Devil of The Highlands 2009 - a spectators view

I rose early on Saturday morning to head up to watch and take photos at the Devil which started at Tyndrum at 6am. As JR had an entry, I was going to offer to support him, as his sainted wife Helen had probably had enough of him at the Fling and the WHW and in any case they had had the grandkids for the past week or so. Jim hadn't recovered sufficiently from the big one,though, and decided to withdraw. However, race organiser Garry Milne asked him to support a couple of runners and he agreed to do so. He offered to give me a lift up, but as I wanted a bit of independence to take my photos, I decided to take my own car. Little did I realise that his two charges were Mark Leggett and Helen Johnson (1st lady) both of whom ran sub 7 hours!
In my last post I instructed all readers to SMILE a request that was met with a comment from the WHW RUNNER to the effect that he rarely had anything to smile about when running ultras! However, I managed to get one out of him at Bridge of Orchy so he'll have one to cherish!
After the race briefing, where I managed to speak with most of the familiar faces running, the field gathered at Brodies and set off on the dot of 6am.
I had no intention of entering and running the race, and indeed struggled to get any pace on the short run I had at Glencoe, but I really did envy them as the first section is amongst my favourites. After a pit stop I drove after the runners and managed a few long distance shots as they climbed the hill towards the rail crossing. Thomas, Neal and Caroline were amongst many who had stopped on the big layby north of Tyndrum to shout their encouragement across the glen. Driving on to Bridge of Orchy I parked south of the hotel so as not to further congest the checkpoint and after speaking to JR headed off on the trail above the railway for my next set of pics. One of Richie shows why he is such a terrific runner. He levitates!
Debbie and John were both having good runs and Ian can take smiling lessons from Debs any time!

As I left to go to Glencoe disaster struck. Placing my camera on the roof of the car whilst I took my jacket off, I promptly drove off without retrieving it. I heard it slide off and on examining it found the casing scraped and cracked. Worst, it would only work intermittently, sometimes not operating, sometimes not auto focusing, and, when flash was used, only getting a white screen. Fortunately, it worked a bit better when in sports action mode, so I used manual focus and managed to take reasonable photos the rest of the day.
On reaching Glencoe ski centre I ran to the top of the ridge onto Rannoch Moor managing to run quite freely on some sections but on rougher patches my knees sent the usual signal to the brain and I only managed about 35 minutes running - and I didn't get far. Did meet the leaders though and the only question I was asking was "Who will be third?" as the first two already had a lead of over 7 minutes as they passed me, although Paul Hart had a slight and inconsequential lead over Craig Stewart when they passed. I changed and drove down to Kingshouse where I met the Kynaston/Consani/Lohendorf/Scott supporters and managed to get a few photos although some were deleted due to lack of focus. John Foley was on his knees looking for an earring Aileen had dropped - he later found it in some clothing - and I promised him I would confirm he was looking! He reckoned Aileen wouldn't believe him!
Debbie looking really strong at this point and seemed to be having the time of her life running this race, and John was looking strong too although he would have a rough patch soon.
I reached Kinlochleven just after the leader (Craig) had gone through and saw Paul Hart about a couple of hundred yards behind. Grabbed a bite to eat before deciding that it was getting too busy in the streets and to head over to Fort William to await the leaders rather than going to Lundavra where I reckoned one less car would be one less bit of hassle for those with a need to be there. So I went to the finish and took photos for about an hour after the first finisher Craig Stewart.

I had a blether with a few supporters including Vicky, BH of second place Paul Hart. I've enjoyed reading her blogs over the past year as she recovered from injury and set about re- arranging her PB list. She ran at the Helensburgh 1/2 marathon this morning setting a cracking time at what I think was her first attempt at the distance.
Then JR appeared withgn the news that Helen was well ahead
of Debs in second place

with Aileen fading a bit to third, and that was how they finished.
Quite a few runners made the journey north just to watch the finish, including Marc Casey of Dumbarton, Davie and Sharon, Stevie, Adrian and others.Brilliant support for the race and the runners that I'm sure they appreciated.

Photos here

Due to technical problems (my incompetence) the last photo (Aileen)
appears first.

Re-unions

Three re-unions to talk about. One was a very brief one with my training shoes as I set off this afternoon to see if a longer run tonight would be on the cards. Initially successful as my first steps did not involve searing pain through my knees or lower back, singing hamstrings or deep seated pain in my bum, I was soon reduced to a slow shuffle as the very short run wore on. I had stretched, exercised, cycled, aqua-jogged stair climbed and swam to little avail, but I just felt that I could get me along to jogscotland to run with one of the beginner groups. So that's what I did. About 20 minutes was all I managed although I did speed up a bit on a grassy section, but, what the heck, every journey begins but with a single step. I'll try again tomorrow. Hopefully things will gradually improve.
The other re-union was in the west end of the big city, Byres Rd to be precise. I was going with two of my former colleagues to meet up with an old colleague who had left the Strathclyde force 19 years ago to join British Transport Police, retired as a Chief Inspector and was currently on holiday from his new home in Perth, West Australia, where his wife is a paramedic. Colin is from Benbecula and, although a much reformed character, used to drink as a native born. We shifted some amount of booze back in the day, as did Billy and Jim who were with me. Surprisingly, call it age, not a drop was drunk as we met in one coffee shop, lunched on Pasta and finished up in another coffee shop. As soon as we settled into the first round of beans the volume went up several notches and the Queens English became a thing of the past as a few well chosen adjectives and verbs ensured an x certificate. When we went into the restaurant I asked the Maitre d'- ok the burd at the counter, for a table as far from decent people as possible as things would get more and more raucous. "Sorry" was her reply, "we don't use that section at lunchtime." That was a worry as there was a table of nine and ten-year-olds on a birthday outing very close. Not a problem. They made such a racket that we old fellas decided to cut and run after lunch and one round of cokes. No coffee. Couldn't wait to get away from the place where today's generation drowned out our loudest indiscretions.
We moved to another coffee shop where we continued "All Our Yesterdays". Unbelievably, four of Strathclyde's former finest had no alcohol whatsoever. No wonder the drinks business is going down the tubes. All you whisky connisseurs better lay down a good cellar. Diageos shares are about to plummet.

I also had a wee family re-union as the Hall clan of Irvine descended on Cardross in order that Darren and I could go to the pub next door to thank the staff and customers for their contribution to my fundraising on his behalf. The pub has an occasional Jazz Sunday, and on the last occasion they raised over £300. It was on the Sunday of the race so I didn't get back in time to say thanks that day.
Current total is over £1700 and there may be more to come as a few pledges have yet to be redeemed.

Finally, good luck to all on Saturday's "DEVIL OF THE HIGHLANDS". I hope to be up there taking a few photos. JR is providing back-up to a couple of runners but I'll take my own car so I'm not tied to him and I can get about that bit quicker. Remember to SMILE folks!

Kicking My Heels

It's been three, nearly four weeks since the WHW race and my quads and ITB just don't want to come out to play. I've tried several times but can't raise much more than a shuffle. Linda gave me a good massage on Wednesday, but still not right so I'll continue to give it time. Annoying, though, that I'm desperate to run and can't!
So, I've spent my time reading the WHW forum and blogs that have paid terrific tributes to Dario following his sad and unexpected death on Sunday. And good to see the humour in them, a reflection of the kind of guy he was and how much loved. His goblet presentation ceremony helped attract me to the race after I witnessed JR receiving his 12th goblet last year. There was something magical about this race and it all revolved round Dario. I wanted some! If I'd known then what I know now........

Last night I held the watch and recording sheet for the Milburn Harriers "Ted Baker" Pappert Well Hill Race over 5.25 miles and 900 feet. A great atmosphere as we met at race sponsor Big Pete's house in Bonhill where the race starts and finishes. A good race followed by some nice scoff and blether. JR was MC at the prizegiving where David Somerville (guest) and his partner Karen Lees collected the handicap prizes. Jim Watters (guest) was fastest gent and Catherine Wardlaw the fastest lady. Stevie Cowper was the fastest member and retained the trophy. Need to do something about a fastest lady prize though!

Fundraising Update - Running For Darren

With a few people still to be seen for their donations,due to holidays etc., the final total in my WHW Race fundraising effort, to raise some money for my great nephew Darren, looks like reaching £1600. The generosity shown has been humbling and breathtaking. Thanks to all readers who contributed!

I'm Not Lying Down!

Despite the pain in running yesterday, I decided to continue my recovery today. A session of self massage (ON MY QUADS!), and heat from a hot water bottle yesterday would hopefully allow some work in the gym. Into Dumbarton with Andrew where I bummed a freebie and spent 20 min. on a treadmill, 20 min. on a bike and 20 minutes on the aqua jogger. Followed by a sauna and a good walk without any great discomfort. I'll try a gentle run tomorrow morning than attempt to run at the club tomorrow. Failing which I'll go back to the gym to break sweat and gradually return my limbs to working order.

Now I Know Why.....

..... Jim tells me to slow down. It's to train me to cope with the speed I reached on this afternoon's run. I could have walked faster, seriously!
My feet are all but healed, just some lingering bruising on my heel pad that causes me some discomfort first thing in the morning, and I'm walking pretty freely and feeling quite good. So why not run? I set off just as Roddick squared at 2 sets all and was nearly home in time to see the fourth game of the fifth set! From the first step out of the gate I was in agony as my ITB and quads combined to make me shuffle like I did on the Lairig Mor. I was embarrassed running past the pub next door, as the lone smoker outside obviously looked healthier than me, and the strange looks I got from passing cars made me cringe!
I managed to hobble down onto the foreshore and along as far as the footbridge before calling it quits and heading home. A last effort on the small hill on Peel St. was my last attempt to raise a gallop, but was too painful to continue. It was as if the past fortnight's enforced rest had never happened. I was still in the same form as I finished the WHW Race in - crippled. So I need to do some rehab. Heat, massage and stretching this afternoon, and I'll try some aqua jogging tomorrow.Maybe by the end of the week I'll be able to run with JR.... if he'll wait for me!

Thoughts On A Few Race Related Subjects.

Time for a bit of analysis of my race and preparations prior to starting training again as my feet start to resemble normality.
This bit is probably a bit boring and will take FURTHER two weeks holiday to read, but if your name is Sandra…. This is it!

Training
The age old question is of course “Did I do enough?” Probably not but I finished so it worked. Now I need to analyse what I did, how I did it and why I did it.
I had two basic needs to fulfil. Get used to trail running, and increase the distance I was able to run. I also had to consider my poor, aging body. Maybe not as poor as some, definitely not as aged as some but nonetheless previous experience warned me that the result previously of over extending myself was extremely painful and on one occasion left me in hospital. My ethos was then to ensure I recovered sufficiently from training runs before moving on. That said I attended most club sessions in particular the 12 mile Tuesday runs being very enjoyable and probably the most rewarding fitness wise. I didn’t always enjoy the Thursday interval sessions but did most of them. Getting onto trails was pretty much a new experience and one that I loved. Some good trails locally and the WHW and Arrochar trails were well used, either alone or with groups.
Long runs were gradually increased, although prior to the Fling I managed only a 34 miler and after the Fling I was so tired and recovered so slowly that I only went past that distance in the WHW race. So every step past Tydrum was a step beyond anything I had ever done. It was tough, but no tougher than I should have expected given the excellent advice that I was given throughout my training. I have been told that a good run in the race is a two year project, and even three, thereby rubbishing the theory that you shouldn’t start training for it until the New Year. Specific training for the race, yes, but I am realising that this race is an all year round obsession and that every step I took since this time last year was taken in preparation for the race. That said, this year already looks like it was preparation for next years! Yes I think I’m in!

Back up – When I ran the Fling, Mairi and Andrew were my backup, and after finishing and making my mind up to run the WHW race they made it clear that they were happy to carry on – or at least that is what I read into their reaction! When I confirmed to my extended family that we would be Running For Darren, my sister’s family were unanimous in offering their help. Little did I know that Mairi’s stubbornness to see the race through would mean she more or less refused to take the role halfway, as I had meant, and only at Braveheart did she get some sleep, although she allowed Grant to drive her after she parked at the Leisure centre to go to Lundavra. Ally and Andrew were both pretty much adamant that they would run part of the way, and as other options did not materialise they became my support runners. Lack of experience (in the case of all of us!) meant that in hindsight we could have improved things, but hindsight is an exact science and you live and learn. All of the mistakes were mine, I could have asked no more from my team!


Drinks - I can’t complain about my drinks strategy other than to say that my boot is still packed with un-used bottles of fluids. Fling experience meant that I would drink more and that Coke diluted 50-50 with water was going to be a staple. I also had plenty of water (and we bought more enroute!), Gatorade and Redbull or the Morrison’s own brand, both bought just because they were on offer in my local supermarket. Funnily enough, Gatorade, drunk copiously during my support of JR last year caused me to pee just as copiously and I vowed to avoid it. However, my Fling experience of failure to pee, made me put it back in the car as I wanted the comfort blanket of piddling to assure me I wasn’t having problems!

Food – definitely a work in progress. After a while I just can’t chew, so need easily swallowed stuff to keep me going. I used plenty of Honey Stingers, chew bars, supplemented by occasional fruit, PB and J sandwiches, beans, Muller rice, chocolate bars and crisps. Heaven was half a roll and Heinz ravioli at KLL – hot too!
One thing I meant to take - and forgot! – was rice crispies. I like them before a morning training run and I think I’d also add some porridge that could provide good carbs with the minimum of effort.

Blog – A bit of a controversy here! On Saturday night, drink having been taken, a few of the Millie members ( Sandra!) took me to task for the way I refer to JR on my blog. They felt I am unreasonably harsh and make fun of him. Hopefully, we sorted that out at the time. I would be devastated to find that anyone had been hurt by any comment I made, JR in particular. Yes, I write down my thoughts, but never say anything I wouldn’t or haven’t said to him in person. He added his tuppence worth to the discussion and assured me he never took offence at anything I said and confirmed to the others that when we had differences of opinion, it was face to face and usually on a Thursday in the café, post training. He further added that no matter how much I may have disagreed, the fact that I finished was proof positive that I had listened!

Writing this blog is my training diary, a plea for advice that is often fruitful, as I receive many comments and e mails offering advice and encouragement. It lets me set out my thoughts and bares my soul to my readers. As a motivational tool it kept me going in the darkest days when doubts came into my mind and allowed me to express my joy in those moments when I simply had to tell someone what was going on, and I was on my own in the wee small hours. It may be boring, corny, boastful, or just plain garbage, but it’s mine and serves me well.

Feet – Finally, the big problem I have to overcome is the damage I have incurred to my plates. Since I was born with very flat feet, that have amazed podiatrists and occasionally rendered them speechless, I will always have an uphill battle to run without problems. As I said before I have ended up in hospital with swollen feet and limbs that were suspected of having venous thrombosis and probably the result of my running gait due to the lack of arches. Over-pronator? MOI? The word has my pic next to it in the dictionary. But thanks to orthotic insoles the problem has been largely alleviated. I asked Blair at Achilles Heel if she thought the orthotic she made me would stand up to the rigours of running the WHW race. Her answer was that the insoles would survive it, but would I?
The orthotics were unfortunately the start of my problems. It may have been the socks or shoes causing the orthotics to slide about a bit, or just the terrain, but I found the edge of my foot just outside and below the ankle were getting sore from Drymen onward. If I had changed shoes then, there may have been less of a problem, but I didn’t. so the problem got worse. My feet also started swelling at about the same time and again I could have and should have changed things.
Then there were the blisters. JR’s advice was to moisturise and I followed that advice.
But the problems I had were dreadful and I will reassess this for next year. I’ll stick with it until the autumn and see if I have any problems in training. I can always go to the surgical spirit method as a trial before making my mind up.
I am however reminded of the Marathon De Sables competitor who said it was a matter of luck and you could do the race for years and have no problem and then you get a blister on the first stage and that does your race.

Next year – Although I have till August to decide whether I’ll run next year, I feel I have unfinished business and the chances are I’ll be on the entry list when it’s published. My niece wants to do support for me and I think I’ll have to fight off the boys who seem to have enjoyed themselves supporting. That said, there may be more support runners available from the club next time!

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since the end of my race and I haven’t run an inch. I will try to run tomorrow………