Race Reports

17th November 2024

This race was my first ultra distance since having Finlay and Olivia, and I went into it feeling slightly more confident than I did before the Two Breweries in September. Mentally, I knew I’d be able to handle the distance and the pain, my tolerance to what is uncomfortable has definitely increased in recent years! I was, however, not feeling prepared the few days before the race: nothing was organised and my brain was full of child logistics rather than race logistics! The night before felt a bit frantic making sure I had all my kit and food ready and I was slightly worried about my shoe situation. All my long runs had been on fells or hills, and I didn’t have any trail shoes I felt comfortable wearing for more than a couple of hours, I knew I couldn’t wear my mud claws as there was too much tarmac so had to lace up a pair that I knew would give me some juicy blisters after a couple of hours, lovely.

I completed the Tweed Valley 65km race in 2017 with my sister as her first ultra and then again in 2018, coming 2nd, but didn’t feel ready for that distance yet. The 50km was more appealing this year!

The race started at 8 a.m. in Glentress, so I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. to allow enough time for breakfast, a petrol stop and a stress-free drive. Halfway there, I realised the petrol station didn’t open until 7 a.m. With zero miles left in the tank, I had to turn back (to Lanark!), fill up and then race to registration. (Not so stress-free!) I arrived at 7:30 a.m. and managed to frantically sort everything and get registered just in time for the start. – although not without realising I’d forgotten my watch! Thanks to Lisa and Gergely who both offered me theirs but I decided to track it on my phone and try not to worry about it too much! A lesson learned about preparation….piss poor, or something along those lines?!

The morning was cold and crisp, with no wind – a perfect day for a jaunt in the Tweed Valley! Despite the earlier palaver, I felt relaxed as I stood on the start line. It’s not often I get a day to myself to run and eat snacks without worrying about child logistics! I also felt grateful just to be there – thinking of Euan’s injury and how he’s not able to run at the moment.

The race started fast, I watched the front runners pull away and tried not to get too excited, too early! My focus was on perceived effort, a strategy I’d relied on during the Two Breweries race; convincing myself to stay comfortable throughout. I started strong, telling myself this was a good pace. But then the doubts crept in: Is this too fast? Should I slow down? What if I can’t keep it up? What if I have to stop after 20 miles?

That wee voice has been so much louder this year, and I get why. Most parents, especially new mums, know all too well the constant battle with self-doubt and guilt. It’s like it moves in and takes up permanent residence in your head! But I’m learning to turn the volume down, and opportunities like this help.

Without a watch, I had no idea how fast or slow I was running anyway! I didn’t want to drain my phone battery, which was tracking the miles, so I just kept going and enjoyed the undulating forest trails. By the time I hit the river path, I felt good. Passing Cardrona seemed to happen in good time, and I reached Traquair – the first aid station – after a couple of hours. This marked over a third of the race and a good chunk of the climbing done. I hate lingering at aid stations, so I refilled my water bottle quickly and got back to it!

Coming into the first checkpoint: Pic credit to Gergely

The next section through the forest and up Minch Moor was the most enjoyable part of the race. I felt relatively strong on the climbs and loved the descents. At the forest track, the route split for the 65k runners, and the descent after this point was so much fun- I felt like I was flying. Reaching the 20-mile point was a great feeling, and for a while, I was completely alone, running down the track like a kid, weeeeeeeeeeee!

On the road section toward Innerleithen, the last checkpoint, a guy passed me (later I learned he was cheering for his wife) and said, “You’re clear in 3rd place!” I was buzzing! I sped into the checkpoint, grabbed some jelly babies and a soft flask from my drop bag, said hello to Lisa (who was supporting Andy on the 65k) and continued along the muddy river path back towards Glentress.

The excitement of getting a spot on the podium helped as I approached the dreaded tarmac section along the river path. I caught up with two runners who had passed me earlier, and we tried to laugh about how miserable this part of the race was!

At one point, I looked at my phone and noticed it had been exactly 4 hours, and I’d covered 26.6 miles. That’s when I realised I’d beaten my marathon PB of 3:58! (As a caveat, that PB came from running the Edinburgh Marathon in 2014, after which I vowed never to do another road marathon because it was so painful!) Contemplating what I could achieve if I put some effort into a marathon training block…….

Anyway, seeing that time was the perfect boost for the final stretch: five miles of flat tarmac and a hill to climb before the finish. The tarmac was sore! My feet had the inevitable blisters that I’d prepared for and I was really looking forward to the last hill! The only section I enjoyed during this last part was the final descent into Glentress! Very relieved to cross the line in just under 5 hours and in 3rd place with a 50km PB: I still can’t quite believe this!

Podium snap: Pic credit to Lisa

Running has been my one constant since the twins were born, something to rely on when my brain and body are exhausted. Get the trainers on and out the door in an attempt to clear my head! Some days, it feels almost impossible to muster the energy after the chaos of getting everyone ready in the morning! That’s why those early runs, before everyone wakes up have been so important. It’s a love-hate relationship with the 5:20 am alarm: Stepping out in the cold, alone, reclaiming parts of myself in the dark.

Over the finish line: Pic credit to Gergely

28th September 2024

Something about this race compelled me to put a few thoughts down (which turned into a few paragraphs!).

After the Ben Nevis Race earlier in the month left me feeling slightly deflated – I had hoped for a faster time and really struggled in the heat – my confidence was low going into this one. Anyone who has tackled the Two Breweries knows how brutal it is: 19 miles with 1,600m (5,300ft) of climbing over rough terrain, much of it pathless. Like all hill running events, it requires self-navigation – no handy flags to guide the way!

I had finished this race twice before: in 2018 and then in 2022 with a PB of 4:09, following training for the West Highland Way that same year. But this time, my goal was simply to finish without damaging my body. Just over a year postpartum with the twins, my body is still dealing with some lingering niggles, and my weekly mileage isn’t what it used to be for obvious reasons!

The weather forecast looked not too bad and I was excited for some heather bashing! After enjoying some coffee and home baking in Broughton (organised by Macmillan Cancer Support), we took the bus to Traquair for registration and the noon start. I found a quiet spot in the walled gardens to organise my bag and take a moment to relax before the race.

Standing on the start line, I felt nervous but also mentally at peace, knowing there was no pressure; it was all about enjoyment. I couldn’t help but smile at how liberating it felt to leave the house with just my own gear, without worrying about food, snacks, clothes, nappies, naps or general child logistics!

The start was fast, as always. I settled into the middle of the pack, feeling strong and relaxed on the first climb, as we battled through shoulder-high bracken. I tried to conserve my legs on the descent down Birks Hill, focusing on getting the best line before the next climb. I took on some food and remembered how painful this race can be!

The miles flowed across Stob Law and up the stinger of a climb to the top of Whitelaw. I absolutely love the downhill section that follows, smiling all the way to the bottom and reaching Stobo in about 3 hours. I wasn’t paying much attention to timing at this point, as I was enjoying flying down the hills!

Coming into Stobo

From experience, I knew the section from Stobo to Trahenna and then to the finish could make or break the race. As I started to calculate my potential finish time, I thought, I could comfortably come in around 4.5 hours, which would be about 20 minutes off my PB – and I’d be delighted with that!

Memories of previous years came flooding back and I knew I had to just keep a steady pace through the trees. I passed a couple of people and, thankfully, remembered the left turn just in time! Picking a decent line through the long grass, I reached the bottom of Trahenna – the beast of a climb – and got my head down to the top.

It’s not a long climb, just incredibly steep! This year, we couldn’t take the direct route up the middle due to tree plantations and deer fences, so we followed a faint track to the south of the hill. Reaching the top felt great and the sun even tried to peek through as I checked my watch: it read 3:45. I was shocked to realise I was so close to my PB!

Fuelled by adrenaline, I went for it on the descent, bounding along the traverse and down Ratchill. I couldn’t believe how strong I felt and that I had a real chance of matching, or even beating, my previous time. With one mile to go, my watch read exactly 4 hours. I gave it everything I had and, somehow, crossed the finish line with a 1-minute PB!

Honestly, I could have cried! I was so buzzing crossing the finish line! It’s mind-blowing what the body can do – but even more so, what the mind can push you through. So much of this running journey is a head game. After a confidence knock earlier in the month at Ben Nevis, this felt like such a win. I hadn’t felt ‘strong’ in what seemed like forever, and getting a PB here felt like a game changer. It was the moment I felt like a runner again.

The beer and home baking are always welcome at the end of this race and I managed to sample some before heading home to jump back into parenting mode!

Repping the Tinto vest

18th June 2022

I was slightly dreading the 1am start but after a lie down in the van, a strong coffee and the amazing atmosphere, it was a lovely way to start.

The startline

It was very calm as we ran through Milngavie towards Drymen and Conic Hill. After some very good advice about not starting off too fast, I made sure to keep my hr down and just enjoy the morning. Arrived in Balmaha after a lovely Conic hill descent in good time, scoffed a hot cross bun and was on my way again.

I love the technical sections along the loch so was looking forward to getting past Rowardennan to start the low path and get some flow hopping over the rocks! Thankfully there was enough wind to keep the midges away and still a nice day as I picked up another drop bag and headed towards Inversnaid; a lovely section with some great marshals. I did think this was the checkpoint with coffee however and it wasn’t! So on towards Beinglas farm for coffee it was! I had a nice chat with some runners along this section and was feeling quite strong, there were a few glimpses of sunshine coupled with some spots of rain. A few people I passed here found the rocks relentless but I really enjoyed this section. It did, however, feel very good to have a seat at Beinglas with coffee and a Mars bar!

I’d been eating pretty well and thankfully didn’t have any stomach issues. As tempting as it was, I didn’t spend too much time at this checkpoint and headed for the halfway point to meet Euan and Gergely. I was really happy to reach Auchtertyre at about 12:20 on Saturday afternoon. My feet were feeling a bit sore so I decided to take my wet socks off, Euan’s face said it all when he saw my feet and we decided that a dry pair of trainers was also needed! I ate some pasta and drank another coffee then Gergely and I started running towards Bridge of Orchy.

Coming into Auchtertyre

It was great to run with some good chat and the miles flew by. I met my dad and sister at Tyndrum and after some lovely words of encouragement and a calippo we were on our way again and this section was really enjoyable- we managed to keep a good pace whilst putting on and taking off our waterproof jackets multiple times! The marshals told us at Auchtertyre that it was advised to have full waterproofs from there and it would be mandatory past Bridge of Orchy so we knew the weather was on its way! Great chat, great pace and we were at BofO in great time.

I met Euan, my dad and sister at this checkpoint and had a seat on the picnic tables, ate some soup and strawberries and still felt pretty good. Gergely and I then set off towards Glencoe taking our time up the first climb then onto Jelly Baby Hill and the 100km milestone. I still felt decent here but knew the long stretch towards the ski centre would be tough, and it was; a couple of low points made slightly better by one of Gergely’s snickers! It’s so barren along that stretch and we hardly saw anyone else, it would have been very lonely if I was on my tod!

Leaving Bridge of Orchy

I got a bit of a 5th wind coming into the checkpoint and it was so great to see Lisa, my dad, and Euan waiting for me with pizza and coffee. I changed into warm clothing as the weather was pretty stinky. I can see how a lot of people drop out here, the sleep deprivation was starting to kick in and there’s still a long way to go! I spent quite a bit of time here; eating and sorting clothes then set off with Euan towards the Devil’s staircase.

Euan and I about to leave Glencoe

It was nice to tell him about the race so far and the first few miles ticked away nicely as he tried to get me to eat various things. We said bye to Gergely at the Kings House Hotel and kept moving along the roadside. I really was feeling the pain in my feet at this point; the rocky terrain so far had really taken its toll. A team passed us and with the support guy at the front, I caught the eye of the runner behind and said ‘It’s shite now isn’t it’ and he agreed. I then spotted a burnt-out car halfway up the hill……it was actually a rock!

It was tough going up the staircase, Euan made me eat another bit of pizza that I spat out when he wasn’t looking! That loooooooong descent into Kinlochleven was sore and the sleep deprivation was real. It felt very slow and all I was thinking was one foot in front of the other. I’m sure at one point Euan said something along the lines of ‘your flat shuffle is about 13min mile pace which is really good’ trying to make me feel better!

Feeling ropey up the Devil’s Staircase

We finally reached KLL and my sister gave me the biggest hug with a worried look on her face as I think I was pretty grey at that point. I dibbed in and got out to the van quickly, my dad said ‘Oh shit’ under his breath when he saw me as he stirred the noodles I was about to force down. I needed caffeine so drank a coffee and a can of Coke and started to feel better. Some of the colour came back into my cheeks and I wasn’t slurring my words as much so we headed off towards Fort William. Little did I know this would be a horrific experience!

I had put my waterproof trousers on but was getting warm on the first climb, I resisted temptation and kept them on which was the right decision as the weather turned really nasty. Wind and torrential rain battered us for a good couple of hours, and I started to feel really terrible. My feet were so painful and I knew how long this section was if we were walking. It started to get really cold so we put on our puffas and continued. I tried to eat a rice crispy square that went down surprisingly well and continued to drink water and mountain fuel.

It’s difficult to describe the feelings at this point because it was so hard. I kept seeing fences in various colours that would pixilate away as we got closer and I could have sworn I saw a giant luminous pink fly on one of the the bushes- who knows if it was real!

When we got to the top of the last hill this huge sense of relief came over me as I knew it was almost over and ‘when you think you’re done you’re actually only 45% done’ (said someone, sometime) So we got a bit of ‘speed’ going downhill (even though my feet were on fire) and got to the road section and onto the finish. By this point I had already started crying again as I knew I was going to finish.

My dad and sister were waiting for us and ran the last 100m which was lovely. I got into the hall and crossed the finish line with so much relief and emotion I couldn’t even speak! My finish time was 24 hrs 34 mins and I was pretty happy with that since the longest I’d run previously was 70miles. An amazing experience that I’d describe as 70% wonderful and 30% painful. I said at KLL ‘I’m never doing this again’…………!

Finish line emotions