I'll Take The (Very) High Road on the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

On Saturday 9^th May I raced up and down a Munro.  A Munro is a Scottish mountain over 3000ft (914m) high and the specific one that I raced on this weekend was Ben Lomond which is 3,196ft (974m) high.  Ben Lomond is the southernmost Munro and due to it’s handy proximity to Glasgow, I have walked up it twice before.  This was the first time I had ran up it though!

Hill running is to say the least, not really my thing (see Bog Trot and Dumyat reports for details).  I find running up (and down) hills to be difficult, tiring, and painful.  After I signed up for Ben Lomond I kind of forgot about it and had done no training what so ever.  The Bog Trot disaster put me off hill racing forever.  Then I ran another hill race during the week at Dumyat and that wasn’t too bad, so I decided that I’d give Ben Lomond a go.  If nothing else “Racing up a Munro” is quite a good thing to have on your Running CV.  

There weren't this many runners behind me at the end

Not even the following warnings could put me off.  This one from the SiEntries website…

• Kit checks will be made at registration : no kit = no number. You must have the following minimum kit with you at all times during the race: waterproof jacket with hood, waterproof overtrousers, hat, gloves, whistle. This is the minimum kit requirement for this event, but you are responsible for carrying any additional items you consider necessary for your own protection given the conditions, or as the race organiser may dictate on the day. Failure to comply will mean automatic disqualification from the event. All of the above is for your own safety - hypothermia can be fatal.

Or this one from the Scottish Hill Racing website…

• A popular race on a popular hill. The biggest dangers are colliding with hill walkers and tripping on the stony descent. This race has a high casualty rate, with bloodied knees and several broken ankles in recent years. That said, it's a great race with distinct sections of forest trail (largely felled now), open hill, plateau, summit dome, and narrow summit ridge.

Minimum kit safely stored in my bumbag, I stood nervously in the grounds of Rowardennan Hotel.  Last year Kata and I had enjoyed a rest-stop and a beer in the sun here on our West Highland Way adventure and the weather on this occasion was very similar – blue skies and warm sun.  I had checked the weather forecast in advance and had come prepared for temperatures of zero Celsius on the hill.  Shockingly the weather forecast was wrong!  I was extremely nervous before getting underway.  Having walked up Ben Lomond a couple of times before, and taken my time in doing so, stopping a couple of times on the way up for sandwiches or to take in the view, I was aware that the prospect of pegging it up there in one go and as fast as possible should not be underestimated.  The race distance would be just over 12km, so that’s only 6km to the top, right? 

Pre-race selfie!

Still smiling

We got underway just outside the hotel and the start was quite fast.  The road was narrow and there was some jostling for position.  I took it slow and steady and turning up onto Ben Lomond, I passed a few runners, and got passed by a few myself.  The first section is in woodland and is steep and rocky before coming out of the woods and turning into a clear trail.   At 1.5km into the race, still on the rocky, steep section, a runner ahead of decided he’d had enough already and pulled over.  A club mate of his asked if he was OK, which he was, but said that he wasn’t going to manage it.  Fair enough.  If you are gong to give in, better to do it so close to the start.  Soon enough I would be envying that guy!  The uphill, trail section was relatively speaking the easiest part of the race.  After the trail section and shortly after passing through a  gate, the race deviates from the path and essentially took the runners right up the side of the hill in a direct route to the summit.  This was a very difficult climb.  On a couple of occasions I looked over my shoulder to be presented with not an awful lot of people behind me.  This was demoralising even though I knew I was running in a small field of mostly experienced hill runners.  Why would a casual runner attempt to run up a Munro?!  But still, it did nothing for my mental state.  As for my physical state?  Well my quads were burning and my glutes ached.  There wasn’t a lot of running going on and it was more of a power walk/forced march up the steep slope.  I managed occasional 500m trots where the terrain allowed.  At about 4.5km we reached the snow line which just made it more difficult as in places we had to lift our feet higher.  I don’t think I have ever ran a race where I didn’t at some point consider pulling a ‘DNF’, but I seriously considered it about 3 or 4 times on the way up Ben Lomond.  Only at 5km did I finally concede that I’d be as well just going to the top now.

There's snow on them there hills!

      

At the top it was really snowy.  We turned around the cairn marking the summit and began the descent.  It had taken me 1hr 15mins to get to the top.  I had secretly been aiming for 1hr 45misn to complete the race and I realised that this was not going to happen.  The descent was hard and painful.  It was a steep decent down bouncy and boggy heather covered hills, before getting back to the trail section.  The downhill trail section was the worst.  It was exhausting to be constantly on the lookout for rocks or anything else that could break your ankle (see siEntries warning) and I went over on my ankle or stumbled countless times.  It was easier to un on the thin muddy section that separated the trail from the heather, but this wasn’t always possible.  At least the downhill was faster!  With about 1km to go I saw Kata who had been on the hill cheering us on.  I couldn’t even manage a smile I was so mentally drained. 

Not smiling anymore!  Good photos by Kata though. 

Finally reaching the bottom of the hill, I couldn’t see the finish line.  It wasn’t where we had started and I couldn’t see it.   I nearly gave in again at this point – it was one more mental and physical challenge that I could manage.  Almost.  I did run across the line and finished in 1:54:15secs.  I later discovered this was 139^th out of 166 and second last in my category.  This is obviously not a brilliant finishing position, but I think it was a strong field and I did get up and down Ben Lomond in under 2 hours which I suspect time wise puts me in the top 2% of people that have ever climbed Ben Lomond!  

Much needed (and bonus point) beer in Balmaha

H.B.T.!!!

Unfortunately I had zero opportunity to take in what must have been spectacular views on a glorious day to be on Ben Lomond.  It was a really tough race but I am glad I did it.  If it was easy then everyone would do it.  Thanks to the marshals for standing on the hill and walking to the top to provide us runners with water when we got there – much appreciated!  Thanks to everyone who shouted “HBT” at me on my way up – this included marshals and a couple of walkers!  I *think* I had fun after all, and I *think* I might do it again.

Post-race selfie!