A 3 part blog series on running the West Highland Way over the years.

CONTINUED FROM Steps In Time – Part 1

After the first 30 or so minutes running the nervous excitement starts to dissipate. Chattering to fellow runners is a bit more measured. We need to conserve energy. For me and I suspect others it is time to take stock. To settle into the task of enduring. How am I feeling? Am I relaxed or tense? Be aware of my surroundings and moving through the night. We exit Milngavie woods and come to more open terrain. There is a long line of runners ahead, their location indicated by the bobbing of head torches. As the hours pass that line will stretch longer and longer. However for now most of us are somewhat together. 

As the WHW Race takes place around midsummer the weather is usually fairly kind though there are exceptions. On one occasion the first hours felt like being stuck in a car wash. The rain so heavy that head torches could only reveal the feet of those a few metres ahead. 

Upon reaching the hamlet of Easter Carbeth there is a short section on tarmac. Volunteers open gates for us as we rejoin the trail. It’s the middle of the night yet they are upbeat and vocally encouraging – ‘good job’, ‘you are doing great’. Such words cheer the heart even though the reality is that you have only progressed about 5% of the route!  

We are now in more open country. Despite it still being dark, the outlines of hills can be seen as we descend towards the Strath Blane valley. Headtorches snake their way into the distance. Like kind words it is another affirmation that we are part of a collective adventure. The race only happens with the commitment of volunteers, support crew and runners.

As we pass by the Beech Tree Inn a crowd of support crew cheer us on through the dark. Help is not required at this stage but just seeing a few familiar faces is good. Sometimes all that is needed is presence.

My own experience is that the subsequent few km is a period of relative isolation. The field has stretched a bit. Although not alone you are left to your own thoughts. That changes when we arrive at what is several km of paved road. This is the only part of the route that is paved. Harder on the feet. People tend to just march up any inclines. Small groups form and once again there is the gentle noise of conversation. Doing it for the first time I recall one fellow telling me I didn’t need to run if I made it in time allocated to the halfway point (Auchtertyre). Just march continuously at 2.75 mph and you would arrive in Fort William in under 35 hours. Sounds good but reality is that very few of us move at an unvarying pace for 15-20 hours with no stops. 

A bit south of Drymen the horizon becomes more visible, fringing the ridge lines of hills. Light after dark always cheers the spirits. Hope at the  coming of a new day. A  fresh source of strength, at least psychologically! Leaving the paved road and crossing some fields we soon arrive at first checkpoint. Mainly just a chance to grab some juice/ water that’s on offer. 

Food and fluids may not be critical at this time but it is wise to be paying attention to what I ingest. As indicated in part 1 I always have problems with my nutrition. Often I have experienced nausea for the second half of the race taking in little more than sips of water. For now I am OK but try to ensure I leat as much as feel able. 

Having trained and raced up and down the WHW for over a decade it is interesting how in that relatively short time how much of the landscape has changed. Past Drymen is Garadhban forest. Except nowadays there is hardly a tree left. A reminder that even ‘natural’ areas are changing just in a few years. 

In the dawn light one is rewarded with a wonderful view of Conic hill. A hill that gives lovely vistas overlooking the southern half of Loch Lomond and its islands. Especially entrancing in the early morning. However it is first a fairly steep climb up to its shoulder. Common wisdom is to take it easy.  No sense in over exerting at this stage. Don’t forget to smile as you near the top. The race photographer has coped out overnight and is there to catch the moment. I may not feel how I look at this point. It is now 4 to 5 hours into the race and weariness starts to indicate its presence. 

Enjoy the moment descending into Balmaha. Appreciate the milestones as you go along. 32km, about 20% covered. However stay grounded. Nothing saps energy more than obsessing about distance covered or distance remaining. For me the trick is to just remain focussed on the small segment of the route presently experienced. Like tying together lots of different threads. Eventually it becomes a long string. As in life, ruminating about the past or the future does little to help the moment currently lived. 

Balmaha is busy with lots of support crew for all the runners. Usually I have one or two who have kindly endured a sleepless night in order to meet me for a few moments. I feel grateful for their companionship. Also a bit guilty as I am in a hurry. It is hard to up my speed in the race but one thing I can do is not hang around at checkpoints. Even a 5 minute stop seems to pass in the blink of an eye. I am proffered all manner of foodstuffs, sweet and savoury. Truth is I have never been hungry. Grab some tea/ coffee, maybe a sandwich and take something with me to eat on the move. There are other needs that support can flag up to the befuddled. On one occasion after running through the night in continuous rain my body was far more chilled than I thought. One of my support crew insisted I put on extra layers. It was wise. Another runner I knew had to pull out a few hours later with hypothermia. 

At this point traversing north on the east side of Loch Lomond I am running my own race, at my own pace. The peace of the surrounding hills and waterside a contrast to the efforts of mind and body. As time goes on my pace settles into a steady routine. In the undulations of the lochside it will not be long before I start to experience a long distance phenomenon. Uphills I might go faster than a fellow runner but on downhills I go slower than that same runner. Or it may be vice versa i.e. slower uphills and faster downhills. The result is that I keep catching or get caught up by the same people. I have seen this happen 6 or more times in a race. One ends up chatting with the same people, then parting only to meet up again an hour later! As in life’s journey there are sometimes people that keep popping up. I am thankful for them. 

Late morning and am moving through Inversnaid at the north end of Loch Lomond. Indefatigable volunteers often greet you dressed head to toe in netting. In midsummer midges (tiny, biting insects) are a real pest. There are millions of them. Stopping for any length of time makes it worse. 

Along with the heat I start to become more conscious of fatigue. Like a monkey on your shoulder it refuses to go away. In difficult periods some people adopt mantras. Either to distract from pain or how they feel at any particular moment. Saying something over and over or meditating on something. Others sing cheerily, belying the fact they are feeling bad. For myself I have tried to be philosophical about things. I say to myself that I only need do one thing – put one step in front of the other. Time will always pass with no effort on my part. Steps in time always mean I will cover distance.

“In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Before finally leaving Loch Lomond there is a sting in the tail. 4km of largely clambering over boulders beside the loch. It is not really possible to do this at any speed. Unless you are at the front end of the race and a bit of a mountain goat. A technical part of the trail that calls on all your senses. Patience is needed as progress is slow. Hands, feet and eyes trying to coordinate and concentrate on the demanding terrain. Like all else it eventually passes and it’s on to higher and eventually more open ground. You sense you are entering the highlands of Scotland. 

Another chance to meet support at Bein Glas, a campsite. By this point I am having problems eating. Feet are sore and am starting to adopt a run/ walk technique. For the next 3 hours or so it is to endure, largely in silence. Often with no other runners nearby. I look forward to reaching the farm at Auchtertyre at around the 80km mark (just south of Tyndrum). This is the halfway point.

Usually make a real effort at Auchtertyre to eat. I know my blood sugar is low and am probably not drinking enough but have no appetite. At times I have been physically sick. It is mid-afternoon, the heat of the day. Real progress has been made but I dare not rest upon this fact. I will have to dig deeper. At this stage I am allowed to have support runners with me. At least one will join me on a rota basis from now on. I will have company! They will be fresh mentally and physically. I can lean in to their energy. Their encouragement will help me to just press on.

YOU CAN READ ON AT ‘Steps In Time – Part 3’

If interested in reading details of particular races these can be found at West Highland Way Race Reports

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