I was once told, there is no substitute for preparing for the West Highland Way other than getting on it and running it. It was over 30 years ago since I walked it in 5 days while there was a hurricane of the west coast of Scotland which meant I had to miss some sections out, and there was snow - in September. Since then I have completed the Highland Fling twice so I am reasonably familiar with the first 53 miles.
With time running out and the difficult logistics of doing sections without the need for two cars, I have started to "fill in the gaps" of the sections I haven't run before.
When the Fling was on two weeks ago, I ran from Tyndrum to 1 mile short of Bridge of Orchy - a short section. Last weekend, Stu and I parked up at Bridge of Orchy and ran to the ski centre in Glencoe - 18kms. I'd heard a lot about how exposed the Rannoch Moor was and wanted to see for myself. We picked a hot day and there was little breeze so I carried plenty of hydration and isogonics - I was testing out new products to see if they were better than what I'd used before. If you are going to be running for possibly 30 hours it's important that your stomach is happy with what you are taking or it can be the end of your race. In this short section, the Maurten carb drink and gel worked so I'll be buying more of them.
The route was mainly "land rover tracks" which is really the main surface on the WHW. You have to get used to occasional stumbles on the rocks or going over on your ankle which is why you need to spend time on these trails.
We weren't trying to go fast but there was more running than we expected so we had the chance of catching the earlier bus back to Bridge of Orchy. When I was packing in the morning I had a bad feeling about the bus so took a piece of cardboard with BOO in it so we could hitch a lift back - not something I have ever done before. My premonition came true and Stu couldn't believe it when I took the card out my rucksack and stuck out my thumb looking for a lift. 20 minutes later, and 40 mins after the bus should have turned up, a van pulls up and gave us a life back to our car. This certainly restored my faith in people. The driver chatted away but asked that we didn't mention his name or the company name as his boss wouldn't be happy he'd picked up hitchhikers in the company van. But we were very grateful.
The next day I ran Tinto 3 times and came across Mark Reilly, author of The Lives of Reilly and a fabulous ultra runner. He's preparing for the "Jungle Marathon" and had ran Tinto 5 times the day before and was painfully running it another 5 times that day - puts me to shame! But his words of encouragement were well received and gave me a lift. Good luck Mark and I am sure you and James Allan will have an amazing adventure.
Lighter road runs during the week, yoga and gym work kept me ticking over. Remember I am trying to avoid aggravating my knee and foot injury and just getting to the start line. Unfortunately I can't run much with Beth at the moment as she is doing different training for the Edinburgh Marathon but after that we will be back on the trails together.
Yesterday Stu and I headed up to Kinlochleven for the final section through the Mamores to Fort William. It was a scortcher and it was good to understand where the tough sections were although with over 80 miles in my legs by this stage in the race, it's all tough. I had to keep reminding myself of that as the slightest incline will have me walking and I must be prepared for that happening. That's why I practice run/walk/run/walk. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to start running again. It's difficult to start the momentum if you've been walking too long and your muscles will complain at the pain.
I had been told that towards the end their is a 4 km downhill section. Normally you'd welcome that but even yesterday I could feel my knee complaining as the downhill went on forever. With Fort William in sight that's the motivation to keep moving no matter how slow.
I'm under no illusion as to how tough this 96 mile/153km race will be. Doing short sections is for familiarisation but I can't replicate the pace, much slower than I've been running, or the discomfort whether that be my limbs or my stomach. But that's the challenge and I need to keep my mind focused on check point to check point and not think about the race in it's totality. I know my support crew Beth & Stu will help me in every way possible but it's also a long shift for them too.
When we got to Fort William the bus was on time so I was able to get a short sleep on the way back to my car. While the focus is on the race, I always try and take in the scenery which in this part of the world is stunning. The WHW was full of walkers which is great to see although a few had been caught out with the sun and the backs of their calves looked like they were a Glaswegian on the beach in Spain - painful pink lobsters!
My body is telling me I need a rest as I have started to cough up "gunge", it started yesterday. I appreciate how important rest is and always build it into my schedule but this type of rest doesn't sit well with me. However rather catch the bug this far out from the race than just before it! Till my next blog, take care my friends.
Preparing for this adventure on 22-23 June has been fun and I'm still smiling at the van pulling over and giving two strangers a lift. The route of the WHW is fully of amazing scenery but what really makes it for me is the people and their stories. Instead of running on tarmac breathing in the fumes, get out on the WHW and enjoy yourself. Even better if your route finishes at a coffee shop with cake or even a cold beer. People travel from all over the world to enjoy this treasure and it's on our doorstep. Get out there while you are still fit enough to do so.
