Falene and Kady's Adventures: Caledonian Challenge

The week leading up to the Caledonian Challenge was filled with last minute logistics and coordination. It was also filled with my team losing our team captain to a pulled hamstring. I was able to talk our regional VP, who was on the 24 mile hike team, to come join our team. Carri was reluctant but she is a team player and stepped up to the challenge. I knew that of all the hike team members she would be the best candidate to add to our team as she has done tons of triathlons, races, etc. She did not do any training for the 24 mile hike challenge so she was joining our team with the understanding that she would go as far as she could but would make no promises to finish. We were more than happy with this as we just needed 4 people to start the challenge.

The day of the Caledonian Challenge started off at 5:00 AM with us leaving our hotel at 5:30 to meet the rest of our team and get to the start line by 6:30. We were part of the first pack of the day which was to depart at 7 AM!

The atmosphere at the start line was very energetic and with the sun rising in Scotland at 4 AM these days 7 AM didn't seem so bad! The Caledonian Challenge people had us sing happy birthday to 3 people in our group that were celebrating. Right at 7 AM the start line erupted with sparklers and off we went. There were several hundred people pushing to get through the starting gate so it took my team and I some time to get through, pass slower walkers and get into part of the pack where we could walk at a good pace. The issue with having such a small space for a starting point is that you can't get a good stride and you feel like you are walking on top of other walkers. We pushed ourselves so that we could get in front of as many people as possible. At this point I would have liked to slowed down to a comfortable but fast walking pace. Unfortunately the rest of my team had other ideas on this. Now don't take this next comment as anything but a funny name but I ended up nicknaming my team the "marching Nazi's". I'm not entirely sure which one of them started this pace but we were quickly walking at a 4.5 mph pace!!! This is borderline jogging! During all of my training with one of my other team mates we were averaging a 3.6 mph pace. I can do 3.6 comfortably... I cannot walk 4.5 mph without some strain. I ended up keeping an average pace of 3.8 mph which was still too fast for my in the long run but was necessary to keep the rest of my team in eye sight.

At mile 5 of 54 my hip flexors started to hurt. I had taken a 400 mg ibuprofen before we even started the race just knowing that I would be hurting at some point. I wasn't expecting to be in pain this soon. By the time we reached the first check point, 10 miles of 54, I was hurting more and took a 500 mg paracetamol (the UK equivalent to Tylenol), had breakfast, changed from my running shoes into hiking boots and off we went for the second segment.

The second segment of 13 miles starts with a 300 meter elevation gain, pseudo levels out and has a second elevation gain of 150 meters and then ends with a 325 meter decent. Knowing how I normally hike with assents and descents I decided that I didn't care what pace my team was going to walk this part at I was going at my pace. If there was any chance I was going to finish all 54 miles I was going to have to do it at my pace and not be pushed to fast. Especially since my hip flexors were already hurting.

There was great comradery on the trail from all teams doing the challenge and at one point when the rest of my team was about an 1/8 of a mile in front of my a team of 6 came upon me and noticed that I had a red midge hat. The basis for the red midge hat was that any team who raised over £10,000 got a red hat instead of the standard blue one. When they noticed my red hat they were very congratulatory and asked how much we raised at which point they got even more excited and congratulatory. They then asked me if I was setting the pace for my team or if my team had left me. When I told them they had left me and pointed out my team to them, they started yelling at my team that this is a team event and that you don't leave any team member behind!!! I immediately wanted to join their team, what a good team spirit to have!! My team stopped and waited for me at this point.

We approached the water stop on the second segment, I took another 400 mg ibuprofen as I was really starting to feel more pain in my hip flexors. Since I was ready before my team members to start walking and I knew they would catch up with me, I started off again. They caught up to me about 10 min later and passed me. I couldn't believe after they had been yelled at by another team they were going to leave me again!!

So I just figured I would carry on at my pace and walk by myself. This is where my moral for the entire event when downhill, and FAST!! By mile 16 of 54 I was in so much pain that I was crying!!! I was so frustrated with the entire situation that I started to hyperventilate. Trying to walk while having a hard time breathing just added to my frustration and annoyance. My team was a good 1/4 mile in front of me and there was not a single person in sight behind me. I have not felt that alone in a long time! My team stopped and waited for me at mile 17. As I approached my team I was wiping tears from my cheeks and it soon became obvious to my team that I was not doing well. I took another 500 mg paracetamol and said that when we reached the next check point I was pulling myself out. My team finally stepped up at this point and they took turns walking with me the remaining 6 miles.

We reached checkpoint 2, 23 of 54 miles in 8 hours 6 min and I pulled myself out. I was extremely bummed about this decision but I also knew that it was the best thing I could do without causing permanent damage to my body. I sat at that checkpoint in a comatose state why our support crew fed me and gave me hugs. It was what it was and I was done. The good thing about pulling myself out of the challenge when I did was that I was able to join the support crew and we headed to check point 3 where our hike team would be finishing their 24 miles. I was able to cheer the hike team to the finish line and then 45 min later welcome the rest of my challenge team, feed them and send them off on their way to finish the last 20 miles of the Caledonian Challenge.

I was grateful to Carri for keeping her hotel room for Saturday night as it meant I had a place to sleep and a hot bath available to soak my sore body. We woke up to the challenge team arriving back at the hotel at 6:45 AM and a beautiful day in Fort William. Our hotel was located on Neptune's Staircase, which is a set of 8 locks on the Caledonian Canal. The beautiful weather and early morning allowed me to walk, although slowly, up and down the canal and watch a beautiful sailboat make its way down the canal and eventually out to sea.

At the end of this weekend our hike team completed their 24 miles in 11 hours 15 min and my team members completed the challenge of 54 miles in 21 hours 56 min. I couldn't be more proud of both teams for their success! I am already thinking about ways to improve my training efforts and how I would do the actual challenge and since we have free entry in next year's event, thanks to our fund raising efforts, I might just have to fly back to Scotland and give this challenge a second attempt!!

Our combined teams raised over £11,000 and with the support of my friends and family I was able to raise £1434 of that. I am incredibly grateful to everyone's financial donations and words of encouragement through this entire event!!