The Highland Fling Race

On Friday, I took the train to Milngavie for the Highland Fling Race. Train journeys are great for surreptitious people sketching as the passengers often remain stationary for long periods. I did two quick watercolour sketches.

Unfortunately for the previous few days I had a mild sore throat. Now traditionally running a race with a sore throat has been an absolute no-no. However before most of the ultras I have ever done I have had a sore throat and have often felt ill before the start. I have come to believe that there must be a psychological element involved .So I was on the start line at 6 AM  on Saturday hoping that I would feel better once I started running.Within the first mile I felt really bad and resolved to drop out at Drymen - if I could get that far. I jogged slowly along feeling a bit down, but chatting to friends as they overtook  cheered me up. The Highland Fling is one of my favourite races; it is very well organised, has stunning and varied scenery, and is a really testing route.

 At Drymen (13miles in)  I decided to see if I could get over Conic Hill before dropping out. I was boosted to hear  a cuckoo in the scrubland before Conic; every time I have done the race I have have heard my first cuckoo  of the year just at that point. Conic Hill was a struggle. I had a hacking cough and felt breathless but I enjoyed the views from the top. I really should have dropped out at Balmaha but I had overtaken some people on the way down the hill  and persuaded myself I felt a bit better. So I continued on to Rowardennan. Despite my compromised lungs I overtook quite a few people. I realize now that it is actually very hard to pull out of an ultra . There is the support and goodwill of spectators and runners encouraging you to carry on, but also one expects to feel ill during an ultramarathon. Normally I feel  bad at Rowardennan whether on the Fling or the entire West Highland Way Race. Because I had gone much more slowly this time my legs were fine and despite the cough and breathlessness I actually felt better than normal. It was also hard to pull out when I was steadily overtaking people at that point.

Sketch from a photo that I did a few years ago showing Loch Lomondside

View of the route just before the Doune Bothy that I painted several years ago.

Beyond Rowardennan the route is quite technical; lots of rocks and tree roots to clamber over. It is incredibly beautiful, lush undergrowth and huge trees which grow out of the hillside at weird angles. There are rocks, caves ,waterfalls ,lots of wild garlic, feral goats and of course the ever present loch itself which seems go on for ever. Despite the fact that the main road is just the other side of Loch Lomond it is really a  remote area with next to no vehicular access apart from at Inversnaid. For me it is a chance  to relax , accept one cannot go fast and enjoy the scenery. Just beyond Rowardennan  I had  a tremendous runners high , I felt so happy that I was able to run  and for the first time felt I had a chance to finish .

 I stopped for a few seconds at Dario's post and looked back down the loch. Dario organised the West Highland Way Race for many years and was sorely missed after his untimely death on Lochnagar . Friends erected a West Highland Way  marker post in his memory at the end of the loch which was his favourite view on the whole route.

I enjoyed myself all the way to Beinglas Farm but at the checkpoint I had a coughing fit which went on and on. Afterwards I found that I couldn't run , as soon as I broke into a trot I became breathless, dizzy and had to stop to cough. Again I should have baled out at Beinglas but with the finish only twelve miles away I thought I could walk to the finish as long as I had enough time to catch the train. I was overtaken  by loads of people but had to accept that any finish was a bonus. It developed into a lovely evening so walking was no hardship.

I could only manage a bit of a jog over the finish line but was really happy to get there and to have completed the 53 miles. I'm not sure what my time was except that it was at least 31/2 hours slower than my best time! In retrospect it was a  mistake to run as I was risking my health and couldn't stop coughing and wheezing at the end. Once home I felt really rough and went straight to bed . However I really had a great time during the race and enjoyed almost all of it . J.K. very kindly gave us a lift up to the upper station- I think I would have really struggled to carry my kit up the hill.