TRAIL RUNNING
Preparation is Everything !
We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for , and we needed advice . Properly rattled , we quickly realised that having run the Comrades ( or even 10 ) was not nearly good enough to get us through this race . Thinking that we could run trail , based on a few runs we did on well-marked MTB routes , added to the delusion .
Based in Gauteng , we are not exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to suitable elevation and mountain training , but we could improvise . We thus recall countless early weekend mornings driving to Hartbeespoort to tackle the Wolf Pack Hell Run , or out west to Kloofendal ( the GOAT ) and Kings Kloof .
We recall the silence in our group when our ‘ guides ’ informed us on one of our training runs at Wolf Pack Hell Run that we would only do five repeats of the ( monster ) hill in front us . When your calves start aching after the first 500 metres of climbing , you know , “ Jy is nou in vir ‘ n ding !” After the first lap , the thought of another four seemed impossible , but strangely , once you complete the second , and your calves start easing , you learn the first important SkyRun lesson : Just keep moving forward , fast or slow , as long as you don ’ t stop moving .
Speaking of ‘ guides ’, you don ’ t get better than ‘ Mr SkyRun ’ Bruce Arnett ! We asked a ton of questions and were grateful for the information , but when Bruce and Neil ‘ Skippy ’ Claassens said the steepest hill at Kloofendal wasn ’ t nearly as steep as “ The Wall ” at SkyRun , we all thought , impossible , they are just trying to scare us . Surely not ?
And a Bit More Training …
Night training was another essential ! Running on a mountain , in the middle of the night , with potentially only your headlight for company , required some practise . Quite a few valuable lessons were learnt , because navigating at night with your GPS watch , while trying to make your way across a mountain , is no joke .
Finally , if the mountains don ’ t come to you , you go to the mountains . Due to the impact of COVID-19 on athletic events , and the country in general , all the trail races we had planned to run as preparation were postponed to 2021 . We didn ’ t let that stop us , though , and planned our own long run weekend at Mont Aux Sources . That saw us head down to the
Drakensberg in late September , and we started at the very bottom , the Royal Natal National Park , for a 57km adventure . The majority of our Skyrun group proudly worked our way up to the summit of Mont Aux Sources , but that does not even begin to define the adventure .
The wind was howling the entire day , and the mountain never seemed to get closer . Furthermore ,
this was the first experience of running at an altitude of 3000 metres for many of us , and though there were no serious problems , you could feel the extra effort required . Still , the mountains were majestic , it was a real privilege to experience them like that , and we knew we would be ready for the big one ! And let us just add that the Mon Aux Sources run was so amazing , it would have been the run of the year … if it wasn ’ t for SkyRun .
46 ISSUE 138 FEBRUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za