Pre-race

The day started well, I woke up at 10:30 with 11hours sleep and over 12hours in bed. I wolfed down a giant breakfast and made my way to Lynne’s (of Bodhiworks massage) for a pre-race massage. So far so good. Picked up a big lunch from the cafe, but getting stressed but couldnt quite finish it. Not to worry, it was a lot of food. Started making some of my race food and getting things together….the nerves getting worse, starting to feel a bit sick. Kind of feels like a hangover, except usually when you have a hangover you just survive until nighttime and retreat to bed…but I have 95 miles to run. I gathered my kit together, and jumped in a taxi to Jen’s flat with my stuff (where my cousin Russell was picking me up), and as soon as we got there…disaster! Forgot the keys to Jen’s flat. Back in the taxi, across town, into my flat, grab the keys, back in the taxi, back across town for a 3rd time. By this point I was too ill to eat or drink anything, just holding down what I had eaten for breakfast was challenge enough. A few  hours at Russell’s house managed to calm me down as I was able to eat some tea and toast and  his son Robbie kept me amused with MineCraft  videos (still don’t understand it but it was a welcome distraction). At least now I was feeling ready to run and not like I’m nursing a horrific hangover.

I quite enjoyed the start line chatter, meeting friends i hadn’t seen for a while and going through the final kit checks after getting registered and weighed in.

Milngavie to Balmaha (3h 26mins)

This is definitely not one of the most interesting sections of the race, but it was good to get the race underway. I ran with Sandra McDougall for while having  good we chat and it certainly helped pass the time through the night. She pushed on when we hit the road section before Drymen, but I was happy keeping the pace a bit steadier on the road. A quick pit stop at Drymen for some more water and some food on the go, and I was off again. Met a guy from L.A. as I approached Conic hill and we had a chat to pass the climb. I then left him behind as we descended into Balmaha. As I arrived in Balmaha I managed to catch my crew off guard. I was about 20mins ahead of my target and they were just thinking about heading up to the trail when I called. Big difference from last time when I was at least 20 mins behind!

Balmaha to Rowardennan (5h 05mins)

I teamed up with Stuart Chalmers for most of this section, he was a bit behind his target but making good progress. Was nice to have some company again as this can feel like quite a long section as you weave through the forest along the loch side for miles. Jen and Russell were waiting for my in Rowardennan with a pot of porridge and some new supplies. I wolfed down the porridge, restocked my pack, grabbed my iPod and trotted off.

Rowardennan  to Inversnaid

Listening to my audiobook I ran on feeling pretty good. Legs werent hurting too much and I still felt quite fresh. Sticking to my plan of staying relaxed and eating well. Another uneventful section….but early into a 95 mile race this is just what i need. Stopped at Inversnaid to chew down a chia charge bar and have a chat with the volunteers who had kindly brought our drop bags across the loch with a plentiful supply of water.

Inversnaid to Beinglas farm (08h 39mins)

This is always a hard section. Some rough trail and scrambling along the loch side and then a nasty climb at the other side. However just like at the fling, this section keeps on getting easier every time I run it. Having eaten well to this stage, and having my audiobook to keep me company I was making strong progress. Jen and Russell were in good spirits when I arrived, and were quick to feed me with more porridge and hear out my stories from the last 2 sections without them.

Beinglas to Auchtertyre (10h 54mins)

Belly full of oats I was cruising again. Another section on my own, another section of easy running, and another section of good weather. This time I had the goal of reaching the far side of “cow shit alley” and the half way point in the course. I even enjoyed the roller coaster forest and the drop down into Auchtertyre.

Mum and Matt had joined Russell and Jen as I ran into Auchteryre as the 51mile checkpoint. This time in 2013 I had lost a lot of weight and was ready for quitting. This time I was just 1kg down (you are going to lose something over 51miles of running) and full of high spirits.

More porridge (it was doing the trick nicely) and Jen toweled the dead midgies off my arms and legs. I took my time in getting the food in me, but wasn’t for hanging around too long. Make hay while the sun is shining!

Auchteryre to Bridge of Orchy (13h 03mins)

Following a brief stop in Tyndrum where I got to meet my crew again (and to say farewell to Russell who was driving up to Fort Bill for some sleep), I made some more good progress towards Bridge of Orchy. I got a big smile and a wave from Debbie Martin Consani and Fionna Ross running the section towards Tyndrum. This is pretty much the only chance I would have of seeing those 2 running during the WHW race…they would have been much further up the course if they had been racing. When I arrived in Bridge of Orchy I got stuck into…you guessed it…more porridge. I sat down for the first time here as Matt limbered up ready to run. This is the first point I had really started to feel tired. Nevertheless my energy levels were good and I didnt havent any reason not to be running (apart from my legs being sore…but that’s not a reason). I also had Matt to wingman me to the finish.

Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe(15h 39mins)

This is the section I wasnt looking forward to. Long climb up to the top of Jelly Baby hill (Where Murdo give a jelly baby and a warm welcome to every single runner), then twisty descent to a long flat road, and a long slow drag up over Rannoch Moor.

However with Matt tapping out a steady pace and occasionally speeding up to drag me along, we made some good time. As well and reminding me when to eat, I kept setting him math problems to help me work out how fast I had to run to make a 23 and 24hour finish.

I felt much better arriving into Glencoe as I knew I would feel a lot more comfortable about finishing once I got here. Stopped for more food …yes more porridge and just before leaving the checkpoint I decided to have a wee check of a blister I had on one of my toes. However as it turned out….there was 3, and 1 of them was the bigger than the other 2 combined. I grabbed the blade I keep in my blister kit and pop…pop…pop. Covered the offending toes in compeed, applied more anti-blister lube and opted for fresh socks and shoes. Once more into the breach….

Glencoe to Kinlochleven (18h 32mins)

I had been walking out of all the checkpoints to let me food settle a little before running, but this time my right foot was nipping, really badly. This was the only point I had a concern of having to hobble to the finish. I gave myself a good talking to…as I was 71 miles into a 95 mile race, of course it was going to hurt, and if a few blisters were my only issue then I was doing well. By the time we crossed the road heading for Kingshouse I was running normally again. I wasnt keen on stopping though so when we reached Altnafeadh I grabbed a cup of cola from Jen, downed it and began power walking up the Devil’s staircase. We passed Neil Rutherford who was having a bad day, struggling to keep food down, but he wasnt for giving up on that 6th goblet.

I took my time over some of the more technical parts of the descent into Kinlochleven (having taken a fall here before) but once we hit the fire road I managed to settle into a good rhythm. I caught my crew napping for the second time of the day as I arrived in Kinlochleven. With some time to kill before I arrived, Mum and Jen went for a walk round the town. Their relaxing walk turned to a run as they looked across the bridge to see me charging down the trail about 20mins early again. We then had a flat out race to the checkpoint (I won). Once we finished the mini-race, I got weighed for the second time and a quick health check from the marshals. Some avocado smoothie (no porridge) and a few cups of cola and I was fueled for the trail again. This time with a fist full of energy gels to see me to the finish. I left Mum and Jen for the last time and Matt and myself set off in hunt of the finish line.

Kinlochleven to Fort William (22h 23mins)

The climb out of Kinlochleven is a pretty nasty one but we made light work of it. It was once we reached the top of the hill that the wheels started to fall off. The terrain here is quite rough so even when I managed to run I struggled to get a rhythm. Powerwalking proved the most efficient way of moving here, but people were starting to catch us and passing with ease. I wasnt too concerned about losing/gaining a place but I tend to use it as a guage of how fast I should have been moving. I just ticked off the miles to Lundavra though, as I knew Russell was going to be there on his bike with supplies. A big gulp of cola, some mars bar and a few more gels and we set off once more.

As the trail had smoothed off, we starting tapping out a faster pace as the lights started to dim. As we hit the forest I wasnt for stopping to get my headtorch out so decided to keep my momentum going and just push on for the finish. At some of the darker sections, Matt ran diagonally behind me and shone his headtorch in front of me so I could steal his light and not trip over the rocks and roots. Once we emerged onto the fire road, I knew we were just a few miles from the finish and really started to pick up the pace (relatively speaking) and started passing quite a few people. My legs were screaming for mercy, but I hadn’t listened to then for the last 22hours…I wasnt going to start now. I picked off the milestones along the fire road as we charged towards the Braveheart carpark. Once there, we turned onto the main road into Fort William and we turned up the pace even more. Possibly the easiest mile of the entire race, and it was literally the fastest mile I had ran all day. Matt peeled off as we hit the leisure centre and I let out a roar as I crossed the finish line, 22hours 23 minutes and 4 seconds after leaving Milngavie, 95 miles away. Hugs and handshakes all round….and a real sense of disbelief.

The afterparty

Went we reached the hotel, I was too buzzed to sleep. Then once I got to sleep, my legs were throbbing  like they were going to burst, and feeling very restless. You’d think after 95miles they would be grateful to no longer be moving. We gathered at the Woolen mill in the morning for a big fry up (no more porridge!) and a few cups of coffee and we waited for the prize giving. The prize giving is a pretty special event. We got to see Paul Giblin receive a standing ovation as he collected his 3rd consecutive WHW title right through to the final runner, who also got a standing ovation as Paul presented him with his goblet. I couldn’t finish this off without giving the final word to my support crew. Each and every one of them went the extra mile to see me to the finish and there is no way I would have made it to the finish without them. From Jen staying awake for nearly 2 straight days, my Mum helping with my blisters, Matt running 50km to keep me moving, and Russell riding up to Lundavra after just a few hours sleep to drop off some more energy food. Hopefully they enjoyed themselves enough to return for my 3rd goblet ;-)

Well, when I say my crew get the last word, there is someone else who truly deserves the last word, my Dad. Without him I would never have got this far. I would never had been introduced to the West Highland Way, nor would I have been introduced to the pleasures of spending long days on the trails and hills. If he was still here, there is no doubt I would still have ended up on the start line of the race. However there were many moments during the race that I thought about the times we had walked those trails together, wished that he was also there supporting me, and hoped he would have been proud of what I had achieved. That’s why my 2015 WHW Race goblet is wholeheartedly dedicated to him.

Stats and Links

For the stat geeks like me out there….here is my run on strava. As my watch was on a less accurate mode it measures the course as longer than 95 miles. Either that or taking the racing line up the course makes all the difference over 95miles. The full results and splits can be found here.

There is also still time to donation to my JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/fraser-mccoull