The Forum of Benfleet Running Club

admin · Last edited by admin on Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:55 pm; edited 2 times in total

West Highland Way
23rd June 2007

Mike Mason is making this his fourth outing in as many years for this race.

Essentially the object is simple, you start at Milngavie Railway Station (7miles north of Glasgow) at 1am on 23rd June & run/jog/walk to Fort William Leisure Centre by noon on the 24th June, 35 hours to cover 153km (95 miles) including 4499m (14760ft) of ascent (OS software).
Along the way you pass through checkpoints within time limits. In order to participate you must have your own motorised backup, consisting of at least two people, one of which must be capable of covering the last two sections with you (or find you) if assistance is required or during the hours of darkness.
Jez Bragg(15:44:50) & Kate Jenkins (17:37:4 Cool

hold the course records

You can track Mikes' progress here, but also on hi ssub-web site here

http://www.benfleetrunningclub.com/mm.htm

The official website for the event is

http://www.westhighlandwayrace.org/

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

1am Saturday morning and the race starts......only 95 miles to go

Ernie texts

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Ernie texts

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Ernie update

Steffan · Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 538 Location: Basildon

Quality running Mike.
Keep it up mate.
Again, I'm cheering you on from Basildon under a fantastic electrical storm.
Drop anything metal you may be holding!
cheers

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Mike finishes at 7.20am Sunday Morning !

Total of 101 miles (6 more than he should have done !!)

More stories later.....

Steffan · Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 538 Location: Basildon

Bloody fantastic Mike.
Crap weather, doing more miles than needed and still got it done.
True endurance.
cheers

Sharon G · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 19

Well done Mike - fantastic effort! bounce

Pat M · Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 215 Location: Canvey Island

Well done, lads. That will be good preparation for the CANVEY ISLAND/benfleet Ultra.

jacklarge · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 239 Location: Rayleigh, Essex

My hat, nay my t-shirt and trousers, are off to you Mr Mason (don't tell The Wife). Above and beyond the Call of Duty - True Grit (and probably many other John Wayne movies).

A single malt has your name on it next social drunken

.

Cheers,

John.
_________________
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh, haven't you?"

- Holly, ships computer, Red Dwarf

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

yes, all right.

Enough of the superlatives..

Where's our shortbread biscuits...?

And more to the point, where's Godfrey's tin -
(I believe he has a few loose screws he wants to keep)

At leat Mike is now in the same league as our Club Skipper;
Not the running fast, or having a personality stakes (obviously)
but the
getting lost in the woods stakes.

How many more miles did you run Mike (and you still came 62nd) ??

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Karl C · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 1555 Location: Rayleigh

Don't worry Mike, the "caring club-my arse" wishes you well..

at least you can now settle down to your fave tv programme

Ernie · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 165 Location: Hockley GORC

Race Starts 1.00 am.

5 miles later Mike and Running Partner ( John of ex Para fame) are lost (really well and truly lost) and in desperation Mike wakes up a cross eyed farmer from his deep slumber well after 2.00am.

It went something like this with John standing a little back and feeling just a little uncomfortable " I'm terribly sorry but we are in a Race and we are lost could you tell us where the West Highland Way is please ".

One can clearly see why the Scots love the English.

Jez · Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 175 Location: Eastwood

one thing is for sure if someone had woken me up at 2 in the morning to ask for directions, they certainly wouldnt have got the correct ones! Just lucky MM has a good likeness to Mr angelina jolie lol.

Ernie · Joined: 26 May 2006 Posts: 165 Location: Hockley GORC

Congratulations to Mike for breaking the "100" mile barrier for the first time (101 in total).

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 895 Location: Hockley

Oh well another WHW over. At least my left knee held up ---better then my navigational skills. Will lose at least the cherished 2 big toe nails (only recently grown back).

Just want to thank Ernie for his support on the race. He was brilliant. Whenever we appeared at checkpoints the Whisperlight stove was whipped out and food prepared.

I think at times lack of sleep and having to attend 2 of us ( I ran with a guy who had lost his support crew) got him down a bit. I mean what do you think of someone when I asked if I could have a marmite roll says - NO! Whilst he is taping up Jon's foot and stirring soup at same time. And I will treasure the request for a cheese roll and the sight of 2 rolls, butter, cheese spread and a knife being dumped in front of me.

Ernie even cooked spuds and walked miles down a track to meet us en route.

We spent 12 hours in the car on way back - -2 hours in M25 carpark - and I don't think we stopped laughing once. From getting lost, waking a cross-eyed farmer up at 02.10, Jon Steele going to hospital and being put on IV drip, Jon Steele taking IV drip out and walking 150 yards across road from hospital to prize ceremony in socks, to the double bed that Ernie got the hotel to switch our twins to..............PRICELESS!!!!!

I am now looking forward to Mont Blanc Ultra in August.....where in the great traditions of this truly 'Caring club - my arse' I can jab a few French guys in the nads with my poles.....oh joy....oh bliss!!

Thanks again Ernie and thanks again to the Benfleet Club for making us the onerous, miserable gits we remain today!

Rgds
Mike
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.

Mike Mason · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 895 Location: Hockley

BBC Scotland webcast

http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/s...d+way+race&uri=%2Fscotland%2F
_________________
'sometimes I am running so fast it appears that rocks and trees are standing still......' 'I may be slow, but you are ugly and I can train harder.' '90% is mental, the other half is physical'it's going to get a lot worse, before it gets worse'.