Yeah so I survived. And I can’t wait to do it again! Pictures tell the tale… it was amazing. Monique and I ran together and finished in about 3:35 as expected – but it did not feel that long. Not as even close to as long as a 2hr road run feels. Ok, we weren’t running all the time – you can’t run the whole way with a trail run. And It was cold and raining, and we were FROZEN afterwards but what a totally rocking experience.
It was so scenic. Started with amazing mountain views. Then a stretch of single track running on the foresty ledge of the mountain. Then through some mud…at this point I was still trying to avoid puddles. Later enjoyed slip and sliding while trying to keep my balance in the mud. Then we crossed a few rivers, first mid calf deep then knee high. Thereafter avoiding puddles was insignificant. Then we ran through a marshy area with long grass. Under a fallen tree. Over another river and then over some more fallen trees. Finally we ran in an area that used to be a dam, but with our recent drought it was more sandy and baron. At that point the wind picked up and bitterly blew sand on us. I was so grateful for the buff Jason gave me to cover my cheeks and mouth. Fingers frozen. Then through one last stream to the finish line. It was a friggin amazing, completely awesome experience.
To end a great morning, we were joined by some more Femilyum and had lunch in Franschoek after the run. With the Bastille Festival buzz going on it was really cool. People walking around with red and blue berets and the colours of the French flag painted on their faces. French flags were liberally used to decorate restaurants, buildings and even street stalls. The “gees” was pretty amazing in the town. A seriously competitive alternative to Knysna 🙂 Viva Le Bleu 🇫🇷 Another fun thing to do that I hence forth will highly recommend for anyone who hasn’t been to the Bastille Festival in Franschoek before.
And so now the next adventure, I’m off to a cave in Gothenburg to go find Batman…..ok maybe not, because I’ve already found Ironman in Cape Town. But definitely to Stockholm and Umeå to get me a Viking ship!