Deelfontein Farm 12km

Last weekend the Mindful Runner and I set off on a recce mission to Deelfontein Farm, a potential location for our Trail Running/Yoga Retreat weekend. Gerhard, the owner, happened to be running an informal trail run and we were game to try out the trails and take in the scenery around Vredefort Dome near Parys. Mindful Runner chose the 20km (with ~7 others), I opted for the 12km (with 2 others), there was 1 brave 35km runner, and 3 5km runners. There was no time keeping (except our own watches), no prizes (except for a plunge in the pool when we returned), and we were provided with a map to assist in navigation over, around, and through the farm. The trails were all runnable (with some being positively gnarly) and clearly marked (yellow blazes), but we still all got turned around a few times. In fact, the father and son team hoping to make a quick run around the 5km loop ended up being out for about 4-5 hours and ambling over 18km. I ended up being first lady, first female vet, but still placed last overall in the 12km with a time of 3:17 (with my gimp knee in tow). At the final water point I decided to forgo the rest of the trail (I had completed my 12km afterall) and take the dirt road back to the lapa for a dip in the lovely pool.

The map: follow the dots for your distance and you’ll be fine!

Did I mention last weekend saw some record high temperatures in South Africa, and it was well into the 30s by the time I finished (around 10:30am)? The heat coming off the ground (and the surrounding sandstone rock) was intense. Honestly, I had been dreaming (hallucinating?) about the pool since kilometer 6, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the line. I think everyone came back with a sunburn and were more than a little dehydrated. That pool, and the ice cold water, powerade, coconut water, beer, water, lemonade, beer, ice water really hit the spot! The Mindful Runner and I stuck around chatting with Gerhard about the development and design of the trails (very eco-friendly and beautifully planned) and checking out the facilities, chowing down veggie burgers, and waiting for the other runners to return. When we left around 2pm there were still 3 people out on the trails.

The trail covered several different terrain types, from sand/gravel trail, through grassy pasture, some riverbed sections, and over the tops of quartzite and cobble hilltops. There wasn’t a lot of shade so we all tried to run/lope in the open and take breaks under the scrubby trees (until the flies caught up with me and I had to start moving again). I was really amazed that a trail could feel as if it were always going uphill. My profile proves otherwise, but it did feel like I was slowly, and constantly hiking up and up and up. But it was worth it- the views from the peaks were amazing!

So we’ll be back there for the Trail Running and Yoga retreat from 2-4 December and you’re welcome to join us! We’ll be exploring the trails, practicing trail running techniques, doing some yoga pool-side, and drinking lots of ice-cold beer water.

 

Why I’m leveling up to “Extreme”

I sat my Biostats III exam this past Friday. It was very thorough. As study preparation, I took a squizz through the Run the Berg data from the last three years. Doing biostats while studying for biostats isn’t procrastinating, is it? And I did run a Poisson regression, and I did construct a Kaplan Meier curve. And even though I’ve mostly run descriptive statistics, it got me thinking about my next Run the Berg, and about my training in general going forward.

I downloaded Excel spreadsheets for each year (2014, 2015, and 2016) from Elite Timing for both the Challenge (15km/day) and Extreme (25km/day) distances. I then read them into STATA 14.1, and appended them into one dataset.

The first thing that stood out was the gender breakdown. Over all three years, in total, there is an equal split between men and women, on average 48.3% men, and 51.7% women. As you know, that gender split is representative of the general population. However, when you look at the gender split by race distance, a very interesting picture emerges:

These pie charts show the total number of entrants from 2014-2016 (N=1465), with male entries evenly distributed between the Extreme and Challenge distances. But three quarters of female runners chose the Challenge. This difference is strongly significant (p=0.000), meaning that the relationship between gender and race distance is not by chance. Why are 75% of women entrants choosing the shorter distance?

Run the Berg is a staged race, so I defined “finishing” as completing either both Extreme stages, or both Challenge stages. I was curious if there was a gender difference between those who completed both races, and those who only ran one. The answer is, marginally (p=0.096), yes, there is some evidence to suggest that females tend to complete both races. By the numbers: 14.4% of males only complete one stage, compared to 11.5% of females completing only one race. Note that possible reasons for not running both stages have nothing to do with gender; someone could have: 1) run the Extreme one day and the Challenge the other, 2) not been available for one day, 3) become injured (or bailed) on the second day (perfect example- me at the Busted Bunny). By the numbers: there were 189 people over the 3 years who only completed one stage, 165 completed stage 1 only, and 24 people completed stage 2 only. Also note: there is no difference between distance and finishing both races, 12.1% did not finish two Extreme stages, and 13.3% did not complete two Challenge stages.

Another difference appeared when looking at total times (stage 1 time + stage 2 time), women group more closely with regard to combined time in both distances. Take a look at these totally cool ‘box and whisker’ plots:

These plots show that male times appear to vary more widely than female times. For the Extreme, men ranged from 4:00-13:18 (that’s a 9 hour spread) with a mean of 7:23. Women running the Extreme grouped more closely with a range of 5:09-11:26 (6 hour spread) with a mean of 8:02. Men in the Challenge had a range of 2:08-6:57 (an almost 5-hour spread) and a mean of 04:00. Women in the Challenge had a range of 2:52-10:15 (a 7-ish hour spread) and a mean of 04:32. Too many numbers? Just look at the graphs. Women did have quite a few stragglers on the Challenge though…I guess my point is, ladies, stop straggling! You aren’t that far behind men in terms of times, and when you commit to something- you’re unstoppable!

To sum up, there are fewer women doing the ‘Extreme’, but more women finish both stages, and their times cluster more closely together (this could be what I refer to as the ‘two-to-the-loo’ effect- women don’t go anywhere alone). For my training this means that if I plan ahead, and train accordingly, I won’t be an outlier (i.e. come in last). In fact, I might actually be competitive (for my gender, within my age group). Though these data only represent a fraction of trail racing, I think that women are selling themselves short. I think that with proper planning and training (as the more OCD among us do), more women should consider ‘extreme’ distances, the numbers are behind you! So I’ll be signing up for the ‘Extreme’ distance when entries open for Run the Berg on 1 November. And I’ve already asked the Mindful Runner for a training plan, but there’s a year of tough running and conditioning ahead. I’ll see you all on 30 Sep-1 Oct, 2017, unless you’re behind me, in which case I’ll cheer you on at the finish. I hope I get another training rock!

Oh, and here’s that Poisson regression:

Southern Trails Klipriviersberg 10km, 2016

As I said in my previous post, trail runs are looking a lot smaller now. Also, my Biostats 3 exam is looking pretty big and intimidating, with a low survival rate and a high hazard ratio. I had this fantasy of analysing the Run the Berg data to see the probability of completing day 2 given completion of day 1, and also a Poisson regression identifying both finishing rates, and also maybe graphing failure rates for each day via Kaplan-Meier just for shits and giggles, but I’m actually not that great at Biostatistics (#FeesMustFall).

I was looking forward to Klipriviersberg this year; having run it last year I could now compare times along the same course. Alas, Charles decided to change the route this year because he didn’t want people cursing his name again while climbing “that hill“. Fortunately, the trail was very runnable, and had some awesome technical downhill that I love, mostly due to my new Altra Olympus trail shoes. These pneumatic, 36mm lift platform running shoes give me ultimate advantage on down hills. They are da bomb! (I also love the road version, the Paradigm.) So really, the weakest point was…my other knee. Apparently, I taped the wrong knee. The first knee that gave me so much trouble during Buster Bunny is now fine, it’s the other knee that now needs attention. So back to physio.

But the weather was good (I almost got to use my UD jacket!). I finished the 11km in 1:42 (52nd of 73, 21st woman). I’m still not in the top 50% of the 10km distance trail runners, but I’m slowly getting there. It was, literally, a run in the park. Big events coming soon- and I’m very excited about a planned Trail Running/Yoga Retreat with the Mindful Runner in early December. More on that after I’ve done some exam prep.

The home stretch, incorrect knee taped. Photo by Mindful Runner.

Run the Berg Challenge 2016

Two quick blogs before I sit down (again) to study for my (now scheduled) Biostats 3 exam (#FeesMustFall, but not for international post-graduate students). A quick note for all my readers: these blog posts are mostly addressed at my friends and family far, far away. They’re a diary of my experiences here in Africa, and my opinions about odds and sods. And if you don’t understand sarcasm I feel very sorry for you. So very, very sorry. To recap-

My trophy, a training rock!

I registered for Run the Berg when it opened for entries on 1 December, 2015. Then I started training. Then I stopped training. Then after Buster Bunny I took some time off to recover and lick my wounds. Then around 15 August I realized that if I didn’t get over my distaste for trail running and start training again, I was going to repeat my experience at Buster Bunny. So I enlisted the help of the Mindful Runner and within an evening I had a 6-week training program that got me ramped-up from maybe two 5km a week to back-to-back 15km in a weekend. With proper training, and an excellent physiotherapist, I completed the weekend (17km on day 1 in 3:08:19, and 14km on day 2 in 2:05:13 = 31km in total) in 5:13:33. My goal was to finish in 5 hours so I’m happy. For comparison, I completed day 1 of Buster Bunny (12km) in 4:53:01, and a lot less happy.

Stray Obs and Sobs

1. 

   Everyone who ran day 2 has this photo.

   I don’t remember anything about day 1, I was way too anxious. This reminds me of a story about my dad running the Montreal Marathon, but that’s for another time. Suffice it to say, running anything over 12km gives me stomach cramps. And combined with anxiety, it’s a real panic-inducer. Like I said, I don’t remember anything from day 1. Except…

2. Gu comes in jelly format (for my American readers think gummi bears). Mind=blown. Thanks to the person who gave me two for the trail at the Cavern before we started. She didn’t want to trade for my Gu gels for some reason.
3. Epsom salts. And yoga.
4. Day 2 was cooler and great for running. It was fast, lots of down hill. Scenic. Overcast.
5. I still haven’t been able to use my UD Ultra Jacket, despite threatening weather, and even more threatening race organizers.
6. Nothing was so hectic that I despaired of ever seeing civilization again. Well-groomed, runnable trails, lots of people. I was never alone, and I realized this was a real “thing” for me coming out of Buster Bunny.
7. I dislike being called a “runtheberger” because of a Cosby Show episode wherein women are referred to as “burgers”. Different root word (berg=mountain), I know, but as Denise said: “it’s a piece of meat!”
8. OMG- pain-free! Holy shit I’m tired, but nothing hurts! (Thank you MR and Milyn!)
9. Everything seems a lot smaller now (see my next blog).
10. Lots of people commented that I “looked great” on Monday. It was probably dehydration. But still.

Ultimately, and I think this is pretty important and was my take-home feeling, Run the Berg is a real team effort on the part of the organizers and there was a cast of 1000’s. From the teenager who registered me on Friday, to the kid who scanned my barcode at the finish line, to the kid who handed me my trophy rock, I felt this was a family effort. I also really appreciated everyone out on the trail guiding me home: the trail markings (though I honestly don’t remember a lot of it), the marshals giving friendly, reassuring directions, and the snack table staff and random fans waving us on- this couldn’t have been done without a team of extras doing lots of the heavy lifting behind the scenes. Thank you! I hate trail running a lot less because of your concerted efforts.

And a final comment on my training rock. My family and friends have used this tool on the Appalachian Trail, it’s a special rock that you put in your pack and train with all year long until it’s time for Run the Berg 2017, then you take it out and, as if by magic, you run faster. So yes, I’m planning on going back to the Berg for another run in 2017 to see if I can improve on my time.

Buster Bunny Bush Hike (Stage Race 10km x 2)

I had been planning for the Buster Bunny since January. In fact, I registered twice: once in late January and once in late April, because I was so excited to do my first stage race. 2016 has been rough with work and getting my MSc, and I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend of trail running, and drinking with trail running friends. I was wary of that nasty knee/ITB thing that cropped up during Forest Run and my training had fallen off a cliff due to sitting in classes, and exams, and being under a landslide of work, but I was looking forward to the challenge of two days of running and generally just being outdoors.

So on a Friday I drove 3 hours to Waterval Boven, Mpumalanga to stay at the Protea Hotel Malaga (no I’m not linking to it, it sucked- see below). Upon arrival I rolled out my yoga mat and had a wonderful practice, working out the kinks from the long drive. Needing dinner, I phoned room service and was told that there was only buffet. I told them that they should then put some vegetarian pasta from that buffet on a plate and bring it to my room, and within 20 minutes I had what I wanted.

It was so nice to wake up at a reasonable hour on race morning and the weather looked fantastic! I prepared my instant flavored oatmeal (my race-day standard) in a teacup in my room along with a cup of coffee. I put on my race outfit and headed down to the start. The first stage was 12km and we were reminded to be very careful of our footing out on the trail. And then we were off. About 1.5km later my knee started hurting, but it was fine- we were on a nice gravel road headed into the hills around Waterval Boven. And then at about 4km we started climbing, but it was fine, my knee doesn’t hurt that much when I’m climbing. This is the terrain we were moving through during the first half. Don’t worry if you can’t see any discernible trail- there wasn’t one, just orange tape.

  

Somewhere during the shaded kilometer (below) I made a video (which I shared with my family on What’sApp) that showed me laughing maniacally about how far I had to go yet. I have another video later telling my phone that I had finally reached the top (6.63km in) and 2:09 into the race. And then I started heading down, in agony because my ITB had had enough of bushwhacking through tussock grass and cobble-rock. The second half of the race (5km), which should have been pretty easy as it was downhill, took almost three hours.

I’ve indicated a few memories on the profile for reference:

1. It’s getting a bit warm, I should get down of this mountain, it’s only 5km- so about an hour.
2. That’s where I puked oatmeal and rush bar. And bile. And I had a sit down.
3. Maybe a helicopter could land here. Yay, immediate evac!
4. It’s only 3 more kms- so about an hour.
5. Is there was a shorter way off this thrice blasted mountain?
6. I need to get off this fucking mountain.
7. Ah, the ignominy of sliding down the side of a mountain on my ass grabbing at thorn bush to slow my descent.

For comparison, here are two pictures, my feet after Adventure Lisa on the left (16km, 3:37:00) and my feet after Busted Bunny on the right (12km,  4:53:01), which one would you rather see after a race?

16 km

12 km

With my busy schedule I haven’t been able to train. And honestly, I’m a new 8-15km runner who’s really just looking for a weekend getaway and some fun trail running and drinking with friends. I am woefully out of shape for the My Road Less Traveled/Bunny Events. So I’m opting out of future Rabbit Runs. I didn’t finish the staged race (8km of easy running on the 2nd day) and I didn’t collect my trophy.  And unfortunately, I also had to pull out of Num-Num due to it being in the the middle of Biostatistics III and an ITB issue that I can’t really afford to get therapy for. So that’s my sad, sad story of my last Rabbit Run for this year.

But I’m still signed up for Run the Berg (and I finally found accomodation), so I’ll be blogging that race in October!

Addendum: Just to add re: Protea Malaga, because it’s unfair to say something sucked and not justify it. Here’s why I think so (and it has nothing to do with the event itself):

1. I authorized R1100 to be charged to my credit card to reserve the room. When I checked out they had charged R2700 to my card with no justification for the expenses or who did it. That reeks of fraud. They were able to revers the charge at check out.
2. I think if you’re going to pull people to a fairly remote location, you need to have food available during reasonable times. Shutting down room service because there is a buffet isn’t fair to those who aren’t part of whatever is being hosted that weekend. And telling me to go to reception to get a bag of chips for R35 to tide me over until dinner is just rude (remember I had puked up my breakfast and slept through lunch).
3. It took 30 minutes (and 2-3 reminders) for the waiter to get a glass of wine for me at the bar, saying “there was a queue”. There shouldn’t be a queue for a waiter.
4. The massage therapist told me they never get tips that are added onto the bill at the time of check out. Admittedly, it could be because they’re not fabulous massage therapists, or perhaps someone else pockets that tip.

Adventure Lisa Forest Run (16km)

Look, LOOK!

A quick blurb about the Adventure Lisa Forest Run that I ran on 21 May in and around the Vredefort Dome near Parys. I was looking for a race that I could ghost- just disappear for the day, rock up, run, and leave. Sixteen kilometers is more than I’ve ever run, but I’ve known Lisa for years and I had heard that the route would be smart and accessible for someone with my limited experience. I figured if she can get through one of my Saturday morning Ashtanga classes, I can get through her ‘short course’ forest run. And I needed to see if I could actually go for 16km with Run the Berg appearing on the horizon in October.

And for the most part the run was amazing: I had the right shoes, the right pack, the right food, the right amount of water. The terrain was varied, from gravel road to jeep track to forest single track, to picking through some rough and rocky steep terrain. But at around 3-5km I started to get a nagging pain in my knee. A new pain that didn’t get better as I warmed up to the run, just a nagging freezing/locking sensation. Several times I stopped to stretch- hip openers, quad lengtheners, nothing worked. So I walked. I walked through sections I could have run, I walked through sections I wanted to run. I walked up that scorpion hill and when I started down the other side I had the most exquisite pain in my knee that several times took my breath away. And then I walk-jogged, or rather walk-slogged to the finish. Official time: 3:37:00, 41st place (yes, at the back of the pack). And honestly, despite my frustration at having to walk when I had the energy to run, I’m not too sad with that time for my first 16km. I was more just angry with a new ‘injury’ that I was going to have to deal with in my training for my next stage race (see Buster Bunny post next).

Lisa runs an awesome race! It was the little details in the organisation that really counted, the personalized bib, the contour map (in a baggie, with extra pins!), the trail fairies along the way offering lots of encouragement, the regular water stations with great snacks, and the veggie burger option at the end of the trail (this was very much appreciated)! And above all, the trail was runnable and enjoyable. I wasn’t so shattered when I got to the Trig Beacon (where there was a ukulele player serenading the runners) that I couldn’t enjoy the walk/run and the terrain I was moving through. I will definitely be back for another forest run! Adventure-Lisa- you ROCK!

Fresh-faced at Trig Beacon (insert ukulele music).

 

Nogwaja Race Report (13km)

All views are totally worth it!

This is what has happened since my last blog post:

• Work
• Master’s degree in Biostats and Epidemiology orientation week
• MSc Intro to Biostats/Computing week
• Back at work + get sick
• MSc Epidemiology week + sinusitis + GI issues + sister visit
• Missed the Diamond Dash + MSc Biostatististics week
• Work like crazy + try to finish biostats assignment
• Missed the Drakensburg Northern Trail run + pack for move
• Move house + Easter Holidays
• Work and study Epi

So my racing season only started this past Sunday with the absolutely stunning MRLT Nogwaja 13(actually 11)km. Because of the previous 2 months of illness and barely any training I was apprehensive, especially when I saw the profile:

Just in case you can’t quite make it out, that’s a 545m elevation gain happening in the first 5km of the race. Which is why I waffled several times last week about swapping to the 5km. But in the end I decided to view it as a “hike” rather than a “run”, and anyway it couldn’t possibly take more than 3 hours. I’ll just meander along at my own pace and have a nice cold beer at the finish line to celebrate. But it was not to be.

“Scenic Route”

Because the Rustig Hiking Trail climb was so narrow and so treacherous I moved along at the same clip as pretty much everyone else, standing in line at fence stiles, zig-zagging up and down cliff faces, climbing up weathered ladders, down ravines and ditches, through trees and branches, and across rocky cobbled grassland. And listening to the chatter of everyone on the trail the whole way; it was one of the most social trail runs I’ve ever done. There were tons of photo ops, and the views were so stunning that you occasionally just had to stop and take it all in (though after about 4km I was too tired to take any more pictures). During the last several kilometers everyone’s legs were so shattered that we hobbled and walked, and occasionally jogged/loped to the finish line, which gave plenty of opportunity to joke with each other about how fun it will be not be able to walk the next day (I still can’t walk well and it’s Tuesday). The total distance ended up being almost 11km, which is lucky because my legs would not have made it another 2km. I finished in 2:47:40 and was the 73rd woman, ~151st overall of 173. There were about 20+ veteran women ahead of me and one of those vets placed 1st: Elizabeth Dlhiwayo with a time of 1:36:23. The first male on the 13km was Ryan Mathaba coming in at 1:15:18.

I stumbled twice, rolled my ankle, slid down a hill on a corner, and had more people looking up my running skirt than I’d like, but I am so grateful I didn’t downgrade to the 5km!

As always, Nina organizes a good trail run and MRLT is expanding from the usual 2 distances to 3 (a 5, 13 and 21km). She makes sure the trail is super challenging, but super rewarding! Registration went smoothly (we even got bracelets with the contact number on them in case we fell into a rabbit hole), we started on time, and the trail was well marked. I only missed 2 turns because I had to be so careful about where my feet were going. There was one water station early on, but I think the 2nd water station got lost in the bush somewhere, or maybe I missed it in the tall grass. I was extremely grateful that Active Sports Therapy was there because I got a lovely leg massage after prize giving was over. I’m so glad no one could hear me crying.

Of course it’s safe!

I would also encourage everyone to try an MRLT event this year because Mindful Runner is giving away certificates for free Trail Clinics (which I have done and highly recommend) and one certificate for Three Months of Personal Training at each one of the races. And Ekam Yoga (that’s me!) be giving away a free month of Yoga for Runners classes to someone in each of the distances for each race this year- so be there to win! The next one is the Buster Bunny Boven Stage Race, which I am really looking forward to.

See you all on the trails!

 

2016 Training Goals

I accepted a challenge from another runner, to run every day over the December holidays. He actually challenged me to run every day for a month, but I only had 2 weeks off so I made the challenge to run 6 days a week between 17 December and 3 January. The 6 day/week practice is not unknown to me- it’s the goal of ashtanga vinyasa yoga. And there have been times when I’ve consistently practiced 6 days/week- when I was in Mysore practicing at the KPJAYI. Over those 18 days I ran 12, missing 3 days of running (if I had been practicing, 2 of those missed days could have been claimed as “ladies holiday”, just saying) . Overall, it was a positive experience and has jump started my 2016 training. Here’s what I learned:

1. A run is a run is a run, no matter how far or how fast.
2. I kept wanting to chop and change, swap out a running session for a cycling session, or a do yoga instead. That’s called bargaining. Instead, I went running.
3. I really, really missed yoga.
4. My feet took a pounding. I realized if I’m going to increase my mileage I’m going to need shoes with more padding. (More on that later.)
5. Once your body (and mind) is used to doing something it will keep wanting to do it.
6. All my injuries and problems rose to the surface…and then solved themselves. I started realizing the root causes of some of these issues and am now seeking help to correct them. (More on that later too.)
7. There is no such thing as a good run or a bad run, there is only a run. As R. Sharath (current guru of ashtanga vinyasa yoga) said recently:

“You should not be practicing to have a “good” practice, but instead to keep steadiness within yourself. Practice happily regardless of whether it is “good” or not. Sometimes some postures will not be possible, but when you accept the good and the bad and everything becomes equal for you, that is yoga.” -R. Sharath

Last year was all about getting out and running, I wanted to have a solid 5km. I was entering races as often as possible, and really enjoyed getting out into the bush every weekend and making new friends. But I often used a weekend race as my only training that week- and my body and mind suffered. I got slow, and ultimately I think it was the cause of some of my injuries.

2016 is all about creating a sustainable training program that will enable me to stay fit and ready for the specific races I’ve planned for this year. This training “program” is a combination of yoga and meditation to keep the body and mind supple, and cardio training (HIIT, running and cycling) to keep the body capable. It is meant to have variety and flexibility so that I can swap out one session for another. This is especially important because I will soon be adding the requirements of a master’s degree to my 40-hour/week work schedule.

So what’s the training schedule? And what are the special races? Stay tuned!

2015 By the Numbers

I started running one year ago today; I ran 1.8 kms and it took me 20 minutes. Here’s my first year of running and yoga in numbers:

• 88 runs totaling 488.1 kms
• more than 6079 m of elevation gain
• over 66 hrs and 45 min of running
• 20 races ranging from 4.1 kms to 11.8 kms (see below)
  • fastest 1 km: 5:44 (Captain Carrot)
  • fastest 5 km: 34:44 (Rosemary Hill)
  • fastest 10 km: 1:17:42 (Nogwaja Ezemvelo)
• 64 yoga practices (this is waaaay down, but still averaging about once/week)
  • 70 Yoga for Runners classes taught
• 3 bike rides, which is up 300% from the last 10 years

My absolute favorite race this year was the My Road Less Travelled Nogwaja Ezemvelo where I learned I could run further than 8km as long as I wasn’t aware of it ahead of time. Also the stunning views and the pictures from that race were uniquely African, and reinforced my dedication to trail running over road running. Honorable mention goes to the Spring Break run, nice trail, but very bad time keeping. Worst race: the Merrell Day Run through the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. Never again. I was so sick that day. I will also never do Hedianga again (Beast and Rhino Run), nastiest trails ever.

Date	Race	Distance	Time	Pace
18-Jan-15	Biogen Resolution Run	5.9	52:56	8:52
25-Jan-15	Leafy Greens	5.3	42:22	7:53
22-Feb-15	WildTrailSA Hedianga Beast	4.9	45:27	9:13
01-Mar-15	MRLT Vivobarefoot Run	8.5	1:04:40	7:34
12-Mar-15	Merrell Night Run	5	39:39	7:51
14-Mar-15	Merrell Day Run	5.4	1:09:14	12:38
19-Apr-15	WildTrailSA Rosemary Hill	6.4	45:42	7:06
05-May-15	Southern Trails Klipriviersberg	4.1	32:25	7:50
10-May-15	MRLT Nogwaja Ezemvelo	11.2	1:29:10	7:56
17-May-15	Biogen Chase the Sun	6.6	54:25	8:12
14-Jun-15	Spur #1 B’Sorah	6.7	52:53	7:51
21-Jun-15	Spur #2 Hennops	4.5	42:59	9:10
05-Jul-15	Spur #4 Leeuwenkloof	8.8	1:27:47	9:44
19-Jul-15	MRLT Captain Carrot	7.2	1:08:35	9:33
23-Aug-15	MRLT Scrub Hare	8.6	1:26:11	9:57
13-Sep-15	Action Gear Spring Break	11.8	1:44:38	8:48
20-Sep-15	Rhino Run	10	1:54:45	10:36
11-Oct-15	MRLT Rock Rabbit Run	9.5	1:44:33	10:57
18-Oct-15	Southern Trails Klipriviersberg	10.5	1:52:28	10:59
20-Dec-15	Mindful Runner Summer Spruit Charge	11.3	1:44:56	9:15

On to 2016.

Summer Spruit Charge

I’ve started a self-challenge: running 6 days/week for the next 2 weeks. I’m hoping this will jump-start my 2016 training. I started last Thursday (17 Dec) and have chosen Saturday as my day off. So I’m five days in so far.

Yesterday (Sunday), was the Mindful Runner Summer Spruit Charge, which was essentially around 70 of us all running up and down the Braamfontein Spruit going various distances (either a long 18km or a short 11km), along various routes, in celebration of being the only people left in Johannesburg for the holidays. Dogs added to the insanity and bad smells afterwards. We also raised a bit of cash to benefit ASSARO; around R1220 all told. Boss of the Hill Mens “winners” were Mike Nash and Drew Fisher in 2:58, and Ladies “winner” was Shay Fisher in 5:00.

The Braamfontein Spruit is a very nice open access grassy/sandy trail that’s pretty flat and goes on forever. I clocked 11.3kms in 1:44:56, and then promptly needed to go home and lie down for a bit. So that was the beginning of my summer vacation. This morning’s run was quite painful, and slow.

Over the next week or so I’ll be running the numbers for my training in 2015 and planning for next year’s events. I started running on 24 December, 2014, so I have a whole year of running to review.