Anyway, as I mentioned in the last post, I elected to run to the dam on my own, to ensure that the weekend wasn't a complete write off, and somewhere between the city centre and the access road to the dam, I had to stop for a moment and figure out where the heck I was running. I'm not too familiar with the layout of Franschoek but, from the map, it seemed that everything was laid out in a pretty easy-to-get-around fashion. I guess I was - definitely - being a little paranoid (or lazy) because I started to panic at the prospect of having taken a wrong turn, even though I basically had to get on one road and stay straight the entire time.
So, as I was standing around trying to get my bearings, it suddenly dawned on me that I was absolutely alone. I guess not totally "alone" as the town centre was probably about 4 kilometres or so back along the road but for the most part I was out there by myself and nothing else. I hadn't seen a car since I left the town centre and I was running through, what is essentially, wide open farmland and vineyards.
It was an incredibly inspiring and humbling moment, just standing there on the side of the road, being completely dwarfed on all sides by the Jonkershoek Mountain range, in front of me, and the Hottentots-Holland range in all other directions (I might have these names wrong. Feel free to correct me if I have). In that moment of silence, where not even the wind made a sound, I had never felt more insignificant or more powerful in my whole life. I was very much haunted by some of the monologue by Anton Krupicka in "In The High Country" where he discusses the importance of the mountains and how we can learn about ourselves through them (sidenote: Tony is a huge influence in my running and, more importantly, the way I view being in the mountains. I definitely recommend checking out his videos).
What struck me the most, and indeed has stayed with me since that day, is how silent everything was. Most trail runners are already very familiar with the type of silence that I am talking about but for those of us that run "urban trails" (that is, trails surrounded by urban areas) we have a different concept of silence. Sure, the trails are remarkably more quiet than the promenades and sidewalks, however, when surrounded by city and urban sprawl, such as Table Mountain is, we still get the feedback of the city. From the top of Lion's Head, one can still hear the buzz of the city below.
Out there, somewhere along the R45, on the side of the road, under the sweltering heat of an unrelenting midday sun, I was treated to absolute silence. To a stillness that, for some, does not come by very often. And I was reminded, in that moment, exactly what it was that I was looking for every time I put on my shoes and headed out the door.
07-04-14
Mon
Mon
No running today. I marked it down as a rest day but in reality it was just me struggling to get back into routine after a pretty amazing weekend away with good company. Instead, a couple of us hit up a beginners class for Hot Yoga at Yogalife. It was my first experience in a yoga studio and a thoroughly enjoyable class. Definitely felt it in my core the next morning.
08-04-14
Tues am
Tues am
Early morning gym session. The weather wasn't inviting when I woke up so, instead, I used the time to hit the gym and hop on the treadmill. How anybody can run on those contraptions is beyond me. I did 5x1km hill "sprints" with the grade set to 15% and the speed set to 12km/h. I don't know what that 15% equates to in terms of gain but running uphill at a 5 minutes/km pace was a good way to get the heart-rate up. The constant thumping was annoying.
Tues pm 10.2km - 1:11:09 (549m)
Sheldon and I met after work for a run up Signal Hill. Nothing too intense or strenuous. Ran to the lookout above Bantry Bay and watched the sun go down. The season changing brings on a whole new dynamic to the colour palette of the sky.
Sheldon and I met after work for a run up Signal Hill. Nothing too intense or strenuous. Ran to the lookout above Bantry Bay and watched the sun go down. The season changing brings on a whole new dynamic to the colour palette of the sky.
09-04-14
Wed pm 8.1km - 47:30 (431m)
I guess I slept through my alarm on Wednesday morning because, not only didn't I go for a run but I also nearly got to work late. Taking this as a sign that my body is not 100% yet. Still, I made an effort after work to head up Signall Hill along the bottom treeline route (there's a nice steep climb at the end to get to Pat's Track on Lion's Head), perched on a rock and watched the sun go down. On the way back down I bumped into some people who I hadn't seen for a while so I walked a bit with them and chatted then stepped up the pace to make up for lost time. Left hamstring and calf were feeling a little tight.
Wed pm 8.1km - 47:30 (431m)
I guess I slept through my alarm on Wednesday morning because, not only didn't I go for a run but I also nearly got to work late. Taking this as a sign that my body is not 100% yet. Still, I made an effort after work to head up Signall Hill along the bottom treeline route (there's a nice steep climb at the end to get to Pat's Track on Lion's Head), perched on a rock and watched the sun go down. On the way back down I bumped into some people who I hadn't seen for a while so I walked a bit with them and chatted then stepped up the pace to make up for lost time. Left hamstring and calf were feeling a little tight.
10-04-14
Thurs pm 5.1km - 44:38 (353m)
From the first step I took, I realised that this run was not going to be fun or long. the pain from my left hamstring and calf had spread and become my entire left leg and hip. I may have felt terrible on the run but it was still good for the soul to watch the sun go down.
Thurs pm 5.1km - 44:38 (353m)
From the first step I took, I realised that this run was not going to be fun or long. the pain from my left hamstring and calf had spread and become my entire left leg and hip. I may have felt terrible on the run but it was still good for the soul to watch the sun go down.
11-04-14
Fri pm
Fri pm
After Thursday nights shambles of a run I decided to sit Friday out and rest. Did some basic stretches (that I learnt from yoga on Monday) and iced my calf.
12-04-14
Sat am
Sat am
More of the same, sadly. I tried to warm up in the hopes of running parkrun but after a few metres I had to pull up and decided against risking further injury. Restlessness started setting in, especially watching Michael Bailey and Josh Hodge come tearing around the corners for parkrun.
13-04-14
Sun am 12.1km - 1:27:32 (617m)
On Sunday I decided that enough was enough and went on my merry way up Signal Hill. Big mistake. I didn't realise just how hot it would be and I paid the price. I was smart enough to take water with me because I set out with the intention of climbing Lion's Head but changed that plan after spending an extended period in the baking sun. The route that I ran usually takes me about an hour and ten or so but this time I had to stop three times: once to refill my water bottle and twice to puke from the heat. First time that's ever happened as far as I can recall. The positive out of all that was the fact that I was able to run and complete 12kms.
Sun am 12.1km - 1:27:32 (617m)
On Sunday I decided that enough was enough and went on my merry way up Signal Hill. Big mistake. I didn't realise just how hot it would be and I paid the price. I was smart enough to take water with me because I set out with the intention of climbing Lion's Head but changed that plan after spending an extended period in the baking sun. The route that I ran usually takes me about an hour and ten or so but this time I had to stop three times: once to refill my water bottle and twice to puke from the heat. First time that's ever happened as far as I can recall. The positive out of all that was the fact that I was able to run and complete 12kms.
Sun pm 9.7km - 1:16:04 (454m)
Sheldon and I met up in the afternoon to watch some football and decided to have an evening run, after things had cooled down a touch. I treated this as more of a recovery run. No unnecessary pushing on straights or uphills (Pipe Track has a fantastic, runnable uphil section that gains about ~100m over a km and a bit. Very tempting to run hard up it). We headed out towards Corridor Ravine to get away from the noise of the city and just watch the weekend melt away beneath the horizon. I kinda wish my phone camera wasn't so ruined because the photo opportunities were immense.
Sheldon and I met up in the afternoon to watch some football and decided to have an evening run, after things had cooled down a touch. I treated this as more of a recovery run. No unnecessary pushing on straights or uphills (Pipe Track has a fantastic, runnable uphil section that gains about ~100m over a km and a bit. Very tempting to run hard up it). We headed out towards Corridor Ravine to get away from the noise of the city and just watch the weekend melt away beneath the horizon. I kinda wish my phone camera wasn't so ruined because the photo opportunities were immense.
total hours: 5:40
total mileage: 50.2km
total gain: 2404m
I don't know whether to feel good about the fact that I've finally gotten to a level of fitness where I can run 5 days a week or to be upset that I'm not able to run the distances I want to. Ideally I'd be allocating around 20 hours to running which would mean I can start getting my mileage up into the 100km+ range but I guess that coming back form injuries etc can set you back in your training somewhat. I'll just have to settle for trying to double what I'm currently doing.
I've also made a conscious decision to not enter any races this year. I have a specific goal in mind for a secret project that I'm working on for (hopefully) early to mid spring so I've set some pretty large goals for myself. The important thing is to remember to keep them within reach and reason.
A little good music to kick off your week. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
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