Nicola's big day out!

5th Sept 2020

A special day. I had volunteered to be a support runner for the latter sections of Nicola's FKT (fastest known time) attempt of the Fife Coastal Path - 117 miles! During the Covid lockdown there have been various FKTs to replace the excitements of racing (nearly all races this year cancelled) and help boost the egos of big strong men and women who were busy running all the munros/Lake District in one hideously unpleasant go. (Why would you?) 

However what drew me to Nicola's run was that it was primarily a fundraising event for her friend Kat, to buy a Bowhead bike to allow Kat to return to the hills after a biking accident had left her wheelchair bound. The outdoor and running community responded well to this call for help and many of my clubmates directed contributions from a fundraising 5k PRC had organised recently, after Mary brought this cause to the club's attention. It does not take a huge leap of imagination to realise how much a return to the outdoors and an ability to participate in it, would mean for an outdoor enthusiast robbed of the chance.

Edinburgh from the other side of the Forth

I was familiar with the Coastal Path from many runs over various stretches. The trouble of joining Nicola for a section was always going to be the point-to-point nature of finishing some distance from the start point and managing transport. The easiest way for me seemed to be to catch a train to Leuchars and run the Tentsmuir section (a really lovely part of the world) and maybe the rest of the way to the finish line in Newburgh. About 30 miles. It was a while since I had run 30+ miles (last time was the really harsh Thieves Rd ultra) and another big day out was long overdue.

Nicola sent me her schedule for the day and it looked like I should be in Leuchars for 1.50pm and that we would finish about 8.30pm. I checked and there was a spare car seat in the car Dave (Nicola's partner) had rented for the day, for my return to Edinburgh. Sorted. But with many potential pitfalls between start and finish would Nicola stick to her schedule? She had never run further than 53 miles and was now attempting more than double that. I exchanged mobile numbers with Dave and asked him to alert me if Nicola went way ahead of schedule as I would need to catch an earlier train. Nicola set up an online tracker to show her position while she ran. She was starting at 11pm on the Friday night with a view to finishing before dark Saturday night. Her daytime job is as an actuary which is all about estimating uncertainty and the future, so she would nail this? Right? Well yes and no.

First thing Saturday morning I checked the tracker and it seemed like it was moving fine but maybe an hour behind schedule. My concern was that she might crash and burn from overdoing the first 50 miles so I was not as worried we were behind schedule. I caught a train, getting into Leuchars just after 1pm and decided to spend the time (now nearer 2 hrs behind schedule) butterfly hunting in Tentsmuir. I jogged into the paths and trails this side of the car park and had fun with a peacock and some small coppers. It was very much in my mind I had a 30 mile run ahead of me and shouldn't add too many miles to the front of that. I limited it to about 6 miles of Tentsmuir before returning to the road end where a small crowd of support runners gathered. It was after 4pm when Nicola appeared. She looked amazingly fresh and cheerful for someone who had run 80miles through the night.

small copper

ear moth

80+ miles run, 30+ to go!

The girls ran and walked with us for a few miles into Tentsmuir but dropped back before the car park at Kinshaldy. Nicola had stopped running at any kind of pace and was walking. We walked (and not briskly) for maybe 2 miles and I was a bit concerned that at this pace we would take 12 hrs or more to cover the remaining 30 miles. It was too early to be walking. 

I asked N what she had eaten over the previous 2hrs and she said just Maurten (sports fuel drink) and (was it?) Lucozade. I was worried she wasn't eating sufficient solids and insisted she eat something. Often during an ultra distance you don't have any appetite but really need to force down food, or things deteriorate rapidly. I also gave her 2 paracetamol. After 20 minutes there was a marked improvement. The paracetamols aren't for specific pain but just general ache. I find if that general ache can be lifted it is possible to return to something of a decent pace. We picked up Alex at Kinshaldy who had been on the beach with his family and planned to join at Wormit Bay but got involved early. 5 minutes later we were cruising along at 8 or 9 minute miling and I felt, as we headed into the woods, we were out the woods!

Normally on a run like this I'd be dicking around taking dozens of photos. However as we ran I felt I had to monitor things and be vaguely responsible and so ended up hardly taking any photos. I had my suunto set to sat-nav mode. Although we all knew some of  the route (which is marked pretty well) it was good to have the GPS as back up. Nicola had recce-ed the last section twice as she went wrong on the first occasion. I had never done the last 16 miles but heard it was nice - more off road and up into the hills than other bits, before descending into Newburgh with the town lights spread out beneath. I looked forward to that and wondered how long it would take. We had lost quite a bit of time but were now moving a little faster than the original schedule. Morale was good and we waited to see the bridge just before the drop down to Wormit Bay - change-over point, refuelling spot with Dave and a car full of snacks etc. And where we would swap Donny (who had run from Leuchars) for Neil. Donny kindly loaned me his headtorch. Something of an oversight I had forgotten to pack one, having huge faith that Nicola (and her ability to predict the future) planned to finish before dark. 

nearly there - approaching Wormit Bay

Dave and Nicola, refuelling at Wormit Bay, just 16 miles or so to go

There was a real feeling of achievement at Wormit Bay. The end was definitely in sight - even if we needed to walk large amounts of it. Nicola had recovered fully from her low point going into Tentsmuir and kept an astonishing pace for someone now 100 miles into the run. Dave was providing excellent support and a variety of food and drink choices. Nicola had some muffin - I encouraged her to force down as much as she could face. And marshmallows. She couldn't face anything solid that required chewing. I had some excellent cold pizza and refilled my reservoir with water. I felt a little tired in the dwindling light of the day but running alongside someone who had run 80 miles more than I had somehow disallowed any complaints to surface.

I thought it best to put the camera away in my back pack as the light was gone and we were heading into dark and wooded areas. Only 16 miles to go. Just head down and get on with it. Nicola, having sat down for a break, was understandably slow and stooped to get going but after a mile or less was back up to speed. And the paths and trails were continually sweeping and turning and kept you occupied. Lots of climbing. Which N said she would hike. But seemed to have as much appetite for running the less steep gradients as any of us. Every hour or so I tried to encourage a little food intake. And, about 4 hrs after the first dose, a second dose of paracetamols helped lift the general ache that was creeping back into Nicola's landscape. I was designated the team drug pusher. And we stopped at one point to empty a shoe of a stone. Alex, continually joking, took a photo that quickly passed into legendary status in his own mind and he considered it was time he started using a watermark! 😁

Alex's award winning image!

Okay while we leave the team of 4 to run through the dark night on narrow trails chatting and joking I've fished out some other pics taken earlier in the day. I took them from Nicola's page on facebook so not sure who to credit for taking them, but thanks. First up is N in St Andrews where Kat turned up as a surprise. I believe it was the understandably emotional highpoint of the journey. Also Dave (between ferrying support runners about the place back to points of origin etc. and generally being an excellent chauffeur for the day) procured a tub of ice cream! Second highest highlight! Premium foodstuff of ultra runners!

PB, Alex, Nicola, Donny and Neil at Wormit Bay

I suspect this one was taken by Peter M who took loads of excellent photos earlier in the day in some of the prettiest parts of the run (dressed in matching outfit!). The weather was perfect for much of the day being bright and not too hot. I believe Nicola didn't bother to change kit but ran the whole way in just the one pair of shoes etc. 

There was a lot of running through woods and fields. When I cast my mind back a few small incidents spring to mind - a dog off a lead running too close to Nicola and threatening to trip her - Dave meeting us at a crossroads in the middle of absolutely nowhere! - Alex tripping on a unseen obstacle and 2 strides later I did exactly the same - a field of cows to cross, their eyes glowing menacingly in the dark - 2 horses galloping as we cut through their field - the lights of Newburgh, at long last - but much of it blurs into itself and the thought that with luck, no disasters befell us and it all went smoothly to the last hour the last few miles.

Nicola's only complaint coming at a mile from the finish "this road begins to drag about here" and she lifts the pace, sensing the end just around the next turn of the river and we all pick up the pace letting Nicola lead us home in a sprint up the hill and under the arch where a small crowd whoop and clap as 117 miles is ticked off at a pace some would struggle to complete 5. It is done so easily and with so little fuss - a hug and a hand shaken - that it might take a moment or 2 for the achievement to be recognised as the phenomenal run it was. Right through the night, all of the following day to enter the second night (when many a brave soul would have wilted under the mileage and darkening skies) but Nicola picked the pace up, after the brief slump at Leuchars to exceed her schedule pace, clawing back some time and ducking well under the 24 hr mark in something like 23hrs and 17 minutes. A really outstanding run from an outstanding athlete.

FINISHED!

While folk stood around chatting I quickly changed into warm dry kit and compression tights. We had really legged it in the last mile and I was sweating like I had just raced a 10k. Unfortunately my suunto had misbehaved in the last couple of miles. I had had it set to sat-nav mode and when it got to within half a mile of the end of the gpx file it either shut down believing its job was done or ran out of juice having been on for about 10hrs. Sadly it did not record the sprint for the line which felt about 7 min miling but may have been about 8m/m. Happily though it did log all but half a mile of the 36 miles of the day (plus one up to the station.)

As the dust has settled my thoughts are
1/ really impressive run and particularly because apart from the slump at Leuchars the pace was really steady the whole way.
2/ I would not be that keen to do this run or this distance myself, thanks for asking. Perhaps the Willie Rennie version of spreading it over 3 days but even then, not particularly keen! 

I spoke to Nicola just the other day and she said her recovery has been mostly fine - legs etc. back to normal in a few days although her sleeping has suffered and she has been waking in the night more than usual. 

If you want to read more about and contribute to Nicola's fundraising please visit here. She is 88% of the way to the £10,000 needed. So nearly there. You can help. Thanks!