Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[PhilipV]

16 hours ago, Chris_ said:

 

Plus one.

I'd rather read about the three out-of-body experiences @Jewbaccamust have had, the epic Jurassic Park scenery, how deep the hole was he had to dig himself out and how he never wants to do it again, but is doing it again in a months time. 

 

If he ends it with: "the torch did its job, lasted six days and seven nights.  8 out of ten Chillis rating " then Scotty will be happy as well, even if he doesn't know. 

 

 

[PhilipV]

On 5/25/2021 at 11:12 PM, ridr said:

. I don't think it's the shoes holding me back, although I am also pretty sure that my times would be quicker in the next%. Doubt I'd be much quicker in another brand's 'normal' shoes.

 

 

 

 

I had a similar thought while racing home to beat the rain last night. 

Ive had rather expensive fancy road shoes before, but last night I was in the Adu duramos, a relatively inexpensive pair I bought on markdown when money was tight, and I just realized how I haven't though about my feet in ages while wearing these.

Does anything matter more than that? 

[Jewbacca]

OK... Here goes

When I was 100% locked and loaded on the start line for the 200 miler, I started to put together the pieces of going upcountry for what should be, on paper, an amazing few days out on the trails.

Booking flights was somewhat of a novelty after the last 15 months, but with limited flights I had to book super early and late.

Tuesday Morning 3am the alarm goes off, waking me from my last slumber at home. Saying goodbye to the family I hopped into my Uber at 04:30, flight at 06:30 and arrived at OR Tambo just after 8 for a hearty breakfast and entirely too much coffee. On a whim I popped into the airport chemist and bought a tab of Kattaflam 'just in case'....

Ruan vd Merwe and Nicky Booyens rolled up at 11ish to get me and off we went!

Bla bla fast forward to the race start. 

With Bennie Roux having pulled out on the Tuesday because he was afraid of losing to Ruan and Andy Wesson still recovering from an injury, 9 of us on the start line was a pretty intimate affair. Sven Musica making us all uncomfortable with his camera while Frikkie and Eloff cracked beers and jokes with regularity. 

BANG! went the gun and off we went. I watched Ruan run off at 4:30/km and Nick Mulder and I loped along comfortably. I left Nick at the start of 'the magic forest' which is a 6.2km roughly 1000m climb up the Towebosch.

Feeling good, I went through to MacMac hut at 55km and 2600m ascent in 2nd feeling fresh and strong BUT very very sleepy. I decided to try to get ahead of it and get some sleep early. I woke up still a bit groggy but had to push on. Cruising up to MacMac pools and the falls was uneventful, and Then came the big drop to the swing bridge. I dropped in and hit the descent feeling good, got to the bottom and began the traverse along the gorge bottom. I got ahead of myself and decided to push/jog through there. 5 minutes later I stepped in a hole I hadn't seen and everything changed. I'm sure you've all stepped off the pavement thinking it was still flat? Yeah... So I had that sensation and then rocked all my weight through my now stuck left leg and hyper extended my knee. I heard some snap crackle and pop but it didn't hurt so I pulled my leg out, took 10 steps and realised something was wrong.

Oh dear. 2am, 80km in and something just went pop in the back of my leg. Anyway, what can you do?

I battled up the other side and finished to loop back to MacMac hut at sunrise. The leg was sore but manageable, the sun was up and the sleep monsters would be at bay for another 10 hours. I had a good feed, changed my socks and headed in to Pilgrims rest. Half way there things got bad. Pain was ripping through me and some awkward swelling was seriously hindering my movement. I sat down and had to talk myself through a HUGE mind shift from competing, to finishing. It might sound silly, but that was the 1st hurdle I overcame in getting this done. It's a big deal packing away race ambitions and embracing the fact that you are going to now need to dig incredible deep to just get to the end.

Anyway, I hit Pilgrims, had some chips and a coke, chatted to Nicky and Peter and headed off on the leg that would break everyones soul. 

Night time hit 120km in, the 1st stretch on the fire roads coming to an end. I was now nodding off every 2nd step, my pace had dropped off significantly and my pain smarties were wearing off but it was hours till I could take more without inducing kidney failure and extreme constipation. To be fair, they just sort of 'dulled the edge' enough for me to put one foot in front of the other.

I had a nap in the bushes and cracked on. Hitting the Prospectors trail at night was tough. The route is windy and feels like it goes in circles. The reflective tape was marked for the 100 milers, so was on the wrong side of the Aloes/trees/bushes, so one was forced to zoom right in on the GPS and waddle incredibly slowly following the path while constantly drifting off course. It is also incredibly rough under foot. The 'trail' is just rocks and grass which picks it's way around escarpments and up and over ridge lines. I stumbled, I fell, I stubbed my toes and I very quickly lost my sense of humour. I eventually made a shelter of felled pine saplings and crawled in out of the wind to nap for 90 minutes. To calm my mind, get off my feet and just recentre. I was starting to hate everything, which is a recipe for disaster. I got up and was accosted by Jaco and Eloff in the car who thought I had frozen to death. I hobbled on to blackhill aid station and they both fed me OBS and chicken mayo sandwiches. The OBS fired my soul and the sandwiches gave me some fuel. Friendly faces, smiles and banter made me forget my woes and push on.

The descent of roughly 1000m from the hut is awesome. I dropped down without incident and headed back to Pilgrims rest knowing I would soon have bagged 100 miles. My left leg started getting really sore and I started nodding off again. I lay down in some wheatgrass in the middle of the road and had some sweet slumber. I was woken by Dirk Potgieter and Peter Koedyk trundling up the road. I joined them and we headed back down the mountain together.

Dirk had decided he was done and was openly talking about stopping at Pilgrims. Peter agreed and as I was feeling so sorry for myself, I jumped on the DNF bandwagon, consoling myself with the fact that I had given it a crack, done 100 miles and been found short. The sun rose as we dropped into Pilgrims and suddenly I had doubts... The sunrise does incredible things to you out there and it brings warmth, energy and a primal 'new day' mentality.

We got to Pilgrims to find Lafras showered and in a tracksuit, obviously also not heading out. Dirk told Frikkie we had all decided to join Lafras and promptly began booking accommodation for himself for Friday night. I sat down, gingerly poked my now tree trunk left leg, looked at my feet and I called my mom. I told her my woes and her answer was one I will remember forever 'I'm sure you have good reasons for feeling the way you do, but if you pull out now it will haunt you forever'... Good old mum.

I ate some lasagne, changed my undies, had a poo, ate some more lasagne and as I was about to get ready to head out, Peter Koedyk stood up, loaded his pack and tole Frikkie he was off. I also told Frikkie I was heading out. The look on his face was worth the effort. He was stoked down to his core and I realised how we had almost betrayed him in throwing in the towel.

Peter and I then smashed the next leg. What took us 21 hours the day/night before we ticked off in 15 and suddenly we were back in the game! Thank you also to the unplanned trip to the airport chemist... The kattaflam was really helping to take the edge off once every 8 hours.

From here, things are a bit of a blur. Thee rain and the cold hit just after sunset. It was pouring, the wind was howling, the mist was thick. We made it up to the hut soaked and battered. I stayed a bit longer that Peter at the hut which was teaming with 100 milers, 50 milers and support staff. I was a bit overwhelmed and took ages to fumble out some new socks and eat.

Peter left at 03:45 and I left at 5am. I popped some pain smarties just before I left and decided I would push on while they were fresh. I smashed that leg. Like smashed it. I ran large bits of it, passed heaps of 100 milers, felt like a champ, but about 4km from the end my castle collapsed. I think I went out a bit hard. Pulling myself back together I crawled the last 4km back to the hut and enjoyed a good meal, clean socks and undies and a chat. Peter arrived as I was readying to leave, so we decided to head off together for the last stretch. We had formed a fantastic duo and it was awesome to chat and move, laughing and sharing the highs and lows. 

We then met up with Toby Reyneke and a snake of 100 milers all trudging off to the finish. The rain, wind, mist and cold engulfed us again as we headed over Mount Moody and mount Anderson and it was good to be moving in a group, even if the pace was a bit slow.

The aid station above the Towebosch descent was amazing. A roaring fire, hot Vetkoek, banana bread, roasted marshmallows.... Toy Dupper had produced the goods at a time we all needed it. A young Physio gently rubbed my leg and I will never forget that. I wouldn't have touched me. I was gross. 

I headed down into the forest and started passing the group. I came across people who had been in there for hours trying to pick their way down the slippery rocks and through/over the flowing rivers. The torrential rain made that path dangerous and very tricky. Being a bit of a gung ho who cares person who enjoys some rough and wild conditions under foot, I got down in a little under 2 hours with a gang of 'lost boys' following me out. I was cold, I was soaked, I was in agony and I was suddenly very, very sleepy.

I waited for Peter to pop out and we headed off. I was a mess. I couldn't do anything. Without telling either Peter or John Carter who were on either side of me, I slipped off into the bushes about 12km from the finish and lay down to die. It might seem silly, but at that stage, 12km might have been 500km and 100m seemed too far. I pulled on my thermals over my clothes, curled into a ball and shivered myself to sleep. 

I woke up with a start about 90 minutes later. I was freezing but I suddenly had the will to get this done. I wasn't going to die in this ditch!!!! I tried for about 5 minutes to get out of the ditch and nothing worked. Maybe I was going to die in this ditch. I used my poles and managed to roll up the small lip and onto the road. I fumbled around a bit, stood up and then started moving. I started counting down 100m sections. They seemed to take forever. Suddenly I had 10km to go, then I hit Ceylon hut, the last aid station 9.6km from the end. Coffee, soup, some sweeties.... can't stay, must keep moving! 

Crawled off and remembered I had a fully charged cell phone..... I pulled it out and went full Cape Town gangsta blearing 90s punk at full volume from the speaker. Suddenly NOFX and Fat Mike had me singing and running, Pennywise had me forgetting the pain, Pulley had me fully engaged in their 60 cycle hum, the sun was starting to rise, Lagwagon and Propaghandi were taking me home....

I came to the river crossing and wait for it, fell into the river bending one of my hiking poles. I didn't care. I ran soaking wet on wonky legs and wonky poles into the camp site. People clapped, Sven was following me with his camera, the finish!!!! 

I don't remember much. I hugger Frikkie and Eloff, Maretha put a blanket on me, Frikkie gave me a 1L breakfast beer. I chatted to the medics, I chatted to Peter, I had another breakfast beer. 

It was over. I was broken but had beaten the cut off, been battered but not defeated by a brutal, unforgettable event. 

One of the things that really added to my stoke was the fact that Peter and I had stuck it out. Had the race only had 3 finishers in Ruan van der Merwe, Nick Mulder and Nicky Booyens, all trail running legends/royalty/perennial winners, it would have painted a different picture. The fact that 2 'no name brand' runners managed to get it done just shows that with a bit of grit and determination, even regular folk can get it done!

Thanks for reading. I'm sure it's boring and long and unnecessary, a bit like some parts of the race!.

Sitting back now waiting for the sponsors to call.........

OH.... The Silva Torch was unfortunately not a multi day event winner. Chris was right. Burn time is not great. It IS however the most comfortable and well balanced torch I have ever used. If you just need one for a few hours or the odd night I would seriously recommend it. You can even buy mine. Used at one race, mint condition. I have already ordered a Black Diamond Icon 700 for Tusker in July...... 

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Jewbacca
spelling and pictures!

[Chris_]

Hahaha @Jewbacca you biscuit! What an epic tale

[Shebeen]

On 5/25/2021 at 11:12 PM, ridr said:

I've been running in the Mr P shoes for over 5 years now. I reckon they have to be as fast as the Adidas shoes I was running in 20 years ago. Ran a 2:41 marathon in a pair of Maxed and sub-17:30 5km TT's. I don't think it's the shoes holding me back, although I am also pretty sure that my times would be quicker in the next%. Doubt I'd be much quicker in another brand's 'normal' shoes.

I buy a few pairs at a time. Not much info on the shoes and I often buy the ones labeled 'gym' shoes too not just the 'running' ones. I know what works for me. I eyeball the drop and stack height and check flexibility of the sole. And try them on for comfort. I've even bought a few pairs at a time online and then just return the ones I don't like when they arrive. I think there are 2 or 3 pairs that didn't work for me for running, but I am still able to use them for casual wear. A few pairs are quite soft in the forefoot, which makes them not great over longer distances. And for proper trail running and longer trails, I've now learnt you can't beat a proper trail shoe (after doing a few 40 - 60km mountain runs in my Maxed trail and road running shoes). For road running and shorter easy trails there's nothing wrong with my Mr P shoes. I have got to over 1000km in a few pairs, but I don't feel that I have to get crazy mileage out of them because some of my older pairs only cost R300 or less. I like being able to rotate between different pairs with different uppers and lowers every day of the week if I want to.

I got the new Zeus carbon plate shoe about 2 weeks ago and did a marathon in the Cradle with them basically out of the box. First half was great, but my legs fell apart in the harder second half and ended a few seconds over 3 hours after aiming for about a 2:50. I don't think any brand of shoes would have saved me! I am really impressed with the feel and comfort of the upper and laces of the Zeus. I think they're possibly the most comfortable shoes I've ever run in. The carbon plate thing had me confused when I looked under the shoe and saw the metal weave, but if you look under the inner sole you can see a small carbon plate there. I don't know if it makes any difference in these shoes.

I initially wasn't going to buy the Zeus because of the increased price tag now on the newer Maxed shoes - I first went to try on shoes from every other brand, because I thought at that price I could just by a big brand shoe for not much more - but after trying on a whole lot of shoes and then trying on the Zeus it was the most comfortable and still half to 2/3 cheaper than everything else I tried on. I also ended up with a pair of the Elite Nation all white (running) 'gym' shoes ???? and really like the feel of the new Marathon Racer so far.

 

 

 

I don't do that much long distance road, but did my experiment on the MrP marathon race model about 2 years ago. For R400 I can't complain, the stitching is a bit lightweight but not really an issue. I'll buy them again, in fact it's probably time already.

If I was a high mileage road runner id look at rotating a few pairs

[SwissVan]

On 5/29/2021 at 10:16 AM, Jewbacca said:

OK... Here goes

When I was 100% locked and loaded on the start line for the 200 miler, I started to put together the pieces of going upcountry for what should be, on paper, an amazing few days out on the trails.

Booking flights was somewhat of a novelty after the last 15 months, but with limited flights I had to book super early and late.

Tuesday Morning 3am the alarm goes off, waking me from my last slumber at home. Saying goodbye to the family I hopped into my Uber at 04:30, flight at 06:30 and arrived at OR Tambo just after 8 for a hearty breakfast and entirely too much coffee. On a whim I popped into the airport chemist and bought a tab of Kattaflam 'just in case'....

Ruan vd Merwe and Nicky Booyens rolled up at 11ish to get me and off we went!

Bla bla fast forward to the race start. 

With Bennie Roux having pulled out on the Tuesday because he was afraid of losing to Ruan and Andy Wesson still recovering from an injury, 9 of us on the start line was a pretty intimate affair. Sven Musica making us all uncomfortable with his camera while Frikkie and Eloff cracked beers and jokes with regularity. 

BANG! went the gun and off we went. I watched Ruan run off at 4:30/km and Nick Mulder and I loped along comfortably. I left Nick at the start of 'the magic forest' which is a 6.2km roughly 1000m climb up the Towebosch.

Feeling good, I went through to MacMac hut at 55km and 2600m ascent in 2nd feeling fresh and strong BUT very very sleepy. I decided to try to get ahead of it and get some sleep early. I woke up still a bit groggy but had to push on. Cruising up to MacMac pools and the falls was uneventful, and Then came the big drop to the swing bridge. I dropped in and hit the descent feeling good, got to the bottom and began the traverse along the gorge bottom. I got ahead of myself and decided to push/jog through there. 5 minutes later I stepped in a hole I hadn't seen and everything changed. I'm sure you've all stepped off the pavement thinking it was still flat? Yeah... So I had that sensation and then rocked all my weight through my now stuck left leg and hyper extended my knee. I heard some snap crackle and pop but it didn't hurt so I pulled my leg out, took 10 steps and realised something was wrong.

Oh dear. 2am, 80km in and something just went pop in the back of my leg. Anyway, what can you do?

I battled up the other side and finished to loop back to MacMac hut at sunrise. The leg was sore but manageable, the sun was up and the sleep monsters would be at bay for another 10 hours. I had a good feed, changed my socks and headed in to Pilgrims rest. Half way there things got bad. Pain was ripping through me and some awkward swelling was seriously hindering my movement. I sat down and had to talk myself through a HUGE mind shift from competing, to finishing. It might sound silly, but that was the 1st hurdle I overcame in getting this done. It's a big deal packing away race ambitions and embracing the fact that you are going to now need to dig incredible deep to just get to the end.

Anyway, I hit Pilgrims, had some chips and a coke, chatted to Nicky and Peter and headed off on the leg that would break everyones soul. 

Night time hit 120km in, the 1st stretch on the fire roads coming to an end. I was now nodding off every 2nd step, my pace had dropped off significantly and my pain smarties were wearing off but it was hours till I could take more without inducing kidney failure and extreme constipation. To be fair, they just sort of 'dulled the edge' enough for me to put one foot in front of the other.

I had a nap in the bushes and cracked on. Hitting the Prospectors trail at night was tough. The route is windy and feels like it goes in circles. The reflective tape was marked for the 100 milers, so was on the wrong side of the Aloes/trees/bushes, so one was forced to zoom right in on the GPS and waddle incredibly slowly following the path while constantly drifting off course. It is also incredibly rough under foot. The 'trail' is just rocks and grass which picks it's way around escarpments and up and over ridge lines. I stumbled, I fell, I stubbed my toes and I very quickly lost my sense of humour. I eventually made a shelter of felled pine saplings and crawled in out of the wind to nap for 90 minutes. To calm my mind, get off my feet and just recentre. I was starting to hate everything, which is a recipe for disaster. I got up and was accosted by Jaco and Eloff in the car who thought I had frozen to death. I hobbled on to blackhill aid station and they both fed me OBS and chicken mayo sandwiches. The OBS fired my soul and the sandwiches gave me some fuel. Friendly faces, smiles and banter made me forget my woes and push on.

The descent of roughly 1000m from the hut is awesome. I dropped down without incident and headed back to Pilgrims rest knowing I would soon have bagged 100 miles. My left leg started getting really sore and I started nodding off again. I lay down in some wheatgrass in the middle of the road and had some sweet slumber. I was woken by Dirk Potgieter and Peter Koedyk trundling up the road. I joined them and we headed back down the mountain together.

Dirk had decided he was done and was openly talking about stopping at Pilgrims. Peter agreed and as I was feeling so sorry for myself, I jumped on the DNF bandwagon, consoling myself with the fact that I had given it a crack, done 100 miles and been found short. The sun rose as we dropped into Pilgrims and suddenly I had doubts... The sunrise does incredible things to you out there and it brings warmth, energy and a primal 'new day' mentality.

We got to Pilgrims to find Lafras showered and in a tracksuit, obviously also not heading out. Dirk told Frikkie we had all decided to join Lafras and promptly began booking accommodation for himself for Friday night. I sat down, gingerly poked my now tree trunk left leg, looked at my feet and I called my mom. I told her my woes and her answer was one I will remember forever 'I'm sure you have good reasons for feeling the way you do, but if you pull out now it will haunt you forever'... Good old mum.

I ate some lasagne, changed my undies, had a poo, ate some more lasagne and as I was about to get ready to head out, Peter Koedyk stood up, loaded his pack and tole Frikkie he was off. I also told Frikkie I was heading out. The look on his face was worth the effort. He was stoked down to his core and I realised how we had almost betrayed him in throwing in the towel.

Peter and I then smashed the next leg. What took us 21 hours the day/night before we ticked off in 15 and suddenly we were back in the game! Thank you also to the unplanned trip to the airport chemist... The kattaflam was really helping to take the edge off once every 8 hours.

From here, things are a bit of a blur. Thee rain and the cold hit just after sunset. It was pouring, the wind was howling, the mist was thick. We made it up to the hut soaked and battered. I stayed a bit longer that Peter at the hut which was teaming with 100 milers, 50 milers and support staff. I was a bit overwhelmed and took ages to fumble out some new socks and eat.

Peter left at 03:45 and I left at 5am. I popped some pain smarties just before I left and decided I would push on while they were fresh. I smashed that leg. Like smashed it. I ran large bits of it, passed heaps of 100 milers, felt like a champ, but about 4km from the end my castle collapsed. I think I went out a bit hard. Pulling myself back together I crawled the last 4km back to the hut and enjoyed a good meal, clean socks and undies and a chat. Peter arrived as I was readying to leave, so we decided to head off together for the last stretch. We had formed a fantastic duo and it was awesome to chat and move, laughing and sharing the highs and lows. 

We then met up with Toby Reyneke and a snake of 100 milers all trudging off to the finish. The rain, wind, mist and cold engulfed us again as we headed over Mount Moody and mount Anderson and it was good to be moving in a group, even if the pace was a bit slow.

The aid station above the Towebosch descent was amazing. A roaring fire, hot Vetkoek, banana bread, roasted marshmallows.... Toy Dupper had produced the goods at a time we all needed it. A young Physio gently rubbed my leg and I will never forget that. I wouldn't have touched me. I was gross. 

I headed down into the forest and started passing the group. I came across people who had been in there for hours trying to pick their way down the slippery rocks and through/over the flowing rivers. The torrential rain made that path dangerous and very tricky. Being a bit of a gung ho who cares person who enjoys some rough and wild conditions under foot, I got down in a little under 2 hours with a gang of 'lost boys' following me out. I was cold, I was soaked, I was in agony and I was suddenly very, very sleepy.

I waited for Peter to pop out and we headed off. I was a mess. I couldn't do anything. Without telling either Peter or John Carter who were on either side of me, I slipped off into the bushes about 12km from the finish and lay down to die. It might seem silly, but at that stage, 12km might have been 500km and 100m seemed too far. I pulled on my thermals over my clothes, curled into a ball and shivered myself to sleep. 

I woke up with a start about 90 minutes later. I was freezing but I suddenly had the will to get this done. I wasn't going to die in this ditch!!!! I tried for about 5 minutes to get out of the ditch and nothing worked. Maybe I was going to die in this ditch. I used my poles and managed to roll up the small lip and onto the road. I fumbled around a bit, stood up and then started moving. I started counting down 100m sections. They seemed to take forever. Suddenly I had 10km to go, then I hit Ceylon hut, the last aid station 9.6km from the end. Coffee, soup, some sweeties.... can't stay, must keep moving! 

Crawled off and remembered I had a fully charged cell phone..... I pulled it out and went full Cape Town gangsta blearing 90s punk at full volume from the speaker. Suddenly NOFX and Fat Mike had me singing and running, Pennywise had me forgetting the pain, Pulley had me fully engaged in their 60 cycle hum, the sun was starting to rise, Lagwagon and Propaghandi were taking me home....

I came to the river crossing and wait for it, fell into the river bending one of my hiking poles. I didn't care. I ran soaking wet on wonky legs and wonky poles into the camp site. People clapped, Sven was following me with his camera, the finish!!!! 

I don't remember much. I hugger Frikkie and Eloff, Maretha put a blanket on me, Frikkie gave me a 1L breakfast beer. I chatted to the medics, I chatted to Peter, I had another breakfast beer. 

It was over. I was broken but had beaten the cut off, been battered but not defeated by a brutal, unforgettable event. 

One of the things that really added to my stoke was the fact that Peter and I had stuck it out. Had the race only had 3 finishers in Ruan van der Merwe, Nick Mulder and Nicky Booyens, all trail running legends/royalty/perennial winners, it would have painted a different picture. The fact that 2 'no name brand' runners managed to get it done just shows that with a bit of grit and determination, even regular folk can get it done!

Thanks for reading. I'm sure it's boring and long and unnecessary, a bit like some parts of the race!.

Sitting back now waiting for the sponsors to call.........

OH.... The Silva Torch was unfortunately not a multi day event winner. Chris was right. Burn time is not great. It IS however the most comfortable and well balanced torch I have ever used. If you just need one for a few hours or the odd night I would seriously recommend it. You can even buy mine. Used at one race, mint condition. I have already ordered a Black Diamond Icon 700 for Tusker in July...... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well done

Your Mums words are so true ???? been there

[Shebeen]

On 5/29/2021 at 10:16 AM, Jewbacca said:

OK... Here goes

When I was 100% locked and loaded on the start line for the 200 miler, I started to put together the pieces of going upcountry for what should be, on paper, an amazing few days out on the trails.

Booking flights was somewhat of a novelty after the last 15 months, but with limited flights I had to book super early and late.

Tuesday Morning 3am the alarm goes off, waking me from my last slumber at home. Saying goodbye to the family I hopped into my Uber at 04:30, flight at 06:30 and arrived at OR Tambo just after 8 for a hearty breakfast and entirely too much coffee. On a whim I popped into the airport chemist and bought a tab of Kattaflam 'just in case'....

Ruan vd Merwe and Nicky Booyens rolled up at 11ish to get me and off we went!

Bla bla fast forward to the race start. 

With Bennie Roux having pulled out on the Tuesday because he was afraid of losing to Ruan and Andy Wesson still recovering from an injury, 9 of us on the start line was a pretty intimate affair. Sven Musica making us all uncomfortable with his camera while Frikkie and Eloff cracked beers and jokes with regularity. 

BANG! went the gun and off we went. I watched Ruan run off at 4:30/km and Nick Mulder and I loped along comfortably. I left Nick at the start of 'the magic forest' which is a 6.2km roughly 1000m climb up the Towebosch.

Feeling good, I went through to MacMac hut at 55km and 2600m ascent in 2nd feeling fresh and strong BUT very very sleepy. I decided to try to get ahead of it and get some sleep early. I woke up still a bit groggy but had to push on. Cruising up to MacMac pools and the falls was uneventful, and Then came the big drop to the swing bridge. I dropped in and hit the descent feeling good, got to the bottom and began the traverse along the gorge bottom. I got ahead of myself and decided to push/jog through there. 5 minutes later I stepped in a hole I hadn't seen and everything changed. I'm sure you've all stepped off the pavement thinking it was still flat? Yeah... So I had that sensation and then rocked all my weight through my now stuck left leg and hyper extended my knee. I heard some snap crackle and pop but it didn't hurt so I pulled my leg out, took 10 steps and realised something was wrong.

Oh dear. 2am, 80km in and something just went pop in the back of my leg. Anyway, what can you do?

I battled up the other side and finished to loop back to MacMac hut at sunrise. The leg was sore but manageable, the sun was up and the sleep monsters would be at bay for another 10 hours. I had a good feed, changed my socks and headed in to Pilgrims rest. Half way there things got bad. Pain was ripping through me and some awkward swelling was seriously hindering my movement. I sat down and had to talk myself through a HUGE mind shift from competing, to finishing. It might sound silly, but that was the 1st hurdle I overcame in getting this done. It's a big deal packing away race ambitions and embracing the fact that you are going to now need to dig incredible deep to just get to the end.

Anyway, I hit Pilgrims, had some chips and a coke, chatted to Nicky and Peter and headed off on the leg that would break everyones soul. 

Night time hit 120km in, the 1st stretch on the fire roads coming to an end. I was now nodding off every 2nd step, my pace had dropped off significantly and my pain smarties were wearing off but it was hours till I could take more without inducing kidney failure and extreme constipation. To be fair, they just sort of 'dulled the edge' enough for me to put one foot in front of the other.

I had a nap in the bushes and cracked on. Hitting the Prospectors trail at night was tough. The route is windy and feels like it goes in circles. The reflective tape was marked for the 100 milers, so was on the wrong side of the Aloes/trees/bushes, so one was forced to zoom right in on the GPS and waddle incredibly slowly following the path while constantly drifting off course. It is also incredibly rough under foot. The 'trail' is just rocks and grass which picks it's way around escarpments and up and over ridge lines. I stumbled, I fell, I stubbed my toes and I very quickly lost my sense of humour. I eventually made a shelter of felled pine saplings and crawled in out of the wind to nap for 90 minutes. To calm my mind, get off my feet and just recentre. I was starting to hate everything, which is a recipe for disaster. I got up and was accosted by Jaco and Eloff in the car who thought I had frozen to death. I hobbled on to blackhill aid station and they both fed me OBS and chicken mayo sandwiches. The OBS fired my soul and the sandwiches gave me some fuel. Friendly faces, smiles and banter made me forget my woes and push on.

The descent of roughly 1000m from the hut is awesome. I dropped down without incident and headed back to Pilgrims rest knowing I would soon have bagged 100 miles. My left leg started getting really sore and I started nodding off again. I lay down in some wheatgrass in the middle of the road and had some sweet slumber. I was woken by Dirk Potgieter and Peter Koedyk trundling up the road. I joined them and we headed back down the mountain together.

Dirk had decided he was done and was openly talking about stopping at Pilgrims. Peter agreed and as I was feeling so sorry for myself, I jumped on the DNF bandwagon, consoling myself with the fact that I had given it a crack, done 100 miles and been found short. The sun rose as we dropped into Pilgrims and suddenly I had doubts... The sunrise does incredible things to you out there and it brings warmth, energy and a primal 'new day' mentality.

We got to Pilgrims to find Lafras showered and in a tracksuit, obviously also not heading out. Dirk told Frikkie we had all decided to join Lafras and promptly began booking accommodation for himself for Friday night. I sat down, gingerly poked my now tree trunk left leg, looked at my feet and I called my mom. I told her my woes and her answer was one I will remember forever 'I'm sure you have good reasons for feeling the way you do, but if you pull out now it will haunt you forever'... Good old mum.

I ate some lasagne, changed my undies, had a poo, ate some more lasagne and as I was about to get ready to head out, Peter Koedyk stood up, loaded his pack and tole Frikkie he was off. I also told Frikkie I was heading out. The look on his face was worth the effort. He was stoked down to his core and I realised how we had almost betrayed him in throwing in the towel.

Peter and I then smashed the next leg. What took us 21 hours the day/night before we ticked off in 15 and suddenly we were back in the game! Thank you also to the unplanned trip to the airport chemist... The kattaflam was really helping to take the edge off once every 8 hours.

From here, things are a bit of a blur. Thee rain and the cold hit just after sunset. It was pouring, the wind was howling, the mist was thick. We made it up to the hut soaked and battered. I stayed a bit longer that Peter at the hut which was teaming with 100 milers, 50 milers and support staff. I was a bit overwhelmed and took ages to fumble out some new socks and eat.

Peter left at 03:45 and I left at 5am. I popped some pain smarties just before I left and decided I would push on while they were fresh. I smashed that leg. Like smashed it. I ran large bits of it, passed heaps of 100 milers, felt like a champ, but about 4km from the end my castle collapsed. I think I went out a bit hard. Pulling myself back together I crawled the last 4km back to the hut and enjoyed a good meal, clean socks and undies and a chat. Peter arrived as I was readying to leave, so we decided to head off together for the last stretch. We had formed a fantastic duo and it was awesome to chat and move, laughing and sharing the highs and lows. 

We then met up with Toby Reyneke and a snake of 100 milers all trudging off to the finish. The rain, wind, mist and cold engulfed us again as we headed over Mount Moody and mount Anderson and it was good to be moving in a group, even if the pace was a bit slow.

The aid station above the Towebosch descent was amazing. A roaring fire, hot Vetkoek, banana bread, roasted marshmallows.... Toy Dupper had produced the goods at a time we all needed it. A young Physio gently rubbed my leg and I will never forget that. I wouldn't have touched me. I was gross. 

I headed down into the forest and started passing the group. I came across people who had been in there for hours trying to pick their way down the slippery rocks and through/over the flowing rivers. The torrential rain made that path dangerous and very tricky. Being a bit of a gung ho who cares person who enjoys some rough and wild conditions under foot, I got down in a little under 2 hours with a gang of 'lost boys' following me out. I was cold, I was soaked, I was in agony and I was suddenly very, very sleepy.

I waited for Peter to pop out and we headed off. I was a mess. I couldn't do anything. Without telling either Peter or John Carter who were on either side of me, I slipped off into the bushes about 12km from the finish and lay down to die. It might seem silly, but at that stage, 12km might have been 500km and 100m seemed too far. I pulled on my thermals over my clothes, curled into a ball and shivered myself to sleep. 

I woke up with a start about 90 minutes later. I was freezing but I suddenly had the will to get this done. I wasn't going to die in this ditch!!!! I tried for about 5 minutes to get out of the ditch and nothing worked. Maybe I was going to die in this ditch. I used my poles and managed to roll up the small lip and onto the road. I fumbled around a bit, stood up and then started moving. I started counting down 100m sections. They seemed to take forever. Suddenly I had 10km to go, then I hit Ceylon hut, the last aid station 9.6km from the end. Coffee, soup, some sweeties.... can't stay, must keep moving! 

Crawled off and remembered I had a fully charged cell phone..... I pulled it out and went full Cape Town gangsta blearing 90s punk at full volume from the speaker. Suddenly NOFX and Fat Mike had me singing and running, Pennywise had me forgetting the pain, Pulley had me fully engaged in their 60 cycle hum, the sun was starting to rise, Lagwagon and Propaghandi were taking me home....

I came to the river crossing and wait for it, fell into the river bending one of my hiking poles. I didn't care. I ran soaking wet on wonky legs and wonky poles into the camp site. People clapped, Sven was following me with his camera, the finish!!!! 

I don't remember much. I hugger Frikkie and Eloff, Maretha put a blanket on me, Frikkie gave me a 1L breakfast beer. I chatted to the medics, I chatted to Peter, I had another breakfast beer. 

It was over. I was broken but had beaten the cut off, been battered but not defeated by a brutal, unforgettable event. 

One of the things that really added to my stoke was the fact that Peter and I had stuck it out. Had the race only had 3 finishers in Ruan van der Merwe, Nick Mulder and Nicky Booyens, all trail running legends/royalty/perennial winners, it would have painted a different picture. The fact that 2 'no name brand' runners managed to get it done just shows that with a bit of grit and determination, even regular folk can get it done!

Thanks for reading. I'm sure it's boring and long and unnecessary, a bit like some parts of the race!.

Sitting back now waiting for the sponsors to call.........

OH.... The Silva Torch was unfortunately not a multi day event winner. Chris was right. Burn time is not great. It IS however the most comfortable and well balanced torch I have ever used. If you just need one for a few hours or the odd night I would seriously recommend it. You can even buy mine. Used at one race, mint condition. I have already ordered a Black Diamond Icon 700 for Tusker in July...... 

 

Awesome race report! Surely there's a prize for the first Mc to finish the MacMac?

[Wayne Potgieter]

@Jewbacca What a great story. Well done. It was fantastic to read and you have a talent for putting mind over matter as well as writing. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Jewbacca]

5 hours ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

@Jewbacca What a great story. Well done. It was fantastic to read and you have a talent for putting mind over matter as well as writing. Thank you for sharing.

 

I'm expecting one from you too later in the year! Hopefully a bit less of a debacle and more of a smooth sailing report!

Also, anyone reading this with a spare  2dollars/5zar, please think about donating to my Tusker project run. The fund is set up by the organisers to raise money for the eden to addo mega reserve project.

I will be running close to 400km in July.... Any donations are hugely appreciated. 

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/guy-twc

(excuse the selfless plug)

Edited May 31, 2021 by Jewbacca

[Wayne Potgieter]

34 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

I'm expecting one from you too later in the year! Hopefully a bit less of a debacle and more of a smooth sailing report!

Also, anyone reading this with a spare  2dollars/5zar, please think about donating to my Tusker project run. The fund is set up by the organisers to raise money for the eden to addo mega reserve project.

I will be running close to 400km in July.... Any donations are hugely appreciated. 

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/guy-twc

(excuse the selfless plug)

What a great cause. Donation Made!

[Jewbacca]

32 minutes ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

What a great cause. Donation Made!

Thank you so much Wayne. I really appreciate it!

I'm looking forward to traversing my old stomping grounds, having spent large parts of my life in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route.

[RABUBI]

For those that are looking for a duathlon in Gauteng this weekend

https://www.entryninja.com/events/76729-gosport-cross-duathlon-1

 

[Jaws677]

.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Jaws677

[JuddMan]

On 5/29/2021 at 10:16 AM, Jewbacca said:

OK... Here goes

When I was 100% locked and loaded on the start line for the 200 miler, I started to put together the pieces of going upcountry for what should be, on paper, an amazing few days out on the trails.

Booking flights was somewhat of a novelty after the last 15 months, but with limited flights I had to book super early and late.

Tuesday Morning 3am the alarm goes off, waking me from my last slumber at home. Saying goodbye to the family I hopped into my Uber at 04:30, flight at 06:30 and arrived at OR Tambo just after 8 for a hearty breakfast and entirely too much coffee. On a whim I popped into the airport chemist and bought a tab of Kattaflam 'just in case'....

Ruan vd Merwe and Nicky Booyens rolled up at 11ish to get me and off we went!

Bla bla fast forward to the race start. 

With Bennie Roux having pulled out on the Tuesday because he was afraid of losing to Ruan and Andy Wesson still recovering from an injury, 9 of us on the start line was a pretty intimate affair. Sven Musica making us all uncomfortable with his camera while Frikkie and Eloff cracked beers and jokes with regularity. 

BANG! went the gun and off we went. I watched Ruan run off at 4:30/km and Nick Mulder and I loped along comfortably. I left Nick at the start of 'the magic forest' which is a 6.2km roughly 1000m climb up the Towebosch.

Feeling good, I went through to MacMac hut at 55km and 2600m ascent in 2nd feeling fresh and strong BUT very very sleepy. I decided to try to get ahead of it and get some sleep early. I woke up still a bit groggy but had to push on. Cruising up to MacMac pools and the falls was uneventful, and Then came the big drop to the swing bridge. I dropped in and hit the descent feeling good, got to the bottom and began the traverse along the gorge bottom. I got ahead of myself and decided to push/jog through there. 5 minutes later I stepped in a hole I hadn't seen and everything changed. I'm sure you've all stepped off the pavement thinking it was still flat? Yeah... So I had that sensation and then rocked all my weight through my now stuck left leg and hyper extended my knee. I heard some snap crackle and pop but it didn't hurt so I pulled my leg out, took 10 steps and realised something was wrong.

Oh dear. 2am, 80km in and something just went pop in the back of my leg. Anyway, what can you do?

I battled up the other side and finished to loop back to MacMac hut at sunrise. The leg was sore but manageable, the sun was up and the sleep monsters would be at bay for another 10 hours. I had a good feed, changed my socks and headed in to Pilgrims rest. Half way there things got bad. Pain was ripping through me and some awkward swelling was seriously hindering my movement. I sat down and had to talk myself through a HUGE mind shift from competing, to finishing. It might sound silly, but that was the 1st hurdle I overcame in getting this done. It's a big deal packing away race ambitions and embracing the fact that you are going to now need to dig incredible deep to just get to the end.

Anyway, I hit Pilgrims, had some chips and a coke, chatted to Nicky and Peter and headed off on the leg that would break everyones soul. 

Night time hit 120km in, the 1st stretch on the fire roads coming to an end. I was now nodding off every 2nd step, my pace had dropped off significantly and my pain smarties were wearing off but it was hours till I could take more without inducing kidney failure and extreme constipation. To be fair, they just sort of 'dulled the edge' enough for me to put one foot in front of the other.

I had a nap in the bushes and cracked on. Hitting the Prospectors trail at night was tough. The route is windy and feels like it goes in circles. The reflective tape was marked for the 100 milers, so was on the wrong side of the Aloes/trees/bushes, so one was forced to zoom right in on the GPS and waddle incredibly slowly following the path while constantly drifting off course. It is also incredibly rough under foot. The 'trail' is just rocks and grass which picks it's way around escarpments and up and over ridge lines. I stumbled, I fell, I stubbed my toes and I very quickly lost my sense of humour. I eventually made a shelter of felled pine saplings and crawled in out of the wind to nap for 90 minutes. To calm my mind, get off my feet and just recentre. I was starting to hate everything, which is a recipe for disaster. I got up and was accosted by Jaco and Eloff in the car who thought I had frozen to death. I hobbled on to blackhill aid station and they both fed me OBS and chicken mayo sandwiches. The OBS fired my soul and the sandwiches gave me some fuel. Friendly faces, smiles and banter made me forget my woes and push on.

The descent of roughly 1000m from the hut is awesome. I dropped down without incident and headed back to Pilgrims rest knowing I would soon have bagged 100 miles. My left leg started getting really sore and I started nodding off again. I lay down in some wheatgrass in the middle of the road and had some sweet slumber. I was woken by Dirk Potgieter and Peter Koedyk trundling up the road. I joined them and we headed back down the mountain together.

Dirk had decided he was done and was openly talking about stopping at Pilgrims. Peter agreed and as I was feeling so sorry for myself, I jumped on the DNF bandwagon, consoling myself with the fact that I had given it a crack, done 100 miles and been found short. The sun rose as we dropped into Pilgrims and suddenly I had doubts... The sunrise does incredible things to you out there and it brings warmth, energy and a primal 'new day' mentality.

We got to Pilgrims to find Lafras showered and in a tracksuit, obviously also not heading out. Dirk told Frikkie we had all decided to join Lafras and promptly began booking accommodation for himself for Friday night. I sat down, gingerly poked my now tree trunk left leg, looked at my feet and I called my mom. I told her my woes and her answer was one I will remember forever 'I'm sure you have good reasons for feeling the way you do, but if you pull out now it will haunt you forever'... Good old mum.

I ate some lasagne, changed my undies, had a poo, ate some more lasagne and as I was about to get ready to head out, Peter Koedyk stood up, loaded his pack and tole Frikkie he was off. I also told Frikkie I was heading out. The look on his face was worth the effort. He was stoked down to his core and I realised how we had almost betrayed him in throwing in the towel.

Peter and I then smashed the next leg. What took us 21 hours the day/night before we ticked off in 15 and suddenly we were back in the game! Thank you also to the unplanned trip to the airport chemist... The kattaflam was really helping to take the edge off once every 8 hours.

From here, things are a bit of a blur. Thee rain and the cold hit just after sunset. It was pouring, the wind was howling, the mist was thick. We made it up to the hut soaked and battered. I stayed a bit longer that Peter at the hut which was teaming with 100 milers, 50 milers and support staff. I was a bit overwhelmed and took ages to fumble out some new socks and eat.

Peter left at 03:45 and I left at 5am. I popped some pain smarties just before I left and decided I would push on while they were fresh. I smashed that leg. Like smashed it. I ran large bits of it, passed heaps of 100 milers, felt like a champ, but about 4km from the end my castle collapsed. I think I went out a bit hard. Pulling myself back together I crawled the last 4km back to the hut and enjoyed a good meal, clean socks and undies and a chat. Peter arrived as I was readying to leave, so we decided to head off together for the last stretch. We had formed a fantastic duo and it was awesome to chat and move, laughing and sharing the highs and lows. 

We then met up with Toby Reyneke and a snake of 100 milers all trudging off to the finish. The rain, wind, mist and cold engulfed us again as we headed over Mount Moody and mount Anderson and it was good to be moving in a group, even if the pace was a bit slow.

The aid station above the Towebosch descent was amazing. A roaring fire, hot Vetkoek, banana bread, roasted marshmallows.... Toy Dupper had produced the goods at a time we all needed it. A young Physio gently rubbed my leg and I will never forget that. I wouldn't have touched me. I was gross. 

I headed down into the forest and started passing the group. I came across people who had been in there for hours trying to pick their way down the slippery rocks and through/over the flowing rivers. The torrential rain made that path dangerous and very tricky. Being a bit of a gung ho who cares person who enjoys some rough and wild conditions under foot, I got down in a little under 2 hours with a gang of 'lost boys' following me out. I was cold, I was soaked, I was in agony and I was suddenly very, very sleepy.

I waited for Peter to pop out and we headed off. I was a mess. I couldn't do anything. Without telling either Peter or John Carter who were on either side of me, I slipped off into the bushes about 12km from the finish and lay down to die. It might seem silly, but at that stage, 12km might have been 500km and 100m seemed too far. I pulled on my thermals over my clothes, curled into a ball and shivered myself to sleep. 

I woke up with a start about 90 minutes later. I was freezing but I suddenly had the will to get this done. I wasn't going to die in this ditch!!!! I tried for about 5 minutes to get out of the ditch and nothing worked. Maybe I was going to die in this ditch. I used my poles and managed to roll up the small lip and onto the road. I fumbled around a bit, stood up and then started moving. I started counting down 100m sections. They seemed to take forever. Suddenly I had 10km to go, then I hit Ceylon hut, the last aid station 9.6km from the end. Coffee, soup, some sweeties.... can't stay, must keep moving! 

Crawled off and remembered I had a fully charged cell phone..... I pulled it out and went full Cape Town gangsta blearing 90s punk at full volume from the speaker. Suddenly NOFX and Fat Mike had me singing and running, Pennywise had me forgetting the pain, Pulley had me fully engaged in their 60 cycle hum, the sun was starting to rise, Lagwagon and Propaghandi were taking me home....

I came to the river crossing and wait for it, fell into the river bending one of my hiking poles. I didn't care. I ran soaking wet on wonky legs and wonky poles into the camp site. People clapped, Sven was following me with his camera, the finish!!!! 

I don't remember much. I hugger Frikkie and Eloff, Maretha put a blanket on me, Frikkie gave me a 1L breakfast beer. I chatted to the medics, I chatted to Peter, I had another breakfast beer. 

It was over. I was broken but had beaten the cut off, been battered but not defeated by a brutal, unforgettable event. 

One of the things that really added to my stoke was the fact that Peter and I had stuck it out. Had the race only had 3 finishers in Ruan van der Merwe, Nick Mulder and Nicky Booyens, all trail running legends/royalty/perennial winners, it would have painted a different picture. The fact that 2 'no name brand' runners managed to get it done just shows that with a bit of grit and determination, even regular folk can get it done!

Thanks for reading. I'm sure it's boring and long and unnecessary, a bit like some parts of the race!.

Sitting back now waiting for the sponsors to call.........

OH.... The Silva Torch was unfortunately not a multi day event winner. Chris was right. Burn time is not great. It IS however the most comfortable and well balanced torch I have ever used. If you just need one for a few hours or the odd night I would seriously recommend it. You can even buy mine. Used at one race, mint condition. I have already ordered a Black Diamond Icon 700 for Tusker in July...... 

 

Wow!???? what an absolutely incredible feat to accomplish! Congratulations.

This has potentially (read, definitely) made google a 'beginners guide to trail running'.????????‍♂️ 

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

Any tips for a pinch callous under the big toe?

Like this pic...no, these are not my toes (this person needs to cut their toe nails)

[Chris_]

3 hours ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Any tips for a pinch callous under the big toe?

Like this pic...no, these are not my toes (this person needs to cut their toe nails)

buy a pumice stone