Stuc a'Chroin 5000

Route change, gone the two miles of forest road at the start and finish, the Strathyre residents had cut a path through the forest picking up old paths and tracks, a few bogs and a lot of tussocks. After half an hour and a couple of miles we popped out joining the old route across Meall Mor and into Glen Ample, I was near the back and stayed there for the rest of the race. Into the snow on Ben Each's tough climb and trashed my calf, decided to carry on, along the undulating ridge to the Stuc reaching the cross over 10 minutes inside the cut off, on up the freezing misty trail the rest of the field flying past on their way back. Slid up a snow chute rubbed smooth by those in front, hip gives up in sympathy with calf accompanied by agonising cramp in my quads (Vastus medialis :)) encouraged the cramp to leave with some dried mango, luckily this seemed to work, another wee climb up to the cairn. Proof of achievement a marshall's tick on my number, round the cairn and its downhill, at least for a few minutes. Stumbling along the ridge to the crossover at Bealach nan Cabar dropping into Glen Ample away from the snow and wind. Relief short lived, the cramp inducing climb out the glen tried its best, more dried mango and some High 5 electrolyte's keep it bearable. Working jog across Meall Mor gradually catch and pass the runner who whizzed past me muttering never again on the climb out Glen Ample. Now I have to work to keep ahead, head down and concentrate on the new mushy track through the forest, the gap grows towards a minute, good enough. The last half mile a good trail only a couple of hundred yards of up to grimmace through, finished in 4 hours 42, the finish area practically deserted, 129th out of 133 finishers with another 10 or so having pulled out. Limped slowly and painfully back to the car convinced my running and racing was over for a few weeks, a few pictures here, race website here. Marshall's heroes, many standing around for hours in freezing conditions, handing out gallons of water, buckets of sweets, encouragement and a watchful eye on the lightly clad runners skittering past. The route is about 14 miles, the 5000 in the race title was the amount of ascent in feet, turns out this is a wee bit shy of the real climb nearer 5700'.