I first came across the slightly mad cap sport of SwimRun
after spotting some pictures of the famous OtillO race in Sweden in an article somewhere,
about the world’s most extreme races. Something grabbed my attention, people
emerging from the sea clad in shorty wetsuits with paddles and pull buoys,
running across some pretty rough looking terrain onto the next swim with a team
point to point format and a great background story. I knew I had to give it a
go.
Fast forward to late 2014 and I hear rumours of a new event
in Scotland, with the same team behind it that brought us the Celtman. Loch Gu Loch, 8km of
swimming, 47km of running in a point to point race based around Loch Ness in
the Highlands of Scotland. A good friend
Stuart Macleod has also been out to OtillO this year, he’s done an event or two
and from his reports I knew this SwimRun thing had to be done. Stuart agreed to
race with me and show me the ropes, to be honest I could not think of anyone I would
rather do the event with so it was amazing when he agreed. It was a long wait
but Sep 26th came round soon enough.
I had a lot of fun along the way to the event trying
different kit, techniques and getting lots of strange looks running around Ambleside
or the Coniston fells in a wetsuit. Blair also set some interesting and
challenging SwimRun specific swim sets for me, involving very little legs and lots
of paddles. Part of the appeal is the sport is so new there really are not hard
and fast rules about kit and training, it’s still developing but very quickly.
Team training wise, in true Half Arsed Cowboy fashion, me
and Stuart had a quick chat on the phone a week before and then met on the lawn
outside the Highland Club the night before the race, fully clad in race kit and
went for a run. We figured the swim bit could wait for the morning, there would
be 8km of it after all. I knew then we were in for an adventure and no matter
what happened we would have a great day together, we both wanted to race hard but
it was about the experience rather than the outcome, a good place to be as a
team.
The race starts with a ferry ride to Urquart Castle on the
shores of Loch Ness, a fitting start for the race. Stuart is a little disappointed
we are not heading out on a stinky open topped fishing trawler, the ferry is a
little comfortable for his liking and is even serving coffee. Pre-race banter
is great and catching up with friends from various events and meeting others
passes the time. Tales of 10 degree water fills the ferry, a piper greets us
ashore as we head down to the water’s edge for the race start. I am one of the
first to test the water, its cold but that’s what we signed up for. A 3, 2, 1
count down and the race is off!
I am a big fan of learning on the job, it’s hard to simulate
the added pressure of racing in training so I am glad to get this one out the way
at the start of the race! In SwimRun it is usual practice to use a tether for
the swims, so you don’t lose your partner. Stuart got us a great start, going
out hard but as we settle down the cord get wrapped around my wrist, due to the
paddle on my hand I can’t remove it! I tug on the cord, we stop and I managed
to get freed up. Pleased to say it’s the only time it happened, experiential
learning usually does the trick.
We come out of the water and find out we are only 3mins back
on the race leaders, a bit of a surprise as I think we expected more. The first
run is 9km with a very gradual climb through a forest track, game plan is to
run hard on all the long sections to make up for time lost on the swims. We soon
find the front of the race, Ewan and Stuart, Bonnie and Graeme, the banter
begins. The German team of Andre and Burkhard soon join us, everyone looks
smooth and strong and it’s clear this is where the race is at. It stays close
for the next 4hrs, all 4 teams are pushing hard, its great racing. Slowly but
certainly hard won, me and Stuart open up a small gap, which grows on 16km run
section. We know the stronger swimming teams are coming back at us on the swims
so we have to suffer on the long runs to gain time, but all the teams could run
too! We never felt safe and had to keep the pressure on.
The journey this race takes covers a vast variety of terrain
and landscape, forest, trail, tarmac and all the Loch’s have their own character,
rocky shores, bogginess and island crossings. It adds an extra dimension to
share this this a team mate, me and Stuart are focussed, hurting but enjoying
every minute of it. The marshals at swim exits/entry points and aid stations
are doing an amazing job too. We also keep coming across a loud guy flying
round in a white van blaring what I think is Michael Jackson music who gives us
occasional but welcome abuse ;).
At Loch Tarf, the 2nd to last swim and only 7km
from the finish line, after around 6hrs30 racing its good news to find out we
have the gap we wanted, it’s still tight but should be enough if we keep the
pressure on. The Loch Tarf swim is awesome, short swims visiting and crossing
the various islands, rough ground and the feeling that the finish is near. It
finishes with a 30-40m of bog snorkelling trip and I can’t help but smile when
the legs cramp trying to get out. Now only have a 6km run and 1km swim left.
This is where the tale becomes interesting, tired but still
pushing hard we miss a direction sign, heading the wrong way now. It’s a while
before we realise the mistake, no course marking for a while and we get that
sinking feeling that we have blown it. It’s ok though, we can just get the map
out, sort it and get back on track. Stuart’s reaction as he gets our map out of
my pack is telling, it’s wet, soaked and unreadable. We have no idea which way
to head but can see the Loch below, just maybe we can get back on track if we
head for it. The trod we are following soon turns into a steep, rocky hillside,
no sign of any paths, but we are pretty much at the Loch’s edge. Running soon
turns to walking, then clambering and we are starting to cool down rapidly. We
pop out on the rocky shoreline and can see the finish, but it’s at least 3km
away. The shoreline is so rocky and craggy that we try swimming, it’s quicker
to move but too cold as we have lost all our heat. Soon a boat turns up and we
are back on the opposite shoreline in a couple of mins, freezing cold but happy
to not be clambering any more and trying to swim.
Not the end we would have wanted but the amazing thing is,
it really does not matter. The best bit about this experience was racing with
my team mate, sharing the highs and lows, suffering, smiling and working so
well together in this amazing environment. So no matter what happens, you can’t
take the best stuff away, we gave our all, missed a sign and that’s racing. We weren't
in it for a t-shirt or medal so all’s good and we have a story to tell that’s way
more interesting than the usual race report!
So near yet so far but smiling all the way to the end, as it
should be. The Cowboys will ride again, just like in the films. J
Thanks to the Bonnie, Graham, Andre, Burkhard, Ewan and
Stuart for the racing and smiles and congratulations to everyone who finished
and attempted this tough race. Of course without the many marshals who gave up
there time it could not happen and you guys made the adventure possible. I am
sure this race will become a future must do extreme race in the future.
If anyone fancies a SwimRun adventure, there are some great
events cropping up around the country so seek and you shall find.
Just a quick note I think important to add. The course
marking was overall excellent and the event superbly professionally organised,
me and Stuart were never in any danger and were very quickly located due to the
GPS tracking provided by the race organisers.
