ROAD RUNNING
1 August – Run # 25
We went out today , and I was very proud that Keith Stainbank ran his 2nd consecutive 21 today . I know how much it means to him and Andrea , and it was really special that he chose to come and run with me . The whole team today – Kel , Robs , Graeme , Kingsley and Di – all rallied around and helped pull Koeie through to the end , and it was really special to watch and be a part of .
7 August – Run # 31
Today was a solid team effort . Had a few rough days of sleeping and my heart wasn ’ t in it today . Get together the team of Debbie Greve and Len Artemides and we had lists of timing and people joining , and we got over the line this afternoon . Very glad Carl Muller was prepared to come down early and do some running with me . Sometimes it really is about the people around you helping you when you need it !
15 August – Run # 39
I think the longer I go on this journey , the more I see the runs as being a big part of the adventure . It ’ s not about putting your head down and just running , it ’ s about taking in everything around you and enjoying just being in the moment . We managed to get to the Wild5 Adventures gorge swing today - the highest in the world , 55 stories ( 165m ) free fall . I was confident in my ability to do it until the guy said 3-2-1 jump , and my response was to just say no . He eventually pushed me off , with me having said that was the only way I ’ d go down !
3 August – Run # 27
I think the best way to celebrate woman ’ s month is to highlight the awesome achievements of one woman in the success so far of this run . I think everyone who has had a chance to run with her will share the sentiments I share when I say she is caring , heartfelt , funny , brilliant , a machine of a runner , a gem of a human and all-round genuine person . She has been with me on 25 ( and a half – won ’ t forget the half ) of my 27 runs thus far , and was willing to roll with the punches and put up with my awesome ( read : terrible ) sense of humour for all of them . She ’ s helped me through a lot of tough times on these runs , and shared in some of the most incredible adventures , and done it all with a smile on her face . So , after she had to leave today ( and a few tears ), this post is solely dedicated to saying thank you to Di , for being a rock and an anchor for me in this challenge . You planned to do 15 runs , you ended up putting your body through 25 ( and a half ). That in itself is more than I could ’ ve asked for , yet you always went above and beyond . Thank you !
1 August – Run # 25
We went out today , and I was very proud that Keith Stainbank ran his 2nd consecutive 21 today . I know how much it means to him and Andrea , and it was really special that he chose to come and run with me . The whole team today – Kel , Robs , Graeme , Kingsley and Di – all rallied around and helped pull Koeie through to the end , and it was really special to watch and be a part of .
9 August – Run # 33
Today was a day just for views , amazing countryside and sunrises . We hit the road early this morning and got to witness the most beautiful sunrise I ’ ve seen so far . I have been feeling a little homesick , so it was an extra special treat to chat to my folks and wish my mom a happy Women ’ s Day . I also got to say hi to my cats , who I miss with all my heart … even though my Grey one didn ’ t want to say hi to me because he ’ s sulking that I ’ m away . 100 runs to go , and I ’ m looking forward to that number coming down to double digits !
12 August – Run # 36
I ’ ve really grown to love the South coast . I do this in most places I like , but it ’ s very easy to relax by the sea , and the South coast has definitely taken a piece of my heart . I love all the estuaries and rivers and little lagoons all over the place . I was , however , warned about the south wind , and today I learned how difficult it is to run up a 20 % gradient hill with a 40km wind blowing into your face !
14 August – Run # 38
We had a couple of super troopers on the run today . Ethan and Luke ( 8 and 10 ) decided to pull their longest runs today and managed to eke out about 8k ’ s each of some trail running before the legs gave out . ( They made the rookie runner error and started out too exuberantly , jumping onto ant hills and everything .) The views took my breath away , and the running was some of the best I ’ ve done so far . We traversed the Oribi gorge , and went to all the lookout points , and even managed to avoid the rain ( mostly ).
18 August – Run # 42
We headed north up the coast today to the Mtata River . On the way back , we got joined by a few of the local kids , who gave us a lesson in humility . It ’ s so weird that we think of running in terms of Garmins and fancy shoes and gear , but these kids ( who were max four years old ) ran with us , barefoot , the whole way back up the mountain , laughing and joking while we struggled up ! It was a sight to behold , and at the end we graciously accepted our defeat .
21 August – Run # 45
We hit the beach and headed up the coast towards Haga Haga , the first 10km being easy . We timed the tides and winds perfectly on the way out , and everything was all smiles . However , the wind gods always get their own back , and we spent the latter part of the 21 fighting a 30km / h headwind , which slowed down our journey and tested the resolve . What I ’ ve enjoyed is the energy people have brought to these runs , and today was no different . Dusty Grace and Carla Farina both brought excellent energy when the mood was low . I ’ m 51km ( 3 runs ) away from 1000km travelled ! All I ’ m aiming for is to hit 650k when I cross that mark ! It ’ s a big psychological point for me !
You can follow Henry ’ s progress and read daily updates on his runs at www . facebook . com / henry . cock or www . instagram . com / cock . henry .
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