Monthly Archives: March 2014

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Gah! too much mileage

I always think mileage is such a strange word to use when referring to kilometres. Anyway, I added up my totals this morning and I’m already sitting on 748km. Damn. I didn’t want to go much over 1000km from 1 January. So I did a bit of creative accounting with the calculator and I think I’ve worked it out. I’m going to push my last ‘big’ week out to next week and do 55km this week. Follow the 80km with a 40km, then two weeks of 60km around Oceans and then taper 40, 30, 20, 10km in the last week. That will give me 1150km ish altogether. Yes it’s a bit more than I would like but it’s a hell of a lot less than the 1361km I did on the first down run in 2010 and the 1281km on the up. I just want to get to the start line awake.

So tonight Kirsty and I were joined on Tafelberg by Salvatore who knows everything about everything and always makes our evening run more interesting. Given that we have 61 days to race day, our conversation is now focussed on what we have or more likely haven’t done. Salv is a Comrades veteran and multiple Ironman finisher so he knows a thing or two about endurance racing and also patiently listened to us drone on for more than an hour 🙂

Running Notes:
Route: Cable station – End of Tafelberg Road – Cable Station
Distance: 10km

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Races

Race No.5: Tygerberg (30km)

Didn’t sleep well at all last night. The coffee shop (bar) over the road decided on another event with live music and even my earplugs couldn’t keep out the lyrics and the raucous laughter from the patrons out on the street. Grump. Swung my legs out of bed at 4am which gave me 50 minutes of faffing around before I needed to get in the car and drive the 20km to Parow Athletics Track. Was still in a daze when I arrived, woke up though when it started raining at the start line. Groans were audible over the announcer as the rain got heavier. Luckily we only had to put up with it for about 7km.

Can’t say I like this race much. Last time I did it was in 2008, and if I recall it was the first time I went under 3 hours on a 30km. The hills are vicious on the clockwise route that takes you out under the N1 and up into the Durbanville wine route. Long slow uphill pulls on the road between vineyards and then undulating hills into the northern suburbs. Once you hit the houses proper there are some nasty short sharp climbs and drops which are swear worthy. The best part of the race is the steep descent back under the N1 and the flat finish, but by this time your legs are really ****ed.

Glad to see the back of this one, but I was pleased with a 2:37:20 finish given the elevation and route profile.

Running notes:
Route: Parow Athletics Track – Bloemendal vineyard – Jip de Jaeger – Parow Athletics Track
Distance: 30km
Time: 2:37:20

 

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Uncategorized

Back to red socks

Really glad I went out to Mouille Point this morning, had a great run with the red socks crew and by the time we’d finished the sun was up and shining. Should be a nice day today. Weekend weather also looking good, just as well because I’ve got a 30km race on Sunday.

Running notes:
Route: Cafe Neo – Promenade – Seacliffe Road – Promenade – Cafe Neo
Distance: 8km

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Time Trial No.5: Down again by 29 seconds

Wasn’t expecting to even go under 23 today, I’d have been happy with slipping under 24. Last week I had a hideous cold, this week I’ve felt really out of sorts and a bit down, both at work and privately, so when I showed up tonight, I thought I’d just do my best. At the halfway point I felt like I was plodding so I only glanced at my watch and just carried on, can’t say I was even out of my time trial comfort zone. When I checked my time at the lighthouse I was under 20 which I knew was quite fast, but maintained pace and came in at 22:18. If it wasn’t for my headspace I’d probably be excited about this. I imagine the rest on Sunday contributed.

Running notes:
Route: Wakame – turn around point – Wakame
Distance: 5km plus a 1km warm up
Time: 22:18

 

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Comfortable 21km

Ran past the spot where I fell over last week and I still can’t see what I tripped on, and my arm is still really scabby. Nice outing this morning and I felt comfortable. No running tomorrow as I’m helping out on our 46km Nek to Nek training run (I’ll watch everyone else do it instead).

Running Notes:
Route: My house – Kloof Nek – Camps Bay Drive to 7/11 – Kloof Nek – Signal Hill – Kloof Nek – My house
Distance: 21km

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Hills x 5

Got there later than usual, finished later than usual and was a bit late to work. Public holiday tomorrow though!!

Running Notes:
Route: Bottom of Bellevue Street – 5 x 600m hill repeats 
Distance: 6km

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Bad cold so I walked

Collected some germs from a diseased colleague at work last week. Had a bit of croak yesterday but today incorporated full on sneezing, sniffing and a cough. Shouldn’t have run, but I’d miss out on the mileage this week, so I walked the hills.

Running Notes:
Route: Cable station – End of Tafelberg Road – Cable Station
Distance: 10km

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