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Hills again

As usual, the gym was as dull as dishwater. Did see a red Ferrari in the car park which begs the question why bother with Wembley Square when you must have a plethora of personal trainers and dietitians on 24 hour call out. Maybe he likes ‘keeping it real’, down with cheapskates like me. After all he’s hardly checking the talent when he’s got a leggy Ukranian stripper for a girlfriend. Okay I might have made that up, but we all know its true.

Running notes
Route: Gym
Height climbed: 9 x 2 minute hill repeats (5 at 5 incline 10 speed, 4 at 5 incline 9.5 speed)
Time started: 06:17
Total time: 1:09:04
Total distance: 11:67km
Average pace: 5:55 min/km
Temperature: Outside 24˚ (inside Wembley Square probably 29˚)
Runner’s condition: Fine
Runner’s weight: 70.6kg (Another 600g off)
Song of the run: Wake Up: The Arcade Fire

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Tafelberg Road

Not half as exciting as the run yesterday, but I did score some decent sympathy points with the crowd when I pointed out my war wounds. ‘Did I show you my purple fingers?’ Oooh.

Running notes
Route: Kloof Nek car park to the Lower Cable Station turn at the end of the tarmac on Tafelberg Road and back
Height climbed: 180m
Time started: 17:50
Total time: 1:18:20
Total distance: 12.59km
Average pace: 6:13 min/km
Weather conditions: Sunny
Temperature: 26˚
Runner’s condition: Fine

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Favourites

Blood on the tarmac

Yes I stacked it on Chapman’s Peak Drive this morning. Went down like a ten ton sack of spuds. Bam. Those sodding cat’s eyes. This is the second time I’ve ‘gone for a burton’ in 6 months. The last time was in Hout Bay right in front of the traffic which must have made someone snigger. That time I was running with Chris and I don’t think he knew whether to laugh first or try and scrape me up. Today was classic, I couldn’t actually get my right hand out fast enough so now I sit here typing with two fingers taped together and an array of plasters covering the palms of my left hand which underneath looks like I had a fight with a cheese grater, and my shoulder also got a piece of the action. ‘Don’t you think you should put some sun screen on that’ Wiebke said pointing to the area of raw meat, on Camps Bay beach this afternoon ‘Why?’ I replied ‘you actually need skin to burn it’.

Running notes
Route: Car park opposite The Chapman’s Peak Hotel to the farmstall in Noordhoek and back
Height climbed: 380m
Time started: 08:15
Total time: 2:30:17
Total distance: 22km (Not measured with Nike+ as I forgot it. Again)
Weather conditions: Sunny with wind
Temperature: 24˚
Runner’s condition: Hungover from a bender at Brewers & Union

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Favourites

I hate Sea Point

My heart sank as they said ‘lets go this way’ pointing north towards Sea Point. I hate Sea Point. Not only do certain sections of the promenade stink, they are literally covered by walkers, other runners, small dogs and even smaller children, bergies, and its paved. So if something off the afore mentioned list doesn’t trip you up then your knees are knackered. I hate Sea Point. I really hate Sea Point, in fact I loathe the entire section from Bantry Bay to the Waterfront. I think you get the point. Off we trot. It takes us about 30 minutes to the water fountain in the promenade at which point the other three decide to turn. O.M.G this means I have to press on further into the hideousness for another 25 minutes and all the way back to Camps Bay by myself. No ipod because its a club run and we like to chat, gossip and dissect injuries. O.M.G.

Running notes
Route: Sand Bar, Camps Bay to Mouille Point (which is the stinky bit) and the Newport Deli and back
Height climbed: Flat
Time started: 07:02
Total time: 1:42:37
Total distance: 16km (Not measured with Nike+ as I forgot it)
Weather conditions: Sunny with a breeze
Temperature: 24˚
Runner’s condition: Tired from yesterday’s round trip to Joburg

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Favourites

Me and Dave

On my 10th lap of the reservoir this morning I considered why my trusty Nikes were getting heavier and slower, probably because of those hill repeats last night which I calculated was less than 12 hours earlier, had to walk twice. The slackness was accompanied by groaning, sighing and the general bitching from the voices in my head. All this was drowned out by the other voice on my Nike+ ‘two kilometres to go’ or rather ‘two keelomeders to gooo’ (thats Americans for you). I like to call him Dave. I’d like to think of Dave as some hot little bod in fancy sunglasses pounding the California Hills. Working in the digital industry I know the reality is probably different. He’s likely to be some poor soul that coded the application in a cubicle somewhere in the dark depths of dungeon in the development house Nike outsourced to. He’s probably never seen the sun let alone a pair of running shoes. So thats why I call him Dave rather than Brad or Nicky, he’s just not that lucky. Oh yes, the ducklings have got a bit fatter since I saw them last week, but the Mum still gives me evils.

Running notes
Route: Lower Buitenkant Street, Bree Street to the reservoir 10 laps and then back the same way
Height climbed: 60m
Time started: 06:14
Total time: 1:23:31
Total distance: 14.48km
8km time trial: 46:20
8km average pace: 5:46 min/km
Weather conditions: Cloudy
Temperature: 22˚
Runner’s condition: Knackered (though most impressed I didn’t touch the booze at bookclub last night)
Song of the run: Tainted Love: Soft Cell

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Hill repeats

Every gym session at Wembley Square never fails to irk me. Today on my third hill climb the treadmill just stopped dead. Thanks Virgin Active. Not only are half of your machines out of action at any one time, they malfunction as well. Thank the lord I wasn’t doing speed work because I’d have been over the top and in the pool before you could have said ‘WTF?’

Running notes
Route: Gym
Height climbed: 9 x 2 minute hill repeats (4 at 5 incline 10 speed, 5 at 5 incline 9.5 speed)
Time started: 17:34
Total time: 1:07:40
Total distance: 11:23km
Average pace: 6:01 min/km
Temperature: Outside 36˚ (inside Wembley Square probably 45˚)
Runner’s condition: Vexed
Runner’s weight: 71.2kg (Whoop whoop lost 1.2kg Christmas fat in a week!)
Song of the run: Casbah Wonder

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Heavy legs

Oh god, oh god, oh god… What a nightmare getting up the hill from Kloof Nek to the Cable Station. My heavy post race legs were an understatement. They felt like lead. The South Easter was blowing, and to make matters worse I made everyone run Tafelberg Road (because my race plan said one hour and thirty minutes) oh they were cursing me as we ran into gale force winds at the corner below Devils Peak. Seemed to warm up a bit at about 10km and actually led the pack back to the cable station. Maybe I’m loosing some weight and getting fitter? Either that or I was looking forward to finishing…

Running notes
Route: Kloof Nek car park to the Lower Cable Station turn at the end of the tarmac on Tafelberg Road and back
Height climbed: 180m
Time started: 17:54
Total time: 1:19:22
Total distance: 12.25km
Average pace: 6:29 min/km
Weather conditions: South Easter (that’s serious wind if you’ve never been to Cape Town)
Temperature: 23˚
Runner’s condition: Sore legs and knees

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Races

First race – 30km Bay to Bay

What a shocker! Despite the fact that I haven’t actually been on a training plan since September I managed to scrape a moderately respectable 2:58:11. Not bad considering the diet of alcoholic beverages, Indian takeaways and god knows what else I’ve been packing away over the holidays. One of my favourite races of the year and also one of our club races. Ocean Basket also sponsored this year, but sadly no fish and chips at the end.

Race notes
Route: Race start outside La Med to Hout Bay, loop around Hout Bay and back
Height climbed: 320m
Time started: 06:00
Total time: 2:58:11
Total distance: 30km
Average pace: 5:54 min/km
Weather conditions: Cloudy and some mist
Temperature: 25˚
Runner’s condition: Stressed due to the fact I couldn’t get the car out of the garage and had to call a taxi to the start

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Hungover again

This morning, according to my plan, I was in for an 8km time trial (with 20 mins easy either side). What a lovely birthday present. I swung the pins over the edge of the bed at 5:30am and contemplated my running shoes. The cat is motionless, blinking at me. Not because I’d switched the light on (its summer here) but because of the shock of me waking her up.

Slogged up to the reservoir which was no where near 20 minutes and started the circuits. This is a run that I’ve not done for a while and is stunning. Table Mountain is reflected on the water on one side, you can see the sun gradually lighting up Lions Head on each circuit and you get a great view of the city towards one corner. The tarmac around the reservoir is in a terrible state all cracked and uneven, but thats probably good for ankle strengthening. 8km = 10 laps which involved nearly being attacked by an Eygptian goose (protecting her bubbas) and overtaken by a yummy mummy and a fancy tricycle baby contraption, as I pondered this embarrassment I could guarantee she had not packed away as much booze as I had last night. My friend Mike says ‘running keeps you honest’, but I prefer Chris’s sentiment ‘I’m a drinker with a running problem’.

Running notes
Route: Lower Buitenkant Street, Upper Orange Street to the reservoir 12 laps and then back
Height climbed: 60m
Time started: 06:03
Total time: 1:15:30
Total distance: 13.05km
8km time trial: 45:30
8km average pace: 5:40 min/km
Weather conditions: Fresh and sunny
Temperature: 22˚
Runner’s condition: Mildly hungover
Song of the run: Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson

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Back to the gym

Sadly my card still worked despite not having been to Wembley Square in oh, about 6 weeks. The gym was roasting. I’d actually faffed round the flat for nearly an hour and a half after work waiting for the gym to empty out and hoping that it would get cooler. If anyone has been to Wembley Square you’ll know it has a metal roof (which blew off on 14th December – classic Faircape construction!) and Virgin Active has a rubbish air con system.  It never fails to amaze me that the vents are positioned just behind the running machines, you can see them, you just can’t feel them. So yep, I sweated buckets. The evil plan said 20 mins easy either side of 9 hill repeats of 2 minutes each, it didn’t say whether I got a break between – I was pretty generous with a minute because it was either that or cardiac arrest.

Running notes
Route: Gym
Height climbed: 9 x 2 minute hill repeats (3 at 5 incline 10 speed, 3 at 5 incline 9 speed and 3 at 5 incline 8.5 speed)
Time started: 18:49
Total time: 1:08:39
Total distance: 11:39km
Average pace: 6:01 min/km
Temperature: Outside 37˚ (inside Wembley Square probably 45˚)
Runner’s condition: Tired
Runner’s weight: 72.6kg (4kg heavier than last time I looked)
Song of the run: Love in the First Degree: Bananarama

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Day one of ‘the plan’

God the first working day of the year, not a bad one, afterall the office is so dead I didn’t have much to do, but the issue with that is that doesn’t half drag. I’ve been a member of Atlantic Athletic Club (AAC) for over two years now. Whilst I know people train themselves for long distance (which I think starts at marathon length) I have no idea how you can motivate yourself for long months of training without the help and spirit of a running club. The best thing about clubs is the majority of members are better than you. Been there done that, and got multiple hideous race t-shirts in the cupboard. So when you are hyperventilating over your first marathon or half, there will always being a calm voice in your ear giving you advice. There is nothing like getting the club’s praise and attention once you’ve completed your first race, got a PB or gone further than you thought possible.

Running notes
Route: Kloof Nek car park to the Lower Cable Station turn at the end of the tarmac on Tafelberg Road and back
Height climbed: 180m
Time started: 15:48
Total time: 1:33:06
Total distance: 13.28km
Average pace: including stops 7:00 min/km
Weather conditions: Sunny
Temperature: 26˚
Runner’s condition: Whinging

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When is this going to get better?

What a lovely run on last night’s diet of beer, wine, gin and tonic and pizza. Sheer hell, but at least I didn’t stop on the hill.

Running notes
Route: My flat on Buitenkant Street to the tap at Kloof Nek and back
Height climbed: 200m
Time started: 08:07
Total time: 50:44
Total distance: 8.71km
Average pace: 5:49 min/km
Weather conditions: Cloudy with light drizzle
Temperature: 20˚
Runner’s condition: Poor
Song of the run: Heart of Glass – Blondie

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Oh the pain!

First club run of the year. My Saturdays always start with a groan as the alarm goes off at 6am (much worse when its dark and I’ve had a few beverages the night before). My club Atlantic Athletic does a great Saturday morning run from Camps Bay along the coast road up to Suikerbossie, generally about 18km with stunning sea views. Today we had a small and somewhat lazy turn out and decided that we couldn’t possibly manage more than the gate at Oudekraal. This decision probably saved my life and the rest of my crew listening to me whining.

Running notes
Route: Sand Bar, Camps Bay to Oudekraal and back
Height climbed: 60m
Time started: 07:00
Total time: 1:15
Total distance: 11km ish (not measured with Nike+ as I forgot to switch it on)
Average pace: 6:30 including stops
Weather conditions: Cloudy and some sun
Temperature: 22˚
Runner’s condition: Out of breath

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If I can’t run today then I’m never going to finish this race: 149 days to go

Two stiff gin and tonics, one tom collins, one cosmopolitan, one Amaretto, one Windhoek, two glasses of champagne and some more gin. Add to that one red eye flight from Heathrow and you’ve got a great recipe for a run the next day. By the time I hauled myself out of bed at 12.30, well I started thinking about it at 12.30 it took another hour to actually achieve, the temperature of my bedroom was already 27˚. Setting off in the car at 2.30pm meant the sun was blazing, all the tourists from Gauteng were on the road, and the taxis off to the beach were cutting us all up. The car park was strangely empty – mad dogs and Englishmen anybody? Off I ‘jogged’ and by the time I had got to the end of Signal Hill I’d stopped twice, but at least I didn’t vomit in front of the tourists, I actually noticed at one point that I was walking on the downhill stretches. The thought of running a double marathon and then another 7km was as remote this afternoon as me having another drink, well almost.

Running notes
Route: Kloof Nek car park to the end of Signal Hill and back
Height climbed: 130m
Time started: 12:44
Total time: 51:53
Total distance: 7.78km
Average pace: 6:39 min/km
Weather conditions: Sunny
Temperature: 30˚
Runner’s condition: Hungover
Song of the run: Walk this Way: Run DMC

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