VWS 10km Trail Run
While I’m a cripple, I’m recapping some of the races I took part in last year.
After getting my first race under my belt, my confidence was creeping up, and the next race on the list was the VWS 10km Trail Run on the 7th of May 2006. VWS stands for the Volunteer Wildfire Services, who assist with the combating of fires in the Cape Peninsula. The race was organised to raise awareness and some much needed funds. There was a choice to run either a 25km or a 10km, but the 25km wasn’t an option for me at the time, and being trail race it promised to be quite tough.
Below is a map of the route, although it only adds up to 8km, so I must have left out a bit. It still gives an idea though:
The race started at the parking lot at the bottom of Tafelerg rd on Table Mountain. The field was small, approximately 200 runners for the 10km. I managed to get myself to the front of the pack, so when we started I was right up at the front. We ran up Tafelberg rd then turned off the road, onto the jeep track. At this point I was third of fourth. The race from then was extremely tough, but the views were fantastic. The sight of the sun rising over Cape Town, while you’re racing along, is why I love running on Table Mountain. The hills were certainly tough, but you also had to keep your concentration going down the hills, as the gravel was quite loose and you could easily fall.
Eventually we toiled up the last hill and back onto Tafelberg rd. At this point I was about 4th, but absolutely exhausted, and was passed by 3 runners on the way to the finish. I finished the race in 47:45, a time I was quite happy with, considering the hills. My average heart rate of 177 showed how hard I worked. I remember battling to walk for several days after the race, another indication of how tough it was.
