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Two Oceans Ultra
Have entered the Two Oceans Ultra 33 miles (I think) this will be my first attempt at a Ultra (must be getting dafter with age), just wondering if anyone else is wandering off to Capetown in April for this one? Guess I'm going to have to teach myself to run slower and pace myself, not the usual leg it and hang on of my marathon runs. I beleive the Two Oceans course is flat for the first half and somewhat "undulating" from there on.
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TWO OCEANS 56 KM Saturday 19th April in Capetown, South Africa
35 miles is a very long way. It seems even longer if you put in a 330m climb
around half way, and another 180m one later on. Seven of us
decided that it would be a fun thing to do. Watching them, it looked
anything but. It says a lot when even our leading finisher, who was
delighted with his run, walked up the last few inclines. The results have
been seen already, highlights being Chris Owens as the best of our
finishers, Andy Bickerstaff running an hour slower than hoped, and Mike Peace
finishing a week after doing London. Only two people were prepared to reveal
their thoughts: Andy Hayward and Kevin Jacques take up the story of the
race.
AH: The race started in the dark, and continued for the duration in fog,
excluding a 10-minute spell at the very summit of Ou Kaapse Weg where we
were high enough to break through the clouds, and then (for me) the last
mile. The downside of this was that we did not get the stunning views of the
mountains and oceans. The upside was that the weather was therefore cooler
and more conducive to running, and also we could not see exactly how much
pain was ahead of us on the hills. Despite being more than 4 miles of
climbing, totalling 1060 feet of ascent, Ou Kaapse Weg was (just about)
runnable.
KJ: At Louw's Corner we started to climb Little Ou Kaapse Weg at halfway,
now for the real hill over 2 miles of grind up Ou Kaapse Weg. Part way up I
passed Andy B who was having a rough time of it, I tried to think of some
positive words of encouragement but what do you say, "Come on mate only 17
miles to go?" The hill was shrouded in cloud but what's that on the side of
the road? Gorillas in the mist? No, a group of hardy Ranelagh supporters.
I thought great, I must be at the summit, then Julian says 500m to go to the
top then it's all downhill. Yes it was all downhill all right.
cont...
AH: The downhill section was also pretty brutal on the legs, and upon
temporarily reaching the flat at about 24 miles, it felt like one was
running uphill again. The last ten miles were hilly, and although there was
nothing quite as bad as Ou Kaapse Weg, the damage had been done as far as I
was concerned. The last major uphill section rises about 520 feet in close
to 3 miles, and this was definitely not fun. The last 3 miles were mainly
downhill with three small but cruel uphill sections, including one right
before the blessed relief of the finish line at the University of Cape Town.
However, the race was run, medals were claimed, pictures taken, and then a
massage received from an Angel who had been transported to earth and placed
in the International Athletes "Rubbing Tent".
KJ: On the downhill section the legs are beginning to suffer a little; the
next target is the marathon. The kilometres are getting longer now and the
stride is getting shorter. Through the marathon in sub 3:10 - not bad
considering, but tell that to your legs. Oh and there is nice climb of
nearly 4 miles coming up. The legs are cramping up badly and I'm forced to
slow down (I'm going to be disqualified for lifting). I stop at the physio
station where I get a quick ice massage on the old pins. I'm off again but
to no avail so I walk for a bit... I get to the top the final big hill then
it's relatively downhill to the finish, although little hills are mountains
by now. The final mile is a crawl, with Ranelagh people dotted along the
route urging me on through to the finish line...
I am considering coming back, especially if they re-open the old route
through Chapman's Peak. You'd have thought that I would have learnt my
lesson, but at least the beer is cheap...
Well I guess I'm going to have to go and suffer! Thanks for the report, now know that I must be off my rocker. Ah well four months to train and will have run a further 2 marathons during that period so should be reasonably fit by then.
Great race, well organised and excellent public support.
Keep something in reserve for Tokai at about 48km, nasty little hill at that distance.
Best of luck,
Henk
Have a good time there Paul.
What time did you run?
I finished in 4:02 if I recall rightly.
Great race it is indeed, made really good friends over there as I was running with local club. Some fantastic athletes over there.....
Henk
I haven't got results to doublecheck.....
My friend Soulman Nakedi finished 10th that day....
I am looking forward to doing Two Oceans in 2004 - it'll be my first time doing the full 56km since 1987!
That day in '87, the weather, the views, the people all combined to give me the stongest and most enduring "runner's high" that I have ever experienced!
The route over Chapmans Peak is truly memorable and I am delighted that it will feature again next year.
I am also keen to follow your progress/experiences leading up to April. Although I did not run NY this year, I was fascinated by your battles with the treadmill and niggling injuries. At least this time, you should be fully acclimatised!
Good luck
I felt a bit of a fraud in 2001 when I ran the 1/2M as a training run the week before the FLM. As I had entered from the UK, I found myself classed as an "international athlete" and therefore invited to a special marquee on the finishing line - where plentiful food and drink was laid on. This was despite an extremely modest 1:59! Now, that is what I call hospitality.
Incidentally, for those that have run either the 56km or the 21km before, you can retrieve your race stats from the Two Oceans website. Sadly, I don't think I shall be able to get close to my 1987 time but I would love to get under 5hrs.
Oceans time in '96 was around 5'21 so I would have been a long way behind you even if it was 96 when you ran!!
Hobbling through inches of wet snow/slush and now gale force winds, I dream of the sun on my back, cheering crowds and wonderful views. Of course, I am feeling strong and my negative split nears record proportions as I sprint past Kirstenbosch with only a couple of km between me and personal glory!
....and then back to reality; it begins to sleet and a bus sprays icy slush down my leg.
Cape Town certainly feels Oceans away at the moment.
Keep visualising! Training going fairly well here, helped by the cool winter weather. In fact so cold on Friday that I was running in tights, jacket and gloves, unheard of for Dubai but then I'm a wimp!
Have started doing hill sessions on the treadmill as there are no hills in Dubai makes me realise how difficult hill running is! I am greatly helped here by having 6 others who are running two oceans so plenty of training partners.
Happy running, only 10 or so weeks to go
Hill training in a city which is flat is intresting, thats why they invented treadmills ... to torture Two Ocean runners!
btw - bad week last week. I got a bit cocky in training and followed a very long run with another longish run. I ended up with such a painful right shin that I could hardly walk. It has taken me a whole week to recover and tonight is my first attempt to get going again. As per usual, its tipping down and there is a gale blowing.
I just hope that the good foundations laid in December and January mean that I have not lost too much ground.
Timbo G.. Where are you staying? I keep looking at the course profile and wonder how I'm going to run uphill having already run marathon... Going to find out I guess.
I shall go out for a few miles just now and depending on how it goes, I would really like to do the Bramley 20 tomorrow. I am confident that I can get through it OK but am worried I'll do myself more harm. We'll see.
It is snowing at the moment and there is a penetrating cold wind. Morale fairly low. Thoughts of a decent time drifting away.
Looking forward to some sun in SA, though. I shall head out there with the family on 31 March to stay with my in-laws in Somerset West. I'll return to the UK on the 13th, coincidentally in time for the FLM but despite a ballot place, it seems pretty improbable at the moment.
DD - Where are you staying and do you have a target time? Glad to hear that you training is going better than before NYC. It would be a good idea to find someway of running hills when exhausted BUT have NO bright ideas quite how you might achieve this........
We should meet up.
What happened
I was typing a reply to this and nearly reached the end when what i typed vanished
I will try again.
Good luck you guys, I do love reading about peeps running ultras
Me have not even run a marathon yet (15 miles in 2 weeks, which will be my longest to date)
Will hopefully run a marathon next year and then who knows may attempt an ultra of some description.
Don't know what don't know when.
You guys do inspire me
I've just been reading The Lore of Running, where in the introduction, Tim Noakes tells of one Comrades event where a woman Isavel Roche Kelly was the first female silver medalist for the event, under 7½ hours I was enthralled.
Well will try and post this now.
<<touch wood>>>
Timbo Having posted the last update I had a awful long run (20 miles) on Friday really struggled. So took yesterday off and will see how it goes today. Of course having a two week old baby doesn't exactly help with the training regime!
I'm travelling down on the 08th & returning to Dubai on the 12th, so hopefully we can fit in a beer somewhere. I'll let you know where I'm staying cos i don't have teh details in front of me and since the baby arrived my brain refuses to function fully!
Good luck with the training and hope that you fly around the Bramley 20
Despite shin pain from mile 2, I managed 2.29 at Bramley. Even felt physically strong at the end. Cold but otherwise good running conditions.
Later visited the physio who said my calves were not too tight and the right shin improving (and little danger of a stress fracture).
Bring on the Steyning Stinger Marathon next weekend!
DD - congrats on the baby! Are you bringing mother and child to SA too or are you planning to escape?
Pammie - Thanks for your positive words. Apart from at my running club and on this forum, most people cannot comprehend WHY.
But then...most of the time I can't either. Perhaps I'll remember as I crest Chapman's Peak, the sun is shining, the sea glistening and I am surrounded by many other runners of all sizes/colours marvelling in the occasion.
Timbo how die the marathon go ? we have Abu Dhabi marathon in two weeks or three weeks before Two Oceans in two minds whether to do it as not sure recovery time will be sufficeint but may do it very easy.
I will be going to Capetown on my own as Baby DD a little young and anyway we haven't got him a passport yet! Staying at the Park Hotel will hopefully meet up whilst down there.
Starting to realise that it isn't far away!
I think I finished a few seconds over 4 hours but believe it or not, that might just be good enough for a top 20 finish!
If I had run that last climb, I would have felt comfortable about Constantia Nek but now.....
Your run up Jabel Hafeet rather puts my wingeing in perspective. I am not surprised you might be cutting back this week. I am spending my week's in Holland at the moment and the only hill training I can do is to find a bridge over a motorway. (Of course, this is just another excuse for my performance for the Stinger).
As for the Abu Dhabi marathon 3 weeks before Two Oceans. My head would tell me not to do it whilst my heart would be there!
In fact, I would run it, telling myself to treat it as a training run but then I would inevitably get caught up in the atmosphere and end up pushing too hard.
I shall run the Cranleigh 21 that w/e and then start tapering.
Good Luck!
Your sentiments re the Abu Dhabi Marathon are identical to mine, can I trust myself not to get caught up in the Race.
Anyway well done re the Stying Stinger a top twenty finish in a Marathon is beyond my dreams, best to date 60th this year in Dubai out of 400. Have a good time in Holland I know all about training on the flat, Dubai is possibly flater than Holland hence the two hour drive to Jebel Hafeet last weekend. Legs still not fully recovered so have done a couple of easy 7 milers the last two days.
If it were me and I was fit, I'd go for it. Perhaps start off conservatively but then, inevitably, allow myself to get caught up in the race against the person in front.
I am sure that 3 weeks is sufficient recovery and it could be great for your confidence. However, be prepared to slow down/stop if you experience pain!
btw your 60 out of 400 is still a better return than my 17 out of 99!
This week I have been running in the back of beyond in Wisconsin (several inches of snow) and then this morning in Valley Forge National Historical Park near Philadelphia PA.
Apart from continuing heavy legs from Sunday and also getting lost, this morning was excellent. A beautiful spring day, light at 6am, trotting along the Valley Forge trails surrounded at times by deer. Probably did 8.5 miles in 70mins but really enjoyed it. Luckily jet lag means that I will get up early again tomorrow and try another trail.
Then, after a day's work, its back to the UK and the Hastings Half on Sunday. Another great event which I plan to run (slowly)with my wife. But then can I trust myself not to compete.......
The lesson: do what I say, not what I do!
Good Luck
Tim
Just back from a few days in Oman, not quite as exotic as Philadelphia PA but running along the beach at dawn was pretty cool.
Have decided not to do the Abu Dhabi marathon as I know I would end up racing! So will settle for a twenty mile plod around Dubai on Friday morning, which should be the last long run prior to Capetown. At last the taper begins!
Having looked up the Stying Stinger I take my hat off to you that sounds hard! Incidentally my next planned marathon after Two Oceans is the Beachy Head Marathon in October sounds a bit similar to Stying!
Anyway enjoy the Hastings half, thats another one that has been on my list for awhile. Happy running
DD