RECOVERY

With 3 days of hard racing under the belt it was time for a rest week, OK I don't really rest, I just run less... So even on Monday I popped out for an easy 6km run to ensure that the legs were still mine!

Now with the boys at UCT looking to run well at Cross Country Champs they were on a taper week, so come Tuesday it was time to turn the legs over for real with a couple of 500's. Cape Town in the winter can often through a spanner in the works, and with the bit of rain we've had the field / track didn't look like the right place to run...

Now I am a Coach of many talents and with Ms 310 on my arm, 500m can be 500m anywhere... So in the quiet of the suburbs we have a nice little block to run around. My plan? Race pace, their plan a little faster, and we are all having lots of rest in between. I stopped at 2 and they finished off with 6.

Now I think I owe you the truth, yes my legs still hurt, well only the quads, and that is from flying down the forestry roads on Day 1 and Day 2 of SOX. So I also kept the rest of the week easy and then... after Saturday's easy 8.4km and the legs now starting to feel OK it was time to get back on the road and get a couple of miles under the belt, I do have another 2 big races in September... A 35km trail race that should take 4 hours and wait for it, a marathon the week after!!!

Where was I? Oh recovering from SOX with an easy week, and it was easy, Saturday was only 8.4km and then.... Well it had been our wedding anniversary (15 years), so we had a party!!!

18 PEOPLE (9 COUPLE) SOME DRESSED UP

SHE STILL FITS HER WEDDING DRESS

It was a great party with 5 brides still fitting in their wedding dresses, feel stupid now as I didn't take a picture of those as we have in other years... Yes we often have parties like this!!!

Back to training... Well it was after 01h00 when I climbed into bed after cleaning up and getting the house looking normal again. No sooner than I had turned off the light then the alarm went off, it was time to get up and head out to the 30km race!!!

A great race around the Simon's Town Block... Red Hill, Cape Point and the coastal road back. Lucky for me it was just a training run and really just to tick off another 30km long run, so no pressure!!!

Ran over Red Hill with a couple of friends, but lost that bus at the bottom (11km) as I popped into the bushes!!! 5kg lighter I set of to Cape Point after them... No I didn't chase them, in fact I slowed a bit and let the guys behind catch me so I had some-one to run with. The running was easy and with 10km to go it's downhill and easy, so I (we) kept the pace honest. and with 5km to go I again found myself along and chasing the guys in front. I wanted a little bit of running at the end... I am thinking of maybe running a fastish marathon at the end of the year.

I was happy with my run and the fact that my legs still work, now I'm ready for week one of training...

OK I race 2h01:31 (running time 1h59:45) the last 10km had been 38:30, and best of all I bet I had another 5+km in me at that pace, so bring on the training...

Ed Note: I ran a couple of 1km reps on Tuesday and the 30km, well it was in the legs a bit and I really had to work hard to get going...

Southern Cross 3 Day Trail Run

I was down to run this race over a year ago, in fact it was since I run it last year in April with Steady Eddie. We were going back to see if we could improve on our 3rd place. Well a lot can happen in 16 months, and Eddie went and got his wife pregnant, and this week he's becoming a Dad!!! Great for him, but not good for Team Contego...

With everything already planned for the weekend I needed a new partner... Bring in Bernard, OK he's no Eddie, but he's Tall, Black and African... and boy can he run!!!!
  Now I want to say: Oh $hit, I had better get training! So after a couple of training runs I found myself on the start line.

That is us on the start line

SOX DAY 1 (Mountain)

With a simple count down Derick took the lead with Bernard and myself on his tail. His partner, Noel, was just behind us with the other +_ 300 following close on our heels. With this being the 'Mountain' leg we soon started climbing, and with that we took the lead.
the forest road took us higher and higher, till at about 7 km we turned left onto the trail and the start of the first real climb... Derick and Noel were nowhere to be seen, but the Jo'Burg Boys were only 20-30 sec back. Bernard powered up the hill, while I had to do a lot of walking. (yes even the front guys walk!)

If we wanted to keep out lead I would have to come to the party as the lead looked like it was now under 20 sec Bernard let me take the lead as the trail flattened and I took off to check point one. It was rocky narrow and flattish and I was floating over the rocks...

Great Running

Just past one of the overnight huts on the hiking trail we were running we left the contour, and boy did we leave the contour. Not up this time, but down, down and more down... My new New Balance 1010v2 were amazing (thank you New Balance) as I feared nothing, or maybe I feared letting Bernard down!!!

At the bottom we lost a few seconds at the river crossing, but the last 3.5 km had given us a bit of a lead. I don't remember the climb out of the valley being that long, it just went on forever! Finally the contour at the top, now as much as I love racing along contours, this was going to be something else... After last nights rain (yes a good 100 mm fell!!!) It was muddy and as slippery as an ice-rink!!! Again the 1010v2's were amazing as they always found grip. (there were a lot of muddy guys at the finish later in the day)

After a couple more river crossings and the 'undulations' on the so called contour path on the side of the mountain, it was time to head down to the forest roads and the finish. I tried to look back a couple of times, but this is not a good thing to do while racing along a single track on the side of the mountain!!! So we didn't know what sort of lead we had.

Off the Mountain

We were off the mountain and heading down to the finish, 6 km to go. I'm happy with how the body was working, and I hoped the run in wasn't going to be to hard on them...

Team Contego

We finished in 2h34:45 for the 29 km (1345m climb) a good 10 min ahead of the Jo'Burg Boys. I hope the legs still work tomorrow.

SOX DAY 2 (forest)

I spent the rest of Day 1 in my 'Make my legs look Sexy' tights, drinking 'Lifegain' protein shakes. Come 08H00 I was ready for the forest, Knysna Forest...

I don't know why Hano (the race organizer) has us walk 200 m down hill to the start only to run up past a lovely Tea House (I forget the name) which would be our finish some 29.2 km later!

The start of day 2

Again Derick took the lead and we followed with Lucky and Johannes (The Jo'Burg Boys) just behind us, yes Noel (Derick's partner) was in the mix as well. OH Dear, here we go, I found myself taking the lead and Bernard, still fresh from his jog with me yesterday, stretched his long legs and stayed with me, So did the Jo'Burg Boys, but Derick and Noel felt the early pace and kept it easy. The forestry road had a gentle climb and we were happy setting a steady pace.

Suddenly, with a left turn we left the 'road' and started the real climb. I hoped the Jo'Burg Boys would fall off the pace, what pace, I was walking... Mean while, my secret plan had worked, as we reached the day's 'King of the Mountain' first!!!
  With the climbing over it was time to head down... OH Boy... I don't have splits for you, but 'Ms 310', (my Garmin) kept telling me I was speeding. This was a 30 km trail race and I was running at 3:05 - 3:15 / km I can't even do 1 km reps at that pace!!!

We dropped about 300 m in the +_ 4.5 km of downhill that followed, and in this time the Jo'Burg Boys opened a 30 sec gap, but turning off the forest roads was going to level the fields again... or was it?

Real Forest

After Day 1's hard effort in the mountains my legs were heavy, while my partner Bernard, still had lots of running in his! I felt bad holding him back, but he was all encouragement as we run through the untamed forests around Knysna. Up this single track, down that single track. I was still running , but felt I was losing our 10 min lead. Around halfway Hano gave us a split of 3 min, we were still in the game. Till one long climb at about 23 km I had to slow down as my left hammy wanted to cramp. Bernard was great giving me a couple of sweets to chew as a downed another 'Turbovite' it seemed to do the job as I took off down the next hill. After a short stop for a drink at the water table 5 km from the end \i felt strong for the last climb.  Slow but strong, with sore legs, but pain is temporary, glory is for ever!!!

Oh dear Mr Cramp didn't like me running so I had to walk, run, walk, run.... Then it happened Derrick and Noel breezed past as if on a Saturday training run for the next km of the climb, it was damage control time.  At last we were up and I could run again 2 km down to the finish.

2h42:27 only 3 mins behind the Joburg boys and yes Derrick and Noel had taken the win another minute ahead.  29.2 km with 1260 m climb it had been another hard day on the trails.

One day left.....

DAY 3 Beach

Time to head to the beach for the last leg of the adventure with 20 km ahead of us would our 8 min lead be enough?  After listening to the race briefing we planned our tactics to keep our lead.  As to plan I took the lead from the start, I wanted to control the pace on the first single track, Bernard, the Joburg boys, Derrick and Noel all following.

Taking the lead

Controlling the down hill

After about 1.8 km of downhill single track we hit the old railway line and turned left to Wilderness. 4 km of sleepers and rocks later the Joburg boys had a 30 sec lead.  Now last night Bernard had called it; They are from Joburg and can't run on the beach.  He was so right.....

The railway line over the river!!!

After 2 km of beach the 4 of us headed into Wilderness to tackle the board walks, or should I say the slippery board walks.  The Jo'Burg boys tried to push the pace, but one of them hit the deck. (good thing he didn't slip into the water!)  They were pushing hard and on a short road section to link the trails they got ahead, and must have had 30 sec on us as we popped out at the water table.

Leaving the vlei we crossed the road and disappeared into the bush....real single track and wait for it.....the climb of the day.  Knowing this would take up to 10 min of power walking I hit it hard with Bernard behind. As we zig-zagged up Bernard past and pushed hard, he wanted to see if they were in sight.  He didn't get that far ahead when he started to wave at me and point up front..... He had caught a glimpse of them, I now started to run the straights and with a 10 sec gap at the top Bernard let me take up the chase on the downhill. I hear the views from up there were amazing, but while running hard on the twisty single tracks I didn't have time to look, I was in hunt mode....This was downhill slalom and I set off weaving through the bush taking corners at almost 45%.  We were back in the game, I could see them, and then at the bottom I took a gap, jumping over a couple of rocks and threw a tree.  I was back in the lead, I could now control the race till the river crossing.....

This wasn't like any other of the river crossings in this race, the river was wide, and needed to be swum... or there was a boat! OK it was more of a raft, and getting there together was important to save time... Jeff's pictures tell the story:

Focus

Team Work

Once over the river it was back into the 'bush' and back to the road...

Still chasing me... 

With the race almost over we hit the road, but with most of the 77 km of the weekend's race almost over my legs were tired and 3:50 - 4:00 / km was fast enough for me, not the Roadies of Jo'Burg... They past us one last time and stayed ahead to take the stage by less than a minute.

OK the legs are tired

HAPPY

Day 3 was 18.3 km with 300 m climb we finished in 1h27:56 race over. 

The win on day 1 had taken the race away from the other teams and with only a 3rd and 2nd on the other days we still won by over 7 min in the end...

Thank you for reading, the story in mine, but the pictures come from Facebook, Hano put together a great team of guys to capture all the magic moments, and I have borrowed a couple to illustrate parts of this amazing race, hope to see you all there next year...

One last thing, CONTEGO put faith in us and got us to the start-line, thank you, They also sent a mixed team, and they have a story of their own... 

HBTC 2013

HOUT BAY TRAIL CHALLENGE is one of the big trail races here in Cape Town and like many of these races there is a mad rush to enter, with many people not making the cut and ending up on the waiting list...

I was in...

I was Packed

Yes for a little run on the mountains they make you carry a lot of stuff, but the weather had turned and rain was on the way, so I had rain gear and a warm top, drink and food and a bit of first aid stuff, I was ready...

On the Start line...

The race started at 07h15 and we set off out the harbour and up the first mountain, OK it's a small mountain and took me 35:26 to reach check point 1 at the top 600m climb. I was in the lead, as I had taken the right tracks up, while the others had tried short cuts than weren't! But no-body was far behind and Christian (in a team) was first passed and set off on a kamikaze flight down the hill. Then it was AJ who took off after him.

On the next little climb to check point 2 I closed a bit, but then the 2 of them went into free fall and vanished down the mountain. I was going caught by some kid who I don't know and the 2 of us danced down the rocky banks for a while, then:

See the blood on my hand?

My hand slide down a rock while my shoes NB 1010 (love that shoe) stood still! The kid passed me and danced down leaving me to bleed to death... No I didn't died (just yet) but pootled on down. By the bottom and the end of leg 1 Greg and Andrew had joined me.

Still relaxed

Had time to take a bow!!!

Leg 1 - 74:50 a little slower than last year, but I was feeling good and we running without a worry in the world.

Leg 2 starts at Suikerbossie restaurant and in the first 2.5km you climb 420m, so it's more of a scramble, I managed to get ahead of Greg and Andrew and could see the kid 10sec ahead and AJ 40sec ahead as we climb, Noel was now running for the team and must have just been ahead of AJ without me seeing him. I took my split to the top and good, so I didn't mind that the other were ahead, I was running to plan... Now the weather gods also had plans of their own and the clouds darkened!!!

The next 6km took us to the top of Kasteels and I didn't really see another sole, ok once I saw the lead pack about 2-3min ahead as they climbed Groot Kop. I was still moving so while I could seen the guys behind me I could hear them as I climb Groot Kop. The heavens opened and the paths turned to rivers and if it wasn't for my hat I would have felt the hail on my face. I was loving it, but it wasn't wild enough to slow things down and as I turned onto the old railway path to the dam my time was on target... I now had Greg just behind, but dropped him as we ran round the dam on the road.

The next section was tricky as the paths were still under water and not knowing were you are putting your feet can lead to problems... I didn't fall and turned to the Neck on the path from the top of Nursery. I could feel I was being chased down, but turning to see if there was any-one behind you would only spell trouble. I could see the Overseer's hut and the road down. It was Greg chasing... Andrew also joined us as we took the road down. I look back and didn't see the rest of the chases so with 2 of the legs almost finished it was race on... The single track to the Neck isn't for racing, but the boys didn't know that and dropped me like an old man with a broken leg...

This is also leg 1 with the kid still behind me...

Leg 2 - 1h51:14, total time 3h06:04

Leg 3 starts with 250m road before you hit the last mountain... The climbing started again and there ahead I could see Greg and I was closing...

I should stop my story here as things were going well and I had been having a good run... But like the race I must go on and tell you more! I became light headed and dizzy, and all I wanted to do was sleep, just curl up and sleep... But it was cold and wet and I was alone on the mountain, so I pushed on... slowly over the top I was loosing time but the finish line was all that mattered. One more climb and if I could climb this last mountain it was easy going all the way... I looked back on the climb but didn't see anyone, but I know they were coming!

Yes I was up and now last year I had to walk on this down, this year i wasn't going to fall to pieces, or was I? I crossed the Manganese mines and started down, but the legs were slow and wait I was going to be caught... He was in a team... I soldiered on... Then is happened just before the fort, Derick caught me I was now down to 2nd 40+, but maybe the legs would come back... Down to the cannon and back up to the road, what Nic, the next 40+ guy was also chasing.

I hit the road and took off, but Ms 310 (my Garmin) wouldn't let me run any faster (ok it was my legs) I got to the beach and Derick was off in the distance and Nic was next to me... and then he was gone.

The running was easy and at my slow pace it splash through the river and started the last km I could feel people running me down... I wasn't caught and I climbed off the beach and splashed through the finish line, race over...
Leg 3 - 1h26:54, total time 4h33:00 lost anything from 5-10min on that last leg, but maybe I just didn't have it in me to keep pushing hard after 3h15...

Not much to say:

This is just a short post to say:

I took last weekend off, NO I still ran and one of my runs was a 10km race, but the other day, Sunday, was only an easy 5.5km. Yes I've been taking this week a little easier... I have a big race on the weekend and the thought of start on tired legs isn't will only make from a long day in the rain!!!

Yes we have rain on the weather front for Saturday as we tackle the +_ 38km of the
Hout Bay Trail Challenge
last year I wasn't in the race mentally, long story (read about it here). This year I have not a worry in the world and I hope to be a whole lot faster than the 4h48 of last year, I would like to run colse to 4h15, and I believe I can... (will the weather let me)

Tonight I register and then I have to ensure I have all the gear, water, food, rain gear, first aid stuff, and the list goes on...

The 10km last weekend was far easier, I just pinned my race rumber on the night before popped through to Table View entered and got ready to run. I didn't really race, just set out quickish and then settled into half marathon race pace... I think I had another 5+km in the legs at that pace so maybe by the time I have my half to race I will be ready to race... but that is a story for then.

Pack the bags and get ready for the weekend... Time to race

Salomon Bastille Day Trail Run

With pictures like this of the 2012 race:

NAPOLEON

I jumped at the chance of running when my sponsor "CONTEGO" offered me an entry. There are 3 distances to choose from and with a couple of other big races coming up I opted for the middle distance 25km...

Franschhoek, where the race is held, celebrates Bastille's Day is if they were French!!!

The 35+km guys (and girls) set off at 07h30 on their 40km run and I waved them off as I got ready to run...

From the gun, which I think was just a count down by Trevor, I took the lead!!! Yes I wanted to win, but I was really just wanting to set the early pace and check out who was there...

Kane, who is getting ready to head to world champs, Christiaan, who is just back from world long course champs, Nicholas, and a few others who I didn't know... Kane and I pulled away setting a fast pace for the 3km 11:30, then we climbed a bit and Kane kicked. He had said he was going to take it easy with just 2 weeks before champs! Oh to be young and full of energy!!!

km 4 was hard work and the gap behind to Christiaan opened... The road (ok it wasn't really a road) flattened and I could stretch my legs again 3:48. Then Trevor hit us with a single track and a fire break and we climbed 123m in the next km to get on the most amazing single track around the mountain. I want to say I was flying round the mountain but after almost diving off the trail into the bushes below I had slowed a bit and was hugging the mountain side... maybe a bit to close to the mountain!!!

SEE THE BLOOD

Christiaan had been catching and I needed a mountain to climb to open another gap... but Trevor sent us over the saddle and down... I put in a couple more sub 4's but so was he.... I even almost caught up to Kane who had backed off a little, but after seeing us he put the foot down and left us.

More rocky single track lay ahead of us and I lost my 2nd place in the water!!!

Maybe 5 river crossings!

I wasn't running badly and on the next climb, a gravel road, (No I wouldn't take my bakkie on that road!) I caught up again... The race was afoot...

I was hoping that his race of the other week was still in his legs, and I could break him on the fast trail. BUT he tied and invisible bungee tow rope to me and let me fight the wind as we sped round the mountain. (4:13 4:06 4:09 3;55 4:13) He hadn't broken and his young legs danced down the rocks as we left the trail. I thought I could get close enough on a last little climb to run him down on the road to the finish, but it was to short and with another double river crossing I was left behind...

Kane had won in 1h56:48, Christiaan 2nd and in 2h00:09 with me 3rd 2h01:01, not bad for an old man...

the route

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

Yes hills are on the program again, what do you mean again, they are always on the program. Living on the slopes of Table Mountain I have grown up running hills and seem to have gotten quite good at them!!! Not only that I love running them...

So as a coach you will often find hills in the program. Now, depending on what we are training for will depend on what type of hill we do, so I hear you ask, what hills are you running at the moment? First up: I am training for a 4 hour trail race followed by a 3 day stage race, so I need to get a lot of running in to ensure I'm strong at the end of these races. Now with that in mind I will tell you that my training isn't what my programs are about. I need to look after the needs of the students, and I hear them say: fast, Coach, we want speed... a 10km in record pace, and then we want to run on the track in the summer.
I knocked up over 50km this weekend (2 runs) with almost 900m climb in Saturday's run and about 350m climb on Sunday... So with a little distance done and enough high meters under the belt during the week I can focus on the "kids".

After a rest / taper week last week some of the guys were ready to get going again, so they were excited about the session that lay ahead. We've done a lot of different hill sessions over the years, but this one is new to a number of the guys. After a 2km warm up we started: 60 sec hard / fast, easy down, (here's the real kicker) regroup at the bottom (to encourage competition) and bang I set then off again 50 sec hard... Then 40 and 30, all the way down to 10 sec. Before heading back up starting with 10 sec again. (you can really run those short ones fast.)

Now I've run lots of hills over the last couple of months, but like most of you I've been lazy, just running them. Not tonight, I hit the hills hard and tried to take the kids with me. I worked hard rep after rep and except for the short reps I was man alone out front. Hope in a couple of weeks the guys get hungry to ran fast!!! With one hill session behind me I hope I can stay focused on the sessions and then kick some butt at the end of the year!!!

5000m

I was lucky enough to watch (on TV) a Diamond League athletic's meeting, why am I telling you this? Well I think I need to become a proper runner again... I need to run track, and not just a couple of sessions on the track, I need to race!!!

So with 26 races already run this year, and while I am lucky enough to sneak the odd "old man's" prize, it's not really running... It's slow, I mean have you watched a 5000m track race:

AIRBORN

Those boys run at a different pace to us trail runners, last nights 10km took me an hour, they run 10km in 27min!!! So the road I run on is hardly a path and up the side of a mountain and theirs is flat and made for running while my was made by mountain goats! I still dream of running fast. No I won't get near to 27min for 10km, or 13min for 5000m. I can aim at 15min for 5000m (that is 15:59) and I want that 4 min mile (4:59).

The 4 min mile, or should I say the sub 4min mile... first run by Roger Bannister back in 1954 then in 2 week (19 July) is will be 16 years since Daniel Komen ran 2 miles in sub 8 !!!

So I plan, in the summer, to see if I can get a picture of me flying round the track...

But all that said you can expect to see me running on the mountains this weekend, role on summer I have a need for speed!