DAY 1: Moore Stephens Jonkershoek Half Marathon,
Stellenbosch, 22 September
We arrived in Stellenbosch on
Saturday morning, just in time to freshen up and register for the race. It was
absolutely beautiful and cool, and then the heavens opened up for about 6km,
but we loved the weather! We ran past wine farms and entered a forest section
where the gravel road was muddy with water puddles and we enjoyed splashing
through it. After the race, Rashika and I decided we needed to enjoy a great
breakfast, and what better place to enjoy a champagne breakfast than in the
heart of the stunning Stellenbosch mountains.
DAY 2: Cape Town Marathon, 23 September
I woke up at 3am on Sunday morning,
feeling pumped up for my first Cape Town Marathon. It was another overcast day
with perfect running conditions. The organisation of the race was flawless – after
parking the car in Green Point, we hopped onto the MyCity Bus shuttle straight
to the starting line in the middle of the Mother City.
The course was flat and fast, and
Rashika was on top of her game, while I decided to take advantage of the fast
course and hit it hard, but we still enjoyed the views of Table Mountain, the
ocean and beachfront. Halfway through the race the clouds burst open and the
marathon became so much more exciting as we ploughed through the rain and Cape
winds, making our way towards the finish line at the Cape Town Stadium. I even crossed
the finish line with my cartwheels! This race will now hold a permanent place
on my annual race schedule.
DAY 3: Bainskloof Half Marathon, Welling ton, 24
September
On Monday we decide to take on the
Bainskloof 21km before shooting back to Jozi, and Mother Nature hit us with a ‘trifecta,’
as it began drizzling again. The first 10km were a steep uphill all the way to
the top of Bainskloof Pass, then we made a U-turn and ran down again. Rashika
ran like a legend, finishing in the top 10, while I ran the whole race with my
new KwaZulu-Natal friends Lesiba Mogotlane and Prenevin Govender, building a
great friendship along the way!
With three gorgeous medals around our
necks and tears of gratitude, we then faced the long road home. As you can see,
we believe that the adventure is out there – grab it!