TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Thunderballs and Lightning
For those who missed the last episode of Trail MisAdventures ( naughty naughty !), I wrote about doing my first Backyard Ultra ( BU ), where you run a 6.7km loop and start on the hour , every hour , until the last man standing ( running ) wins the event . Well , I recently undertook my second BU , and I have to say again , this is a concept I am really beginning to enjoy ! Even when it pours …
The Karkloof BU started on Friday at 2pm , on what was seemingly one of the hottest April days ever recorded in the Karkloof , but I was in heaven . We arrived at registration , got our fancy barcodes scanned and then proceeded to set up our tents . We then hung around in the ‘ Kraal ’ ( also known as the runner ’ s pen ) and relaxed until the race began at 2pm .
Images : Courtesy Carla Farina
The concept is simple , start a new 6.7km loop on the hour , every hour , until you can ’ t finish a lap in time , or decide to quit , and if you run it fast , you get time to rest in between loops . Sure , some may argue that running around and around the same 6.7km loop a million times – OK , not a million , as that would equate to about seven million kilometres – but I find that something different happens every time you go round , keeping things interesting .
Laps one through to five were relatively event-free . Running partner Su-yen and I were very strict on a seven-minute run , three-minute walk strategy , giving our bodies time to rest and letting our core temperature drop , and still coming in comfortably around 50 minutes per loop gave us 10 minutes ’ rest , which was amazing . The ‘ race village ’ was super festive , people were cheering us on , music was going … it was like a party , and I was as happy as Larry , having the time of my life .
Wet Weather Warning
Come the end of lap five , I was still feeling great , until I heard those awful words come out of event organiser Andrew Booth ’ s mouth : “ Take your rain jacket , the rain is coming .” So , I tied a jacket around my waist , had a Red Bull , and then it was time to set off again for lap six . Man , 10 minutes goes by faster than a one-minute plank in this event !
The anticipation of the brewing storm made this lap feel tougher , even though there was no rain , and we still got in with our usual 10 minutes to spare , but this time Andrew assured us that there was going to be rain . And this time he was right … About a kilometre after we set off on lap seven , the mother of all storms broke out . The rain was so hard that you could not even see your hand in front of you , and then , the most spectacular lightning I have ever seen – it was petrifying , lighting up the sky as if it was the middle of the day ( it was around 9pm ). According to coorganiser Lauren Booth , it was the fastest lap on average , by a considerable margin !
The storm eventually settled leaving us with a lovely ( said sarcastically ) light , cold rain , and then it happened … my headlamp died . And being me , I had packed the wrong size spare batteries . Thank goodness Andrew had a spare one for me , so that I could get myself ready for lap eight .
Goal Achieved
I wanted eight – one more than the last BU at Van Gaalens – so off we set for lap eight . Our plan was this : If we made lap eight before cut-off , we would go for ninth and just walk it , but I made the decision that if the rain persisted , I would be calling it . In retrospect , we probably could have gone for another loop , but I was quite happy with the eight laps , for a total of about 54 kilometres .
We arrived back and had a bath in the sink , as there was a power outage due to the lightning , which meant the pump for the showers was not working , and then we called it a night . In the morning they were still running – four guys and one girl left . It was amazing , and super well done to eventual winner Matt Dove , who made it to 23 loops . One day , I will reach that number … if I continue to increase by one lap each event !
It was such an incredibly fun weekend , and kudos to Andrew , Jack , Lauren and Michelle for an epic adventure . I cannot wait for the next one , and my next target is 10 laps … because as I have said before , nine is such a nothing number ! Just remember this is a format that suits everyone , as you call it when you have had enough , so there is no excuse to not come along and try ! More info at www . wannado . co . za / bigbackyardultra .
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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