WINELANDS MARATHON

With a 05h30 start out in Stellenbosh the alarm at home went off at 03h45!!! Yes that is early, but in hindsight (20/20 vision) we could have left 5 min earlier... Had said it wouldn't have helped. Let me explain: We picked Jana up at 04h15 set off on the trip out to the Cape Winelands in Stellenbosch. No Problem. Then as we left the N2 We had to stop!!! there had been an accident and the burnt out car was still sending smoke signals of Blue and Red flashing lights into the sky (see 5 minutes earlier could have put us in the accident!!!) The in the little town the traffic was heavy with lots of runners heading to the start line.

Can you see me in my Orange hat?

All that said I was at the start line chatting to my friend before the gun went off and while a couple of guys set off round the tartan track as if it was all they were doing we didn't. It didn't take long for a group of guys to join me: OK let me see if I can remember who all was in the bus as we headed out for the 35th running of the Winelands Marathon:
Coach Dion, Richard, Sam, Stef, Ake, Marko, Seppie, Ryan, William, 'Celtics' x 2, 'Strand', and 1or 2 other guys I couldn't really see, Oh so that was about 15 of us, but in any case it was a nice group and with the running easy and the early km slightly down hill we hit the 5km board in 19:47. Stef was the only one complaining about the pace as I had told him 4:00-4:15... He was nicely hidden at the back of the pack and with it down hill he stayed with us as I guaranteed him we would slow at the hills started.

This is at about 20km

But the 2nd 5km was also mostly down and we kept hitting the pace 19:50. I don't think we had lost anyone till that first hill. Now in my books none of the hills are that bad, but when you are running at your limit those climb hurt, and over then next couple of km we lost a couple of guys. 20:47 and 15km were gone. I was relaxed and enjoying the race (run, my race was later in the day). Sam and I puled a little ahead on the one hill and I had to hold myself back, as you all know the 21.1km mark isn't half way!!! We past this in a little over 85min and then climbed the biggest hill of the day, this would be my slowest km 4:32. This was Richard's first marathon and he had done enough running to go all the way at this pace...but he needed reminding that half way was only at 30km and I lot could still happen.

20-25km took us past the turn-around 20:37. The little climb to 24.5km we ran a little fast and I had to pull the guys back, but then it was a nice down hill, and all I could say was don't let it hurt you... Stef and William let us go, and now the group was maybe only 6 big... I had hoped that 5 or 6 of us could run through to the end together, but had wasn't going to happen.

Dawn (my wife) had been on the side of the road taking a couple of pictures and watching the race, and as we over-took a 40+ guy she told me I had moved into 4th! Those 5km had been mostly down hill and our split 25-30 was quick 19:12, but then we turned of the main road onto a side street for a 3.5km out and back loop. That first little bump (don't even want to call it a hill) dropped the guys Seppie, Richard, Ryan, while Sam and I kept the pace...

OUT and back... I could see Dwarsrivier leading the 40+, but he didn't look good, Andries was strong in 2nd and Nedbank in 3rd, I was 60sec back... I was chomping at the bit but the last 10km of a marathon are a long way and with 60+ marathon under the belt I know a few things.

We had just seen the leading lady before we turn back onto the main road and started the last of the big climbs. I told Sam not to work to hard on this hill but then... but then!!! Dawn was on the side of the road and told us that Dwarsrivier was walking.

Time to go...

The Fun Run was over and I turned into race mode, dropping Sam on the hill and changing gears. It felt good, this is what I had wanted out of the race, to have fun, run with my friends and then be able to turn it up a gear if needed. The 5km split from 30-35 was 20:07, but as I was now a man on a mission chasing 1st 40+ I had upped my game... 19;00 took me to 1st 40+ and the 40km mark.

The Winner takes it All

In fact I was now far enough ahead that I could jog in to get my target time of 2h49:36. 13th over all and 1st 40+. 3 guys from my club were really happy to see me, saying: Mr Dion we knew we could count on you! And with that we had won the team prize!

Winning Team

Now of cause before the prize-giving you have to kill a lot of time, So I spend it drinking with my friends!!!

Alan is on the Wine, I'm on the beer and Shandy Dog is resting after a long morning supporting

WHY AM I SORE?

Sunday is long run day, RIGHT, but this Sunday past called only for a short recovery run, my TAPER for next weeks marathon has started, and not a day to soon.

Without a long run on the program I had time to cycle with Dawn, water the garden and take the dogs for a walk and all this in the morning before Church. My 30min run would have to wait for midday, it should have been easy and the I should have been floating around the suburbs without breaking a sweat. Why then did my hamstrings feel tight, my calves sore and my quads like some-one had take a baseball bat to them?

So why were my legs sore, I couldn't have been the cycle ride in the morning, as that was slow and only 20km, so maybe, just maybe it was the half I ran of Saturday. But I had also run a half last week, and that was the day after 2h20 in the mountain and I still did an extra 9km after the race and my legs still felt great come Monday. So what was different about this Half. No it wasn't hilly, in fact it was quite flat, so what was it? Money, yes Monday can do that to your legs!!!

In the week I had seen that the prize money in the weekend race was good, and over the 21.1km distance I have a chance of climbing on the podium in the vets (40+). Standing on the start-line I looked around and saw that this was going to be NO LITTLE JOG...all the old men were there!!!

WEST COAST HALF

I took the lead at the gun and lead the race out of the car park before settling into my running. First the youngsters streamed past then Shaun and Rasta, Graham was next, and I told him to make then run hard so I could pick up the pieces. When Johnny past me I decided enough was enough and if I wanted to have half a chance I would have to hurt. 1st km was a little over 3:30 as Roger (open) Eric (50+) and Alan joined the bus. Johnny and I set the pace and past 5km in 17:39. We were now on the long West Coast Road and the running was easy (I am really lying to you, running at 3:30 is never easy) we caught and past a couple of other guys and our group fell off the back one at a time. Johnny and I past the 10km board in 35:11 (17:32 for that 5km split).

Ahead I could see Shaun and Rasta take the turn into the golf estate, I took the split, 55sec. With the twists and turns as we ran through the golf estate I didn't get to see them again till we hit on road again and the 15km mark, we had been slow 17:50, but the gap had closed to 45sec and Rasta had opened a couple of meters on Shaun. Johnny was breathing hard and I had been hurting since the gun, so I did what any guy (or girl) would do...

I decided that it was now or never, and I put the hammer down and started to knock out 3:30's again. The gap to Shaun closed fast and as I caught him he said he needed some-one to run with... Now I'm a nice guy and run many of my races with my athletes helping them to better times, but not today!!! I surged as I past him and went in hunt for the Rasta... I tried the same again, but he came with and I couldn't hold it so I eased back to 3:30. That pace didn't last long, Rasta surged and I went with. It was turning into a game of cat and mouse, but I think I had the upper hand, although Rasta was surging faster than me, he was slowing down more. My surges we more just picking the pace back up to 3:30...

Then with 1.5km to go I went with one of Rasta's surges and held it... he wasn't ready for this and needed to slow. Yes I also needed to slow, but that would have to wait I had a hunger in me that I hadn't had for a long time and I was in race mode. I was now running alone and waiting for the finish line. Up the ramp and over the finish line in the parking lot where I had left 74:36 earlier!!! That had place me 6th and 2nd old man.

Looking back over my records I haven't been under 75 in the last 6 years, So I think I've done something right this year!

Next week Marathon

TRAIN FOR A MARATHON

What should I call this? Maybe:

• The secrets to training for a marathon!
• Tips in getting to the finish line.
• 26.2 is a long way.
• 42.2 is a long way.
• The more you put in the more you get out.
• Boston here we come

So you are thinking about running a marathon?

Is it your first?

Do you want it to be your fastest?

Or do you just want to finish?

OK so if you just want to finish, all I can tell you is get out and run, the more you run the easier the finish becomes, so read on and then get out there and run...

First up, we need to tick over, so what I call ticking over and what you call ticking over might well be 2 different things, but we will work to get them closer to one idea:

If you were to pick up Runners World or something like that they would throw a marathon program at you which would read like this: Runner's World Marathon Plan for Intermediate Runners (16 weeks). Stop right there, 16 weeks, are they mad!!!

I could never have only one goal for 16 weeks, so I will tell you no marathon plan needs be longer than 6 weeks, yes 6 weeks... But the better you want your marathon to go, the fitter you need be when you start your 6 weeks....

So back to the ticking over: I run 7 + time a week with weekend runs up to 3 hours long, and that is just ticking over without looking and running any real races... You don't need that much. Maybe 3 times a week (45-60min) + weekends of 90+min. (this 90+min EVERY weekend is NB NB NB because as you start thinking about a marathon you need to be running 105-120min and that is so when your 6 weeks marathon training starts you are ready...

OK So let us start 11 weeks out (I know I said 6 weeks, but it's nice to build a bit before you start to train:

1. Monday: Easy / rest / cross train
2. Tuesday: Tempo, yes it would be great to head down to the track and run lots of reps, miles / 1000m / 800m or what ever floats your goat, but it's not about that, all you need to remember is: I need to work hard for say 20-30min of a 50min run, and by hard we are only talking of half marathon pace, Now you don't need to run all 30min in one go, so you could run 10 hard 2min easy. Don't run the hard to hard, you want to be running for at least 3 days before you rest...
3. Wednesday: Easy and Hilly (keep the heart rate down, you don't need a heart rate monitor to track your heart, you can run by feel. Remember it's not about who has the bigest balls in training, it about who has the biggest balls in the races, easy days are there so you can train hard on the other days.
4. Thursday: Tempo on hills (find a hilly route and run the hills so your heart rate climbs, but only on the hills, the rest can be easy)
5. Friday; Easy / rest / cross train
6. Saturday: Marathon race pace (20min of a 50min run (then adding a 3min to the run each week at marathon pace)
7. Sunday: long (90 and building (90 / 100  / 90  / 120 over 4 weeks)

So after 4 weeks of running TAKE a WEEK OFF, rest... we want to be fresh and ready to train for a marathon, with 6 weeks to go we have 4-5weeks hard with 1-2 weeks taper. Remember: If you have had a good build and REST these weeks of marathon training will start and be very easy for 2-3 weeks before you start getting tired and wanting it to be taper time. We can then work that last week and a half easy to focus for a short time then it's race time.

OK 6 weeks to go:

So we are looking at putting together 5 weeks of hard running with 1 week of taper (OK the taper starts the weekend before the race) now let us have a look at a week:

• Monday: easy run (we like those don't we) 45-60min (keep it easy!!!)
• Tuesday: week one 2 x 5km (20-25min) hard, 2 min rest inbetween, you can warmup for 10min and warm down for 10 min. (by hard, I just mean hard, but remember you have to do it all again... Now I could say run at 10km pace, and because you are resting for 2min between the reps you sould be fine, some people might want to run a little slower... So hard is hard!)
• Tuesday: week two 3 x 3km (10-12min) hard (same pace as last week, if not a little faster), 2 min rest... ect
• Tuesday: week three 4 x 2km (7-8min) hard, 90sec rest... ect (see the rest is getting less, and you are still warming up and down, the rest can be a slow jog if you want)
• Tuesday: week four 6-8 x 1km (3-4 min) hard 60 sec
• Tuesday: Week five 6-8 x 800m (would nice to be on a track) at marathon pace (so if you want a 3h30 marathon, you run 3min 30sec, rest 60sec Yasso 800's
• think of ME at the club, I run 5km warmup, then 8 x 1km, then 2km warm down... that gives ME 15km for the day, and half at pace... TICK distance, TICK speed.
• NB do not run to fast, to hard, you need to finish the sessions...
• Wednesday (took us a long time...) like the runs we did in the forest, get out there and run 7-12 miles easy, you want to recover from yesterday and not end up tired for tomorrow.
• Thursday: Now this is where it gets dificult, because I don't know you well enough to say run 400's, run hills, So look at it like this: you need 50-70min for the day, hilly and like the building weeks just work the hills and get the hart going. Yes we would have you running 400's 200's or hill reps, but lets not go there today...
• Friday REST (for me that means 4-10km easy, for you it could mean sleep / swim / cycled / dance)
• Weekend: This makes your marathon easy or not...
• MP (marathon pace) over the next 5 weeks (30min / 45min / 60min / 30min / 15min (week before the race)), warm up and warm down...
• Long runs (2h10 / 2h30 / 2h30 / 2h00 / 1h00) (those first 4 weeks run easy and only pick the pace up for the last 10-20min to MP) if your marathon is going to be 4-5hours the long runs need to be longer, but I wouldn't go much over 3 hours, you will just get tired...
• Weekend is 2 days, so use both of them... or some of the guys I know like to rest on one of the days, so it's long run on the Saturday with the MP at the end of the run a little longer, so sort of running the 2 days in one!!!

Now some of you might end up dead if you train this hard, so just cut back...

LET THE MARATHON TRAINING START

With the easy week after the OTTER / RETTO a thing of the past, I started with my marathon training...

OK where does one start with marathon training, in fact where do you start with your training for anything? You run a TT to get some idea of where you on the fitness scale. I was in luck, there was a 10km race on the Saturday, so I found myself on the start-line...

I've run this race many times over the years and know the route pretty well, so I set off at a good pace from the gun 3;27  3:28  3:29, Ms 310 (my new Garmin, the old 205 didn't like the rainy winter we had here in the Mother City) was reading the km a little short as per the km boards. The 3km had a little climb and then the race climbs to the high point just after the 5km mark. My time at the 5km board was 17:50, so I knew a sub 36 was going to easy, just how much faster could I go?

I was flying down the hill, I Ms. 310 tells me I knocked off 3km in a row under 3:20!!! I didn't even know my legs could move that fast... At each km board I was doing big maths and working out my projected finishing time. Then I turned the last corner and saw the finishing clock, no more maths, the clock stopped at 34:50!!! My fastest 10 in over 4 years!

So I have a little speed left in the old legs and something to work with for my marathon:

After only and easy run on the Sunday and Monday, Tuesday saw the hard work start with the hard work, 3 x 10min hard with 2 min rest... The week was now well under way now and after a 15km run on the Wednesday it was time to raise the heart rate again! I had a nice little session planned for the Thursday: 5km, but we were running hills, up at marathon pace, and down fast. I was running just under 2:00 for the 500m up and down in 1;40ish. With the warm up we did and the cool down back to the club I logged 14km for the day.

After a 5km recovery run on Friday I was ready for the weekend... I saw Saturdays 15km race as a nice chance to get a little training in, so I planned a tempo run with a little warm up to the start of the race and a warm down back home... 32.5km later I was home and a little SHATTERED!Maybe the weeks training was catching up with me...

Now as any self respecting distance runner know, Sunday is long run day, so I meet a couple of the boys at the club and we headed out for a little run across the face of Table Mountain...

LOWER GRAVEL ROADS

The running was easy and with the sun at our backs we just jogged along...

JAYDE WITH THE SUN AT HIS BACK

It was warm and when we stopped to regroup we waited in the shade:

WAITING IN THE SHADE

After 11.5km of running we reached Tafleberg Road (the hairpin on the right) our route then took us up the road to the next hairpin before a short climb to the top of Kloof corner, 1.2km 190m climb!!!

THE STAIR WAY TO HEAVEN

But at the top we were on the contour and it would be flattish all the way back!!! But before we headed back, Sam (all the way from the USA wanted his picture taken)

Richard and Sam

 Ran run back was easy and we just jogged along the single track to Devils Peak before heading down to the club.

CABLE STATION AND RICHARD STOPPING FOR WATER

The run was only 22.5km (750m climb) and had taken us 2h13:08, but since the 2nd half was all single track and the 1st half had plenty of climb in it we had done OK.

Week one of Marathon Training done 115.5km and now let us see if I can put together another good week before the marathon...

OTTER / RETTO harder than you think!

Back in 2009 I was luck enough to get to run the 1st OTTER trail race, I didn't have a good run and after swimming the river I spent the rest of the race cramping...

Roll on 2012, with a little more training and a year without injury and again found myself on the start line of one of SA's favorite trail. OK we weren't in the Tsitsikamma National Park at the start of the Hiking trail, we found ourselves on the beach at Natures Valley, the end of the trail... We were running the RETTO, the OTTER in reverse!!!

An early morning gathering of the best of the best...

Let me just side track for a bit, The Otter Hiking trail is a 5 day hike along the coast, and with a waiting list of up to a year, it's a must hike for all hiker, but why hike when you can run.

The count down started and off we shot, OK not quite we had to plant our 'dibber' (the timing chip) before we could head off... The really fast boys were right in front and took off like they were running a track race!!! I took my time and soon found myself passing a couple of people on the beach heading for the first climb of the day!!!

THIS IS WHAT MOST OF THE CLIMBS LOOKED LIKE

NO I didn't run up those stairs, I walked and at the top I found myself in the 2nd group of guys, the quick boys were gone, and heading for DISASTER!!!

OK this is where I need to tell you another thing, at the start I turned Mr. Garmin on, and he turned himself off!!! I tried again and again, but nothing... I had charged him the night before and for the prologue he had worked just fine... I want to say I don't know what happened, but I think as I unplugged him from being charged he turned himself on (he does this some times, but I normally see this and turn him off) and ran the battery dry over night. So I had to run the race watchless!!! Now for a road race that is no problem, because km for km or mile for mile you can see how far you have run and how much longer you are going to be out there, Not so in the Otter!! First hour or 2 it was OK then but then hours 3-5, I just didn't know how the clock was going, was I need the finish? Just how much longer did I have to run / walk for? was that last hut the last hut, or was there one more!!! I had no clue...

I'm getting ahead of myself, After that climb it was "flattish" till the climb down to the last hut on the trail (our first hut of the day.) I was 2nd in our group behind Greg (who would end up 3rd on the day). My race was going well and when we reached to bottom Ian (the eventual winner) past us on the beach and danced over the rocks as if it was a dance floor. To let you know just how tough this race really is that drop was over 100m and after a short run on the rocky beach past the hut we climbed up the other side... (another 100m climb our 2nd of the day and we had only been at it for 40min...)

I lost a little ground on that climb, but Ian was a man on a mission! At the top I didn't rush, we were less than 10km into the race and with 4hours of running still to go I wasn't worried. Then between 10 and 11km we hit the Mighty Blaauwkrantz:

THE SWIM

OK So this is the swim!!! yes we had to swim about 30m before we could stand. That is Ian coming out of the water with Will behind him. The blur at the top right is me about to start my swim, Yes I was still in it...

the rest of the field

The water was beautiful

Straight after the swim, it's up the other side...

TOP OF ANOTHER CLIMB

OK this climb was 10km further on, and although it looks like another swim, we had crossed the river higher up and it was only knee deep for 10m. If you look carefully you can see the huts to the left of my head and the the path leading down to them. The race doesn't drop to the huts, but follows around the gouge before dropping to the crossing point. just before I started the descent I could see 3 or 4 guys crossing the beach of the river and it looked like Ian, Greg and who knows... So at half way I was still there and there about!!!

But the 2nd half is what sorts the men from the boys, and in my case the young from the old!!! With only 20km to go the front of the race was hotting up and I was cooling down, the endless up and down was taking it's toll. I think I caught another glimpse of them at about 27km the next big river crossing, and in fact as I crossed the beach Mike, the early pace setter was heading back looking to pull out, I think there was blood on his head and his spirit was also broken. He had set out to break 4 hours!!! Since you can't really just pull out he did end up finishing the race in about 6h40!!!

I was still moving, and I caught one of the English men, and together we headed on. Then with about 10km to go (this is all guess work!!!) I had a little crap in my left quad!!! I stopped and walked a few steps down!!! and it went, the English men was gone... I potted on hopping that we were almost finished.

I think I was mentally tired and the legs didn't really want to climb any more. I was walking strong and kept going. Then it happened, Bruce Almighty (Arnett) passed me and like a Duracell Bunny he bounced up the stairs ahead of me... He would beat me by 15min.

The last hut and the race home, I now knew it wouldn't be long now before we hit the rocks and the waterfall and that would signal 2km to the tar... my footing was bad and I lost time as I had to walk more than was needed and although I had caught the English men again, he got away. A couple of other guys also past me, and I know I really should be beating them, but today was not my day. I reach the tar with John and Victor, and the 3 of us jogged the last 1.5km to the finsh together finishing 15, 16, and 17th. 5h09:16.

profile

Yes that is a good time for 42km of single track with 2500m climb, but I feel I'm better than that and could have a 4h30-4h40 in these old legs, but that is a story for another day.

Now I really wanted to end with the picture of the 3 of us finishing together, but that is out there for me to show you guys...

OTTER WEEKEND

A pestie fly buzzed at the window breaking the silence, ok it wasn't quiet as the sound of the waves could be heard crashing on the rocks below. Don't get me wrong the sea wasn't rough but in the little Sea side "town" of Vleesbaai there wasn't much else to be heard. 

VIEW FROM THE PLACE WE WERE STAYING

Shandy, my little Jack Russell, lay in her basket feeling sorry for herself after a walk on the beach. We think she was stung by a blue-bottle.

NOT FELLING TO WELL

Peanut Boy was on the couch resting... 

YES NEXT TO ME

The 4 hour trip up was without incident, for a drive in AFRICA... We headed up the National Road and had to stop to take pictures of ELEPHANT!!! Yes from the National Road we could see Elephants...

WISH I HAD MY CAMERA

Soon after that we left the highway and headed for the coast, our eyes now peeled on the bush... We didn't see any other game, but did have to leave the road to let a heard of sheep go by... (sorry I didn't have the camera out.)

It was a good choice to take an extra couple of days off work and spend the time on the drive up and down. The truth be told our neighbor has always said we should visit his little beach house, and with a view like this, why not...

DAWN ON THE BEACH

The next day it was on to Plet, party town to the rich and famous... I was able to put in warm up run on the beach before the prologue on Friday. I drove through to Stormsriver and the race venue on my own, leaving Dawn and the puppies behind. 

WE ALSO WANT TO GO

The prologue was a little 4km jog through the forest... some 22:36 I was finished. It was twisty and turny through the forest and I had run hard enough to place in the top 25 (18th) and that placed me in the front group of the race... With the main event being single track from almost the gun (just a short run across the beach) they wanted to seed us. With my seeding done I headed home for the night.

OK this was home for the weekend...

IT'S CALLED THE TREE HOUSE

 Tomorrow was the big race...

ONLY ONE MORE WEEK

The days are ticking by and I am starting to feel the pressure of the race... This is the last week of real training and then it's taper week. I'm too old to take 2 weeks of taper, I feel I'll just get unfit... So how has this last week of training gone?

Let us start with Saturday 29 September, I had thought about popping out to Stellenbosch to run a 12km trail race... It was raining and the early morning didn't called for the bed... Dawn would have joined me if the weather had played ball and we could have spent the morning on the wine farms. Would have been fun, but that will have to wait for another week. Instead I headed out from home up the Green Belts on the left side taking me to the top of Southern Cross and Rhodes Drive. Now the forest and the mountain start the other side of Rhodes drive and I set myself up for a couple of single track intervals!!! The intervals were about 1.35km long taking me between 5:16 and 5:52 (call it down and up) I did 5 with 60 sec break before headed home down the other Green Belts, great session.

We had friends round for a braai that evening and I talked myself into running the half on the Sunday and organised a lift with them... Sunday was just a solid tempo run and a chance to steal a few seconds in my quest to bring down my average time for a half... Mission accomplished!

Monday started the week with and easy run up to the Block House... Easy well I didn't hammer it so the 500+m of climb did feel easy.

Good think Monday was easy, because Tuesday was not and we hit the track for a last real work out: 800m hard I was running them 2:35 - 2:38, here is the really kicker, 30 sec rest then 200m fast!!! I'm not that fast any more and was running 33s - 34s while the youngsters were knocking on the 30sec door!!! Then it was a 90 sec walk back to the start... 5 was enough for the day.

Wednesday was just a little forest and road run on about 12km before last nights hill session. Now as Coach I take my brief from the boy and they want to get fast this summer, the strength and endurance of the winter is over and they now want to run a quick 10km before we build for Oceans next year... So short hills was on the cards, call it 60sec, but we normally reach the speed bump in 55ish sec and turn there!

I started easy and ran on the single track next to the road letting Richard get away. Then after 4 reps I said to Mark, let's chase him down...I moved onto the road and start to run hard up and hard down, no rest for the wicked!  I lapped Mark on number 10 and if we were running 11 I might have had Richard... but that was not to be, 10 was enough for the day...

I don't know what week weekend holds, it only starts tomorrow!!!