Alan Kay
THE WAY RACE 2004
The start 1a.m.
I may look cool but I'm a bag of nerves
I'm sitting here looking
at a blank page, where do I start. It's hard to put into words how I feel about
the West Highland Way Race, at the prize giving, it was said that it becomes a
bit of your heart, I would agree with that. It is a race that is just about you,
and you alone, to finish is what it is all about and the pride to stand up and
receive your glass at the end. Mind you, some just can't stand, others can only
shuffle, and a few look like they haven't run the race. Pride, is what it's all
about
I'm 62 years old, I've
run the race for the last 9 nine years and I'm going for my tenth in a row, it's
late Friday night I haven't slept all day and I'm standing in the car park at
Milngavie station waiting to start at one o'clock on Saturday morning, I must be
aff my heid.
Dario, the race organizer, and West Highland Way fanatic gives the usual
briefing (wish it was brief), and then it's into the tunnel for the start.
Everyone is laughing, talking and smiling, they'll soon get the smile wiped off
their faces, and by the end there won't be too many talking either.
Head torches on and the word GO is all it takes to send eighty odd, and I mean
odd people in to a frantic frenzy of running. Out of the tunnel and up the
steps, the race has begun.
Mugdock wood in the dark packed with runners on a narrow track is a real fun way
to start off, trying not to bump into each other or trip up is the best you can
hope for. It's not easy to pass people so you just have to go with the flow. The
path does a sharp right turn up a hill (that's where we all went wrong two years
ago, and guess what! Some of them did it again, it adds an extra mile on, and
no, I didn't go wrong). I have a few Jelly babies as I will throughout the race
A few miles on and as the runners are thinning out the track goes sharp left
down a short road then sharp right and I suddenly came face to face with runners
coming towards me, they had gone straight on and ended up in the sewage works,
what fun. It's still dark and now and I'm more or less on my own, I can see
people ahead but I'm not gaining on them. I'm out of the woods now and the
ground opens up more and is rougher under foot, I caught up with a German, whose
dream was to run this race. You could tell by his voice how much it meant to
him. That was the first time I fell, I went down heavily on my left side and my
elbow dug into my ribs, my shoulder and ribs hurt like hell, but all you can do
is pick yourself up dust yourself down and carry on. Drymen at 12 miles is the
first place I meet my backup crew, Anne, Jill, Simon and my driver Iain, they
make sure I'm fed and watered and send me on my way. It's getting light by now
so I don't need my torch any more. Up into Garadhban forest and at about 18
miles on open but rocky ground, I fell again, on my right side this time my
right knee slammed into a rock so I don't know which side hurts more I'm not
very good at staying upright. Conic hill is the first real test it's about 1200
feet and very steep, I have to walk up most of it, going down is worse, as it is
steeper and very difficult to keep my feet as I head for the first checkpoint at
Balmaha car park at the side of Loch Lomond. 20 miles in 3 hours 43 minutes
doing O.K. My crew make sure I'm all right, and I'm on my way down to the loch
side, legs are a bit sore but hopefully they will ease off, and after a few
hundred yards the first of many climbs they're not long but quite steep, most of
the track wide enough for only one person and as I pass some walkers they all
move aside and clap as I go past looking at me as if I was mad, but it's being
mad the stops me going insane. The rest of this section is part on road and part
in woods it twists and turns in all directions. My legs are beginning to feel a
bit heavy and I'm getting a little tired it's quite cold and the wind is right
in my face as I come onto the road again for the last time on this section.
Rowardennen. My crew are waiting for me with a cup of tea and a sausage
sandwich, which I'm going to have to share with a few thousand midges, as soon
as I stopped they came at me with a vengeance and within minutes my legs had so
many spots, if my crew had found a pen they were going to play join the dots.
Five minutes and I was off again leaving the midges behind. The track is wide
here but there are some very long climbs past Ben Lomond and at about 32 miles
it's down to a single person track, over very rough terrain all rocks and roots,
then out of the trees I see the hotel, a very steep climb over a bridge and down
a long flight of steps that make my legs really ache. What fool put a long
flight of steps there!
Inversnaid
34 miles, 6 hours 51 minutes. Stopped long enough for a wee chat, some water and
a banana and I'm off again. The tracks not to bad at this stage but it soon
narrows to single track and very rough again and at Rob Roy's cave there are
steps going almost vertically down, I have to go very carefully, I don't fancy
falling down on those rocks. Then the smell hit me, a very strong stench as if
something was dead, it was a goat, not dead, just smelly, and standing at the
side of the path looking at me. Only another goat could like that aroma. It took
one look at me and stood its ground. I didn't fancy getting butted so I made my
way round some trees and back onto the track. Coward or what? By now I've run
out of water and have to find a decent stream to get more, they tell you not to
do that, but, needs must. I'm out of the woods and passing our old checkpoint at
Beinglas farm, then on to a wide track for the three miles to the next stop.
Derrydaroch , 44 miles, 9 hours 22 minutes feeling fine, sore, tired, but fine
Now! My crew are not going to like this, but for the very first time ever they
got it wrong I was supposed to get a jammy piece, but all I got was a truffle.
Talk about let down! I was looking forward to my piece, and what did I get ?? a
truffle. Enough said
About a mile further on, the track crosses the main road and my jammy piece was
waiting for me, so I'll let them off with a slapped hand and a ticking off. The
track goes up a long hill round the back of Crianlarich then a few sharp hills
before a long descent to the main road at Mountgreen,
I get more water from my crew and head across the road and into farmland. The
running is easier here mainly flat on a wide farm road past the ruin of St
Fillans priory, past a farm then back across the main road and along a track to
the next stop
Tyndrum 52 miles 11hours 37 minutes Food stop
I leave Tyndrum up a long hill my legs are screaming in pain to start with, but
they ease off as I get to the top and I can start to run again this part of the
run is mainly down hill and is on good track. It's still cold and the wind is
quite strong now and straight into my face as it will be for the rest of the
race. It's only seven miles to the next stop and this section goes past without
incident.
Bridge of Orchy, 13 hours 11 minutes. 59 miles.
The bad news is it's raining now, the good news is it's got rid of the midgies.
Short break then its onward and upwards, and it is upwards. A long climb over
the top of Mam Carraigh and a long decant to Inverornon Hotel, could do with a
pint but I'd better give it a miss. My crew are waiting for me at Victoria
Bridge at the start of Rannoch Moor, it's raining steadily now but just a heavy
drizzle. Refill my water bottle the I'm on my way
Over the stile and it's a long slow climb up Rannoch Moor the scenery is
fantastic looking across to the Black Mount and Beinn Chaorach and by the time
I'm about half way up the moor I'm passing first of the Highland Challenge
walkers coming the other way, most nod, some smile, and some clap and say "well
done". At least one of the words was right, and it wasn't well. As I come round
a bend and over a rise I can see Kingshouse, but it's three miles away and it's
a very long three miles. Down past Blackrock cottage and over the main road
again then down the track and into Kingshouse
16 hours 16 minutes for 72 miles, doing well.
Leaving Kingshouse my
legs don't work I have to walk for a bit until they ease off. I go up the road
till I come to a stile then it's on to rough ground heading along the base of
Beinn a Chrulaiste and back onto the main road at Altnafeadh. Now the race
begins. The Devils staircase is in front of me and it looks higher than I
remember, I'm breathing heavy, ache all over, every joint is sore, heart
pounding, my muscles are screaming at me and I'm tired as I slog upwards, but
apart from that I'm fine. Over the top, feeling good now as I head downhill
zigzagging towards the pump station then steeply downhill to Kinlochleven.
19 hours 58 minutes. 81 miles
That's not a smile it's a grimace
Because of the weather
conditions and the threat of snow, Yes, I said snow; (it's summer in Scotland
what else would you expect!) my backup runner was asked by the checkpoint to run
the last stage with me, so Simon the fool was volunteered by the ladies, and
believing it was only ten miles said he'd run with me. There's one born every
minute! So it's straight up the 800 feet onto Mamore moor. Simon keeps talking
to me as we make our way towards the ruined cottage at Lairigmor, it's nice to
have company. We can see a car ahead of us, it's not the usual thing to see up
here, and away up on the mountain to our right is a man making his way along a
ridge. It's getting late and starting to get dark as we pass a Landrover and
behind it a man walking a dog, it turns out the man up the hill lost his dog in
the morning up on the high ridge and the other man, a walker, found a dog. Alls
well that ends well, as they say. I'm very tired by now and I'm being passed by
some of the other runners, I just have to keep going. The lights of Fort William
are a welcoming sight as we make our way down the forest track to the Brave
Heart car park then on to the main road, and into the Lochaber leisure center to
check in my number.
Finished
22hours 57 ½ minutes 95 miles I'm knackered
All I want now is a cup
of tea and a wee sleep
Sunday Breakfast
I can't believe that I have run this race for 10 consecutive years, that's 950
miles. When I did it the first time, I thought I would only do it once, no one
is stupid enough to do it twice, are they? How wrong I was.
Prize giving
I was in 19th place. Quite happy with that
And I'm one of only three to have completed ten races
One word sums up this race
PRIDE
My thanks as usual go to
my backup crew, who have been with me for most of the ten years I have been
running this race, they are simply the best.
Anne Christie
Jill Foggie
Simon Hunter
Iain Murray
Thank you all again, for without your help and support I could not run this
race. It is a team effort, and I am a very proud part of that team.
Alan Kay
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