Dear Diary
‘42.2km’
This past weekend I ran the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 42.2km.
The picture says it all.
Holy smokes! I can’t even believe it. I crossed the line in tears of exhaustion and sheer relief. I made it before the cut off with 2 minutes to spare! There were many moments where I worried I wouldn’t make it. The heat was immense, the hills felt utterly endless. My running partner and I struggled from 19/20km. We tried to find shade as much as possible. I was plagued with blisters beneath my feet so resorted to a limpy, hobbly run. I’ve never been one to struggle with blisters! Long distance running is incredibly tough and you will break through barriers and limitations and feel 10000 emotions all in one go.
Don’t ever think that you can’t do anything. I set out a few months ago with this notion of running a marathon. I was sick for 6 weeks and started training again by mid-august and then had a vile bout of gastro the week before last! Compounded with my slower pace, the odds were against me. I had a strong notion on 9th August to withdraw but decided that if there is a 5% chance of finishing this race, I am going to try. No run up is ever perfect anyway.
I am glad I persevered!
The day begun with a 3h00 alarm and by 7h01 our race began. We were the last group to set off and near 1h40 in the afternoon I crossed the finish line elated, relieved and very overwhelmed! I had made the cut off by 2mins! I was nipping straws the last 5k as time was very short. A fellow runner has worked out a timesheet of where I needed to be by what time to avoid the cut off and make a 6h20 finish. These timesheets were my lifeline so I could see where I was in conjunction with the various cut off points. Thank you, Jackie!
We had banked considerable time in the first 20km, even with loo breaks, but got slower as the heat of the day and hills wore us down. I expected to struggle once I’d hit the 30k mark but it felt really tough from 16km down Sandown rd. I was surprised as we’d done that route before and don’t remember that incline. Coming around the common I felt the gear slipping somewhat and so we started dipping into our banked time. The return route through Mowbray, Observatory, Salt River and Woodstock felt like the longest 7k ever but eventually I spotted the old Good Hope Centre and knew we were nearing CPUT. I suspected blisters but had to bytvas for a while longer. For me, the 27-30k stretch from Good Hope Centre to Constitution rd past Charly’s Bakery was the toughest. Coming up Constitution from Vogelgezang I was convinced I had some serious blisters on the pads of my heels so my run turned into a wonky hobble. I just had to block out the pain of every step and run tippy toes. I had serious doubts at this stage if I would make the cut off and had to work hard to stay positive.
Plein st was tough but we found a bit of shade along the buildings. We were nearing 33k and made it with 6mins to spare before the cut off. Thankfully we had banked time from the first half but had dipped into that heavily over the last 10km. The pressure was on. My feet were very sore with blisters but my legs still felt strong by comparison.
We were also incredibly hot and grabbed large chunks of ice from the water stations to cool down. Some of the water stations ran out of water or were hot by the time we got there. A few blocks of melting ice in each hand and around my neck did a good job in keeping me cooler. Water over my hat and head was also a lifesaver. I knew I was going to struggle with chaff afterwards but keeping the heat at bay was key. It was an absolute scorcher out there. People asked me if I was mad wearing a long sleeve under my vest and long leggings. I wasn’t. Every other bit of exposed skin got scorched!
The roadside support from family, friends and club runners was top notch with so many smaller, independent pit stops along the way. There was a great variety of musicians, bands, cheerleaders, art installations that kept things visually appealing.
I was SO relieved when we hit the promenade with that slight breeze. I started counting to keep myself going. It was very encouraging seeing so many of my fellow runners heading back along the route to the finish line. We were getting SO close and every SECOND counted to beat that clock. I ran as much as I could with minimal walking. Blisters were giving me grief with every step. It was tricky to gauge the distance along the way as you tend to run further than the road measurements. For example, for every 1km I was running 1.03km. When we got to the 41km mark I had 10minutes to go so I knew I would make it if I just ran. I could hear the cheering from the finish line, I could hear the announcer encouraging runners to run. Club members were screaming to run. At one point the announcer said, 'if you can hear me you are near the end!' Well, I ran my heart out. It felt like a mad sprint as I gave it everything. It was pure GRIT on blistered feet but I finished!
Shout out to my super club, Spartan Harriers, coaches Sharron Brouckaert and Hennie Jones, timesheet Queen Jackie Aproskie and running partner Lee-Anne Graham. I couldn't have done this without your support! Thanks to all the club supporters, Rachel, Blom, CJ and Siobhan, Alverna and Shaun, Michael and Nicole, Rene, Uncle Hennie and Leah, Lucille and Nicole, my training group and anyone else I am forgetting! Specials thanks to my significant other, Jonathan, and Nick and Craig who navigated a variety of back routes to encourage me with a one second 'Go Hayls, you can do it!' Thanks to mum, dad, boet (who withdrew due to injury) and young Alex for the support. Thanks also to Wendy Fine for keeping my body aligned and Danielle Roux for weekly physio keeping my aging body in top shape!
Actual footage of me crossing the line!
I finished on 43km at 6:38:03.
Overall, it was an tough but deeply satisfying experience. I ran further than I have ever run before. I ran further than I ever thought possible. I had to BELIEVE in myself when the odds were really slim. I had to TRUST that the training would suffice.
So much of long distance running is faith and self belief. It is a test of the mind over body. It is truly extraordinary. I now know that I can capable of so much more! I am a marathon runner!
Are you joining me next year? I've already entered....
Hasta la próxima
XOXO
Haylee
Top tips for the week:
The human body is amazing!
You are capable of more than you think.
Intentions for the upcoming week:
REST
Upcoming runs:
Here is my list for the rest of the year and some others you might like.
Landmarks Half Marathon & 6km Fun Run/Walk 21.1km November 6th Sunday (0) Winelands Marathon 21.1km November 26th Saturday (0) (entered) The Slave Route Challenge 21.1km March 2023 (1) (cancelled) Cape Peninsula Marathon and Half Marathon 21.1km February 2023 (2) Two Oceans Marathon 21.1km or 56km April 2023 (10) SAFARI Half Marathon 21.1km May 2023 (1)
Festival of Running July 2023 (1)
The Gun Run 21.1km September 2023 (3)
Cape Town Marathon 42.2km October 15th Sunday 2023 (1) (entered)
Fueling:
32gi Sports Chews, Endure Sports Drink and Hydrate for running/snack fuel
HMT Vegan Protein - post run recovery. I loved chocolate for years and now love combining the strawberry and vanilla flavours. Takealot: https://tinyurl.com/25n6s7d6
HMT L’Glutamine - amino acid replacement and before bed to aid recovery. This stuff is the bomb! Takealot: https://tinyurl.com/2p9ep5nb.
Invest in your own Rock Rabbit and get 20% off: Haylee20
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