The Mighty One

Walking back from school on Friday with my daughter I bumped into a dad (sorry but I don't know his name so let's call him Dad Who Runs with Big Black Dog). As usual we got to talking about running. Dad Who Runs (w BBB) is just back to his running after a few months of doing less. He's pleased with himself for doing three runs this week.

Then he mentioned a race a couple of his pals are planning to do. "The deerstalker or something," says Dad Who Runs. "Do you know it?" he adds.

Oh boy, do I know this event. It's a fab one. It's called The Mighty Deerstalker (see www.themightydeerstalker.com) and is an alleged 10k off-road adventure style race at Traquair, near Peebles. More like 17k, the event takes place mostly in the dark in chilly march and includes lots of mad obstacles such as chest-deep river crossings, tunnels, wooden planks plus an awesome scree slope climb with only the light of your head torch to guide you. It is, however, great fun and is organised by the guys behind the Edinburgh Rat Race (see www.ratraceadventure.com).

If you can manage a 10k in normal conditions then you'll face a challenge with the Mighty Deerstalker but you'll have a ton of fun along the way. I did the first event three years ago and managed to come home 3rd lady (not bad for an old bird like me), despite getting lost and ending up running down the local high street at 8 at night covered in mud and wearing a ridiculous-looking head torch. (Oh how the locals laughed!). 

(I'm trying to find the article I wrote about the event - when I do I'll post it on my blog.

In the meantime, here's one I wrote for the Daily Record about adventure racing in general.)

Anyways. . . after finding out about the rather challenging side of the Mighty Deerstalker, Dad Who Runs seemed absolutely delighted. "Oh, I can't wait to tell my friends about this," he said, chuckling away. "They think it's just a 10k. But it's got river crossings and obstacles, you say? I really can't wait to tell them all this. Hee, hee."  I was delighted to have made Dad Who Run's day just that bit cheerier!