I
don't know why I've missed this race in years gone by but when someone asked if
I was running the goat race, I asked myself: Why aren't I running The La Capra
Goat Race?
Did someone say Goat? |
Next
thing I knew I had ended and would find myself on the start line of a 28km race
up and around Paarl Rock. 20+ years ago I was running the Paarl Mountain Race,
an 18.4km (in later years a 21.1km) up to the base of the rock itself before
heading back.
It
was in those years that I was first called a mountain goat! Winning a mountain
series over 4/5 races back in '93 or '94
Now
not only do I enjoy running up mountains but I have been known to enjoy the odd
glass of wine or a beer...
Fairview
is not only known for it's cheese and wine, but also for the GOATS...
With
a 5, 8, and a 15km race also on the cards I was lucky, one of my trail running
rivals Nic had chosen to run the 15, which he won...
We
started at 7h30 and while I didn't know any of the guys on the start line that
didn't mean they couldn't be gunning for a win and my wine!
A
couple of guys looked the part and as we started I had to see what they were
made of...
28km
is long enough too hurt so while I wanted to hurt anyone who dared try and stay
with me I didn't want to hurt myself...
KM 1
had taken me 6:25 but that had more to do with the 144m climb then me taking it
easy! KM 2 and things eased only 86m climb... I had opened a little lead but
now I was running scared! The fear of been run down had gripped me, because as
you well know: what goes up must go down!
Down
wasn't happening in the next km but we left the farm road (I'm using the word
road loosely!) and
turned onto a gravel
road and as my luck would have it 2 mnt bikers, out for their Saturday morning
ride, were on the road.
.. They passed me and then the road kicked up again!
Now
the great guys at Contego not only sponsor a couple of us trail runners they
also have a mountain bike team... I wasn't on a bike, but I had Contego's
Mnt bike name to defend... I ran them down...
My
lead over them didn't last as we crested the hill and headed down.
With
the bikes gone my thoughts turned to defending my lead. .. While the path
(maybe an old 4x4 road) was smooth it was clay and as slippery as ice! So while
I pushed the pace it wasn't free running, but while I couldn't speed neither could the
chasers!
Ahead
I could see the path climbing again and when I was there I could look back and
see what the chase group looked like. My lead was safe for now... A little
single track took us down through the nature reserve to the picnic area! Behind
the picnic area… Paarl Rock, so up we went, I was no longer running as the gradient
had forced me to walk, power walk I was not wanting to lose and time to the
chasing guys.
Boulder hopping! |
I haven’t been up there very often so I didn’t know what lay
ahead as I scrambled up the giant granite rock. I waved at the marshal as I
reached the top, only to see that after a short decent and a gravel road the
next rock loomed large and they were sending us to the top! This was an out and
back loop just straight up and down, in the last km we had climb about 250m (15min).
I took a split of the 2nd placed guy, and saw I had about 4 mins as
he started his climb…
With 10km still to go and about 400 stairs to descend through
an indigenous forest I wasn’t going to risk falling down those stairs…
A Pink Landy taking the stairs |
I told
myself that he had closed a minute on me, so now it was time to race again,
ahead I could see some of the 15km runners turning onto our route, it was time
to stop worrying about who was chasing but time to start chasing myself. The
15km guys had started 30min behind us and I had challenged on of my friends to
a race… I now had to catch her! After a couple of fast km’s the fun was over
and it was back to what we love about trail running… little single tracks that
wind up valleys and take you over mountains… another 9min km (150m climb) and
while I was passing a lot of 15km guys she was still ahead. We now dropping
into the farm again and the 8 and 5km routes also joined us, Now while there
were a lot of guys on the trail, no-one had any problem letting me pass as I
hunted for a win… It was more a case of: WOW you’ve leading the 28 well done.
With 2 hours on the clock I could feel that I had run hard
and it was now time to end… But Garmin only said 24km I didn’t mind as I pulled
into the finish. (looking at the route map and my Garmin map it looks like they
didn’t sent us for a little loop down in the vineyards and back up through a
forest, I didn’t mind)
Happy Man |
Congratulations, you old goat!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great race, and an even better performance!
ReplyDelete