With marathon day fast approaching it doesn't matter how silly you have been in your training there is always a time in any marathon program when they start to look the same, so if it's your first marathon and you are looking to finish in under 6 hours or if you are a real hot shot aiming at sub 2h10, or some-one like me who runs marathons for fun, those last 2 days of training always seem to be as easy as rest! So for me rest is an easy 6km on the Friday and the Saturday was 5km easy. Sorted, ready to run...
No, running a marathon is never that easy, you need to register, no problem I picked up my number from the New Balance shop in Diep River. From there I drove through to Simon's Town, and the end of the race. Peninsula marathon is a point to point run and Yes I had talked my lovely wife into getting up at 03h50 to take us to the start, but there is no way she was going to drive in the race traffic to fetch us... She is more amazing then that she was going drop the car off and join us on her bike.
OK so having dropped my car off I hopped on my bike and cycled the 25km home... With Cape Town's famous Cape Doctor making house calls I was blown home in no time at all!
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| The wind she is blowing! |
The 05h15 start was cool and the wind was still asleep, so with the crack of the gun we set of down the road, I took about half a km to catch Stef and the 2 of us set about getting to Simon's Town before 08h15. It took us 3km to get the pace right, but the 30 sec in the bag wouldn't cause it to break!
The Main Road out of the City is as flat as it get on the side of a mountain, and if the wind was going to play ball we would be OK...
5km 19:32 perfect for running
5km - 10km 20:13 slight climb and a bit of wind, but we were still moving well.
10km - 15km 20:08 a bit down and a little climb, no more wind Stef starting to warm up, and Dawn meets us on the side of the road.
15km - 20km 20:08 easy down, Dawn waited to see the ladies and then passed us looking for the front guys...
We hit half way in 1h24:24 4:00 on the button!!!
20km - 25km 19:52, Stef is now moaning that this is too easy...
25km - 30km 20:19, the wind has picked up, and I'm the sucker taking the pace through Muizenberg
We reach 30km in 2h00:13 and with only 2km till Stef is due to back off all is well...
30km - 35km 20:44 Stef backs off at 32km at I drop the group who are caught off guard, I was setting the pace into the wind with Stef behind me and then 2 or 3 other guys along for the ride... Stef slowed to 4:30's and I kept going. After the little climb out of Fishhoek I hit the wind again, it's not bad, but enough to slow me a little..
35km - 40km 22:12 Dawn is back on the bike and trying to find out how I'm doing and if i can catch the other 40+ guys, but I'm lying 6th and the legs are tired (listen to your Coach) so I've slowed...
40km - 42.2km 10:07 last 2 climbs and then the drop to the field...
2h53:18 29th and 6th 40+
So now the question is do I run Oceans, there is only one 2Oceans, it's not a half or a trail run, is 56km! Yes I'm running the trail race on the Friday, the day before, but what is 2 hours on the mountain? As i finished, or even in those last couple of km I was thinking not a chance, but... I did jog down to the car to fetch a top and it was easy, so maybe, I've got a couple of days.
What do you think?
Absolutely you have to do 2 Oceans. After all there is only one. And the trail race is just a little warm up for endurance junkies like you. You thrive on pain don't you?!
ReplyDeleteAgree with Char. One thing is sure, you'll never know till you've given it a go. You're young enough and I reckon you're strong enough. Just set your mind to it - and go.
ReplyDeleteSounds as if you have really already made up your mind to do it, just looking for confirmation that you should run it. If it won't hurt you, do it, sounds beautiful!
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