TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON APRIL 2011

TWO OCEANS HALF MARATHON 2011
CATHY SILBERSTEIN
NICCI STEENKAMP
STEFAN STEENKAMP
All complete the Two Oceans Half Marathon 2011 within the cut off time.

I had to travel to JHB this week so dropped my car off for service on Monday afternoon and collected it on Wednesday. Tuesday Dawn arrived from her walk in the Hymalayans. Thursday morning Ally had to be at school so we left for Cape Town at around 11.00am. This was to be an eventful trip. We had borrowed Gerald's trailer and loaded it with a pile of Michael's stuff.

We also loaded Barbara's Bakkie. And put two mattresses on the back seat of my car: So we had the trailer behind my car with Ally in front seat and Jessica, Joshua and Daniel on the back seat perched on top of the mattresses. I did not bother to check the trailer lights as the Nippers Trailer had been fine a few weeks earlier. Just over an hour after leaving Barbara phoned to say that she had a flat tyre. I did a U-turn and by the time we arrived at the Bakkie a car had stopped and three men were changing the wheel. This was the first time that I had changed this tyre and learned that you had to undo a bolt inside the back of the bakkie to release the wheel that is under the bakkie. That went smoothly as the Tyre was a good one, the spanner and jack were behind the seat.

We passed three police road blocks on the road and the police at one of them showed me that the trailer lights were not working. Also Barbara and I had swapped vehicles at Storms River and my Drivers Licence was in my car and hers was in the bakkie; So we had a long lecture telling us that this was not allowed. Finally we arrived in Plett. I went in the bakkie to have the tyre fixed. The tyre had been run flat and was not in a condition to be repaired.

So I had the expense of a new tyre @ R540. Then went to the Auto Electrician in Plett where I had the electrics of the car sorted out @R170. There was a loose connnection which the electrician repaired. Now we are able to leave for CT again. After a while I ask (on the phone) barbara to turn on her lights. And I see the the one light is not working. So we pull over in Riversdale and I am able to fix a loose connection and dont have to replace the globe.

Off we go again. It is now dark and there is construction on the roads meaning that there are no lines which makes night driving very risky. The volume of cars coming from the CT side is huge. We right turn at Swellendam and get into Ashton where Ally rejects the garage food shop as being "Miff". Next town is Robertson where we find a Brazzillian Coffee shop and Steers. Here we buy burgers and coffee before heading off on our last leg of the trip.

On the N1; Under DuToits Kloof Hugenot tunnel and past Paarl to Nicci's house. It is now around 22.15. We drop off children, trailer and bakkie and head off to Cathy's house. It has been a 12 hour epic journey. Crash! that is what we all do within minutes of arriving at Cathy.

Good Friday 23rd: after breakfast and much organising we go off to register for the run. Stefan and the two boys came to collect Cathy, Ally Saul and myself. We had an easy registration and a relaxed afternoon with Nicci and then with Cathy. Stefan buys Nicci a new running outfit. A neat light blue top with tight running shorts. Cathy also buys a new top.

They leave me to take care of the two boys. Ally and I sit down to Ice Cream & Cold Drinks in the Food Area. Cathy has the new Aisics that I bought her at Brina Bands on 24th December when they have their annual sale. Paulette called me to ask about a lift to Cape Town but of course we were already here. It seems that they had some bad luck: on their way to Cape Town this morning the drivers side window was struck by a stone and shattered the window. They were not able to have it repaired and so retired from the race. Geoff Roberts, who was with them caught a flight to Cape Town.

Julia Giddy was at a festival in the Underberg south eastern Drakensberg. She had left with some friends on Thursday morning and after a burst tyre had stayed over in Kokstad before going on to the festival. She SMS's: "Hey! We made it past Queenstown. Got a late start but doing well" We were able to talk a few times on the phone and it appears that the trip and the camping at the festival went well. They would continue on to Patrick and Marianne in Durban before heading home at the end of the following week. Julia Sms's me: "We had a little bump along the road (Well a big one that blew out a tyre) but were in Kokstad now spending the night at a hotel. Will check in tomorrow.

Saturday morning. Easter Saturday. It has been nearly 25 times that I have done this. Wake up early and make my way to the start of Two Oceans. We have stayed at so many different places. Holiday Inns; Near to the start at self catering and B&B's; Fish Hoek where I have hitch hiked to the start and now in more recent years with Stefan and Nicky in Stellenberg. We have stayed with Patrick and Patti when they lived in Woodstock. We stayed with Cathy and Saul when they lived in Woodstock. In that year Saul ran the 21kay with a friend of his. Last year Stefan's friend Antoinette ran the 21kay. Stefan tells me that since then she is now running the 56kay as well as Comrades.




This year we were staying with Cathy & Saul in Milnerton. Ally was with us but stayed over at Nicci's house in Bloemandal Road. Dawn was on a mattress in Cathy's Study. Barbara had not been feeling well the previous day and we had all been asleep early. This morning I awoke at 03.30 and was soon ready. Cathy heard me washing and also woke up so we were ready when Stefan and Saul collected us at around 04.30. We drove to UCT and I fell asleep in the car.

Stefan took the Rhodes Memorial Exit, turned right under the main road and back towards UCT parking where we again found a really good parking spot. We walked down to the start area; Nicci and Cathy were in E seeding; Saul was in D as he had used his Sub 2hour time of Meiringspoort as a qualifier. I was in C seeding due to being Blue Number. Nicci and Cathy walked in from the back not too worried about seeding but were not too far from the front as we were relatively early. Stefan and I walked in at C and then ducked under the tape to D. We were now reasonably close to the start of the race. Michelle Stewart has said that she would look out for us there but we never saw her.




The commentator carried on and on about the most beautiful race and statistics etc before finally handing over to the Mayor of Cape Town who also made some unimporant speech and welcomed athletes for the umpteenth time. Then came the National Anthem which few white South Africans can sing but had some of the athletes putting their right hand on their heart and mouthing the words. I was surprised to hear that about half of the field were female. Running used, many years ago, to me a male dominated sport to the extent that Achilles was a strictly male only running club when I first joined.

Off went the gun and the athletes. It took us just a few seconds to cross the start line, no bunching and we had a more or less clear path ahead where we could run at our own pace. Stefan set the pace. We ran at around 6 minutes a kay after the first kay which was probably about 7 minutes. We ran together down Main Road and then turned right up into some suburb. I have no idea where we are as it is still very dark and a number of street lights are not working. The first three or so kays are slight uphill. We descend to the first switchback.

Stefan makes a pit stop and catches up with me soon afterwards. We have now run to around 6kays and Stefan goes ahead. We run under a main Road and then up the first of the hills to the second switchback. This is a fairly long hill and I determine to not walk at all today. We run for a long way along this switchback people running with determination in both directions. I am not used to running without knowing any of the athletes around me.




I did not see or greet any fellow PE runners on the route at all. At the end of this switch back we start the climb up Southern Cross Drive. It starts off fairly gently but becomes progressively steeper. I plod on. My real problem is that I have been working very hard the last number of weeks and combined with Ally's sport I have hardly been running at all. Probably around four sessions of training in the past four weeks. So I have no confidence and no stamina. But I do not walk.

Southern Cross drive hill is around 3 kays long and people continually yell at us: "Not far to the top now". At 13 kays we reach the top of the hill and work our way along the Real Two Oceans route which I have run on 21 previous occasions. 19 on the marathon route and two on the half marathon route. Stefan reminded me that I had once bailed this run. I now remember that I was in Hout Bay when coming down Chapmans Peak. I was so sore and exhausted that I bailed, climbed onto a bus and arrived back to the field on Wheels and not my feet.

Now doing the 21kay I feel that I am part of the whole hype without the pain and without needing the training that is required for running a really tough 56 kay event. And I am with my family. Talking to Geoff later that day I was proud to say that I had family running with me. The section that takes the runners to the highest point on the 21kay is not easy. BUT we have only a few kays to go from here.

Down we run. I am not a good downhill runner and maybe a little over cautious as I dont want to injure myself. I am counting down the Kays. We pass the 18kay marker. And then start the sharp climb from the Traffic Light. Last year there were announcers on this hill. This year it is relatively quiet. We reach the two kay to go marker. I have not walked once today. I run as hard as I can which is not very fast at all. I ask a fellow veteran runner about the time. He says that it is 1hour 59. I realise that a sub 2 hour is out of the question. But if we work hard we will finish within 2.10.

So when we reach the final sharp climb up to the finish area I do the very best that I can to jog at a slightly faster pace. Finally we reach the field. I run as hard as I am able around the field. I am not fooled by the false finish banner and look ahead to the real finish banner. I see a fellow 60 year old runner ahead of me. I have seen him a number of times on the road and now decide that is must finish ahead of him as this will give me just one place ahead of the 60+ age category. I finish in 2.09.




I look around for Stefan. Last year we did not see each other until long after the race had ended. This year Stefan saw me come in and was waiting for me at the exit. He had done 1.53 which is his best for Two Oceans 21 as well as a personal best for a half marathon. This particular route is not easy and to do a PB today was excellent for him. He was delighted. We made our way to barrier where the runners enter the field from the road. Last year Nicci and Cathy had arrived long after the cut off and I was expecting the same today.




Both of them had done no training. Both of them seemed ambivilant about starting until only the day before the race. So when there was just a few minutes to go we were shocked to see Cathy coming in looking amazingly fresh. She laughed and waved to us. We later heard that Saul also saw come in and was able to greet her as well. Then we waited for Nicci. Cathy had kind of indicated that Nicci was behind but we had no idea how far behind. But with just a minute or two to spare; Nicci came running onto the field. She too looked exceptionally chirpy after the experience of last year when she had so much pain. We see Selwyn Solomon from PE finishing well.

We hurried over the to where the runners exit and found Nicci as she came out. Cathy had walked over to where she had seen us and we found her and Saul a few minutes later. I had taken my phone on this run. I had wrapped it in some toilet paper and then in a plastic bag. This allowed me to take a few pics and to let people know that Cathy and Nicci had completed the run within the cut off. It was a really emotional and happy time for us. With no training but with a huge amount of heart and determination these two sisters had done what none of us really expected them to do.




Nicci had dosed herself with anti inflamatory and was feeling very ill afterwards. I think that it was part exhaustion, part emotion and part the pills on an empty tummy. She did not have a good ride home but after a sleep looked a lot better. Never again would these two Girls have to run as Novices. They were part of around 7000 novices this year. Although this was their second attempt it is not acknowleged unless you complete within the time cut off of three hours.




I received an SMS from Michelle Stewart: She was in the C Seeding. We had not seen her but she was there. Michelle did a 1.48. Geoff had done his 13th 56kay in 5.23. Graham Channon did his 31st in just under 6 hours and when I speak to him on the phone he tells me that he had an awesome run with little trouble on the road. Kenny Barwood managed just under 7 hours. Andy Bolton and Benita Barton ran together doing around 5.15. This is Andy's 29th consecutive run.

We dropped Cathy off at her home and Stefan and I had a relaxed afternoon at his house. Michael made a fire: Barbara and Dawn had been to visit friends. Later that evening Aunty Mary, Joan, Roy and daughter Tracey came over for a Braai. Stoney and Magdalena plus Bapsie all were there to celebrate Easter. Magdalena and Bapsie had made beautiful gifts for each of the children. Each gift came with a message which the chilren read out and answered a biblical question. There were around 17 adults and 7 children all having a great time over supper. We watched some unsatisfying Super 14 Rugby. I should not watch as I really dont have too much interest in this competition and cannot follow the league table.

Geoff collected Barbara's Bakkie and we left to stay over at Cathy's house. It had been a long and tiring day. Nicci was still not feeling her best. Cathy looked well but a little stiff.

Sunday 24th morning we left at around 08.00 for home and took the N2 route. We were fortunate to have left today as we heard that there were heavy rains in Cape Town on Sunday and it would have not been a day for the outdoors. Our stops were: Riviersonderend for coffee and sandwich, Heidelberg for petrol; Albertinia for Biltong and Ginger beer; Storms River for Toilet break and then home. The drive took us a little over 8 hours. We were four in the car and an empty trailer. What a difference! This evening Dawn showed us her Nepal Pics. It looks like a really stunning holiday and an experience that we would love to do one day.