten them. A nervous quiet in the room. Ninety-five miles south.
We drove down to the WHW sign at the mini-roundabout on the A82. Table out for runners. Water, juice, snacks.
Damp after rain through the night. A sprinkle at the start, not heavy enough for a jacket. Good temperature to run in.
The Ben Nevis runners were already off the hill and coming down the Way. The walkers had gone at 8am.
Just before ten, Jim Drummond gave the safety talk and counted us off along the Nevis Road.
I stayed near the back. Steady for the first 3 km, running up through the Braveheart car park. Poles out. Brisk hike for the next 3 km. Good to chat with Jesper. His father was doing the walk that started at eight.
I spoke to a girl who’d done two hundred-milers. She was in it to enjoy it. Those wee chats take the sting out of the climb. At the top, 6 km, she flew off toward Lundavra.
The descent was steady. A group of us, not much talking. At Lundavra I arrived at 11:36.
The run to Kinlochleven was good. SIS powder and the tabs. Going down well. I arrived at checkpoint 1 Kinlochleven at 1331 left at 1339 — about 8 minutes. Filled the flasks with Tailwind caffeine. Cheese and ham. Jam sandwich. An apple for the climb out of the village. I munched it on the way up. Takes the edge off that first steep bit, the part that can feel boring and a bit intimidating.
What I wanted was the view of Buachaille Etive Mòr. I went up the Devil’s Staircase and there it was. Grey sky behind it. A beauty.
Coming down was nice and easy. A bit of running. Felt strong hiking toward the Kingshouse. Filled a flask at the tap outside the toilets and went on toward the Glen Coe Chairlift.
I arrived at checkpoint 2, Glen Coe Chairlift at 17:06 and left at 17:20 — 14 minutes. Feeling good. Positive. Soup. One of my Ovaltine sachets. Didn’t stay long. Flasks filled. A couple of ham sandwiches and crisps as I hiked out over Rannoch Moor.
That was the plan. Eat on the move. Short stops.
Over the moor it got hot. Said hello to a couple of runners. Not much chat. I was in the views. We came on two deer grazing beside the trail. Cute. I said to the others it would be cheating if we rode them.
The stones were bothering my feet, so I kept left, where it was less rocky, and used the soft peaty heather when I could.
Then the tarmac past the Inveroran Hotel. That was a killer. Folk outside with pints. I don’t drink, but a pint of shandy would have been nice.
The climb over Man Carraigh was easy enough. Water was low. I hoped for streams. They were dried to peaty bogs and I didn’t have a filter on me.
I arrived at checkpoint 3, Bridge of Orchy at 20:27 and left at 2056 — 29 minutes. Drop bag. Chilli from the WHW Challenge team. Dole pears in juice. Another Ovaltine. That revived me for Tyndrum and on to Auchtertyre.
Changed the long sleeve. Changed into Drymax Lite Trail quarter-crew socks. 2Toms BlisterShield on the feet.
Feet hot and sore from the stones on the moor, even in the Hoka Speedgoat 4s.
A blister started on the outer back of the right heel toward Tyndrum. Sharp, then it eased.
Eleven o’clock in Tyndrum. Quiet village. Along the lower station road I met Michelle. Injured. Something in the knee. Determined to keep going. Fighting spirit. Didn’t want help. Didn’t want to give up. I hope the knee eased and she got down the Way.
Toward Auchtertyre the right quad started to niggle. I thought, “Not this again.” Passed Jim Drummond looking for Michelle. He told me to get some hot soup.
I arrived at checkpoint 4, Auchtertyre at 23:57 and left at 00:25. Best checkpoint on the course. The soups. I had the lentil. Best of them. Lifted me for the Crianlarich hills.
The quad was painful. I carried on. To hide it I put on my Bible mp3 of Matthew. That was a comfort past Kirkton and onto the trails.
Coming down to the A82 at the River Fillan I was going to phone for help. Then I set myself to carry on toward Beinglas and get more miles.
I arrived at checkpoint 5, Beinglas at 04:05 and handed in my number. That was my race.
I’d love another go the next year. I need longer injury-free training. I need to get back hiking in the mountains.
Nutrition was better this year. I wasn’t bloated like the year before.
Show up. Get up when you can. Go again when the legs allow.
Peter