Entered the LAMM

I've now got a partner for the LAMM: someone slightly older than me in East Lothian Orienteers whom I'd asked before Christmas. He was worried about injury so hadn't got back to me. We've entered the A class as (currently) the second-oldest vets at 100 years exactly. The oldest team is 118 though. Not quite sure how the handicapping works: seems to be about one minute off for every two years over 90.

Feel the Burns: Selkirk

Went to Selkirk with three other Penicuik Harriers for the "Feel the Burns" race. As I'd hoped, this was a really good course for me since it didn't have so many steep climbs or descents as most local fell races. This meant that, once I'd got up the first big hill (Peat Law) it was generally very runnable. Knowing that I'd be out for about two hours, I didn't push too hard and felt great, steadily moving up through the field. The weather wasn't as good as forecast yesterday, and it was very muddy in places. On the way off Brown Knowe I got chatting with a guy from Dumfries which was a reasonable distraction, although the long descent down the Minchmoor Road wouldn't have been painful. We started to be overtaken by a few people who might have been more suited to the gentle trail, and after coming through the Broadmeadows Farm  complex, I was slow on the last big climb and overtaken by a handful of fresher runners. From the top of Foulshiels Hill it was pretty much downhill all the way to the finish but the muddy ground and fatigue in my legs made me cautious about just "letting go". So I lost a couple more places before finishing in 2:06:00 for the 21+km and 900m climb. Then it was back to Selkirk Rugby Club for haggis, tatties and neeps, washed down with soup, juice, bread and shortbread. Congratulations to "SelkirkFundRunners" for putting on a really well-run race in a lovely bit of country.

As Tranter training this really wasn't much use since it was run at speed on gentle Border hills, but as confidence-booster it was a real tonic. I believe again that, even in my usual untrained state, I can still run at a reasonable speed in the hills. 

Blackberry in Saltoun

East Lothian Orienteers want to re-map Saltoun Woods so I finally went to have a look at (the eastern half of) Saltoun on Sunday. It's true that some large areas of dark green have been felled but, since foresters don't clear up after themselves, they are pretty unpleasant areas of brashings. I also didn't see any obvious features unearthed as a result. There are quite a few new ditches and a large new track. I came through a couple of pleasant runnable areas, though. In another ten years, once the brashings have rotted down, it might be OK. I know that no-where looks good at this time of year but, all in all, I wasn't impressed. Maybe losing my Blackberry somewhere in Saltoun [due to a the zip failing on my ancient bumbag] put me in a bad mood. I did run a bit, but no more ant a couple of kilometers at any speed.

Why I think I can do Tranter's Round

Although I've been walking and running in the Scottish mountains since 1988, it was only in summer 2013 that I finally got to the summit of all of the Munros on Tranter's Round. So, why do I think I can string them all together within 24 hours? The short answer is that I can't be sure, but I've done enough in recent years to make me think that I can, and a couple of people who have done longer rounds of this type and know me in the hills have said that I should be able to do it.

Ramsay Round: Leg 1

In June 2011 I did the first half of Tranter's Round (and two more Munros) supporting a friend [Jo] on his (successful) Ramsay Round. He's a lot stronger than me, so it meant going faster than I might have wanted at times, particularly on the descent of Ben Nevis. This was the first time that I'd gone all the way up Ben Nevis on the Tourist Path and it was really good to see how easy I found something which is a big challenge for many. I think it took me about 105 minutes, having to hold myself back from going faster. On my leg with Jo I missed out the 20-minute out-and-back to Aonach Mor from the col but I was really shattered by the last big climb [up Stob Coire Easain] and certainly couldn't have completed Tranter's Round that day. However, I'd been moving at Jo's pace, not mine, and it had been my longest ever day in the hills [32.5km and 3800m climb]. When it had been suggested to me, I'd been scared at the prospect. However, in the interim, I'd completed the 2011 Scottish Islands Peaks Race (SIPR) which had been really hard and long so I could get my head round the idea of a 30km+ leg in the mountains.

Mamores May 2012

In preparation for the 2012 SIPR, and with a view to Tranter's Round, I had a day in the Mamores [39km and 3000m climb] going to all the eastern summits between nights at Staoineag bothy. Again this shattered me, and I had to walk most of the flat 8km from Loch Eilde Mor. However, I felt the benefit of it on the SIPR a couple of weeks later, feeling strong on all the climbs.

In the past 18 months, I've not been as active and, in particular, had no major outing in the summer of 2013. I can feel that I'm not moving as fast, as might be expected for someone in his 50th year who is not really training. However, as a result of the running I've been doing in the last couple of months of 2013 I'm in better shape in early January than I've been since 2010. Regular local training, plus a couple of trips to Lochaber (and maybe some winter climbing) should see me in sufficiently good physical shape. If I can find a partner, I'd want to take part in the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon, another good opportunity to get some proper mountain training. This is important, because I won't be doing Tranter's Round at fell running pace: I can only think of it as brisk hill-walking with intermittent sections of running.

Why I want to do Tranter's Round clockwise

Tranter's Round starts from the Ben Nevis Youth Hostel and, traditionally, is done anticlockwise, beginning with the Mamores. This means that Ben Nevis, as the highest point in Scotland, is the final summit. Although this has a fine logic to it, the end of the round is then the 1325m rocky horror descent of the Ben. Reversing the direction means that the round starts with a 1325m ascent, but this is less fatiguing on fresh legs than the descent is on tired legs. It also means that more than 20% of the total climb is done in attaining the first summit. Doing the round clockwise also means that the big mountains (and the rockier ones) are in the first half, with each summit requiring an average of 400m climb against less than 300m for the second half. Hopefully the grassier Mamores with shorter climbs will be easier both physically and mentally. The only problem with a clockwise round is that coming off Mullach nan Coirean in the dark is much harder technically than coming down the Ben with a good head torch.

First run of 2014

I had a decision to make: drive to Broughton for the Greenmantle Dash or go for a run in the Pentlands. It was forecast to be sunny so, although I've never done the c.25-minute [for me] Greenmantle Dash (or any hill race of less than an hour), the Pentlands won! I also have to admit that I was disappointed to learn that the Greenmantle Dash is not even to the summit of Trahenna Hill, just to the end of the steep bit.Of course that's the hard bit, but it seems unaesthetic. So I drove for 5 minutes to Nine Mile Burn and warmed up by jogging off to Spittal Farm. I felt sluggish, worse on the steep bit to the col by Patie's Hill, and worse still on the climb up to The Mount. Could be for various reasons: body poisoned by Festive indulgence? [but I've hardly indulged]; legs stiff from the Festive Frolic (orienteering)? [but that was on Dec 28]; unaccustomed to running uphill on soggy grass into the wind? [sounds more reasonable]; in my 50th year and getting slow [even more likely]. Once on The Mount, it was windy and wet underfoot, but largely sunny and a pleasant experience. Stopped to tighten my laces in Deer Hope and overtook two walkers when I set off again: unusual to see anyone in this area. Couldn't see the point of taking in the summit of East Cairn Hill and was keen to enjoy the 4.5km undulating traverse of the Bore Stane and Kitchen Moss. It was wet as expected, and good training since you have to keep an eye on what's underfoot most of the time and inevitably get some bad footfalls which build strength. After that, it was good to stretch out a bit on the drove road down to the Logan Burn and I was pleased to be able to keep going up the other side and to the top of Cap Law. After that the run down the Monk's Rig (past the Font Stone) was a joy, even with a stiff cross-wind. For the record: 15km with 700m climb in 1h50. Feel OK now. As usual, fingers crossed that the left tib-fib ligament doesn't get inflamed. 

Tranter's round: what and why?

Tranter's Round is the original Scottish 24-hour mountain challenge, consisting of Ben Nevis, Carn Mor Dearg, the Aonachs, Grey Corries and the Mamores. This circuit of the river Nevis watershed is about 60km long with about 6000m ascent and was first achieved by Philip Tranter in June 1964. Originally it consisted of 19 Munros, but now has only 18 due to Sgorr an Iubhair losing its status in 1997. The standard Scottish 24-hour mountain challenge has been (Charlie) Ramsay's Round since he completed it first in July 1978. This extension Tranter's Round adds five Munros round Loch Treig. Although this offered the appealing challenge of 24 Munros in 24 hours (until Sgorr an Iubhair' demotion) it doesn't appeal to me because 

• It is too long and hard for me to contemplate, being 96km long with 8500m of ascent
• It is not as aesthetic since the additional mountains are not in a natural sequence and require a long low-level trek between Loch Ossian and the Mamores

So far as the 24-hour Munro record is concerned, Ramsay's Round itself has been extended on two occasions to 26 and 28 (now 25 and 27) but two longer records have been set in the Cluanie/Affric area with (now) 27 and 29 Munros. Interestingly, these records were set 15-30 years ago, although the first 24-hour Tranter's Round in Winter was achieved in 2009 and a 24-hour Ramsay Round in Winter remains an open challenge.

The record for Tranter's round is currently 12h17. I'm aiming for 19 hours, which is only 12% faster than the 21h45 given by Naismith's Rule. When running in the hills I'm normally about 100% faster than Naismith, but that's for a couple of hours in the Pentlands, not 19 hours in Lochaber!

Oh, and why do I want to do it? Because I think I can, but if I wait too long I'll be too old and I think I'll regret not having tried it!