West Highland Way

Are many doing it off here?
What time are you after?

I'm after a below 24, I know I can complete, have done, so limping around holds no appeal, if I'm injured and going slow I'm going to drop out rather than do damage, just want a good run. Ran the Highland Fling in just under 9 hrs so should be on for an OK time.

Just want it to be this weekend as I'm fed up waiting.

Anyway what are your plans for the weekend? I planned a good hill run as normal but the wife reckons its taper time, I was going to drop the milage from Wednesday next week.

Cheers

Iain

Good luck to all those ultra runners taking part in the WHW race this weekend - John K, I look forward to hearing how you got on.:)

You will at some point get a blow by blow account, David, thanks for the good wishes and i hope your injury has resolved itself and the pacing session goes according to plan not sure who the contender is but wish them well for me.


Still tempted by the Larig on Sunday;)

Good Luck mate. hope it all goes to plan. Long term dream of mine.

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Originally Posted by IainR

Just want it to be this weekend as I'm fed up waiting.

Iain

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Well come on then, where's the report?! :D

I saw you at Lundavra as you passed through (where I was marshalling) and at the prizegiving.

How are you today? How did you find it? How does it compare with other long distance events you've done? Will you do it again?

Well done on a great performance! (13th out of 76 finishers - 105 starters), 21:26:30.

Regards

Tim

Cheers,

Not great today, but improving each day. I managed to walk down some steps today.

My wifes put a bit on our Blog:
http://sarzmountainrun.blogspot.com/

I've done shorter ultra's but 96 miles is a long way. I found this one harder than anything I've doen before, but getting to glen nevis before dark is a massive boost, that second night out is awful, I've been there twice and it really depresses you.

Unfortunately I know I can do (fairly sure anyway)a sub 20 hr WHW after doing that time while having a shocker, so I will be back. My wife, who was running with me (who ran 45 miles with me or to meet me) is also now tempted by an attempt.

Thanks for the marshalling, Lundavras such a key point because it helps the runner to break up that last leg mentally. The atnosphere there is also really good, with the fire going, and everyone's starting to see the end so even the runners are able to enjoy it a bit.

We headed off straight away, my support crews missus is pregnant and she was a bit tired, she was probably Ok to hang around but we all worry about her and treat her like an invalid which no doubt annoys her, but she'd spent the last 8 hours of the race with us as well. She was at Lundavra, Blond haired girl, and a very sheffield sounding lad.

I had 2 main issues, sickness which started at Balmaha, and lack of body heat control, no idea why but I just couldn't feel my temperature. I'd be shivering but sure I was OK without a top on, then I'd put a top on, feel sick and spew again.

Managed to keep a shuffle going most of way so even at the worst stages held a 15 min / mile pace. I rarely stopped for more than a few minutes which does help I reckon. 10 minutes or so at each checkpoint all adds up by the end.

Cheers

Iain

Hi Iain,

Reading your wife's blog makes me wonder whether or not you were suffering form heat stroke.

Getting goose bumps and throwing up whilst feeling hot are charactersitic symptoms and the goosebumps may well have convinced your wife that you were feeling cold when in fact you were over heating. Although the weather wasn't hot, it has been incredibly humid these last few days and as I'm sure you know, that plays hell with your ability to shed heat.

It's always possible that you had some other underlying reason for (possibly) overheating as well like a viral infection, gut rot etc..

You could make a good case for support crew carrying a thermometer that can measure your core temperature, one of those in-the-ear jobbies is probably a bit easier that the "bottom-up" approach. :D

Anyway, clearly it didn't kill you but it must have affected your performance. Next time, I'll sure it'll go much better. :D Well done for toughing it out and still managing 13th place!

BTW, your wife's description of the shirtless man with nipple tape reminded me that I probably saw you when you were coming down the hill into KLL - I was running/walking up to meet Ian Beattie at the time.

Ah yes I remember you now. Yes I remember being really envious of you as you were just bouncing away full of energy.

The humidity may have been an issue. I do think I overtrained. I had my ML recently and was doing over 7000m of ascent in some weeks. I'd been hiding the fact i wasn't enjoying running, heavy legged etc, all classic symptoms of over training.

Ian had a strong finish, he was only just ahead of me at Lundavra but put 15 minutes on me by Fort William.

Well done Iain a splendid show of tenacity in the face of adversity.

For my part i can`t compete with any of the above i just had a great day out with a super bunch of folk, everybody from Marshalls, support crews, competitors even walkers just made this a great experience for me.

A decision i took between Bridge of Orchy and Kingshouse probably cost me my main goal of Sub 24 (which based on this year i know is on)however i reached my secondary target of sub 28hr by coming in with a time of 27hrs 01min 51secc
So i am happy and not really suffering any ill effects from the experience not a single blister to show just a little bruising of the feet, and i reckon a week of walking with the dog then i should be able to start running again with the Montrail Rhyader race in august being my next longish outing.

It is for sure that i will be back next year for the WHW sub 24, also a punt at the triple crown could be on.

Well done to all WHW competitors and thank you to Dario and everybody else involved in the organisation and running of this event.

just read yer blog, sounds immense, cant believe you went so far feeling/needing a shit... which other ultra s have you done, any you would reccomend over others cheers

Mine have mainly been in Scotland:

WHW x 3 95 miles
Devil O The Highlands 43 miles
Highland Fling 53 miles
Two Bridges 35 Miles
Round Rotherham 50 miles

The Round Rotherham is suprisingly enjoyable and through such diverse areas, from the industry of the Don Valley to the fields around Roche abbey. Also very well supported.

The Devil and the Fling are also great races, and well organised. The Fling is ran so you can do it solo, with food bags left at every 10 miles or so for you. It's run by runners for runners so something like £10 to enter which is brilliant.

I'd recommend the Fling, The devil and the RR and then the WHW is a great race, and deserves its accolades as the hardest footrace in the UK IMO.

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Originally Posted by IainR

Ah yes I remember you now. Yes I remember being really envious of you as you were just bouncing away full of energy.

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Runningfool is always like that. I'm told he was like that even as he completed his epic winter WHW on the shortest day

For my part i have done all the above + Fellsman, Dartmoor Discovery, Connemara Ultra in addition to a few LDWA events That cover more than 26.2 miles, DD and Connemara are road races therefore damned hard on the limbs .

Two Bridges sadly No Longer exists as a race.

Whilst i echo most of the above comments i would not recommend one from another as i find they all have a character of there own.

As to the WHW being the hardest footrace in the uk i have to reserve judgement until i have done them all.

Just pick any Ultra and you will enjoy it because that is the nature of ultra runners.

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Originally Posted by JohnK

Two Bridges sadly No Longer exists as a race.

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As to the WHW being the hardest footrace in the uk i have to reserve judgement until i have done them all.

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Good point re doing them all. I need to do a few more.

Re 2 bridges I did it in 2004? and just did not enjoy it at all, it was all on hard concrete trails or road and I just ran counting the miles. Of the ultras I would not do that one again. Of the rest they were all much of a muchness, though I enjoyed the Fling most, but mainly because I had a good run.

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Originally Posted by IainR

I enjoyed the Fling most, but mainly because I had a good run.

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As with all things in life it is all subjective and depends on the prevailing conditions etc on the day.

Maybe see you at RR Iain if not before, only be at the start though as you are a damned sight quicker than me.

I doubt I'll be at the RR, my wife may be, but I play football so my running season finishes mid august. Still undecided though for next year, may announce my retirement from the game so I can concentrate on running :-)

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Originally Posted by IainR

undecided though for next year, may announce my retirement from the game so I can concentrate on running :-)

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Smart move preserve your limbs and joint`s

The race is to be featured on BBC scotland tonight at 6:30, those of us who live in the South can watch it if we have Sky.

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Originally Posted by IainR

The race is to be featured on BBC scotland tonight at 6:30, those of us who live in the South can watch it if we have Sky.

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I'll have a go at recording it on my PC tonight. If I'm successful, I may be able to upload it somewhere for general viewing.

Tim

cheers , will have to get fit and do one once my knee has a word with itself

For those not in Scotland, here's what's going to be on TV tonight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/c...&bbwm=1&nbwm=1

I have a few days holiday to kill (and absolutely no cash to go anywhere :-)) so I have in mind to run the WHW sometime in the next month or so. Any advice welcome. Also, if anyone else is interested in running it, happy to have company (totally flexible on dates; driving up from south so pick up/drop off possible.)

I don't know what you know.

I haven't run it - only walked it. 100 miles from Glasgow to Fort William, mostly very good trails - some steep climbs such as the Devil's Staircase, but they're not really too bad.

The weather can be very bad, and Rannoch Moor can be desolate in winter....and in summer.

There are a lot of b and bs along the route, as it is a very big tourist draw in the summer, and it can seem quite crowded, but pretty quiet in the winter.

There is a race - usually on the longest day of the year.

Mike Cudahy writes of his running it in his famous book about running the Pennine Way, which i think is called 'Wild trails to far horizons' - a great read.

You probably know all this. It is a great holiday - good luck.

Hi Bucket,

Have a look at the West Highland Way race forum.

http://pub7.bravenet.com/forum/show....rnum=600310895

There are lots of folk doing training runs over various stretches of it between now and the WHW race (21st June) and you'd be more than welcome to tag along on any of them. The bigger group runs usually have a mix of paces so there'll usually be someone you can run with.

Thanks for that. A useful link. For whatever reason, I'd overlooked it.

I think I'm going to just pitch up at Milngavie (or, I guess, FW) sometime over the next few weeks and run it. Seems not to require any obsessive degree of planning and the route looks pretty straightforward. I figure on two days but if it stretched to three, so be it. I don't have any obsessive goal time-wise or whatever; just want to run it.

Any thoughts on direction (N-S or S-N) welcome but I'm presuming it makes no difference.

Run towards the nicer parts i.e. Milngavie- Fort Bill, i find the first half with the exception of Conic Hill to be pretty mundane especially when done solo (ok as part of a race though).

The second half on leaving Tyndrum is far more appealing and satisfying, tis only my opinion though and i am sure others think differently;)

I'd agree with John. I've run it both ways but prefer the views from south to north.

Let us know when you're setting off if you want any company. I'm sure some of the local WHW runners would be happy to join you.

It's likely that entry for the 2009 race (20th June) will be announced shortly. It's likely to fill up quickly so keep an eye on the site if you're interested and don't hang about.

http://www.westhighlandwayrace.org/

Much as I'd like to have a crack at this race the requirement for motorised back up is likely to always count me out.

I'm 50 - 50 on this, seriously tempted for the Lakeland 100 instead. Not sure, would like to keep doing one or so a year, and the WHW is a great event. Oh bugger, wished I'd not seen this..:-)

The WHW upsets my season a bit, whereas the Lakeland 100 fits in better to when we have a bit of a quiet time in the calendar.

Presumably the timing of WHW would clash with a lot of people's optimum time time to have a crack at BGR or any of the other 24 hour rounds.

General entry is now open. It filled quickly last year and I suspect it'll fill even more quickly this year.

I'd agree it does rather b*gger up one's year for all sorts of other events but I'm unable to resist it's lure.:D

Emailed for an entry, still not sure. Fancy the Lakes run as it'll be cheaper logistically, but the WHW does have a hell of a lure!

Like Iain i am tempted but i also feel the timing screws up the season, it doe`s have a strongLure admitted, However i have done it now and there is a damned lot i have not done yet
I am still mulling over an unoficial unsupported Jaunt on the WHW with the same start time etc but maybe later in the year (next year not this) and if anybody fancied joinining me then fine.

A simple case of too many races not enough time i guess.

I've entered..

The only worry is if it clashes with the British Champs. Next year I'm planning to do the Lakeland Classics so Ennerdale may be the week earlier, but if I ran that and had an easy week I think I'll be OK for the WHW.

Dammit, if it wasn't for you lot I wouldn't have emailed for an entry form.

I doubt I'll have the willpower to avoid filling it in.:eek:

Well I lasted a couple of hours before caving in, but have now entered.

Looking like other events are having a stronger pull for me so far but who knows.

I'm beginning to think that for popular oversubscribed events like the WHW, Ben Nevis etc, it would be a lot fairer to have a rule whereby you can't enter more than 2 years out of three or even 2 years out of 4.

This would give race addicts a chance to have a year out and DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! It would also free up a lot of race regulars for marshalling duties and give them a chance to give something back to a race that they may have run many times but not helped in the running of.

This would create more spaces for first time runners and I think we'd probably aggree that all great races need new runners as well as regulars.

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Originally Posted by runningfool

I'm beginning to think that for popular oversubscribed events like the WHW, Ben Nevis etc, it would be a lot fairer to have a rule whereby you can't enter more than 2 years out of three or even 2 years out of 4.

This would give race addicts a chance to have a year out and DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! It would also free up a lot of race regulars for marshalling duties and give them a chance to give something back to a race that they may have run many times but not helped in the running of.

This would create more spaces for first time runners and I think we'd probably aggree that all great races need new runners as well as regulars.

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100% behind you on all of that. for me the adage that variety is the spice of life rules.