TEAM CONTEGO

Back in 2005 I ran the first The Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge and since then I've run the race a number of times (4 times). This year I wasn't up for another 4 hour race at this stage in my training, so I spoke to Eddie and he put together a CONTEGO team...

All to soon the lead Solo guys came through, OK only Mike Baily came through, he was miles ahead... If I remember correctly something like 7min ahead of Cain and AJ (I hear they took a detour in to Kirstenbosh to look at the flowers). Next in was Will and Nic, then Andrew on his own.

The relays had started 15min after the Solo's and Bernard was next in, I was about 15min behind Mike and I didn't know who was chasing me (solo or team). I didn't need to catch the Solo Guys, but the truth be told I'm not the best relay runner in the world, I can't just lay my body on the line for nothing, so I set my sights on chasing down the solo guys...

Leg 3 of TMC is only 17.5km but with 950m climb it has reduced grown men to tears... and today it was going to be hot!

I took off down the gravel road and as I ran alone, I start to think, "Hay these legs are working" from the start we drop for about 2km then, still on the gravel roads we start to climb, and there ahead I could see the orange top of Andrew. I didn't catch him till we were on the contour path to Llandudno corner.

CLIMBING LLANDUDNO CORNER  (Jacques takes the best pictures)

I took a split at the bottom and after passing Will and Nic on the climb I took another split, I was fast enough to break 2 hours...

Old Man Running along the Top

Oh it's me...

Running along the Twelve Apostles is not flat and on one of the big climbs I saw my next target, I'm not a great relay runner and I need something to aim at, It was AJ he was alone on the hill... (or should I say Mountain)
By the time I got there he was long gone, but I heard voices and looked around to see who was chasing, NO no-one was chasing, it was Cain, he was lost in the bushes, he had turned right at a large rock and was now not even close to a path!!! I whistled and called him telling him the race went this way... (he was shattered and after getting back on track and in the race he didn't last long before he called it a day with less than 3km to the end!!!)

I was going nicely and again I saw AJ and it didn't take long to catch him...

Stealth Mode

Next split Kasteelspoort before the descend, only Mike was left ahead and I would have to have fleet of foot if I wanted to catch him... Kasteels is only 1.5km long, but you drop 432m so it's not for every one!!! Lucky for me it was dry and wind free, and with fresh legs (only 90min of hard mountain running) I made good time and 12:13 later I was on the pipe track... And wait for it there was Mike. He let me pass and I put the hammer down for the last 3.2km.

1h59:53 and I was in, the team's time of 3h33:53 was 5min off the record, but still a good time.

Thank you CONTEGO I had a good time out there, it is good to run in a team from time to time. It's also nice to win!!!

Sunday, a day off, NO! I headed to the 10km race to ran with a friend who wanted to break 36min... We ran nicely till 7km then he slowed and just couldn't hold the pace, I think he legs are a bit tired from all the marathon training. I keep with him till 600m to go, then went for it... 35:57. I hope he listens and takes this week's taper for the marathon seriously we are wanting to run 2h59:59 or 2h54:59 or we go big 2h49:59.

But that is next weeks story...