Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
T.S. Eliot
On Saturday morning I got up and went and ran an Ultramarathon, well when I say ran it wasn’t all running some of it resembled a slow shuffle. But by putting one foot in front of the other I kept going and got to the end.
The race seemed to be a manageable step up from Marathon distance and was marketed as such by the organisers Breaking Strain Events so when I was planning events for this year it seemed to fall in perfectly for me coming off the back of the Edinburgh marathon with the training for that in my legs and before I start focusing on preparation for the Berlin Marathon in September. So in February I signed up along with my friend Graham to in his words ‘Pop our Ultra cherry’
This is the story of how we got on.
In the lead up to the race training had not been as great as either of us had hoped however all runners will say that about every race they are doing so there is nothing new there. Sometimes family life, work commitments, other races etc. take over and are the top of the priority list. However I do get my fair share of time for running and cycling thanks to an understanding partner so I can’t complain too much about that, I think she actually enjoys the peace and quiet when I am out! Despite the non ideal training with the endurance in my legs already from the Edinburgh marathon and the volume of cycling from earlier on in the year, I was fairly confident I would be physically capable on the day.
The race was held at the stunning location of Whitelee Wind Farm on Eaglesham Moor just to the south of Glasgow and I’ve discovered it’s a great place to go running or cycling and somewhere I will be visiting again regularly. Graham and I managed to get up there for one recon run of about 23 miles at the end of June and lessons learned from that proved to be invaluable to us being better prepared on the day of the race and helped us to completed the race on the day. The recon run was a good chance to try out what kit would work for a longer run and what we would need to carry when we were going to have to be more self-sufficient than we were both used to as marathon runners who really are spoiled with aid stations every few miles.
The weather for our recon was hot and sunny and I think we both underestimated our times to cover distance on the trails due to a combination of the heat with the rolling, undulating nature of the terrain. Both of us are sub 3.30 marathon runners with Graham pushing closer to the 3.15 area so when we initially signed up for the race we were hoping for a time of around 4.30 but after our recon run we both agreed we would be very happy with a time of 5 hours on the day with 5.15 probably being more realistic as it was our first attempt at anything over marathon distance and we were not sure how we would react and there were other variables out with our control like the weather and how undulating the full route could be.
The night before the race was the usual mix of nerves, excitement and packing kit. Trying to remember everything and be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. The weather forecast for the day was good in some ways and very bad in others. Good for me as it was not forecast to be hot and sunny, as I really do not cope well in the sun. However it was bad as there was rain and gale force winds expected for most of the day. A wind farm in gale force winds would be a character building place to try and run.
Another new experience for the night before the race was packing drop bags for the three checkpoints out on the course. I am used to running marathons with energy gels and water to get me through it however I knew that getting nutrition correct on the day would be one of the things that would help get me through. The difficulty was I just wasn’t sure what I would want and when, would I want sweets and a sugar rush? Or would I want savoury and salt? Or how about a caffeine boost? Or dry socks? Or a cup of tea?! So I ended up over packing and putting a bit of everything in to my Drop bags. I decided I would only put drop bags in for checkpoints 2 and 3 and be self-sufficient up until then. One thing that I took from the pre-race competitor brief document was to have the drop bags easily identifiable so I decorated mine with Panini football stickers which did the job perfectly.
The morning of the race came and I looked out the window to see the weather forecast was correct, the rain was bouncing and the wind was looking strong. I had a few moments questioning myself if I should just stay in bed but managed to get up and get my usual pre-race breakfast of porridge in to me before packing nearly all the running clothing I own in to the car so I was prepared for all options and would decide the best clothing choices when I got there. As I was driving to the wind farm the showers seemed to ease a bit and get a wee bit less frequent but the wind was a constant and getting stronger as I drove out of the city and up and on to the moor. When I parked the car and got out to go and pick up my race number and hand my drop bags in there was no escape from the wind but the showers had stopped. Final clothing choice was made to go with a sleeveless compression base layer, long sleeved running top with lightweight windproof jacket over it.
As we were having the race briefing and waiting before the start and in to the early part of the run I really wish I had my gloves with me but they were the only thing I forgot to pack. However once I started running and was a few miles in I had heated up nicely, and was actually turning in to a bit of boil in the bag with the jacket on so decided I would take the jacket off when I got to the first checkpoint.
It was nice to get going and start the race but Graham and I were conscious of not letting racing instincts kick in and kept needing to make sure we were sticking to our pace and not trying to race with the pack that formed from the start. With the race being over such a distance everyone was soon quite spread out with people going at their own pace. It was a nice change from some of the big road races to be in a race but with so much space around you. It was also a nice refreshing change to not be all out racing or focused on time and splits as I would be in a road 10k/half/marathon and just to be enjoying the run and making sure I was running within myself to allow me to complete the distance. Running past the wind turbines you were treated to the satisfying swooshing sound as the blades turned above your head, this was to be the soundtrack for the day.
I knew that for fluid and food intake little and often would likely be the best strategy, I had my own water, electrolyte drink, energy gels and Chia Charge flapjack bars to see me through to the second check point. Eating solid food when running was a new experience for me but the flapjack bars were easy enough to take small bites from and didn’t cause me any discomfort all day and worked well to give me the energy I needed so something I will happily use again and they taste great which is a bonus!
We reached Checkpoint 1 right on schedule after just over an hour of running, by this point I was really hot and glad to take the time to stop and remove my jacket. The wonderful volunteers at the checkpoint told us we were in about 15th place which was a nice unexpected boost to hear, but it did also start to appeal to our racing instincts to try and keep pace with those just in front of us but when leaving the checkpoint we did so with our sensible heads on and at our own pace, this was helped by the fact that the trail out the checkpoint was up a short sneaky hill.
A few km’s after the first checkpoint we started to catch up with and overtake a few other runners it was around this time that the heavens opened and we got soaked, but it was also quite refreshing as the temperature had started to creep up and it was feeling a bit muggy so it was quite a welcome shower.
Earlier on in the race at around 8km Graham had went over a loose stone on the trail, at the time it hadn’t seemed to be causing him much discomfort, well none that he let on about anyway, however at around the 18km point he started to be feeling the effects of this with his ankle throbbing and causing him quite a bit of pain when he was running. This seemed to coincide with us going in to uncharted territory and parts of the trail that we had not visited on our recon run and us facing some of the steepest and longest uphill parts of the route. We had a wee stop at the side of the trail to allow Graham to put some gel on his ankle and to allow me to remove a stone from my shoe before trying to continue running.
We were joined around about here by another runner who had caught up with us which was a good opportunity to have someone else to chat to about running, races, how they were finding it and so on. The three of us stayed together in quite good spirits till just after the second Checkpoint which was around about the half way point. It was good psychologically to make it to the second Checkpoint and for me to be feeling relatively good. We took the time to refill water bottles and pockets with gel’s and sweets from my drop bags, talk to the volunteers who were manning the checkpoint and I had a few drinks from a can of coke to give me an extra sugar boost. It was still raining quite heavily at this point and I found that stopping in the wet my temperature dropped quite quickly and I got a bit shivery so I was glad to start running again and it took me a few miles before I heated up again. The lesson from this for me is that in future when I stop to put my jacket back on so I don’t get too cold, it seems so simple looking back at it. Idiot.
Around about the 28km point Graham was starting to struggle with his ankle as he couldn’t find a way or running that gave him much relief from the pain. We were also still running as a trio and we were going at the pace of the fastest runner and not what we wanted. So we wished our companion well and told him to push on and not let us slow him down. Graham was also concerned about slowing me down and told me to push on but I told him I would be staying with him as we started together and would be finishing together so if we had to walk when needed or even crawl we would.
It is true that I was still feeling good and could have pushed on at a faster pace, however If I did that I could also have easily hit the wall further down the trail. Also on another day under different circumstances it could have been me who was struggling or injured as has happened in previous races where Graham has got me round. So we started as a team and would stay as a team. Over the next 7-10km Graham was in a few dark places but he managed to get himself out of them and kept pushing himself forward. Only once did he mention possibly pulling out when he arrived at Checkpoint 3 but he soon forgot that idea and managed to power on.
Both of us took a huge psychological boost when we arrived at Checkpoint 3 we seemed to be in good spirits. Yes we were tired and muscles were aching but we knew at that point that we were both going to finish the race which gave the pair of us a massive lift. Also at this point in the day the sun started to make an appearance. So we had a quick chat with the Checkpoint volunteers, took some supplies from our drop bags and in the spirit of making hay when the sun shines were out back on the trail progressing as quickly as we could. At points running had deteriorated in to a strange forward shuffle but we were moving forward and that was the key point. The checkpoint volunteers joked with us it was nearly all downhill to the finish line, but after our recon run we knew there was quite a sting in the tail with a large hill before the finish line within the last 8km.
About a mile after the third Checkpoint there was a family group on bikes coming the opposite way. They stopped and chatted to us and asked us if we were winning the race, this caused much laughter and hilarity for Graham and myself as we must have looked at least fresh enough to possibly be winning despite how we were actually feeling.
Not long after this I set Graham the challenge of us trying to get to the end without anyone else overtaking us. It is true he was feeling better, but this suggestion was a wee bit of a step too far for him and he wasn’t willing to take on the challenge. (This is something we did achieve though, so even though he doubted we managed it!)
With the knowledge from our recon run that we had one final hill to get over before the end of the race we could psychologically prepare for the hill in advance of it and not have it as a shock which would have happened for some other runners, if I hadn’t have been prepared for it the hill would have probably made me cry. But with some chocolate covered coffee beans taken a mile or so before the hill started I managed to get my head down and make my way up it. At the top we could see the finish which in some ways was so close and in others so far away.
All through the race the signage on the trail from the organisers had been flawless and when we got to the top of the hill and round a bit there was signage showing we should go left but as we started going that way three runners came back down the trail saying they had followed it for quite a bit and it was the wrong way. We got our course maps out and after a bit of discussion decided it must be the opposite way so went against the signage and followed the trail to the right. Further up this trail we picked up event signage again so we followed this to the end. I know that due to the weather that parts of the route had to be changed and re-signed. Maybe this is the cause of the discrepancy but again is another lesson learned to make sure you always have a route map with you for events.
With the final short uphill run to the finish line we crossed the line together in a time of 5 hours 7 minutes and 46 seconds to come in 14th and 15th places. We were exhausted and glad to finish but proud of what we had achieved.
Looking back a few days later it think it’s quite incredible that under the circumstances of Graham’s injury, with the strong wind all day that there was no relief or escape from and for it being our first ultra-distance event for us to be under 8 minutes outside our optimistic time prediction is something we should both be immensely proud of and take confidence from in to future events.
Once we had been given our medals, t-shirt and chatted to people at the finish line for a bit we hobbled back down the hill to get our bags from our cars as another advantage of our recon was that we knew there were showers at the visitors centre to use. The event organisers had also provided physio’s at the Ranger huts next to the visitors centre. It’s amazing how good you can feel after a shower and a massage and it was off back down the hill to the cars to head home tired and elated at achieving ultramarathon runner status.
I have not crossed the line and said never again to another Ultra distance event. I am not too sure who will be more upset at that idea, Graham or Nadine?!
A massive thank you goes to Breaking Strain Events for putting on an amazing race and providing all a runner could want. Whitelee Wind Farm for supporting the event and allowing the event to take place on their trails and for the great shower facilities! The physios who worked non-stop providing massages and advice for the runners. All the other runners who were in the race, the camaraderie and support we all gave each other was so nice to see.
Graham thank you for your support and encouragement, we did it!
Run the Blades 50km Ultramarathon Strava
Trimm Dich blog 
Great race recap, thanks for sharing!
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