Masai Mara Marathon
I was sent this competition link the other day and was forced to think about a possible African holiday, guess what the first thing was which popped into my mind… – a marathon through the Masai Mara.
How amazing would it be to run through such an insanely beautiful piece of land, just as the wild animals do…? Of course precaution would have to be taken for the carnivores, but to have an organized marathon in this part of the world would have me packing my bags and making sure I can outrun a lion 
Anyone else keen?
Masai Warriors
6 Comments / 
April 9th, 2009 / 
Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
Comrades Entry Extension
Big news!! I’ve just got an email from the Comrades people to say that for the first time in history they will be extending the closing date for entries. For those of you who weren’t aware, the closing date was March 31st but according to the Comrades people they were inundated with calls and emails begging for it to be extended. Apparently there was a rumour going around that the marathon was cancelled (I didn’t even hear about it so it couldn’t have been a very successful rumour) and so there were some people who didn’t send their entries in.
Tsk, Tsk (say I with my nose in the air – although I only entered last Friday so I’m only doing this because if my mom hadn’t reminded me I would have probably been one of those people on bended knee
So, if you were hoping that you could use the closing of entries as your excuse to NOT run – think again and just enter!!!!!! I promise you won’t regret it (well perhaps right after but given a few days you’ll be planning the next one!!
Don't Miss the Boat... er Plane
Leave a Comment / April 3rd, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
Running Route Series – Part 1
Chapman’s Peak Drive is a spectacular piece of road which hugs the side of a mountain and is quite regularly closed due to rock falls, which is actually the best time to run on this road because it means you don’t have to compete for your little piece of tarmac with any cars, although cyclists do put up a pretty good fight…
The road from end to end is about 18km return, it also offers ups and downs which is great for training. The following images were taken from above the road while on a hike in the area:
First half of Chapman's Peak
Second Half of Chapman's Peak
2 Comments / March 23rd, 2009 / Fund Raising, Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
Confessions of a Runner
I have a small confession to make, it seems I’m suffering from writers and runners block…
For the past few months, trying to motivate myself to run has taken every trick in the book and trying to write about it has been even more difficult. So today while on one of the best runs I’ve had in ages I decided to just have fun and stop putting so much pressure on myself.
Last year I remember having so much fun because everything was new, this year it definately feels like I’ve been there and done that which is certainly effecting my running and ultimately my writing.
So, in the interest of trying to rekindle the enjoyment I used to get out of running and writing, I’m confessing my feelings in the hope that it will get me out of the motivational doldrums I’ve been in…
Anyone else know what I’m talking about?
3 Comments / March 22nd, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Training
Letter to the Running Photographer
Dear Running Photo Guy
I really appreciate the fact that you are out in the heat (or cold depending on where in the world you are), dodging runners – to take our pictures so that we can have something graphic to remember our races by – but please, PLEASE I’m begging you – next time you take my picture, take the following into consideration:
- I must be in the air, mid-stride NOT as my foot is striking the ground sending ripples through my usually toned thighs, making them look like a pair of Shar Pei puppy’s (or like I have a flesh eating disease).
- Please don’t take my picture if I’m doing one of the following:
- Throwing up
- Peeing on the side of the road
- Crying out of frustration
- Attending to the chafe on my inner thigh
- Looking more tired (read: haggard) than the rest of the bunch
- If I am looking at you and smiling it means ‘take my picture now!’ not when I look away or blink resulting in me being tagged as the “slightly retarded girl who took part in the race”.
- Running photo guy, if the wind is blowing and I am looking like Cameron Diaz from “There’s something about Mary” – please don’t take my picture.
- If I look like I’m having a bit of a battle making my legs move, don’t stop me and ask me to smile, because I won’t and although it might look like I’m too tired to move, I won’t have any trouble kneeing you where it hurts.
So in conclusion Running Photo guy, I won’t hold it against you if there are no pictures of me for that entire race, just don’t take any horrid ones, which still appear online for anyone to browse through, please!
Kind Regards
Reluctant Runner
One Comment / March 16th, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running
I’m NOT a Short Distance Runner!!
Last night I did the Men’s Health 10km. I did this race last year and had the most shocking ,so this year I was hoping to improve on my time and try enjoy myself – the conclusion I came to after the race… I am NOT a short distance runner!!
It seems that on anything shorter than a half marathon, my brain and my body engage in full-on warfare while I standby and make sure neither wins. I’ve never particularly enjoyed the shorter distances (in races, not while training), and I have just put it to other exterior factors like the heat, the fact that I might be getting a cold, sore muscles – anything really, so while I was struggling towards the finish line (along a really beautiful route I might add) it dawned on me that perhaps I should just stick to what I’m good at – the marathons!
To be fair I did do a personal best coming in at 50minutes and 6 seconds but to say I enjoyed the race would be a blatant lie, a more accurate description would be that it felt like the last 2km’s I was dragging my full body weight with my fingertips towards the end along the gravelly raod– of course this wasn’t what was really happening it just felt like it…
Anybody else out there feel the same??
4 Comments / March 5th, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
The Peninsula Marathon
Yesterday saw me on yet another starting line, for my 3rd marathon to date. For those of you who have been with me from the start, my début marathon was on the Peninsula 42.2km so I was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately they changed the course route from one which had it labelled as the “Fastest Marathon in Africa” to I don’t know what, but I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to write it here without a PG rating.
I started with an old running partner Micheal aka “Old Faithful” aka “Too-Old-To-Attend-Raves-But-Doesn’t-Know-It-Yet”, we had a fabulous 19km together which consisted of him complaining about the route and his splits and his cold and me telling him to man-up, and unfortunately the fun had to end when I needed a pit stop and told him to go on ahead.
Half way up Red Hill, with my iPod doing damage to my inner ear, I was tapped on the shoulder by another runner who clearly wanted to chat to help make the hill go by quickly. Chatting to runners like this can be a bit of a gamble, some make you regret ever taking your earphones out to contribute to the conversation while others result in a friendship that is carried from one race to another. On this occasion I struck it lucky with Christopher from Atlantic AC who had me laughing in no time. The top of the hill came very swiftly where we were caught by a fellow Atlantic club member Adrie (if I’ve spelled it wrong I’m really sorry) who very enthusiastically contributed to our conversation as to why sunglasses get fogged up when you run (I’m not going to divulge our theory here because it was fuelled by 23km of running and an almost certain sugar low).
For 10km the 3 of us laughed and theorized and shared running tales until Adrie and I got our second wind and broke away from the pack, running together until the 37km mark where all the potatoes I’d eaten along the way finally resulted in a surge of energy and I set off to finish in 4:21 (sprinting at the very end which makes me think I really should have tried harder during the race).
I haven’t enjoyed a race like this for ages and I want to say thanks to Michael, Chris and Adrie for running with me. I also want to thank my trusty seconds Nicolene, Jeanene and Mary for being there with food and encouragement along the route.
Oh and I almost forgot, for the first part of the race I was lucky enough to be in the vicinity of the 9 times Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce, who I might add is a barrel of laughs and an inspiration to any runner!
The Peninsula Marathon
9 Comments / February 23rd, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running
Running Route Series
Out running the other day I had a little moment of intense gratitude for how incredibly beautiful most of my running routes are. I usually keep within Cape Town city limits since I run after work and don’t want to have to fight my way through traffic, but even that fact doesn’t diminish that I get to surround myself in some of the most beautiful scenery our country has to offer, every day!
Now because I like sharing I am going to do a series on my favourite running routes, let me know what you guys think – if you have similarly spectacular routes or just how jealous you are…
Leave a Comment / February 19th, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
Why Running on the Treadmill is still Considered Training…
I do some of my training on a treadmill at the gym. This fact has been met with some resistance and so I decided to share my views on why, in my running program, treadmill training is still considered valuable:
- For those of you not familiar with Cape Town, we can experience some pretty hectic weather here at times. Winters can be wet and stormy and with this picture taken on my favourite running route, I don’t think I need to explain why a treadmill, safely tucked away in a gym, is the better option…
- Read the rest of this entry »
One Comment / February 17th, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training
100 Days and Counting…
I’ve just received the February Comrades Marathon Newsletter and the opening sentence looked like this:
100 Days to Go!!
This got my pulse racing, so I went over to the Comrades Marathon website to punish myself a little more with their little clock ticker thingy, and guess what…??
I have 99 days
12 hours, and
37 minutes (as of me writing this post – in a cold sweat)
And in 99 days I have 1 marathon, 1 Ultra (56km) marathon and 4 smaller races!!
It feels like this race has just snuck up on me, I had better start getting serious about this now – I mean I don’t feel like I have put in half as much as last year.
Rescue Remedy where are you!!!
One Comment / February 13th, 2009 / Motivation, Reluctant runner, Running, Training