Thanks to Carol for this report, and many congratulation on your achievement.
Always looking to do something age-defying on or near my birthday, this year it was my first ultra marathon – for my 68th birthday.
I was looking for something to excite me, and inspire me to do more training. The High Terrain Events advert for its Cairngorm Ultra popped into my FB feed, and I went for it.
The full version was 60km, but there was a ‘short’ option of 50km. So, after many happy hours of more and more demanding training, I ran 31 miles, with 881m of ascent and descent, on 31st May, from Braemar in the Cairngorms. All but a couple of miles were off-road.
I’d scoured the internet for advice for first timers, so I knew to start off slower than I would usually run / walk early inclines that I’d usually run up / drink and eat from half an hour in / and have a great time.
The only disappointment was that the stretch of 14km or so of gentle descent starting at around 30km was too boggy, bouldery, and slippery to run at speed. From orienteering I’m pretty confident on downhills, and I’d been looking forward to this, so it was a big disappointment. I was faster on the uphills and the flat!
After assuming this would be both my first and my last, I’d happily do another!
Event website: https://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/cairngorm-ultra-trail
Map: https://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/_files/ugd/9c535f_2b930c6cde224c45ac02891f6e7a798f.pdf
Border Liners Orienteering Club 