UNDER CARRIAGE SCRAPING AT THE LAIRIG GHRU
27th June 2004

by Kate Jenkins

I felt more nervous standing on the start line than I had in Milgavie as I knew my body was well run down after last week (Kate ran the West Highland Way Race, Milngavie to Fort William, in 19 hours 36 minutes - ed). It’s a subtle hint that when I smile and the corners of my mouth crack it’s time to take a break, but it’s become a bit of a tradition doing the 123 mile couple of races within the week.
Although my core was tired, the legs felt quite fine, if a little uncoordinated, resulting in a painful, elongated skid on rock and grit of my entire under carriage as I tried to overtake a Cairnagie. Knowing I always have three falls, I looked forward to the next two and sure enough they arrived, all in good time, adding to the interesting collection of grit pieces lodged in various places as souvenirs.
I was pleased to be second but saw Helen Johnston taking a poor line across the boulders at the Pools of Dee and grasped the opportunity to do some nifty boulder hopping. I thought that I had it in the bag but it served me right as she nimbly tiptoed effortlessly past me on the descent.
However, I seemed to be gaining more and more strength and after a couple of my better route choices I had lost sight of her and enjoyed the long, hot, improved paths through Rothiemurchus. I was a bit alarmed how strong I felt at 24 miles and wondered if my body was playing tricks. So I hurried on to finish my 7th Ghru, and waited for my car to appear, having been driven from Braemar by a helpful friend who had run the opposite way. I soon found that it was not only me who had enjoyed a good off-road run and had scraped my under carriage. The pink-peril Corsa had been busy doing the same in a roadside ditch. Groan.