It wasn’t long before the climbs kicked in. I broke the race into sections with the first goal just getting to daylight without tripping. In the first 10km my splits ranged between 4.16 and 4.53 as we covered the first few climbs. It was similar in the next 10km, and the field finally started to spread out a bit. Post-race, the splits showed that I went over the first timing mat in 879th place.
Then it was 15km done, and we had climbed the first of the five ‘serious’ hills although in reality there was no flat running in the whole race.
Cowies Hill climbs over 100m in its 2km. At 22km we are on to the second of the ‘Big 5’ Fields Hill which sees a climb of 190m over 3.2km. At this point, I start overtaking some of the early chargers, with some walking already. My headache had gone, and I started getting my mind set on the plan for the next 65km.
The crowds remained thick and I started getting into the spirit of the race. A few more short rises, and then soon we were on to Botha’s Hill, another 120m rise over 2km. Here I saw a few of the elite women ahead, and latched on to them.
I pulled up alongside multiple Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington and saw her eyes were gone and she was shot. I tried to help her up the hill, but she had nothing so I had to push on for myself. Keeping the effort consistent, keeping the gels going down every 7km, and soon we were at the halfway mark at Drummond.
It was time for another big hill, Inchanga, and 140m of climb over 2km.
I had to remind myself that the second half was more flat and the hammy seemed to be holding well, so my confidence notched up a bit and I started to set my sets on my PB from 2010 (7:08) as achievable.
Finally a few downhills, but I daren’t open up my stride and put pressure on the hammy. I held strong on the next hill at Umlaas Road and pushed past a few of the named elites. I high-fived the disabled children from Ethembeni School and reminded myself I was fortunate to be able to run. They were a big part of the Comrades race and a few of them had Aussie flags I had handed out the day before.
Just as my spirits were rising the guy next to me bit into his water sachet and attempted to spray the water down his neck, but instead it directed right into my left ear. I stumbled just as another runner cut across me to grab a water sachet, yet somehow we didn’t trip. That was a close one.
We were through 60km and 70km, and I’d held the same average pace.
I now allowed myself to look at the kilometre markers i.e. 17km to go, 16km to go, and so forth, and I decided to try and push on.
I managed to get my pace into the 4.20s and it was great because there was still no sign of the hamstring tightening. The PB was on, but the last of the ‘big 5’ hills was looming.
Polly Shorts is shorter and steeper, and meant another 130m of climbing although it was only 8km left once you summited. Most people around me were breaking on Polly Shorts and walking, but I refused to stop running.
Finally at the top, I grabbed my first Coke of the day and finally allowed myself to believe I was going to not only finish and claim another silver medal, but maybe get a PB too.
I put in a 4.27km and started the push for home, but bloody hell, around the corner and we were climbing again! It wasn’t flat after all! I reeled in two more elite ladies, and a few more runners and started pushing for home.
