Dear Satori’s

Wow what a great race day we had on Saturday at the West Coast Marathon (and Half Marathon!) in Langebaan.

I was so incredibly proud when Nico finished his FIRST MARATHON!!!! He looked SO good when he and his friend and running buddy Francois came in, finishing the race in under 04:40. FANTASTIC! I cannot describe how proud I was, I actually had a lump in my throat and had to swallow some tears of joy.

I also had a great race and quietly celebrated the fact that the West Coast Half Marathon turned out to be my 10th half marathon! It was a great run and we were incredibly blessed with lovely cool weather and no wind! It was misty the entire morning until about the 18km mark. The West Coast is a stunning run through the nature reserve – no cars and smog – I can recommend it.

I battled a bit on the initial dirt road, which lasted roughly for the first 9km. You have to concentrate extra hard, checking very carefully where you place your feet. I always worry about falling over stones so found the stress creeping in my neck and left shoulder during this time. But as I hit the tar road, things looked up and I had a great run. I slowed down again at the 13 / 14 km mark, and then conjured up some inspiration for the last third of the run. I almost thought I’d bag this one in less than 2 hours… but the incredible hill that lurked ahead after the 18km mark quickly put me in my place! I have actually NEVER run a hill like that before – not even Rhodes Memorial in the Landmarks.

While running, I was thinking the whole time of Nico and Francois, who also had to run over that hill, after having done 39km!

It wasn’t easy, but what a breeze once you’ve conquered the “mountain” and can free-wheel all the way down to the finish.

Nico is hoping to do his first Comrades this year and having done so well in his first marathon, I know he has a lot more confidence for the Comrades challenge ahead. He is definitely one step closer, having qualified through completing the West Coast Marathon!

Happy running!
Anita