It has been a roller-coaster month. A hip injury 4 weeks ago from trying to help out a mate http://www.runnersworld.co.za/static/columns/footnotes.php?footnote_id=2727 then 2 weeks holiday in the Baviaanskloof and Natures valley and finally pulling my back the Thursday before the marathon - during a core workout if you can believe that! Oh and of course there was Ben killing me the week before on the Dolphin Run.
Went for a wonderful run with Ben Wickham from London. Suffice to say he was fit, strong and fast and I saw my arse. It was a really good wake up call for me!
Teamed up with Di and my brother Barrie this afternoon for what was going to be a baptism of fire for both of them. Di had never done more than an hour long trail run and Barrie still recovering after a back injury.
Our last time was good and I have to say I am sorry to my to newbies that I wanted to beat that time, introduce them to the splendour that is Kloof Corner Ridge and get home in time to get starters and cocktails (the mojitos are killer). They both did incredibly well although I suspect their quads will be 'interesting' tomorrow. Suffice to say I knocked 20 minutes off the previous time partly because I had to nip back to our house to fetch a car. Di had a bit of a spill and we thought a wrist was broken. Turned out it was just shock. An amazing Christmas Eve run and now seriously looking forward to the http://www.ndorfin.co.za/events/event-detail.php?event_id=4174 on Boxing Day. Doubt there will be much running tomorrow with Mojitos in the tank - have a good'un!The 3rd addition of Blog, Sweat and Tears - http://www.runnersworld.co.za/static/columns/footnotes.php?footnote_id=2668. You will notice I let my running mate down, we have her man to thank her for that! There is no way I could have physically run with my 'condition' the next day.
My legs are still broken after the Table Mountain run on Wednesday...what can I say other than it must have used muscles I have not used for years. There are muscles in my quads which are just taking unusually long to recover.
I hooked up with Roger who has a spot down here in the Scarborough conservation village at 6am. Quads in trouble and as always, nervous about running with someone new. You just never know how it will go. Will you be able to keep up, how strong are they etc. It all worked out well and Roger is strong! His two hounds, Max and Polly, kept us entertained on a 90min run that has some serious hills involved. We chatted pretty much the whole run except for when the hills took the breath out of our lungs and I got to see some new routes, the dam behind Scarborough, I think it is called the Kleinplaas Dam. We should be hooking up with Roger in early January to get to know a few more routes - well psyched if not nervous. It is rugged terrain and sure lets one know that perhaps one should party a bit less in December. Oh well...maybe I will learn one day.
