Training Log Archive: briangardner

Wolkberg Trail run day 2. Circular loop from Stanford. A few changes to the route, and run in reverse this year made it tougher and 2kms longer. My legs were pretty sore and stiff from Day 1. I started ok, but still some way off the the lead group who again flew out the blocks. Found myself running with Bennie again for about the first 10kms, and Jeandre for company too. My legs just didn't recover enough and things got worse from about km 11, slowing down a lot and started getting passed by a few guys. Saw Bennie up ahead at about the 15k mark, and he was only 1:45 ahead, but ended up beating me by 15 minutes!! Just shows how badly I was going backwards, lost all that time in 12kms, and 6 places! :-( Legs were just stuffed... I suffered today, properly! Came in 15th place. I think I should really train more for these things... the pain is not worth it! :-) Overall a fantastic event, excellent organising and top class trails. Loved it! Not sure of overall for the 2 days, but I'm hoping I'll sneak into the Top 10.

Wolkberg Trail Run day 1. Really looked forward to this event, but my training has been less than optimal... My strategy was to go hard from the start and see how long I could survive! :-) My only goal was to try and match last years time (I knew I was being a bit optimistic though!) The lead group of about 8 guys started fast and pulled a gap early on. I was running with Bennie Roux all the way up the switchbacks and onto the grasslands. We ran well together and had places 5-8 in our sights until the Iron Crown summit. My time to the top of Iron Crown as almost exactly as last year, so was happy about that! Bennie and I stayed together all the way down the mountain and along the dirt roads towards Forest Glen, but he pulled away slowly as we approached the 2nd water point at Driehoek. My legs were starting to feel the efforts, but I was still spot on my 2016 time to 2nd water point, so keeping positive! From there things didn't quite go to plan... I couldn't push hard at all and the legs were getting wobbly! Felt I was loosing time with every step and downhills were hurting! Managed to hold it together and wasn't passed by anyone, but going backwards fast... So 7 minutes slower than last year (all that time lost in the last 8kms), but 400m longer according to the GPS, as there were some minor changes to the route in the forests on Iron Crown. Got 6th place in the end, but should have been 8th as both Thabang and Michael missed a route marker in the pine forests on the mountain and added extra climb and distance! All considered, very happy with my run! Edwin won in 2:55.

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van Gaalen

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