After the nice break at Green Market Square I felt great running towards Peak Number Three: Lion’s Head. From the refreshment table I took a pack with ‘Coconut Water’. So far I experienced coconut water as a drink in Cuba or on the Bahamas, but not during a run J
The first few hundred meters I had to get around all of the shopping people in the city center, since it was almost noon. Noon at a very sunny and hot day in Cape Town.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab9PeZtIfOY
I enjoyed the coconut water actually, especially as it was a different taste compared to the occasional coke at the check points and the water from my hydration pack. But the best tasting drink was yet to come…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcob6S8fZyM
After some 2-3 km I entered the road towards the German School where they held their annual event. It was chaotic. Countless cars trying to find parking where no parking was available. I had to pay attention to get around the people walking towards the school and avoid being run over by a car. Initially my wife and I thought that she might wait for me at the school – but luckily we decided against it. She would not have had a chance to get to get there in time with her car.
From the start at the hotel it’s all uphill on a tarred road towards the German School, and after the school you enter a very steep trail. That’s where I met Caroline Balkwill again. She was on her way back to the finish to podium again second female runner in some 7 hours while I still had a peak to go. But it was nice seeing a familiar face again.
The steep trail demanded a lot from me and I was moving like an 80 year old veteran. Slow, very slow. When I eventually reached Signal Hill road at some 300 m elevation I knew I was almost half way there to reach Lion’s Head with its 669 m.
It took me 44 minutes for the 3.5 km from Green Market Square to the checkpoint, which speaks volumes regarding the impact of the long race, the injury and the heat.
At the checkpoint a new surprise was waiting for me…
….and the best tasting drink ever: When I ran towards the check point on Signal Hill road, I again saw my friend Andrew, this time together with his wife Julia. They waited for me to cheer me on. And then Andrew said the magic words ‘I have a beer for you, do you like?’
What a question!
Of course!
He brought me a bottle of Erdinger Alkoholfrei (no alcohol) and it was the most energizing drink ever during a race 😉
So I enjoyed a few minutes of not running together with Andrew, Julia and a beer together with the beautiful view over Cape Town.
Anyhow, I still had a peak to reach and so I took off. The next 20-30 min or so were a fairly runnable trail. I met one runner on his way up, who was looking very bad. I asked him if he needed food or anything and he was close to dehydration. He had some energy drinks with him, but no water. So I gave him some of the water from my hydration pack.
Lion’s Head becomes difficult when the terrain changes from a trail to a hike/climb. At one point there are two options to go up: One is a climb over large rocks, and the other is a climb using ladders & chains. I swore to myself before the race, NOT to use the ladders no matter how good I felt. I did not wanted to risk my health climbing with the assistance of ladders and chains while being too exhausted. I stuck to my decision without hesitation and climbed further up.
The final stretch took ages. It was not possible any more to bend my knee as much as I needed to. Therefore my right leg was doing all the work and the left remained stretched. This makes climbing a bit slow 😉
I moved forward, slow like a snail, but determined like a Leopard and then I got there.
I reached the third peak.
What a moment.
What a relief.
What an emotion!
And of course I met Lloyd and Christo again 😉
I enjoyed the sight from Lion’s Head, looking at Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain I conquered previously.
After some Coke and slices of Oranges, served by a fantastic check point crew, I left the peak, exactly 8 hours after the start.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOwuUP0oG1I
Downhill should be easy, but not today. The inflexibility of the left knee made me slow, although I did not feel too much pain. All of the Adrenalin in my body must have outplayed the pain 😉
But who cares about the time. I felt so happy going downhill, greeting the other runners on their way up. And I knew, it’s now only a matter of ‘keep going’.
View on my way back
When I left the trail section and arrived at the tarred road at the German school, I sent my final update message to my wife and friends. I was able to run a 5 min/km pace on the downhill road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulGdNM2OS1k
After 9 hours and 4 minutes I arrived at Green Market Square and was overwhelmed by the hurray and welcome from my wife, friends Julia, Catherine, Andrew, Sean and Simon (the 4th placed who relaxed already for 3h 15 min 😉 ).
Look at the unique artwork you get instead of a medal!
I felt great, especially when I got my first real beer after the run.
By accident I heard of a medic at the scene and he had a look at my bloody knee. But to do that, he had to remove the bandage and clear the leg and the wound – which was the most painful experience of the whole day.
I was relieved when he said, that it should heal without problems and that no stiches would be necessary.
Before he cleaned the knee…
While he cleaned my knee…. I know why women give birth and not men 😉
Aftermath
The pain in my knee started when I got home. I could hardly sleep, and for more than a week I was limping. The wound did heal well, but the knee might be the worst place of our body to have a cut – since it is moving all the time.
After 10 days, and some brutal back pain due to my limping, I went for a very first run. The first km was horrible, the second felt better and when I ended the first short run I knew, that the cut was the only damage of my knee.
What a relieve.
Would I run it again?
I feel privileged having been invited to run this iconic race. Unlike the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon or Comrades, two races that are almost a standard part of my running year without question, this one will remain special. Maybe one day I’ll try to get a starting place again J
The camaraderie of this run is beyond everything I experienced before!
That’s what makes it special.
And the fact, that the view towards Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head are never going to be the same again. It will always remind me of the race and I’ll think: ‘I’ve been up on all of these three peaks in one day’.
Thanks to all supporters and organizers of this race, thanks to all fellow runners, a big thank you to Julia, Andrew, Catherine and Sean, and the biggest thank you to my wonderful wife.
The links to the other parts of my race report:
Race Report Three Peaks Challenge Cape Town 2014 – Part one
Race Report Three Peaks Challenge Cape Town 2014 – Part two
