Today I’ve been punished with the inability of being able to get out of my office chair. Yes I’m behaving like I’m pregnant or 80, much to the amusement of my colleagues. I had to visit a client this afternoon and almost fell out of the car.

The run this morning was a rare jewel in my otherwise dark and never ending training days of the ‘evil plan’. I would like to have said I shot up Kloof Nek, but given the buttock impediment it was slightly slower and more uncomfortable than I would have liked. Nevertheless I co-ordinated the overstretched glutes and together, with much bitching, we hauled ourself up to the lower cable station on Table Mountain. Despite this being tourist season, not a soul (well if you don’t include the snoozing taxi drivers) was about. Lucky me, I had the whole view to myself and could hear the birds sing, what a treat. The wonder of the natural world inspired me to take a detour on the way back home via Company’s Gardens. You could say this is the green lung of the city, originally laid out as a mammoth vegetable patch by the the Dutch East India Company in 1652 to provision the ships, feed the workers, sailors and anyone else that had the misfortune (Kaapstad was considered a bit of a hell hole at that time) of having to stop here on their way to India and the orient. Today you won’t see a cabbage but apparently there is a 400 year old pear tree. I must say I do like the squirrels and the herd of feral cats.

Running notes
Route: My flat on Buitenkant Street to the tap at the lower cable station on Table Mountain and back
Height climbed: 300m
Time started: 06:06
Total time: 1:12:16
Total distance: 11.98km
Average pace: 6:01 min/km
Weather conditions: Low cloud with light drizzle, humid
Temperature: 24˚
Runner’s condition: Fine
Song of the run: Heaven is a Place on Earth: Belinda Carlisle