IF THERE IS A RACE RUN IT...

I decided to enter and run all 5 races in the Summer Trail Series and Wednesday 11 Jan was race 1. last year I took my bike up to Sivermine as I know parking is a bit of a problem, and would have done the same this year, but my bakkie needed to get to the Mechanic!!! So the plan was to drop the bakkie off on the way and for Dawn to be following me so we could drive on to the race. Nice plan, but after 20min of trying to start the bakkie we gave up and pushed it back into the garage...

Plan 'B' I joined Dawn in her car and we went straight there.

With my legs still sore from the 30km race on the weekend I wasn't wanting to race (like that was going to happen).  I went straight to the front and together with Ake and Eddie we set an easy pace. (very clever of me) The idea was to keep Nicolas and Allan at bay till the single track... Things were going well till a slight up hill and they their move with Eddie following, 500m down the road they had 20-30m on us with Eddie in the middle!! I really was going to let them go and run run easy, but then the race took a turn!!! And for a reason they only know the decided to follow the short course route markers...

I should have let them run on, but I whistled as I saw the way to go, turning and taking the lead!!! It was now single track and time to up the tempo... Derick was right behind me, so I had to make sure the pace was just fast enough so he didn't want to over take. HILLS, I love HILLS...

Route Profile from Mr Garmin

and at 3km there were Hills I was now alone out front and climbing, but Nicolas was chasing... it didn't take him long to catch me, but I was strong enough to keep him from passing till 5km. As he pulled away Allan was now catching...

Pic from web sight

It took him about 1km to pass me, but by now the weekends 30km race was weighing heavy on the legs, so I just slowed!!! Derick caught and passed me, and opened 20seconds, but that wasn't enough as we had one last hill and a very technical down hill to come. I plodded up the hill and the gap closed, but it wasn't till the down hill that I caught and flew past him. But wait, who was now behind me...

Ake was flying down, but he has young fresh legs and I stood aside to let him go. Leaving me in 4th and 2nd old man... my time of 66:38 was 10sec faster than last year.

With Wednesday's trail run behind me it was onto Saturdays 15km...

Honhort 15 run around the Constantia Hill and with the start only 2km from home I always run this race, that said I haven't raced it in a long time. I have often used it as a long run taking a 15km detour to the start, or rerunning the route once I've finished. Today it was and easy run with Will and we finished in 58:28 28th place and 5th 40+.

With the weekend not over yet I headed out to Lebanon for race 2 in the Trail Series. With my body still not working well (maybe a little tired from all the races!!!) I struggled to set a "destroy all" pace over the first 5km as we climb to the highest point of the route. I was still up front with Nic, but Derick was only 10sec back and Allan a further 10 sec back. With the legs not working I wasn't able to fly down and both Derick and Allan past me.

Enough said...