Templeton Trail Race

Finding this hidden gem wasn't easy. The flyer on the website was for 2013, but once I'd been linked up with the Facebook page I thought my troubles were over. I hadn't counted on getting lost in Dundee trying to find it!

Templeton Woods looked beautiful in the evening sun. I love the way light plays through treetops making dazzling, dancing shapes like a kaleidoscope.

My quads felt tight and sore as I warmed up. This was to be my third race in six days so it wasn't a surprise! I enjoyed skipping over tree roots and dodging trees as I explored the first half mile of the start and the finish.

All Photos: Gordon Donnachie

John counted us down and then we off, flying up the path. Amie was right behind me so I was running a little less comfortably than at Hill of Tarvit and probably faster than was sensible. The long easy climb was followed by a short sharp descent and climb then we broke out of the trees and headed down to the reservoir. I got into my stride and managed to get a little ahead of the group behind me. The sun was warm and from the turn the wind at our backs. I tried to catch the runner ahead as I knew we were due to turn into the wind again but he was, thoughtlessly, accelerating away! Back into a little copse, a bridge crossing, a windy path, unavoidable mud, an deep long puddle to clean the shoes then back out into the sunshine. It felt pretty warm as we galloped down the hill. I'd picked up a stitch in the copse and had to ease off and try to breathe it away. I tried to stay relaxed but it was an annoying thing to get held up by.

By now I had clear space in front and a gap behind. I was running, and smiling because I was running, and the world was beautiful and the sun was warm. Then it was back into the woods and I had to focus on the ground, looking out for obstacles and course markers. I wondered if the runners behind would come with me if I went the wrong way… It was super twisty with lots of little ups and downs. It reminded me so strongly of the fun I had as a child dashing about in the woods, when I ran because it was more fun than, well, anything else. The course suddenly burst back out into the sunshine and I had to work a bit to get up the hill into the stiff breeze, then it was down again (notice a theme here?). The descent through the woods was worryingly long (what goes down…) and my sore quads were keen to point out that I might be having a fabulous time but they weren't. I had got a bit disorientated when I saw a runner coming towards me, then another and another. Had I gone the wrong way? Had they? Had they finished and come running back up the course? Then I looked further ahead and saw the course went around a triangle of trees and came back on itself.

I scooted around the corner and began the climb back up to the finish. It gave me a chance to see who was behind me. Amie looked to be about 20 or 30 seconds. I didn't see she was with another female runner. If I had I might have run a bit harder out of fear! As I reached the part of the course I had checked out on my warm up I began to relax and enjoy myself (again). There were more bridges than I remembered…

I was happy to see the finish line, because it was also the site of the barbecue. I did manage to go for a warm down with Jillian and Rosie before tucking into a Quorn sausage. Never has a Quorn sausage tasted so good! I was briefly parted with said sausage during the prize giving. I thought it would look a bit odd going up and shaking hands while clutching a sausage. Thankfully the sausage was still there on my return...

I stayed and soaked up the atmosphere (and a piece of banana cake) until the party/race finally broke up. If you're going to commemorate the 2-year anniversary of being told you will never run again by running three races in six days, this is the perfect third race!

1st woman, 9th overall. 37 minutes 25 seconds.

Photo bombed by a squirrel