Reluctant Runner

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

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!!

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Don't Miss the Boat... er Plane

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?

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??

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…

Photo Credit

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:

1. 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…
2. Read more

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!!!