Hunters Rest: Sunday 21 September 08

[Nico]

Rob and John promised to tell us about this mornings run from Hunters
Rest. my story:

Odyssey Oefening: Sondag 21 September 2008

Ek het vir die Odyssey ingeskryf omdat Rob en Richard (Ou Ballies)
ingeskryf het, ek kan hulle mos nie alleen laat gaan nie, ek wil ook!
Die Odyssey lyk na iets besonder, maar dit is baie lank, ons moet
ernstig daarvoor oefen. Daar was altyd ‘n paar bos en bergpaadjies wat
ek wou hardloop, die een was in die Drakensberg, die ander was in
die Kashane reservaat, dit is nou in die onderste gedeelte war
normaalweg gesluit is vir dag besoekers. Nou-ja, Odyssey oefening het
gemaak dat ek uiteindelik beide gedoen het. So paar naweke terug die
Drakensberg, en vanoggend die Kashane reservaat. Ek wil julle nou
vertel van vanoggend se draf.

Die gedeelte van die Kashane resevaat wat oop is vir dagbesoekers is
van die Rustenburg 25 km bergwedloop. Dit is besonders en met
spesiale toestemming van die Kashane reservaat bestuur hardloop ons
dit ‘n paar keer elke jaar. Maar die onderste gedeelte van die
reservaat is gesluit vir dagbesoekers. Rob het toevallig die
bestuurder van die Hunters Rest hotel ontmoet, hulle het toegang tot
die onderste gedeelte, en toe Rob vra kan ons maar kom hardloop, hy se
dis OK, solank dit net so 4 of 5 hardlopers is. Vanoggend het 5 van
ons (Rob, Hennie, John, Philip en ek) toe die uitnodiging aanvaar.

Vanaf Hunters Rest hotel is daar ‘n ingang na die reservaat, vandaar
met ‘n plaveide paadjie tot bo-op die berg na ‘n uitkykpunt waar die
hotel so uitkyk dek gebou het wat met ‘n prgtig uitsig oor oor die
Olifantsnek dam. Seker ‘n goeie plek vir skemerkelkies vir hotelgaste.
Ons is daar verby in ‘n vallei, verby die Avon More ruskamp (vir
stappers) in die reservaat, Vandaar af met die vallei tot by die
Waterval spruit, wat van die vlei-gebied bo-op die berg kom. Ons het
die paadjies af en op die spruit bietjie verken, tot by die hoof-
toegangspad in die Kashane reservaat en weer terug na Hunters Rest.
Uiteindelik so 23 km gedraf, sowat 2h30m.

Ons het baie wild gesien, eerste ‘n massiewe eland, heelwat rooibokke,
‘n troppie waterbokke, ‘n paar groepe bobbejane, en baie spesiaal ‘n
manjifieke swartwitpens! Natuurlik baie voëls en troppe tarentale.

Ek weet nie of ek die Odyssey gaan voltooi nie, ek dink nie my ou
knieë gaan dit maak nie. Maar bloot die voorbereiding daarvoor het
gesorg dat ek ek dinge gedoen het wat ek lankal wou, so-ver geniet ek
elke naweek se oefening.

[Marjo Kruger]

Wow! Dit klink nice. het baie lekker gelees aan jou storie. Hoop die
kan een van ons gereelde Odessy training runs word... Hoop jou kniee
hou Nico, ek twyfel nie daarin dat jy die O kan voltooi nie...

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Marjo Kruger
082 455 7508

[Rob Dowdeswell]

When we got back from our run this morning I was reminded of the last time I
had run from Hunters Rest - way back in the dark old days of 1986 during a
meeting of the South African Pulmonology Society.

The route up the back of Hunters that we ran today was either not there
then, or we obviously didn't know about it. I ran with my good friend Eric
Bateman from Cape Town University, a notable runner in the Western Province
in those days (Two Oceans permanent number 23). It was in October and we ran
out on the Comissie Drift road past the Rainbow Chicken farms - very hot and
dusty during the drought. I remember getting back covered in red dust, head
to toe (we would have be cruising at 4 min/km or faster - Eric didn't do
easy running and he still doesn't, as I found out again after bumping into
him at 2Oceans this year).

That year we had a contingent of Canadian lung specialists as special
invited guests and they were all very bemused when the meeting came to a
halt one afternoon because it actually rained. I well remember that a lot
of the conversation in the evenings was about politics - it was the year of
PW's "Rubicon" speech and the outlook then was pretty bleak.

Things have certainly changed for us all since then and in spite of all our
moaning and groaning on the state of affairs in the land, I was reminded
that I have a lot to be thankful for - especially that I am still able to go
running with good friends in great surroundings right on our doorstep (even
though I my version of fast running is 5 min/km!)

... so many good runs still to do ... so little time ... don't be left
behind!

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[Molefi Mosito]

Let's first deal with the little issue of not knowing "if I'll finish the Odyseey". Nico you are doing great and the only thoughts on your mind now must be how you are going to feel at the end of the Odyssey, nothing else POSITIVE thoughts. Keep doing the stretches.

 

Back to Sunday run: When you run with Nico, as Michelle, Heleen, and Marlize will attest, you never know what you might end up doing. You can be thinking that you are about to turn back home only for Nico to suggest exploring this extra loop or two. On the other hand Rob will not let you wake up early in morning to go lazying around, if you are up to it, he will give you fantastic pace to go beyond your best. So all in all, the company of these two gentlemen makes for very enjoyable running. Thanks for Sunday gents.

 

We started in very chilly conditions, but it didn't take long for us to start heating up because the first, shall we say three kilos, are up, up, and up, and you find yourself working hard. You start asking if you were wise to be out here on this route. But that discomfort soon disappears when look behind to see the spectacular view of the dam. Sights and sounds of this area are breathtaking. We saw too numerous animals to mention here, but suffice to say it was fun, stopping and observing for a moment when one of us spotted an animal. This helped to take the mind off your running, the result of which is less discomfort.

 

The exploration continued until we came to the route in the reserve that we use for our Nature resrve training run, and it actually dawned on me that we indeed had run far, and guess what?, we had to make our way back to Hunters rest.

 

The long and short of it: I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait for the next time I do this run. When it does come around, I implore you all to try it.

 

Finally, the Odyssey is just around the corner and I wish the RMC members doing this challenge the very best. Cheerio

 

2008/9/21 Nico <nico.st...@gmail.com>