Race Report: Kleinmond Half Marathon

This past weekend there were 2 races to choose from: Kleinmond Half on Saturday - a bit of a drive out of town, but a very scenic area, or the UCT Memorial 10K on Sunday. I decided to try out the Kleinmond race, as I'd never done it before. And the views along the way made it worth the drive (even counting the bad weather!) I haven't done the UCT Memorial either, but I run in this area regularly with all the Hillbillies. Claremont, Rondebosch, Rhodes Mem...

So off I went to Kleinmond at half-past-stupid on Saturday morning (or still Friday night for some!) Got there in plenty of time, even had a brief snooze in my car waiting for the start to get a little closer. The start was delayed a few minutes by the traffic officials - a slight morning rush hour decided to happen just then and we had to wait for the cars to clear out before heading down the main road through town...

A surpring lot of this race was off-road. We even had a section along the beach, although this was not on the beach sand itself like the neighbouring Bettys Bay Half (December)- we ran along the paved foot path. It was a scenic route, but I'm beginning to wonder if this part of the world has any 'road' races! One big advantage of running all the way out here is that the fields are very small - most people opt for the races closer to home. I think that estimating 250 runners for Saturday would be pretty optimistic!

Most of the rest of the race was run around this area, along the dirt road. Lots of up at first, followed by a fairly steep descent. It was also round about here that the kay markers started going crazy - now we see 17km (and my Garmin says 9.5!), then we see nothing for a while but find a couple of refreshment stations. Now suddenly here's 11km, then 10! We're going backwards? Wrong turn somewhere? Thankfully it wasn't just me - EVERYONE took the same wrong route, I guess one of the marshals was a little confused...? But we eventually found our way back to the town roads (18km according to the race signs, 14.5 according to Garmin - with confirmation from another runner that he had the same values recorded). When we finished we were congratulated on finishing 17.7km - not bad for a Saturday morning, sometimes warm and sunny, sometimes cold and raining!! And we got a beautiful sea-shell shaped medal (try saying that fast 10x!!)

All in all a very enjoyable race, well worth the long drive and early morning.

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Stats: Thursday, 25 March 2010, 06:00

Apologies to all for being a little quiet these past 2 weeks. It seems that the Hillbillies have [temporarily] become very injury-prone! Some have been running and others not. From my side, 2 weeks of forced rest has been absolute torture! I'd see happy runners wherever I go and I wish I could join them...!

I picked up a painful case of tendonitis in my ankle - couldn't put any weight on that foot for a day or two but I am finally back on the road again, mostly pain-free (I can still feel a bit of tenderness when my ankle goes over from stepping on a rock or in a pot-hole but nothing lasting).

Now it's Josh's turn - he picked up a very painful stress fracture in his foot while running Time Trials last week. He's going to be out for 6 weeks to recover. Josh, we'll all be thinking of you and missing you on the roads!! Get well soon!!!

As a result of all these injuries, the Hillbillies haven't met as a group for about 2 weeks, this morning being our first real run together again. It was Linelle, Errard (new member, welcome!) and myself. 

We set out in the pitch dark of 6:00 a.m. from Great Westerford, headed slowly up Dean Street and along Newlands Avenue for our normal start. From there we had an easy downhill cruise along the M3 to Paradise Road. Around the cirle and cut through Claremont until we ended up behind Cavendish Mall. From here we got back onto Paradise and stopped for water at then Engen on Main Road. Refreshed, we set off again over Main, over the railway bridge and past Newlands cricket grounds. We reached our usual water point at the Shell garage on Liesbeek/Campground at around 6.5km but opted to just continue. So around the Rondebosch Common we went, meeting a couple of other early morning runners along the way. By the time we'd completed our circuit of the Common, we opted to just continue straight along Park Road and over into Belmont, then down Main for the home stretch.

All in all we ran a very comfortable 11.6km. Our pace started slow, and gradually picked up as we warmed up. We still kept it fairly relaxed and comfy the whole way, and had a very enjoyable run! Thanks to my fellow Hillbillies for the great company this morning!

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See you guys on Tuesday, same time, same place!

Thursday, 11 March 2010, 06:00

This morning Linelle and I set out from her house off Victoria rd. with a fresh wind on our backs. The starting point for the run moved just because it was only the two of us.
Our route headed up Victoria rd and left onto Belvedere taking us onto Milner rd up to Rondebosch Common.
We circled the Common, turning left off Klipfontein on Sawkins and onto Campground. By this time we we running into a strong wind, which made for tough going. After a well-deserved water break at the Shell tap, we tackled the home stretch back onto Palmyra and left onto Victoria.


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The total distance was 9.5kms and took us 53 minutes -  including our water break - which means we were doing 5:45-5:50 mins/km.
Linelle thought we were going too slowly because she was holding me back...
Linelle,  I know you're a Hillbilly, and therefore a little mad, but that was certainly not a slow run, and
 the only reason I was desperately staying  ahead of you is that i was terrified of getting sucked into your jet turbines... vroom!:)

All in all,  a great run. We look forward to reconvening at Dean Street on Tuesday. Good luck to all those racing this weekend!

Stats: Tuesday, 9 March 2010, 06:00

3 Hillbillies started out [not so] bright and early this morning: Josh, Linelle and I. It was still fairly dark at 6:00 this morning, winter is coming! But still warm... Thankfully the heat wave of the last few days seems to be breaking, and it actually cooled down towards the end of our run, dark clouds rolling in complete with thunder and lightning! Lets hope it rains today, after this heat we could do with a little rain!

We took it fairly easy this morning, with post-marathon-Josh setting the pace. Josh was going strong all they way, looking very comfy with the good old Bishopscourt hills, all the way to the top of Glastonbury Road and back again. The cooler air was such a welcome relief after the weekend's heat, and I thoroughly enjoyed the thunder and odd lightning flashes. The rain stayed away the entire run at least, so we made it back wonderfully cool and dry. Hopefully it held back long enough for Josh and Linelle to get back home!

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Next run is Thursday morning, 06:00. I will not be joining you guys on Thursday due to a niggly case of tendonitis in my ankle, but I should be back on the road by the weekend and will see the Hillbillies bright and early next week Tuesday!

Race Report: Weskus Half Marathon

This past Saturday was the Weskus Marathon and Half, out in Langebaan. We had 3 Hillbillies taking part: Josh in the Marathon, and Allen and myself in the Half. All ran good times and had enjoyable runs.

Josh finished the Marathon in an amazing time of 4h36!! Well done!!

Allen flew through the Half in a brilliant time of 2h06, and I managed a very comfortable 2h21.

Everyone was happy with their times, and Josh has now officially qualified for Two Oceans!

Thank goodness the race was on Saturday, which was pretty hot, because Sunday was a scorcher of note!!! Low 40's here in Cape Town, and Langebaan was apparently a degree or two warmer!!

Those of us running the Half Marathon were luck to finish before the real heat hit, and there was a cool breeze blowing for much of the second half of the race.

The Half Marathon started in Langebaan, about 3km from the entrace to the West Coast National Park, and 15km of the 21 were run in the Park itself. There was a lot of off-road in the first half, while the second half was mostly on-road. There was a biggish field, but not crowded. All of the runners seemed to be in good spirits and looking forward to a beautiful run through the Park.

And beautiful it was! The day was clear and warm, the air fresh and sweet. There weren't many supporters along the route, but the marshals and helpers at the water tables were brilliant. Plenty of cold water and coke to keep us going, and a few tables even had some extra goodies! The table at 15km was my favourite, and I'm sure a lot of runners would agree. They had all kinds of goodies to choose from, including chocolates, fruit, sweets, and even beer!! I saw one guy just before THE HILL with a can of beer in his hand. Still closed, but I'm sure he enjoyed it afterwards!

The organisers had quite the sense of humour. During the last 10km there were sign-boards with various messages, some encouraging, some funny, some more along the lines of 'huh??' Very entertaining though, and I'm sure the marathoners appreciated the distraction!

For the most part the route was gently undulating.They saved the worst hill for last. Very aptly name 'Black Mamba', this hill has a nasty bite! You can see it from around the 16km point, disappearing into the outskirts of Langebaan. Only 500m long, but when you're halfway up it feels like it has no end! There are no words to describe the feelings of relief and achievement at having conquered the Mamba when you reach the water tables at the top. And are rewarded for your efforts with an ice cold coke and some sugary sweets for energy to face the last 2km.

From here it was all flat, with a bit of downhill, all the way through to the finish line. A beautiful run, I can definitely recommend this to every runner able to complete 21km! The marathon is said to be just as beautiful, with even more time spent in the Park itself. But beware, you hit the Mamba at 39km in the maraton. Eina ouch...!!! There is no shame in walking this 'hill' though, so take it easy and enjoy the stunning scenery!

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Stats: Thursday, 4 March 2010, 06:00

Wow, what an awesome run this morning!!!

Allen and I represented the Hillbillies this morning. We started out up Dean Street at any easy conversational pace, and pretty much maintained the conversation and pace all the way. Allen hadn't run in a little while and was itching to hit the road again, a little warm up before tackling the Weskus Half on Saturday (Good luck Allen, and enjoy!) I was eager to get my legs moving and test my recovery progress after Cango. Also, I wanted a warm-up for Saturday, where I'll also be running Weskus. So that makes 3 Hillbillies in Langebaan on Saturday - Josh is running the Marathon!!

We started out this morning with no real plans for route or pace, just let out feet lead the way. I'd been contemplating 6-8km, depending on how my legs felt. Some mornings are meant for running, some aren't. Today was most definitely a running morning! My legs were more than happy to keep going, so off we went up Boshoff Avenue, up that little hill on Kirstenbosch Road, and stopped for water at Stone Church. Had I run alone I probably would have turned back at this point, but we were on a pretty good roll so we just kept going up Glastonbury Road. I can't remember when last Glastonbury felt so short and effortless!! Wow! I had to turn around and look back down the road to make sure we'd actually run up the right one!!

The trip back was mostly downhill, and was over way too quickly...

All in all, an amazing run!! Thanks Allen!

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Race Report: Infantry School Cango Caves Marathon

Better late than never, here is my race report from this past weekend's Cango Caves Marathon out in Oudtshoorn.

As it had been a year and 3 months since I'd last run a marathon (Winelands Marathon 2008, Stellenbosch), and the longest training run I'd done in that time was 36.2km for Red Hill Classic in January, I was somewhat nervous as the big day approached. I'd survived Red Hill, so I knew I'd cross the finish line. But what kind of time would I be able to do? I'd done Red Hill in 4h41, I had to somehow fit in an extra 6km in those remaining 19 minutes if I wanted to make cut-off... But I was not trying to qualify for Two Oceans, so cut-off wasn't the goal, just finishing the race (in good spirits!) to prove to myself that I could still do it.

We drove through to Oudtshoorn on Friday, 26th Feb. A nice long weekend away. Checked into the guest house, registered for the race, supper and early to bed. I beat the rooster up the next morning, he started crowing minutes before I left to meet my club mates for the short drive to the finish area where we would catch a bus to the start. This is a point-to-point style course. 

4:15 a.m. on Saturday morning saw Reinata, Sophia and myself piling into Sophia's car heading for the race. By 4:30 we were climbing aboard an ostrich truck for a very cold and bumpy ride out to the Cango Caves, which is the starting point for this race. The trip was, well, 'interesting', but we were relieved to finally be back on solid ground! And my nervousness is gone and I'm looking forward to starting this race! Also, I want to get moving so that I can get warm - it's pretty cold this far from town, and we were all well-chilled after the ride on the ostrich truck!!

6:05 a.m. the starting gun goes off (start was delayed by 5 minutes to wait for the last truck-load of runners to arrive) and the 1200-odd runners are off. The first few steps are a fairly steep downhill, and combined with a biggish crowd still, you have to tread carefully to avoid falling so early in the race.

1km, the downhill stops and we're faced with our first uphill, turning onto the Prince Albert Road for a detour to make up the distance, as the Caves are not quite 30km out of town. Undulating until 7.5km mark, where we turned around and headed back to the main road. I was somewhat disappointed in the usually efficient organisers when a couple of water stations ran out of water! The table at 6km had nothing but big buckets, and the runners got cups of water - not very helpful to carry along for when you get thirsty between water points... 

Coming back from the turn-around, the same water table was the 9km water station, and by now they'd run out of everything... What's going to happen with the tables ahead?? It's known to be extremely hot in Oudtshoorn around this time of year, and today has been predicted to reach 34 degrees! Water is essential! Thankfully all of the tables thereafter were well stocked with water so we didn't have any issues thereafter.

At 14km we were once again running on the main road headed back to Oudtshoorn. I was still feeling strong, and knew that I'd survive this one! I'd seen most of my friends, and had gravitated to my usual back-of-the-pack spot. I'd managed to get into a comfortable rhythm, nothing was hurting too much yet, and I was just loving the crips, fresh air and beautiful scenery!! And just so glad that I'd brought my camera along!! This wasn't a race after all, just a fun day out on the road :-)

Some races will mark each kilometer from start to finish, others will 'count down' the kays. Cango did the count down. The 27km marker board you see here means we'd done 15.2km and still had 27km left to go. I can do this! By now we've been back on the main road for a couple of minutes and Oudtshoorn is dead ahead about 25km. Now the real scenery starts!! So I settle back to a comfy pace and just keep running.

By 8:00 a.m. the day is warming up, but surprisingly its still very pleasant outside. It's almost cold in the shade still (I think if I wasn't running I'd be shivering in the shadows!) and the sun is just warm enough to be pleasant. Everything is green. The air is fresh and sweet. The roads are quiet. The runners friendly and chatty. Is there any better way to spend a Saturday morning???

By now the crowds are thinning out somewhat, and I'm left pretty much to my own devices. Usually I'd be listening to music at this point (and possibly singing along), but they'd announced at the start that no mp3 players were allowed on this race, and any runners caught with headphones in their ears would be disqualified. Can't have that now, can I?! So it was just me, myself and I for company much of the way. Let my thoughts wonder wherever they want, and enjoy the scenery.

The military guys manning the water tables were great supporters all the way. But we also had some feathered supporters - Oudtshoorn is well know for its ostrich farms, and there was no shortage of ostriches to be seen along the way. This particular group was gathered next to the fence, seeming to watch the crazy runners with interest. I wonder what was going through their minds???

I'd been keeping an eye on my time and pace pretty much the whole way, but I wasn't really gunning for sub-5h00. My goal was to complete the distance comfortably and enjoy the experience. I made 38.5km in 5 hours. But this time pretty much everything hurt from the shoulders down, but I was still in good spirits, even made a couple of friends along the way. I was enjoying the day, but also counting down the kay markers to the end. My legs were begging for a break and some cold water!

Finally, after about 5h30, I had crossed the finish line!! My first priority at this point was an ice cold coke! Next, sit down (fall down?) in a patch of shade for a few minutes. When my legs felt a bit more stable, I got up and took a slow 2km walk back to the guest house, had a quick shower to clean off all the road dust, and made a bee line for the swimming pool!!! A little bit of advice for anyone thinking of doing a marathon anytime soon - spend at least 20 minutes in a cold swimming pool or bath as soon as possible after the run. The cold water helps reduce some of the swelling in the muscles (you might not notice swelling, but believe me its there!). The cold also helps to numb some of the pain :P But seriously, if you have a cold swim or bath after your marathon, your legs will feel a LOT better the following day than they otherwise would've. I was even able to drive the 5 hours home the day after the race with only minimal stiffness.

I am now looking forward to my next marathon: Outeniqua Marthon on 24th April, run from George to Wilderness. Said to be absolutely breathtaking (the scenery! but I understand that the route is a little challenging too). I can't wait! Who's joining me??? ;P

Now for the 'usual' stats...
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