West Highland Way Race 2009
The best preparation for a long night may not be to spend hours standing at the Take That concert first but I have a habit of making things hard for myself! Last year it was my own leaving party from work that I left early from and this time I left the concert a couple of songs early to make sure I got the train before the crowds started.
I was offered a ticket rather than having been desperate to go from the start and it was a good performance but I was too stressed about getting to the start etc to really enjoy it. And then of course it was fine and I got to Milngavie at midnight, although it did not feel like as long as an hour later that it started.
Managed to see a few people and wish them luck before it started, including JK, Thomas, WHW runner, Allybea and George, Marco and Debs and Sharon. For some reason pacepusher entrusted me with giving his drop bag for Inversnaid to the guys and I panicked about that until Carmyle Cottage as my life would not have been worth living if I had not got it in the right van! Ian later told me he was thinking about that at Inversnaid as I had voiced my concerns to them as I passed on my way to the van!
A rather bored Harvey, and it wasn't even 1am!
My dad and I went up to the main street for the start as I wanted to video it and we were right opposite the pub. A few obnoxious, worse for wear idiots came out just before the start and did their best to inadvertently cause someone to have a very short race indeed!
We made our way to the roundabout where the way crosses beside the garden centre, just after the Beech Tree Inn. Team Kynaston were there as I thought they might be, as were the midges! Chris also came along, he was cycling about for a few hours to cheer everyone on. He was almost out of the house before he remembered he might need some lights for his bike!
Chris and I at the roundabout
Neal came through with the first main group (the dutchman and the german had already gone past) and although I said nothing at this point my dad definitely thought he was being suicidal! We stayed to see John, Thomas, Sharon and Marco pass by, it was great knowing so many people although as time went by we were to see them less and less.
Off we went to Drymen and a meeting with one of the most stupidly drunk girls I have ever had the misfortune to come across. Out of one of the houses right next to the path came a teenage couple, still carrying their drinks (bacardi breezer I think she had) and utterly bemused to see us all there. The girl had such a high pitched squeal that it made Harvey’s eyes water! We were all nearly wetting ourselves as she tried her hardest to understand why we were there, at first she thought we had run there and were then just hanging around! When we left in the car twenty mins later she had only managed to walk about 100metres. Neal passed quickly through Drymen and I did make a comment to Debs that at least one of our runners was pacing themselves correctly – and I didn’t mean Neal! It was the only comment I made though as he was running to the times he said he would and I got more and more confident as the race went on.
As we walked back to the car we passed a van with a few cockney guys in combats, making themselves heard and swearing quite a lot, I commented to my dad that I bet I knew whose support crew they were!
We got to Balmaha in plenty of time and could even have managed a quick cat nap but I was far too excited to even close my eyes. Saw the front runners come through and fairly quickly afterwards Neal came in. He had quite a bit to eat here if I remember rightly and changed his socks. Now if he had put correct ones on to begin with there would have been an even quicker time! (I spent my car journey to work on Mon morning working out how much he could save on time if he cut out stopping and just swapped bags over on the move as I watched Scott Bradley doing a few times.)
It was the massacre of the midges in the car at this point and we had not even got to Rowardennan yet. We were being asphixiated by Avon skin so soft as we sprayed it to kill the midges every time we had got back into the car and they were all over the place.
We stopped halfway to Rowardennan and I took Harvey along the path. As I turned back the first three runners passed me so they got an extra shout out! In fact, as also happened at Drymen, we had to show the dutch guy where to go at this point, although I think he thought at first my dad was trying to get him to go into the loch. I would find it very difficult not knowing where I was going!
Rowardennan was consequently quite busy when we got there but we got parked in an okay place and managed to spend some time with Silke. Took stuff down to the check point and walked back up with Neal to the car when he arrived. We had had to put Harvey back in the car here as the midges were really annoying him which was a shame. He only ended up being out of the car for about half the times that we met Neal partly as he really did not like not being able to follow Neal and go running!
I would have loved to stay and see others coming in at this point but it was not fair to hog a parking space there. We took our time going round to Carmyle Cottage, stopping in Balloch at a newsagents that also did hot and cold rolls and tea and coffee. That was my first mistake that day! I had a cup of tea and then could not sleep at CC as I needed to pee but did not want to disturb my dad getting out of the car.
Incidentally Neal changed his top a few times this year – did any other runner pack his/her running clothes with all of the tops inside out?! WTF – I don’t even know why they were all inside out in the first place, never mind him then packing them like that! Luckily I noticed and made sure that they were all turned the right way for him when he wanted them! Or is it just me and no-one else would even be bothered about wearing tops inside out? I doubt it!
So as I said I couldn’t sleep as I couldn’t pee and how I manage in Malawi I don’t know! I decided eventually I had to go before it got too busy and so I took the dog as a decoy! Could not see anywhere I thought I could go along the path and actually went all the way under the underpass and was going to go further but the dog wouldn’t go under! So for the first time of a few that day I spent a considerable length of time hopping about waiting on Neal and then running about on a full bladder! Sorry for the detail but it’s nothing like as bad as John was telling at the picnic table at breakfast on Sunday morning!
Neal passed through fairly quickly in eighth place, where he was to stay until Kinlochleven. I tried to make sure he left each checkpoint quickly and I was pretty spot on with making sure I had everything on me he would need when the car was not beside the checkpoint. At other times I had it all lined up on the frame of the boot ready to grab.
Auchertyre next and an absolute pleasure to meet Mrs Mac at last! And the rest of the family! Her kids go to schools that I visit and I was very glad to hear her daughter had been on glow and knew what I was talking about – I must be doing something right!
Neal had his longest stop here but he did have to get weighed and he changed his shoes and socks. He was doing really well but I was worried about his feet and he was complaining of his foot being sore. I had walked out to meet him and walked him out. I started doing this to make sure he was not spending too long at checkpoints and I saw people faster than him doing it so decided to follow suit. I also kept doing it later on as he was complaining of hating it and not enjoying himself partly as no-one else was about so that at least gave him a couple of mins to talk to someone. He is now complaining though that I am in all of his photos!
I was stunned all of the time at how strong he looked at each checkpoint considering how he was last year and what the photos of him at Rowardennan show at the fling this year. He only ever complained of his feet being sore and that was blisters and what he said he thought was a stress fracture. To which I offered painkillers and made him get on with it. He said once that he was knackered and that was it.
He came in fast to Tyndrum (faster than his intended time) and again at this point my dad said he thought that may have been a mistake but I know he enjoys this section so wasn’t worried. He still had doubts he would make it under the 20 hours but I was getting more confident, although still thought he must be going to slow down at some point.
He came in faster again than his split time to Bridge of Orchy and got going quickly after. When examing his splits he was on, or slightly over, his predicted times to Auchteryre and then he was faster most times (and sometimes considerably so) until the last section which was the same as what was predicted.
Walked him out of Victoria Bridge for a minute and he was worried about going over the moor himself and said he would see us in a couple of hours. Now he had said he would do 1.55 for this section so I shouted after him to keep running! This was the point where I thought then that the time might go as he seemed unconfident, although then I was sure that if he did get to Kingshouses okay then it would all come together.
We stayed at Inverarnon to see Marco and John come through and saw Silke as well. There is a photo of Debs and I here but if I make it public Debs will never speak to me again! I had thought this would be the point when Marco would start to speed up and overtake Neal, which he was totally expecting, but unfortunately for Marco (and Debs) it just wasn’t his day today.
We saw Sharon pass as well and it was just amazing to see her, she was so happy and bubbly and just motoring along.
I was supposed to try and sleep on the drive round to Kingshouses and although my eyes were definitely tired enough my brain was going like a speed train and I was far too excited to sleep. I swear by Red Bull, although goodness knows whats its doing to me. I don’t drink caffeine that often so I guess it has an extra effect!
I took Harvey out on the path again at Kingshouses towards the DS, although I was seriously scared when the grizzly bear that belongs at Kingshouses furiously eyeballed Harvey on the way out. Luckily it looked too big to be able to move quickly but I seriously considered walking round the road on the way back to avoid him. The only thing that stopped me was that I did not have Harvey’s lead with me and that fast road scares me nearly as much as the bear does! I saw Scott Bradley again at this point as well, which would be the last time I saw him. It was weird seeing the front runners for so long.
I walked up a bit to meet Neal again once runner no.7 had come through and gave him coke in a water bottle which was a bit of an inspired idea I thought! He didn’t stop long and still seemed strong.
It was at this point that I started doing a lot more sums! Now that he had finished Rannoch Moor I started to realise if he could keep it up and not take long at breaks he could get under 19 hours with the times he had put down. I also thought he had been quite generous with the time he had given himself to get to Kinlochleven as he always flies down the hill. Met him at the Devils Staircase and pushed him on very quickly.
I was now bursting for the toilet…..again and as we were meeting my mum in Glencoe (she got the bus up) my dad told me to go to the loos at the petrol station. I would rather use a squat toilet! Anyway worse than the toilets being horrible I managed to walk in on some guy in front of loads of his mates ( there were no separate male and females ones and he hadn’t shut the door properly so I thought that was the one that was empty!) Needless to say I decided to hold on until Kinlochleven.
By sheer luck I think, considering the lack of phone reception and the quicker pace that Neal was running at than expected, my mum was at the bus stop within minutes of us. The whole bus knew what was going on on the WHW by the time she got off and I think she had everyone looking out for runners between Tyndrum and BoO.
Murdo and his wife were at Kinlochleven by the time we got there and we did have extra time while waiting on Neal but as predicted he was much quicker than the time he had put down. I had time to buy pringles and chocolates for Team Kynaston though who were doing me a massive favour and putting our tent up for us. They did a much better job than we usually do too!
When Neal came through at Kinlochleven (now in 7th place) he complained he wasn’t enjoying it and didn’t like being by himself. So ever supportive I told him if he was hating it that much then to basically get his arse out of there and get going so it would be over quicker.
The drive to Lundavra was much longer than I remembered, I’m glad my dad does the driving. Pushed him out of there very quickly but he was still looking strong at this point and I had no doubts of under 19 now, other than a disaster.
We went to the Braveheart car park this year and it seemed to take forever waiting for him to come down there, but I was just wanting it to be as fast as possible and was watching the minutes tick by. When he did come through he was obviously gone at this point but that was the first point of the race he looked gubbed – as he should!
So after 18hrs and 42 mins dead he came into the leisure centre and didn’t leave again for a couple of hours, a considerable amount of this time being spent in the shower! I didn’t mind though as I wanted to see people come in. And this year I actually got a verbal thank you so that’s progress from last year! If I had had my own transport I would have waited to see all the people coming in around the 24 hour mark but it was too complicated to do that, it would probably have involved a long walk back to the campsite!
Well done to everyone who finished, it’s such an amazing achievement. Watching the prize giving I was desperate for my turn to try it but feel I need to wait until 2011 and build it up properly first. And I’ll be trying to make sure I don’t break my foot twenty odd miles into the race, especially if I was going up Kiliminjaro in a few weeks!
