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The November Event Reports by
Dion Middelkoop
Tafelberg 21K 30 Nov
Saturday saw us heading out to The Bellville Track for the
Tafelberg Furnishers 21.1km race.
With the start being on the track, I
got carried away and was in the front group as we headed out
onto the road. Luckily sanity prevailed and I slowed right
down to enjoy the run.
In fact, I slowed too much and had to
pick up the pace a bit, but by 3km I was running along at
90min pace. I wanted to run 84, but with the last 6km been
downhill I planned on an easy first half, then to make up
time on the last 6km.
As the hill out got a little steeper,
I caught the first lady and tucked in behind her. That didn't
last long as she pulled away at the next water table. I was
now running with Patrick and we caught her again at the next
uphill, about 8km into the race, and this time we went straight
past.
The race now became easy with a few downhill
km's and we 'ticked over' at just under 4min/km and pulled
back a few seconds. I didn't want to be too far off the pace
for my last 6km. We had a slight climb to 15km and the running
time was 62:30, so I had to make up 2 and a half minutes in
the last 6km.
After a Coke stop, I left Patrick and
chased the clock. The next couple of km went off well and
I was making good time, but then with 1.5km to go the month's
racing caught up with me and the 'bears' came out of Tyger
Valley and jumped me, but I fought them off and came home
in 83:47.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: : 3. 6km up at the start, then 6km down
at the finish with a but of up and down in the middle, it's
a nice run.
Marshals: : 2. So of them seemed to be sleeping or
marshalling another race.
Handouts: 3. Medals, nothing special.
Cost: R30.00
Value for money: 3. R30.00 for a half and all I got
was a medal, do you know how many medals I have...
Other People's feeling about the race: 3. Most of the
runners I spoke to took it easy as the weekend's long run
and had a really good time.
Total score = 14 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 3. That was my 100th Half
and the 52nd race of the year, I don't get feelings about
any old race.
Next week Boyes Drive 15K.
Landmarks 21K 23 Nov
With the South Easter blowing, it was colder than the 'clear
blue' lead you to believe. But that didn't stop the some-what
500 runners stripping down to their 'bear essentials' to wait
for the gun.
Being only a week after my Marathon,
I didn't want to race so I teamed up with Marc and Roger for
what would be our Sunday long run. A lot of work had gone
into this race, but I think they still fell short in a number
of areas. The route was well mapped out to take in a few of
the Southern Suburbs more well known Landmarks.
By 2km we had reached Ronderbosch Common,
and after a loop through the sponsors car park we turned and
looked up at Devils Peak and 'the holiday was over'. We now
had to climb up to UCT and Rhodes Memorial. Marc was running
strongly, but then we saw why, his wife was on the side of
the road cheering for us.
As we started climbing Roger slowed,
but thanks to the coke table Marc and I slowed to drink and
he caught us. When we started, we thought of breaking 90,
and till the climb we had lots of time in the bag, but that
was all going to change. The climb to the Mill was broken,
so we didn't lose much time, but then we climbed to UCT and
that 'ate' into our 'bag of seconds saved'.
Then it happened, Rhodes Memorial…
this sorted the boys from the men, and we felt like boys as
the front runners came flying down. By the top and the half
way mark we had lost so much time we were now 2 minutes behind,
but with plenty of downhill to come we weren't worried. The
race took us down through Newlands and past the Ruby and Cricket
stadiums, at this point Roger started to lose the pace, so
with 3km to go I left them to find my own way back.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: : 3. I want to give it a 4, but there was
too many unnecessary turns, and I would make it a little slower
to give you more of a view at the top.
Marshals: : 2. I think they started off with more than
enough marshals, but towards the end as the route got a bit
twisty, they didn't have enough and you could easily have
got lost.
Handouts: 3. Medals, nothing special, and they also
ran out of Coke at the finish!
Cost: R30.00
Value for money: 3. As the organisation of the race
improves so does your value for money, yes they did a lot
of work, but I don't think they've organised many races
Other People's feeling about the race: 3. A lot of
the people I spoke to enjoyed the route, but wanted signs
to tell them a bit about the "Landmarks"
they were running past.
Total score = 14 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 3. This is my home turf
and I enjoyed running a race around there.
Next week Tafelberg Furnishers.
Melkbos 21K 03 Nov
Saturday was the first running of the Melkbos half, the race
was a 15km last year, but with halves being a lot more popular
they changed the course, and 21.1 it was.
I would have preferred a 15km with next
week been the marathon, but there was nothing I could do about
it. I didn't really have a plan as how to run the race, it
just had to be easy. I wasn't running that slowly, but by
2km 2 ladies had come past me.
After a short loop through the new Golf
Estate, we ended up on the road back into Melkbos and the
wind was behind us. I thought I would stretch my legs a bit
and see if I could catch the ladies…
That only lasted a km before I slowed
again and settled into an easy pace. With the wind behind
it was easy to keep a good pace, but then we entered Koeberg
and I knew it wouldn't be long before we have to turn back
into the wind. We were lucky enough to see buck and Zebra
in the nature park there.
I seemed to get stronger as I ran, because
I didn't slow much into the wind, and thoughts of catching
the ladies crossed my mind again. Then someone in a rush came
past me, so I tucked in out of the wind for a km and we closed
the 30sec gap one of the ladies had on me. I then let him
go and tucked in behind her… That didn't work, yes she's
a good runner, but she's even smaller than Elana, who was
the other lady out front. I then took the lead and let her
follow me home.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: : 4. It works well for the area, and if
the wind could stay away it might even be quite fast.
Marshals: : 4. They always do a good job out here.
Handouts: 3. Medals, nothing special
Cost: R30.00
Value for money: 3. Well organised and if the weather
had played along more people might have stayed for prize giving
they could get more value for their money.
Other People's feeling about the race: 3/4. Jamie reckons
that it's not every race that you almost get flattened by
Zebra, and if the wind (yes it was quite bad) stayed away
I think most people would have enjoyed the race
Total score = 18 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 3. I don't mind going all
the way out there for a 21, I would n't go out there for a
10..
Next week WINELANDS
Foresters 15K 03 Nov
Not planning on racing, I decided to use Saturday's race as
part of my long run, so I ran the 8km to the start.
Standing on the start lin, I was joined
by two friends, Malcolm and Graham, both of whom I often run
with. Being the fool I am, I started off running with them.
The first km is flat and a simple loop around the picnic area,
before you head up into the forest on the side of the mountain.
I was lagging behind till we started
the climb. Then I had this stupid idea, and that was to see
if I could beat them up the hill. So I took the lead up the
first hill and headed into the forest. You might well do a
lot of climbing in this race, but none of the hills are that
long, you climb then head across on a contour path so climbing
up the different levels of the forest.
Graham dropped off after the 2nd or 3rd
hill. I was ahead of Malcolm, but could never really drop
him. Together we dropped a few other guys and by the top at
9.5km we were lying 5th and 6th. I let Malcom go on the downhill,
as I didn't want to hammer my legs. He had pulled a bit ahead
of me till I saw that 2 guys were catching. I picked up the
pace 2:56 for the 13th km that didn't help, I caught Malcolm,
but we were also caught by the others. I ran the last km hard
and stayed ahead of Malcolm, but couldn't catch the others.
Ratings: (Out of 5)
The course: 4. This is a forest run, and if you like
the mountains you'll enjoy this race.
Marshals: 3. They didn't have a lot of work to do
Handouts: 3. Medals
Cost: R10.00
Value for money: 4. R10.00, what a bonus...
Other People's feeling about the race: 4. Somebody
twisted his ankle, but he'll be back next year. All the forest
runners loved it, although some said it was a bit dusty in
places.
Total score = 18 out of 25
My feeling about the race: 4. It's a race I can do
well in, so I'll be back I like doing well.
Next week Melkbos 21.1km
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