Ben Lomond Race 2008

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Two months of training, weight loss, booze deprivation and strict discipline had all lead to this moment. Emma generously drove me over to Rowardennan and I began the nervous wait before the race (1st pic). I knew that I wasn't going to finish anywhere near the top 50 but of the 175 runners entered into the race, I didn't want to be embarassed. On Friday, Lynda Browning had donated money to take the total raised for Scottish Motor Neurone's Disease to over £500 and that seemed apt. No matter how much pain I endured, I was doing it for a great cause. Most of the runners looked like runners; professional club shirts and skinny beyond belief whereas I just looked skinny and unprofessional beyond belief. At 1300, the whistle blew and we were off. I didn't want to set off too fast as I was well aware of what lay ahead. The temperature was about 20C and not great conditions for endurance running. However, I was surprised by how I was keeping up over the 1st mile. Perhaps I could beat 1 hour 45? Alas, once we began the steep ascent over the grass, I began to realise I was slowing up. I reached the flatter part of the hill and began to run again and felt good before approaching the summit climb. However, rather than ascend up the zig-zags, the route deviated straight up the summit - it looked and was absolutely brutal. Eventually, I arrived on to the last pitch before the summit, took a gulp of water and began the descent. Last time out, I felt fresh at this point but today, I knew I was struggling. 1 hour 15 to the summit - no way could I descend in 30 minutes. However, I began to make steady progress and over-took about 6 or 7 runners and halfway down I felt good. The last part of the race was run on sheer will-power and the fact that I had to beat 1 56, my practice time. I could hardly run at the end (2nd pic) but Emma cheering me on meant I had to get over that line and although I was almost doubled over with pain, I did it. My time (1 hr 55) and position (100th of 121 who finished) can be found at

http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0035&RaceYear=2008

This doesn't include those who were turned back at the halfway point or couldn't finish. I was quite chuffed but felt I could have run faster on a colder day. I began the re-hydration process and said goodbye to Ben Lomond once and for all. By far the most physically painful thing I have ever done but thanks to all those who donated for the charity and supported me and hopefully the money raised can go towards research into MND. I started with a cliche and will finish with one - never again!

Fa moaned on Fionn Bhein?

Emma and I had been staying up in the Black Isle and the weather had been splendid. However, I was convinced by Emma that it would be better to just do the one Munro, rather than two I had planned and she was right, in that it was brutally hot for hill-walking. We arrived at the car park in Achnasheen and were almost mauled by a tiger-ish cat leaping from the woods up to the road. Cuteness. We started up the path and remembered the last time we ascended this route over 3 years ago to take in the Corbett, Meall a Chaorain. By default. Ahem. Anyhoo, we got to the bog-fields and made our way up the 1st peak before Fionn Bhein. In the heat of the day, we were struggling to keep hydrated but we strode on. Emma moaned the whole way up but I knew once we got to the top, she'd appreciate the fine views and solitude. We topped out to stupendous views of Liathach, An Teallach and many more. The North face of Fionn Bhein was also quite dramatic with plunging cliffs and a heap of snow. We had lunch, several pee-stops to ourselves and began the descent, which was done in quick-time. And at the bottom, we consumed the Orkney Ice Cream from the wee cafe, which was magic. Moaning aside, it was a grand day oot!

Ben Lomond - practice run - 2 weeks and counting

It was time to gauge how I was really doing and just see how bad I was. I arrived at the car park at 0705, changed and checked my watch. Breakfast was porridge and banana - I only had porridge last time so I'd need to see if there was a difference, intrinsic anomalies aside. I set off at 0709 and began the run through the forest, which has been severely decimated since I was last there. I didn't want to check my watch too often but I was really struggling and it was steeper than I imagined it to be. Out of the 'forest' and I was down to a walk and really peching. Eventually the gradient relented and I began jogging along the flat part but not on a constant basis - must rectify next time. The steep slog up to the summit was longer and steeper than I remembered (it always is). As I located the trig point, I was disappointed at my ascent time of 1 hour 17 minutes. I had hoped for something more like 1 hour. I didn't hang about and began the pad down. I felt strong and thought I could get down in 30 minutes. However, about 1 mile out, I really hit the wall and was reduced to a walk. What was going on? I eventually picked up the pace and got back to the car at 0905, with my descent time of 39 minutes. In total, 1 hour 56 minutes, which will get me a placing of 4th or 5th from last. Disappointed but I know I can do better. I have two weeks to eat well, drink nowt (apart from the night!) and do some more fitness work. I am sure I can shave 11 minutes off that time and hit the 105 minute target. If anything, apathy sure won't get the better of me.

Ben Lomond practice - Ben Arthur

I felt the need for speed and to see how I was doing in terms of practice for the Ben Lomond hill run. With only 3.5 weeks to go, I had to try something steepish, longish and toughish. I had never been up the Cobbler before so I thought I'd head up on a weekday early. I left Glasgow at 0650 and was at the Succoth car park for 0755. On the drive up, I had noticed a fair dump of snow on the hills which I had not banked on. I didn't have much gear for the hill - waterproof jacket, new Berghaus waterproof troosers, my trainers and a will to get up and down as quick as possible. I set off up the new path and it wasn't long before I realised it was a steep initial climb. Long enough to realise I wasn't running anymore and just concentrating on the lactic acid burn in my buttocks and calves. I walked up and jogged when I could before I hit the 1100ft mark in 20 minutes. Not bad - could I keep it going? Once past the Narnian boulders, things flattened out a little and I was running nicely, which surprised me - my fitness had obviously improved. However, once I got to the bealach at 640m (2100ft?), I realised I was up to my knees in snow and I couldn't locate the path anymore. It had stopped becoming a running exercise and was now a proper Winter hill-walk for which I was not properly equipped. 40 minutes to this point and thus on for scaling Lomond in an hour? I decided to head back down and began the sprint back. I passed 2 surprised onlookers and nearly cowped head over heels - how embarassing but still kept going. I hit the car park in 22 minutes descent and with 5 minutes fannying about at the bealach, gave myself some hope that I can get up and down BL in 90-100 minutes and not finish last. My last practice run is Lomond next week - judgement time.
Once back home, I got showered and into work for 1200 - and near enough fell asleep! 4 days on and the muscles are totally recovered. Bring it on.

Ricky Pig on Sgiath Chuil

The MWIS forecast was not promising - an Arctic wind, snow and moving South over the course of the day. However, we (me, David and Mark) decided to hit the hills early and beat the poor weather for an attempt on Sgiath Chuil and Meall Glas, if the weather held. We parked beside the private road to Auchessan and the view up to Ben More was splendid. It was a lovely, sunny cold April day and we followed the excellent track up past the farm and on to the open hill-side. We approached a herd of deer and this prompted a story about a deer being fed a bacon roll, up at the van before Rannoch Moor. Forget the issue of climate change, we can't have our venison being tainted with ricky pig! It's jist nae right. Once we had digested this anecdote, we began the steep plod up the South face of Sgiath. The weather was good but as we ascended, the dark clouds were sweeping in over Ben Challum in the distance. After some lung-bursting strides, we made our way up to the craggy summit, revelling in the unseasonably warm temperatures and laughing at the -20C wind chill predictions. Until we actually got on to the summit. As usual, you can't prepare yourself for that icy blast and we didn't hing aboot. A couple of chirpy summit shots and we were on our way back down as the weather had changed. We stopped for lunch in the sheltered area below the summit - I had chilli con carne a la Emma and once again retained the top prize for the lunch du jour as David and Mark tucked into their wheat products. The route back was uneventful though the snow was beginning to pick up and self-congratulation was in evidence in our decision-making. As we supped our wee ales back at the Lade Inn, we revelled in an enjoyable and for once, uncomplicated day on the hill and postulated on how good it would be to take a driver and golf ball and hit a ball from a Munro summit, twice the distance of Tiger Woods. Sun-stroke? Fore!

Ben Lomond Training - Tinto run

On Saturday (6 weeks until race day), I was lucky enough to get a lift to Tinto by Fraser. Because I'd had a couple of beers the night before and wasn't really fit. Not ideal preparation. But a valuable lesson in that I'm officially aff the booze until the 10th May. It was a bleak day and we set off on a slow run. Despite my relative insobriety, I managed the ascent in 40 minutes (460m climb) although I didn't know whether to vomit or shit myself. Fraser was fit enough and right behind me. We touched the summit, while the snow fell and bombed it down to the car park - down in 17 minutes for a combined time of 57 minutes. Ben Lomond is twice as long and high as this route so my time should be about 2 hours, unless I can augment my ascent speed. Have 2 or 3 Munro's planned this Saturday and therafter, I'll be running the Munro's before my practice run up Ben Lomond on the 26th April. Pretty sure I can bomb down BL in 30 minutes but going up will be the problem. Raising a fantastic amount so far for Scottish Motor Neurone's Disease so hope to break the £400 mark soon - www.justgiving.com/kevinpollock

Sgor Gaoith - the scenic route

My initial plan was to do 2 M-points beside Newtownmore but to no avail, I couldnae even find the road up to the Glen, ne'er mind the hills! So, plan B was to try for Sgor Gaoith. I drove past Feshiebridge and on to the car park, where I donned the sack and began the trek through the forest. It was a cold day and I was glad for all my gear. However, although I was on a track, I had gone on too far and began plodding up Carn Ghuithsachan. Unfortunately, this did not take my any nearer my objective and I had to descend to Loch Ghuithsachan, before re-ascending Carn Ban Beag - good practice for the BL hill race but I was eating into my sustenance before my main objective. I began the ascent up to Carn Ban Mor and by this time, I was plodding through knee-deep snow. Eventually, I approached the pointy summit of Sgor Gaoith and it was bitterly cold. I had my soup on the summit and took in the spectacular plunging cliffs above Loch Einich far below as well as Braeriach, beyond the Loch. I didn't hang about and began the long descent to the path proper - it wasn't long before I was back at the car and on the path that I should have been on - doh! A real tester of a hill in Winter but the views were amazing. One footnote was an old English guy, who turned back halfway up the hill because he was cold - he had hardly any gear and was shivering - silly auld fool. Thank god for mountain pro's like myself!