Archive for Road Running

A Guide To Being An Awesome Second

March 27, 2008 Cands 5 comments
  • Wake up with the athlete on the morning, usually around 4:15, to take them to the start, offering words of reassurance.
  • Make sure they have all they need and go over the route – again – and the spots where you will be waiting.
  • Be at designated spots way in advance, foregoing any breakfast or coffee stops, it’s all about the runner.
  • Make sure all pre-packed items are ready i.e. lip ice, sun cream and hat, boiled potato cut into pieces, raisins, and cooked chicken legs.
  • If runner is unable to stop (for fear of not being able to start again), don’t feel shy to walk with them, telling them that they look great (girls need to hear these things, even if they are a lie)
  • Be sure to peel any fruit, break into segments and wait while runner sucks the juice out and hands back what’s left.
  • Wait at the end standing with arms wide open to give them a congratulatory hug (any comments on smell or their sweaty bodies is NOT recommended).
  • Pay to have them go for a massage at one of the massage tents
  • Carry all their paraphernalia and shoes, back to the car and then drive around and fetch them from the entrance so they don’t have to walk to where you parked, usually around 3km’s away because you couldn’t get there earlier.
  • Tell the runner that you would do it again in a heartbeat!!
Comrades Marathon, Half-marathon, Reluctant runner, Road Running, Trail Running, Training , , , ,

Kloof Neck Classic

March 26, 2008 Cands No comments

For those of you familiar with Cape Town, imagine running up the Glen from Camps Bay then up Tafelberg road and then up Signal Hill road, and then back to Camps Bay again.  Madness – definitely

My first half marathon in the year, I’d decided to test myself to see how unfit I’d become over the holidays – why I decided I needed a test after having a very lazy Christmas I’m not really sure, I guess I was hoping that the dancing on New Years counted for something…

Hurtling back down the Glen to the finish line at Camps Bay High school, making sure I didn’t trip on any cats-eyes on the way, it felt like I’d been on the road for hours.  Fighting the urge to walk onto the field towards the time keepers (this is apparently very uncool) I almost choked on my “free” (we pay for the privilege of putting our bodies through this kind of torture) cup of coke to discover that I’d run this race in 2 hours and 4 minutes.

To put this into perspective for you, I was never a runner to begin with, opting for long jump and javelin at school in the compulsory sport events (this is comical given that I am on the very side of short), I had never imagined that I would find myself running, let alone running races with the hopes of qualifying for the Comrades!!

Half-marathon, Reluctant runner, Road Running, Training , , , ,
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