PDAC 25km ROAD RACE - Sunday, 29 January 2006
(Pinetown Districts Athletic Club)
It was an early rise at 3:00am on this wet and misty Sunday morning to get ourselves ready for the race. We had to sort out car logistics due to the race being a one-way route. We had to take both our cars down to the finish at Lahee Park in Pinetown and leave one car there and then drive to the start at Waterfall Shopping Centre, where we left the other car.
We were very appreciable of the cool and misty weather - especially at this time of year when the mercury often hits 40 degrees. The starting gun went off 5:04am and a few thousand chirpy (usual at the start of a race - until the first hill surfaces) athletes were on their way.
We made our way along Inanda Road, which was built up with new security complexes on the left and serene country side still surviving on the right. The first 8 to 9km had a gradual incline and the still cold and stiff limbs took strain warming up. The route linked up with Old Main Road going through Hillcrest, Gillits and Kloof after which it went parallel with the M13 until the 19km mark where it started winding through Pinetown suburbs towards the end at Lahee Park in Pinetown.
The race was well organised except for a 'very dry' waterpoint at the 9km mark which had no water or Coke and worries started setting in on what the water situation will be at the rest of the waterpoints. Fortunately all the waterpoints were well stocked further on. (There are waterpoints at 3km intervals.)
We both finished the race well within the cut-off time of 4h15min, with very sore/stiff/aching bodies to show for it. Conroy's running time was 2h23min and my walking time was 3h18min.
A huge thank you to Shelley and Nicky (my scrapping students/friends) who was the greatest support team I have ever had on a race. They drove along the route and stopped every 3/4km cheering and motivating their friends along - even stood ready with a 'Bar-one' choccie at the 20km mark - Thanks I needed it!!!
We got a T-shirt and a Huletts Sugar carry-bag with a 1kg packet of sugar in it for our efforts.
Needless to say the rest of the Sunday was spent in a horizontal state of vegetation!!!
Well done you two, looks like your run/walk careers are coming along very nicely...I think I would still be in a horizontal position at the time you guys got up for the race...see you later at Charmien's place.
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