TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
How to ( Accidentally ) Win a 100 Miler
In 2019 I completed the Karkloof 100 Miler , vowed I would never , ever do a 100 miler again ! But then COVID-19 happened , race after race got cancelled , running around in circles in the garden became the new norm , and we almost forgot the procedures for actual races . Finally , thankfully , there was light at the end of the tunnel . A race ! Not in the garden , not virtual , but a real race , with a race village , and a guy on a mic , and aid stations . How exciting ! What race was it , you ask ? Well , it was the Karkloof 100 Miler … So , what did I do ? I entered , of course !
Carla tackling the Karkloof
Images : Courtesy Karkloof 100 Miler & Carla Lea Farina
Ready to get going early on the Friday
This years ’ Karkloof obviously took on a different format , as there was a
curfew that interfered slightly with the usual through-the-night running plans . The organisers therefore allocated an extra day on the Friday for the ‘ non-elite ’ runners – I was very much part of that group – to give us extra time , so off I went with the 4:30am Friday start . In retrospect , I perhaps started a bit too fast , but it was such fun to be racing again , and coming home to the race village every 20 or so kilometres was awesome . Have a beer , grab a snack … Clearly I was not trying to win this thing !
Then it happened . My ankle rolled , so I ran like a duck for a while , and then my knee blew . I was in rather a large amount of pain , but I continued , walking , until it got worse . I decided that I should find some painkillers the next time I made it back to the race village , but no-one would give me any , because they are bad for you . ( Well , some of them , anyway .)
Eventually a friend hooked me up with some ‘ safe ’ pain relief medication , but even that stopped working after a while . I was not going to stop , though ... I just kept plodding along , eventually joining forces with my good friend Su-yen . It ’ s amazing how having someone around takes your mind off the pain . We made pointless jokes that were hilarious , and we eventually finished the race in a lightning time of 28 hours and 57 minutes . Well , OK , that ’ s not all that fast , but it was faster than our time last year !
When we got in , it was freezing , but we had a beer and a shower . It only took about 45 minutes to scrape my clothes off , and my feet looked like something out of a horror show , and by the time that exercise was over , the kitchen was closed . So , we did what any starving , sleep-deprived , physically depleted human would do … we had another beer and went to bed .
Sunday Surprise
The next morning , I dragged myself out of bed at the crack of dawn , after cramping the whole night , and sat there thinking about the poor Sunday runners , who were out in what seemed like a torrential downpour . I was so glad I had opted to start on the Friday instead of the Saturday , otherwise I would have been stuck in that , too . OK , granted , starting on Friday meant I ran in 34-degree temperatures , but rather that than the rain and cold .
Eventually , Su-yen and I made our way back to the race village , and as we got there , we noticed that all three women ’ s prizes sat on the table untouched . We
The much anticipated first beer after finishing !
were excited , as we thought maybe that meant we could cheer in the winning women for a change , but as it turned out , there weren ’ t actually any women left in podium contention , as the only woman who had started on the Saturday had picked up an injury and had to withdraw .
Our brains ticked over as we put two and two together , and realised that this surely meant we had won the race ! We duly harassed organisers Andrew , Jack and Dane for a while , and it turns out we were right , we had come in joint first women . It was the most surreal feeling , but so cool . Never would I have imagined that would happen !
Reckon I ’ ll Be Back
When I entered the Karkloof , it seemed so far away , and now that it ’ s over , I am still struggling to believe it ’ s done , but wow , what a race it was . The spirit and atmosphere were absolutely outstanding , and the best part was that the course was really , REALLY well marked . I didn ’ t get lost . Not even once . Can you believe it ? It was such a fun weekend , and credit to Team KZN Trail Running along with Jack and Michelle for putting it all together . It was an amazing event , and I ’ m happy to report that this year I didn ’ t leave thinking , “ I ’ m never doing this again .”
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-saydie attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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