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| News archive Results from The Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge 2009 Montagu Xtreme 17 and 10k – oh, and 4k race too! Cape Point trail run pics, 28 June 2008 Montagu Xtreme 17 and 10k – oh, and 4k race too! May 2008 Escaping the ghosts of die hel, Moonlight Hell Run, 23 Feb 2008 Trail Series Race 5 Report, Silvermine Homestead - 27 Feb 2008 Trail Series Race 4 Report, Greenbelt - 20 Feb 2008 Trail Series Race 3 Report, Silvermine West - 13 Feb 2008 Trail Series Race 2 Report, Rondevlei - 6 Feb 2008 Trail Series Race 1 Report, Silvermine East - 30 Jan 2008 AGM Report: 31 January 2008 CAPE POINT "WESKUS" REPORT BACK, 13 Dec 2008 CAPE ODYSSEY 2008
Allan & Mike finishing the Cape Odyssey Sunday 12 Oct - 1st masters home on day 5 and 4th overall for the 5 day event. -------------------------------- POST MORTEM ON THE MILKWOOD '08
-------------------------------------------------- Montagu Xtreme 17 and 10k – oh, and 4k race too! It was high time the Vice Chairman “troubled the scorers” on the Club Challenge and hit a race for points; so this weekend we bundled into some cars to head off to see what the much vaunted Montagu Xtreme weekend was all about. Now Montagu is not far from Cape Town but the choice of routes there will affect your weekend greatly. Something to bear in mind always when travelling “that” direction is the throbbing quagmire that is the Somerset West juncture on the N2. The under handed, corrupt and insufferably short sighted bureaucrat who signed off the building of 6 sets of traffic lights along this stretch of national road should have been maimed then shot; long, long ago. So, we took the N1 via the R300 to avoid a few pre-rush hour accidents and in a flash Chris Grinton was clinking his change on the toll road gate counter eager to make passage through the tunnel and escape the city’s trappings. This “alternative” route is not so alternative anymore by today’s standards and the now well know R62 route beckons as you leave Ashton and roll on into a sleepy Montagu Friday afternoon through the stony bridge “city gate”. We stayed on a little fruit farm called Vredendal in the Keisie Valley 25 k’s outside of Montagu on the R318 side of town. This little place comes highly recommended for tranquillity, value for money and cleanliness. Take their name down and check it out. We all agreed that staying there again would definitely be a possibility. They have a little farm “irrigation dam” for swimming, entertaining dogs, spectacular mountain views, fruit and wood for sale, eggs (free range and organic nogal) for sale and a pile more; including tractor trips to the summit of the Langeberg range! After the requisite Friday evening braai laced with anti-oxidant rich rooi wyn and other delicacies it was time to rub the eyes, get out of bed and show Montagu what Harfield Harriers are made of. 150 intrepid trail runners lined up in the 3 Deg C crispness for the 17k event and the 10k race saw about 80 runners take up the challenge. This is NOT a fun run; although it was a pile of fun! The 17k course packs a mean punch and throws several long, hard climbs at you from fairly early on! Picture semi desert terrain. Much loose shale and scrub with little or no shade at any point. This is the coal-face of the Langeberg at its most stark and beautiful. To my relief the 17k course has good balance and allows the field to spread well before hitting narrow single track. The are also liberal sprinklings of Muscadel and Hanepoot feeding/entertainment stations along the route and it has be noted that these staffers carry their wares up the mountain for us:- quite a climb. We bow down before thee. Pistol Pete “promised” to run with me but 50m after the start took off like a Durban car guard parking a Ferrari. Allan “have a Tequila now” Ryninks showed adversity in the face of danger and unwrapped an imposing start to his race too. I said my good byes to them and settled in for a nice “blind race”. For me a blind race is the first time out on the course and these are very different to races run on known routes. In some ways they are more enjoyable because you get to take in new views and drink in the beauty of this awesome country but sometimes not knowing the course can be a little unsettling and pacing difficult. Some exciting dicing with a couple of locals, knee jarring descents, soet wyn at the top and being able to still glimpse Allan in the distance made for a good morning out! The Avalon Springs start finish area is unique too and lying around in the 40Deg C pools after the race was heaven. The “Fees” as I like to call it includes 3 levels of mountain bike race, boere musiek, boere kos, craft markets and has a proper small town feel to it. Good value. In the classically perfect Klein Karoo autumn weather on Saturday they finished something like this: 17km Pos: 14 Pos: 16 Pos: 57 Pos: 59 Pos: 62 Pos: 91 Pos: 113 Pos: 119 Pos: 36 Pos: 53 4km Race Dr Greg Bellairs – yes, he got beaten by the kids! -------------------------------------------------- Race Report – Constantia Village 15k from Jade De PigletA 5:15am wake up last Saturday was enough to put hairs on my chest but it was well worth the effort. Constantia Village parking area looked like it was mid-weekend shopping madness fortunately there was still some parking to be found. It was good to see quite a lot of HaHa’s at the start, including Little Boy Blue (Ingram Casey) who was running in trail shoes due to a lost shoe. We’re not asking... It took a few minutes at the start to get through the first few hundred metres until the runners spread out on the open road. It was one of those perfect, windless mornings which makes you feel really good that you were up in time to join the sun as it settled it’s rays onto the beautiful Constantia mountains. At 10k’s my legs were already taking strain making me wonder how I was going to do the half next week but fortunately I had the Kimmerator keeping me company and so we talked our way merrily to the end. (Although I think the talking definitely subsided during the last 5k’s!!) The finish was a welcome sight as we had to find a little extra energy to keep the sneaky speed burst of Gerrie van Niekerk from stealing the grand title of 431st from us! -------------------------------------------------- Lighthouse 10km Race Account from Ingram Casey (Member??) – a committed trail runner and regular at Sat runsReally enjoyed the race and decided to wear my HAHA vest for the 1st time. In fact it was the 1st time racing with a vest and getting over taken by a guy with dreadlocks and board shorts made me feel a little under dressed. Anyway it seemed like a big field and to avoid a walking start I some how managed to line up 3 from the front with a load of stick insects (who seem to do an extreme amount of farting before a race!) and got left for dust. After the trail running this was a shock to the system as I was passed by seasoned road runners with various badges ranging from 40 - 60 and my legs just didn't seem to find any speed! Enough about ME. It was a perfect windless evening with a festive atmosphere and large crowd as the race loops back on itself it's great to see the leaders running at sprint pace heading for home. There seemed a distinct lack of Ha-Ha presence but a few white green and blue tops flashed past including Alan (not in club colours!). Although the race started after 6 it felt like midday with no shade and plenty of heat. However being cheered on by the locals and lady's with sunglasses bigger than their dogs and no hills what so ever the finish came up sooner than expected. Walking off to a perfect sunset and free copy of Mens Health (bonus article on how Braai's and Sex can give you a six pack) road running isn't that bad after all. -------------------------------------------------- Escaping the ghosts of die hel, Moonlight Hell Run, Saturday, 23 February 2008 Race Report: Courtesy of Kylie Hatton The pure pleasure of running the Moonlight Hell Run out of Gamka’s Kloof or die hel is the peace and solitude of running at night alone. Michael & Heather Graz, the mad scientists and awesome organizers of the race call it escaping the ghosts of die hel… Roger and I opted to do the 50km run out of die hel as a training run for Two Oceans, four weeks away, while other competitors could do a shorter 38km run or the longer 80km run. The race begins in die hel an area in the Swartberg mountains that until very recently was inhabited by an isolated community that had limited interaction with the outside world. The closest towns to die Hel are Prince Albert on the northern side or Oudtshoorn on the southern side. The worst part of the race is that the race organizers drive you into die Hel from the top of the Swartberg Pass. Any cockiness from runners decreases dramatically as we descend, descend and descend into die hel in the horrifying knowledge that we will have to run up every one of these descents. We started the 50km and 80km at 21h00 on Saturday evening just as the moon rose over the Swartberg mountains – this was a truly spectacular moment and sadly I could not fully appreciate it as fear had gripped me completely. The first 12kms with a 200m climb are a relatively easy run along the floor out of die hel crossing flowing river beds, past old abandoned farmhouses and the community graveyard – I did not linger there long, for fear of awakening the ghosts. At about 12kms the first test of the race begins with a 3, 5km climb up the pass out of die hel. At this point I was feeling quite good but opted for sanity and employed the run/walk strategy up the pass. As I crested the summit of the pass I was greeted by the spectacular scenery of the moon resting above the mountain valleys that I would now have to traverse. At certain points you can see the sandy gravel road snaking ahead of you while at other times you find yourself looking at the astounding rock formations folding into the valley. Once you summit the top of the pass you are allowed a few kilometers of rest on the downhill, but very quickly the undulating ups and downs begin which will be never-ending for the rest of the night. I spent the night running all of the flats and the limited down hills comfortably and then employing a run/walk/turbo toddle approach up the climbs. At 19kms to go this interminable climb begins which seems to go on forever and it does, until about 5kms to go when you get a few easy kilometers and then two kilometers of climbing to the finish at Ou Tol Hut on the Swartberg Pass. Some gear details for those who are interested: I ran the race in Montrail Highlines. These are awesome shoes – rugged and supportive. I have been running in them since Hout Bay Trail Challenge last year in July and I am about to wear in my next pair. I ran with a Salamon Raid Revo 17 litre backpack – a lightweight comfortable fitting backpack with two excellent waist pockets to put snacks in. I carried a beanie, gloves, space blanket and medical kit – all essentials for running in the mountains. And, I snacked on Hammer’s Sustained Energy and chocolate Gel - this is the stuff of champions! I had a pain in my bum for most of the race which was a little bit irritating but I also suspect a bit of residual soreness from the previous week’s Peninsula marathon. But in many respects I think that this was a good thing as it forced me to be a bit conservative and reminded me that this was a TRAINING RUN for Two Oceans. Roger did exceptionally well in the 50km race coming in first and like a truly good husband walked back to come and finish the last two kilometres with me. He finished in first place in 5 hours 53 mins, and I finished in eighth place overall in 6 hours 55 mins. When I spend most of my running career looking over my shoulder worrying about being mugged it was a very special experience for me to be able to run on my own through the night enjoying the time on my own and the truly spectacular beauty surrounding me. -------------------------------------------------- Trail Series Race 5 Report, Silvermine Homestead - 27 Feb 2008 Check out the photos in our gallery section > Race Report: Courtesy of Graeme T There are two words that, for me, describe the recently completed Summer Trail Series. BIG HIT. I guarantee that there are many out there who took part that will be at a loss for what to do with their Wednesday evenings now! So what happened this Wednesday? The tables got flung about; forget turned! The course was arduous to say the very least. Those that had come along on a sneaky course trip some weeks prior to this race knew what they were in for and held back in anticipation of a 2,5km climb straight out the starting blocks. This arduous climb is amplified by a generous scattering of soft, soft sandy bits and rocky, uneven sections. Surprisingly, several leading punters took a wrong turn on this climb and in the process awarded themselves several hundred metres of extra mountain to cover. Sometimes reading the map is just not enough and there is no substitute for getting out there. A short (read short) flat section of contour followed the brutal start stretch and the path then winds its way up to Cave Peak, summiting at the top of Echo Valley above Kalk Bay. By then I had already blown and luckily knew what lay in wait from this point. The path snakes up out of the pretty Amphitheatre and on toward Spes Bona, undulating through true “cave-country”. This is a very, very rewarding course through simply classic surroundings. At one point I could see False Bay, Noordhoek beach and the distant Maclears Beacon through the murky, cloudy and rarefied mountain air. After a tricky, rocky descent that had the “roadies” tip toeing off the peak, the path opened up to a jeep track for a lightning fast 4 k’s back to the Start/Finish area. Exhilarating! Losing the path cost Warren Petterson the race and coupled with a boozy ski trip probably the series too! Roger Dickson won with nearly a 2 minute cushion over Dion Middelkoop with William Robinson in third. None of the local girls had an answer to UK visitor Julia Bleasdale’s domination of the ladies category though. She came in 13th overall on Wednesday and took the series with nonchalant ease. Sadly, if Candice Davison had done more of the races she could have snatched second place in the series. HaHa’s top female runner finished an impressive 26th and second in the ladies race. Doc Nortjch put in a surprise appearance this week too and delivered hurt to all other HaHa’s, even the indomitable, injured, Pistol Pete. The points format, though, rewards performance AND consistency and for that Jade De Hutton and Pistol Pete were the HaHa stars in their categories. Pete finished 15th in the open cat. And Jade an impressive 8th in the ladies’. Top club accolades probably belong to Allan Ryninks for sheer domination of the Masters where he took every race, bonus band and the series for a clean sweep! But well done to everyone for robust effort, participation and adversity displayed every Wednesday come wind, rain and after-parties. STOP PRESS: thanks to all contributions on my column and to Chris Grinton for the following great news. There will be an equivalent WINTER Trail Series kicking off in August; initially on Sundays then moving to Wednesday for the last race. Again, click to www.trailseries.co.za for pic links, results and more. Go get it. -------------------------------------------------- Trail Series Race 4 Report, Greenbelt - 20 Feb 2008 Check out the photos in our gallery section > Race Report: Courtesy of Graeme T With three down and one to go we are all getting to know who our peers are in this little series and it’s fun to watch how the mini tussles take shape up front and down the pack. I have a feeling many will miss the Wednesday evening “dash”. But the seasons change and the summer evenings become shorter as the nights cool and there simply isn’t time to throw an out door event like that after March starts. Getting straight down to last night’s race... In the racing snake division up front we witnessed the spectacle that is Warren Petterson getting his pipes cleaned; a truly rare occurrence. This leaves the top spot for the series wide open with 3 runners now capable of taking it. The ladies race at one and two is becoming a carbon copy of every week with UK import Julia Bleasdale again delivering some impressive hurt to second placed Michelle Lombardi. She appears to be going from strength to strength. Taking 3rd was Candice D who I am convinced is doing some sneaky training as again she passed me on the up hills, chatting away as I cursed and sweated in the dusty single track. Allan R is cleaning up the Masters field with yet another win as well as picking up the bonus band on the course. Some sympathy must go to the directionally challenged Ingram Casey though, who decided to do his own run last night and in the process added about 400 yards to his distance. Such a perfectionist. J The course was generally fantastic. It’s remarkable how many single track paths exist in the Constantia green belt and although a bit dusty, they yield a near-perfect surface to run on. The HaHa turn out was rousing. Well done for great participation in this series. At a rough count there were about 15 HaHa members in last night’s green belt race. Next year we should have sexy HaHa trail kit to wear for these races! -------------------------------------------------- Trail Series Race 3 - Silvermine West - 13 Feb 2008 Check out the photos in our gallery section > Race Report: Courtesy of Graeme T Start your engines... The third episode of “mid week” trail race fun claimed a fresh set of victims this week with a course that had many gasping for oxygen 2 k’s into the race. Coupled with humidity at 96%, many had to dig deep to post a smile for the cameras which dot the course all too frequently. For others, the breathtaking view of the dam from the highest point was just too much to resist and these competitors enjoyed early relief in the refreshingly cool water. (which looks like cold rooibos tea to the uninformed). Again, HaHa’s were out in force with Pistol, Candice and Allan bringing the club home in style. With the undulating nature of these mountainous routes it’s such fun to watch the positions yo-yo as the roadies play catch up on the flat pieces but lose out to the mountain goats on the technical descents. If you have never been up there before it is worth it even to walk the route from Wednesday’s Race 3 in Silvermine West. The views from the ridge separating Noordhoek Peak from the Dam bowl are stirring. There are uninterrupted vistas of False Bay and Noordhoek beach below, with Chapmans Peak perfectly framed in the middle. Positions are starting to take form now with 3 down and 2 to go. Allan Ryninks has anassailable lead in the Masters category. Jade (Piglet) De Hutton is fighting off challenges from Candice and Megan Kelly in the extremely competitive ladies division. Pistol is flying the flag up front in the Seniors with yours truly battling to find form amidst annoying injury flare ups. Ingram “I’m sure I paid my subs in time” Casey showed a fine improvement in form and was a good few positions up from last week. Kevin managed to get to the start on time this week and the cameras found Kim and Greg eventually! -------------------------------------------------- Trail Series Race 2 - Rondevlei - 6 Feb 2008 Race Report: Check out the photos in our gallery section > The second race of the Montrail-CAPESTORM Summer Trail Series took place yesterday (Wednesday 6 February). The figure of eight course took competitors through the tracks and trails of Rondevlei Nature Reserve in Grassy Park, home of the only Cape Town Hippopotamus family! In blustery South-Easter conditions, 200 runners set off on what was a relatively flat but sandy course - proving to many runners to be harder work than expected. At two places on the route, competitors had to negotiate a wooden bridge and stile to access a separate section of the nature reserve - including a trail along a dune ridge with spectacular views across to the Peninsula Mountains. Roger Dickson (VOB) took the lead at the half-way mark, as Warren Petterson (Mr Price) and Ben Brimble (UCT) took a wrong turn off the sand dune ridge, losing precious time. But the second half saw Warren turn up the pace to catch Roger around the 6km mark. Warren stayed ahead and ended up finishing the 8km course in a blistering 30min 41sec. Roger was next in 31min 17sec and Ben a close third in 31min 29sec. The first female runner home was once again International 10 000m speedster Julia Bleasdale (Inov8), who clocked 35min 33sec and placed 15th overall. Michelle Lombardi was the second female runner home in 37min 31 sec, followed by Olivia Read (Team Montrail-CAPESTORM) in 39min. The men’s veteran category was thrown a wild card however, with another international runner staking his claim to a category win. Andy Weir from the UK - here on holiday in South Africa with his family - heard about the Summer Trail Series and happened to be in Cape Town for the second race. Andy won the Veteran category in fine style, beating his nearest category competition, Ian Little (Team Montrail-CAPESTORM), by over three minutes and coming in 5th overall in a time of 32min 08sec. Tanya Templeton cruised home over 2 ½ minutes ahead of her nearest rival Kathleen McQuaide in the women’s veteran category, and Allan Ryninks and Sibis Mouton won their men’s and women’s masters category respectively. ‘The series is going from strength to strength as more and more people hear about it and realise what an experience they are missing out on’ said Trail Series organiser Owen Middleton. ‘The response has been unbelievable’. Winners of each category, as well as those who stayed for prize giving, walked away with over R5 000 worth of fantastic prizes from sponsors Montrail, CAPESTORM, Julbo, and Buff. There are still a few places left for the last three races in the series (PRE-ENTRY only), but places are filling up fast so get your entry in now by emailing entries@trailseries.co.za or calling 072 373 5081. For all the results and other Trail Series information please visit www.trailseries.co.za Pre race news from Graeme T: Wipe the sleep from eyes and flare your nostrils for tomorrow's race which is happening out at Rondevlei. "Huh? Where's that?" most people ask when I mention it. -------------------------------------------------- Trail Series Race 1 Report, Silvermine East - 30 Jan 2008 Check out the photos in our gallery section > Wednesday the 30th saw the opener of a series I feel is going to be a hit on the calendar in years to come. The solution to this one is quite simple: keep it simple. The format is startlingly easy to follow and the fuss free organisation is an example to many. Owen from OMI has got this one right and it can only go from strength to strength. Race one saw us gather on the East side of Ou Kaapse Weg summit for what many expected to be a docile introduction to the series of races. The course profile looked tame and the inclines were expertly down played to sound “inviting” to entrants eager to test their mettle in a brand new trail season. What we faced, though, heading out though was a punishing, protracted climb out toward Maidens Peak and on up toward the Steenberg Peak summit. The lack of vicious south easter was initially considered a stroke of mercy until the early evening heat started making itself felt the higher you went! Only at Nellie’s Pool area did we get some relief. A patently strong field lead us out from the rope at a startling rate. Clearly some never “let things slip” during the summer months! I even saw the indomitable Pistol Pete chasing heels up the hill which is a pleasing rarity; although he has declared that he “was not feeling 100’s” A stand out of this course, coincidentally, is that for most of the first 4 k’s you can see the whole field ahead of you pealing up the track, unashamedly exposing exactly what is coming your way! From Lower Steenberg Peak there is a mine-shaft of a drop off back to the finish. A very technical section that caught some runners off guard, this decent exposed the “roadies” in the field to the amusement of some! Despite the shock to the system experienced by some, this has to rate as one of the best “short course” trail races you will ever do. There is a refreshing lack of fuss and admin at the start and things got under way on time; always a challenge with us athlete-folk We tend to faff and bugger around at these events! Can’t wait for the next one! Results are up at www.trailseries.co.za but here are the top ten for your convenience. Well done to Jade de Hutton (Piglet) for her 9th and Allan Ryninks for first Master!! Machines… 00:36:57, 174, Warren, Petterson Ladies 00:41:15, 78, Julia, Bleasdale -------------------------------------------------- To our fantastic members…welcome… This is the start of 2008 and the 9th year of “running” Harfield Harriers. As I reflect on the year that has been I am reminded of the great “family” that has come from the base of the Club and I am so touched by that… I am sure we all agree that running is the catalyst, but the friendships formed are the beauty of being a Ha Ha. Firstly we are so privileged to be able to run; add to that a backdrop of immense beauty of mountains and sea, and to top it, to find people as real as all of you as running partners…what a bonus! There are so many of you who have performed exceptionally this last year that I am not going to mention names, but know we are proud of you and your representation of our Club. We have such talent surrounding us and you are all an inspiration to those of us who are keeping the back markers company…Myself included! Thanks to Allan for introducing Tuesday speed sessions…I believe they are a hit and the coaching has been much appreciated and hugely beneficial! Re our Milkwood Race…we did so well last year. It was a great event and we hope that this year you will all pull together again and help make this our best year ever! Contact Carl re offering of help. Please members, it is 1 day out of your Life… Lets do it! Our Charity donations have been steady and consistent which is a vital aspect of the Club…thanks to Rob Love, Dingo and of course all of you…Thank You. Two Oceans 2007…our 8th Birthday, was also a great event with our members showing up in numbers and with great times…Allan Ryninks has done 20!!!… Our members are achieving in other areas as well and most especially Trail Running…we are looking at kitting up for that so our presence can be seen on the mountains of the Cape and elsewhere. We have also seen lots of Ha Ha babies being born and our junior section is growing rapidly…Welcome little ones to the extended family! We have also had a few romances, break-ups and long term commitments taking place under this very roof…Mmmm….I’m excited to see the movements after the Valentines bash… Thanks to the wonderful Committee who work really hard at keeping the Club running, motivated and a hot place to be. Allan, your energy, attitude and work you do for the Club is immense…from sitting in meetings, signing up members and collecting numbers, the Admin involved, locking up a lot of the nights we fade on you or just don’t pitch, coaching and on it goes…THANK YOU! Chris and Greg, thanks for keeping the bar stocked and our throats wet…we know it is a huge task…so appreciated! Tash for the work you do for The Milkwood and the Club and for making sure we stay on the right track and not see red! Thanks a million…thanks for offering to stay even though you have Jorja in your life now…you are amazing! Kev, thanks for the time and effort you put into TT results. It is work and we really appreciate that! Graeme T thanks for taking the TT results over and inspiring us to run the trails and to get out there… Rob, thanks for all the work you do with our Charity Portfolio…you do a fine job! Niks your ideas and efforts at the club tent and socials, weekends away are so valued and needed…thank you! Andrea thanks for managing the Kit and keeping us in gear. We are hoping to look even more stylish this year with some exciting ideas coming forward! Dave your Winter TT series continues to be a hit and thanks for the support you give me at the Club. Pete your pics, invites, talent and willingness to help in anyway is so appreciated… Thank You for all the Club spirit in organizing weekends away… Catherine thanks always being willing to get the party on the go and for all the organizing you do to keep us Festive..so vital to Ha Ha Graham, you are an inspiration…thanks for your support and love always…for giving up your competitive results in the TT so I can run…What a man! Carl what an event you stage…The Milkwood…thanks for the work you do for the race and to all those who support you…Thank You! Thanks Adam for also staying on top of things and getting sponsors for the race! Mac thanks for all the kit and support and time you give so selflessly…you are a star! Dan we miss your energy, but thanks for all you gave to the Club last year and we hope to see you back! Dingo thanks for your efforts in the Charity drive and the naked run and we look forward to ‘seeing’ you this year. John Pace thanks for always making the time to do a design for Ha Ha and keeping us looking sharp! Our T Shirts are a hit around the Cape. To those of you who are leaving the Committee, thanks for the work you have done for us…you will be missed! To those of you who are staying…Thank You! We need you!
Thanks to all of you for the support you give Ha Ha around the bar especially…May the year ahead be a really positive, great running one for all of you and may Ha Ha still be a watering hole we all gravitate towards… Dust off those shoes the year has begun!
Love -------------------------------------------------- Valentine’s Day JolIs it coincidence that cupid rhymes with stupid or is it just me? Massive incentive to get down to the club on the 14th of February for a Valentines party with a difference. A quick squizz at the calendar will have you going “aaaaaaaaah, it’s a Thursday!” Yep, time trial evening with a jol for afters. “What a pleasure” I can hear all the guys thinking! The brains behind this one is our official Party Officer, Niks Rockcliffe and these are her rules:* “Robot party". Wear red if you are attached, green if you are available and orange if you are not really sure R20 per person. cocktail on arrival and snacks provided Cash bar Singles and couples are welcome, send the invite out to as many friends as possible Either buy tickets at the club from Monday or RSVP to me for catering purposes (but tickets can be bought on the night.) nicoler@Medscheme.co.za. *Disobey them at your own peril. -------------------------------------------------- HaHa Trail GearIn time for the autumn trail running season, HaHa plan to have zooty ladies and men’s hot and cold running trail gear. While we realise most trail races do not specify we wear club colours, HaHa has a formidable presence at most of the local trail series, we get great results and we want to show that off. With the extremities of mountain running, this gear needs to be both comfy and durable as well as add a measure of insulation against the elements. Get your heads around what you’d like to see produced and we’ll chat about it at the AGM. In order to produce the best value for money, quality garments that nobody will complain about, as well as get the size curve right, we’ll need your participation in this. So get a grip on what the other manufacturers are selling, what you like, are comfortable in and LET US HAVE YOUR 2 CENTS WORTH! -------------------------------------------------- As if we didn’t have enough heroes in the club, we have another notch to add to that belt in the form of Roger Steel. Roger went and quietly pummelled the record for the Platteklip Challenge, which is a fearless assault of the infamous Platteklip Gorge. No stopping, slashing or picking your nose on this one. The record now stands at a spectacularly absurd 29m50s!! I urge everyone to walk up there to appreciate the sheer tour de force this represents. Roger, your down-down at the bar awaits... We are not worthy. Well done mate! -------------------------------------------------- Total Sports Challenge 2008To be honest to myself, I should have written most of this a year ago. Total Sports Challenge 2007 for my partner and I was a disappointment of hairy proportions. The extreme weather change between leg 5 and 6 resulted in ocean like waves on the dam and a lesson in how poorly K1 canoes handle conditions like that! In short, the canoe filled with water, I got rescued by a police boat masquerading as the turn buoy which in turn capsized on top of me and my canoe! In the process, my paddle got trapped underneath the police boat and everyone was now floundering in the stormy waters of the Arabella resort. Well we made it back safely but it left a bitter taste in the mouth as the officials (Police) on that boat smelled of liquor and clearly had zero experience on water. So when I was invited to join a 7-man team for the 2008 event I was hesitant. I was assured a slot paddling in the sea, which is a preference for me so I took it; although still hesitant as the team involved was Pistol's company team, Ripe Design. I know how they can drink! But after all the dust had settled and the slaps on the backs were over, sitting there with frosty beer in hand chewing the fat with friends new and old, it made me realise what an achievement staging an event like this actually is! Apart from Top Events inexperience in marshalling the water based legs, their general handling of what is a behemoth of timing, admin, refereeing, traffic management and piles more is a staggeringly impressive. Total Sports is all about teamwork. 7 disciplines, one, two, three or seven man/mixed teams. A total of about 11 different constellations of teams can be entered! Leg one is a 14km surfski paddle from Gordons Bay beach, two is a 1,5km swim, both 2 laps, three is a 55km road bike ride from G Bay to Kleinmond on the pristine stretch of tar often referred to as the coast road which offers a picturesque alternative to Sir Lowry's pass if travelling to Hermanus or similar. The bike leg then hands over to a road runner who slogs through Kleinmond village, passing through the eventual finishing area and out onto the Arabella R44 again, for a further 4 k's in sweltering heat, only to cut into the fynbos and press on down to the vlei where the K1 canoeist takes over for a 13k loop. Many canoeists will use surfskis here to avoid having to empty water from their boats if conditions turn nasty but 2008 saw calm, ideal water for the staging of this leg. Once in, a mountain biker sets off on what is considered to be the toughest leg of them all. 35 quad busting, lung burning up and down kilometres in the dry-as-dust single track of the Palmiet Reserve. Not for the faint hearted, nor the scared-of-punctures sorts! Second place in the nasty stakes is the last leg. This is an out and back beach run on what I consider to be the least friendly surface to run on in the entire known world. Don't try this at home but try and imagine yourself running on a treadmill which is lying at a 30 degree angle with contact glue on the belt. Not pretty. This is what this run is like. Now imagine doing this after doing ALL the above legs in 20 knots of wind, dodging a genuinely dangerous beach break, skirting broken shells, kelp, Oystercatchers dive bombing you as you come too close their nests. Taking up this challenge as a single campaigner is simply HARD. Hard with a capital everything. Taking it on as a girl is even harder. HaHa's very own Rebecca Newson did it. She did it, came 4th and still smiled at everyone soon after finishing. What a MACHINE. Beccs, we bow down 10h04m is a big day out. Other HaHa's in the mix were Doc Bellairs and Heath Keyser in a hot shot 2 man team, the Spider Boys. Marc Nortje was spotted in tight gear, Chris Grinton delivered the hurt to me in the ski leg and Pistol blitzed the beach run for his team in a world class time. Andy Mac swam for Team Ripe and was out of the water before our road biker could get his cleats on. Roger Steel was roped in to be a secret weapon for Team Ripe and didn't disappoint either with a brutally fast beach run. Big thanks also to the support squads without which this event would probably not happen and if it did, would be no fun at all. Apart from the receipt of abuse, carrying of boats, wringing out wet, sweaty gear, filling water bottles, driving at high speed and fighting with marshals simply driving out to Kleinmond and presenting a brave face in the heat is a superb effort. Spectating seconds Spider Kim, Piglet, Catherine H, Hilary K, Andrea Hugs, Megs Kelly and last but certainly not least, the long suffering Kev Scaife. Beccs' achievement would not have been possible without coach, psychologist, boat caddy, water bottle specialist, super-second Kev. Well done to all and let this be an encouragement to us to get at least two teams out there in 2009. We certainly have the talent.. On a more serious note.. Dan Hugo defended his over all individual title with nearly a 40 minute cushion, obliterating the opposition with a cautious but confident effort. When I spoke to him afterwards he hardly seemed tired! More at www.totalsports.co.za follow the links to Events, TSC 2008.
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