WHO GOT IT RIGHT!!!

Before I tell you about Sunday's race I have to tell you about Saturday's run, Yes I did run 20km the day before a half...

So what is my story from Saturday: Well last week I had walked with Dawn and the puppies at the top of Price Drive. Now there are a couple of paths that I haven't run on, and while walking I told my wife I should pop up there and see if the paths take me where I wanted to go...

Price Drive is 1.6km long (yes 1 mile) and you climb 160m, that is over 520feet!!! But it's a tar road, so it's easy up and I was taking it easy... 9:00 later I left the road and hit the trails.

Taken the week before while walking

This is at the start of the trail, in this picture we have just started walking and if you look to the left, that forest is were I was headed...

There is a path...

So I disappeared into the forest, it was amazing... I wasn't moving very fast as I climbed up and down the almost unused paths...

Light at the end of the tunnel

I made it out into clear light and the view was amazing:

Stunning View over the vineyards of Constantia

Then I ran into a little trouble!!!

The path behind me...

The path up had, how can I put it, run out.. and the path ahead wasn't on this side of the mountain, so what did I do?

This was what lay ahead...

I went up a scramble to the top... the 2.6km from the road to when I saw the path on Top took me 39:35, yes that is for 2.6km!!!

the path on top

This path was was great on the top, but then as I headed down the path wasn't always as good:

Yes that is a Path

The Views over the top were just as good:

So much mountain so little time...

Once on the road and heading home I picked up the pace again. My run of 20km had taken my 2h15 (with 30min standing still wondering where to go!)

Sunday's race:
I decided that I needed a tempo run and the Slave run, a Half through a couple of landmarks in the city seemed like a good idea:

Dawn came with and we headed to town in the early hours of the morning... Dawn was only watching and would go for her own little run later as I set off running the race.

My aim, well to not kill myself and dip under 80min!!!  So the 1st aim is 19:00 for 5km, that is about 3:45/km Now I know a lot of you run as per your Garmin, well Garmin doesn't count!!! you have to reach the finish line in that time, so I watch Ms 310 and the km board, well I didn't see the 5km board, but I had time in the bag at 6km (22:30). I needed time in the bag for a monster climb from 9-10 (most of the field walks!!!). With the hill over Ms 310 read 10.3km time 38:30. I had picked up 300m and last 30sec, but that wasn't too bad as I now had gravity on my side! It didn't take long to make up those 30 sec and at 15km Ms 310 read 15.38km 56:49... With 11sec in the bag and an easy run home it was mine for the taking.

Then at about 17km we ran a little dog leg, out and back, 17 had been right as Garmin (Ms 310) called it 17.38km so I was thinking we would finish with about 21.5km... I looked for the 18km board at 18.3km (on Ms 310) nothing, in fact nothing till about 19km!!! Oh sh...t, hope the board is in the wrong place and we hit 19 soon...
Again it was almost 20 when I saw the board... Same with 20, but wait there was hope, the last km could be short, down Darling and to the finish I would be happy, but no we ran up past Darling and joined the 10km race (stupid idea to have fast half guys running through walking/jogging 10km masses!!!).

I was a little upset as I finished in 80:55 with 22.0km on Ms 310... I'm not saying if you would measure the course we ran with a Jones counter and all you would get the 22km, I would guess 21.6km about 500m long, now at my pace that is 1:50!!!

So who got it right? Me or them!!! Do things like this also Piss you off? Trail, Cross Country, can't get it wrong, because it's not about distance it's about route.