Dear dairy
This weekend was another busy weekend but also one I've been SO looking forward to for over 4 months.
On Saturday we spent some quality family time at a little mermaid's 5th birthday party. The kids had their faces painted and got glitter tattoos and the massive jumping castle was a huge success despite of the unpredicted rain.
We arrived home late that evening and we were all exhausted but content after a whole day of fun and laughter.
Sunday morning was a big day for me. I set my alarm for 3:30 because it was finally time to run my second marathon. It was the Cape Town Marathon race day!
For the past 16 weeks I followed a training plan to the T. Spent hours on the road covering more than 600km. I was committed to train hard to run my Sub 5 hours marathon in order to qualify for the Two Oceans Ultra marathon next year - an iconic 56km marathon with the most beautiful scenery showcasing our beautiful Cape Town. The only rule to enter this popular marathon is to have completed a Sub 5-hour marathon within the past 6 months.
My race started out well! I had a good pace and felt comfortable. It seemed as if it was going to be a fantastic day with the mountain all clear and blue but then halfway, we soon realize we were in for an uncomfortable surprise as the temperature just kept rising and for once in like forever there was no wind to help cool us down. Water tables started to become so congested as everyone was desperate to cool down, and that's where my "real" marathon started.
One foot in front of the other, just get to the finish line.
It took me two days to digest my experience.
I will forever remember this marathon for all the lessons I learned.
Training is a big part to get you over the finish line, but you are also dependent on some external factors that will either make your race fantastic or make it feel like a war zone. Man, it was HOT!
Did I enjoy it?
The first part mostly...but the things I learn about myself while running, when things really get tough is my addiction and will make me come back for more. I guess I'm a sucker for punishment.
I didn't get my sub 5 as I hoped and trained hard for, but I also didn't do terrible (I think)
I learned to not give up when you know you are going to miss your goal but to finish strong because it's still better than quitting. I learned to reach out when you realize you're in trouble (thanks to my family WhatsApp group counting down the last 12km to keep me going) and I learned that I can deal with much more suffering than I thought possible. And in 6 weeks it's rematch time. Still chasing that sub 5 qualifier.
"Respect a marathon. Start like a coward and end like a hero."
