How The Other Half Lives

I am so glad I’m running the 95 miles of the West Highland Way Race and not acting as backup for a runner!

Saturday 17th May 2008

I was only dozing when I heard JK get up and go for a shower. When he returned I was still in bed, busy looking at my ankle. I showed him and asked what he thought. It was badly swollen and I think he was trying to be positive in his indirect responses. “Well it’s hard to tell without seeing the other one”, I showed him the other ankle. No comment, “well what’s it like to stand on”, I swung my legs out of bed. The previous night we had discussed the ‘hop’ test, if you can hop on it, you can run on it. So that was to be my test… until I discovered I couldn’t even stand on it!

I made the necessary phone calls to reduce my back up crew to just Mrs pacepusher, then hobbled about getting ready for breakfast. We decided to just go up and wait in the hotel before our 7:30am breakfast. A great idea as the bunkhouse was a bit stuffy. Except for the fact that the hotel was locked that is! So I hobbled back down to the bunkhouse. To be honest, the exercise was slowly making the ankle move more freely, but I was concerned about walking too much in case it was broken. The plan was to go to A&E in Fort William whilst waiting for the runners to arrive.

We finally got into the hotel for breakfast and I discovered my first advantage to being injured. The full Scottish breakfast! Nothing to stop me having it now… or WHW Runner who was just going to take his chances. He didn’t have it last year and spent the whole day regretting it. He wasn’t making the same mistake twice. Cue JK and his camera. I was too hungry to look up and smile!

As I walked out of the hotel Mrs pacepusher had just arrived. I tried not to be too grumpy, and to think positively. I’d managed one good run so it wasn’t a complete disaster. I also knew that I’d done all the hard work for the WHWR now, and a couple of weeks recovery wouldn’t make any difference to my performance on the day. Mrs pacepusher mentions on her blog that she was surprised how well I was coping with it when she arrived. The most frustrating thing was that my legs felt fine and I know I could have put in another solid run to Fort William.

It was soon time for the guys to head off on day two. Richard was only ever running on the Friday, and of course I’d withdrawn, so there was just JK and WHW Runner who would be completing the two day run. They were joined today though by Ian K, John, Morgan and Tim. Mrs pacepusher was also planning on running from Kinlochleven to Fort William as this is the section she wants to run with me on race day.

I hobbled into the car and we headed off to Kingshouse to await their arrival. With two hours to kill we went straight into the hotel and sat and had a coffee. The views of Buchaille Etive Mor were stunning from the hotel lounge windows and we could see the cloud slowly rising towards the summit. It looked like it was going to turn into a nice day again. Having finished our drinks we headed outside to see Allybea in the car park setting up her snack bar (check out Allybea’s blog, ‘You can’t do it without backup’). She introduced us to the delights of freshly brewed Earl Grey Tea, and we sipped and waited, sipped and waited, sipped and waited…

The runners would be coming over the brow of the hill and then down towards the car park. The horizon became like a TV set that isn’t turned on, you still watch it but know there’s no point. I stared aimlessly as bikers and walkers appeared but no runners. But then why would there be, they weren’t due for another half hour or so!

This backup thing is not much fun! I tried reading my book whilst I had my coffee but was too tired, so the three of us were reduced to idle chatter whilst we waited. Thankfully Allybea is lovely, and as Mrs pacepusher is a teacher, and Allybea used to be, they had plenty to talk about. I spent most of the day thinking about my ankle and whether or not I was going to be able to run the WHWR!

The runners appeared in a group, all six of them together like a squad of soldiers on expedition, their feet in unison. They all had a brief stop, too busy eating and drinking to speak much, then they were off just like that. Tim didn’t even stop at all! Two hours just for that! So packing the car up we headed towards Kinlochleven, arranging to meet Allybea there.

At least there was more to do in Kinlochleven. Well… we visited the shop in the ice climbing centre, Mrs pacepusher finally giving in and buying a Buff. Then we went to the high street to shop. After a visit to the co-op for flowers and beer for our visit to the Crazyboy household that night, we had run out of shops and headed to the meeting point where Allybea had the snack bar up and running. More coffee, more waiting, more chat, and more staring at the turned off TV!

Mrs pacepusher had a message from her Aunt saying that she would be in Kinlochleven if we were anywhere near. Her Aunt is a nurse so I saw the opportunity straight away. Mrs pacepusher got herself ready and headed off on the West Highland Way towards Fort William, deciding to take a head start and allow the others to catch her (well that was the plan anyway!). I called Lesley (Mrs p’s Aunt) and arranged to meet her. I wanted to avoid a visit to A&E if I could. The others had arrived, first the four one dayers, then someway behind JK and WHW Runner. Apparently the first four had flown down the hill… I would have loved it! They all had their brief stop, then disappeared.

So now everyone had gone apart from me and Allybea. We waited on my nurse, and when she arrived, the first aid kit got it’s second use. It was decided that it probably wasn’t broken, I was strapped up, and then given the old RICE advice (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Thanks Lesley, and partner Billy for driving. Meeting them meant I also got to see my two girls… their gorgeous two dogs!

It was now time to head to Lundavra. Allybea, under protest, was now also going. She hates this road, but agreed to lead the way as I didn’t really know where I was going. The ankle felt better already. I think that was just the knowledge of being told it wasn’t broken, although Allybea said that I was walking better with it strapped up. Thankfully driving wasn’t too painful, and we were soon there despite the big Morrisons lorry that we got stuck behind.

Lundavra is a horrible place at the moment. It used to be dense woodland but all the trees have been cut down and it is now just a miserable expanse. There’s an information board there so I took a walk to read it and kill some time. There wasn’t much to read so I considered reading a sentence, walking back to the car, then walking back to read another. Repeat until all is read. However, I was supposed to be resting my ankle so I read it all at once.

Much to my surprise Mrs pacepusher appeared ahead of schedule. Still alone, she was smiling from ear to ear as she flew down the hill chucked her extra top into the boot, grabbed her water, told me I was rubbish backup, and disappeared into the sunset. That was worth waiting for! JK and WHW runner were next – see experience shows in the end – followed by Ian K who was running well. Tim followed, then John who stopped at Lundavra, struggling for various reasons, and then Morgan, still looking happy.

So we packed up the cars, and headed for Fort William. Myself and John chatted about the race and things on the way, and then decided to stop at the Braveheart car park to give an extra cheer to the runner’s. This was a good idea but one which didn’t go to plan. First to arrive was WHW Runner, or so we thought. Wearing the same kit, and with the same running style, a guy came down the hill. “Well Done Ian” I shouted, as the man turned into the car park got in his car and drove off. That wasn’t WHW Runner then! I thought it was strange that JK would let him get away.

So we again waited on our first runner. Sometime later there was a shout from behind. Mrs pacepusher had taken the WHW route rather than the Race route, and therefore hadn’t come through the car park. “You didn’t tell me not to follow the WHW signs!”, she said. “That’s exactly what I told you to do!” said I!

Flushed with our success, we gave up and headed for the Leisure centre! One by one the runners arrived, first Mrs pacepusher who’d had a great run, then JK, then WHR runner. Ian K wasn’t too far behind, and Tim and Morgan ran in together, Tim trying to encourage a sprint finish, but Morgan having none of it!

I think Mrs pacepusher may now be thinking about running the WHWR one day, although so far she has only discussed doing the Devil O’ The Highlands race (43 miles – Tyndrum to Fort William). I can see why. What I can’t see is why anyone wants to do race backup! I now have a whole new perspective of the role, and will appreciate my team a lot more from now on.