I don't even know how to start writing this, it all still feels like such an unbelievable dream that if it wasn't for my sore legs and fatigue, I don't think I'd believe it!
I'll not ramble on too much about the build up etc, my previous blog post (Kinloss backyard ultra) covered my last long run. I didn't run for a whole week after that (the first week of September), then was straight into the Auchterarder Running Festival Double Dare. This involved a 10k event on the Saturday and a half marathon on the Sunday. Thanks to a lovely chatty 10k run with Nikki on the Saturday, I felt pretty good during the half the next day (although I'd felt really tired before the run started!) and was pleased to come in under 2 hours on a hilly course. As a prep run for Loch Ness, it was very useful.
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I then found some rare consistency in the weeks following, running 5 times a week (rare for me), but most of all focusing on slowing my pace down. I have a tendency to go out on training runs and try to get them done quickly (in order to fit them in to the day, not because I'm trying really hard to go fast each time!), however I've been realising recently that slowing the pace down is much more beneficial. Recovery seems much better, and I can actually do more.
I felt I was lacking some long runs but was hopefully some overall fitness from the year was there. I have also been focusing recently on walking more, trying to average at least 12,000 steps a day (approx 6/7 miles) to keep that fitness momentum up. It seems to have helped...
On the Friday before Sunday's Loch Ness marathon, we had a brilliant time celebrating my big brother Andrew's 40th birthday, with a family meal. Then on the Saturday morning we experienced the thrill of the new alpine coaster at Hillend. I was sensible throughout, sticking to soft drinks and water on the Friday, and only having one go on the rollercoaster rather than 3! I didn't want to risk being sore or catching a cold before the big day. Boring but sensible!
Anyway to cut a long story short, the original B&B owner kindly said I could park in her driveway as they were away, so I got the benefit of being really close to everything I needed to be close to. This was a huge benefit for the weekend running smoothly, as I didn't have to worry about parking. Although I had to drive on the Sunday morning to get there, it was under 10 minutes and not an issue. I did unfortunately struggle to sleep for worrying that for some reason I wouldn't be able to park (I also worried about the car not starting, and sleeping through my alarm and missing the whole thing!), but thankfully it all worked perfectly.
I was very impressed by the expo. I didn't spend long there but it was very well organised and lots to take in. I did buy the official blue hoody which I now live in :) I got a couple of pictures with Nessie to send to Totty, and then I spotted a familiar face. It was Lee, who I'd met a couple of times through running things, and is a very supportive person on instagram. I was a bit buzzy with nerves but chatting to Lee really helped - having run the event before, he was full of useful advice which I really took on board. Especially the bit about running downhill (there's a lot of downhill in the Loch Ness marathon, which on paper sounds great, but it's quad-destroying stuff!). Lee advised not to try to slow myself down, just try to go with the hill and not hold back. This paid dividends the next day!
After a stroll and a catch up, I drove back to the house I was staying at (via Tesco for some supplies) and had a chilled evening relieved of parental duties, eating pasta, watching tv and trying not to give in to the panicky thoughts about what could go wrong the next day!
In the end, apart from a broken night's sleep with anxiety, it all rolled out perfectly. I was up at 6am, got my gear on, had my tea and porridge, then left at 6.50am, parked up and was in the portaloo queue shortly after 7am!
The logistics of this marathon had previously put me off entering. I couldn't get my head around getting ready so early in the morning for a 10am start. I didn't know how breakfast would work, it seemed like there would be a lot of hanging around before the start...but over time, as I've got more comfortable with being uncomfortable (running ultras definitely teaches you how to be more adaptable!), I realised these were surmountable issues that shouldn't put me off a marathon that everyone speaks so highly about.
And as it turned out, it ran so smoothly. The bus I got on left at 7.36am and arrived around 8.45am. It was a journey down memory lane for me. I spent so much time at Loch Ness as a tour driver guide for Rabbies in 2009/10/11, that I think I've almost subconsciously avoided going back there as a result! The Loch Stress day tours (a 12 hour tour, a 15 hour day) were a regular occurrence for me, the 2 day tour centred around Loch Ness, and the 3 day Skye tour visited Loch Ness on the way home. Fort Augustus in particular was a regular haunt, and it actually found it very strange driving through it again. It's a place that holds so many memories but not all of them are good.
Anyway, despite the nostalgia road trip, the journey was beautiful. I spotted Highland cows, and numerous deer, including a large stag almost hidden in the trees. It was a settled morning and a timely reminder of how beautiful Scotland is and how lucky we are to live here. It was almost a chore to have to get off the bus!
I joined the first queue for the toilet I found, which was near the bus drop off (basically the middle of nowhere somewhere between Fort Augustus and Whitebridge). I wondered if I'd made a mistake as the queue didn't move for ages, and a volunteer kept shouting that there was "loads more toilets further down, 60 toilets further down" - sixty doesn't sound like loads when there's the best part of four thousand people there! In the end I was so glad I waited in this queue, as the queues further down were so long. A lot of people took to the trees, peeing men everywhere!
By the time that was sorted, it was around half 9, so I got myself a wee spot between the 4 and 4.5 hour markers, and video chatted with Totty and Dave. I had an old jacket on and a fleecy top, 'throwaway' layers that were all donated to the Salvation Army. If it had been wet or colder it wouldn't have been much fun hanging around, but as it was settled and only a wee bit chilly, it was honestly a joy. As it had been 3 hours since I'd eaten my porridge, I had a banana, a granola bar, and a wee fun size snickers I'd popped in my pocket :)
As time got closer to 10am I felt myself getting quite emotional, especially when they played Caledonia over the loud speakers. I think this was a combination of having celebrated my inspirational big brother's birthday the day before, and the flooding of tour guide memories from being back at Loch Ness. I felt like I wanted to burst into tears, but not from sadness. It was weird.
Soon it was go time, and we walked/jogged to the start line once everyone started moving forward. I kept my layers on until the very last possible moment, then off I go! It was 10.02am, almost 10.03am when I crossed the starting mats, and I remember thinking, can I get to Inverness by 2.02pm?
Running a 4 hour marathon is only something I've very recently started to believe was an option for me. When I ran the Moray Marathon in April this year, I treated it as a long run rather than a 'race', and although I got a PB (4.14, from my previous best of 4.33) I wasn't pushing for a time. I did think on a good day I could potentially go under 4.14, and be closer to the 4 hour mark. I was aware that 9 minute miles would take me to around 4 hours, but I also knew that Loch Ness is a challenging course to PB on - yes there's downhills but they are hard work on the legs, and the uphills are tricky too. In fact, the uphills in the first 10 miles took me by surprise! I knew of the infamous hill after Dores around mile 20, but I wasn't expecting the short sharp inclines early doors :)
I mentally split the day into 3 sections - the first 10 miles, the next 10 miles, the final 10 kilometres. I knew that to get close to 4 hours I'd need to be through the first 10 in 90 minutes, same for the second 10, giving myself an hour for the final 10k.
However, I also wanted to make sure I enjoyed my day out, and didn't burst myself trying to achieve some time that - let's be honest - no one really cares about.
So I set off, feeling good. Let's just see how it rolls out, I thought. Steady as she goes - don't try to hold back on the downhills, just go with the flow. The first 10 miles ticked by fairly quickly - I didn't look at my watch until I saw the 10 mile marker. I glanced at my Garmin - one hour and thirty minutes exactly. We're on.
The only problem with this was that I felt myself relax after achieving this first target, almost rewarding myself by easing up, even though I knew I had to maintain that pace. This sentence makes it sound like I was going hard, an effort. I was running to feel and it felt good. It didn't feel really hard, but the question was whether I could maintain it - that was going to be the biggest challenge.
Thankfully after mile 10 or 11, the route evens out a bit, so I enjoyed the flatter sections. Miles 14 and 16 in particular were good ones. The scenery around us was incredible, especially the bits where you're running alongside Loch Ness. Looking across to Urquhart Castle was nice after passing it on the coach a few hours earlier. I didn't feel the need to stop and take pictures (not my first trip to Loch Ness after all!) but I certainly appreciated the stunning surroundings, and it helped pass the time. I had planned to listen to podcasts/music but didn't factor in the lack of signal, so after a while I took my (bone-conducting) headphones off.
People watching was how I mostly spent my time - seeing someone running in what looked like flip flops sparked a conversation about barefoot running with a few guys around me. Seeing people drop their litter out with the drop zones annoyed me. Seeing the worst chafing ever really made me appreciate my only minor niggles (the guy's shorts had ridden up so his bum cheeks were bleeding badly and it looked so painful!). Seeing 'Patagonia girl' inspired me forwards - sadly never got her name, she had Patagonia on the back of her tshirt and I was frequently behind her - she looked so strong and in control. We had a chat at one point and she said it was her first marathon. I lost her on the hill at Dores but I hope she had a great experience.
Pockets of cheering locals and spectators really helped as it is quite a quiet marathon until you get to Inverness (I didn't mind this at all!). There were people who popped up in a few locations - I always made sure to give them a smile, thumbs up and a thank you. It really does make a difference. Lots of good signs on display - my personal favourite was "pain is temporary, Strava is forever"!
Fuelling and hydration-wise, the 330ml water bottles at the aid stations were perfect. I took one at most of the stations, and ran with it for a good few miles, often until the next station. Twice I added my Active Root electrolite drink mix sachets into the water (a good wee challenge whilst running!) for some much needed electrolytes. I also used AR chews, two AR gels (not my favourite but they serve their purpose, especially as I'd opted not to take my hydration vest full of my usual snacks, I wanted to see if I could go lighter than the usual picnic), and handfuls of sour sweets. It worked - I had no stomach issues. I carried a fun size mars bar and snickers but never felt like eating them. Occasionally I felt the start of a crampy feeling in my legs but once I took on some salt through the drink mix or the chews, it sorted me out.
Once we were through Dores I knew the only way was up. It confirmed what I'd been told before - the hill itself is not particularly bad (nothing like those Strathearn Marathon hills!) but hitting it at mile 19/20 is the killer. It's the exact time in a marathon you don't want it. I said to Patagonia girl that although I was feeling good, I was waiting for it to all go wrong. I was generally in a good mental place for this marathon but I was pessimistically expecting the wheels to fall off...
I know it's a great tactic to walk the uphills, and I certainly deployed this at Strathearn. This is also perfect in ultra running - I usually use the walking uphills as a good time to eat something more substantial. I was prepared to walk up the hill at Dores but as it turned out I managed to keep a steady jogging pace going because it felt okay. I tried to lean back, or at least stay straight rather than hunch forwards, so I could breathe properly. It was hard, but it was variation for my legs, and yes there was some gritting of teeth, but I got there.
It was so good to get that monster hill out the way. I looked at my watch at mile 20 and I was at 3 hours and one minute. It's still on. My right toes were particularly sore - any foot issues I have are always with my right foot, so I'm guessing it's slightly bigger than my left. I have a bunion that has caused me some discomfort whilst running - but a bunion plaster has helped with this - and three of my toes were starting to feel tender and sore. But I kept having these thoughts:
1) You've not come this close to give up now. You've put in 20 miles in 3 hours, if you're ever going to achieve a sub-4 marathon this is the perfect opportunity.
2) You'll be walking to school tomorrow to drop Totty off - don't be regretting not giving it everything now.
3) Breathe and believe (I've pinched this off my second favourite podcast, Tea and Trails, but it's a perfect mantra!)
4) This ain't anything compared to what Andy goes through.
Inverness seemed to take an age to arrive. I took another gel on the approach, as I felt I was starting to tire, and chatted to a lady briefly who said "just a parkrun to go" - perfect mentality. We've got this. The crowds began to build, people cheered us and boosted us with noise. Mile 25 was my fastest of the whole thing at 8.24. I was ready to get this done!
Soon we were alongside the River Ness and the finish was tantalisingly close. I love a strong finish but I didn't feel I had much more to give. I did however feel strong enough and knew that barring any disaster, sub 4 was most definitely on. 10k in 54 minutes at the end of a marathon...
And incredibly emotional! I couldn't believe I'd just done that. I felt like I was about to burst into tears, but the tears didn't come, I just felt overwhelmed. It was surreal. Did I really just do that?
Through the finish funnel to collect an awesome array of items - medal, tote bag, two tins of soup, two apples, a fantastic t-shirt (I do love a black t-shirt!) and a can of alcohol-free beer - then into the marquee for a hot cup of soup (pea, broccoli and basil pesto - delicious!) and buttered roll. I felt very sore and sat down to try absorb what had just happened. I struggled to stand back up again!
I walked the short stroll back to the car with sore feet but a heart bursting with pride. Then I drove home :) Thankfully the drive was straightforward and I wasn't too sore or tired until I got home and it hit me hard. A fish supper from Bridge of Earn was perfect but I kept bursting into tears whilst eating it!
Time is arbitrary but this genuinely means so much to me. It's a little building block of confidence that I can take forward, knowing I put my mind to something and saw it through to its completion. Despite expecting it to go wrong, I did actually feel fairly positive throughout, and I genuinely had a good time too. In hindsight, I think Strathearn Marathon was the perfect preparation for this.
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| Loch Ness Marathon elevation profile |
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| Strathearn Marathon elevation profile |
I'm still tired three days later, but thankfully the legs are feeling mostly better. The DOMs were as bad as I expected given all the downhills, but I've kept active over the last few days, walking as much as possible (and there's not many flat routes where I live!).
This is the final big event of 2024 for me, with a handful of fun shorter runs coming up before the year is out, and the perfect end to what has been literally a year of ups and downs. Big achievements, some disappointments, and some humbling moments. I could never have expected to end on such a high but I am absolutely over the moon, and still quite shocked!
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| Stats - a negative split First half: 1.59 Second half: 1.56 |
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