The Rehab reaches Deuchary

The rehab continues.  After another Parkrun on Saturday, I was still intact and had shaved another sliver off my 2024 5k times. Such was my excitement that I was happy to rock up at Dunkeld the next day for Adrians Deuchary Hill Canter. Forty eight hours earlier I had sat and stated for the record that my racing days were over, that my body needed a break and that I should park the ego and accept my decrepitude. 

Run, yes, good :)

Race, no, bad :(

Me and Speedy Joe arrived early. Sufficiently early for me to get my number and have a catch up with ProTays Sharon and Partner.  I was all for the joining with the early start group who set off half an hour before the main race. There were 7 of us and I led from the gun. I ran with purpose but my lungs weren't bursting. The route had been altered to accommodate cows in a field. I also recalled going off course last time round, so I was wary. However, Adrian had done a sterling job on the tape and route marking. The sun made a brief appearance and, as always, I was overdressed, but stuck to my task and reached the hilltop in an hour. The Marshalls seemed surprised at my quick appearance. I looked back down the hill and saw a lad not far behind me. Best get a move on. Ooops, not racing...remember! 

I trogged back down the hill and came to a junction which threw me. The sign was pointing right, but the tape said left. There was also a straight-on option. I stopped for a good wee while to let the blokey catch me. We decided if we were going to get lost, we would do it together and we went left with the tape. It proved the correct option and I was soon on my own padding across the gravel and hard packed forest tracks. I was caught with about a mile to go by the eventual race leader who passed me at a fair pace. I felt a few tweeks of cramp in my calf, but at 11 miles I didn't have far to go and finished in just over 2 hours. Pretty pedestrian and well down. However, I was pleased with the run and with no after effects other than some blood blisters, I think we're going in the right direction. 

With only 40 finishers, this race deserves much more and coupled with the soup, tea etc and prizes galore afterwards, its a cracking wee race. Speedy got back as first female after also having to stop and cracking herself on the face with a deer gate - daftie. We were a box of chocs and a bottle of malt better off on the way back.