Nicky: Day 219 Hillcrest South Africa by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
After a 11hr over night flight & 6hr drive from Johannesburg to Durban, I eventually arrived in Hillcrest, where I am staying with a friend for the Comrades. Rather tired, but challenges need to be continued! Popped out & did more of a fast walk than jog for my 2m. I am after all supposed to be running 56m in 2 days time & my Comrades training plan insists on 3 days of feet up prior to the event! Ho Hum!! Hilly around here & I thought my lungs were going to burst on the hills. Now dreading Sunday!
Nicky: Day 220 Valley of 1000 hills by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 220 Hillcrest South Africa by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Up early to meet a college friend for breakfast on part of the Comrades route. Stunning location & view (piccies to be attached). Also drove most of the route to remind myself how steep some of the hills are. Stomach had butterflies when I spied the gantries & water stations going up! Stopped at wall of fame to look for my Dad & Step-mums race plaques. I think over time though the old ones have been removed as I could not find them this year. There plaques were near the bottom of the wall. 2 entries for today due to time constraints & where I was!
Nicky: Day 221 Comrades Ultra Marathon - South Africa by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Garmin Connect - 2012 Comrades Marathon!
Race day!! Up at 3am although I was awake for most of the night worrying as I have been feeling very heavy legged & doubting my abilities to get a sub 11hr. So far I have 3 sub 12hr (Vic Clapham) medals. This year I really wanted a bronze! Shawn, my mate Julies hubbie dropped me off in Pietermaritzburg, for the 05:30 start. 19500 of us including around 200 from the UK. Very emotional start to the race with the SAfrican national anthem being sung by thousands of voices. Also Nkosisikeli Africa being sung by the Zulus! Fab-u-lous! Although timing is chipped the timings for this race are strictly 05:30-17:30 with several cut offs along the way. Even missing a CP by a single second means you are out the race - this includes the finish line! Rather gutting if it took you 8mins to cross the start line & miss out by a split second - non finisher: no photo & no medal!!!
First half of the "down run" is mainly all uphill!! I felt pretty heavy legged up to the races highest point at around 12miles. Very cold & windy. After that I had settled down, calmed down, emptied my bladder twice & felt gloriously happy & fit. As it was Jubilee day I was also wearing my MdS Union Jack dress, carried a small flag & also the UJ head band. Was great for me as the spectators really picked me out & encouraged me along.
Saw my friends 7 times along the route & felt fab until around Fields Hill (steep down around 7m from the end). With already tired legs this really is quad battering. Again another steep down after Coweis hill. From here it is pretty straight forward. I had managed to overtake the 2 sub 11 hr buses (pace makers) but the lead bus was only about 300m behind me. There must have been around 500 runners on that bus & I didnt want to be mowed down! This really made me put foot & keep on running. I managed a sprint finish into the Sahara Stadium in Durban & was spotted on SA TV twice by several friends. Awesome day. My official time: 10:41 and chip time 10:32. Elated & yes, I am returning for another up run next year - any takers fellow 365 challengers?
I have pasted 2 Garmin downloads. My watch went flat after 8hrs but I have found another persons Comrades Garmin route so you can see the full elevation & route.
Nicky: Day 222 Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Now this is where things get complicated! Up at the crack of dawn to catch my 06:45 flight from Durban to JHB then on to Livingstone in Zambia for a little holiday! Sue, my friend who came to SA with me & I were staying in a game lodge with no fences, within a game reserve. Due to elephant, buffalo, hippo, rhino etc we were very much restricted to the small short grass area of the lodge. I wont say too much about the challenge, but you will be able to see from my downloads how restrictive & difficult it was to get up to 2m p/day - hope I am not going to be punished like Ben - pretty please!! I do have very stiff quads & sore tootsies from yesterdays efforts. Amazed I came out of the Comrades with only 2 of the smallest blisters ever seen!
Nicky: Day 223 Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 224 Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 224 cont. Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 225 Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 225 cont. Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 226 Victoria Falls, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Nicky: Day 227 Thorn Tree Lodge, Zambia by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
OR Tambo Airport Dash by knickerscat at Garmin Connect - Details
Comrades sounds like a wonderful experience. Well done.
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