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The June Event Reports by Dion Middelkoop
Durbanville 21K 29 June
It was raining when I picked Marc up. It would had been a
better bet to stay in bed and sleep the hangover off, but
the road was calling and I had told Marc I would pick him
up. This would be his last race as a bachelor, and the first
since Oceans. He just wanted to run the whole way. I had stupidly
told Garith that I would pace him to a sub 75...
The rain had stopped by the time we started. In the first
km my bus had grown to 6 and things looked good. My head was
still spinning and the food still hadn't settled in the stomach,
but I decided to take the pace till the turn around. To start
with I didn't really think that the wind would play a part,
but as the km's ticked by it became clear that we were running
into the wind and it would help us get home. At about 8km
we passed another group of runners and our bus fell to pieces.
With a km to the turn I let the pack go and went back to fetch
Garith. I was still feeling strong and we caught the remains
of the bus just before the turn. That was my race run I was
going to "jog" back and cheer the back runners as
we passed. Jules was running with the first lady and Marc
looked strong running at the front of another bus. VOB, my
club, had a trio of lovely ladies, looked good.
My easy running didn't last long and Garith caught me again,
he had 'taken strange' between 10 & 11 and now
it was time to get back into the rhythm again. With 5km to
go a sub 75 was still on, but meeting the 10km race didn't
help things and we now had to run in the road, and leave the
yellow line to the walkers... Other that the 2 chicken farms
and the smells that came with them, the only difficulty is
the km long hill at 19km. By this time, we had caught Charles,
and I was ready to back off again, last night was starting
to take it's toll. They would have to work the hill and my
head wouldn't let me help !!! Even with the last km been down
hill they still missed the target by 7 seconds. I finished
closer to 76. Marc was still feeling strong and blew his bus
away up the hill...
It was now raining and we didn't want to hang around in the
rain and get wet, so we joined the Saturday morning traffic
and headed home.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: 3 OK it's flatish fastish course, put up
with the chicken farms and the little hill at the end and
you will run a good time.
Marshals: 3. There were plenty, the traffic didn't
bother us.
Handouts: 3. Medals, didn't stay for prize giving.
Cost: R30.00
Value for money: 2. The medal is lying in the car,
and I think R30.00 is over the top for a half
Other People's feeling about the race: 2. Registration
took to long, chaos to get in, not enough pens, just a few
problems.
Total score = 13 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 2. I like running out there,
and I enjoy the half, so I'll run it again
Next week I'm on holiday, off to the 'Berg for 2 weeks, should
be running H & E Mnt race on the 20th
The UWC 10K 08 June
I didn't sleep well on Friday night as the rain poured down,
come morning it was still dark and gloomy, and the rain was
still falling. I almost climbed back into bed, but my wife
said "Go, you want to run, I'm staying here".
The rain had stopped by the time we lined up, and the wind
had blown itself out. Knowing that last week could well still
be in my legs, I didn't want to run to hard, so the plan was
to go out at 3:20's and see what happens.
I was ready for a good time, I had my new hat on my head
and my racing shoes on my feet. With the hassle of the start,
I shouted at Roger, who was wanting to run a PB, "Relax,
get into your stride".
Taking my own advice I went through the 1km mark in 3:20,
and felt comfortable. I don't know what happened, but the
next km was a fast 3:12 and the group I was running with started
to break up and I was one of the guys falling off the back.
We didn't lose too much time and 'hit' 5km in 16:23. At this
stage in a race I started to think that I don't really like
racing, it hurts too much.
From 6 to 9K, I was just hanging in, but not letting the
3:20's slip. With 1km to go I had a chance of breaking 33minutes
for the first time since January 1998. I wasn't going to let
it get away from me. So I went for it, caught 2 club mates
and finished with a time of 32:56.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: 4. OK this is a flat fast course and if
you want to run a PB you had better run it next year.
Marshals: 3. There were plenty, the traffic didn't
bother us.
Handouts: 3. Medals. Didn't stay for prize giving,
had to get home to watch the soccer.
Cost: R15.00
Value for money: 4. The best medal I've see and a lovely
area
Other People's feeling about the race: 4. What an improvement.
From a race over busy roads, twisting and turning through
the traffic, to a round the block race with no traffic. Why
did it take them this long?
Total score = 18 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 4. Loved it, and will be
back, maybe I can run close  to
32min next year !!!
Next week Comrades
The Table Mountain race 16K 01 June
Saturday saw the 25th running of the Table Mountain race,
and I lined up for the 13th time. With 9 top 5 finishes I
was hoping for a good run and maybe even repeat the feat of
last year and win the race again.
The race started all to soon and I found myself struggling
to get going, I don't think it's possible to warm up or get
ready for a race up the mountain !!! The legs didn't want
to get going and I thought I was on a go slow as a few pretenders
took the early pace.
By the first hairpin bend I was in a pack of 4 or 5, but
as the gravel road kept climbing the pack fell to pieces and
I found myself at the front with only one guy hanging on.
Not knowing him I set about trying to blow him 'off the back'
as the road got steeper. After 20 min's of climbing we got
to the first flat bit of the race and although I picked up
the pace I was caught by some no-name wearing a Free State
number.
He tried to pass, but I didn't want to let him get away.
With the top now in sight I started the last real climb and
opened a 10-15m gap and was first to the top. I had pocketed
the King of the Mountain, now all I needed was to win the
race. It wasn't going to be easy as he attacked again and
again on the way to the dams. Half way round the dam he seemed
to fall off the pace a bit and I tried to get away, but before
the cross country path to the dam wall he got a 'second wind'
and closed the gap.
Having learnt to run on the mountain I took my chance on
the uneven ground and opened another gap. Over the Dam wall
and back up to the path home. The 'no-name' runner was not
so slow and he caught me again, in fact he past me and left
me for dead... But not every runner can run downhill. With
the cheers of the backmarkers I lengthened my stride and attacked
the downhill like an Olimpic skier. It didn't take me too
long to close the 50m gap and the race was on again. On the
dangerously steep downs I would get away, but he always closed
the gap again as the road flattened again. "I know it's
not very sportsmen like, but I was hoping for him to fall
or a dog to bite him... "
I wanted to win and I didn't have the speed to match him
as the last 2km aren't 'dangerously steep'. He got away and
I had to settle for 2nd. Later I found out that he was the
Boland Half Marathon champ, and not a No-name runner !!!
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: 5. This is my favorite running area.
Marshals: 3. I can run this race without marshals as
can most of the
runners, they are really there to see the you are still alive
Handouts: 2. Lot's of spot Prizes and a limeted field
so you have a good
chance of winning something
Cost: I can't remember, I pre entered so long ago,
maybe R 25.00
Value for money: 4. Expensive, but a lot of the entrance
fee goes back into
the mountain so even if it cost R 50.00 It would be worth
it.
Other People's feeling about the race: 4. Only people
who love this race run
it, and they run it year after year, in fact so guy comes
from Paarl ever
year, he's run all 25.
Total score = 18 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 5. Loved it, and will be
back and maybe I can
win it next year.
Next week UWC 10km
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