Last Sunday I ran the 9th race in my 12 month challenge, the Andy Reading 10K. And, I will always remember this race as the one in which I ran with the deer.
It was in the middle section of the race as we ran a circuit around RAF Weston-on-the-Green. Something caught my eye in the wide open expanse of the airfield. There, a short distance away were two deer running like the wind across the field. I pointed them out to the woman running behind me, both of us commenting that we suddenly felt inspired to run faster. The deer ran off into the distance and I lost sight of them. Then, as I rounded a bend, there they were again. Except this time, they were only a few yards away running alongside me. Though the deer were small, their quickness and grace made me fully aware of how we humans aren’t truly built for speed.
I didn’t want to get out of my warm PJs and head out on this cool wintry morning and run around for an hour. But, as is always the case, there was some new experience, some nugget of joy that in the end made me grateful that I made the effort and overcame the inertia pulling me back to bed. I didn’t run a great race, it was one of my slower ones. But I ran alongside wild animals and it made me feel alive and connected to earth, nature, and the universe.
