Aid station volunteer at the marvellous MUT event

George Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) is a big trail running event in my hometown of George. Started in 2018, the event has quickly become a calendar highlight. This year it became part of the UTMB Series where runners can qualify for Ultra Trail Mont Blanc. Course distances on offer include 10km, 25km, 42km, 60km, 100km and the new 100-miler course.

I volunteered at this event last year on gear check and at The Cross aid station. I went for a repeat this year with gear check on the Thursday and Friday and then being at The Cross from Saturday morning to Sunday noon.

I was on a team with the same core crew from last year with Koot, Chanelle and Kuyler. We had extra hands on Saturday during the bulk of the day when the shorter distances came through our spot We were on the mountain for 30hrs, enjoying crystal-clear views of George in the beautiful day and at night, even watching sections of the town come back on after loadshedding. Best view location.

This year we had a big tent, which was a blessing. The Cross typically is always windy. As luck would have it, there was little to no wind this year - or rain. The tent provided good protection regardless and was a big asset this year. Last year, we huddled behind the wheels of the vehicle to get some shelter from the wind and drizzle.

Me, Kuyler, Chanelle and Koot

At our aid station, we see the runners on the 10km, 42km, 60km,100km and 100-mile courses (we don't see the 25km runners). With 4.5km to the finish, we have the task of bolstering spirits to get the runners on the last stretch to the end. Saturday night and Sunday was all about the courageous 100km and 100-mile participants. The last miler runner, who came past us around 12h30 today, made it to the finish before his course's 48hr cut-off.

I got in a decent sleep from about 01h00 to 05h00, which I needed after long weeks in the lead up to the event.

The weather this weekend was perfect but the course was muddy and incredibly challenging. The ground was saturated from recent regular rains in plus rain on the Thursday afternoon before the race. MUT is not a walk-in-the-park; the gradient and terrain is challenging in good conditions. Race day was tough. 

At our aid station, we saw runners after Tonnelbos and Sungazer. Some were head-to-toe covered in mud and absolutely shattered but generally in good spirits knowing that they were almost done. 

It is always amazing to see the front runners but extra special to interact with those at the back. Lots of great interactions and laughs, and another rewarding experience of being an event volunteer.

Well done to all the dozens of people that make this event happen. MUT is a feather in the cap not only of George and our trail community but also of South Africa. Well done to Zane, Carmen, Jacques and their team - from trail cutters to the trail markers, planners, organisers, sponsors and race day volunteers. A huge effort goes into this event. 

Friends from Jo'burg came to do the 25km. It was a treat to have them come stay with us. Other friends who did the 60km joined us for lunch on Monday. Good time spent with good people to catch up.

Put this event in your diary for next year. Rain or shine, you will love your experience out here.

Erica Terblanche's love of life and running (book)

There are running-themed books that are good. Some very good. And then there are running-themed books that awaken, revitalise, ignite, and go on to be legendary. Erica Terblanche's book 'Run - For the Love of Life' is one of these.

"This book is going to stand as one of the greats in running-themed literature."

 

I first met Erica almost 20 years when she jumped in to the sport of adventure racing full of grit and passion, and always with a smile so big her eyes squeeze almost shut - even in the coldest and darkest hours before dawn.

During Erica's years in London, news would come through via a common friend and snippets on social media told of Erica's adventures and successes. What I didn't realise, until I read her book, was just how many. 

Drakensberg overnight hike, Feb 2016. At the back is Faye, then Tracey and then Erica and me in the front.

'Run - For the Love of Life' is a story of life and love, and running. Erica opens her heart to bravely share her life in this honest memoir. She elegantly weaves a colourful cloth of her experiences, travels, races, relationships, career changes, successes, and sorrows, which are related simply, but yet so beautifully, and without fanfare. 

Erica's writing is as exceptional as her athletic accomplishments. Every word used counts. Like each step that makes up a kilometre, and each kilometre covered makes an ultramarathon completed, Erica's words, paragraphs and chapters take you on a journey through the dozen years and major events that are the focus of this book.

It is significant that Erica did not just win the women's category at almost all of the gruelling ultramarathons in which she competed; she blew away most of the field to stand or knock on the podium. Overall. Again and again, and again. Her hard-won achievements will uplift and inspire, motivate and encourage - especially women - whether or not you are a runner. 

Erica's courage stands out in the telling of her life story. She exposes her soft underbelly and leaves you in awe of her resilience, determination, focus, and bravery as well as her kindness, compassion and wisdom.

You do not need to be interested in running or to be a runner to be enthralled by this book. The ultramarathon events in which Erica competed are portals to her experiences. This book is about so much more than running. Erica's narration of her extraordinary journey of her life - through racing and traveling, and the people she loves - will enrich yours. 

GET A COPY AND MORE

'Run -For the Love of Life' can be ordered from Publisher.co.za and also from Amazon.com (Kindle and paperback). In South Africa, RUN will also be available from Exclusive Books.

Listen to this 35-minute podcast of an interview with Erica - HERE.

This is an interview with Erica by Pippa Hudson on CapeTalk.

9 Freedom Runs for Freedom Day

For the third year in a row (my post from 2016 and my post from 2017) I had the pleasure of again participating in the 9 Freedom Runs for Freedom Day. These are 9 parkruns in Jo'burg that are held on Freedom Day (27 April). The event is coordinated by my friends Francis Rogan and Staci Katsivalis. There is no entry fee and the various parkrun Event Directors voluntarily host us visitors as we move from one parkrun to the next throughout the day.

This concept was started four years ago (I missed the first running of this event as I was away at the time) when there were only 9 parkruns in Gauteng. Now we have so many that we can enjoy a different mix of runs each year. This year three of these events were held on Freedom Day in Jo'burg area, Pretoria and Cape Town.

I did self-drive this year as I needed to shoot back to Parys directly afterwards; but I did enjoy getting to run with and catch up with friends. I'd like to use 'too much chatting' as an excuse for what felt like slower times... Certainly parkruns 4 to 7 were a reflection on the warm day and hilly courses!

Let's see where we ran:

#1 - Boksburg parkrun: 28:47 (28:16 last year)
We ran here last year and it was definitely much warmer this year for the 6am start. Located at the Boksburg stadium, this really is an enjoyable course. I ran with Chrissie and enjoyed catching up with her.

#2 - Rondebult: 29:51

What a treat to run this one (and the next two) with my dear friend Sarah. We used to see each other often and being in Parys (2.5 years now!) I don't often have the pleasure of her company. Apparently Rondebult's course used to go around the large vegetable field. This was an out-and-back. It's a flat course and to be honest we spent so much time chatting I didn't pay too much attention to much else. For me the value in this course would be to watch the vegetables grow bigger each week. Sarah has done this one before and said that cabbages get planted here and other veg.

#3 - Victoria Lake: 29:24 (28:28 in 2016)
We did this one last year and I quite enjoy this two-lap course at Victoria Lake in Germiston. I like the section of sidewalk along the dam. Pretty flat too. Lots of chatting.

#4 - Bezuidenhout Valley: 32:08
A run in my old 'hood. Bez Park is near my old high school and I remember this park from when I was a child. I certainly think that parkrun has breathed a bit of new life into it. This is a good thing because it really is a lovely green area.
The route is pretty decent and it includes some hills. I did take a few little walkies. Sarah and I were joined by Claudio, who I saw later at another parkrun again. This was Sarah's last one (she only planned to run three) as she is running a 32km road race this weekend. bye-bye to Sarah and I was off to...

#5 - Albert's Farm: 31:19 (30:26 in 2017; 31:26 in 2016)
Albert's Farm is one of the more challenging JHB parkruns and as a result is has smaller numbers than some others. I've always enjoyed this park from orienteering and it has featured in the last three Freedom Day runs. This one I ran on my own, which is a good thing because this hilly course is not a good one for chatting. Looking at my past times here, not too shabby this year.

#6 - Golden Harvest: 33:25 (31:58 in 2017; 33:49 in 2016)
 A bit of a route change on this course after a bridge got swept away recently following heavy rains. From what I recall, I'd probably bet on this new version being a bit harder (and longer?) than the previous course... Or maybe that was just me. I was really feeling the heat of the day and definitely lingered a bit longer walking on some of the hills! After hills at Bez Valley and then Albert's Farm and then Golden Harvest, I was dragging my feet a bit. I ran in the beginning with Dave and the rest on my own. I needed all the breath I had for running. I always love Golden Harvest - it is a super venue - and for me this is one of my favourite parkrun courses.

#7 - Lanseria: 32:30
My first time on this two-lap course; and I really enjoyed it. It has a good mix of up and down and a farmy feel. I ran this one with Dave and my legs actually felt pretty decent. This location is north of Lanseria airport so it is a long way out; but a nice one to go to if you're in the north.

with Dave Funnell

#8 - Ernest Ullman: 30:56
I ran here on a Saturday a few weeks ago when I stayed over with friends; this is their home parkrun. On that day, with fresh legs, I ran a 26 min parkrun; this was definitely not on the cards for my 8th consecutive parkrun this day!  I took it easy, enjoyed a little walk up the slight hill at the end of the lap and ticked over on the course. Driving my legs had felt a bit stiff but once running I actually felt good. This flat course was a nice reward after the hilly courses.

#9 - Atholl: 33:45
This is a bit of a weird route but one that makes the best use of a small park and the space available to host and make another parkrun available. I ran not quite the first kilometre with parkrun SA founder and Comrades legend Bruce Fordyce. If you're new-ish to my blog you probably won't know that Bruce and I were adventure racing teammates back in 2006 when Bruce and David Vlok were doing a tv series. Together with a Cape AR guy, Evan Price, we all did the 250km Swazi Xtreme adventure race together. What an experience! And what an opportunity to get to know Bruce. He was 50 at the time and doing his first multiday, non-stop adventure race. What great memories! We had a bit of a chat and then I put my head down to get this last parkrun in the bag.

Selfie at Boksburg; with Sarah at Rondebult

I didn't have too much time to hang around afterwards so I said goodbyes to friends and headed back home to Parys, dropping another runner in Soweto on the way.

Thank you to all of the parkruns that hosted us and the volunteers that were out there. They really make this day a special one. And to Francis and Staci - thank you on coordinating another super event. xxx

When I woke up on Saturday morning I was surprised that my legs weren't in the least bit stiff. I really haven't done much distance so I was expecting a bit of punishment afterwards. I spent Saturday in the car on the road to KZN. Fortunately my legs didn't seize up in the car either.

For sure, if I'm in town again on 27 April 2019, you'll find me again at 9 Freedom Runs for Freedom Day.

Running, different locations and friends; a great combination.

The legend that was Karl-Heinz Jost

Through running and adventure sports I have met many incredible 'mature athletes'. The first of these amazing senior citizens was German legend Karl-Heinz Jost, who, at the age of 67, ran the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon with me in 2001. 

News just received from the event is that Karl-Heinz passed away last week after a long illness. Co-incidentally I was thinking of him yesterday. 

Karl-Heinz has never been far from my mind and I still get uncontrollable giggles when recounting how he 'turned turtle' after tripping and falling on the way up the Molopo River on the way to Riemvasmaak. He ended up with his head downhill and, with his weighted backpack underneath him, his arms and legs were flailing like that of a tortoise turned upsidedown. And he couldn't get up. I was paraletic with laughter so I wasn't much help. This is one of my fondest memories from my first KAEM where I spent quite a bit of time with Karl-Heinz. He left an impression on me that is still positive, inspiring and strong 15 years later.

"It is never too late to start. Everyone can start, beginning with a little bit more. Soon it will begin to feel good and you desire to get more of this good feeling the next time. You look happier, stronger, younger, healthier… To make sport is a thing of the mind."

I wrote this article on Karl-Heinz in 2004 for Good Taste magazine (three and a half pages). It was my first feature article for a non-running publication. Karl-Heinz was an interesting and inspiring character who I was fortunate to have met.

The Munga Trail launched

Adventure racers are perfectly suited to Alex Harris' new The Munga Trail event. They can keep going for ages and many can navigate. OK, so navigation for this event is GPS based, but still.

Here's the low-down:

Venue is Lakenvlei Forest Lodge (10km from Belfast – on the Belfast-Dullstroom road) to Blyde River Canyon.

400km non-stop foot event. Five race villages (70-80km apart) where runners can sleep if they want, grab a shower and hot food that we’ll supply. Dedicated water points 20-30km apart. 10 in total.

Terrain includes about 25km veld running and about 150km single track and trails. Jeep tracks, forestry roads and some district roads will make up the rest.

Navigation by GPS and rudimentary MUNGA route markings at major turning points. GPS track issued two weeks before the start.

The race will start on 19 April 2017 at 12 noon at Lakenvlei Forest Lodge and finish at 12 noon on 24th April in the Blyderiver Canyon – the 3rd largest canyon on earth. Runners will navigate district roads, forestry roads, jeep track, single track and some virgin veld. More than 85% of the route will be exclusive to the race.

The cut-off time limit is 120 hours, and the winners are expected to finish between 60 and 70 hours. They will not be allowed any additional outside assistance i.e. no support crew.

Entries are now open. Early Bird entry fee is R12,000 until 31 October 2016. Thereafter R 15,000. Entries close end February 2017. Limited to 100 runners.

Of course there is much chatter about the entry fee. Please read the post I wrote a while back about entry fees. I hope that this adjusts your perspective on what goes into an event and why fees are what they are. Sure, it is a lot of money to spend to enter, but this isn't more than what you'd spend on many other events and when you consider the logistics and a field that is limited to only 100 runners... This will be a high profile event, media and all the bells and whistle... They cost.

You have two choices; enter, or don't.

From Alex Harris you can definitely expect top quality in planning and execution.

If you wanna keep tabs on this event, Like their FB page The Munga Trail. I most certainly have!

And if you're doing it and you need navigation skills help, call me.

Altitude profiles are relative

In drawing the altitude profiles for the Forest Run routes last night, I had to decide on the best way to present the route. What kind of elevation scale was I going to use?

The challenge is to indicate that there are climbs and descents - some of which are steep; but not horrendously so. Out here in the Vredefort Dome, there isn't anything too nasty, other than the sting-in-the-tail descent near the end. No climb nor descent goes on and on; but they're still there to test you.

I plugged my gpx track into Google Earth and also used two online apps to compare profiles and also for them to calculate cumulative climb. Although the results vary, I think approximately 1330m of cumulative gain is fair for the 46km route at Forest Run.

Here is my profile for the 46km route:

So, how does Forest Run compare?

Well, Dorothy, we're not in the Drakensberg Mountains, the Witteberg Mountains nor on Table Mountain. But we've still got some climb.

	Distance (km)	Cumulative climb (metres)	average climb (m/km)
Forest Run	46	1330	29
Rhodes Run	52	1380	27
Skyrun Lite	65	2400	37
Drakensberg Northern Trail	40	1640	41
Ultra Trail Cape Town	35	1800	51
The Otter	42	2400	57

I couldn't make a profile for Ultra Trail Cape Town as they don't show a y-axis elevation scale on their altitude profiles. I did grab profiles from these other events - and I've scaled them appropriately to compare. That's Forest Run with the grey shading.

The thing with cumulative climb values for events is that ascents are... cumulative.

Looking at my average climb (metres per kilometre) calculation, The Otter beats all the others for its up-down-up-down of its route, even though it doesn't have the massive and steep ascent of Skyrun Lite nor the big climbs of Drakensberg Northern Trail. Rhodes Run, like Skyrun Lite, also has a big climb, some stuff in the middle and then a long and steep descent.

Of these runs, I've done Skyrun, Rhodes Ultra and Forest Run. For sure, Skyrun is the toughest on the legs and lungs on the ascents; and that's a long long long steep steep steep drop into Balloch. It also has some wicked thigh-burning climbs in the middle.

Could this Forest Run route be harder than Rhodes? Mmm... It has been a long time since I did Rhodes and I had a superb day out there so even considering Rhodes' Mavis Bank and the drop into the hamlet of Rhodes... Definitely not an apples-with-apples comparison.

Climb really is so different on the legs if you have one big climb or lots of smaller ups and downs.

Also, it isn't only the elevation that makes a route challenging, it is also the underfoot terrain.

And how hard you're pushing.

And the actual elevation (height above sea level) of the route. There's a big difference in scaling a steep ascent at 2500m than at sea level.

Here are the altitude profiles for these same events, as presented on their websites. Take note of the elevation scale on the y-axis.

Drakensberg Northern Trail - recent host to the SA Trail Champs. 40km. Each elevation mark is at 250m intervals.

Rhodes Run. 52km. Elevation is in 100m intervals. This looks like you climb Mavis Bank on all fours... Oh, wait, some people do!

Skyrun Lite 65km (route ends at Balloch, in the dip before the spike at the end). Elevation is in 500m intervals. Looks a lot more tame here than on my profile scale.

The OTTER. 42km. Elevation is in 10m intervals. Very spikey, which ever way you look at it.

Of course, I could have presented a more flattened profile for Forest Run - I think this actually looks more like reality if you're looking at the hills.

Next time you look at an altitude profile, don't stress if you see big bumps. Take a look first at the altitude interval on the y-axis and compare to something you've done before to put it into perspective.

Altitude profiles really are an indication - not a definitive guide to the difficulty of an event.

Regardless of the climb, you've got to do the distance. So just jump in, enter and enjoy the experience of the route, terrain and scenery.

Trail run entry fee dissection

In setting new entry fees for the three courses at Forest Run, I took a look around to see what is out there. What diversity!

This led to a bit of a dissection of events in terms of distance, entry fees and my costings.

What events?
I ignored all the short city events with 5km to 12km courses, mainly looking at those with distances of 20km and up. I also ignored all of the staged events held over two or more days. There are a number of other one-day events in the distance categories of interest still to look up (tick-tock); I'll add them to my spreadsheet at some time.

Looking at 30 events...

Rand per kilometre
There's a lot of variety here. From R6.50 per kilometre to R92 per kilometre, it is all available. From a range of events we found a R24/km average across all distances from 10 to 160 kilometres.

How is this for interesting? We split up the distances from 10-22km, 25-36km, 40-53km and 65-160km and looked at entry fee averages.

10-22km: R23/km
25-38km: R18/km
40-53km: R30/km
65-160km: R25/km

Your best value is on courses in the 25-38km range.

Here are the rates for Forest Run's courses:
16km: R399 = R25/km
30km: R499 = R15/km
46km: R599 =  R13/km

I hope you notice that I'm enticing you to run the 46km?

Runner ratio
If an event offers a variety of course distances, the shortest distance will see the most participants. That's a given. There may be 12,000 people (or more) who run Comrades Marathon... but you'd be lucky to have 50 people running a 60km trail event. It is far more risky financially to host an ultra because the numbers of participants are so much lower. This probably explains the abundance of events in the 5-12km range and scarcity in the ultra-distance range.

I'm interested to see what my runner ratio for Forest Run will be. With only a 30km and 60km courses previously, I saw around a 75% : 25% split of 30km : 60km runners.

My assumption is that the moment a shorter option is on offer, numbers drain from the longest distance.

With 16km, 30km and 46km routes, I'm guessing at 50%, 30%, 20%. It will be interesting to see how close or how far off I am.

At Forest Run this year, my heart is in the 46km course, but I realistically know that the smallest percentage of participants will get to appreciate it.

What do you get for your money?
It is hard to compare apples with apples in the entry fee stakes because it is really difficult to find from event websites just what is included.

Location
I'm not sure whether organisers adjust fees according to the location of the event, considering the costs that entrants have to cover just to get there - flights, car travel, accommodation and meals.

This is somewhat irrelevant because the foundation event expenses have to be covered by entry fees (unless the event has sponsors) regardless of anything else. If organisers have a cushion to play with (like as a result of high participating numbers), entry fees can be lowered to compensate for higher costs for entrants getting to the event. I don't know whether this actually happens.

Land access
Land access is a big one. Properties that the events go through may be private farms, private game reserves or national parks. The fees that organisers pay for access varies from nothing to quite a lot. Aside from fees involved, the organiser has probably spent days negotiating access, obtaining confirmations and planning routes to accommodate any restrictions.

Route planning
Some areas are easy, especially if there is only one hiking trail that can be followed. But when there are many paths and roads and animal tracks, that's when things get challenging.

If there is more than one course distance in the area, organisers need to make sure that runners are not going to get confused and that the routes have a logical flow. This can take many weeks of scouting and a lot of time.

Number of entrants
There's a whole range in event limit numbers from 100 to 1000. Oddly, it isn't always the small-number events that are the most expensive. Events with higher participant numbers are likely to have more bells and whistles - because it is expected by participants and also because the higher numbers mean more overall money from entry fees for the organisers to put into the extras.

Waterpoints
I can't quite figure out from many of the events what their waterpoint setup is like. I usually aim to have waterpoints every 10 kilometres. For shorter courses that are 15-20km in length, you probably don't need any water tables as runners have hydration packs. Water is definitely needed for longer distances. The season in which an event is held also determines how much refreshment organisers need to put out, which contributes to costs, equipment required and manpower.

Feed stations add costs too. They're appreciated by runners on ultra-distance courses.

Essentials
Whether there is one participant or 500, emergency medics must be on standby. The same goes with marshals who need to be fed, watered and accommodated. I see a photographer as an essential too; and at Forest Run our photos are free for you to download and enjoy - we don't make you pay for them (and we also give them free to media). Taking out public liability is another essential. And portable toilet hire, depending on the venue and number of runners.

If you've only got 25 runners, then it means that these runners share these costs for essentials. If you've got 250 participants, then each entrant contributes significantly less per person for the basics.

Other essentials are per runner expenses - even little things like race numbers.

Bells and whistles
These are things like tee shirts, medals, trophies, mementos, prize money, transport to the start, finish-line DJ/music, pre-start tea/coffee, post-run meal and showers. Some events have electronic timing and tracking devices. And then there could be videos (tv or online) made of the event, which means a videography team with people on foot and camera drones... This is usually in place where there are prominent sponsors.

Some of these end up as overall event expenses that in costings can be divided per person across the expected participant numbers, or allocated as a per person expense.

Runners generally expect bells and whistle items and for organiser there are things that are 'nice' to do that add value for participants. But they do shoot up expenses - and thus entry fees.

Prize money
Prize money is another bells and whistle item that definitely has a place. It is there to attract and reward the very competitive runners. It encourages a top field with depth.

Consider this... when you spread prize money across 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for men and women plus age categories, it substantially adds to the event's expenses, unless prize money specifically is contributed by a sponsor. Take the recent Two Oceans Trail Run for example. The prize money for the 22km winner (men and women) is R4,000. It doesn't sound like a vast amount when the entry fee is R610 (incl timing chip) and there's an entrant limit of 1000 runners across the two course distances. But adding up the prize money that is handed out for both courses, that's R30,000 straight cash that they give out. Only 20 of the 1000 participants receive the dosh.

The Otter offers R7,000 prize money for winning man and women (only on the RUN course). But they had that whopper of a R100,000 incentive for a sub-4 time, which Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein achieved last year.

Things that money can't buy
My best event experiences come from all the things that money can't buy - the special touches and thoughtful considerations.

Taking on risk
It is risky to present any event. I started Forest Run four years ago because there was next to nothing available in the 60km distance arena. I was actually aiming for 80km (50-miler) but the area didn't allow for it. I included the 30km course distance, just because. And of course this was the most popular course and made Forest Run only just feasible to present.

I love ultras but they definitely present the highest risk for organisers because participant numbers fall off a cliff once you go over 40 or 50km. Ultras are often partnered with shorter course offerings to take up the slack.

But there are many, many, many events with a variety of course distances and so events compete for numbers of participants. Considering just the essential expenses, there's a participant number below which events are in the red. This is really not a nice place to be. Break even is a better situation to be in. Profitable is even better.

When you announce a race, you just don't know how many people are going to come to your party. If one knew in advance that there would be exactly 200 runners, then entry fees could be scaled for this. But you don't. And so you have to be prepared to get too few entrants. And to take a knock. Scary!

Why I participate in events?

I go to events to run on routes that someone else has planned, on land that I wouldn't otherwise be able to access, in a place that I probably would never have considered to visited.

That said, entry fees are a deal breaker. Either I can or I can't afford to enter regardless of what the event offers.

There's also the perceived value from the event and consideration of location (terrain, travel duration), expected weather, distance of route and numbers of entrants. Plus the added costs of travel, accommodation and meals, which may actually be less for an 'expensive' event and higher for one with a lower entry fee.

I've heard very little in the way of bad reports about any trail event. Every one on the trail calendar has something good to offer.

With so much variety in events, you really can weigh up your options against multiple variables now more than ever before.

New Forest Run route scouting fun

My Forest Run event is moving from its three-year home in the beautiful pine plantation of Lakenvlei (near Belfast/Dullstroom), to the hills and valleys of the Vredevort Dome, within spitting distance of my new home town of Parys.

It looks like Saturday, 21 May 2016 will be the new date. Almost confirmed - very, very likely.

Despite my best intentions to get out onto the trails over the festive season, I didn't. We were topping upper 30s and into the 40s - it was just too hot! We had better temperatures last week so on Thursday I headed out to scout trails in the first of a few sections that I aim to link. Although the morning was cool, it was up to 35°C for a chunk of the day. But what a magnificent day to put in 27 kilometres of exploring! I haven't yet done half the trails I want to check out for the new route and I aim to get out there again on Wednesday to explore another section I have my eye on.

 My mom, Liz, came out with me on Thursday. We split up shortly after the start as she was planning to just walk to the waterfall and turn back (about 4km total). She climbed up the steep and rocky section to the top of the waterfall and decided going down would be too tricky. Instead of descending she decided to do a loop trail section. She missed the critical turn-off and corrected later, but it meant an extra few kilometres. I think she put in 13-14 kilometres of some friendly sections and a bunch of technical, rocky trail. She rocked it and wants more. Well done mom xxx.

After some deliberation, I will be keeping the event name as Forest Run. The same event and feel, different location. While there isn't a pine plantation out here, it is far more forested than you'd expect. Natural forest and a diversity of tree and vegetation types. You'll see some of this in the photos below.

Here are some photos from my first day playing in the Dome.

A lovely foresty section - cool and shaded.

Yeah, we have got trees here.

Lying in the shade. It was about 34C - a hammock under the trees would have been divine.

Checking out an old open mine from back in the 1800s when gold was found in the area. The find didn't turn out to be as good as hoped. Mining folded and the people left the area.

Another foresty section. It got better and better.

An open, fast-running section.

Water reservoirs are fabulous. I was surprised to find this one full. Very inviting!

A trail runs through the valley below - I'll definitely use it because I so enjoyed being down there.

This was quite a climb up in temperatures of 35C. I was roasting!

There is such an incredible mix of terrain - and I haven't even covered half of what I want to check out. This is a rocky trail section.

Howz this! A forest of protea trees on top of the one ridge.

Trig beacon bagging.

Windmills are so cool. Down in the valley.
I wet my hat in the cattle drinking trough on the other side of the reservoir.

It was a treat to come over a saddle to see lush green fields and pastures, the Vaal River and my end point.

Lots and lots and lots of sugarbush protea trees - not many proteas out.
And then I saw this one next to the trail.

Despite a full reservoir and having a good drink at a bush camp, I was thirsty when I got back.
It was a hot but fabulous day out there.

DGT solo in 45 hours

On Monday night there was no chance that I would have gone to sleep until Andrew Porter was safely off the Drakensberg. I'd been following his tracking blip for hours as he made his way over the final section of the Drakensberg to complete the Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT) solo and unassisted in a staggeringly incredible 45 hours and 8 minutes.

A friend fortunately told me about Andrew's attempt on Monday afternoon so that I could follow his live tracking online. Andrew is an accomplished Drakensberg hiker and climber and as the previous solo record holder, he was on target to better this.

And better it he did! Andrew completed the approx. 210 kilometre distance little over three hours 'slower' than the amazing time set by Ryno Griesel and Ryan Sandes in March last year.

I wrote two pieces for the FEAT website on Andrew and the DGT. You can read them there:

• Andrew on DGT solo attempt
• Andrew has done it
• Also read the lovely piece on Kraig Becker's The Adventure Blog. This was too good for me not to send a note through to Kraig.

What he accomplished is phenomenal!

A superb movie - Travailen - was made by Dean Leslie and his The African Attachment crew of Ryno and Ryan's record-setting run. It is wonderful to watch as it shows the grandeur of the Drakensberg and just how tough it is up there (the top of the Drakensberg is not flat!)

About the Ultra Trail Mount Moodie

What a good day out it was this past Saturday at the Ultra Trail Mount Moodie, an 80km (actually 87km) ultra in the Sabie area. Yes, that's right - steep ups and downs and loads of forest and wonderful scenery.

This event burst on to the calendar last year. My race number, 3, was indicative of eagerness - I was the third person to submit an entry (the day I saw the post on FB). Clive Smart, the race organiser, has been organising events here for three years. After being approached by Trail Running SA to host the SA Trail Champs, Clive added the 80km distance event to his existing weekend offering (a 6km, 12km, 20km and 35km).

Oh my heart! Surrounded by forests. View from my room at Misty Mountain.

We started from Misty Mountain - on Long Tom Pass - at 04h30 on Saturday morning with 27 runners on the start line. It was far warmer than I expected after the cool evening and my shorts and tee were perfect attire.

My race kit - minus food. I've had this trusty back pack for a good 12 years now and it has done dozens of races and ultras. 

As Misty Mountain is on top of the mountain, there's only one way to go first: down. We started in the dark and within an hour or so it was light enough, even under the tree canopy, to turn our headlamps off.

The first big descent dropped us into the first aid station. It was a long, long downhill and I remember commenting to the aid station helper "Wasn't that a downhill!". On this section I met Su-yen and Nic, who I'd see more of later.

I quite enjoyed the next section to the second aid station. Flatter running with a good climb. On the flat I was in good company with Corne and Lorraine. They're amazing on the hills - running trip-trap so steadily upwards. I walked. They dropped me with ease.

Leaving Aid Station 2 we were on to the Fanie Botha hiking trail. I've known of it since I was a child but I've never been on it. Spectacular! The section had us on rocky and slippery trail heading up a ravine. We criss-crossed the river many times - sometimes on bridges and other times just splashing through.

I hadn't been taking photos but snapped a few. I was with Nic, an American in the Peace Corps based South of Polokwane, going through this section. We were warned pre-race by Clive not to even try stepping on the rocks in the river because they're so slick. He suggested stepping between the rocks, which worked just fine.

Nic negotiating one of the many river crossings.

A bit of what the trail looks like (a non-rocky part)

We caught up to Su-yen on one of the crossings.

And so we climbed up-up-up and came out belly-height to a waterfall.

Time to go down-down-down

And of course we descended to the bottom of the falls.

Su-yen, me and Nic at the bottom of the falls.

And then began a really, really tough ascent that seemed to take forever. At an indistinct path section we hooked up with Lorraine, another lady, Filipe and Corne. Up on top most of the others shot off. I needed the flat open space to recover from the climb with a gentle run-walk strategy for a while!

Filipe had a route profile printout and it showed a slight drop down to Aid Station 3 and then a big climb and a big downhill to Aid Station 4. Downhills sound fun; but for me they're not, especially when they're steep. I started taking it easy because I don't often run steep downhills and as a result they hammer my quads when I do.

Time to go down, down, down. Yes, all the way to the bottom where we'd find Aid Station 4

Only 24 of the 27 runners made it through Aid Station 4 (around 45km). By this time me, Filipe, Nic and another runner, Jakes, were near at the back of the field.

The next 8.5km was on mountain bike tracks. We were roasting through the valley section - very hot and humid with no respite.

Aid Station 5 sat just before another climb. Filipe, who I'd met last year when he ran my Forest Run, was sitting on the tree stump. I asked him if he wanted to join me - at this stage he wasn't going to continue. Jakes arrived and with not much arm twisting Filipe set off with us.

Jakes and I dropped Filipe on the ascent but as Filipe is a whiz on the downs, he caught us again later - and gained enough to stay ahead until the finish, which he reached about five minutes before us. The skies opened near the top of the climb but fortunately we didn't get hit  as hard as Misty Mountain. Apparently it was torrential, complete with lightning, up there.

Aid Station 6 came and went and we knew we'd be pushed to make it in before dark. Filipe left the station just ahead of me and Jakes - wrapping up the back of the field.

From the aid station we caught up with Nic and we all stayed together through Aid Station 7 (same location as Aid Station 1) and all the way uphill to the finish.

GPS readings from many runners confirmed the route to be 87-kilometres long. It took us 15h20 to get from start to finish and I was fortunate to be in good company. We were followed to the end by a race marshal in his vehicle - nice to have the light as night caught up with us.

It was also a treat to be welcomed into the finish by friends who'd run other distances during the day - Zelda, Johann, Melvyn and a bunch of others, including Clive and some marshals. Lots of shouts and cheers and goodwill for a very warm and appreciated welcome.

At the finish with Nic (8), Filipe (24) and Jakes (29). Photo by Melvyn.

I showered and headed down to dinner and the prize giving.

I came out of the race relatively unscathed. Oh goodness were my quads stiff for about 2.5 days after! Stairs were so not my friend. I've got an injured left big toenail from where I kicked a rock early on... and of course whacked it another few times in the course of the day. That will still take a while to heal completely.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ultra. I haven't done a straight-up ultra like this for ages. It was an interesting route with good variety in the running surfaces from smooth trail to rocky, slippery technical trail; smooth and open forest roads to rough and rocky forestry roads, river crossings... and of course uphills and downhill, plantation forest and indigenous forest and wonderful scenery.

My thanks to Clive for presenting this distance. From experience I know the work that goes into planning and marking routes, coordinating volunteers and all the other little bits and pieces that make these things happen. It's a lot of effort regardless of the number of participants.

The helpers at the aid stations were absolutely amazing - for friendly and warm and helpful. They even put ice cubes into my water reservoir at the last few aid stations... what a treat!

I think Clive is going to make some tweaks to the route but it should be on the calendar again next year. UTMM is not easy, but it is beautifully scenic and rewarding to finish.

UTMM quick note about a long day

What a day out at the new Ultra Trail Mount Moodie yesterday!

Around 15h20 and 87km...

With Nic (8), Filipe (24) and Jaco (29) at the finish on Saturday night -  at around 19h40. Photo by Melvyn Quan

I'll tell you all about it in my next post in a day or so - with more photos.

For now I'm doing final prep for the first event of my new Checkpoint Challenge Schools League, which starts tomorrow. I'm giving myself extra time to put out controls because I'm not moving as well as I usually do... hahahaha