Cape Town! You delivered!
It was a perfect race day: race organisation, weather, route, atmosphere. Everything just clicked. This city has passed the test and is on track to become the next Abbott Major!
There is something special about having a big race on your doorstep. The start and finish line are at the stadium, the giant circular building in the photo below. We live right next to it. This meant zero logistics – and the rare luxury of doing a nervous wee at home before casually strolling to the start line. For once, no portapotties!
Kai walked me to the start and then jumped onto his bike. We had planned a strategy with military precision: he would see me at kilometres 10, 21 and 30, when things would probably start falling apart. He was a man with a mission.
The race started at 8am, with my wave going off a few minutes later. We settled into a comfortable pace and, little by little, the pre-race nerves started to fade. My body felt good and for the first time that morning, I allowed myself to feel quietly optimistic. In my head, I was aiming for something around 3:20. But as every marathoner knows, a lot can happen over 42 kilometres.
The quieter opening sections actually felt good. I love crowd support, but having stretches without noise gave me time to focus, check my pace and remember important stuff like eating gels before reaching full existential crisis mode.
Just when my brain started drifting, we reached halfway. Cheering crowds, noise, energy! Familiar faces! Seeing Kai with our friends there gave me an instant boost.
I glanced at my Garmin.
1:36.
Oooh, wait a sec! If I played this right, a sub-3:15 might actually be happening! Let’s do this!
To keep the pace up, I started a little “Green Bib Game” with the Abbott Age Group Championship runners. They were easy to spot with their green bibs and age groups on their backs. The objective was simple: overtake as many as possible. Bonus points for every runner I passed who was younger than me. Completely irrational, but surprisingly effective.
One of the joys of racing your home course is knowing exactly what’s coming. I looked forward to getting back into town. More crowds. More familiar faces. More running club friends shouting my name while I attempted to look significantly stronger than I actually felt.
Kai and our friend Mike caught me again around kilometre 30, just after the steepest climb.
And then, at kilometre 35, the hardest part: the Loop of Death.
Listen to this: the route takes you PAST the finish line.
PAST IT.
You see the stadium. You see salvation. You can hear the speaker at finish line.
But the course says:
“Not yet.”
Off you go for a few bonus kilometres along the promenade. To make things even worse, you can see the runners who have already turned around and are heading back to the finish while you are still running away from it.
It absolutely destroys you. Crushes you in slow-motion.
BUT! I know this stretch well. I know every bend. Every crack in the pavement. I had rehearsed this moment more times than I can count.
Whatever happens:
DO.
NOT.
SLOW.
DOWN.
The temptation to somehow sneak across and join the runners on the opposite side felt very real. I looked around me and saw that everyone was fighting the same battle. I am sure this is the cruellest marathon finish in the world.
Somehow, I managed to hold it together and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Turning around and finally heading back towards the stadium felt glorious.
And then suddenly, there it was: the finish line.
3:12:50!
A new personal best! I was thrilled!
Cape Town, you absolute beauty!
(more results here)
- Have you ever found yourself playing strange little games mid-race?
- Ever run a race where you pass the finish line before you’re allowed to finish?
I am linking up with Jenny from Runners Fly and Jenn from Runs with Pugs for Tuesday Topics as well as Runners’ Roundup with Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Mile by Mile, and Runs with Pugs!
You are an absolute legend! I’ve been waiting for your play by play since Sunday. I love that everything just fell into its perfect place. The course look so beautiful! So different from the big city buildings… you actually have mountains!
But wait there’s more… how about that PB, huh? It is amazing how much juice you still have after London. ‘London was a pre-game.’ But it is a testament that all that preparation and hours logged in for training all accumulate to produce excellent results! Also worth mentioning – excellent support from Kai and your running buddies.
Also… seeing that Finish Line first before going through it reminds me of Tokyo. There is one corner which runners run past saying ‘Finish Line.’ But this is actually on the opposite side of the road. We instead had to turn left first and face a 5km switchback from hell, before we then finally see the corner again and now turn towards it and finally run towards the Finish Line. I suppose you will meet this corner very soon. 😀
WHAAAT?!! 😂 Tokyo is playing psychological warfare too??!! Cape Town must have copied it from them!
A 5 km switchback from hell after seeing the finish line is absolutely cruel. I’m sure marathon organisers have a meeting asking themselves “How can we make it worse?”
Tokyo is hard to enter, but I’ll think of a plan. And I’ll be mentally prepared for that finish!
No worries about Tokyo. If this is your last race from the Abbott six, you will automatically get in. Your next race is Chicago. Nice and flat. Easy run. haha…
Again. great job! Congrats
Yves, that’s so good to know about Tokyo! It removes one layer of lottery-anxiety from my life! 😅
Doing Chicago first makes absolute sense – that’s the goal for September 2027. And you said it’s an easy run, right?? 😂
Thanks again for all the encouragement along the way! It means a lot and I really appreciate it!
Haha, thank you, Monica!! 😄 Now you know exactly what Cape Town has in store for you when you come! And now you know where to find a comfy toilet near the start line! 😂
It is crazy how London somehow turned into training for Cape Town. I really thought marathon number two would just be the bonus race, but it turned out to be the other way round. Funny how training is never wasted though. All those hours quietly add up over time. Same with FRCR exams, I suspect!
And yes, Kai and my running buddies absolutely deserve credit too! Kai practically did his own endurance event on the bike. Support crews are the real MVPs!!
Irre, irre, irre !! Und das relativ kurz nach dem vorigen Marathon !! Super – super – super !!! Das war bestimmt Kipchoge , der dich inspiriert hat !!! Dann noch Bestzeit, was willst du mehr !!
Natürlich habe auch ich nach den Ergebnissen geschaut und mich mit dir schon kurz nach dem Zieleinlauf freuen können !! Bravissimo, liebe Catrina.
Happy, happy, happy !! Kann man nichts mehr dazu sagen, als nur zu staunen !!
Erhole dich gut, genieße die Zeit danach – Belohnungen und so………………………..😉
Danke dir, liebe Margitta!! Ich musste gerade lachen wegen Kipchoge. Wäre ja schön, wenn man von der Elite etwas Geschwindigkeit klauen könnte. 😂
Das ist ja nett, dass du nach den Ergebnissen geschaut hast! Ich war erstaunt, dass sie die AKs in 10er Schritten gelassen haben – das macht die Konkurrenz harter, aber das ist ja auch gut so.
Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass nach London noch so etwas drinliegt. Eigentlich dachte ich, Cape Town wird einfach noch das Dessert. Aber die Lauferei hat immer wieder neue Überraschungen bereit! 😄
Belohnungen laufen! Für heute haben wir ein schönes Restaurant ausserhalb von Cape Town reserviert. Ich freue mich drauf!
You crushed it as usual, and even more than usual too! Congratulations again!
I love that you have a strategy for Kai to see you at the points when things usually get rough. So clever! It must be helpful too to have the start line so close to home and not have the stress of logistics, packing, toilets and whatnot. So what’s your racing plans next? I think there are still spots left in Cork city this coming weekend! 😀 For myself the 10k was sold out now but I’ll do my own 10k close to home with nicer scenery.
Thank you, Susanne!! 😄 Haha, I think Kai has learned over the years that kilometre 10 gets a smile, kilometre 21 gets a wave and kilometre 30 gets… something significantly less photogenic 😂 He definitely earned his supporter medal too after cycling all over Cape Town!
You are so right about the logistics! It’s amazing what a difference it makes.
Cork THIS weekend?? Will your husband be running it? I think Europe is experiencing a heat wave right now – I hope it will be a bit cooler until then.
Your own 10k with nicer scenery sounds like the smarter option anyway. And maybe it will result in some beautiful photos for us!
Looking forward to reading your next fitness update!
Yes, my husband will be running Cork city! He ran a half marathon in Sweden last weekend and was in great form, despite having had all sorts of calf troubles during training. I didn’t want to register for the 10k before I knew if he would be in form for the marathon, and I’ve still been insecure about being the only one walking. Now I’m very much up for a 10+k walk along the sea instead.
And yes, we’re having a heatwave, even West Cork!!! When they announce heatwaves, what usually happens is that Dublin and midlands get up to 30C and we get 13C and wind but yesterday was really nice with 25-26 degrees! It seems we’ll still have good weather for the weekend, forecast says in the low 20s.
I’ve needed some time away from the blog but I’ll be back with a fitness update this week, and I’ve actually posted something for Tuesday Topics!
Oh nice! Fingers crossed for your husband for Cork! Especially after calf troubles during training. It always feels extra satisfying when race day comes together after a bumpy build-up.
Yes, I understand feeling insecure about walking. But really, a 10+ km walk along the sea sounds pretty amazing too. Actually, even better. Fresh air, nice scenery and calming waves.
That sounds like PERFECT weather, Susanne! Low 20s degrees is the Goldilocks zone. And hopefully no wind.
Great to hear! Sometimes having a bit of time off is needed. Looking forward to your fitness update and I’ll go and check your Tuesday Topics post right now!
AMAZING!!! How is it that you are becoming faster as you age? LOL. Great job Catrina–how fun to run on your home turf. I felt that same when I ran Chicago–which is why I ran it multiple times. BTW, my speedy friend from high school was there–she’s an Abbott age grouper. Also another guy from our local running community–altho i can’t find his results, so idk if he didn’t finish.
Was this the first time you’ve run this race? Now take some well deserved rest!
Ha, I am as surprised as you are Wendy! Maybe it’s all the Crossfit that is helping?
Ah yes, I remember you telling me about your speedy friend! We must have crossed paths at some point. It was my first time to do the CT marathon. If I get to run Chicago, you will need to give me ALL the tips!
I’ve been resting like it’s my job. Today we went out for a special lunch for our 33rd anniversary. With champagne!
Liebe Catrina,
wow, wow, wow und noch mal WOW!
Zuallererst natürlich herzliche Gratulation zu deiner PB! Ich war mir nicht ganz sicher, dachte mir aber schon am Sonntag, dass es ein klein wenig schneller, als Bregenz war. Wie toll ist das denn!
Auch wenn die Startlinie vor der Wohnung liegt, das Wetter passt, die ruhigen Streckenabschnitte in gutem Verhältnis zu den lauten, aufpeitschenden stehen und Kai (ganz im Ernst, er sollte Begleitpersonen schulen!!!) genau im richtigen Moment auftaucht, abgeliefert hast du ganz allein! Da konnte dich noch nicht mal die leicht fiese Streckenführung am Ende etwas anhaben. Ha! 😀
Liebe Doris 😄
Danke dir!! Bregenz war sooo perfekt gelaufen, dass ich glaubte, es nie wieder so hinkriegen zu können. Vielleicht ist das Geheimnis wirklich, dass man wie in Bregenz einfach nahe am Start übernachtet, so dass man kein Stress am morgen hat?
Das stimmt, alle diese kleinen Dinge müssen zusammenpassen wie ein grosses Puzzle. Und Kai, der hat sich abgestrampelt, der Arme. Es ist gar nicht so einfach, VOR den Läufern am Punkt X zu stehen.
Und danke für die Idee! Einen Abendkurs “Marathon Support – Richtig Gemacht”, das wäre bestimmt schnell ausverkauft! 😂
Und diese Streckenführung am Schluss… 😵💫 Diese Fieslinge! Aber wenn man weiss, dass am Ziel Salt & Vinegar Chips warten, nimmt man schon einiges auf sich! 😄
You never fail to impress me, Catrina!!! This is incredible! A new PB and wow, that is FAST.
You have to pass the finish line before you finish – what kind of warped and twisted people came up with that? At least you knew what was coming but wow. That would be so hard!
Congratulations, my friend! You have done a lot in the last month – now it’s time to take some rest and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation!
Nicole!! Thank you so much!!
“What kind of warped and twisted people came up with that?” 😂 EXACTLY!!
Knowing it was coming definitely helped. Other runners had warned me about the Loop of Death at this race – at least I could mentally prepare for the emotional rollercoaster!
YES! Your post yesterday really spoke to me. I need rest! We went for a fancy lunch today to celebrate our 33rd anniversary. So project “Relax” is off to a good start!
Wow Catrina!!!!!!!! I guess you’re fully recovered from London : ) Amazing job! Sounds like you had the physical and mental game totally dialed in for this race. That is a cruel way to end a race- but it didn’t deter you- probably because you knew the course and had prepared for it. Congratulations on your new PB and an incredible race!
Thank you, Jenny!
I had no clue what to do after London, so I just followed my instincts…. so I ended up just doing a few runs here and there. Maybe that was the right thing to do?
This Loop of Death thing really made me aware how much of the marathon battle happens in the head. Being mentally prepared made a huge difference!
Congratulations! I am feeling a bit chuffed that I sort of predicted that you would surprise yourself and run a really great race. I mean you ran a really great race in London, too, but I know it wasn’t the result you hoped for. This time you did amazing! There is nothing like running on your home town that you know like the back of your hand with very easy race day logistics.
Congrats congrats congrats! You are amazing. And let’s tell Mr. Garmin to shove it when he makes comments in the future about your level of fitness!!
Lisa 😄 Thank you!! And you absolutely called it! I went back and looked at your comment and there it was: “I feel like you might surprise yourself and run a really strong race.” You saw it before I did 😂
You were spot on about the expectations too. London carried a lot more pressure in my head. Cape Town felt different. Home roads, familiar surroundings and somehow a much more relaxed mindset. Turns out there might be something to this “lower expectations” strategy after all!
Oh, speaking of Mr Garmin… after finishing with a PB, it rewarded me with “Maintaining.” Seriously? 😅
Maintaining exceptionalism maybe!! Mr. Garmin needs to work on his adjectives!!
I’m so glad you were so pleasantly surprised by your performance at this race! Lower expectations are helpful I think. We can really get inside our heads. Plus racing in a ginormous race is HARD!
Ha, that’s a good one, Lisa! Will have to suggest it to the Garmin peeps!
And yes, I think you’re right about expectations. London had much more noise in my head, whereas Cape Town felt simpler and more contained, which probably helped more than I realised.
And I agree! Big races are just hard in a different way. So much happening around you!
Hammer! 🔨 Da wäre ich gerne für ein paar gloriose Stunden Garmin an deinem Handgelenk gewesen. Frei nach einer alten Schnulze: „ich möcht‘ die Uhr an deinem Arme sein ….“ https://youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KkeTmU68&is=1M1gEIeRFIIVE3C9 „dann könnt‘ ich nah, nah, nah an deinem Herzen sein …“ *träller*
Das 💓hat vermutlich vor Wonne geschnurrt und endlich durfte Garmin durchgängig gut drei Stunden lang die Bestform bejubeln, aus der du in perfekter Performance eine neue Bestzeit rausgeholt hast.
Die allerherzlichsten Glückwünsche dazu! Auf dass der innere Jubel noch lange anhält 🎉 🏅
Ach du meine Güte, Lizzy! Ich habe mir die Schnulze angehört… und jetzt krieg ich den Ohrwurm nicht mehr raus! Herrlich, dieser Text! 😂
Ja genau, ich jubelte im Ziel und juble immer noch innerlich 🎉🥳
Aber der Herr Garmin, der hat natürlich ganz andere Vorstellungen. So bekam ich ein nüchternes “Maintaining” als ich die Uhr stoppte. Der liebe Herr lässt sich nicht so leicht beeindrucken…
Danke dir für die lieben Glückwünsche!! Heute haben wir einen schönen Lunch gehabt (mit Champagner). Man muss die Feste feiern, wie sie fallen!
Du brauchst eindeutig eine Frau Garmin am Handgelenk. Ein bisschen mehr Empathie und Begeisterungsfähigkeit dürften schon sein!
Einen würdigeren Anlass für Champagner 🥂🍾 kann es kaum geben!
Das ist es, Lizzy!! Als ich meine ROSA Garmin kaufte, dachte ich, ich hätte den richtigen Gender… offensichtlich daneben gegriffen! 😅
Das finde ich auch! 🥂
Congrats on another great race and impressive PR! I’m so happy for you! I love that London ended up being a training run for Cape Town which was not at all what you expected. How sneaky for the course designers to take you away from the finish line just when it came into sight. To answer your question, the North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon sent us on a 2-mile out-and-back perpendicular to the course to eat up some miles just before the finish – that was tough. 🙁
Kai has taken race support to an entirely new level. Kudos to him! I’m sure it was much easier for him this go round since he’s so familiar with the area.
Thank you so much, Debbie!!
I love that London quietly turned into “training for Cape Town” without telling either of us what was happening 😂 Who would have thought that things would turn out this way?
Your North Face Endurance Challenge version sounds absolutely brutal though – 2 miles out-and-back before the finish is next level psychological warfare! It seems to be more “character development” rather than racing!
Kai has definitely become a race support specialist over time. He could probably run workshops for other supporters at this point!
Being familiar with the course helped a lot, and the bike was a game changer. That said, with all the detours, he still had to pedal hard to get to each meeting point in time. He got quite a workout!
WHAT WHAT WHAT???? Not even one month after running a 3:19 in London you crush Cape Town with a 3:12???????????????????????????????????????????? I am sitting here with my mouth hanging open unable to form words.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Birchie!! I am as surprised as you are!!
Maybe the trick is to lie in your own bed before a marathon?! 😅
Cape Town delivered? Excuse me! I think YOU delivered! Congratulations! That’s absolutely amazing! You should be so proud of yourself!
Yes, I play 80,000 games. Anything to distract from what I’m doing.
And yes, I’ve had races where you have to pass the finish line. It’s cruel and unusual punishment!
Haha, thank you so much, Jenn!!
I’m glad I’m not the only one playing completely random mental games out there! 80,000 games feels about right for a running brain – anything to keep things moving forward!
And good to know I’m not alone in the “pass the finish line first” trauma either. Cruel and unusual punishment is the only correct description 😆
what an outstanding performance Catrina! just few weeks after London! I’m so impressed, you are my hero and role model!!!!
running passing the finish line is TOUGH!!!! I can’t imagine not tempted to turn around.
can you also share your fueling strategy? and your rituals?
Oh, now I’m blushing, Coco!
I think “hero and role model” might be pushing it a bit, but I’ll take the encouragement anyway 😂
It’s really funny how London turned out to be a stepping stone rather than a goal race. I still don’t quite understand what happened.
Fueling-wise I stuck to Maurten gels: one before the race, then every 7km (so 5 gels during the race). I took a bit of water at every station, but only a few sips, that seemed to be enough.
I kept breakfast very simple, too: oatmeal and one slice of bread with honey.
And rituals: I like to know the route, so if it’s possible, we have a look at it before the race. Then I need to know exactly where Kai will stand (somehow that helps me mentally). I stop running three days before the race and only go out the house for a short walk before race day. Oh, and I also switch to more carbs (less veggies, fat and fiber) about 4 days before race day. Mainly, it’s all about “do nothing stupid” before race day! 😅
Love it! Thanks for sharing. And yes, you are what i aspire to when i retire. 🙂 just need to convert my husband to Kai.
Haha! You will make an even faster runner when you retire, Coco! And your husband will definitely make a great supporter – he can take lessons with Kai! 🤣
wow. A PR!! I’m so excited for you…
and in awe that you kept it together and went for it,
I’m not that dedicated. When it gets hard, I give in and say that it’s doesn’t matter. Why be in pain?
I’ve had races when you pass the finish line and you hear all those who are done celebrating. Very cruel.
I am excited too, Darlene!
Oh yes, I totally get that feeling! There have been moments in races where I just wasn’t feeling it. Like “why am I doing this to myself” 😂
It just happened to be one of those days where I was more determined than usual. Not always reliable!
And yes… hearing people already celebrating at the finish while you’re still out there is brutal. That should come with a psychological warning 😆
WOW, Catrina!!!!! What an amazing race for you!!! You spanked that 3:15. In answer to your question about the “fake” finish line… the Quad Cities Marathon was my first marathon, and I’d been warned about the 10K out & back loop that turned off the main course at mile-20. You could see the finish line a very short ways, just the other direction, from the turn-off, LOL.
I was so glad it went so well, Kim!
“Spanked that 3:15” made me laugh! 😂
Oh my goodness, your first marathon sounds tough… a fake finish line sighting at mile 20?! That must have been awful. My version felt cruel in the moment, but yours sounds like a whole different level of mind games. At least we both now know: race organisers know how to mentally test their runners!
Hurra!!! Ich wusste es!! Ich habs dir gesagt, du wirst PB in Cape Town laufen und deine Zielzeit hatte ich genau so im Kopf, Hammer!! 🙂
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu diesem runden Rennen. So geht das, mit Biss und gutem Training, du kannst es einfach. Und jetzt erstmal gute Erholung, ich freue mich tierisch für dich 🙂
(Etwas konnte ich ja deinem Rennen folgen, aber mein Kopf war zu der Zeit leider schon etwas bräsig …)
Ha, das stimmt! Du warst immer sehr optimistisch… und du hast recht gehabt!
Ich habe bei meinem Start an dich gedacht: “Oliver ist jetzt schon 14 Stunden unterwegs… wenn er 100 Meilen in der Nacht und Tageshitze rennen kann, dann kannst du jetzt wohl die läppischen 42km bei idealen Temperaturen raushauen!”
Auch bei der Todesschlaufe habe ich an dich gedacht. “Oliver macht jetzt gerade viel schlimmeres durch”.
Du siehst, du hast mich sehr motiviert!!
Danke dir für die Unterstützung und die lieben Worte. Jetzt erholen wir beide ein bisschen. Nur dass dein “ein bisschen” vermutlich deutlich mehr Umfang braucht als meins 😂
Wow! Just amazing! You totally crushed it. Huge congratulations to you job well done
Thank you, Deborah! It was so unexpected – such a nice surprise!
Holy smokes, you’re fast! Huge congrats, Catrina! What an amazing achievement! I am in awe of you. Bravo!!
Thank you so much, San! I am so happy that everything just clicked. Those kind of race days are rare!
Congrats on the PR and a strong race! That is incredible! It sounds like an awesome event even though you had to run past the finish. During my last marathon we dropped off the half marathoners at the finish before heading out for a long out and back during the second half. It was tough to past the finish but I’m sure it feels even harder later in a race!
Thank you, Lisa!
Oh, we have a race like that in Switzerland too! The half-marathoners do one loop while the full marathoners do two. Watching people finish while you still have a long out-and-back ahead of you is such a cruel marathon experience! 😅
And yes, I think it somehow gets worse later in the race, when your brain is already tired and very open to dramatic ideas like “what if we simply stopped running now?” 😆
Liebe Catrina,
wow, PB, und das kurz nach London, unglaublich! Nochmals gaaanz herzliche Glückwünsche. Wir haben am Sonntag Morgen in die Live-Berichterstattung geschaut und parallel dich und Kipchoge getrackt. Das war sehr aufregend! Ich wollte schon längst auch unterwegs sein, aber ich konnte mich nicht lösen.
So klasse, dass du von daheim gemütlich zum Start und nachher zurück konntest. Das war sicher auch ein Grund, Stress ersparen. Und deine Motivationsmethoden unterwegs sind auch immer wieder prima. Ich laufe da eher stumpf vor mich hin, lausche in den Körper.
Und wie gemein, mal am Ziel schnuppern dürfen… und dann doch weiter müssen.
In Prag läuft man so bei 10 oder 12 km einmal über die Linie. Ist eigentlich motivierend. Und in Frankfurt läuft man ca 4 km vor Finish an der Festhalle vorbei, könnte glatt reinrennen, muss dann aber abdrehen und noch Zusatz-km abspulen bis man durch den Haupteingang finishen darf. Das war hart, ich kann dir deine Gefühle nachempfinden.
Ich hoffe, du konntest dich schon gut erholen. Und bestimmt planst du schon die nächsten Rennen….
Liebe Grüsse aus dem heissen Burgund!
Elke
Burgund! Das klingt ja schön! Hoffentlich kühlt das Wetter bald ab, das ist ja richtig brutal schon im Mai!
Danke dir, liebe Elke!
Einmal im Leben im gleichen Satz mit Kipchoge genannt werden! Der Screenshot von Doris’ Tracker war so lustig! 😂 Wie schön, dass ihr mit Oliver und mir so mitgefiebert habt!
Ja, der Luxus mit der kurzen Strecke zum Start war wirklich Gold wert, es war ähnlich wie Bregenz, als wir bei Doris übernachtet haben. Kein stundenlanges Warten wie bei London, Boston oder Berlin. Das hat sicher geholfen.
Uff, dann ist Frankfurt wohl die Vorlage für Cape Town. Wie gemein! Psychologische Kriegsführung! 😆
Erholt habe ich mich inzwischen ganz gut… und tatsächlich habe ich mich in den letzten Tagen schon wieder bei zwei Events angemeldet: der Aletsch HM und der Zürich Marathon im April. Es geht nicht ohne! 🙈
Liebe Grüsse zurück aus dem kühlen Cape Town ins heisse Burgund!
You are so amazing to me. Congrats on hitting new personal bests in spite (and I hate to say it) of getting older. It’s so great that you came back just a month after London and kicked this race’s butt. I know it will be a regular part of your racing schedule from now on (especially with the great logistics).
Thank you, Debbie!
I am so happy about this result, exactly because it happened at 58, the fastest woman in my AG got a 3:01! It makes me happy because it shows what’s possible if your body stays healthy.
People like you are also very inspiring to me: keeping active as we get older is so important!! That’s why I enjoy reading the weekly reminders on your blog.
And yes! Cape Town might well become a regular on the calendar now!
This is a seriously impressive result, especially given you just raced in London. amazing! I also play mind games, but often I am running calculations in my head, LOL. The Melbourne Marathon Festival 10K used to run past the MCG entrance for about 500m then double back to finish. It was not fun. I can’t imagine doing that at the end of the marathon. Not cool!
I am so happy, Melissa! Especially because it was so unexpected.
Uff, that Melbourne 10K sounds mean! At least you will not have that in Berlin!! It’s a nice circular route. I am so excited that you are doing that race (I would love to do it myself again). I hope your training is going well!
Liebe Catrina,
military precision: darf ich es mal so formulieren, wenn ein Deutscher in der Schweiz zur Perfektion reift! 😆 Toll, dein Kai, praktizierte Liebe!!!
Jetzt aber erst nochmal hier: HERZLICHEN GLÜCKWUNSCH zum bestandenen TOP-Marathon mit PB! Es war spannend dich zu tracken! … und dann hatte ich das mit der PB gleich gewusst, ohne dass ich mir deine Bregenzer Zeit gemerkt hatte!
Dein Kopf war frei für das neue Abenteuer und du konntest durchstarten! Im Training alles richtig gemacht und viel Substanz aufgebaut, so dass London im nachhinein (fast) wie eine Generalprobe wirkt! 😉 Mit Biss, Disziplin und wie ein Schweizer Uhrwerk, Frauen können es halt gleichmäßig, sag ich doch!!!
PAST the finish line: Frankfurt hab ich nicht so negativ in Erinnerung, nicht als große Herausforderung an der Festhalle vorbeilaufen zu müssen. Hab’s ein paar mal gemacht. – Ansonsten kenne ich es nur bei Stadionrunden über 10 km: 25 x 400 m! Wenn du nicht aufpasst, du vielleicht von Top-Läufern überrundet wirst und es dann plötzlich heißt du musst (noch) eine Runde (mehr) laufen … 😳 – Blöd war für mich der Zugspitzlauf, bei dem wir von Ehrwald übers Gatterl, Zugspitzplatt ganz hoch mussten und die Musik schon viele hundert Höhenmeter vorm Ziel zu hören war. Nach jeder Serpentine dachtest du, jetzt kommt das Ziel und nix war! 😛
Playing strange little games: Deine Motivationsstrategie war sehr gut und dein gleichmäßiges Tempo hervorragend! – Meine Ablenkungen waren oft spontan, oder situationsbedingt: ‘erwischt du den dort vorne’, ‘weg hier, der stöhnt so brutal’! … oder ich hab gerechnet! 😉
Jetzt lässt du aber deinem Körper etwas Pause, oder?
Habt ihr noch was vor in Südafrika, oder geht’s bald zurück?
Herzliche Grüße Manfred
Lieber Manfred
“Wenn ein Deutscher in der Schweiz zur Perfektion reift” 😂 Das werde ich Kai zeigen! Er wird sich köstlich amüsieren. Aber du hast recht, er hat seine Support-Rolle inzwischen perfektioniert. Ich glaube, er kennt meine Krisenkilometer inzwischen fast besser als ich selbst.
Vielen Dank für die lieben Glückwünsche! Und wie lustig, dass du die PB sofort erkannt hast. Du bist ein sehr erfahrener Läufer und Tracker – und hast ein gutes Gefühl dafür entwickelt, andere Läufer zu beobachten.
Dein Vergleich mit London als Generalprobe gefällt mir. Vor dem Rennen hätte ich das NIE so gedacht, aber rückblickend hatte London wohl tatsächlich ein paar Fitness-Bausteine eingebaut, die dann in Cape Town plötzlich zum Vorschein kamen.
Und deine Beispiele für mentale Spielchen haben mich zum Lachen gebracht 😂 “Weg hier, der stöhnt so brutal!” Das ist grossartig!
Der Zugspitzlauf klingt übrigens auch nach einer besonders perfiden Variante des Finish-Line-Betrugs. Die Musik zu hören und trotzdem noch ewig laufen zu müssen, ist ja fast genauso gemein wie mein Promenaden-Ausflug 😆
Und ja, jetzt bekommt der Körper erstmal viel Ruhe. Diese Woche war ich nur 2x laufen für je 6km, ganz gemütlich. Wir sind noch bis Mitte Juni hier, dann geht’s ab nach Zürich. Ich freue mich! Dort werden wir Ende Juni den Aletsch-Halbmarathon machen. Sehr gemütlich, mit Blick auf den Gletscher. Es soll ein Genusslauf werden.
Dir ebenfalls eine gute Erholung!!
Congratulations again on such an amazing race! You are very speedy! I had a lot of fun spending an hour or two next to Rondebosch Common cheering everyone on. It’s particularly fun when you cheer madly for your own running club runners, even if they haven’t a clue who you are 😂 My friend also had several punny signs (Chafe it til You Make it; Only 8.5 Park Runs; Weird Way to Save Petrol but ok…) and some of the slower runners appreciated them. Two even took a photo of her!
Nicole!! Thank you!😄
I love that you spent time out there cheering! There is something wonderfully irrational about enthusiastically yelling for complete strangers and somehow making their day 😂
And those signs are brilliant!! “Chafe it til You Make it” – I never saw that one, that’s hilarious!! “Only 8.5 Park Runs” is GENIUS! That one would have kept my mind doing math for the next 10 minutes!
In fact, I was actually going to include some of the funny spectator signs in my post because there were some absolute gems along the route. The post was getting too long so I had to cut it, but I think they deserve their own post one day! A good sign at the right moment can be worth more than a gel 😂
And I also wanted to say: your super lovely email right after the race made a perfect day even more perfect. Especially when you mentioned that you follow my blog – that meant a lot and was such a nice surprise in the middle of the post-race blur 😊 Excited to follow your running journey on Strava!
Amazing that the start/finish was practically right at your doorstep, Catrina. What a race. Congratulations on your PB. That Loop of Death really does sound demoralizing. Looking at the chart at the bottom that shows your position…wow you passed a lot of runners. Just incredible. Well done, Catrina. 🙌🏃♀️
That was the best part! It’s so nice when you can just walk to the start/finish.
The Loop of Death is exactly that! Demoralising in real time, but slightly funny in hindsight. I ran the same stretch yesterday and I’m still slightly traumatized by it. 😆
And I didn’t realise myself how many runners I had managed to pass until I saw the chart afterwards.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Carl, and good luck with your Rainbow Run Trail race! 🙌🏃♀️
If my calculations are correct, Catrina, you passed 6,472 runners up to the 40k mark. With your rounded off 3 hours and 13 minutes on the course (193 minutes), you would have passed an average of 33.5 runners a minute. That’s more than passing a runner every two seconds. You are absolutely amazing, Catrina.
Thank you for your kind words for Rainbow Run Trail Race. A much smaller field. If it is the same as other years I am thinking between 30 and 60 runners in each distance. 😊
Oh, I love that you actually sat down and did the maths, Carl!
I’m guessing that first stat with position “7421” at the start must be off as I started in the first wave, but I have to admit that “passing a runner every two seconds” is a statistic I would be very happy to claim 😀🙌
It was definitely a morning of trying to keep moving forward!
And thank you for the Rainbow Run information. That sounds wonderfully small compared to the marathon crowds. I hope everything comes together for you this year. It would be nice if the running gods finally gave you a race with ideal conditions after some of the challenges you’ve had in previous years.
Thank you so much, Catrina. 🙏😊
I am… two weeks late commenting, but I read this post and bookmarked it for when life calmed down a bit so I would remember to pop back and tell you how proud I am of you for completing yet another epic race. A true inspiration <3
Ah yes, your life has been very hectic recently! Fortunately, there’s absolutely no expiry date on blog comments!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Elisabeth! I still can’t quite believe how well that race went.
And thank you for cheering me on from afar. It means a lot. ❤️
Oh my goodness Catrina! What a race! What a day! CONGRATULATIONS on your new PB and how fun to do it at your hometown race! Amazing! Sounds like everything aligned and your time deep in that pain cave paid off! It always does! Ha!
Love that you played the green bib game. You have to do whatever keeps your mental game on point, right? I’ve run a couple of half marathons that take you pass the finish and yes, it is beyond cruel. It’s so hard to see people finishing or walking around with medals on when you’re still out there grinding. Congrats again on a stellar race!
Marcia 😄 thank you so much!!
Yes, everything really did line up on the day in a way that doesn’t happen very often. I’m still surprised that everything went so well! You’re absolutely right, the pain cave is never wasted, even if it feels like questionable life choices at the time!
That “seeing the finish while still running past it” situation is just so brutal. I was checking out the Tokyo route the other day and I see that they have that, too!
Also… if I end up running Chicago one day, it would be so lovely to meet up with you again! That would make the whole trip even more special. Let’s see how the next two years map out!
Congratulations on your new marathon PB Catrina. What a spectacular performance! It’s also super exciting with Cape Town now part of the majors!
I can relate to your mental game of catching up runners – I use similar strategies to keep motivated and to keep pushing when in a race. It could be as simple as targeting a tree in the distance on the top of a hill to keep running to, or seeing a head torch across a valley as someone to catch up to and overtake. I remember this specific scenario running through the night when running the North Devon coast ultra. I did in fact catch them an hour or so later. Amazing how motivating these little goals can be!
Sean 😄 thank you so much!
It is exciting to see Cape Town finally become a Major! They did so well with this one, they really deserved it.
And I love your examples! It’s funny how our brains work in races. Your head torch story is brilliant 😂 Spotting someone across a valley and then actually catching them an hour later can give you such a boost!