PETER GIDDY.: WOODRIDGE TRAIL RUNNING SERIES AUGUST 2013

PAT; PETER AND ADRIENNE ON THE TRAIL.

LIESL NIENABER PRESENTS PRIZES AFTER THE TRAIL RUN. LIESL ALSO TAKES PART IN THE 12K EVENT.

WOODRIDGE TRAIL RUN 2013

I fetched Adrienne at 6;45 and we were in plenty of time for registration and the start at 8am. Karen and Colette were doing registration. Christoff puts a huge amount of work into these runs each year. This year he had decided to hold both runs on the same day. John, Adrienne, Pat and I had entered the 12k while the tougher of our group tried out the 22k event.

CHRISTOFF AND HIS SON ON THE QUAD BIKE SETTING UP THE RUN

FOR AUGUST IT IS A REALLY WARM MORNING AND NONE OF US NEED LONG SLEEVES

JOHN APPEARS TO BE EXPLAINING WHAT TO DO ON THE TRAIL THIS MORNING.

I was so happy to see that Liesl Nienaber was back to running. She and Philip did the 12 as well. Ronel, Helouise, Marilyn and Letitia ran the longer distance event.

Christoff gave us the a set of instructions. I was basically interested in only one point, how to make sure that we did not take a wrong turn and end up doing and extra ten k. Last week was reasonably good for me until Friday morning when I had started with knee trouble again. I went out for a short jog / walk on Friday morning but was limping within a short while. I did not want to miss my Saturday morning run so had run an easy and shorter distance with the group.

Saturday afternoon Stuart, Ron and I had been at Framesby to watch an awesome game of rugby and I had been limping as I walked. That evening I had put the Tens Machine on the knee to try and get myself ready for Sunday morning. Even on Sunday, I had put the electrodes back on the knee as I felt the knee buckling as I got out of bed.

I was apprehensive at the start but was delighted to find that throughout the run I had no pain at all. Each year Christoff has taken us on a slightly different route. We know that there will be a bit of a climb at the end, there is no option except to climb out of the Van Staadens valley to get back up to the School Campus.

ADRIENNE DISCUSSING IMPORTANT STUFF WITH HER GROUP OF FRIENDS

CHRISTOFF GIVES INTRUCTIONS TO THE RUNNERS BEFORE THE START. RODNEY IS IN THE BACKGROUND

This morning we started off in an easterly direction, up the boardwalk and then down into the pastures below, along the cattle trails and back up to the farm road on the east side of Woodridge. Christoff does not allow us to run on farms roads for long and we headed back onto single track pathways until we found the old trailer which we had passed on the uphill last year. We found the water tap at 4k out. Everything was clearly marked. And then ran down to the Y turn, longer distance to the left and 12k to the right. Rodney Maggot was with Pat, Adrienne and myself at this stage. I think that we must have been one of the last groups.

ADRIENNE SPLASHES HER FACE TO COOL OFF

PAT EMERGES FROM THE TRAIL

From this point the trail is really easy, we jogged at a reasonable pace along the bottom of the valley. We crossed the street 5 times. Christoff had said that it was possible to stay dry. Adrienne attempted crossing on the rocks at the first stream but after she nearly slipped and fell, we all just waded through. I cannot think how anybody would have been able to keep their feet dry?

PAT AND ADRIENNE HAVING FUN IN THE STREAM.

THE WATER IN THE STREAM IS CHILLY BUT NOT SO COLD THAT YOU CANNOT HAVE A BIT OF FUN. THE WATER IS CLEAR AND BEAUTIFUL THIS MORNING IN THE SUN

PAT KICKS UP SOME WATER ONTO PETER IN THE STREAM

At each crossing we stopped to"play". Splashing each other and cooling off. The weather was perfect. A lovely winters day with sunshine. We were in shaded areas and under the forest canopy for much of the run so stayed cool. At the pace that the three of us were going we hardly worked up a sweat.

MMMM? IS THIS A RUN OR A PICNIC. AT THIS STAGE JANE COMES CHARGING PAST SO WE PICK THE PACE UP AND START SOME JOGGING.

LAST BIT OF A RUN BEFORE THE MEGA HILL. ALL LOOKS WELL AT THIS STAGE.

As we came to the final stream crossing, some of the fast group doing the 22k passed us. And then Jane Barnado and her rival (Marie-Jo?) passed us. Jane told us later that she was second lady in. After this last crossing we started the uphill climb to the school. It is a slow, windy climb. I cannot imagine anyone could run this section. But then I suppose that the stronger front group probably do quite a bit of running or at least a fast walk. We climbed steadily, looking up to see how far it was to go, there would be a false summit every now and then. Finally the trail evens out.

AT LAST WE ARE AT THE TOP AND ABLE TO START JOGGING AGAIN

ADRIENNE HAS NEVER LOOKED STRONGER

Adrienne and I waited for Pat and we finished the last section together. This had been a good morning of trail running. Thanks to Christoff and his team for setting it all up. Clearing of the trails, marking them out, all the admin and pre race work is huge for an event like this one. Well done to the team for putting it all together. I had to be back home as Ally had a hockey match later this morning so we left early. Having finished this event I can really say that I truly enjoyed the outing. Good Friends on the trail and on the finish but even more important to me was that I had no trouble with my knees at all.