PETER GIDDY.: WOODRIDGE TRAIL RUN AUGUST 2014

SATURDAY MORNING WITH BLOEMFONTEIN PARENTS: ILSA LOVED THE BOARDWALK RUN THIS MORNING.

WOODRIDGE TRAIL RUN - SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST 2014

With
John Nelson
Liesl Delange
Letita Strauss
Helouise Erasmus
Claire Breedske
Beth Hechter
Sean and Sheena Okeefe
Chris Gedye
Peter Marriot
Andrew and Claudia Marriot
Andrew Barton
Ronel and Pat Scheepers
Marilyn Bull
Amanda Pieterse

OUR GROUP AT THE END OF THE SATURDAY MORNING RUN WITH GERALD; PAT' ILSA; ANNELISE AND ADRIENNE

JOHN; ILSA; GERALD; ANNIE; PAT; ANNELISE AND ADRIENNE JUST BEFORE THE PARKRUN

FRIENDS FROM BLOEM ON THE SATURDAY MORNING TRAINING RUN AT FLAT ROCKS

ANNELISE AND ILSE ON THE BOARWALK IN SUMMERSTRAND

Friday 1st August. Evening Hockey. Grey play Grey Bloem and pull off a win. It is a lovely evening even though the wind and rain make it a bit chilly. I then have to take Ally to a friend's party in Summerstrand.

Saturday 2nd August
We are out for our normal Saturday Morning Run from Hobie Beach at 5.30am when we meet up with some Bloem Parents here for the Derby day with Grey vs Grey College. Ilsa and Annelise with another couple of parents join myself; Adrienne; Pat; Annie for our run up the Walmer Boulevard; Right and across to Strandfontein road. At 2nd Ave we lose some of the runners. They have children's sport to attend.

Ilsa and Annelise join me and we continue down Erasmus road to Admiralty. Down to the Beacon where we turn right to Flat Rocks and then back along the boardwalk. I am so enjoying the fact that these two young ladies are as enthusiastic about the route as I am. We finish with a beach run before the final two kays back to Hobie.

The next activity is our parkrun where we have around 250 runners including Simon Gear (weather reporter) who wins the morning.
It is a successful event.
I have a number of chores at home to do for Barbara and then am able to go to Rugby at Grey VS Grey Bloem. I watch four games. The second team pull off an amazing win and the first team also win their match. I had to leave 15 minutes early as Ally has hockey this afternoon. A School teacher died and the boys set up a show in memory with the name JONES displayed.

Sunday Morning: I collect John and Liesl and we all go off to Woordridge where we are entered for the Trail Run.
I drive through to Woodridge with Liesl and John. We are there in plenty of time. I did not enter early so did not receive the special shirt that had been made for early entries. We were given a bag of oranges which turned out to be poor quality so not eaten.

KAREN IS ONE OF THE (BETTER LOOKING) HEROES WHO MAKE THIS RUN HAPPEN.

Christoff rallies the crowd and gives us instructions.
We head off in a Westerly direction which is the same as the original trail run we did in the rain a number of years ago. After a short uphill we are all heading down a steep descent where you have to be reasonably careful. There are donga's and lots of places to fall. We really only go as fast as the person in front of us. This takes us down to the stream at the bottom of the hill where Liesl and Pat and Andrew leave us for the 15k event while we head uphill and onwards for the 24k event. At this stage I am with Ronel and Helouise and Letitia. Beth catches us and then passes us.
There is a Loooong climb up and up and up until finally we start a descent again. At this time I meet up with Elize Knickelbein's sister (Amanda Pieterse) and we run the rest of the distance together.

This event is not at all easy and you have to be reasonably fit to be able to enjoy the event. I had stopped to buy some jub jubs but forgot them in the car. So I began to feel a bit weak on a couple of occasions. At one time Sean catches us and we run together for a while. Then we have this amazing experience as a herd of Impala run next to us stretching out horizontal to the fields. Christoff comes along on his Quad Bike and takes some pics. I am not sure if he managed to capture any of these moments as the buck leaped across the pathway in front of us. This was a real picture as the ocean vista was on our right; to the left were open fields and ahead of us was a herd of magnificent looking cattle.

CHRISTOFF ON HIS QUAD BIKE TAKES SOME PICTURES

BEAUTIFUL TO COME ACROSS THIS HERD OF CATTLE WITH THE OCEAN VISTA BEHIND THEM.

At the top of the next hill was the one and only watering station. I had a couple of cups of coke to reenergise. We pressed on and were feeling quite strong when we reached the stream again where I decided to have my annual Woodridge Swim. From there we climb again. Up and up until finally we reach what appears to be the top of the hill. It is not of course and we have more climbing until we finally get back onto the dirt road and can see across to the School. Even though it does not look like far to go; there are still a number of hills and tough terrain to negotiate. Finally; we reach the top of the final hill only to find that we have to descend again. And you know what that means --- there must be another climb. Christoff did not disappoint us. He managed to find just one more hill for us to do.

PAT WINS A PRIZE

CHRISTOFF ALWAYS MANAGES TO HAND OUT PRIZES TO ALMOST EVERYONE WHO IS THERE

At last you emerge on the back field and run onto the main field where the group was gathered for prize giving. I changed and bought something to eat before joining this amazing group of friends who I enjoy so much. Our group won a number of prizes and I walked away with a set of Falke Socks.

This afternoon Ally had another game of Hockey for Old Collegians and I had church duty.

I had an amazing weekend of running; friends; Rugby and Ally's Hockey.

AFTER THE SATURDAY MORNING RUN THE PARKRUN GROUP AT HOBIE BEACH

CHRISTOFF EXPLAINS THAT THIS YEAR HE HAS DESIGNED AN EASY COURSE WITH MAINLY DOWNHILLS AND FLAT WITH PLENTY OF WATERING TABLES FILLED WITH GOODIES. (PERHAPS I WAS DREAMING THIS?)