Devil o’ the Highlands …

Running in this years Devil o’ the Highlands started as a good idea amongst some folks who are running in next years Marathon des Sables. I thought it would make some kind of sense to run it as a representative from the 2008 contingent. Getting up at 3am for the drive up to Tyndrum in time to start running at 6am made less sense !

It didn’t feel like just after 5am when we rolled into the Green Welly for race registration and briefing since the place was buzzing with people sorting out kit and support vehicles.

I started off just behind Wendy Dodds and reckoned the pace was about right to start with anyway. Just outside Bridge of Orchy I felt a strangle gurgling in the guts and had to jump behind a bush quickly and really, really hoped it was not going to be a pattern repeated for the rest of the day! On rejoining the race, I met up with Jamsie from the Dundee based MdS “hot running” team – a bunch of pals who are taking part in the 2009 MdS. I had previously met the team at last years Loch Ness marathon and the boys were all looking lean.. Jamsie was also running with Gail Murdoch of Carnegie. The three of us seemed fairly well match for pace and ran through Orchy and up onto Rannoch Moor. The pace tended to increase in direct proportion to the amount of midges. The rain started as the three of us stopped at the first real control of the day just down from the ski car park in Glen Coe. Thanks to Gail and Jamsie I was about an hour up on my initial estimate but thankfully my support (my Dad and Joe Coll) were there ready and waiting.

With the rain tipping down, I stuck my waterproof on and wandered off towards the Devils Staircase where I met up with the support team again briefly before starting up the hill. Ran again with Jamsie and just managed to catch up with Gail again (and she claims not be a hill runner). Decided to make up a little more time on the descent down to Kinlochleven and went as hard as my now tiring legs would take. As a result, I ate and drank just about everything I was carrying safe in the knowledge of a re-supply at the control! Rolling into Kinloch, I started to look for the Joe and my Dad but it all looked rather quiet …VERY quiet in fact. Checked in with the control and continued down the road a bit …maybe they had parked closer to where the route climbs up off the road …maybe …maybe. Nope …worst fear confirmed – nae support team! Options under consideration:

1 – Abandon – not good.

2 – Go and try to find them – not good.

3 – Continue without a food or energy drink re-supply – the best of a bad bunch.

I grunted a bit and headed up the hill. Stopped at the first stream to fill a water bottle ..chugged the lot down …filled it again and headed up the hill further. By the time the route levelled off I had cheered up in the knowledge my “support” would be trying to figure out where I was. Ran with a guy from Helensburgh for a bit which helped the morale…for a short time at least. But by the time I was in the last section of forest before Glen Nevis, I was both psychically and mentally gubbed with the quickest way to make the pain go away was to keep going. Met my rather sheepish sister who had run in from the road to meet me – she confirmed that whilst I was looking for my support in Kinlochleven, they were holed up in the Ice Factor with hot tea and home baking – this did help take the mind off the pain heading along the road to the Fort !

Was over the moon to cross the line in 7 hours 26 minutes in 17th place.

Jez Bragg had an incredible run to win in 5 hours and 22 minutes taking over 40 minutes off the previous course record.

Huge thanks to Gary Milne and team for organising and especially to the marshals who must have been out on the course for a very long time.

And despite the kinloch mishap (my fault for going to quick apparently) …thanks to Joe and my family for coming along to support me.