The Mighty Deerstalkers

Yesterday I ran in my first ever timed event with two friends. It was the Notorious Night Run's Mighty Deerstalker at Traquair House, Peeblesshire. It was a very unique experience. It is billed as a 10k (and then some) which turned out to be more in the region of 14k. It is one of the most crazy things that I have ever done and included running through forrests and up and down snow and mud strewn hills with both natural and man made obstacles, running in a river (freezing!!!), crossing various rivers, scrambling under nets....... All this done in pitch darkness with head torches lighting the way. We chose to go in the last wave at 1830 to experience the true nocturnal delights that the course had to offer. Apparently there is over 1000ft of climbing involved. The last major obstacle is a long climb up and over a scree slope and down the other side - you could see the procession of head torches for miles around, was quite a beautiful and breathtaking site!

So I learnt two things doing the deerstalker - firstly that putting in all those early morning runs and working hard at classes has made me a pretty fit 40 year old and secondly, I was totally born to do this type of running , I totally loved it. It was a wee bit like going hill walking interspaced with short periods of running. Does life get any better? I think not!