Glasgow to Edinburgh

54 miles
9 hours 17min
9th/19

Up at 5am to get a good breakfast of beans and sausages (thanks Liz) then we picked IB up and got the 6.45 to Glasgow train. The journey was fine and definitely better than dragging Liz into Glasgow.At the station we met Davie and had a coffee then got a taxi to Ruchill Park
What an uninspiring place to start a race. A small group of bedraggled runners and support registered, got themselves ready and after a brief preamble set off. The vast majority there has some association with the WHW so I knew quite a few people.
We set off at 9am and headed straight onto the canal. Lucy went straight into the lead and stayed there until the end. I set off steadily near the back and chatted to Sharon who was worried @ some damaged ribs. I let her go after 4m as she was a bit faster than I wanted to go.
I hooked up with IB for a while until he stopped for a pit stop.
I was @ 2hrs at Auchinstarry (13.1m). We had a strong tailwind practically the whole way so progress was relatively fast.
At the Falkirk wheel i met AB and LT for the 1st time and gulped some excellent chicken soup down and headed on thro 2 tunnels. The section from FW to linlithgow (22.6-33m) was my best. I passed @ 6 people. I had also got my ipod on at this stage which helped alot.
After Linlithgow I was still fine and passed Neil which was where I was to stay in the race.
I met the girls again at Winchburgh (39m) and has a wee stop and sat down for the 1st time( big mistake !). It tok me about 20min to iron the aches and pains out of my pelvis/upper legs. After that we turned into the wind. This was tough. Thank goodness it wasnt run E-W.
It was a bit of a struggle to Ratho which was 7M to go. I felt pretty nauseated at this stage and had pretty well given up on the idea of eating or drinking much.
From there on it was a struggle until 2-3m to go when I picked up and ran pretty well (or at least it felt that way) into the end at Harrison Park.
Sadly there was only a couple of marshals there as the girls had had trouble finding it. I curled up in the marquee and waited for them. IB came in soon after and we headed off back home.
So what have I learned ?
Well I was delighted to feel so good up to 40m. I felt really competitive.
After that I struggled with nausea. I dont know what to do @ that as I had eaten pretty well. Hopefully this race will simply give me more stamina which will help.
I could have done with some coca cola in the latter stages.
The soup was great.
Thanks to LT and AB for all their support.
I wont do this one again as it is pretty dull in the 1st 20m especially and expensive at 50GBP. However I am pleased to have it under my belt.