Moving house

Hi. Nick here. Just letting you know that I'm moving to ar-junkie.blogspot.com.

Knysna Forest Half Marathon

It is slightly intimidating, arriving early to an event and still finding that you're one of thousands, add this to butterflies that flutter at the start of every race, multiply this by an early rise and raise that to the nth power because of the fact that I've never done a half marathon or any marathon, for that matter before, and you'll understand how I was feeling.

'Bang!' The gun went off. I yelled a hurried 'cheers', to my aunt-in law running behind and threaded my way through the crowd, managing to trip over tree stumps, even in a road race. This year's new route was changed to cope with the change of the finish venue and several of the more experienced runners, said that the course was tougher than last years, and is one of the country's toughest half marathons, yet over 4500 runners combatted and completed this course. Fortunately the weather was with us and it wasn't icily cold, humid or hot…

The route took us through the beautiful forest and plantations, up and down the torturous switch backs and up part of the 50km oyster fest MTB route, with thankfully (unlike Adventure Racing), water tables every three kms. As the race settled down, I gritted my teeth and got stuck in, overtaking swathes of runners, but at the same time being out paced by even stronger, more steadier runners. At around the 12km mark, I reached the next water table, where as always, being not used to the funny little water bags and cups, I sprayed more liquids on me than in me, I started feeling a stich coming on, in a running limp, I tried to wait it out, and slowly it lessened but did not disappear, as if it wanted to spite me for dislodging it, staying with me, till the end of the race. A few more km, along the route, we started the punishing climb down Simola estate, with only a few distance markers left but the race was not over, for the steep descent, left muscles feeling like jelly. Trying to keep up the pace, was like trying to lift lead blocks, but as the Ferris wheel, and the finish line came into sight, I could not help but speed up and complete the race as I had begun, in a run, in the river of souls. I definitely plan to run more marathons for the feeling you get, even with the pain, is exhilarating. 
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Finishing time: 1:42:34


Winner: Michael Bailey,
           in a time of: 1:07:40 
^ Amazing! Wow. Jaw drop.

Duesouth Xterra Knysna

The Knysna Xterra, which happened on the 8^th of July, is oddly the only Xterra in the world which does not feature swimming. As usual there are the two distances, the lite and the full race. Due to the absence of swimming, the full attracted an elite line-up, from famous endurance runner, Ryan Sandes to Mountain Biker extraordinaire, Kevin Evans .

    The day kicked off with the lite, with some of the sports potential stars lining up in the chutes. The race was in a run-cycle-run format, with a distance of 3km for each run and a 12 km cycle. The race was a fast one, with potential race winners dashing to gain a slight advantage over their opponents, over the mostly paved road of the Pezula estate and the small but delicious section of single track. I struggled to stay with the leading group and this paid off, as I arrived back at the transition, well ahead of the main field.

Unfortunately due to my weaker cycling, I was slowly overtaken by several racers, who gained quite some time on me, on the tough (as always) cycle route, which featured a long energy sapping uphill near the start and a slippery and hilly terrain. The terrain also took a toll on some racer's bikes, who encountered technical problems with punctures…

The second run was a hard leg, as my aching muscles still were protesting from the cycle but the field was so dispersed now that the only people I saw, were specks on the horizon. The run route was exactly the same as the first‒ just backwards. I arrived at the finish line, happy that I could savour the free delights at the rehydration tent, in a time of 1:13:46 in seventh position for single men (I know what that sounds like) individual men. The winner of the Xterra light was Nicklas Dlamini, an athlete racing for the JAG foundation, in a time of 01:06:08 and the first female in was Denise De Jongh, in a time of 01:25:09.The Xterra lite Knysna, is something I'd recommend anyone wanting to start multisports should do because with enough determination, it is easily finished…

After watching friends finish, it was time to watch the main event and wait for the prize-giving. With such a famous start field, this was going to be an exciting race to watch. As the starting vuvuzela was blown, which has officially replaced the gun and the whistle for such events, the racers sprinted off on the same 3km track we ran on at the start. Coming back first, were Sinesipho Didishe and Frans Malgas, members of Oakhill 2 and Oakhill School teams, followed closely by the rest of the pros, including Kevin Evens, who was right at the tail of this bunch. The racers set off for the even tougher 25km cycle route and word soon reached us that Kevin Evans had taken the lead…

After prize giving for the light, we rushed to the side-line of the cycle route, to watch the racers come in, with Kevin not surprisingly having extended his lead. About four minutes later, we saw the next racer cresting the rise, another MTB pro, David Labuschagne, followed closely by Cameron Taylor, a member of the Oakhill 2 team. Worriedly we waited for Harry Maarsingh, a friend and schoolmate, in team Oakhill School, who is usually as fast as Cameron but he did not appear until much later, having had a double flat.

In the final leg of the race, it was really no contest, in the individual contest in the 7km trail run, because as in the light, the field was so dispersed that it was almost impossible to make up for Kevin's lead, even if he isn't the fastest runner. Kevin Evan finished in a time of 1:39:24. Despite this, team Oakhill 2's runner gave it a good go for the overall win coming only a few seconds behind Evans, winning the team cat overall. David Labuschagne, proved that the cycle is what counted in the race, coming second and the first woman in, was Hanlie Booyens, in a time of 01:59:18. Thanks Stillwater sports, for organising such a fantastic race and for allowing students to race for free.
[To see results click this link]

   

The Salomon Featherbed Trail Run- Night Run

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.
 There is something strange and slightly eerie about travelling upon one of South Africa’s most pristine and scenic trail runs at night‒  perhaps because you can’t take in the sights along the way. But that is what approximately 140 racers did at the third Salomon Featherbed Trail Run of the day, the night run.

    Crossing the lagoon on the ferry ride to the start of the route was a frigid affair and most survived with feeling in their fingers intact but it wasn’t a good sign for the longer distance runners, when the engine fell off their boat, luckily there it was a twin engine boat and the surviving motor, carried us safely to the jetty, where we tramped to the start, to set off on a short loop that would disperse the field.  The revamped route this year, was tougher, with an even bigger climb and contained even less tarmac, and the dark night made it more difficult to traverse the sandy terrain.

    I traversed this route with my usual adventure racing partner, Brandon Wilcocks. Had it not been for him, I think that this run would  have been a far spookier affair, with only the bobbing of lights in front and behind and the occasional overtaking and bail to break the reserve’s silence, instead of the rather less serious time of cursing each time we slipped off the path or fell into a hole and discussions about anything and everything. This is definitely something I’d recommend you’d do with a friend.

    Finishing 1st for the Coelacanth run again, in a time only 2 minutes and 15 seconds after the time he posted in the morning run, was Ryan Sandes, unfortunately he did not claim the trophy for the best time of the day because he was beaten by runner Juwayne Fletcher, who in the afternoon, posted the best time of 58:07, beating Ryan’s morning run of 59:23. The first lady in for the Coelacanth night run was Susan Sloan, narrowly beating Jeannie Bomford.  Brandon and I finished in 1:19:55, lightly bruised in place 26/27. This is a must do event for anyone wanting to start trail running…

Tring... Tring... Bells ring at the Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle MTB, a marriage of dirt and mud...

“Tring tring… TRING TRING!” The sound, sent shivers down my spine, despite the fact that it was a hot day.


“Tring tring!” I pedalled furiously, but the sound did not grow more distant. The man with the bell on his bike was after me, or at least after a good time. ‘Tring…Tring…’

Before I knew it, I was at the first water table. At the back of my mind, a little thought appeared and started squirming, trying to tell me in its loudest voice that I might have been going just a little too fast. I continued cycling, trying to keep the same pace up, despite the fact that my legs were starting to feel like sacks and my knees felt like rusting machinery, because this sort of race is like that; A race where everyone is striving and fighting for something.

Whether it be like Ashleigh Upton, a first timer to the Oyster festival MTB, who just wanted finish the 50km route in time. To local and SA cycling superstar, Kevin Evans, who was looking for a win in the 85km (officially 75km) marathon distance. Congratulations on the second place finish.

To myself, who wanted to better my time and from the near the start of the race, decided to make it my goal to beat the jangling cyclist, who’s hellish jingles, were like barking dogs with razor fangs, at my feet.

This fighting spirit, I think is due partly to the nature of the Oyster festival itself- fun and funky, sporting all day and partying all night- but also due to the vast number of people who participate. And it all, coincidentally, begins at the start, where you feel as though you are setting out to win the race.

Like a motley army, where no two uniforms are the same, the sea of helmets at the start of my group was endless, with the topics of conversations between groups of friends, ranged from philosophy to cooking, to the defeat of Ghana at the hands of Uruguay but there was excitement and breathless anticipation underlying all this. As we shuffled to the line, listening to the commentator, cracking a few jokes, people grew more silent, before it was our time to leave and then suddenly, the race was on, the cyclist army, had set out for battle…

As usual the field was dispersed at Simola, and from then on, over the fast switch backs it broke up even further, the tough but non-technical route, meaning that there was plenty of space to overtake, with few bottle-necks, but with every war, there were casualties, with bike failures occurring left right and centre, from the very start but most survived, and that counts as a victory. I would say that the route this year, which was changed to accommodate a different finishing venue, was slightly less gruelling than previous years but it was a welcome relief to come down the well tarred hill of Simola, which so tortured us on the way up. It was even more of a relief to cross the finish line, feeling a winner.

‘Tring. Tring…’ :P

Its here!!!

Its finally arrived; the MTB, one of the Oyster Fest's biggest events is today. The start will be full with both experienced and first time cyclists, all breathlessely waiting for the start of their events, all endlessly checking that their bikes haven't come apart since the last time they looked. The question remains though, is whether this very unfit (for cycling) blog author, will survive the new 50km route, without mechanical failure, several punctures and at a respectable time. I will try to interview as many people before and after as possible.