Saturday 24th August. Was my ultra date. 36.5 miles of running/walking over the beautiful speyside counrtyside.
I left Glasgow at 5 o' clock on Friday driving up to Buckie. My sat nav gave me directions to go via Aberdeen, but the radio before Perth said there was an accident between Montrose and Aberdeen so I relented and went via aviemore. Half way to Aviemore I heard on the radio I heard the A9 was closed at Newtonmore. I backtracked and went through ewtonmore to take the old A9 to Buckie.
I arrived at Buckie at quarter to eleven and found my campsite where I was staying. Unfortunately I couldn't find the Warden. So I pitched my tent and stayed the night for free!!!!
Next morning I woke up and dismantled my tent in case I was spotted by the warden. Had some apple creamed rice. Spoke to the guy in the tent next to me called Richie and found out he was running the race too.I said my goodbyes, jumped in my car and arrived at the school to register.
Registration took 10 minutes I left my drop bags at the designated areas and then realised I hadn't put my name and number so had to find my bag and rectify my mistake. I got chatitng to a few people and spoke to Ray McCurdy. What a legend and what advice he gave me on the trail!!!!
Rewind to May I was bathing my son and knelt down and battered my knee, which put me out of running for at least 3 weeks until it healed. This put a spanner in my training so when I arrived in Buckie I was basically running on a wing and a prayer with my longest run being 19 miles, so now I'm attempting to nearly double my distance. Mental, Crazy and Apprehensive was an understatement.
We got picked up by bus which took us to Ballindalloch, it took a deceptively long time and the guy who I was speaking to and Richie said so. We got off the bus, people went this way and that way and people went for pre race pee. I couldnt pee but nearly SH*T myself at the enormity of the event. Sarah did a race brief which explained no litter dropping, Sean was sweeper and feed stations etc.
We walked to the start line, I recognised some people and had a brief chat with Ian Beattie and said hello to Donnie Campbell. I introduced myself to Sean as I knew he would be my best mate for this event.
Sarah counted down and we were off at 9am. At first I could not believe the pace the leaders were going. It was unfathomable. Seriously seriously impressive stuff and something I could only dream of. The pace for the first mile was way too fast for me! I was in the middle of the pack so showed how much my fitness had been hampered by my knee injury. I had a plan of running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute and keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone at around 120-135bpm. I had to be strict with myself as my training was nowhere it needed to be to finish a good fast race.
Very quickly I settled at the back of the pack and got chatting to Ray McCurdy who explained about ultra running the do's and the don'ts. don't go to fast, when you need to walk, you walk, if you feel like running you run. Take in the scenery and ultimately enjoy! there was more but I can't rememeber. Any way Ray ran with me for 3 miles and the miles flew by. Thanks Ray!!!!!
First water station, Sean cycled past and said I was in second last place, the guy behind me was a race walker. didn't bother me (well it did a wee bit!) I got to the first drop bag point and devoured my chocolate milk. Tried to eat mashed tatties and peanut butter. Boak. My favourite food for training is sweet potaoes and peanut butter. I Couldn't get any sweet potatoes so had to resort to mashed tatties................never again!
I ran to the climb at ben Aigen said hello to Emily and walked up the hill. After 15minutes I heard something behind me and lo and behold my race walker had caught up with me!!!! what the fudge. I put some gas in the tank and ran on and walked only to be caught by forever walking shadow.
Ended up I stopped to walk with him but he walked that fast I had to run. Anyway the theme of the day forever more was me and Iain walking/ running and sean cycling and generally having a phenomenal day out in amazing scenery with good friends I had made. The heat was oppressive. I only had one pee at mile 8 and forgot bout this but kept drinking. I was sweating like mad.
Down we ran to The checkpoint at the bottom of ben Aigen and I got a cheery wave and a hello from Jenni Coelho. Thanks for cheering me on. onwards we ran/walked and generally had a good time on to Fochabers. I have never ran a marathon before so this was new territory. I had heard there was a death defying drop into Fochabers then when I saw it it was just a big steep hill that does trash your quads but hey it was fun. At Fochabers I downed a bottle of coke had a rice pudding and met a guy was talking to on the bus who had to pull out due to Achilles problems. top bloke!!!
We heard there was a guy in front of us who was cramping severely so very soon we picked this guy off and at one point I thought he was binned. Anyway through the woods in a built up area at one point he caught up with us and thats how it came about the three musketeers. Me Nick and Iain. TOP Blokes and Top Team!!!!!!
At mile 30 I honestly could have ran and broke my 8 hour goal. Ray explained to me earlier on in the day there is a point in the race you'll reach a euphoria cause you know you'll complete an event. Sean explained that he knew we would complete the event at Fochabers. My euphoric phase came mile 30, I knew there was no way I would not complete it. I got to mile 32 and fell a peach on my arse hurting my ankle and losing a toenail in the process. sore but I've done what most people in their lives will never achieve. Finishing or about to finish an ultra.
The final 2 1/2 miles dragged on forever by the sea and I could have just ran at that point but no! one thing I learnt that day and one thing I'll keep with me forever, I sacrificed my time to make sure Nick and Iain could get across the finishing line with me as one unit. We were bound together by a sense of camaraderie and comradeship that I have very rarely seen. We agreed to help each other and it was on of the best things I've ever did.
We ran across the finishing line in a time of 8hrs 41minutes. There are only two more special moments in my life, marrying my wife Wendy and the birth of my son Oliver. The next special moment in my life was crossing the finishing line after a most memorable day running/walking 36.5 miles over the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. This day will live with me forever!!!!
Things I've learnt from my ultra
1) My training took a nose dive so I had to take it very easily and the prospect of a DNF was slight but I had it in my head I would finish
2) I am a lot stronger mentally than I give myself credit for and I think every ultramarathon runner has mental fortitude by the bucketful.
3) never take mashed tatties take sweet potatoes and peanut butter instead
4) I dont intend to stop with one ultra I plan to do a couple of 50 milers next year.
5)This ultra was a learning ultra (silly as that sounds), I wanted to know what worked and what didn't.
6)Yes I was hurting and aching but I could keep going.
7)Ultramarathons are about comradeship and cammaraderie and I got that by the bucketload. I will never forget the friendship handed me to Ian when I was going through a low point and likewise when Nick joined us.
8) It was a privelidge to run in beautiful scenery
9) when legs work I am going to train for a 50 miler seriously over the winter and hopefully without injury.
A special thanks go to Sarah and all the marshalls and also Sean for helping us through a truly spectacular day.
