Sunday, 12th October 2008

Hi,

I am sorry that I will not be able to organise a run this coming Sunday, as I will be away for the rest of this week.

Hoping you're staying fit and healthy,

Gerry

Sunday, 5th October 2008

Hi,

The weather forecast for Sunday is that it will be a clear and beautiful day with a strong south-easter blowing. We'll avoid most of the effects of the wind by running the so-called Centurion route, that is, from the old zoo car park towards Constantia Nek and back.

Meet at: The old zoo car park just off Union Ave, and at the bottom of the road leading to Rhodes Memorial;
Start at: 06h30. N.B. Note new starting time
Distance: 17 - 20 km depending on how much the majority want to do
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km
Route: From the car park along Union Ave, up Boshof Ave, Rhodes Ave to Kirstenbosch top gate, then into Cecelia plantation towards Constantia Nek. On the way back, after Kirstenbosch, we can choose to go back via tar roads or the gravel roads of Kirstenbosch and Newlands forest.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 28th September 2008

Hi,

The weather forecast for Sunday is that it will be a clear and beautiful day. Rain is predicted for Friday, however, and the off-road running routes in Constantia will probably still be very wet and muddy, so we'll stick mainly to running on tar in the Constantia, Tokai and Kirstenhof areas.

Meet at: The Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar at the north-eastern corner of the Constantia Village shopping complex;
Start at: 06h30. N.B. Note new starting time
Distance: About 20 km
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km
Route: I have not yet worked out the exact route, but we'll run to Tokai, then past the Westlake golf course, and back through the Kirstenhof wetland area, running as far as possible on roads away from the arterial routes and in scenically attractive areas.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 21st September 2008

Hi,

Sometimes we tend to forget that we live in a very beautiful part of the world and we take it for granted. This Sunday we'll run in one of those gorgeous areas of the Western Cape, Kommetjie to Scarborough and back, and it promises to be one of those misty moisty mornings..

Meet at: Die Kom, Beach Rd, Kommetjie. As the main road in Kommetjie veers left to go up Slangkop, turn right into van Imhoff Way, which becomes Beach Rd;
Start at: 07h00
Distance: About 20 km
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km
Route: We'll do a short loop in Kommetjie itself before going over Slangkop past Misty Cliffs to Scarborough, do a loop in Scarborough and then run back again. I'll investigate whether we will be able to run through Soetwater to get back to the start: if not, we'll run over Slangkop again.

I hope you are staying fit and healthy,

Gerry

Weekend of 13th to 14th September 2008

Saturday the 13th

There will be no official trail run, as most trail runners will be will be taking part in the Table Mountain challenge.

Sunday the 14th

I feel we should also give the official Sunday run a miss, as people will be tired from having run the Table Mountain event. In any case the weather prediction for Sunday is again rain, and most of us are thoroughly tired of this miserable weather.

Stay well,

Gerry

Weekend of 6th to 7th September 2008

Saturday the 6th

There will be no official trail run, as the organiser, Tim Bellairs, will be away on the Whale Trail in the de Hoop Nature Reserve.

Sunday the 7th

The prospects of good weather are a lot better for this weekend than they were for the last one. This Sunday we will again run in the Constantia / Tokai area:

Meet at: The Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar
Start at: 07h00
Distance: 18 - 20 km
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min / km
Route: If the weather is good and the ground dry enough we'll run partly off-road through the Tokai Plantation / Forest Reserve, then to Groot Constantia, the Alphen Greenbelt; if it's muddy, we'll stick to running on tar but more or less the same circuit.

Stay well,

Gerry

Weekend of 30th to 31st August 2008

Saturday 30th August

Tim Bellairs has organised another trail run on Saturday. The salient points about the run are as follows:

Meet at: Kloof Nek parking area at the Kloof Nek traffic circle

Start at: 07h30

Distance: 8.6km, alternatively 14km

Pace: Runners of all abilities will be catered for

Route: From the car park at Kloof Nek along the route which is the first leg of the Table Mountain Challenge to the turnstile below the King's Blockhouse (8.6 km), then optionally back along Tafelberg Road (14 km). The first section to below the Blockhouse is a gravel road with lots of undulations and beautiful views of the city. Most of Tafelberg Road is tarred.

If you intend taking part, please contact Tim Bellairs by e-mail (timbe@boe.co.za) or on 021 416 6792 (W) or 082 321 0299 (M).

Sunday 31st August

By request we will run the fairly flat route this Sunday from Muizenberg south to the Red Hill road turn-off just before Simon's Town and back.

Meet at: The Checkers parking area on the corner of Main and Atlantic Roads

Start at: 07h00

Distance: About 20 km

Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km

Route: From the parking area along the walk on the seaward side of the railway line to St James, then along Main Rd through Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, along the Jager Walk to Sunny Cove, then along Main Rd through Glencairn to the Red Hill turn-off, after which we retrace our steps.

The weather forecast for Sunday is that it will be partly cloudy with a moderate westerly wind and the possibility of some showers. Perhaps we'll be lucky and have a beautiful day, but even if we don't, the run is still beautiful.

I hope you are in good health and enjoying your exercising,

Gerry

Weekend of 23 to 24 August 2008

Saturday 23^rd August

The VOB Trail running group, organised by Tim Bellairs, is having its first trail run.

Meet at: Constantia nek parking area
Start at: 07h45
Duration: About 90 min (9 to 10 km)
Pace: Runners of all abilities will be catered for
Route: From Constantia Nek along the lower forestry road through Cecelia Forest to Kirstenbosch top gate, then to the base of Skeleton Gorge and Window Ravine, up to the contour path and back to the start via Cecelia Forest and the upper forestry road.

If you intend taking part, please let Tim Bellairs know by e-mail (timbe@boe.co.za) or on 0823210299.

Sunday 24^th August

This Sunday we will again start from the Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar and run in the Bishopscourt and Constantia area, mainly on tar roads.

Meet at: Constantia Kwikspar
Start at: 07h00
Distance: About 20 km
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km
Route: From the Kwikspar via Victoria Hospital and Wynberg Park to Kirstenbosch top gate, Rhodes Dr, Monterey Dr, down Southern Cross Dr to Gemini Rd, Pear Lane, up Price Dr, along the roads alongside Groot Constantia and then back to the start.

I hope you are keeping well,

Gerry

Sunday, 17th August 2008

We haven't run in the Tokai Forest and Plantation for a while, so that is what is planned for Sunday. We will -

Meet at: Tokai Spar / Total Filling Station, Tokai Road
Start at: 07h00
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 mins/km
Distance: About 20 km
Route: From the meeting point we head west up Tokai Rd, then into and up Zwaanswyk Rd to the top where we leave the tar and go into the forest. From there we'll run north along a well-maintained gravel road to a stream just above Klein Constantia, then south along a lower contour, down past the Arboretum and back to the cars. The roads we will run along are not trails so there's very little risk of falling or twisting an ankle. It's a beautiful route with lovely forest smells and beautiful views of the Cape Flats, The Hottentots Holland mountains and False Bay.

Gerry

Sunday, 10th August 2008

Hi,

The days are getting longer, so we can look forward to starting a bit earlier with the Sunday runs. Also, for this weekend the indications are that we'll have a glorious clear sky. We will -

Meet at: The Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar
Start at: 07h00. Please not the earlier starting time
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km
Route: From the Kwikspar to UCT and back
Distance: About 20 km

I hope you are all in good health and enjoying your exercising.

Gerry

Sunday, 3rd August 2008

We haven't run in Hout Bay for a while, so this Sunday we'll run the 20 km route from Hout Bay over Chapman's Peak to Noordhoek and back. We:

Meet at: The parking area opposite the Chapman's Peak Hotel at the base of Chapman's Peak Drive

Start at: 7h30

Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 min/km. On the uphills it will be slower of course

Route: From the parking area to the viewpoint at the top of Chapman's Peak Drive, then down the other side alongside the beautiful cliffs and sea to the Noordhoek Village shops, where we'll turn and go back on the same route.

After the run I suggest we go for breakfast at La Cuccina, which is in a white commercial building in Victoria Rd, Hout Bay.

I hope you are keeping well.

Gerry

Sunday 27th July 2008

I try to organise the runs such that on every alternate Sunday we start at the Constantia Kwikspar near the VOB club. This Sunday we'll run from there over to just beyond the World of Birds in Hout Bay and back, a distance of about 20 km. We will try to avoid the main roads as much as possible.

Meet at: Constantia Village (Alphen) Kwikspar
Start at: 7h30
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 / km
The route: From the parking area along Meadow Lane, Pinehurst Rd, up Southern Cross Drive, along Rhodes Drive to the Nek, then down Hout Bay Rd into Longkloof and Valley Roads. On the way back we'll go back via de Hel if it is dry, otherwise up Belair Drive and the roads alongside Groot Constantia.

All the best.

Gerry

Sunday, 20th July 2008

Weather forecasts for the coming five days predict that rain will hold off until Monday, and that Sunday should be clear to partly cloudy. This Sunday we'll do the beautiful, bracing 20 km run from Muizenberg along the False Bay coast to the Red Hill turn-off and back.

Meet at: Checkers parking area, corner of Main and Atlantic Rds, Muizenberg
Start at: 7h30
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 / km
The route: From the parking area along the boardwalk to St James, then along Main Rd through Kalk Bay, Clovelly, Fish Hoek and Glencairn to the turn-off to Red Hill, after which we retrace our steps.

I hope you are in good health and enjoying your exercising.

Gerry

Sunday, 13th July 2008

The weather prospects for this Sunday's run are very much better than last week. Clear skies and a maximum temperature of 20 deg. C are predicted, so if you are not in Knysna and want a solid run of about 18 km, please come and join us. We will:

Meet at: Constantia Village (Alphen) Kwikspar
Start at: 7h30
Pace: 5:20 to 5:30 / km
The route: East and south on the suburban roads of Constantia to the Tokai manor house, then along Tokai Rd, through Tokai, Dennedal and Sweet Valley to Firgrove Way and Ladies Mile back to the cars.

I hope you are keeping well.

Gerry

Sunday, 6th July 2008

The weather forecast for this entire weekend, I'm afraid, is rain. Let's hope it will clear on Sunday morning for us to have a rain-free run.

We'll meet at the Sports Sciences Centre (Boundary Rd, Newlands) at 7h30, and basically run the route of the Two Oceans half marathon, i.e. south along Main Rd, Aliwal Rd, Wolfe St, past VOB, Spaanschemat Rd, then back along Ladies Mile, Parish Rd, Southern Cross and Rhodes Drives to Kirstenbosch top gate. From there we'll follow the Liesbeek River back to where we started. The distance should be 19 - 20 km.

Gerry

Sunday, 29th June 2008

This coming Sunday the run will be on tar roads in the Constantia area. We'll meet as usual at the Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar, and start the run at 07h30. I haven't yet worked out the route, but the distance will be in the region of 18 - 20 km.

Thank you to Sue Dickson who offered to provide the refreshments after the run.

May you stay in good health,

Gerry

Sunday, 22nd June 2008

Congratulations to all who ran / survived Comrades. Conditions were not ideal: at the start in Durban it was quite humid, and on the road later the temperature went up to 27 degrees C. The results can be looked up on the Comrades website http://www.comrades.com/

I'm not sure whether it is sensible for Comrades runners to run this Sunday, or indeed whether people will want to run at all. A few of us are meeting at Jubilee Square in Simon's Town, and we'll run the route from Simon's Town along the False Bay coast to the Forestry Station at the top of Smitswinkel Bay, and back. The distance is 21 km, and we will start at 07h30.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 15th June 2008: Comrades Day

There will be no run organised by me this coming Sunday, as I'll be running Comrades.

However, Karen Little and JoJo Thomas want to do an easy run of approximately 16 km on Saturday the 14^th. The meeting place is Karen's house - 50 Ladies Mile Rd - and they are starting at 07h30. If you want to join them you can give Karen a call on 083 261 8849.

On Sunday, Jo Samsonowicz wants to do a 20 km run from Hout Bay to the Noordhoek Village shops and back. She will be starting from the parking area opposite the Chapman's Peak Hotel at 07h30, and she will gladly welcome some company. You can ring her on 083 440 1250.

It remains for me to wish all Comrades runners the very best for the race. May you achieve what you are hoping to do; may you be strong; may you have iron in the soul particularly for the second half of the race; may the running gods bring you good fortune; may you have a beautiful race.

Until then, stay healthy and injury-free.

Gerry

Sunday, 8th June 2008

On Sunday it will be just one week to go to Comrades, so those running Comrades will probably not want to do more than about 15 km.

We'll meet at the Sports Sciences parking area and start at 7h30. The distance will be about 15 km at an easy pace.

The route: From Sports Sciences we'll run north on the footpath alongside the Liesbeek river to Liesbeek Parkway, then up past the Starke Ayres nursery, through Mowbray, over the footbridge at Mostert's Mill and up to Rhodes Memorial, through Newlands Forest and some of the higher paths in Kirstenbosch to Kirstenbosch top gate, then back alongside the Liesbeek to where we started.

I hope you are well and enjoying your exercising.

Gerry

Sunday, 1st June 2008

VOB's Table Mountain Race is being held this Sunday, and because I'm helping as a marshal, I won't be able to organise a run on Sunday.

However, Jo Samsonowicz is planning a run of about 1hour 40min from Sea Point to Camps Bay and back, and would love you to join her. The arrangements for her run are to:

Meet at: The Virgin Active Gym, Green Point;
Start at: 7h30;
Distance: 18 - 19 km, although those who want to run shorter or longer are welcome to do so;
Route: From Virgin Active along the Sea Point Promenade, up to and south along Kloof and Lower Kloof Rds to Camps Bay, then south along Victoria Rd for a running time of about 50 minutes. Thereafter it's back on Victoria and Beach Rds all alongside the sea. It's a really beautiful run.

Jo has promised that she'll have drinks and a supply of her low-fat, low GI, high fibre and exquisitely scrumptious muffins at the end of the run.

P.S. You have a choice on Sunday. Apart from Jo's run in the Sea Point area, Karen Little and JoJo Thomas have organised a run in and around Constantia. The details are as follows:

Start from: The Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar

Start at: 07h30

Distance: Approximately 20 km

Route: Karen did not give details, but said it would be at an easy pace.

I hope your exercising is going well.

Gerry

Sunday, 25th May 2008

At this time of the year and with all the rain we've had, going off-road is fraught with the probability of running in mud. Moreover, young Geoffrey Dickson is a keen participant in his road machine, so we'll stick on Sunday to running on tar.

We'll start at the Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar at 7h30. The distance will be 18 - 20 km, but there will be opportunities to run shorter for those who want to do less.

The route in brief is via Wynberg and Kenilworth to Kirstenbosch top gate, then via Rhodes and Montague Drives to Southern Cross Drive, along Gemini Rd and Pear Lane to Constantia Main Rd, along Pagasvlei, Klein Constantia and Nova Constantia Roads to Spaanschemat River Road, then back along Firgrove and Ladies Mile.

Jo Samsonowicz has promised to treat us with muffins at the finish.

I hope you're all in good health,

Gerry

Sunday, 18th May 2008

At the suggestion of some of you, as part of this Sunday's run, we're adding the attraction of a breakfast at La Cuccina in Hout Bay after the run. If you've never had breakfast at La Cuccina, your life is incomplete.

We'll meet at Victoria Mall (the building in which La Cuccina is located). If you are coming from Constantia Nek, at the first traffic circle in Hout Bay go 3/4 of the way around it and head west (in Victoria Rd) as if going to Suikerbossie. Victoria Mall is the white building on the left after Valley Rd.

We'll start at 07h30 and the distance will be about 21 km. The route takes us up to Suikerbossie, then down past Llandudno, Oudekraal and Bakoven to the Pick 'n Pay in Camps Bay, where we'll turn to retrace our steps. The views of the Atlantic and the Twelve Apostles are beautiful in any weather.

Jo Samsonowicz is planning to start with the rest of us, but run a shorter distance. She will turn more or less at Oudekraal, making the distance about 15 - 16 km, so if you want to do the lesser distance, she will welcome your company.

May you remain in good health and fleet of foot,

Gerry

Sunday, 11th May 2008

As a number of us would have done the Fish Hoek Comrades training run of 56 km on Saturday, this Sunday's run will be an easy one of 18 to 20 km, mostly on the asphalt roads of the Constantia Valley. We will start from the Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar at 7h30.

I hope you are all in good health and enjoying your exercising.

Gerry

Sunday, 4th May 2008

The week leading up to this Sunday must have been one of the shortest working weeks on record. Many runners have taken advantage of the long weekend by taking a break out of town, so there won't be an organised run on Sunday. Instead, a number of us are intending to run the Volunteer Wildfire Services trail challenge being held on Sunday. There are, in fact two trail runs: a 10 km and a 25 km version. One can register for either at the Table Mountain National Park Visitors' Centre, Kloof Nek parking area, on Saturday, 3^rd May from 14h00 to 17h00 or on the day of the races from 5h30 onwards. The entry fee for the 25 km run is R70, and R40 for the 10 km run. I understand that proceeds of the races go to Volunteer Wildfire Services.

The 25 km run: Starts at 07h15 from the Kloof Nek parking area
The 10 km run: Starts at 07h30 similarly

For more info, look up the website:

http://www.capefire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73

where you'll find two Google Earth maps of the routes.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 27th April 2008

Hi,

On this coming Sunday we'll do a 25 km run to UCT and back, starting at the Alphen Kwikspar in Constantia at 07h00. The route takes us via Southern Cross, Monterey and Rhodes Drives to Kirstenbosch top gate, then to UCT. From there it's over the bridge at Mostert's Mill through Mowbray to Liesbeek Parkway, back alongside the Liesbeek River to Newlands, then via Claremont and Wynberg back to where we started.

I hope you are all keeping well.

Gerry

Sunday, 20th April 2008

On Sunday the 20^th April the Milkwood 21k race takes place. It's a beautiful route, so I propose that we use the race as a Sunday run.

The half-marathon starts at 07h30 at the Soetwater recreational area just south of Kommetjie. There's also a 10 km race starting from the same venue at 07h45. Online entries close on the 16^th, but one can also enter on the day.

If you intend running Milkwood, I advise that you avoid the traffic buildup and parking problems by getting there early. The easiest way to the Soetwater area is to take the road from Fish Hoek or Ou Kaapseweg towards Kommetjie, passing Imhoff's Gift on the right. Just after Ocean View, turn left and go up Slangkop Road, and where this road intersects the Kommetjie - Scarborough road, cross straight over, that is, head for the crayfish factory. Soetwater is about 4 km from the intersection.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 13th April 2008

On Sunday the 13^th April we will do a 20 km run from the Waterfront to Camps Bay and back. It will be on tar, except perhaps for a short section through the Glen in Camps Bay.

Meet at: The traffic circle at the Waterfront on the Sea Point side of the BMW Pavilion, that is the circle at the intersection of Port Rd and Breakwater Lane
Start at: 07h00
Distance: 20 km
The route: From the Waterfront we'll run along Beach Rd through Mouille Point and Three Anchor Bay to the Sea Point Pavilion, then up to Kloof Rd and south along it to where Kloof Rd starts going up to Kloof Nek. People who want to stay on tar can go along Lower Kloof Rd and Victoria Rd to the filling station next to Blues, where we stop for refreshments. The rest of us will go off-road through an 800m section of The Glen to Victoria Rd and the turning point. From there it's back to the Waterfront next to the sea all along Victoria and Beach Roads. It's a beautiful run with lovely views of the Twelve Apostles and the Atlantic coast.

By the time we get back to the Waterfront the Mug and Bean should be open, so perhaps we'll go for a cup of coffee or tea or even some breakfast afterwards.

Please bring some money for parking at the Waterfront, as I do not think there is any free parking. If you do not want to be ripped off, parking in Beach Rd is still free.

I hope you are all in good health and enjoying your exercising.

Gerry

Sunday, 6th April 2008

This coming Sunday the run will still be influenced by the need to recover from Two Oceans, and so we'll do a gentle 18 km run in the Constantia /Tokai area, taking in some off-road running in the Tokai Plantation and Constantia vineyards. We:

Meet at: Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar, north-east corner of the Constantia Village shopping complex

Start at: 7h00

Distance: About 18 km

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 30th March 2008

For many of us this coming Sunday's run will be a recovery run, so we'll take it nice and easy. We will join the Sunday Stars who are running approximately 13 km, starting at 7h00 from the Zoo parking area in Rondebosch (just off the road that leads up to Rhodes Memorial). This will be a slow and relaxed run.

The Sunday Stars have a very well organised Coke truck arrangement. People are expected to bring a 1.5 litre Coke (the one in the returnable bottle) which gets handed in at the start and gets used during the run. You will get the opportunity to drink Coke or water every 3 km or so.

Two Oceans:

Well done to everyone who participated.

I won't give results in this email as they are available on the two Oceans website: the link is http://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/portal/ and then click on Results. One can look up results by club, age category or individual.

There were some notable achievements, however. In the half marathon there were quite a few of our runners who came in under 1:30, including Judy Everingham in 1:28:25. In the Ultra James Wynne was the only VOB runner to get a silver medal with a time of 3:58:21. Dean Ollis missed a silver by 6 minutes, but I've been told his wife gave birth the night before and he had had a long night. Our ladies did exceptionally well: four of them, JoJo Thomas, Karen Little, Rachel Shuttleworth and Tania Anderson made up the ladies team which won the Two Oceans Women's Open team event.

All the best,

Gerry

Two Oceans: Easter Saturday, 22nd March 2008.

The hard work is done and we can look forward to a few days of resting the body and preparing mentally for the race. The build up and training for a big event such as Oceans is seldom perfect, and in the circumstances we give it our best shot. That reminds me of some sound advice Eric Bateman gave at the Two Oceans social last Tuesday, namely, to prepare and make one's excuses in advance…

I would like to wish everyone a successful and enjoyable Two Oceans.

Andrew Bell's formula for planning your race

Some years back Andrew Bell came up with a formula for planning how to run the race: it is based on the data of how most runners actually run Two Oceans. I'm including it here because several people commented last year that they found it very useful:

Decide on a realistic target finishing time, then divide the race into 4 x 14km sections, and plan to run the 14k splits as follows:

Up to 14k: 23.61% of target time;
From 14 to 28k: 23.70% of target time, cumulative (0 to 28k) 47.31%
From 28 to marathon mark: 26.30% of target time, cumulative (0 to 42k) 73.61%
From marathon mark to finish 26.39% of target time.

These percentages take into account both the terrain and some fatigue setting in.

The Comrades Road Show, Tuesday 18^th March

Tomorrow evening the Comrades Association are holding a road show at the VOB clubhouse starting at 7pm. Everyone attending will receive a free training programme for a 9, 11and 12 hour Comrades finish. There will also be a number of lucky draw prizes, courtesy of the Comrades Marathon sponsors. Entrance is free and the show is expected to last about 90 minutes.

The pasta evening on Thursday, the 20^th March

The Oceans pasta evening takes place at Karen and Graham Little's home on Thursday evening from 7pm onwards. If you intend coming, please contact Karen to let her know how many are in your party, and what food you are bringing. Her contact nos. are 083 261 8849 (mobile), 021 712 6981 (landline), or kglittle@mweb.co.za (e-mail).

Karen's address is:

50 Ladies Mile Rd, Bergvliet.

If you are coming from the M3, proceed along Ladies Mile towards the south-east (i.e. towards Main Rd), and after the circle (the intersection with Firgrove Ave) you will see a service road parallel to Ladies Mile Rd on the left. Karen and Graham's house is on that service road.

All the best,

Gerry

Sunday, 16th March 2008: 6 days to go.

Sunday's run

Opinions differ widely on the distance to run on the Sunday before the race, from no more than 10 to 12 km, to the Two Oceans virtual coach's advice of a long slow distance run of two hours.

Another factor is that VOB runner Denis Nixon's family is organising memorial runs of 5 km and 10 km on Sunday, starting at 8h00. Denis was brutally gunned down in his home about a year ago. The family's invitation to this inaugural run is attached.

Therefore we'll do a run of approximately 12 km, starting at 6h30 from the Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar. We should be back at the Constantia Village complex by 7h45 at the latest; anyone wanting to do one of the two memorial runs will get to the start in the Le Sueur meadow well in time.

Sportsmans' Warehouse discount evening

On Thursday the 13^th, Sportsmans' Warehouse in Tokai are holding a discount evening from 6pm to 9pm. I believe that one will get discounts of 15% on all running goods, and 10% on any other items.

Pasta evening on Thursday the 20^th March (two days before Two Oceans)

Karen Little has graciously offered to host the traditional pasta evening at her house from 7pm onwards. The pasta evenings are a great deal of fun and just the thing to get you into the right frame of mind for the race. You will sense the excitement and anticipation that your fellow runners are feeling. You will get really motivated.

If you would like to attend, please let Karen know how many of you are coming, and what food you intend bringing. Also bring your own drinks.

Karen's contact details are:
Home: 021 712 6981
Mobile: 083 261 8849
Email: kglittle@mweb.co.za

and her address is:
50 Ladies Mile Rd
Bergvliet

I hope you are staying healthy and injury-free.

Gerry

Sunday, 9th March 2008: 13 days to go.

It's the Argus Cycle Tour on Sunday, so we're a bit restricted with regard to running routes. Dave Spence, the Two Oceans virtual coach, for this Sunday recommends a 20 km run at an easy pace on an undulating course. The route I've selected includes running the last 8 km of the Oceans route to the finish at UCT while one is still feeling fresh, to reinforce positive feelings about the race. The arrangements are that we:

Meet at: Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar, Constantia Village shopping complex
Start at: 6h00
Distance: About 20 km
The route: From the Kwikspar we'll take a shortcut to Southern Cross Dr, up Southern Cross, along Rhodes Dr to Kirstenbosch top gate, along Rhodes Ave and Union Ave to the UCT rugby fields, down to Main Rd, Rondebosch, along the footpath next to the Liesbeek River, through Newlands Hiddingh, along Newlands Rd, Tennant Walk, Wolfe St, past Victoria Hospital and back to the cars.

I hope that your hard training is showing dividends, and that you are all feeling strong.

Gerry

Sunday, 2nd March 2008: 3 weeks to go.

This coming Sunday there's another of those races which have proved popular with runners training for Two Oceans: it's the Tygerberg 30 km race which starts at the Parow Athletic Club. Many of the runners on this email list will be doing the race, so I'm proposing that instead of a Sunday run we use the race as the Sunday run. The race details are:

Start and finish at: Parow Athletic Club, De Grendel Rd, Parow North: from the N1 take the Platteklip Rd offramp, then turn south over the N1, and after a few hundred metres you'll find race officials directing you to the start;
Starting time: 6h00;
Registration: On the morning of the race;
The route: From the sports fields it's out along the Plattekloof Rd for about 8 km, then right into Tygerberg Rd which takes one to the outskirts of Durbanville, right into Tygerberg Valley Rd, along van Riebeekshof Rd, JIP de Jager Drive, Hendrik Verwoerd Dr and then back to the athletic track. From about 11 km to the outskirts of Durbanville one runs through beautiful farming area, right in the middle of which is a daunting hill called the 'Big Mama'. The rest of the route is also fairly hilly.

Thank you to all who provided refreshments to make last Sunday's run so enjoyable: to JoJo who put out drinks at the base and the top of Ou Kaapseweg, and Karen and Jo who provided the drinks and the muffins at the finish. The cold watermelon was particularly delicious in the heat.

May you remain in good health and injury-free.

Gerry

Sunday, 24th February 2008: 4 weeks to go.

As most of you intending to do Oceans ran the Peninsula Marathon last Sunday, the question of how long this coming Sunday's run should be is a debatable point. All who gave me feedback to my question two weeks ago were in favour of a Nek-to-Nek run, that is, a run of about 38 - 39 km. As this will be the last long run before Oceans, the consensus is that it will be ok to run this distance provided that we run it slowly and conservatively, i.e. to provide time on the legs without trashing them. Also, as Karen Little has suggested, we'll start and end in Constantia.

The arrangements for Sunday are therefore:

Meet at: The High Constantia shops (in Constantia Main Road at the turnoff to Groot Constantia)
Start at: 6h00
Distance: About 39 km
The route: From the shops to Pagasvlei Rd, along Brounger Rd past Peddlars on the Bend, along Spaanschemat River Road, Orpen Road, Steenberg Road, up and over Ou Kaapseweg to the Silvermine Village, along Silvermine Rd to Chapman's Peak Drive, up and over Chapman's Peak, through Hout Bay, along Hout Bay Rd to Constantia Nek and then back to where we started.

For those who would like to do more, there are possibilities of extending the run a bit (by about 3 km) by following Ou Kaapseweg to the Fourways stop in Sun Valley instead of turning right at Silvermine Village, and then running north along Noordhoek Rd to Chapman's Peak Rd.

I hope your preparations are going well.

Gerry

Sunday, 17th February 2008: 5 weeks to go.

On this coming Sunday, the 17^th of February, the Peninsula marathon and half-marathon are being run. Most of us are running one or the other, so there will be no organised Sunday run.

The next Sunday run will be on the 24^th of February, i.e. with four weeks to go to Oceans.

Enjoy the Peninsula!

Gerry

Sunday, 10th February 2008: 6 weeks to go.

This weekend run will be a fairly gentle, flattish run as a preparation for the Peninsula marathon on the 17^th of February. We -

Meet at: the Spar Supermarket, Tokai Rd, Tokai
Start at: 6h00
Distance: about 20 km
The route: From the Spar we'll run south along Steenberg Rd, past the Westlake golf course, along Boyes Drive to Kalk Bay, back along Main Rd through Muizenberg and Lakeside, through the wetlands of Kirstenhof, to Tokai Rd and back to the cars.

For runners who would like to do less there is the possibility of cutting down to Main Rd from Boyes Drive before one gets to Kalk Bay, making it anything above about 12 km or so.

We owe a big thank you to Seamus Daly who, during last Sunday's run, was waiting at the top of Zwaanswyk Road with very welcome cold drinks. Thanks, Seamus!

May your training be going well and may you be staying injury-free.

Gerry

Sunday, 3rd February 2008: 7 weeks to go.

There are not many Sundays left for long Two Oceans training runs, so on the coming Sunday we'll tackle the route from Constantia Village to the Silvermine dam, and back. The arrangements are as follows:

Meet at: Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar, Constantia Village Shopping Complex
Start at: 6h00
Distance: 30 km
The route: From Constantia Village south to the Dennedal cycle track, through the Tokai suburb, along Tokai Road towards the Constantiaberg, up Zwaanswyk Road into the Tokai Forest Reserve, then up to and south along the contour road which leads to the western part of the Silvermine Nature Reserve, and then to the dam. From there we'll backtrack for about 5 km to the fifth contour, then gradually descend along the Tokai Plantation's contours to the top of the vineyards overlooking Porter Estate and Constantia Uitsig, through the vineyards and back to where we started.

This route has just about everything: it has tough uphills and non too gentle downhills which will work the quads, gravel track - uneven in parts - which will give the stability muscles a good workout, beautiful views, and great running in congenial company through forests, plantations and vineyards. We've run it for the last two years, and although people have felt very tired afterwards, the general consensus, perhaps because of the varied terrain, was that it did not leave the legs feeling trashed.

With only seven weeks to Two Oceans we have four possible high mileage weekend runs left. On two of these weekends most of us will run the Peninsula marathon (17^th of February) and the Tygerberg 30 km (2^nd of March). On the Sunday before Peninsula, moreover, one will probably not want to do a really long run. This leaves just Sunday the 24^th of February for such a run.

You have a choice for the 24^th of February:

a) we could do the 38 km so-called Nek-to-Nek run (from Hout Bay to Constantia Nek, over Ou Kaapseweg and back to Hout Bay, or

b) we could do a run from Simon's Town to Smitswinkel Bay, over Red Hill directly back to Simon's Town (29 km), or extend it a bit by going back to Simon's Town via the Dido Valley road (31 km) or Da Gama Park/Glencairn (35 km).

Please let me know what your preferences are.

Gerry

Sunday, 27th January 2008: 8 weeks to go.

As the Redhill Classic (36.2 km) and 42.2 km marathon races are taking place on Saturday the 26^th, I don't believe there will be many of us who will want to run on the day after.

There will therefore be no Sunday run on the 27^th, but we'll resume the runs on Sunday, the 3^rd of February. I'll let you know more about that next week.

The Redhill race starts at 6h00. If you haven't yet entered, you can enter on-line up to Wednesday the 23^rd, at Fish Hoek Athletic Club on Friday the 25^th from 18h00 to 21h00 or on the day of the race from 5h00 onwards.

Have a great race.

Gerry

Sunday, 20th January 2008: 9 weeks to go.

On Sunday the 20^th the major portion of the run will be off-road in the Tokai Forest and Plantation. In short we -

Meet at: Constantia (Alphen) Kwikspar, Constantia Village Shopping Complex
Start at: 6h00
Distance: 23 - 25 km
The route: From Constantia Village along Spaanschemat River Road to the stone church, then to the Arboretum, up to one of the contour roads in the Tokai Forest Reserve, north along a contour road to a stream just above Klein Constantia, back along a lower contour road, through the vineyards above Constantia Uitsig and back to the start.

This is a route which we used to run along quite often when we were able to gain access to the Tokai Forest area via Groot Constantia. It's an exhilarating run, with lovely woody smells in the forest. The views from the top of the vineyards are spectacular.

I hope you're enjoying your running and staying injury-free.

Gerry

Sunday, 13th January 2008: 10 weeks to go!

This coming Sunday the 30 km Bay to Bay race will take place. It's the sort of race which kick-starts the running year and one's Oceans training, and I expect most people will want to run it, either as a 30 km or as a 2 x 15 km relay race. Therefore there will be no organised Sunday run.

The race starts from the Glen Country Club, Maidens Cove in Clifton, at 6h30. The entry fee is R40 for the 30 km race, or R25 per runner for the relay race. You can register on Saturday the 12^th at the Sportsmans Warehouse Rondebosch from 10h00 to 18h00, or on race day itself at the Glen Country Club from 5h15 onwards. Take note that parking is a problem for this race, so it's advisable to get to the start early.

During the Chairman's Run I think there were a few of us who wished they'd heeded the little voice in their heads which had whispered 'stay in bed'. The run was wet and windy and cold, and at the end we looked a bit like cats that had fallen in the swimming pool. Nevertheless it was a thoroughly enjoyable run.

Thank you to Lynette and Tamara who manned the Coke truck, to the partners/spouses who gave us lifts back to the cars in Constantia, and to all - in particular Richard McClarty - who were responsible for organising the run.

P.S. The VOB prizegiving (awards evening) is coming up in mid-March, and our club captain Richard aka Captain Chaos has asked all runners to forward their running achievements during 2007 to him. In particular he's asking for details of your PB's and what you would regard as special achievements. His e-mail address is mcclartyf@telkomsa.net

Enjoy your exercising.

Gerry