Run Tall, Walk Tall

Thank you and thank you and main 2012 goal

2012-01-23T12:41:00.000+02:00

Two times thank you and then the news about my main 2012 running goal.

1st thank you everyone for all the good wishes and blessings for our marriage. It is all appreciated very much.

2nd thank you is for Jill who's Secret Santa package finally made it to Africa. I warned Jill about "Africa Time" and I was not wrong about that. The package I sent also made it to the USA last week.

Jill sent me some awesome goodies from Colorado. A lovely book! A great Rocky Mountains t-shirt, some Colorado playing cards, Colorado jelly beans and some stickers. Thanks Jill!

All of these goodies from Jill was sent to me to get me excited about my main running goal for 2012. That goal is to run the Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado in August.

Yes, I plan to take my lovely wife on a trip over the ocean and will combine this with a little mountain hike up Pikes Peak. I will of course be joined by Jill herself and she already convinced Ewa to come along as well. I'm sure there will be some good blogger meetup or even multi meetups during this trip.

So I am off to train very hard right now!

Have a super week everyone!

We did it!

2012-01-18T13:05:00.000+02:00

Got married that is! This past Saturday I married the woman of my dreams.

You may kiss the bride...

Done!

On our way to a short honeymoon...very happy!

2012 New Years Race

2012-01-09T15:01:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! I wish you all the best for 2012. Sorry for being MIA for so long, but life is crazy at the moment with our wedding just a few days away.

Running is going well and I ran my first 2012 race on 2 January. I ran the New Year’s race at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens and had a very good time. Everyone was in great spirit and we all were just there to enjoy our first race of the year.

A few pics from the race:

Lovely venue for a race.

Starting my first race for 2012.

There we go!

We started inside the botanical gardens and ran to a gate at the top of the gardens. We then went out onto the road and ran around the outside of the gardens. It was a lovely, warm morning and everyone was in a very good mood at the beginning of the new year.

I ran with some good friends. Here is Samuel (green) and Anthony (Red).

I ran my butt off to get this photo of Anthony from the front. Usually I just see his back for a short while. I won’t mention the 80km he ran at the year to year race that finished the day before.

Samuel and Emmy, a good friend that is running her first marathon at the end of January.

This area of Pretoria is very hilly and we were soon reminded of this as we made our way around the top part of the gardens.

Proof that the fast guys also walk sometimes.

There are a few places in Pretoria where the roads are made from concrete and not the normal tar roads we have around the country. The reason is that on hot days the tar melts and run down the steep hills. So if you find concrete roads you know there is a very steep hill to get over.

Spot the runner… no, only walking here…

Going down. I prefer a steep uphill above a steep downhill like this.

We made our way right around the gardens and entered again at the same gate where we went out earlier. The gardens are really beautiful at this time of the year. We finished with a 2.5km loop through the botanical gardens.

Lovely place to run.

A last sting in the tail. More walking.

Finish!

I enjoyed the run a lot and was glad to do my first 2012 race. I was happy to receive my first medal for the year.

With that done I am now focusing more on my wedding that happens this Saturday (14 Jan). I will start my build-up for the longer runs of the year on 20 January. For now I’m just keeping a strong base.

Happy running everyone! May you all achieve great goals this year.

How I Peed On A Leopard

2011-12-19T11:17:00.000+02:00

OK everyone. The 15th point of my previous post is explained below. Not that big a story but still one to tell...

How I Peed on a Leopard

Years ago I was fortunate enough to go on a 5 day hiking trip with a friend of mine. I had some contacts in the army that allowed us to do a hike on army property. The army bought 7 game farms and turned one into a military base. The other 6 were merged for later use but remained “untamed” for many years.

We decided to do a hike that would take us over the six game farms and just slept where we found a good spot. It was an amazing experience and we encountered lots and lots of game very close up. The best part was the feeling of total freedom we felt the whole time.

On the third day we decided to have lunch on top of a mountain with a spectacular view. My friend was busy preparing lunch and I was standing at the edge of a ravine admiring the unbelievable view. There was a ledge about 3m (9ft) below me that went all the way along the top of the mountain we were on.

I decided this ledge would be a perfect spot to pee on. Yep, I was a free man in my early twenties and this appealed to me…J So I did the P thing 3m down while admiring the great view. The next moment we heard a growl and a leopard suddenly got up right below me where I was doing the P thing…right on him! He got up with a growl, looked at me, and then walked away on the ledge…not pleased at all.

We didn’t hang around to see where he went or what he did next. We had our lunch an hour and a lot of kilometers later. I can’t remember if I completed the P thing or not. I can confirm that at least I didn’t do more than the P thing…it might have been close.

And that's how I peed on a leopard!

Thanks for reading! Have a super week everyone!

21 Random Things About Me

2011-12-08T10:07:00.000+02:00

AJH at Age Groups Rock did a 21 Random Things About Me post a while back and I thought it a good idea to do the same. So here are 21 random things about me.

1. I am a very big stats fanatic.
2. I’m seen as quite the nerd.
3. I have very green fingers, everything I touch grow out of control.
4. I drink a lot of coffee.
5. I don’t drink tea at all…never!
6. Although I live in Johannesburg, I’m stopped very often on my way to work for cattle crossing the road. I love it!
7. I breed tropical fish and have literally hundreds of baby fish at home.
8. I love chocolate cake and sometimes bake my own for carbo loading before an important race.
9. I love chocolate milk and use it as my recovery drink.
10. Living in Africa is special for me.
11. I don’t like eating out and can easily skip restaurants for ever.
12. I love nature and being outdoors makes me very happy.
13. I love swimming but hate cycling so I stick to running.
14. I have completed 4 triathlons including one half iron man.
15. I accidently peed on a wild leopard once – true story!
16. The radio in my car has never been used although I use the CD player sometimes.
17. I finished my first cross country race with a broken arm.
18. I ran my second cross country race with my arm in a cast.
19. I’m the youngest of 4 children.
20. I don’t need much sleep and get by with 4.5 hours a day comfortably.
21. My best time for a marathon is 3:48.

Thanks for reading and happy running everyone!

RAC Tough One - Short Feedback

2011-11-28T14:04:00.000+02:00

Hi all

I'm crazy busy at the moment so just a quick summary of Sunday's 32km (20 mile) race.

I had a great run! The weather was not bad at all and it was not as warm as it sometimes is in November. There was also some wind that cooled things down a bit.

I was taking things slow and easy, just hoping for a sub 4 hour finish. At halfway I was feeling so good I could hardly believe it and this was the same a few kms later.

I kicked things up a bit and ran a 12min negative split! Yep, I ran a negative split! Something that hardly ever happens to this slow runner.

I finished in 03:27:09 and is very happy with that.

Detailed report with photos as soon as I have the time.

Work is crazy and then there is a wedding on 14 January that I will tell you more about at some stage. :D

Have a super week everyone!

Charity Announcement

2011-11-22T11:03:00.000+02:00

Hi all! Sorry for being so absent but things are really crazy on my side. Good news is that running and everything else in my life is going well and strong.

I have joined the Sudan4Jesus team for the 2012 Comrades Marathon. Joining a religious charity was not planned but literally shown to me as being where I was needed. I've never been ashamed to tell people I'm a devoted Christian and it is time to give back in the way I love to what matters in my life.

To me this is a leap of faith and doing so publicly is also part of what I need to do. I know some people won't like this and that's just to bad for them. I'm not changing and this blog is not changing but I will certainly give the space and time required to this journey. Sudan is probably one of the worst places for anyone to live on our planet. If I can make a difference I will.

I'm running the RAC Tough One (32km/20miler) this coming Sunday. It is one of the harder races around but I'm really looking forward to it. I will be running in my new club vest for the first time. The club t-shirt I've been running in is just to warm for summer racing. Even if I don't run good I will at least look good!

Happy running everyone!

A Foto For Friday

2011-11-11T10:29:00.000+02:00

A lot of you would have seen this photo of Oscar Pistorius (South Africa's Blade Runner) on Face Book. It inspires me so much I want to share it here as well.

Have a great Friday and super weekend all!

MIA for all the right reasons

2011-11-07T16:32:00.000+02:00

I’ve been MIA a bit and I do apologise. I do have some excuses though.

The two of us…

…have been so busy with these two…

…and these two…

…as well as this guy…

…that I’ve been out of the blog loop for some time.

Add to that the 7 dogs, 4 cats and zillions of fish and you can see why things have been a little crazy.

I also took ownership of this…

…and all this is part of the upcoming plan to get all the above into one happy family. Yep, things are moving here by me.

Between it all running is still going well and I’m training quite hard for some upcoming races. In general I can really say life is good.

Hope life is good there by you as well!

The Difficult Decisions are Usually the Right Ones to Make

2011-10-25T17:14:00.000+02:00

I made a very difficult decision this morning. I will no longer run the Golden Gate Challenge this weekend. It was not easy to do this but I know it was the right decision.

Don’t worry, nothing is wrong and I’m not injured. I just don’t feel I’m ready. I know most people will say go for it and you will be ok and so on, but this is different. I know I am only 80% ready for this and because it is a 3 day race away from home, I have decided not to go and get myself into trouble. I’m listening to my body telling me I should give it a break from a heavy race that can break it down completely.

I’ll be honest, some of this has to do with my bad mugging experience of a few weeks ago. I decided that day to keep things closer to home for a while. This doesn’t mean I won’t do any away races. If I was 100% ready and the race was not as challenging, I would have been there. However, I am not ready to have my loved ones worry about me all the time. We all realized that day how we must treasure every moment together. Having them worry about me for three days does not feel right to me.

Anyway, enough babbling. I don’t feel ready for this race and decided to rather give it a skip. I have already adjusted my training for my next goal, the RAC Tough One (32km/20miles) on 27 November.

Happy running everyone!

Foto Friday

2011-10-21T11:55:00.000+02:00

With the Golden Gate Challenge happening next week I thought I’d share a photo of my first visit to Golden Gate National Park with you. In 1964 I went there the first time, not to run, not hike, but to ride some horses!

I was born a natural in the saddle…

Happy Friday everyone!

2011 Soutgate 15km Race Report

2011-10-18T12:41:00.000+02:00

This past Sunday I ran the Southgate 15km race. I like to support this race as it is one of the few close to home races for me every year. I always try to support the local running clubs.

I ran this race as a training run at the end of a fairly hard training week to end the week on a total of 89.7km (55.7miles), so time or pace did not matter at all.

The race started at 6:30 and I was glad it was only a short drive.

Waiting at the start.

It was a beautiful morning and I knew it was going to be a warm day. The early start was appreciated by everyone. After a short chat with some friends at the start we were on our way.

On our way!

I did a 22.5km trail run the day before and was keen to see what my legs would feel like. I was happy that they weren’t sore in any way and just a little tired on the hills.

Beautiful morning in the suburbs.

The route goes through all the areas where I grew up and that is another reason why I like to run this race. Many parts of it runs on roads that were my training routes many years ago.

I was baptised in this church 48 years ago. Nice to run here!

The first 7km of the race is flat with some downhill. From here to about 11km is a steady climb with one or two hills testing runners a bit. I was feeling good but could certainly feel the week’s training on the hills. I never looked at my watch during the race and just ran comfortably all the way. Soon I reached 11km and the hills were something of the past.

11km done and the hills behind us.

I felt good but knew I was running quite slow. I guessed my pace at about 6:30min/km. Overall I was happy that I had no problems or niggles anywhere after a week of solid training. I was happy with my run and just cruised over the last 3km.

A last little bump over a bridge.

Then over the finish line.

I was a little slower than I thought 6:32min/km and finished in 1:38. I guessed I would finish in 1:36. The legs were probably a little more tired from the trails I did on Saturday. I still love that I am able to run a race without ever looking at my watch. Overall I’m pleased and feel training and running is going well for me. We received a carry bag and medal for the effort. All was good and I was back home at 08:45 again.

Bag and medal to show off.

I only saw later when I logged this race that I reached a mini milestone on the day. This was my 350th 15km race and my total number of races now stand at 1358.

Thanks for reading! Run well my friends!

Golden Gate Challenge Preview

2011-10-10T13:16:00.000+02:00

Before I get to the preview I just want to thank everyone for there feedback and advice regarding the walking poles. I’ve decided to go without them because I have not been training with them. I’ve done quite ok without walking poles on many mountains before and I’m sure I will be fine.

Now on to the Golden Gate Challenge…

This is a three day stage race that is run on 28, 29 and 30 October. Registration and pre-race briefing is at 18:30 on 27 October. I will be sleeping in the runner’s village in my allocated two man tent. This will be our base camp and we run a different route from here every day. This will basically be a run to the top of a different mountain every day. Distances are 27km, 27km and 17km for a total of 71km.

Watch out for….

Ticks – please search all possible places for these little buggers!
Mountain edge: there are some big mountains and sometimes the trail go close to the edge so please be mindful and careful
Rocks – enough of these around, lift those feet!

Heat & Dehydration –drink enough and bring some sunscreen. Please note that Day 1 is very remote and you will be without water between the checkpoints for a long time – hence the compulsory equipment rule for a Camelback or water bottles.

The route description are from the race organizer.

Day 1: 27km

Route Description: Taking on Ribbok Trail

Today you will follow the very well known Ribbok Hiking Trail – 27km’s of pretty magical stuff but also hard work! We thought we’ll get the hardest day of the 3 out of the way – so take it easy there are some big mountains waiting for you!

Look out for some waterfalls, rock pools, Eland, Ribbok and loads of other game! (Unfortunately we will not be able to take you through Cathedral Cave due to it being really unsafe) The route is narrow and some places really rocky so watch your step.

You have two relatively big climbs, the biggest one of the two is right at the start - Generaalkop! Other nicknames such as Kneebrake, Moedbreek, Hartbreek and Inbreek should give you an indication of what this mountain is all about! All I can say is one step at a time.... and it’s pretty good getting to the other side of the mountain and into the valley!

The second half is a bit easier but know that you still have some climbing to do before descending into the rest camp. It is not nearly as hard as the first climb, but it will definitely test the legs. The route will also take you over the legendary Brandwag mountain that is signature to Golden Gate.

Day 2: 27km

Route Description: Exploring little Serengeti

So today we will start off with a bit of a drive to the start but as with all things the bigger the effort the bigger the reward! An hour bus trip will take us right to the other “unexplored” side of the park. The side where hikers and public are not allowed....except for you off course. So please bear with us on the bus, the road is bumpy!

I'm not gonna talk too much about the start as I'm sure many of you will so hate me for the first 5km’s, but then again I’ll be heading back to the Race Village and you will have about 22km’s to cool down! The start is hard. Big rocky climb to the top. ...but once at the top “Welcome to the Little Serengeti”. You will be greeted by herds of Zebra, Eland, Bontebok, Hartebeest, Wldebeest....as far as you can see. Vast mountains and rolling hills awaits as you meander your way around the park.

Old Jeep track and management roads will make the running a bit easier and will be a welcome treat after Day 1’s single track only running!

At about 15km’s you will take a turn towards the Highlands Mountain Retreat where you will take on some single track and some good climbing. Once at the top you will have the best view ever of the whole park and you can look forward to a long downhill all the way home!

Day 3: 17km

Route Description: Just love the sunrise! For every up there’s a down...

Waky waky, rise and shine!

It’s up and then down..... A bigger uphill and bigger downhill I’m sure you’ll never find on any race, but then again so is the views. We’re taking you right to the top 2 438 m!

Yep it’s a big climb to the top, a bit down, a bit up again and then you can enjoy the best sunrise right on top of the mountain. Your breakfast Watertable will await you here – so take some time, breath easy and just love life!

As you make your way down the mountain you can truly look forward to a well deserved event trophy as you just conquered one of the hardest trail runs in the country....

Enjoy Breakfast!

So that is it for the route descriptions. I’ll post more details and a bit about my preparations for this race. I can’t wait and really think this will be a fantastic adventure.

Have a great week everyone!

Walking/Trekking Poles

2011-10-04T11:16:00.000+02:00

I am in the process of preparing for the Golden Gate Challenge, a three day mountain race at the end of the month. I recently received the final race information which includes a list of “what to bring”.

What to bring:

Headlight for Day 3 (compulsory)
Bright Waterproof light weight jacket (Compulsory in misty conditions)
Whistle (compulsory equipment)
Warm sleeping bag & sheet for the mattress
Hydration System (Camel Back) (Compulsory equipment for Day 1. No less than 2L)
Sunscreen
Walking poles – recommended (some steep ascents and descents)
Extra socks – might be a good idea to carry a pair of dry socks in your backpack. There are some river crossing on some of the days and it might be wise to change socks after these.
Sense of humor :)

I have all the items on the list except the walking poles. I have never used walking poles before and don’t know if I should invest in a pair or not. I believe they are easy to carry when not in use and should not be a problem.

Any advice? Have you ever used walking poles?

Thanks and happy running everyone!

Golden Gate, South Africa

2011-09-27T16:07:00.000+02:00

A month from today, on 27 October, I will be at the Golden Gate National Park for the Golden Gate Challenge. This is a three day event over 71km (44miles). Basically each day is a run to the top of a different mountain.

I'll post a full preview later but for now I just want to show you South Africa's Golden Gate.

This is it...

Yes, I'll run over that rock on my way to the mountain top in the background.

Happy training and racing everyone!

Thanks & Throwback Thursday

2011-09-22T12:33:00.000+02:00

The blogging and whole online community never seizes to amaze me. The words and encouragement I received after my previous post are overwhelming. Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate it. I am already on my way back to my happy place.

I haven't done a Throwback Thursday in a while so here is one for today.

This is the oldest photo of me running that I own...

1973 - I was 10 years old.

Happy running my friends!

Reality Struck Me Down

2011-09-19T10:36:00.000+02:00

I think I have a very good life and I am really blessed that I can do a lot of things I really love with the people I really love. I have more than I need and do a lot of things some people will never be able to do. For all of this I am always very grateful.

Lately, my life has been fantastic. I’ve been really busy but all in a very good way. I’ve been in a very good space. On Saturday morning reality struck me when I was ripped out of this happy space.

I was at a shopping mall and had to go to the men’s room. As I walked in a man walked in behind me and the next moment another stood in front of me and put a gun to my forehead. Another guy appeared next to me and said: “we are taking your money now”. They took my wallet and searched me for a phone. By chance I actually forgot my phone in the car. They got really upset and angry that I didn’t have a phone on me. The one guy ripped my watch from my arm and they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

I was totally stunned, but also happy that I was ok and not hurt in any way. The whole time I stood there with the gun to my head I thought about my 10 year old son. What will happen to him? How will he cope if he gets the news that I’ve been shot were the thoughts rushing through my head.

I realize as things sink in that my happy space is gone. Although everybody and everything I love is still there and we are all unharmed, I am at the moment in a very bad space. I always have a very cool and calm head and this probably helped me during the ordeal. I do however feel a lot of emotions I don’t usually carry with me surrounding me at the moment. This includes anger, disappointment, nervousness and probably even some hate.

Reality struck and it struck me in a lot of places. I’ll be back in my happy space and I will do all the lovely things I always do. I will do it with the people I love and I will be a lot closer to them than before. But somehow I feel there will always be this bad spot in my happy place. An opening where bad things can jump in at any time…

Be grateful and love the people around you. Keep them very close to you.

Mont-Aux-Sources Challenge 2011 Report

2011-09-13T17:31:00.000+02:00

Those of you who know me on FB would have seen all my Mont-Aux-Sources photos and also know that I had quite a bad experience with dehydration. It was still an incredible experience to run up and down that mountain.

When we arrived on Friday it was very warm and Saturday morning was no different. I knew I was in for a hard day. I’m not great in the heat and coming out of winter training also didn’t help. At 10km to go a medic actually pulled me off the course. This has never happened to me before. Usually I’m good at faking what I really feel like, so I must have looked terrible!

Waiting for the start…

On our way!

The beauty of this race cannot be described in words. From the start it is a 10km climb up the Mahai valley to Witsies Hoek resort. It is tough but the views make the climb feel easy.

Going up the Mahai Valley…

Reaching the Mahai Falls is my first milestone of the race. I had a quick drink of the lovely water. From here it is on to Witsies Hoek and the first check point.

Mahai falls.

Witsies Hoek in the distance.

Arriving at Witsies Hoek.

As I was putting my camera away after taking the photo above, I did a face plant in the grass. No harm done and I was just happy I planted my face on grass and not some rock.

From Witsies the route follows a dirt road for 9km to the Sentinel car park. This is a tough section and it was literally heads down and push forward.

Dirt road to the Sentinel car park.

Beautiful view of the Sentinel…still a long way to go.

Nothing easy on this road.

Beautiful views to keep the spirits high.

Finally reaching the checkpoint at the car park

I arrived at the car park feeling reasonable and aware of the heat. I was a bit worried about the amount of water I could carry to the top but we were assured that the Tugela River was flowing on top of the mountain and water was no problem.

Note: Next year I will send extra fluid supplies in a drop bag to the car park.

View from the car park…beautiful!

From the car park it is a very difficult climb up to the chain ladders. The route goes up the zig zags and it is really very hard and steep at this point. The thin air also comes into play and many runners stop from time to time to get their breathing under control.

Trail towards the zig zags.

As if we didn’t know…

Runners above me on the zig zags.

The views here are breathtaking and it is worth spending some time to take it all in.

Where I came from. Note the car park in the distance.

Stunning!

The journey to the chain ladders felt long and I was really tired at times. Once I was over the zig zags I recovered nicely and I was happy to reach the ladders.

Approaching the chain ladders.

Runners on the ladders. The wind was very strong, making the ladders a bit more challenging…certainly not for the faint hearted.

Taking a breather at the top of the chain ladders while admiring the spectacular view.

After the ladders there is one more climb and then you are at the top. The mental victory of reaching the summit is awesome, but I could feel the heat and strong, dry wind was taking its toll on my body.

Great to be at the top…running towards the amphitheatre.

Top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre.

No words needed…

I was slower than I hoped to be so there wasn’t much time to admire the incredible scenery. The run goes over the top of the Tugela falls and then there is one final climb to the top of the Gully.

Top of the Tugela falls.

The climb to the top of the Gully was tough and I was quite tired and very hot. This felt strange as there was still some snow visible in a few places. The wind was still dry and very strong.

I was hot and dehydrating even though there was still snow in some places.

Me at the top of the Gully, the highest point of the route.

Going down the Gully is tricky and a bit dangerous. There are lots of loose stones and rocks and the ground is very slippery. Lucky for us the mountaineering rescue squad on hand provides a rope to help you down.

Looking down from the top of the Gully.

Easy does it. The descent is steep and long.

I was relieved when I reached the bottom of the Gully. It felt as if it took forever and I was very hot and tired. I had no water left and the wind was blowing me off my feet. I started my run back to the car park.

Running back to the car park.

Downhill, but still tricky.

The wind was incredibly strong and it was very warm. I was dehydrating fast and by the time I reached the car park the damage was done.

I had some water and coke and refilled my hydration pack. I then started the run down the gravel road back to Witsies Hoek. On the gravel road I died a slow death. I could not drink anything and vomited the moment I took in anything. This continued all the way down to the checkpoint.

At some point I took this photo…

I have no idea why I took it or what I was thinking. I didn't take any more photos after this and have no idea why. I don’t remember much of this and thinking back I can understand why the medic was adamant to pull me off the course at 40km.

Running at the top of the amphitheatre was the highlight of my day. My legs are 100% and this is great...training is paying off. Doing a very tough run in the heat on winter training was difficult, but it also made me stronger for the next challenge. I already have my strategy for next year’s race worked out.

Thanks for reading!

Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge Preview

2011-09-05T12:47:00.000+02:00

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I ran my first MAS 50km challenge. Time really flies when you are having fun and I can say with a smile that living my life is having fun, so time flies!

This Saturday I will be running in the Drakensberg mountains again for one of the greatest mountain races on the planet. I’m really excited about the whole weekend away in the mountains.

I’ll be running this route…

…to the top of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre and back again.

From the official race description:
“Make no mistake, the Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge is a "toughie". But it's one of those races that are worth it. The route follows a hiking path up the Mahai valley and past the Mahai Falls to Witsieshoek Mountain Resort, a climb of some 1700 metres (5578ft) over a distance of 9 kms, and the first of four refreshment points. From here to the Sentinel Car Park, a distance of 9 kms, it's very rough undulating dirt road resulting in a further climb of some 300 metres (984ft) with fantastic views all around on a clear day. From the Sentinel Car Park to the top and back, water must be carried. Assume that the Tugela River is not flowing well enough to provide water on the summit. A concrete path is followed for a short distance then back to a zig-zag hiking path past the Witches, the Sentinel, Western Buttress and Sentinel Caves to the Chain Ladders, a further climb of 450 metres (1476ft). The altitude will be affecting you by this stage, especially those runners who live and train at sea level.
Everyone wears a safety belt and sliding device attached to fixed ropes alongside the ladders. Mountain Club of South Africa helpers will assist you to get attached and detached to the fixed safety lines. The trick is not to look down, but to concentrate on moving one hand at a time up the two ladders. You'll reach the top in next to no time, a short scramble over rocky terrain, a skip over the Tugela River and a much appreciated run down a gentle slope to the Tugela Falls. Now the hard part begins! Labouring up to the Sentinel Gully. There is a risk of loose rocks and stones being dislodged in The Gully. Make use of the fixed ropes as far as possible, they will give you stability and guide you away from the loose sections. You cannot run down The Gully. Just proceed carefully and cautiously and you'll reach the bottom soon enough.
You'll be back on the path which led to the Chain Ladders. Just follow the same route back to the Sentinel Car Park, Witsieshoek and the Finish utilizing the refreshment points along the dirt road.

TAKE NOTE: All runners have to ascend two chain ladders to reach the summit of the Amphitheatre before running to the lip of the Tugela River. A team from All Out Adventures, a locally based adventure group within the valley, will be manning the top, middle and bottom of the chain ladders, harnessing runners into safety belts and helmets, then guiding them up both ladders to ensure safety at all times. Those runners that fail to comply with their safety measures will be disqualified from the event.”

Have a fantastic week everyone!

Race Photos

2011-08-29T21:29:00.000+02:00

Below the Race photos of the Magaliesberg Mountain Challenge.

Still smiling...

Tired. Me in plod mode.

On the floating bridge!

Nearly on the other side…fun!

Happy running everyone!

Crazy Store Magaliesberg Mountain Challenge Report

2011-08-23T14:36:00.000+02:00

I finally get to post this report. I’ve been super busy lately, but all a good busy, so life is good!

The Crazy Store Magaliesberg Mountain Challenge was just that…crazy! This was a great event but also really tough.

I arrived at the venue fairly early as I prefer to do. There is a river nearby so the temperature was a cold -1°C when I stopped my car. There was a lot of activity already and the number of runners that arrived grew quickly. The temperature also went up quickly as the day went on.

Beautiful location with the Magaliesberg in the distance. Yes, I did wonder where on the mountain we will run. :)

Registration was quick and easy for me. I received my number and a quality first Ascent shirt and cap. My race number was 35 and I wondered if it would bring luck for the 35km race. In the end the total distance wasn’t 35km and I think the luck went out the window (or down the mountain) with that.

I waited in the car and got all my gear ready. The race started at 09:00 but we had to be on the busses that took us to the start by 08:00.

Eager but nervous runners on the bus.

The bus ride was quick and everyone was talking about the big trail races in South Africa. Mont-Aux-Sources, Otter, Augrabies, Three Cranes… I realized that I was among some serious trail runners and thought maybe I’m actually one of them! Lol! The busses kind of just stopped in the middle of nowhere and it was announced that this is the start area.

The start area.

There was a detailed and very humorous route description where we were told that we were in for a hard day on the mountain.

Race briefing and route description.

Beautiful view of the mountain from the start.

Then finally we were on our way! There was a TV helicopter that made such a loud noise that no one could hear the start, but we did see the front runners take off.

On our way! Straight to the mountain.

The first 4km was on a farm road towards the mountain. This was a great way to spread the field out a bit before the single trail up the mountain. It was a truly beautiful morning in the bush with the mountain slowly getting closer.

To the mountain…

…and onto the trails.

Once on the side of the mountain the climb started in all seriousness. Talking became less and sweat started dripping. This was no easy task.

Serious climbing starts.

The view was already spectacular.

The trail zigzagged to the top and walking was the most popular way forward and upward. I felt good, but had some strange stomach cramps that worried me a bit. It was not the kind of cramps that wanted to send me running for a bush, but almost like a stitch right in the middle of my tummy. I tried to forget about the pain in my stomach by focusing on the amazing mountain we were on. I knew this is what I like to do. This is where I want to be. This is who I am. Even with the stomach pains I was a very happy man!

Still going up…

The scenery was breathtaking, but also gave a sense of harshness. Although it was beautiful, it reminded me that this is Africa and life out here can be hard. I got the feeling that only the strongest will survive out here.

Over the top of the first climb.

Once over the first climb we got a glimpse of the other side of the mountain. More beautiful views and the mountain itself is unbelievable. It is dry at the moment and nothing green is anywhere. Just rocks and dry grass everywhere. It has its own beauty.

On the other side.

It wasn’t long before we reached the next climb. Runner’s started to spread out thinly now. I realized that this will be a long, slow day.

Second climb of the day.

In good company…note the tattoo…

We finally reached the top of the mountain and followed a fairly level trail along the top for about 12km. It was lovely running here, but the pain in my stomach made running very uncomfortable and I had to slow down when running. It was more frustrating than anything else.

Trail on top of the mountain.

The view!

It was beautiful but the terrain was tough. There was no time to relax. Loosing concentration on a trail like this means one thing only…fall! Luckily I didn’t :) ! I managed this trail without a fall and only slipped and stumbled a few times.

Concentration needed on this trail.

We went up and down a few times as we ran along the mountain range. The grass was burnt in a few places and the sense of dry and harsh surroundings was very strong. No place for the weak here!

On we go!

Fantastic views…

The run along the top of the mountain was undulating, going up and down at times but with no serious climbs or descents. We were all waiting for the real descent of the mountain. We were warned that this would be dangerous.

Just spectacular!

At some point we reached another hard climb. This was the steepest of the day so far and I could feel I’ve been doing some serious running up to here. My legs felt this third hard climb.

Steepest and hardest climb of the day.

Made it to the top! Check that view!

We passed this rock going down the other side.

See what I mean by the harshness of the mountain?

We went through some very beautiful areas before we finally reached the last and long descent down the mountain. I was still battling with the cramps/pains in my stomach and knew going down would be very uncomfortable.

Top of the descent.

The descent was not as dangerous as I expected but I still took it very easy, making sure I didn’t fall. The stomach cramps were not helping my progress down the mountain either. I still don’t know what it was, but it was really bad at times. It drained my energy for sure and it was getting quite warm as well. On top of the mountain there was wind to cool us down, but on the side and at the bottom there was no wind. The trail went through some bush and grass towards a church at the bottom.

Some bush and grass.

Finally reaching the Greek Church.

We joined the 20km course at some point here and the water point they had at the church waited for the 35km runners as well. This was a relief for many runners. The mountain was dry and hot and I think even the organizers realized that the run was not safe without any water point somewhere.

The 20km water point waited for the 35km runners.

From the church the route was mainly flat and downhill towards the river with about 10km to go to the finish. I was tired but ok. My stomach made running difficult so my progress was slow with lots of walking in the last 10km. It was warm and I enjoyed the parts where we had some shade. I’m used to winter training at the moment and although it wasn’t extremely hot, I could certainly feel the heat.

Towards the river.

Typical South African bush in the winter. I love this!

I ran and walked the last few kilometers until I finally reached the river. I was moving slow so it felt very long. I was glad to see the water through the trees.

Finally at the river.

We followed a path next to the river for a while and then I got to run over this floating bridge!

This floating bridge was fun!

We then followed the path on the other side of the river towards the finish. We ran through some reeds…

…and there was this green spot…

...and more "reed tunnels"...

Then we had one more water crossing (no floating bridge this time) to get through. This was just deep enough to get the shoes and socks soaked properly.

Water crossing.

A few more turns and then the finish was in sight. I was happy to see the finish. My stomach was still a problem and I was really tired now. A quick photo stop and then I crossed the finish line. Really happy that I was done but also happy that I could run this great race.

Finish!

A tough day, but I’ll be back next year for sure! Thanks for reading!

Proud South African

2011-08-22T11:12:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone!

I will post my race report of this past weekend's mountain race soon. It was a fantastic race but very tough indeed.

A quick shout out to Ryan Sandes from South Africa for winning the Leadville 100 in a great time this weekend. Go Ryan!

I posted about Ryan last year if you didn't know about him. Read that post here.

Off to do some work and get that race report done. Have a super week!

How I Carry Supplies On A Run

2011-08-18T12:01:00.000+02:00

After my previous post about my upcoming trail race I received a few questions and comments about carrying what I will need. This 35km trail race requires that you carry everything with you as there are no water points or aid stations on the route.

So what do I do?

I have this fantastic hydration pack that also doubles as a backpack. It has many pouches and I can really fit a lot into this.

I will carry 1.5L of water in the bladder and also 2 x Powerade, 1 x chocolate milk, some energy jellies (Energade), long sleeve wind resistant top, cell phone in waterproof bag and a PB sandwich in the hydration/backpack.

I’ve carried this many times in trail races and during long training runs before, so I’m 100% comfortable with this load and also know exactly what I pack where.

I will also have my trusty fuel belt with me loaded with some gels and Gu and of course my camera.

So that’s it, quite simple. I do train with this often and think it is essential to do so.

Happy running everyone!

Magaliesberg Challenge Race Details

2011-08-12T12:13:00.000+02:00

Next Saturday, 20 August, I'll be running the Crazy Store Magaliesberg 35km Mountain Challenge. I'm using this as my final long training run before the Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge on 10 Sept. This is the first year they have the 35km race and I have an idea I am in for some "hard fun" if I can put it that way.

Here is the latest race information that was mailed to runners:

Dear Crazy Runner

The inaugural Crazy Store Magaliesberg Challenge is just around the corner.

In order to make it a day on the trails to remember, here are a few handy pointers and general information to help you on your way.

The date of the race is Saturday 20th August, just in case you have forgotten to train and need to spend the next weekend cramming.

Race registration starts at 7am. This is where you collect your race numbers and First Ascent racing Tee and Cap.

If you are doing the 35km, please be there early as you will be teleported to your race starting point.

8am, 35km runners climb onto busses, horse carts and tractors to transfer to their start.

9am, 35km Start in the Bush (warms up for a few k's, then a torturous mountain climb, then cruise across the Magaliesberg)
9am, 20km Start at the Base camp venue of Van Gaalens (a large circular route).

9.30am, 10km Start, also from base.

12 -1pm, estimate prize giving starts. Lots of lucky draws from First Ascent, Salomon and more ......

Race Day Info:

You are encouraged to carry all your own nutrition and hydration for the entirety of the run. This means that the 35km runners must carry minimum 1 litre with them, (20km runners advised to carry 1 litre), and a few bars, biltong, dried fruit, gummy chews etc - whichever gets those rockets firing.
10km will have 1 water table, 20km 2 water tables, 35km zero water tables.
As the 35km route goes into remote areas, you must carry a wind breaker and charged cell phone. Add the emergency number at reg.
Race numbers to be worn on the front of your running shirt, club numbers are not required.
There is a kiddies jungle gym and big grassy area in front of the restaurant at Van Gaalens race venue. Bring the family along and enjoy a relaxed morning out whilst waiting for sweaty mom or dad's arrival. Restaurant on site. (Free Kiddies run at 10am).
The Crazy Store is the title sponsor. Do not take this lightly! The best and ZANIESToutfits will be rewarded at prize giving. Think out of the box!

Good luck with your final preparations.

Eat some pasta,

I am just wondering why the 10km gets a water point, the 20km two but the 35km zero! What's wrong with this picture? Ha, the remote areas I suppose. That brings me to my second question. 35km runners are required to carry a cell phone. Will there be cell phone reception in these remote areas?

Only the day will tell, but I'm sure it will be some awesome fun. I can't wait for this one!

Have a super weekend everyone! I'm running 9km on the road tomorrow and a 33km trail LSD on Sunday. Happy running!

Rietvlei Farm 15km Trail Race Report

2011-08-08T21:58:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I ran the Alberton Rietvlei Farm 15km Trail Race. I ran the race last year and enjoyed it a lot so I was keen to do it again this year even though I ran a hard 28.5km trail the day before. I wanted to get some tired legs training in so this was a great opportunity to do so.

The morning was cold with some clouds and wind. This race is close to home so my club had quite a few runners that braved the cold.

Despite the cold weather there were a good number of runners for the 15km run. There was also a 4km run for those who didn’t feel like a longer run.

Waiting at the start.

I was happy when we started as I knew I would warm up quickly. This was indeed the case and by the time we reached the first climb I was sweating already.

The first 2km or so is run through grass fields and then the route goes into the hills with more technical trail to negotiate.

Through the grasslands.

Not long before the trail becomes more technical.

A few traffic jams early on.

I was feeling good but kept things easy as I knew my legs would feel the previous day’s long run later on. The route is not difficult but there are a few testing little climbs along the way. By the time I reached the more difficult part of the course, the sun was out and it was becoming a beautiful morning.

Not many clouds left.

One of the steeper climbs.

Once over this steep climb there is a steep descent as well and I tested my legs while going up and then down here. I could feel the week’s training but also that I’m getting stronger. At the bottom there is a lovely run through a small forest with lots of twists and turns. I was feeling really happy while I ran through the trees.

Into the trees…

At the 9km mark we headed out of the trees for a loop of about 2km before we headed back towards the trees.

Leon, one of my club mates, at 9km.

Nice loop.

Back into the trees.

Stream crossing on a mountain bike bridge.

Nearly 12km done.

At 12km we ran onto a dirt road and started the 3km run back to the finish. I was a bit tired but knew the rest of the run was nice and easy. The road took us back to the grasslands and the trail winds its way through here down to the finish.

Onto the dirt road.

Last little uphill.

Lovely trail through the grass.

We crossed one more mountain bike “bridge” and then it was a short run to the finish.

Mountain bike “bridge”.

Finish!

I finished in 01:49:45 and was happy about how I felt.. This was the end of a 95km (59mile) week and I was tired but good.

We received a medal and a hand towel with some other goodies that my son claimed. A great, well organized race that I enjoyed very much indeed!

Medal and hand towel.

My trail training for the mountain challenges ahead is 100% on track and I’m really looking forward to the rest of this year for some awesome trail fun!

Thanks for reading and happy running!

Foto Friday

2011-08-05T11:33:00.000+02:00

Happy Friday everyone! Here are two race photos from last Saturday’s race in Rustenburg, South Africa.

Have a splendid weekend!

Reaching the top of the mountain. Very happy!

About 14km done. Running comfortably.

25km Rustenburg Mountain Race Report

2011-08-01T12:34:00.000+02:00

On Saturday we travelled to Rustenburg for the annual 25km Mountain race. I love this race and always have a good time there.

Friday was one of the coldest days of the year so I was worried Saturday morning would be very cold. We were pleasantly surprised when we got to Rustenburg and the weather was perfect for running!

Waiting at the start…not too cold at all.

The race starts and finishes at one of the local schools. The first 4km is run through the suburbs, gradually climbing towards the mountain. The view of the mountain from the neighbourhood is really lovely.

View of the mountain shortly after the start.

I felt good from the start, but knew to keep it slow and easy as the climb to the top of the mountain is long and brutal.

Getting closer. Beautiful morning!

Although this is a mountain race, it is not a trail race and you run on road and a concrete 4 x 4 track the whole time. The race runs through a nature reserve so there is no traffic for most of the way, splendid!

Traffic free route, awesome!

The real climb starts as you enter the nature reserve and hit the concrete 4 x 4 trail that winds its way to the top. This is about 2.5km of hard slogging.

Into the reserve and onto the concrete 4 x 4 trail.

The real climbing starts.

I was feeling great and actually passed people all the way to the top…what? Me passing people…yep it really happened! The bush and the view make the suffering worth it. It was great to be out there on a fresh morning.

Great views all the way to the top.

There are some really steep areas on the course and every time you feel it's getting easier, you round a corner and see the next very steep part. Towards the top the climb is steeper and harder and your legs really feel the effort.

Great views help the sore legs.

Around 6km the course is really steep and it also looks as if it might be the last real climb. Luckily I know the route well from previous years and knew the climb carries on up to 7km.

Really steep part of the course.

6km done! 1km to go to the top.

Once you reach the top of the tough climb at 6km you see this…

More hard climbing.

And more…

But so worth it!

Nearly there!

We all felt like kings and queens of the mountain.

View at the top to the other side.

Once at the top there is a quick and sore descent until you join the road that runs through the reserve. From here the course is undulating with a few more hard hills thrown in.

Running through the nature reserve. More hills waiting.

The area is really beautiful and it is always nice to run where you don’t see buildings, cars and even many people.

Lovely route through the game reserve.

I saw some Zebra and also Blesbok. It was beautiful and I was feeling great. Just before halfway I was joined by a runner from the Voortrekker Monument Running Club. He knew me because he reads my blog. Thanks Jeandré! We chatted the rest of the way and ran together to the finish. I enjoyed chatting to Jeandré and the time really went by very quickly.

Still in the reserve.

More beautiful views.

Eventually the route starts going down again. There are a few hard climbs up to about 3km to go, but in general it is nice to know you have to get down to the finish.

Looking back you can see one of the long downhills we ran.

The last few kilometers are run on the road through the suburbs again, back to the finish at the school. There are still some great views of the mountain.

Jeandré with 4km to go. Another tough hill.

I started feeling better and better towards the finish and was happy. This gave me confidence for my upcoming goal on 10 September. The 50km Mont-Aux-Sources Challenge. It was probably the downhills towards the end but I really felt good and was almost rested by the time we finished.
We ran over a pedestrian bridge and then took the last few turns back to the school.

Over the bridge.

We cruised in and I was happy that we made it well under 3 hours. My goal was 3 hours so the 2:55:59 finishing time was perfect.

Jeandré and I at the finish.

We received a medal, a 1kg bag of maize meal and a pocket of oranges. I am extremely happy with my run and now go into my peek training with confidence.

The medal.

One of my better races for sure. I was recovered by the time I sat down and did a nice 10km run the following morning. All good for the challenges ahead.

Thanks for reading!

I Met The Crazy Penguin!

2011-07-29T16:30:00.000+02:00

Last night I was lucky enough to meet Tiina from One Crazy Penguin here in my own hometown. Tiina and her family have been on vacation in Africa and on their way home they had a stopover in Johannesburg. Yay, at last I could meet one of the bloggers from the other side of the world!

Tiina with her lovely parents.

We had a great time chatting but soon it was time to say goodbye. It was really great to meet these super nice and friendly people and I was sad that we could not spend more time together. We will certainly make a plan Tiina! Disney Marathon, Comrades...my list is long either side of the world.

Happy to have met, but sad to say goodbye so soon…

Tiina's mom, Tiina, me and her dad.

The three of us with my son, Rohann.

Have a super weekend everyone!

Back in the day.

2011-07-27T16:52:00.000+02:00

I ran my first half marathon in 1981 and was hooked on running immediately. A lot of my races were run in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Medals were not common at all in those (good old) days. Badges were the in thing and covering your tracksuit or blanket with race badges was the cool way of showing them off.

I did the same and still have my old school tracksuit top covered with badges. Unfortunately the pants went missing some years ago as they were covered as well. Looking at my badges I sometimes wish we still received a badge after a race and not a medal.

Front:

Back:


First Race 1981 SABC TV Road Race (21.1km)	First Marathon 1985 Pick ‘n Pay Marathon	First Ultra 1985 Milo Korkie (56km)

Q & A – Some Answers

2011-07-22T16:50:00.000+02:00

I received a lot of questions for my Q&A post. Thanks everyone! Wow you are a nosey lot! No, just kidding, you are all the best!

So here goes, I decided to just let it rip in one ultra post:

Lauren:
Were you born in S. Africa? If not, where were you born?
Yes, I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.

And how many languages do you speak and what are they?
I speak 2 fluently, English and Afrikaans. I also speak a little Zulu, Sotho and Ndebele. I understand Ndebele completely.

Hmmmm, one more thing, do you have a dog?
Yes, we have 4 dogs at home. I love dogs and all animals.

Christi:
What is your “ultimate race”?
For me Badwater is the ultimate race. There are other’s that come close, especially the multi day desert races, but there is something about Badwater that really intrigues me. I’ve been following it very closely since 2003.

Marlene:
What's the best thing about living in South Africa, and if you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
The fantastic weather. I run outside throughout the year because we have such fantastic weather. It is also a country of extreme variety and I like that. Any where else…mmm Colorado, California…somewhere close to some awesome trail 100 milers. :) Having said that, I wouldn’t leave SA easily.

Kate:
What does your job entail?
I’m in IT and specialize in software performance testing. I test software under load to find bottlenecks in systems. For instance, I’m currently testing one of the SA bank’s Internet Banking sites to see if it can handle 50 000 payments at once.

How long have you been running?
I’ve been running races for 30 years now. I did my first race in 1981. It was a half marathon. Before that I ran some x country at school.

Does anyone in your family share your love for running?
My dad is as passionate as I am. He is my running hero and inspired me to start running.

Where is the farthest you've been from home?
Many years ago when I was doing an army camp I escorted someone to China. I think that’s the farthest but will have to look which part of the world is how far from home.

Misszippy:
Ok, so two questions, one personal, one political:
* Did you start out with road racing at all before getting into ultras?
Yes, my first race was a half marathon. However, here in South Africa we move to ultras almost immediately. This is mainly because of the Comrades Marathon. Runners here train for that as runners would train for a marathon in other countries. That’s what you run for. Marathons are just a step to the ultras here and are seen a bit low key by most. We have many road ultras here as well.

* It hasn't been that long since apartheid in S. Africa--how would you describe the state of racial relations these days? Has the country made true progress?
Well it’s been 17 years and a lot of changes happened. In general good progress everywhere and the country is heading in the right direction. There are problems for sure and some are definitely racial. I think the worst is people are getting fed up with the new government that, after 17 years, still blames their poor delivery on apartheid. They promised the world to the people in 1994 and now they don’t deliver that. The other bad thing is that a lot of black people still blame all the white people for apartheid while all the forces of apartheid are long gone. A lot of people see all white people as racists because they are white and that is really sad because it is so far from the truth.

Shawn:
What is your daily diet like...I mean...North American vs African?
Actually I think it’s surprisingly similar. I eat cereal for breakfast and take sandwiches to work. Supper is usually a cooked meal (maybe we do more cooked meals here) with some meat, veggies (green beans, pumpkin, spinach…the normal stuff), potatoes and rice. We do the same junk food as you do and also love pizza.

Coldest temperature you have run in?
-7°C (19.4F) some years ago. The coldest most years are -4°C (24.8F). So far this year it’s been -3°C (26.6F). I have never run in snow and really hope I get to experience that some day.

Jennifer:
OK, so if you had a third arm, where would be on your body and what would be it's purpose?
Mmm probably in the middle of my chest to help with carrying and also climbing mountains quicker.

Giorgio:
How much water do you drink before and after a race?
I don’t necessarily drink more water before or after a race than I normally do. I drink lots of water every day and even at night. I run at least 6 days per week so I always make sure I stay hydrated. In summer this will be about 3 liters per day and winter about 2 liters. I also drink lots of coffee and chocolate milk. After a tough, warm ultra I sometimes drink 3 to 4 liters of chocolate milk.

Char:
My questions all revolve around your previous career. How long did you practice as a vet? Where did you study? What was the most interesting animal that you treated? And why the career move?
Although I though it to be my dream career I realized very quickly that it was not really what I wanted to do as a career…more as a hobby. I was intrigued by computers and technology and somewhere I discovered that IT is where my passion lies. I’m lucky that I also found my passion within IT, software performance testing. I’m one of the lucky ones that can say I absolutely love my job and do it passionately every day. In SA only the University of Pretoria gives the Veterinarian course at the Onderstepoort Research Institute. I do regular caesar surgery on some live bearing fish…does this count?

AJH:
When are you coming to Vermont to do the Ultra 100?
I’m looking into this one very seriously and hope I can make it in 2013. Would love to in 2012 but I don’t think it will happen.

Lindsay:
What sites, cities or things-to-do would you recommend to a tourist coming to S Africa?
Me, you have to visit me! There is a great variety in South Africa. Obviously the game reserves with the big five and other game is always a must do for any non-African visitors. Then there is also Cape Town with Table Mountain and the Garden Route along the southern coast. Wine routes, the West Coast and one of my favorite places, the Drakensberg. There is really something for everyone.

What are some weird/different things you read about on American's blogs? (weird compared to life in SA)
Americans are all very weird! Lol! No, not really. On running I found it weird how everyone is training to run a marathon. Here everyone trains to run Comrades or some other ultras. Marathons aren’t the big achievement in SA, Comrades is. I also find it weird how everyone follows specific training plans and not make up their own. Then there is the coaching issue…we just don’t use coaches. I think South Africans run a lot more for the fun and social side of it. We are not that phased about times and splits. Oh yes, and the miles and Fahrenheit vs the kilometers and celcius…weird! And who measures fluids in ounces? But I love you all a lot!

HappyTrails:
If you were to get a chance to race in Colorado, would you rather do Hardrock 100, Leadville 100, or a shorter race like Pikes Peak Marathon? (or one of the other fabulous races in the mountains....)
I’d love to do Pikes Peak but when I take the journey and spend the money it will probably be for the Leadville 100. Hardrock might be too hard to do while actually on vacation…:)

Do you primarily speak Afrikaans or English on a daily basis?
Both. At home we speak only Afrikaans and my son goes to an Afrikaans school. At work we speak mostly English with some Afrikaans as well. Away from work I’m Afrikaans.

Abby:
I'd love to know how you got into ultra-running...
Well if you read some of my earlier answers you’ll know ultra running is what we do here in SA. I ran my first ultra in 1985 with my dad as part of his Comrades preparation. It was a 56km (34.7mile) race.

And also, what's the story of the special lady you once mentioned in a comment to me, about racing and relationships?
Ha, I’ll share this with you, but not with the world yet…when the time is right.:)

Richelle:
Have you always lived in South Africa?
Yes, I was born in Johannesburg and has always lived here.

What is your "dream race"?
The Jungle Ultra in Peru. Multi day race over 235km (146 miles). Part of the description reads “where the Andes meets the Amazon”…amazing!

XLMIC:
Would you ever, for any reason, run naked in front of people you don't know?
If it is for the right cause and the people really don’t know me I might…

Have you ever run barefoot?
No, but I walk barefoot all the time when I’m not at work.

What is your stance on public displays of affection (PDA)?
I don’t really mind what other people do. I think if more people would show that they love each other a bit more love might be spread across the world.

Do you enjoy the Harry Potter series? Books or movies better?
Love Harry Potter! I prefer the movies and have them all at home.

The Black Knight:
How many pairs of running shoes do you "destroy" every year?
I’m actually quite light on shoes and get high mileage out of them. I usually go through four pairs every year, 3 x road and 1 x trail.

Jill:
Beings your mum and Running Green Girl are approximately the same height, how tall are you?
I’m 1.71m. I think that’s about 5ft 6…?

When are you coming to run in my gorgeous, and steep, Colorado mountains? Pikes Peak 2012?
When the time and money is right I’m there! With the SA rand averaging 7 to the dollar it is not so easy.:( I have my eye on a few races that side so will have to choose carefully.

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner:
What are your long term running goals?
I have a lot of races I want to complete just once. There are some ultras and multi day events I’m very keen on. There are a few road 100 milers here in SA as well as the Augrabies Desert Challenge. The Namib Desert, Jungle Ultra, Leadville, Pikes Peak, ATY (across the years) and maybe one day Badwater. Money and time will unfortunately play its part too.

How do you think running/racing has improved your life and the lives of those around you?
Running has been a part of my life for many years. I’ve been running for 30 years now and my dad ran since I can remember. I can’t imagine my life without it. I can’t measure the quality of life that running has given me. Then there are all the people I know through running. They make it even better.

Amy:
Have you ever been to Belgium?
No. Do you have any cool ultra races there?:)

Staci:
What is your favourite food to cook?
I love making pasta and enjoy experimenting with various ideas. I usually make up my own recipes.

What and where is your favourite "eat out" food and restaurant?
To be honest I don’t like eating out. I choose eating at home any time. If I have to choose it would be any place that serves a good breakfast. Breakfast is definitely my favourite eat out food.

****************************************
If you were able to read to here you deserve an ultra medal. Have a splendid weekend everyone!

Life Running and Questions

2011-07-18T15:54:00.000+02:00

Life really caught up with me this past week and weekend. Besides the fact that I got a head cold there were also some family and other issues that needed my attention. The result of this was that I made the decision to skip the race I was going to run on Saturday. No matter how important running and racing may be, family always remains no 1.

I’m not upset about missing the race at all and I did get in some good training from home. I ran 7.5km on Saturday and did a tough 22.5km trail run on Sunday. My next race is on 30 July so not long to go anyway. I will however now only run 4 races in July and not 5 as I planned.

In blogger world I could not escape the Q&A side of things and was tagged by AJH from Age Groups Rock to be part of this. So please ask me anything you want! I’ll be very happy to answer!

Have a super week everyone!

Race Report - Vaal River Trail Run

2011-07-11T16:47:00.000+02:00

The Vaal River forms the Southern border of the Gauteng province where I stay. This is about 50km from my home and the venue for the Vaal river Trail Run was 47km from home. It was a cold drive with the temperature going down to -2°C (30F). I think it went down more before the start of the race. I arrived quite early and after I registered chose to wait inside my car.

Watching the sunrise from the warmth of my car.

There weren’t many people when I arrived and as the time went by people started arriving but I could see this would be a small race. In the end there were 94 finishers for the 20km that I ran. There were a 5km and 10km run as well but even with everyone together there weren’t many at the start.

Waiting for the start.

I saw Staci, our sandal girl, at the start and even the very cold conditions didn’t keep her out of her beloved sandals.

I started the race with Staci and ran with her up to the point where the 10km and 20km races split. She was doing the 10km so this is where we parted ways.

Away we go! Staci in the yellow top.

The first few kilometers were through open grass fields. It was a gradual down run towards the river and I mentioned that we will have a gradual up to finish with.

On our way to the river.

The 10km split came before we reached the river and I think this was a bit disappointing for some of the runners. As I got to the river I was very happy I was doing the 20km. The river early in the morning was really beautiful.

Vaal River.

Some mud hopping had to be done. I love mud!

We followed the river for some time, turning away from it at times. We ran on several different surfaces and I enjoyed that. Single track, jeep track, grass, gravel road, tar road. I enjoyed the mixture. The only bad thing, and I think this is from my point of view the only bad thing about the race, were some areas that are badly polluted. Seeing the pollution made me angry and sad at the same time. The river is so beautiful, why can’t people just leave it like that?

Off the road back onto the trail.

Trail on the river bank.

When we turned away from the river to start the return trip, we ran through some area where they were digging (mining) for something. I don’t know what they do here exactly, but although not pretty, I enjoyed running through something I don’t often do.

Not sure what they dig (mine) for here.

Previously “mined” area.

Don’t want to get stuck in there…

Steep, slippery downhill.

The run was certainly not the most scenic, but I found it interesting. The second half took us back towards the residential areas, but we still had various types of terrain and obstacles to cross.

Back towards the residential area.

Stream crossing.

Some burnt grass.

We eventually made our way back to the point where the 20km and 10km races split. We then followed the 10km route back to the finish. We were away from the river now and just outside the local neighbourhood. We still had a steam to cross and a dam to look at.

Follow the stream

Dam with Vaal University of Technology in the background.

The last part of the run was mostly through grass. There were two runners ahead of me that were very aware of me and obviously didn’t want me to catch and pass them. They were tired and kept looking back at me when they took a walk break. I smiled and thought, don’t worry, I’m not a runner like that. I don’t care if I pass you. Besides, stopping to take photos to share with my bloggy friends is way more important. Aint I nice! (insert your approval here!)

I made it back to the finish feeling good. I could feel the week’s training during the last few kilometers but overall I felt great. This was good time on the legs. I finished in 2:15 and was happy. We received a medal in the form of a key ring.

I felt happy when I finished.

Key ring “medal”.

Some giveaways.

This was certainly not the most spectacular run, but for me the course was interesting. I enjoyed the river and all the different terrain we ran on. The pollution in some places was the biggest negative for me.

Have a great week everyone!

Fives For Friday

2011-07-08T12:39:00.002+02:00

Africa and indeed South Africa are known for the big five - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard and Buffalo.

I am currently training for five big races or five main goals:

Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge on 10 September.
Four Peaks Mountain Challenge on 1 October.
Golden Gate Challenge on 27-30 October.
Sani Stagger Marathon on 26 November.
Three Cranes Challenge on 23 – 26 February 2012.

I will post more detail about each race as they get closer. Yes, two of those are multiday events (3 days each) and I am very excited!

In training for the big five races July and August are my main training months for the year. It also happens that this year July has five weekends. So to stay with the theme of five I decided to run five races in July:

Northgate 10km on 3 July. I finished this in 58:59.
20km Vaal River Trail Race on 10 July.
Springbok Vasbyt 25km race on 16 July.
Rustenburg 25.5km mountain race on 30 July.
Wits Half Marathon on 31 July (my birthday).

So that’s the news on all my fives for this Friday! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Northgate 10km Race Report

2011-07-04T17:58:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I ran the Northgate 10km race that was held by Roodepoort Athletic Club at the Northgate shopping centre in Johannesburg. I haven’t done a 10km race in two years now so it was nice to get one done for a change.

Runners on their way to the start.

I have a goal to run 2000 races before I retire from running and after Sunday my total sits on 1253 races. I keep count of the number of races I run for all the distances from 10km, 15km, 21.1km (half marathon), 32km (20 miles), 42.2km (marathon), ultras, and non-standard (any other distance).

The 10km race counter was at 135 for two years so the main goal of yesterday’s race was to add another one to get it to 136.

Finish area at Northgate.

The morning started cold but in the end the weather was perfect for running. I estimate about 600 to 700 runners started the race.

Waiting for the start.

Looking back.

We started on time at 7:30 and I made my way around the normal front of the pack walkers…this never ends does it?

On our way!

I decided to run the first half comfortably to see what my legs felt like after the trail training of the previous day. I felt good despite my normal sluggish feeling I usually have the first 7 to 8km of any run.

About 2km into the race, all good.

There were a few hills in the first 6km but I could run them easily, never pushing too hard. My legs felt the week’s training a bit, but I felt strong at the same time.

Last real hill between 6 and 7km.

The last 3km were more or less flat and I started feeling better and better towards the end. It was great to feel some fitness over the shorter distance and I could feel the tough hills I’ve been running on the trails at altitude (Johannesburg is at about 6000ft) is helping the lungs a lot.

In the end I cruised home and was happy to dip under an hour for the 10km. My time was 58:59 and for me that is just right.

Happy with my time!

The moment I stopped I felt rested. I was not tired in any way and I feel I have a good base to start my serious training for July and August, my two most important training months of the year.

Medal for the 10km.

I'm not sure when I'll be doing a 10km race again. There may be one in December that I will do.

Next up is the 20km Vaal River Trail Race this Sunday at 08:00. Have a great week everyone!

The reward is worth the pain…

2011-06-29T21:23:00.000+02:00

This past Sunday morning I ran some difficult trails and the first 7km or so were really tough. I battled with tired legs (it was my 7^th day of running for the week) and the one really difficult climb was hammering me.

I kept telling myself it will get better once I reach the summit. I pushed on through some pain and I was not disappointed when I reached the top. I recovered quickly and started running a lot more relaxed.

In the end the view was worth the pain…

I also realized that it is certainly true…it does get better once you reach the summit. So keep pushing people, the reward is worth the pain.

Happy running!

Sweat Your Thorns OFF Virtual 5km Race Report

2011-06-25T15:29:00.000+02:00

I decided to take part in Adam the boring runner’s virtual 5km race even though it is winter here in South Africa now. The race is called “Sweat Your Thorns Off 5k” because of the heat experienced in the USA at the moment. I could not have had a more opposite experience than this morning’s.

A very strong cold front moved over the country yesterday and this morning was the coldest so far this year in Johannesburg. The low was -2°C (28.4F) and when I went out for my run it was 0°C (32F). There is also a very annoying and freezing wind blowing today. During my run it was no different.

I’ve never run a 5km race but this was my second virtual 5km race. I had 7.5km planned for today and decided to run the first 5km as the race. I have a nice 2.5km loop from my front gate through our neighborhood and decided to run three of the loops.

The wind was really cold and quite strong, but other than that I had a good run. I pushed a little towards the end of the second loop to complete the 5km virtual race in 28:20. Not fast in most books, but for me that was more than fast enough.

I completed another loop for my 7.5km and then went for the prize giving.

Post race photo. I did sweat (a bit) even though it was zero degrees.

The race swag was all home made in my garden. A lovely ice medal from the bowl of water I put out last night for the race and a lovely branch with thorns from the thorn tree I planted 4 years ago. Maybe I didn’t sweat the thorns off, but they were handpicked just for this race.

Thanks Adam, for hosting the race! Maybe I’ll do a proper sweat one when you host a freeze race in your winter.

Happy running everyone!

Are you strong enough?

2011-06-22T14:23:00.000+02:00

I recently got my hands on the book “Extreme Running” when Natalia posted it to me from Cape Town. She is from Boston and visited her family here in South Africa and was so kind to bring me the book from the USA. Thanks again Natalia!

I love the book because it covers some of the most extreme races out there and I’ve been following most of these races for many years. I mentioned to a friend of mine that the book made my bucket list a little longer.

He was a bit stunned and asked if I would actually attempt those races. I’m not keen on doing all of the races in the book, but there are a few I would really like to do if it was ever possible. I told him which one’s I would really like to do and it was then that he asked me: “are you strong enough?”

I wasn’t very happy about his question but I knew it came from his knowledge that I had the toe problem at Comrades. My answer was a very simple “yes, I’m strong enough.” I’ve been thinking about this question since then and I must admit I really do think I’m strong enough. With the correct training and preparation these races are certainly doable.

I think it is necessary for all of us to believe we are strong enough. It doesn’t matter what for, as long as you believe you are strong enough to do it you will.

So my message today: believe in yourself, you are strong enough! Run strong everyone!

Back on the trails!

2011-06-18T22:10:00.000+02:00

This morning I went for a run on my favorite trails at the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve south of Johannesburg. It was fantastic to get back on the trails.

I chose one of the coldest mornings of the year for my return to the trails after all the months on the road before Comrades. Frost covered the grass at the entrance to the reserve where I parked my car.

Frost covering the grass at the entrance to the reserve.

It was 2°C (35F) when I started my run. Frost covered the edges of the trails that were in the shade. It almost looked like snow in some places and was really beautiful.

Frost on the edges of the trail.

The first 3km was really cold and my toes and fingers were numb, even though I wore gloves. Once I reached the areas where the sun was shining it was really pleasant. I was in my element and a very happy trail runner. I knew this is where I belong.

Nice to be back on the trails.

I chose an easy route as this was my first trail run in a long time. I ran only one technical stretch but was happy to feel the good fitness base I have after all the road running.

Fitness makes a huge difference when running trail like this.

I had a great run! During the last part I ran through some very tall grass. It was two feet and more above my head in some places.

Running through very tall grass.

All of this made me very excited about the great trail season I have ahead of me in the next few months. I’ve entered some fantastic races and will post about that soon.

Happy running everyone, I know I will be!

Fractured toe…I might have found the culprit!

2011-06-14T11:45:00.000+02:00

After running with and testing all the shoes below to see if I could find what caused my fractured toe during Comrades I might have found the culprit. The weird part is that it is not any of these shoes or the ones I wore on race day, but rather an older pair I wore the days before the race.

Not guilty...

I wore these shoes when we drove down to Durban and also the Saturday before Comrades at the expo and uShaka Marine World. It probably sounds strange but if you consider that I spent about 19 hours in these shoes the Friday and I wore them again for about 14 hours the Saturday, it maybe makes some sense.

Guilty! (I think)

When I put them on this past weekend I immediately had great discomfort of my toe and I had to take them off. I’m not saying this is the cause but it does look like it might be. I ran 1621km (1007miles) in these shoes before I retired them and have been wearing them a lot since then. In the 1980’s I got marching fractures (hairline/stress fractures) in two toes on the same foot from running with shoes that were probably too old already. So this is not impossible at all.

The main thing is for me and anyone that read this to take a lesson away from this and never wear too old shoes the days before an important race. You might end up with some weird injury. I might be wrong but certainly won’t wear those shoes again.

On the bright side: training for my fairly hectic trail season starts this week as planned and it seems the fractured toe won’t have any influence on my plans. That makes me a very happy runner indeed!

Train well everyone!

Throwback Thursday…Inspired by a Legend

2011-06-09T13:09:00.000+02:00

This is me finishing the 1982 Wally Hayward Half Marathon.

See the red socks? They were inspired by 4 times Comrades winner Alan Robb, who always runs in red socks.

Alan is one of South Africa’s running legends. He has the most Comrades gold medals of all runners (12) which means he finished in the top ten 12 times, including 4 wins. Just as famous as Alan are his legendary red socks. I ran with red socks for many years in the 1980’s, inspired by Alan Robb.

Now for the best part…!!!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you will know all about Staci (Sandal Girl).

Guess who is Staci’s dad…? Yes, none other than Alan Robb! How cool is that! Read her post here to see some photos of Staci with Alan at this year’s Comrades Marathon expo.

Awesome!

Foto Friday

2011-06-03T10:07:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! Below a few photos from the first half of the Comrades Marathon.

Just after 4 AM. Runners already at the start.

Sitting on the road between 4 and 5 AM.

Waiting for the start. I rate this the best start on the planet.

On our way in the dark.

Beautiful morning!

Bottom of Cowies Hill

Pinetown.

Not much running on Fields Hill

The road is long…

Botha’s Hill, another tough climb.

Comrades wall of honour.

Flowers at Arthur’s seat.

Inchanga just after half way. A real monster.

More than a marathon done…a marathon to go…

That’s all for now! Have a splendid weekend everyone!

Broken toe = DNF!!!

2011-06-01T16:23:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone! I’m sorry this took so long but I’ve had a short holiday and now I’m back at work where things are crazy.

Early days and gritting my teeth already!

Comrades did not go or ended as planned for me. I started feeling some pain in my left toe (one next to the big toe) after 15km of running. This got worse and worse and eventually it just felt as if I was running with a broken toe. Turns out I was…! Had to give it a stop after 67km with the pain by then really bad…DNF!!! I was also starting to feel pain in my right hip because I was compensating for the sore toe.

Legends (at expo)

I went to the doctor yesterday and he confirmed a fractured toe. I have no idea where this came from or what caused it. The doctor didn’t really believe me when I said the toe was fine at the start.

Doc: “but your toe is broken…”

Me: “I thought so. It did feel like a broken toe while I was running.”

Doc: “but why did you run with a broken toe?”

Me: “I didn’t, it started to hurt during the run.”

Doc: “but you ran with a broken toe”

Me: “it was fine when I started”

Doc: “you mean it didn’t hurt when you started?”

Me: “yes because it wasn’t broken when I started”

Doc: “that doesn’t sound right, your toe is broken”

Me: “is it a stress fracture?”

Doc: "I don’t know, it looks like a normal fracture…you sure it wasn’t broken before?”

Anyway that’s how it went for a while. So the toe is fractured and I’m more concerned about what caused it than the toe itself.

I’m obviously disappointed but I must say I am more concerned about the trail season that starts now. Hopefully this won’t put me back much. The fracture is at the front of the toe, below the nail and shouldn’t be a huge problem.

I’m going to test all my shoes while it still hurts to see if any shoes might be the cause. I’ll also take a look at all my work shoes. I think this was just waiting to happen on my next run and because the start of Comrades was all uphill it maybe came a bit sooner.

Men's winner trophy

Anyway, I still had a blast! The race is just awesome and nearly impossible to describe. However, it did confirm one thing for me…I was made for the trails. This road training and racing and all the masses of people just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not taking anything away from Comrades and agree, this is the greatest road race on the planet, but trail season is here for me now and I can’t wait!

Women's winner trophy

I’ll keep you posted on the toe and recovery and if I do find a specific cause you will know for sure. In the mean time I’m fine tuning my plans for the rest of the year with some big trail and off-road races approaching fast.

Route - Durban to Pietermaritzburg

I’ll post some photos of my run later this week.

Happy running everyone!

Some thanks!

2011-05-24T14:29:00.000+02:00

"Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit which fortunately functions independently of logic." - Tim Noakes

First a great thanks to Lauren from “On the Run”. I received some awesome honey gels from her after answering a question on her blog. If you don’t know or follow Lauren yet you are missing out on some crazy energy runs. Thanks Lauren! The smiley face she included in the package gives some idea of this girl's personality.

It is Comrades week and I want to thank you all for all the encouragement, messages and well wishes that have been coming my way. Thank you all, I really appreciate it! I was reminded in a song written for Comrades how I should feel this week.

You are one of the lucky ones
You are one of a chosen few
That gets to run the greatest race of them all…

I leave you with a short Comrades video. Happy running!