22/06/14

So, this post is overdue by about three weeks now. The truth is, I haven't been in the writing mood very much given the situation I've been in. From three weeks ago Monday, I started with a little cough and sore throat and things just got progressively worse, health-wise, from there. As winter wraps us up into its fold, the temperature starts to drop into the single digits, the days get darker earlier, a sense of gloom hangs in the air, the rain starts to pour for days on end and the blustering wind cuts to the bone, quite literally as I feel a heightened sense of pain in my left forearm - the result of the plates being affected by the temperature drop I'm told - running, as well as staying healthy, becomes more and more of a mission.

I carried this slight cold with me for about a week (or so), continuing to run as much as possible without cutting too much into my training but also maintaining a check on my health. I didn't manage to match the previous two weeks' mileage but, regardless, I still put in a decent effort given the fact that I am not at all prepared for running in the Cape winter.

26-05-14
Mon-PM 11.7km - 1:23:00 (466m)

Evening run with Sheldon on the Lion Loop. Very easy pace to deal with a sore lower back and just some general leg fatigue. Sheldon ran with my headlamp and I used a handheld torch. Dark trails made running at a slower pace a little easier. 

27-05-14
Tues-PM 7.2km - 41:16 (400m)

Set off after work on a Signal Hill loop. Calves felt tight and strained from the get go on the way Pat's Track. To top off the the body fatigue, I was feeling pretty woozy as well. Probably from not eating enough during the day. Pushed through to the top of the saddle worrying whether I could push further up the Lion but the weather had other ideas. The wind at the start of the Lions Back trail was strong enough to convince me that heading further up, in my current state, was a bad idea. Cut things short and headed back to the Signal hill lookout and down the Noon Gun Battery trail.

28-05-14
Wed-PM 10.5km - 1:14:58 (602m)

Another evening run on the Lion. Started up the Noon Gun Crush route in the dark (is it just me or is getting dark at midday!!) feeling pretty strong after the last few days. I'm not used to feeling strong after the Noon Gun battery climb but things felt solid which made for a happier, more positive run. Made my way through to the saddle and started up the Lions Back. Thankfully the wind had quietened down since yesterday which meant that a full Lion summit was on the cards. Pushed pretty strong up the switchbacks and started up the Lion main trail pretty hard, feeling confident. skipped the chain section and ran along the side trail on the Lion summit because I wasn't too sure about the safety of climbing in the dark. Ironic because I slipped pretty hard on the flattest section of the trail. Landed nice and firmly on my ass. Good times. The descent was uncomfortable after the bail but still managed to put in a good effort down Pat's Track and home. Shower, Ice pack on the butt and a beer to wind down.

29-05-14
Thur 
No run. Took a "rest" day - which in all actuality was actually an excuse to go share some beers with the guys and head to the Labia theater to watch the premiere of Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel's new  documentary on their record-breaking traverse of the Drakensberg mountain range - Travailen. If you haven't checked it out yet, then get on it ASAP. It's an absolutely phenomenal production that captures the attempt beautifully. Check out the review by iRunFar as well..

30-05-14
Fri-PM 13.1km - 1:23:23 (938m)

Nothing too special tonight. Wasn't feeling 100% healthy the day before which carried over to today. Still, managed to do some higher tempo on the fireroads ascent and the first stretch of the Signal Hill ridge without feeling too stretched before starting up the Lions Back. Took it relatively easy up to the summit of Lions Head but put in a solid effort on the descent (as best one could in the dark) then, for no apparent reason, let the legs loose down Pat's Track and back home. 

31-05-14
Sat-PM 11.8km - 1:45:08

Still carrying some health issues from Thursday night. Sheldon and I took a slow run up Signal Hill - my legs were feeling pretty tired which was a bit of a concern to me as the effort we were putting in wasn't enough to put that kinda strain on the calves and I was kind of nervous that this was the onset muscle fatigue of getting flu - which wasn't helped by the strong wind and thickish mist. Still, a fun time running with a buddy and a good scramble up the Lion. We sat on the top for a while just taking in the serenity (no scenery because the mist was so thick) before heading back home.

01-06-14

Sun
No run. Woke up feeling absolutely dreadful. Rest day.

So, as mentioned above, the mileage I recorded didn't manage to stay on par with where I would have liked it but that's all part of the game. We can't always be in control of every situation and not every little detail will go according to our plans, much the same that no run we do will ever be the same. We won't have identical conditions, both physically and mentally, to benchmark performances on, we won't be able to have all the other runners figured and the list goes on. But we adapt. We use the information that we do have at our disposal and we build new strategy around it. We change our gameplans according to the situation we find ourselves in.

I think that's one of the main lessons in any sport; that, no matter how much training you put it or how much you analyse and scrutinise every detail, ache over plans, there will always be a proverbial spanner in the works just hovering and waiting to push us on to unexpected paths. As a novice to the sport of trail running, mountain running and as a complete rookie to the world of ultra distance running, I do what I can to extract knowledge from those around me that possess it. those that are willing to take the time to speak about their experiences, the elites that write articles and my fellow beginners who have their own unique experiences to share - I try and gain as much from them all as I can to better equip myself for the run.

The week of the 2nd July started poorly and, decidedly, trying to test my resolve and conviction towards adaptation.

As somebody who is used to running, at least, 5 times a week, being sick is, to be blunt, a pain in the ass. It doesn't necessarily limit your ability to run so much as it does your running ability. Sure, you wont be logging your fastest times but you'll still be able to get out there (maybe just bundled up under a few extra layers).

I would have killed to be sick like that. Instead, I had to deal with some muscle-crippling flu strain that lamed me up enough to not be able to run at all but still ok enough to warrant going to work (instead of to the doctor and home to rest until it passes). Essentially, it culminated in a depressing week of non-running and some serious agitation on my part.

02-06-14 to 06-06-14
Mon to Fri
The dreaded man-flu strikes. Monday to Thursday are the worst days with Friday being a full serving of false hope which led to some stupidity.

07-06-14
Sat-AM 5km - 18:54 (17m)
Parkrun with the guys. Chris and I set an early pace and maintained for the majority of the run. It's all better explained in their run report. Guess we shouldn't have had those vegan lamb bunny chows the night before as kilometre 3 was the striking point for both Chris and I. Stomach issues in the 5000m dash ain't nothing to mess with. Still, both of us putting in sub 19 minutes was pretty fun.

08-06-14
Sun
No run. Return of the flu. Guess yesterday's outing was a little premature. Awful weather so not much guilt for sitting this one out.

Total Hours: 6:45:39
Total Mileage: 59.2km
Total Gain: 3262m

Some of you may remember from an earlier post about how Anton Krupicka is my main inspiration in the running scene (that's not to say he is the only one, I gain inspiration from many, many sources, but Anton is my number one go-to guy) and I have been reading back on some of his musings on his blog from his past winter (our summer). Anton had been laid off for some time with a significant hip injury (although, at his lowest point, he still outperformed me - the mind boggles) and he had a hard time dealing with it. He wasn't able to hit targets that he would usually reach in his sleep. He was pushing some serious mental barriers.

I took great insight from those writings in learning to deal with my not-so-significant-in-the-grand-scheme flu. Here I was, losing a week of running and feeling - admittedly - depressed about it, whereas Anton had lost a good portion of a year to injury. For a professional athlete, losing such a significant amount of time could only amount to a great deal of internalising frustrations and anxieties. Perspective can play an extremely important role in all this. I'm nowhere near being a professional athlete (heck, I'm not anywhere near being an amateur either) so what could my week of no training realistically do to my mindset that I couldn't overcome? What makes my training and my running so special that taking a week off could merit such disappointment and tension?

Well, I don't have an answer for that and I doubt I ever will. It's just one of those things that I chalk up as being inherent to being a runner. We all experience highs and lows and nobody else's experience can or will be the same as ours nor will we ever be able to completely empathise with them. It's just too personal an experience to project onto another person. Maybe it becomes a question of dedication or passion? I'm not really in a position to ask those questions but they are things that play on my mind from time to time. For another post though.

11-06-14

Mon

No run. Coming back from flu and not wanting to push it too hard.

10-06-14

Tues-AM

The weather was completely atrocious when I woke up so I figured I'd put in a session at the gym. Started things with a warm up on the treadmill, 10 minutes at 5min/km pace. Moved on to my regular gym session after warming up. Some strength training in preparation for the climbing excursions I'd like to get in during the summer. Ended off the session on the treadmill again for some fartlek-style training. Started with an easy 400m at, more or less, 5:30m/km pace then kicked it up to 1200m at a sub 4min/km pace. Pushed super hard to break a 5 minute mile, narrowly missed out. Ended the treadmill session with a 400m sprint at 3:30m/km pace on a 15% incline. Legs felt super bushed after that. Burning sensation underfoot which I wrote off to pushing so hard on a treadmill in MT00s.

PM

Set off on an an evening run with the intent of pushing a Lions Back loop which was cut short about a kilometre into the run by excruciating pain underfoot.

11-06-14

Wed

A trip to the hospital and an x-ray revealed a stress fracture in my 3rd and 4th metatarsals in my right foot. Doctor recommends 6-8 weeks off. Frustration.

12-06-14 to 15-06-14

Thurs - Sun

No running.

16-06-14 to 22-06-14

Mon - Sun

Week 1 of 8 down, only 7 more long, frustrating weeks to go until I'm able to start training again. Not much going on right now other than a few gym sessions to work on core and upper body strength. 

25/05/14

19-05-14
Mon-PM 11.2km - 1:08:25 (546m)
Started the week with an evening run up the Lions Back (fast becoming one of my favourite climbs). I could definitely feel that I was carry some fatigue in both my calves which I blame on the fact that last weeks mileage was more than double the previous weeks. I didn't allow myself a transition time to build back up. Live and learn, I suppose. Kept the pace pretty easy so as not to potentially blow my legs out, which seemed to work as I made my way up the Lions Back in a decent time, all things considered. On the way up, an intense cloudbank hit the Atlantic seaboard and, within minutes, had shrouded Signal Hill in a thick layer of mist. Watching it roll in so fast was almost surreal, as I sat on the Lions Back, mesmerised by what I was watching transpire. so much so that, for a minute, I completely forgot that I had to run back down into it to get home. Descending Lions Head, I ran straight in to some of the thickest mist/fog I''d ever seen. Visibility was cut down to roughly 2 or so metres in front of me. I decided that, for my safety, I'd take an easier route back home instead of running Pat's Track through the pea soup in which i found myself. Headed on the trail back towards Clifton/Bantry Bay and then dropped down on the lower contour path of Signal Hill. This spat me out onto a road in Upper Fresnaye which, although it was pavement pounding, was very well lit.

20-05-14
Tues-PM 11.3km - 1:20:39 (642m)
Set off on the top path through to the Signal Hill lookout area, using the Bonecrusher Blaze route, and could immediately tell that this run was not going to be the best I'd ever had. The cloudbank from the day before seemed to be hovering over the hill but, more so, was being bolstered by low-hanging cloud being blown in by the breeze off the ocean. The top track along Signal Hill is quite fun as it's, more or less, flat and has some super quick sections which are interrupted every so often with techy underfoot conditions, which means you can't just go to sleep and sprint through. The problem, however, was that the cloudbank was still hanging low enough to warrant slower stepping through the sections. My tired legs didn't mind this all that much. To top off everything, I was experiencing some mild stomach issues. Nothing too graphic but still made moving fast uncomfortable. Made my way up the Lions Back (in a similar time to the day before) and proceeded in getting blown over by the wind. I was pretty taken aback by how a few metres of elevation could have such different weather conditions. I had initially planned on summiting Lions Head but the wind factor was much stronger than I had anticipated so I slunk down the jeep track and made my way back to the lookout area and back home.

21-05-14
Wed-PM 10.2km - 1:02:38 (551m)
Set off on Pats Track up Signal Hill to try summit Lions Head, seeing as I missed out due to weather conditions the day before. The skies were clear which led me to believe that conditions would be more favourable with the added bonus of not having to run through the mist. About half way up the trail, my stomach started acting up again. I'm not sure whether it has to do with my diet being out of balance or if it's running related but these minor stomach issues I've been having are starting to get quite annoying. they've taken some of the fun out of running. It's hard to fully enjoy the experience when you're stuck wondering whether you can trust that it's just flatulence. Regardless, I pushed through up the Lions Back but, again, had to call it quits on going to the summit of Lions Head. I wasn't feeling my best and figured that maybe I needed to get home as quick as possible before I had a trail-side accident. I was both wrong and right. In my haste to get home, I miscalculated a step, in the dark, and found myself rolling through some bushes on the side of the trail. Thankfully that was the only accident that occurred. A few scrapes and a bruise or two.

22-05-14
Thurs-AM 5km - 23:05 (18m)
Woke up early to get a morning run in because the weather had been predicted to get worse in the afternoon. Settled on doing a road run as my calves were quite stiff. Only once I started running did I realise the extent of the fall from the night before. Some significant hip pain in my left hip forced me to cut the run at a measly 5kms. Still managed to get a decent pace going. I'll chalk this one down as a recovery run. Thursday night beers were just what the doctor ordered. Sampled some delightful craft beers down at Mitchell's Ale House and shared some great company. Lifted my spirits after the mornings endeavor.

23-05-14
Fri-PM 13.1km - 1:30:07 (1172m)
Went up the Bonecrusher Blaze route on Friday evening with the intention of summiting Lions Head, regardless of weather conditions or body issues, and managed to keep a consistent pace the whole way up. Didn't push too hard on any of the ascents as I was trying to keep myself in decent shape for the charity run we were doing the next day. Sat atop the Lion for some time before heading back home to some well-deserved pizza and rest. Made sure I didn't push the descents either. The last thing you want to be doing the day before is race is quad-bashing, unnecessarily, downhill. No matter how fun the trail may be.

24-05-14
Sat-AM 17.8km - 1:48:26 (790m)
The weather on Saturday morning was both beautiful and hideous. Those of us up early enough to run the St Lukes Childrens Hospice Charity Run were treated to a rare electrical storm in the early hours of the morning, which was quite spectacular, but were also subjected to some rain, wind and mist as we set off on a short but steep adventure on Devil's Peak. I'm pretty sure that some of the trail we ran along is the same sections used in the Two Oceans Trail Half Marathon, so it was nice to be able to experience after missing out on an entry to the Two Oceans this year. The climbs were fun, the single track quick, the views were magnificent and the weather was manageable.

(From L-R) Sheldon, Myself and Chris in our Fry's Superhero outfits.

Sheldon and myself backed off the early pace and just had fun with it. We may not have won the race but we won the hearts of all the spectators and other runners. Chris, in true Chris fashion, burned through the course to take 2nd place, missing out on the win by 6 seconds. Even though we only set out to have fun on the run, I definitely picked up a few key areas that I need to work on in the coming weeks. Important to note that my legs felt good during this run. Not much calf fatigue or knee strain. Taking that as a moral victory.

If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong!

25-05-14
Sun-PM 13km - 1:26:38 (1087m)
Ended off the week with a trip up Lions Head. The pain that I didn't feel during the run from the day before was not going to let me off so lightly (the fact that I was running with a hangover can, and will, be completely ignored). The climbs were slow and frustrating and the flats felt sluggish and tired. Regardless, I wasn't going to let that stop me and pushed on up the summit. I have my eye set on doing my first ultra this year so time on legs and learning to push through the physical discomfort have become priorities for me.

Total Hours: 8:39:58
Total Mileage: 81.6km
Total Gain: 4800m

A solid week of running, all in all. I'm a little disappointed that I was unable to get that vertical gain ticking over into the 5000m territory but, as it stands, this week is the most elevation I've done this year. If I can, I want to keep this average weekly mileage for the next month before looking to step it up into the 100km per week mark. My legs have been carrying quite a substantial amount of fatigue which is something I'll be keeping an eye on. the last thing I need is to blow a leg at this point in my training.

I know that, earlier, I said that I wouldn't be entering another proper race this year but, as plans usually do, things have changed. I've got my sights set on entering the Ultra Trail Cape Town 62km race at the end of October (initially I wanted to go after the 100K as my first ultra but there are qualifying criteria that I don't meet..) so that leaves me 4 months to work on building a solid base for my endurance, speed and strength. What this means is that, apart from spending some time in the gym to work on general strength and fitness, I'll have plenty of time to work on my mental game. I understand that by the 40th kilometre my body will be sore and it will be tired and it will be begging me to just stop which is why training my mind to focus is such a key element.

18/05/14

12-05-14
Mon
No running. Traded in my Monday for a rest day, which may or may not have been deserved, as well as got around to sorting out some things that were left undone when I went away last week. Housecleaning, if you will.

13-05-14
Tues-PM 11.6km - 1:03:03 (500m)
Nice and easy evening run on the Signal Hill loop. Took the long way around the base of Lions Head, which is a route I hardly ever do from that direction, and back down Pat's Track. Still finding it pretty difficult to run in the dark. Having the headlamp makes a difference, naturally, but it's still pretty sketchy to try and move at pace, in the dark, on these trails. There's just rocks waiting to jump out at you everywhere.

14-05-14
Wed-PM 11.3km - 1:08:30 (668m)
From start to finish I was having a torrid time on this run. I don't know if it was something I did or didn't eat but I had the worst acid reflux the entire time which made the run less than enjoyable. Still, upset stomach and all, I got to sneak in a half Lion on a route I like to call the Bonecrusher Blaze (I honestly have no idea why it was called that but I'm just going with it). Things got a little hairy on the return leg down the Noon Gun Crush route with some near falls on less-than-stable trail rock. More darkness on the trails as the sun seems to be setting earlier and earlier these days. I can get used to having 10 hours of sunlight a day but only if it means I get to use at least an hour and a half of that. Seems I'm only getting half an hour maximum before I have to switch to the headlamp. DST would do Capetonians a world of good.

15-05-14
Thur-AM 8.7km - 41:10 (~40m)
Took an easy morning run to test out the tread on my old New Balance MT10s. The heel got crushed out on this pair a lot quicker than the forefoot (which I blame on poor form during the transition to a more minimal shoe) so I replaced them for trail running but I figured that I could probably use them on the road where the conditions are a little more favourable and forgiving than the trails. Took them on a little out and back along the promenade before work. I figure that I could probably get them re-tread somewhere, on the heel, and use them as a pair of short-distance road shoes. I wouldn't bother running anything more than 15km in them, definitely not enough support for pavement pounding. Cape Town is getting chilly in the mornings too.

16-05-14
Fri-PM 12km - 1:14:15 (879m)
Took an impromptu trip up Lions Head on Friday night. That makes it summit number 11 for the year. I'm going to need to work on that number. It had rained during the day so the trail conditions were a little slick, wet patches and puddles all over the show, making for some interesting underfoot conditions. Wore the wrong pair of shoes out for this run, took the 3090's, but in my defence, I hadn't planned on summiting Lions Head. I was just going to do a half Lion and head home because i was meant to be meeting people for dinner. I can say that it was well worth it. I may not have set my fastest time up the Lion but I felt a lot stronger on this summit than I have on previous attempts which is a great sign for my overall fitness. The only real issue i had was some tightness in my calves and knees on the final push to the summit but that pain is generally expected.

17-05-14
Sat-PM 14.6km - 1:20:48 (1053m)
Made sure that I wore the correct shoes and set off to tackle the Lions Back, in the afternoon. The legs were feeling nice and loose, nothing pulling tight and, weirdly enough, no calf pain. I did misjudge a few steps here and there and ended up rolling my right ankle, slightly, on the way up Signal Hill. Nothing too bad, that I had to turn around, but it would have been nice to not have stepped so lazily. Ended up doing two laps up the Lions Back, I was feeling so good, both times hitting a decent pace up. Right now, at such an early stage in building up my training base (to the point that I'm doing 100km weeks consistently), I'm not so much worried about pace as I am about consistency. Both laps up were within 10 seconds of each other. On the way back home I must have really been feeling good because I did a 19:30-ish 5K down Pat's Track and hit a ½ mile PB.

18-05-14
Sun-PM 15.2km - 1:56:16 (1424m)
Chris ran the Helderberg mountain Challenge on Sunday morning. 24km with 2km of vertical gain. Suffice to say I was pretty jealous. Not to be outdone by all that, Sheldon and I decided to hit Table Mountain and get some vertical of our own going. Took Sheldon up India Venster, nice and steep, and then we set out running along the entire front face (Town facing) of the mountain. Hit the loop through to the cableway, dodging tourists along the way, and then back to the Platteklip intersection, up and through to Maclears Beacon to tag the highest point in Cape Town, back along the trail to Platteklip stairs, down, jelly legging, and ended off with a few kms of road back to the car. Briefly considered a sneaky 5km night run on the promenade but decided against it once my butt touched the couch.

Total Hours: 7:24:02
Total Mileage: 73.4km
Total Gain: 4562m

Great to be back in Cape Town and on home trails. While it was nice to get away last week and see family, I definitely missed running on Signal Hill and Lions Head. Had to put myself through my paces and attack the vertical to make up for all the flat running I did the previous week. It was also great to be able to put more time on the legs and get back to slightly higher mileage weeks. Been topping out in the 50s lately and now I'm looking forward to upping that to around the 70km per week mark. If all goes to plan (a very loose plan, I might add) then I should be hitting the 100km per week in the next 4 months or so. I know that I could probably go to that zone quicker but, all things considered, I want to make sure that my body, and my wallet, remain unharmed in the process of transition and building.

The theme for this weeks running has most definitely been "consistency". Whether that be consistency in the distances that I've been running or the splits on uphills vs the splits on flats/downhills, I've tried to maintain my consistency as much as possible. I figure that when I'm running long races, it'll be the consistency that I've built up that will see me home rather than even dreaming of relying on speed and strength. Some times one has to be brutally honest and come to terms with the facts. But, as I proved to myself in the Summer Trail Series, I have the ability to be consistent, if anything, and if I look after my body right, all the while putting in the hard work, then, come race day, I shouldn't have anything to worry about (although the prospect of running my first trail ultra/road marathon has me slightly nervous).

Speaking of road running, I hit the New Balance outlet store to see if I could pick up a pair of road racers to start doing some pavement pounding in (I'm considering entering a road marathon and, if i do, I have my heart set on a sub 3hr debut, possibly even a 2:45, so I need to put in the time on the road to get used to bashing away at my knees for 42kms) and, while I didn't find anything in my size, I did come across a sample of the 2014 Minimus Zero V2s which had me jumping for joy. It's like the designers at New Balance heard my pleas for a trail shoe that can hold up on the trails we have here while offering you equal parts protection, traction and responsiveness all bundled in a lightweight package. The stack height looks great, the outsole looks strong (except for maybe one or two of the smaller centre spine lugs that feel a little flimsy), the upper offers good toe and heel protection and the shoe has a 0mm heel to toe differential. For a shoe nerd like me, this is some of the most exciting stuff I've seen come from New Balance in a while. I also read that they're going to be re-introducing the MT101s which has me in a spin. But more on that later when I've put a couple hundred kms on a pair.

11/05/14

05-05-14
Mon
No running. Rest day after the WFL run. Tired legs.

06-05-14
Tues-PM 7.2km - 47:20 (360m)
Midday recovery jog/walk along Signal Hill. Decided to take some time on the mountain before I headed to Durban. No pushing on the inclines or declines. My left leg, from the knee down, was in some pain. A little tender spot behind the kneecap and a sharp pain on the outer section of my shin. Still, it felt good to get the time on my feet. Almost made me late for my flight.

07-05-14
Wed-AM 11.1km - 52:40 (170m)
Chalking this one down as another recovery run although I was able to hold a much more consistent pace. Ran from my parents home to Ansteys Beach and then kept going along the beachfront. Definitely had a lot of fun running along the ocean with the sun warming things up. The route was also pretty much flat so it aided keeping the pace consistent. From the left knee down there's still a bit of tenderness. The outer section of my shin doesn't seem to be enjoying things lately.

08-05-14
Thurs
No running again. My left leg was a bit swollen at the base of the calf muscle and the outer section of the shin. Not sure what this means but not really willing to push it to the point of failure. Spent the day getting a tattoo and then taking care of some stuff at home.

09-05-14
Fri-AM 4.3 km - 20:03 (50m) 
Short run to grab some groceries at a very easy pace. I figure that, seeing as I would like to run North Beach parkrun on Saturday, I might as well take it as easy as possible without being lazy. The left knee felt better after being iced, however, my left calf and shin were still in a bit of pain.

10-05-14
Sat-AM 5.1km - 18:43 (25m)
I'm not really one for PBs on short or flat courses but I'm going to claim this one. Technically, my time for the 5km was 18:30 which is a full 0:35 quicker than my previous PB for a 5km. Just goes to show that hills and mountains are really just speedwork in disguise. The North Beach parkrun is a pretty simple and flat out and back that is flanked by the ocean on one side so it can be pretty easy to get distracted or slack off on the pace. Thankfully, my puppy dog instincts kicked in and I couldn't help but chase after the lead runner. (Sidenote: he floored it on the return leg and did me in by 1:10. Second run at NB parkrun, second place for the second time. At least I'm consistent)

11-05-14
Sun-PM 8.4km - 48:49 (604m)
Easy group run with Shelds, Chris, Michal and Ariadna through Newlands Forest and along the boardwalks. Legs felt good on the climbs (considering all I'd run for the past few days was flat roads) which is a good sign. Left calf and shin only played up after we stopped running. Time for more acupuncture and some massage therapy perhaps.

Total Hours: 3:07:35
Total Mileage: 36.1
Total Gain: 1209m

Not a great week for running, quite frankly, but not too terrible considering the run last week Sunday. Flying home to Durban and taking some time off of work was quite enjoyable. Always good to reconnect with your roots and strengthen those family bonds, even if it is only for a short while. Better to be grateful for the time you do have than to get caught up bitching about it and losing even more in the process.

My mom lost a very close friend to cancer on Thursday. I was in the middle of my tattoo sitting at the time so I only found out what had happened when I got home. Nobody likes to see their friends or family in pain but I'm just glad that I was able to be there for her as opposed to potentially having been sitting in Cape Town and having to find out about it.

Busy setting up a new section on the blog to put all my thoughts into one place and not burden those that get tired of my rambling. Keep an eye open.

04/05/14

28-04-14
Mon-AM 13.3km - 1:58:11 (1194m)
Public holiday Monday meant extra mileage. Chris and I went up India Venster from the Pipe Track parking lot. No better way to spend a public holiday. My hydration was pretty off and I got a little dehydrated. Dark urine aside, it was a fantastic run. Legs felt solid through the whole climb and run.

29-04-14
Tues-PM 9.2km - 53:10 (490m)
Took a run along the Signal Hill trail to the viewpoint overlooking Clifton beach. Table Bay and the Atlantic Seaboard were covered by a cloudbank so it was pretty cool to spend some time running above the cloud line.

30-04-14
Wed-PM 7.6km - 44:02 (390m)
Ran the Signal Hill loop in reverse tonight and headed up through to the old noon gun battery. Slightly slower descent than usual to take care of a niggle I was feeling in my right calf.

01-05-14
Thurs-PM 11.3km - 1:07:26 (750m)
Another public holiday and another longer run. Signal Hill loop and added in a half summit of Lions Head (trail was incredibly busy so I didn't bother fighting the crowds to the summit). Not the best time I've done on this particular loop but in my defence my right calf felt like it had gotten worse from the evening before.

02-05-14
Fri-PM 5.2km - 36:35 (375m)
Took a trip up the new route that I found on Signal Hill. Didn't push hard at all. Used this run as a taper for Sunday's run. Both calves felt pretty tight.

03-05-14
Sat
No running today. Spent the day getting shit together for the Wings For Life World Run.

20-04-14
Sun-AM 33.2km - 2:37:12 (185m)
Wings For Life World Run with Chris and Sheldon. All road and horrid weather but we kept a good pace and had an awesome run. Pretty bummed that I couldn't do the full marathon distance. Super stiff legs afterwards (as expected). 

Total hours: 7:56:36
Total Mileage: 79.8km
Total Gain: 3384m

A pretty high mileage week (in comparison to the previous few) with some good distance runs as well as some good elevation gained. 

The Wings For Life World Run on Sunday was the definite highlight of the week, both for running and personally. It's nearly a week after the run and I'm still carrying the runners high from participating. hopefully next year more people will enter and get involved. 

In Durban seeing my family for the next week. Don't expect too much elevation but going to try get a couple of decent distance runs in.

Also, losing my mind because of Transvulcania this weekend. Cannot wait to see who takes it. Sage, Timmy and DBo are going to give it their all!