Hurry hurry hurry Now quick quick quick Just step on the gas cause I don’t wanna miss this This opportunity will only come once in my life, my life

Last week an invite to run the African x fell into my lap, and feeling a bit reckless at the time I eagerly accepted. Pretty glad my body doesn't always remember physical pain, because I would have been missing out on some pretty great experiences if it did. African x is a 3 day trail race based in Kleimond, South Africa which is a beautiful oceanside town near Bettys Bay. The race was something I had never experienced before. What an atmosphere! With your entry you get all your meals, a huge goodie bag, and entrance into some of the most beautiful trails I have ever run. You can't help but pick up the fabulous vibe off of all the excited runners ready to run. The lyrics for the title of this blog come from their theme song of the race, Happiness by Alexis Jordan, which was blasted for us at each stage start.

Day one: 23ks and 599m climbing.

Feeling a bit nervous (and totally wondering what I was doing starting a 3 day offroad race almost exactly two weeks after an ultra marathon) I started out this stage pretty conservatively. Although scenic, the first bit on the beach kind of smelled like horribly rotting eggs (first picture) lol. Somehow bumped into a lady that recognized me from another trail race (do I really stick out that much?) and got chatting to her and some others as the path snaked its way up a ridiculous mountain path. Definitely the technical stage of the race, but managed to keep the ankles in tact. Loved the "magic forest" bit and finished with amazing views of the bay.

Day two: 40ks and 1137m climbing.

Now this was the tough one. The first 5ks are straight uphill and the rest of the day continues to give you mountains and valleys. Had some seriously beautiful views (pictures 2 and 4) that continued to change as we wound our way around fire burnt areas (the fynbos need fire for their life cycle, but natural fires ravaged the area in March of this year). Had to dig deep in some parts of this stage, not only my first time running (practically) a marathon off road, but doing it on tired legs is a whole other game. But this is why I signed up, I wanted to test myself in a way I hadn't before. I feel strongly that tackling physical challenges shows you your inner strength and allows you to overcome other obstacles in life and learn how to deal with difficult circumstances. This race was proving to myself that I am as strong as I choose to be.

Day three: 21ks and 452m climbing.

After yesterday my body was starting to feel the wear, but a layer of second skin on my gigantic blister, some ibuprofen and two buckets of ice to fill up the tub in the hotel and I was good enough to make it though the last day. 8ks straight of climbing was our wake up call, but the pleasant single track of equestrian trails that followed it made it all worthwhile. I was holding my breath when I saw on the race guide that the last 5ks were on the beach (sand and sore legs, not an ideal combo) but it was actually quite manageable. Definitely no sweat after the previous day.

All weekend I was in awe of the strength of the runners I was surrounded by. There were even a pair of 60+ women that finished every day! I am very thankful that this opportunity to experience something new with a complete stranger (my partner, quite a legend in this area, and I met the day of the race) and learning about someone else in such an interesting setting. I appreciated the ability to experience this, since it may only come once in a lifetime.

Bonus: I got to drive all the way back from the race by myself! :)