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WHW Challenge Race Report 2020 by Louise Harrison (walk / jogger) Race Date – 2nd / 3rd October 2020 The event had been scheduled for the last weekend in May, as is usual for the WHW Challenge Race event. Coronavirus came and as we all know, changed nearly everything about the way we live our lives. The race was postponed with the hope that it could take place later in the year. Jim Drummond, the race director, had been updating the website regularly throughout the year to keep everyone informed and early on in the year had advised that once a race date was set, it was likely that there would be short notice though he was aiming for a September or October event date. Well, Jim and his race team managed to pull of the seemingly impossible task of adapting the race sufficiently to create as safe an event as possible - in line with guidelines available at the time - and announced a race start date of Friday 2nd October 2020.I had learned a lot about my capabilities and this length of race in 2019 and in preparation for the 2020 event I had been training well up until early April but had developed a significant and worsening injury, so after the May date was postponed had eventually decided to carry my name over to the 2021 event. Since June, I had been unable to run at all and instead been mountain biking and attending strength classes. As my injury improved with some treatment and rest from running, I had just managed to go out for a couple of very slow 4-mile jogs in early September before Jim’s next telephone call came. It must have been around the 8th September that we spoke and I didn’t realistically think I could attend as a participant but I was keen to be involved some way and offered to be a marshal if needed. I told my husband, Scott, what Jim was arranging, and Scott surprised me by looking excited and saying it might be quite a fun adventure. Scott had not attempted the West Highland Way before – his introduction to distances over 50 miles was in July 2019 when we completed the East Highland Way race which Jim had organised. Scott had not walked or run in over six months due to a knee injury, though had also been doing the 2 x week strength classes and a lot of cycling and his knee was much improved. Scott and I agreed that we would set out to walk and see how far we got, enjoy the scenery and the option to stop and get a lift to the finish when we had had enough. It would be a good distraction from the virus, politics and lack of loo roll in the supermarket. And I was genuinely looking forward to seeing Jim and some of the other familiar faces we have met at previous events. In any case, I booked some accommodation and emailed Jim to say ‘yes please put us back on the list for this year’. Two weeks before race date, Scott and I went for a 20-mile walk. It was hard. The change of race start timing from midnight to a morning start was exciting and beneficial. I was excited to have the opportunity to see some scenery that I had missed in the dark the previous year and also, starting at 8am meant I was able to get a full nights sleep and my legs were nice and fresh at the start. As a slower participant, I also knew I would only have to manage one night, which is a huge boost. Scott and I had the day off work on Thursday, packed up our gear and drop bags and headed to Milngarvie where we stayed at the Premier Inn overnight. It is just about half a mile or so from the race start at the town hall, so very easy and relaxed. We slept well and made it to the start to set off at 8.02am. There were fewer participants this year, understandably. 34 people started, 18 people completed the full course (well done everyone – it was a strange year and I am sure many people were as unprepared as we were!!) I really like a smaller, friendly, relaxed event so the staggered start and fewer people participating really suited me. I don’t mean to sound as if I want to exclude anyone of course, it is just more mentally demanding for me to attend a larger event. It was a fine but crisp morning and the initial sections were gorgeous. We walked for around half an hour or so to settle into the day then started to slowly jog little bits of downward sloping, even ground. It felt good so we kept at it. I was keen to get to Drymen in about 3 hours – I’m not too sure why but I think it was just to make sure we managed to get at least 12 miles done! We met up with Mark Kirk, who I had spent many hours with in 2019 who went on to complete the race this year – nice one Mark! We had patches of fog but it slowly cleared and the view toward and approaching Conic Hill were really something. The hill itself was absolutely buzzing with people – though it didn’t hinder our progress or distract from the fantastic terrain and view. The climb up Conic Hill was fine, taking it steady. Scott got giddy about the descent down to Balmaha (as expected) and ran down the steep, techy path. I took a more sedate approach, after having tried the same thing last year and fallen hard! Scott, the superior runner, managed without difficulty and was fair chuffed with it. We made good progress around Loch Lomond, enchanted by the amazing sunlight on the water and in the trees. Having seen the terrain and knowing that there are multiple short but steep little ascents around the lochside, I was prepared mentally for it. I also had my walking poles for the entire event this year (last year I didn’t pick them up until Bridge of Orchy) and I think it made all the difference in maintaining better posture while ascending and taking a little bit of strain off the knees and supporting balance when descending. Not everyone needs or likes the poles, but I personally felt the benefits.Before starting the event, I had looked at my previous years times and considered the terrain and all the other factors I could think of to plan some rough timeframes for us to aim to be at each checkpoint. I made the times generous, to take pressure off and allow for stops. Having these times and meeting them consistently really helped my confidence throughout the day and night. I felt ‘on target’ to either complete the race within the timeframes, or to get to wherever we got to, in my own timeframe. I really enjoyed both the high ‘forest road’ section and the lower lochside sections between Rowardennan and Beinglas and both Scott and I were both chuffed that we managed to jog-walk throughout the section. We had to put our torches on around the final bit of the ‘techy’ lochside section and despite the dark it was not difficult to navigate. We got to Beinglas ahead of my ‘schedule’ which was excellent because it took us a little time to work out our changeover from day bags to ‘safety rucksack’ and make sure we had everything we needed for the cool, long night ahead. We had a pot noodle and a cuppa and set off again. The night was still and a beautiful moon was present initially. I found the section from Beinglas to after the Falls of Falloch a little less daunting this year – Scott and I continued to walk and jog and were in pretty good spirits until the section that climbs up and over Crainlarich, which was easier physically than I recalled in terms of steepness, but longer and more pointless (multiple little climbs, followed by multiple little steep descents…why??!), though I suspect I was just feeling a little fatigued up until we made the check point 3 at Auchtertye around 1am. Our jog walking had ended by this time and I didn’t jog again until nearing Kinlochleven. Walking a steady pace, with the time we had left was working just fine though. We didn’t stop too long at Auctertyre and carried on past Tyndrum, another section I had been looking forward to. The community forest above Tyndrum is lovely with heather, shrubs and trees and a super section of easy narrow walking track. Scott enjoyed it too and we popped out onto the road at Tyndrum feeling pretty good. A quick stop at the Tyndrum public loo – washing my hands with soap felt amazing! – and carry on toward Bridge of Orchy. Scott had started to have some blister trouble on the long stretch toward Bridge of Orchy and stopped to do some foot care. I carried on, as I intended to do a quick change of clothes in the hall toilets at check point 4. We got into Bridge of Orchy, just ahead of schedule and I went on to change.I had a huge, strong cup of coffee and we headed out. Again, feeling a lot better and with less blisters than last year (I only had one blister this time). Unfortunately, I started to feel sick on the final climb out of Bridge of Orchy and was struggling on the descent down to Inveroran. Scott was doing well and starting to pull away and then had to wait for me, which was a little frustrating and I suggested he carry on. He didn’t go ahead and we eventually caught up with Stephen Morley, a fellow East Highland Way finisher – the distraction of chatting to Stephen and the change from darkness to light lifted my spirits again and I started to feel better. I progressed slowly but steadily to Kingshouse with Scott and Stephen - sometimes we were together, sometimes on our own. Scott and I had decided we would retire at Kingshouse, as we descended toward Glencoe Mountain Resort. When we told Stephen, he encouraged us to keep going – to do it with him, to support him. Well, the little bit of encouragement saw us commit to carrying on to Kinlochleven. I had a mental barrier about the Devil’s staircase, thinking it would be too hard. To be honest, the climb was tough but taken at a slow pace was not half as bad as I had feared, and my legs held up well. It was the descent down to Kinlochleven that finished us! The weather was warm but the rain was coming on a little bit and the sensation in our feet and toes was becoming quite something. In the end, Scott and I agreed to retire at Kinlochleven. I am not a hundred percent sure of exactly what decided it – it wasn’t just sore feet, nor was it the rain. I think we could have finished, and within or nearly within the 35 hours. But in all honesty, we were both amazed to have gotten as far as we did, given the events of the year and level of preparedness we felt to have been at. We did what we set out to do – walk and see how far we got – and totally blew our own minds with how far we managed to walk-jog on the Friday and into the night. It was enough. I know it might not make sense to others and there are of course moments when I ask myself what we were thinking, going all that way and then falling at the final hurdle! The thing is, we had a great time, shared an amazing and tough challenge as a couple and I learned a little bit more about myself and coping with the demands of this type of event to take me forward into next year. Things I have learned / some thoughts that may be of interest to others of similar ability – 1. Walking poles really help to cover the longer distances and times 2. Regularly applying Vaseline and putting on dry socks twice during the event seemed to help keep my feet in pretty good order 3. Strength training is essential – back, abs and glutes (I have read that countless times but only started in January this year. It was so evident this year, having not done any actual running or walking, that strength training got us through)4. Having a change of at least top layer in later drop bags was good, as once we decided to retire I was able to take off the wet / sweaty clothes to keep warm while waiting to be taken to Fort William. 5. Looking ahead at the weather in the days prior to the race helped plan what to wear during the day and night (sounds obvious but the change in temperature is significant, as Jim says in his advice) 6. The climbs are not as bad as you think they are going to be if you don’t try to rush them. 7. Walking will most definitely get you to the end in time8. Not completing the full course is only as devastating as you decide it is – be happy with what you have done and accept the outcome on the day. Every race is different, you just don’t know what is going to happen on the day. 9. The daytime start was super – good sleeps both Thursday before and Saturday after so return to normal sleeping was fairly easy and recovery is much quicker than in 2019. Huge thanks and love to all the race team and especially to Jim for picking up the telephone and giving us the call. His cheerful support and encouragement have helped me to push myself further and harder than I ever dreamed I could - and then Stephen also stepped in and encouraged us to go just that little bit further past Kingshouse! Scott is now a convert and keen to put in the hours to make sure he is ‘race ready’ for next year. I hope to be there too, walk jogging along and hope to see other familiar faces along the way. All going well, it will be third time lucky for me and I will get to that finish line! (NB To the Race Support Team - if I try to hand in my race number at one of the later checkpoints and I don’t look like I am going to expire or have a broken bone / severe, debilitating injury, refuse it and send me on my way! ?).All the best to everyone meantime. Louise Harrison ................
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