MY FIRST TIME – TAKE 32

Previously I wrote about my first half marathon, well I am back with another sequel to that being my first 32 kilometer. Not any plain old 32 kay but a unique race that takes place in the small town of Volksrust.

I have been running since July 2007 and done a couple of half marathons however my yearning is to go further, remember “how far is too far” I am still in search of that . So I decide it is time for me to do my first 32 km. The day before the race I travel up to Volksrust where I sleep over at Volksrust High School hostel. One thing that I found quite funny was the toilets/showers had no male or female on them. So of course being the gentleman I am I asked the lady who showed us the rooms where is the men and ladies. Well the hostel is a female hostel, no male toilets but she says use what ever one want, you are all adults she says.

So here we have guys and gals sharing a bathroom at the same time, quite funny as some females didn’t know about this arrangement and were quite shocked when they walk into the bathroom and find the males in there with the females.

Back to the race, I was very nervous when I arrived at the start and Stuart arrived and soon I was lost in a conversation with him. Just before the start he blurts out hell we are the same height as Johannesburg, I really needed to know that, almost immediately I can’t breath.

Well the start happens by means of a countdown and the off we go, Stuart opting to run with me for a while even though he had his eye on a pretty little lady running just ahead of us.

The air was very thin for this KZN oke, but I maintained my LSD time, at 2 kay Stuart ran off after the lady and I plugged in my running partners, the USMC 1^st Battalion.

The road was in a good condition but unfortunately our cloud cover was gone leaving us with a merciless sun that burnt me badly. The route was not as bad as I expected and after a few kays I actually was running quite well…blood and guts….Marine Corps…the MP3 player played and the kays got more and more.

At 14 kay I was feeling good and looking at a 4:30 finish, now at this water table at 14 kay they had wors rolls, never before had I come across this in a race, shame I felt quite bad when I turned down the food. At 16 kay a turn around and heading back the way I just came, feeling fine and time on track.

At the magic half marathon mark my legs develop their own mind and say hold it we have run the half now it is time to rest. Seriously tired I felt the will to fight the rebellious legs depleting and by 22 kay I gave in to a walk which went over into 23 kay. Now I need to run but the legs are having none of that and I manage a small 300 meter where the legs said Whoooow hold up. Man I was getting frustrated I know I need to run and I can see the time slipping away, I planned a LSD but not that much of a LSD.

At the water table at 26 kay a young man, in his thirties, came up to me extended his hand and said “Oom I respect you, you have more guts then I have” and you know that was really a great motivational extra. This young man looked at this old toppie and decided I was better than him, that really helped. Further on at the 28 kay table a young lady, who reminded me of Mia, ran up to me gave me water sachets that still had ice in them and told me with a great beautiful smile, you are very brave. Well now of course I had to run.

So finally I hit 30 kay, I was really badly sunburnt on my legs and the poor things were very weak, I had to sum up all I could to carry on, I put up the volume on the player, left right la hoe, whoa, ah ha, I feel into the beat with the USMC 1^st Battalion.

I saw the finish just ahead and I knew that I would make sub 5:00, I heard the announcer calling for everyone to bring me home, I was calling on the marines to push me through…here we go, on the run, hoooraaa looking good.. . I looked up and the finish was about 200 meters away, all the runners and walker that were still there at the finish lined up clapping. They say the last guy gets more clapping then the first guy, I think it is true.

I crossed the line and pressed my off button on the GPS, my legs buckle immediately and the hints of cramps in the calves are very apparent. This guy runs up to me and hands me this chuck of granite on it is 2008 Volksrust Marathon “Stone Last” It reminded me of the days back in the SADF when we got punishment PT for not performing to the satisfaction of the instructor. That piece of granite weighed a ton. Regardless I had run my first 32 km and finished the race in 4:57 which was 9.2 a kay .