Top of Price Drive

I have decided to have a stab at learning to draw after following Jill's Today I Saw blog I really have been inspired. I doubt I will be as frequent (everyday) but I will see how it goes.

What I am going to draw is what I saw on my runs. Cape Town is an amazing place to run and the Constantia Valley has lots of variety and there should be plenty of things to draw.

Last Tuesday we ran to the Top of Price Drive (Extension) in High Constantia. While catching my breath at the top I tried to take in as much as I could and this is how I remember it.

Sketch #1Top of Price Drive

Route:Distance: 9.0km
Grade: Extremely steep hill
Climb: +239.2 / -246.4
Surface: Tar 50%, Jeep Track: 25%, Single Track 25%
Technical: 2/5
Dogs: Groot Constantia farm workers houses, mostly locked away.
KML: Google Map of the Route.

Commentary:
The view at the top is great for a view of the most the the Southern Peninsula but the long single track trail section makes the climb up price drive worth it. The single track is unspoilt Yellow Wood forest. The path is well maintained with erosion prevention implemented.

Red Hill Marathon

One mistake I am glad I made was to do the Red Hill Marathon as my first marathon last year. I remember running up the Scarborough side of Red Hill and people asked me how many marathons I had done and they said I was crazy doing it as a first one, my reply was only to say “Hey pal I am still running it”. It was a pity by the time I got past 30km I was running less and less. Why running it first was a mistake is that people who know me know I have slight OCD tendencies. So now I am stuck having to run it every year that I am able from now on.
33%The percentage increase in the number of runners doing the marathon in 2010 compared with 2009. Fish Hoek Athletic Club must be doing something right.

I also like the idea of having an escape route option of the 6km shorter 36.3km Red Hill Classic and not taking it. This year I noticed a guy at the t-junction asking one of the marshals if he could down grade from the 42.2km to the 36.3km but never got to see what the outcome was.


The Red Hill route is amazing. A bit of a slow start from the Fish Hoek sports complex, then onto the Kommetjie Rd, up Slangkop hill looking down at the Slangkop lighthouse.

I try to run in the middle of the road on this stretch as the camber it quite pronounced.



At the top of Slangkop is the start of a long speedy downhill, through Misty Cliffs to Scarborough, famous for the Camel Rock. Passing though Scarborough is a sneaky uphill up until the t-junction where the race splits between the Red Hill Classic and Marathon.

The out and back section towards Cape Point is mostly 3km of downhill. At the turnaround you are at the lowest point and the uphill does not stop until just before the 30km mark. The top of Red Hill was one of the best water stops ever, sponsored by a coffee shop.

It was too bad that I really was not up to eating muffins only had a slice or two of oranges. I could see that I was faster this year by the options available, last year by the time that.

Running down Red Hill gets to work some different parts of the body. I managed to get to the 30km point faster than Bay to Bay which was a good suprise.


At that bottom of Red Hill it is mostly flat until the Fish Hoek circle. At this point it becomes a mostly mental race.


There are 19 avenues that you need to run past, I like add 1 in my head and count them up one by one as percentages, counting 5%, 10% … 95% each time of cross an avenue. Before you get to 20th avenue you go off the main road and join up with the field. Getting onto the field is not the end there is quite a bit of running until you get to the finish. This year was well organised, plenty of everything: cold water, marshals, scenery and good weather. The only annoyance was the congested start. There definitely were much more people running this year.

Red Hill Marathon route elevation profile and Google Earth route KMZ.

Two Oceans Marathon qualifier Flowchart

There are less than 37 days left to still qualify and enter the Two Oceans Ultra 56. I was wondering what choices people who want to qualify and enter have or are still to make regarding the marathon choice. I went for an earlier qualifier at the Winelands Marathon in November and I am so glad that I did as running the Red Hill Marathon this weekend took the pressure off.



There still are a few Western Cape maratho qualifiers still avaliable:

1. 21 February - The BDO Peninsula Marathon

   Using the same route as last year, changing back next year



2. 27 February - Cango Caves Marathon

   Famous for personal best times



3. 6 March - Seeff Weskus Marathon

   "Although the official Two Oceans entry closing date is 3 March, Rowyn James, Two Oceans Race Director decided that they will man an entry table at the Seeff Weskus Marathon Finish venue and take manual entries on the day just for the 56km race." - Official Statement

Bay to Bay 30km Race

A scenic race from Maidens Cove to Hout Bay and back

With the excesses of the Festive Season a not too distant memory and Two Oceans less than 3 months away. A 30km race it just what the doctor ordered to get the year started right. The route consists of a considerable amount of hill work.

ROUTE

Type: Out and back
Distance: 30km, 15kmx2 relay and 5km fun run option
Google Earth: KMZ
Start Time: 11 January 2010 06h00
Time Limit: 4h00
Surface: 99% tar
Entries: Pre entry and on race day

PROFILE

Click to Enlarge

View Larger Map

Antipolis Wreck with Lions Head and 12 Apostles Hotel Enlarge

Driving the route will never be the same, the route is spectacular but running it allows you to experience it with all your senses.

30km races are hard to come by in the Cape Town area so when one is available you have to do it.

After the 15km there is a little bit of cruelty; instead of running straight up Suikerbossie, you do a short hilly tour of the houses in Hout Bay. The route drops straight down to the bottom of Suikerbossie hill (just in case you were worried that are somehow going to meet up with Suikerbossie half way up).

FACT

The route passes at least 5 shipwrecks
São José - 1794
Het Huis te Kraaienstein - 1670 (South Africa’s oldest known shipwreck)
Blythe - 1966
Antipolis - 1977
BOS 400 - 1994 visible on the approach to Llandudno.

LIST

2009 Winners
Male - Zolile Bhitane 1:44:42
Female - Joanna Thomas 2:06:39

Sponsors
2009 Webber Wentzel Bay to Bay
2010 Ocean Basket Bay to Bay

LAST STRETCH

I have run Bay to Bay twice before it is a good race. I have to admit I prefer Big Mama 30km round Durbanville hill and the John Korasie 30. I think one reason is because the other two compared with Bay to Bay have not psychological half way point and also have all their hard work in the earlier part of the race.

Bay to Bay was my first long run and race over half marathon distance.When I got over to the top of Suikerbossie and saw the 21km marker, I was disappointed at how no one else seemed to notice.

Great views, good hill work and it dovetails into most programs gearing up for Two Oceans.

Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge 2009

Hats off to the organisers, a great race with a few highs and one really low point. I managed to remove 1h37 off my finish time, my wife who was doing the relay managed to catch me up and ran we ran most of the last leg together.

Leg 1 (Kloof nek parking to below Kings Block house) seemed to pass really quickly I was really zoned out or in, but when I was checked-in I felt strong.

Leg 2 (Stile below Kings Block house to Constantia Nek) was also thankfully uneventful I was really careful not to trip and damage myself. I sped up on the leg and shaved about 20 minutes of my time. I began seeing people who started too fast having their race fall apart.

Running into Constantia Nek was great. I always get a great feeling to see expectation on people's faces. Similar to the arrivals at an airport (as portrayed in the movie "Love Actually"). Everyone looking to see if you are their relay team mate or significant other. My significant other gave me my hydration pack and a blue berry muffin. I did not spend much time at the change over point and continued on through the check point.

Leg 3 (Constantia Nek back to Kloof nek parking) soon after entering the Orange Kloof I started to slow down and began to remember that hill from last year. A friend of mine Jeff caught me up and (dropped to like I was looking for parking). Keeping a slow but steady pace I continued.

Then the worst thing happened. I was running behind someone who just a heart attack just before the climb up to Hout Bay corner. I felt really helpless, someone called the race emergeny number and we unclipped his hydration pack off his chest. We moved him into the path and there was no pulse. Someone started CPR. I never felt so helpless not being about to do anything, ran to one call on of the marshals. A grim prospect for someone in a fancy dress outfit, armed only with a hard hat, sunglasses and a cell phone. There is nothing that much that they could do. The sound of air filling his lungs will stay with me for a while.

Looking back I could see that more and more people were gathering around him so continued up to Hout Bay corner. When I reached the top of Hout Bay corner the wail of the ambulance echoed off the cliff face. I heard that people did CPR for a long time. A while after that as fatigue and pain set the focus swung to completing the race.

At Llandudno my wife caught me up and journeyed with me on the top of the back table until the finish. She could have done a much better time but I am glad we spend the time together. I managed to finish far stronger than last year; mentally I can stay out longer without falling apart. Just a few moments after crossing the finish line I was able to contemplate running the race next year.

Crazy Store Table Mountain Race 2009 close

In less than a week it will all be over. Until 5:50pm today I still was not 100% sure I was entered in properly. Weeks of running on Table Mountain on Saturdays. Now the hard parts of each leg seem very familiar now. I remember when running down Kasteelspoort seemed to take forever and then running on the pipe track was impossible.

Last week I managed to damage myself less than 400m from the end landing on some hardcore pine roots exposed by erosion. I made sure when I ran there yesterday I stuck to the right hand side of the path on the pipe track the whole way. The scabs and bruising is healing nicely. It did make me more careful when running yesterday.
Although I am less fit than last year I feel more confident than last year I definitely have done more training on the route. Anything can happen on the day either way it will be great fun it has been so far.

Last year was very hot with no wind but this is Cape Town and weather on Table Mountain is even more unpredictable. Yesterday we started running later in the morning and it is amazing how different just a few extra degrees can change things.

My race goals are simple to have an official finish time, not be caught sitting on a rock on TV and finish before the battery in my Garmin 305 gives out.

Two Oceans as a spectator/supporter

Not getting an entry in time was a tough lesson to learn. At least I now have my Safari half marathon organised in time. That left me with the choice of either doing an illegal swop entry or being a supported.

Having never noticed that running existed until I started a few years ago it was interesting. It was great seeing people I know being surprised by how soon or late in the race I saw them. Seeing the elite athletes was also a great to watch even if it was just a few moments. How someone can make up such a big gave in a race was incredible.

It was not all that boring being an active supporter with running shoes I managed to run along side some fellow club mates, who in many cases where running quite strong at that point. It was great to be able to do it like that as I assumed that if I was supporting I would always be injured.

Saturday just increased my resolve to pony up for full 56km race next year. Most people except for the ones right at the back looked as if they where enjoying themselves. All the people I ran with that where not have much complaints even if they where feeling sore.