Eden duo 2010 - Team WaterBabe's race report

The eden duo is indeed one of the most well known and well respected adventure races in South Africa. The early alarm, wakes us up with sleep in our eyes, and gear already on but the rush to get to the start always sends your adrenalin soaring, hoping you have everything ready for the big start; kloofing up the Kaaimans River, where you are expected to jump across rocks, as well as keep a steady stance, while balancing on the edge of the slippery side. One slip could mean a sore leg for the rest of the race and which would not be very enjoyable making your way up to the Saasveld agricultural college.

Here [in transition] you sum up the components of the race left behind and those still ahead of you and take stock of your team,  which in this case my team consisted of the beautiful but daring Nina Orzehowski, the always enjoyable and joker of the lot Ashley Willcocks, sister of well known adventure racer who I'm also a team mate with for other events of adventure racing Brandon Willcocks, and last but not least Wojtek Orzehowski who led us all the way with smiles and laughs but our guardian angle no less. We were close behind the experienced team of St. Aubins school which consisted of three strong boys and a women. They were our main competition as we were entered in the junior race, which has to consist of three racers under the age of 19, and one member  over the age of 19. The team must also have representatives from both sexes. The distance for this race category is 100km of tough terrain.

Glump... that sinking feeling

The Dagger

The call it the 'The White Dagger" and it's proud, prouder than the whitest stallion in any fantasy novel. It refuses to be broken, throwing me off at the least provocation. It knows that I am not its true master...

 ...but I am determined to get on again, to tame this beast, so that I may ride the mostly clear but slightly tainted waters of the lagoon with pride. If it is comes to a battle of wills, I know that I'll win. After three laps of the time trial,and two capsizes, the dark paddle grows heavy and being stone last, makes it heavier still. But I will endure, after all "vat does not kill us only makes us stronker." 

It is around six, now and with slightly more confident strokes, I think to myself that I've got this paddling business licked but alas, it was not to be, for at six, comes the sundowner crews, who recklessly cruise around the lagoon, looking for novice paddles to bother, stare at and attempt to capsize. In my quest to just-stay-in-the-damn-vesell, I encountered one of these...cruisers!!  In an absurdly embarrassing attempt at being Mr. Macho, I grin and make an attempt to cross their wake, using  big, athletic strokes, losing the little dignity chips I have stored up by nearly bailing.

Something which I do not find surprising is that several people have commented on the fact that I can fall out of a canoe like a pro. Dagger I'll defeat you!! Next time I'm bringing in armour and full riot gear!!

Knysna Forest Half Marathon

It is slightly intimidating, arriving early to an event and still finding that you're one of thousands, add this to butterflies that flutter at the start of every race, multiply this by an early rise and raise that to the nth power because of the fact that I've never done a half marathon or any marathon, for that matter before, and you'll understand how I was feeling.

'Bang!' The gun went off. I yelled a hurried 'cheers', to my aunt-in law running behind and threaded my way through the crowd, managing to trip over tree stumps, even in a road race. This year's new route was changed to cope with the change of the finish venue and several of the more experienced runners, said that the course was tougher than last years, and is one of the country's toughest half marathons, yet over 4500 runners combatted and completed this course. Fortunately the weather was with us and it wasn't icily cold, humid or hot…

The route took us through the beautiful forest and plantations, up and down the torturous switch backs and up part of the 50km oyster fest MTB route, with thankfully (unlike Adventure Racing), water tables every three kms. As the race settled down, I gritted my teeth and got stuck in, overtaking swathes of runners, but at the same time being out paced by even stronger, more steadier runners. At around the 12km mark, I reached the next water table, where as always, being not used to the funny little water bags and cups, I sprayed more liquids on me than in me, I started feeling a stich coming on, in a running limp, I tried to wait it out, and slowly it lessened but did not disappear, as if it wanted to spite me for dislodging it, staying with me, till the end of the race. A few more km, along the route, we started the punishing climb down Simola estate, with only a few distance markers left but the race was not over, for the steep descent, left muscles feeling like jelly. Trying to keep up the pace, was like trying to lift lead blocks, but as the Ferris wheel, and the finish line came into sight, I could not help but speed up and complete the race as I had begun, in a run, in the river of souls. I definitely plan to run more marathons for the feeling you get, even with the pain, is exhilarating. 
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Finishing time: 1:42:34


Winner: Michael Bailey,
           in a time of: 1:07:40 
^ Amazing! Wow. Jaw drop.