Unfortunatelly I couldn't finish the Addo 100 Miler this year (161km). I started suffering from nausea very early on, from say 20km in. This was on the Friday and it was already pretty warm. The night went ok and I hoped that like last year when the sun comes up I'll be a new man and nail it to the finish. Nausea never went away and had to stop every few kilos for dry heave and empty my stomach a bit. I eventually arrived at checkpoint 11 @ 96km around 11am on Saturday, dehydrated and still naar, the temperatures now past 40 degrees. I left there 30 minutes later after a shoe change and some sunblock. Next up was arguably one of the hardest parts of the course, hectic hills in hectic heat. At 102.6km, my body was done. I was fit enough and strong enough, but the conditions had me at the wrong time of the day at the wrong spot on the route. I sat down, as I had done plenty times in the previous 80km or so. 15 minutes later I heard a quad coming down the hill from the next checkpoint. It was the medic. He highly suggested I call it quits. I protested, but they had final say. 20 minutes later, at the next checkpoint, it took 3 towels dipped in ice-water to drop my temperature. I'll admit, I shed a few tears. Quitting isn't me. As as sat at the checkpoint the marshals started packing up camp. They had to wear gloves as the poles and the canvas was extremely hot. I later heard that on the hill where the medic called my race, temperatures of 50 degrees were measured. It was out of this world hot. I finished the 100 Miler last year, and I will again next year.
