Slave Route Challenge half marathon - 14 May

Winter is definitely kicking in because the early morning starts are getting ridiculously cold before sunrise. And of course the races are starting later. This one, the Slave Route Challenge, kicked off at a respectable 7am, just before sunrise. I drove through to this one, with Myles, Leon and Obertina for passengers, we got to the city at around 5.45am, early enough to get a decent parking on the Grand Parade close to the start in Darling Street adjacent to the City Hall.

As always there were plenty of West Coasters, lots of familiar faces. It really is a fantastic club full of awesome friendly people all keen and willing to support each other in running, it's always good chatting to this lot and there's always encouragement and well wishes for running. Like a big happy alcoholic family with a running problem.

Oh yeah, 20 days to Comrades 2017!

Off topic - I do not know why I'm writing this blog about running races, or how long it will continue. Like everything in my life it's probably just another phase that will fade away soon enough because of the effort involved, but until then, so this shall continue. I'm not even sure why I just wrote this paragraph, other than I'm simply weird like that. The ADD in me brings out strange scenarios sometimes.

Anyway, it was a great race, well organised and a fantastic vibe on the road. The famous Koesister Hill (Pentz drive up into BoKaap) did not disappoint. The Muslim ladies were out in force sharing their absolutely delicious freshly baked Koesisters with the runners. I indulged in 3 before heading back down the hill again. The 21km course out around the stadium was nice, quite scenic, but dead pan flat so a bit dull. I jumped onto Craig Strachan's 2h15m bus and stuck with him to the finish, despite feeling strong enough to continue faster towards the end to a close to 2 hour finish, I help back to conserve the legs and rack up a bit more time on the legs, more important now for Comrades.

All in all a great event and as always a great way to start a Sunday!

Heading up into District 6

The incredibly steep Pentz drive (Koesister Hill), hardly anybody runs here, though I did run about half of it slowly.

Pentz Drive again

 

Wesley & Emma

Cheesy selfie about halfway up Pentz.

Charlie and me.

25 days until Comrades

Hello, I'm back. Not sure yet if this will become a regular thing again for a while or this is just a once off.

So, as per the heading, Comrades marathon is only 25 days away, yes I'm running it, no I don't feel ready for it, yes I'm crapping myself. I have done 900km of running this year so far including 3 ultra distance runs and a number of marathons, many say it's enough, I don't feel it is. I've lost a lot of weight but still feel far too overweight to be participating in an 87km ultra marathon. But, we'll find out in just 25 short days how ready I am for this beast.

Anyway, keeping it short and sweet for now. I'm thinking of reviving this old blog again as a diary about the running, if this takes off in my busy world I'll reflect back briefly on previous running-related experiences from the past year or so, so this makes sense and forms and actual story with a beginning instead of cutting right off somewhere randomly in the middle.

Hopefully I can manage to keep it positive!

Weskus Marathon 2017

Saturday 6th May - Marathon number 8 in my running career including 2 ultra's, my first being Cape Town Marathon in September last year. The Weskus Marathon took place in Langebaan from the back end of the West Coast National Park, right through the park and finishing at the Langebaan Country Estate in the town.

One of the more stunning marathons I've run relating to scenery and aesthetic value, with very few motor vehicles, man-made structures and people besides runners. Relatively small number of participants, under 1000 this year with a fantastic vibe among the runners. My club, West Coast Athletic Club, represented in great numbers. Best running club!

My race started off well, chatted to a few cool people along the way, including running for about 15km with a lady I've often seen at races and greeted but never really spoken to. We ran a great pace together, chatted comfortably at that speed while making good progress. Unfortunately at around the half way mark I had to let her go on without me as I needed the portaloo quite suddenly and that's where my troubles started. After that pitstop the stomach bug kicked in and pretty much ruined the rest of my race as I spent half the second half in the bushes vomiting up everything I put in including liquids. By the end of the race the dehydration and weakness was real, I was almost dragged to the finish by some other very cool and supportive runners. So yes I did finish and get that medal but it was not one I enjoyed working for. Finishing a marathon with a bad stomach bug is not for pussies! Anyway, I'll find that lady again at the next marathon and finish what we started. I hate bailing!

Other than the gut-bug it was a great experience with some cool new friends made. My mate Myles from my "friends" running group and I drove up the night before and stayed in a hostel after a lovely and sociable dinner at Kokomo's restaurant with some of our running club mates. I admittedly did have about 6 draft beers, which also didn't help me get through that marathon the next morning. It wasn't a full on hangover, but it did cut off some time! You see, after having done 3 ultra distance runs (including Two Oceans and Om die Dam) recently, we got arrogant thinking it's "just a marathon". Well fortunately we sometimes learn from our mistakes. I've learned from this one - 4 beers MAX the night before. Hahaha. (Better yet, none!) It was an enjoyable evening nonetheless.

The morning of the race, all the marathon runners caught buses from the finish area to the start of the race, an hour long bumpy ride through the park to a freezing cold start area at the Tsaarbank picnic spots on the wild seafront. I've brought the family there for picnic braai's many times, one of the best places in this country for a lunch braai, in the wild on a rough rocky beach.

Anyway, I think if aliens landed on this planet and saw that us humans endure cold early mornings and a long bus ride to a random point only to endure a grueling bunch of time running back to where we started for no apparent practical reason, they would not hang around this crazy planet for too long in search of planets with more intelligent beings.

Well, as slow as the race was for me due to whatever bugs those damn spontaneously (stupidly) bought cheesegrillers brought, it was still 5 hours 17 minutes of valuable time on the legs counting towards Comrades training!

Next race is the Slave Route Challenge half marathon next weekend on 14 May.

West Coast Athletic team for the marathon.

Just after the start. Some guys still wearing their bin bags due to the cold.

Finishing the race, I look remarkably stronger than I felt on the day. I was looking left at the club gazebo, we were the last West Coasters in, everybody else cheered us in.

My new friend Lizelle. We ran comfortably the same pace for a good 15km or so, until my stomach bug started biting.

Dancie and I summiting Black Mamba, the only big hill in the race.

My mate Myles from our social running group.

Selfie photobombed by a few nutters from the club

How awesome is that view. Such a stunning place to run!