We decided to stay up at the West Coast for a few days so we could enjoy the National Park as well as giving me the opportunity to run the half marathon. I’m not up to a full marathon yet – that’s too scary! The National Park is beautiful and we were able to stay in one of the eleven chalets on the reserve rather than in the busy town nearby.
My race was not starting in the reserve, but a few kilometres outside of it in Langebaan, so we had to drive out of the reserve at some unearthly hour, whilst it was still dark, to get to the start line. Helpers were still setting up the water tables at that early time of the day and it seemed strange to think that within a few hours I would be running (as it happened, probably walking!) past these tables grabbing water pouches.
It was incredibly warm, even at six o’clock in the morning, and we knew it was supposed to get very hot that day so we were eager to be off. Our race was due to start at 7 o’clock. The marathon was starting at the other side of the lagoon, just over 42 kilometres away (surprisingly!) but the busses hadn’t turned up in time to transport all of the runners so they were going to have to start their race late – at about 7.30 or 8am instead of 6am! Not good, considering the heat expected that day.
Anyway, after several visits to the toilets, we were off! Up the main road for about half a kilometre then straight across on to a gravel trail. Well, actually it consisted of rock, potholes, sand and a bit of gravel thrown in. Not too bad, though. At least it wasn’t hilly! Ha ha, little did we know… !
A few more kilometres, then we left the trail and were on tarmac again, and through the park gates we went. A bit undulating now, but not too bad. We turned off right, on to a cycle trail, and we ran next to the lagoon. Stunning views. The sun was just rising over the hills to our left, and the blue of the lagoon was beautiful. I found it quite hard running on this trail as I was constantly having to look out for the uneven surface. Also, it was now starting to get quite undulating – with what seemed to be more “ups” than “downs”. I had another look at my Garmin (my early birthday present). I have only had it for about 10 days and it’s great! Tells you all sorts of things! Apart from telling you how long you’ve been running, it also tells you how far you’ve run (or not run) and how fast you’re (not) running! And when you get home, you can download all this data on to the computer and see it all laid out on a map! Technology, eh!
Anyway, as I was saying, I had another look at my Garmin and I was thinking that this wasn’t good, I was a kilometre slower than I wanted to be. I had only reached the 9km point, and not the 10km point, where I had wanted to be at 55 minutes. There were two ladies running almost alongside me, and one was telling the other lady exactly the same thing. Mmm, we’re not doing too well. And it’s starting to get quite hot now and it’s still only about 8 o’clock. Still, we must keep going! Wow, I just passed one guy running barefoot. I bet that hurts on the rough trail!
We turn on to the tarmac now and have about half a kilometre before the turnaround point, then it’s all the way back to Langebaan on the main road of the national park. You certainly don’t realise how “hilly” it is when travelling up and down this road in a car! There don’t seem to be any flat bits anywhere! Some of us are having to walk a little in places now. And it’s getting hotter! Still only 8.30 though, and approximately 9 or 10kms to go!
Keep going … keep going … have to walk a bit … brilliant, another water table. Grab a water pouch. This one’s going over my head! Ah, that’s better! Run a bit more … keep going … keep going… !
There are rather a lot of people walking now. Can’t believe it. I’ve even passed some of them! There’s certainly a lot more walking going on than running. It’s so up and down and … hot! Oh, and there’s a photographer. Pity she caught me walking, not running!
A few more kilometres of ups and downs, jogging and walking, hot sunshine and ice cold water, and I see around the bend. Oh no! A long, long train of people walking up the next few kilometres of “mountain” into the distance! How long was it going to take me to get up there? It looked like MILES! I struggled on and eventually, one of the marshals shouted out, “Keep going, only another 400 metres and it’s all downhill for the last 2 kms!” Oh, magic words!
She was right! But where was my energy! It was so hard to run after all the effort involved in getting up that hill! Such a good feeling, downhill at last. Out of the park now and along the road for the last kilometre or so. A group of people shouted from the balcony of their house, “Well done, you’re nearly there!” Oh, I do hope so!
Then, around the corner, was someone I recognised, in his blue t-shirt! Mr Noah! Then, I knew I must be nearly home. “Nearly there, just a few more hundred metres!” I turned left as the
I kept running, and found myself looking down on about 100 runners, who had gone down to the water’s edge, and were standing, swimming, floating, or just enjoying the cool water of the lagoon. That’s where I want to be, I thought, and I was straight down there, even though my legs were struggling on the rocks, throwing off my shoes and socks towards Mr Noah as I went. Oh, that was the most wonderful feeling. Standing in all that sparkling, blue water. I didn’t move for about 10 minutes.
It turned out that the temperature had reached 38 degrees C by about 9.30am. We later found out that the temperature got up to 43 degrees C that day! On the way back to our chalet, as we drove through the park, we passed hundreds of marathon runners. Runners? Well, I’m not sure that is quite the right word. A few of them were running, but most were walking or had given up altogether, sitting at the side of the road awaiting transportation back to Langebaan. Others had commandeered a Coca cola truck, full of coca cola, and were sitting on that drinking the coke!
It certainly wasn’t what I had expected the day to turn out like, but I think I really earned my medal!
My results:
Overall: 635 out of 968.
Ladies: 259/502.
My age category: 19/60.
Time: an appalling 2hr 37min 14 seconds, but not surprising under the circumstances!
Would I do it again? Of course I would!
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