The Devil O' The Highlands Ultra, 12th August 2023

"Ye're aff yer heed"

"Is that a good idea?"

"I'd never do that"

Among the disbelief and genuine concern, there were a few positive voices from some of my more adventurous friends. However, I signed up on 27th February this year and so began the long road to make sure I could run a 69km, 1800m ascent trail ultra marathon through the Scottish Highlands.

I had gone into 2023 fit, getting through 1699km of mixed trail and road in 2022 and finishing that year with a bit of a mad jaunt to Gorton Bothy through a river and snow on one of the wettest and grim days of the Winter. I had made a point of aiming for 50km a week in 2023 and that had started off well, spending the Tuesday nights on the first eight weeks of the year running a 16km loop taking in road, gravel paths along the canal and a substantial bit of off road-gradient over the Dalmuir golf course. I figured training like that in any conditions and the dark would give me a lot of experience and resilience and it definitely did. The other benefit of those cold winter nights was developing a connection to the night sky and watching as the constellations and planets moved in their merry dance around the heavens. Nights on the bike going to Explorers was a help too.

I never made 50km a week every week, but I gave it a good shot and so here I am, in August, sitting at 1538km, maybe just a few weeks away from my biggest ever year of running.

All my big adventures seem to start with shutting a laptop these days and this was no different. I aimed to finish up the team's demo at 1400 so I'd booked a half day, but didn't actually get on the road till after 1500, so I was feeling under a bit of pressure to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

Gunter and I rocked up at Tyndrum at 1635 and got checked into our site (Gunter behaving himself this time after letting me down on a more recent attempt at some Affric Munros, but that's a pub story for when you see me next!) I spent some time putting up the awning to accommodate my colleague Will who was also running and was going to pop his tent up in there.

Then it was time to get my number and scoff a sausage supper.

I headed back to the van to wait for Will to appear, and decided to eat a Soba noodle pot as well, just for the extra carbs. Will arrived and we just hit the hay about 10pm after he got his wee tent up.

I had a decent sleep in the van as always, the pitter-patter of rain on the roof a gentle reminder that I was safe, dry and comfortable - a feeling I knew would be out the window the next day. Will had a slightly different experience, the rain being significantly louder against canvas than the fibreglass roof of my closed pop-top.

The alarm went off at 0430 and it was up, put my running gear on, the bed away, kettle on, eat the overnight oats from the van fridge (fast becoming the best and quickest van breakfast), have a coffee and some OJ and make sure I offered my guest plenty too. Stash all the food into pockets and then off to the Green Welly to meet the rest of the team. Boney was there to support us along the way with an understandably grumpy Henry in tow. He had brought up Al, and Ellie and her Dad had kipped in their van at a car park a bit further on the road out of Tyndrum. Everyone was a bit nervous but hiding it well in the early morning gloaming. It was raining a bit, but not too badly at this point. We gathered for the briefing, then headed over to Brodie's and bang on 6am, we were off! 

We started really well bunched up, and for quite a long way, it stayed that way. I think of everyone dodging puddles at this early stage and in the context of what was to come later on, that just seems daft.

We made our way to Bridge of Orchy at 11km, punched in and then headed up and over the Màm Carraigh, slowly. However the descent was fast and slidey, all my colleagues gaining a bit of time on me there, but once we got on the flat, we were all together again.

We were still in good spirits as we headed over the Rannoch Moor and keeping a decent pace going. Rain was coming and going and the hills of the Black Mount were peeking in and out of curtains of grey, literally dripping atmosphere.

At 0915, we arrived at Glencoe Ski Centre, 27km in and still feeling pretty much ok. I'd been eating and made sure I got some magical coca-cola at the checkpoint. I didn't really take anything from my drop bag and gave it to Boney to drop in the car (or feed to Henry!)

We headed down the old road to the Kingy, thereby giving me yet another opportunity to tell the French Toast story and complain about what they've done to the place. 

Ellie dropped off at that point, and that's when we started to feel the first midges as we passed the heather where the route moves off the road.

It was humid, there was a smir of rain and 400-odd sweaty athletes to eat, so the midges were having an absolutely brilliant wee day out, sucking all the blood and joy out of us all. When we hit the Devil's Staircase, that's when it became the worst. I've spent a lot of time running up hills, so I thought a bit of speed here might actually help me so I pushed on, leaving Al and Will behind quite a bit and chatting to some other runners about the horror we were living through.

I saw a man waving saying "there's none up here" and I didn't quite believe it, but probably just before 500m up, he was right, it was a midge-free paradise. Encouraged, I pressed on up the rest of the Staircase and over the top, looking at my midgie knees in marvel. Then I found that running downhill had become hard, which was a bit rubbish because I had a net 550m drop to sea level at Kinlochleven.

Not long after, I could see Will coming down behind and we ran together for a wee bit, then he was off, picking up speed on the long descent.

I remember my watch ticking over to 42km and shouting at 2 walkers saying, "I've just run a marathon, this is the furthest I've ever gone, woohoo!". I found the descent hard, my muscles just not playing ball like they normally did, so I was relieved to get into Kinlochleven at 1125 and see Will who was just about ready to go again.

Midgie Knees

Al's Midgie Legs

Boney was there in support role again and I used him to hold me up while I changed socks. I had some food and then saw Al come in, so hung on till he was ready to go. It was good to have the company again and we chatted to a few other runners and was feeling good on the ascent.

A few kms further on I started to feel a wee bit sick so I tried a few bites of a cereal bar and walked for a bit on the flat. Al gave me a wee wave and he headed off. I picked up again and pressed on.

Around this point we were hit with some crazy heavy showers that you could see coming across the Lairig - the crossings over the burns were swollen and in my mind I was taken back to crossing the Allt Ur on my way to Gorton Bothy in December. This is fine!

I was feeling a bit funny again as I got to the Lundavra checkpoint at 1335 but this time I had started to experience some tingling in my arms which was a new thing. I had some Coke again and munched through a Wispa. The checkpoint staffers gave me some words of encouragement and I guess they were on the lookout for any dramas. I felt ok, and the sun even came out. 12k or so to go. I can do this!

This bit of the WHW is the only bit I don't really know that well, so it was a bit of a slog onto the last surprise checkpoint, meaning I only had a few kms to go. I had some watermelon and more importantly, the magical Irn Bru, then there was lots of descent where I think I gained some time. I even came across a fabulous rainbow, looking down into Glen Nevis.

Rainbow in the Glen

Between that and the super cheery girl that overtook me, I was feeling quite encouraged and knew I just had to keep going. It was a slow plod at this point, but I was still covering ground. Then I came round Cow Hill and I could hear the cow bells and cheering and knew I was nearly there. I ended up missing a turn and I heard someone shout me so I had to reclaim a couple of  hundred meters back up hill. But then it was through the playpark, punch the dibber, and onto the final few meters.

Last few hundred meters

I look like I finished strong, in 9h 23m!

The reality was very different - I looked around and I could see Boney, Will and Al cheering me on, then a lady offering hugs at the finish - and that was it, complete emotional overload. I was very close to bursting into tears like I did at the end of Loch Ness in 2014. I had to have a sit and some water and then I was really feeling quite bad. My arms were tingly and I just didn't want to move. My colleagues came over to say hi but I just didn't really want to speak to anyone (sorry guys!).

I'd been there a wee while when the lady suggested the first aid tent. I just wanted Coke so I got that in the first aid tent and sat there for a bit till I felt better. I heard Ellie's name called as she came over the line, and I really wanted to stick my head out and support her, but I missed that unfortunately.

After a while I felt better and met up with Will and headed for the food tent. Once I'd had some stew I was back to some kind of normality and we talked about the race for a bit with all the other runners. I definitely got my nutrition completely wrong.

I gave Will my van keys - he was heading down to Tyndrum before me, then had a shower and ate another course of dinner, then had some soup. 

I caught the 6pm bus back to Tyndrum and got the dopamine hit from telling everyone what I'd done over my various group chats and social media.

I got back to Tyndrum and Will and I had the long-promised can of Stella that had been chilling in the van fridge all day.

Oh man! It was the most well-deserved can I've ever had and it tasted so perfect and cold and refreshing. After that we enjoyed a huge feed at the Real Food Cafe, had a wee Tomatin 12yo at the van and then it was time for one of the best sleeps of my life.

 

Sunday was time for some recovery so after I got home, I hobbled in the house, tidied away a load of kit and lay on the couch for a while, even having a wee nap. I decided after dinner to head out on the bike for a wee bit, but to take it really easy with my main intention to have a beer and spend a wee bit of time reflecting on what I'd done. So I headed down to the crane at Clydebank and found some space to myself.

 

I was surprised that everything was still working - joints weren't sore, no blisters and only sore muscles were an issue.

What I wasn't prepared for was the following two days - I found myself increasingly irritable and was suffering from low mood until about Wednesday morning. I guess this is just the crash that comes after the high, but that did come unexpectedly for me. I might take a couple of days off after a race like that in future.

Would I do it again? I think if I get the nutrition right I could come in with a much better time. It was an incredible experience and I now know what my body can do. Moving through the hills at that pace is addictive and I can't wait till I've given myself a bit more time to get back to some normal running!

Distance: 69.9km

Ascent: 1822m

Time 9h 23m