I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise, to fly

Well guys, its official, I have finished my first ever ultra marathon! Couldn't have picked a more perfect race as well, Two Oceans, aka the most beautiful marathon in the world. 56ks around Cape Town, with views of beautiful beaches, scenic ocean overlooks, and two grueling climbs up Chapman's peak and Constantia Nek before finishing on the University of Cape Town's Rugby Fields.

The race weekend started off with supporting Pieter in his 20k (alright afterwards we realized it was half marathon distance) trail run. It was only the second running of this event but definitely one to watch. If you like intense scrambles and extreme terrain mixed into your long run, then this is the race for you. In order to just spectate his parents and I had to hike up to the King's Blockhouse, no easy feat. Perhaps not the best way to rest your legs for an ultra, but thus is life, you do what you want to :) Pieter's parents are seasoned ultra runners however, so they kept reminding me to sit down and drink water the whole day. Had an awesome chat with who ended up being the chairman of the local trail running team while waiting for the runners to come by. Spotted some of the runners way up on the exposed cliff section, definitely a race not for the faint of heart (P's mom had to look away lol). Did I mention this was his first trail race? So intense! Looked strong all the way to the finish, definitely deserved that medal.

The rest of the day consisted mainly of naps, hydration, and an incredible amount of pasta. Nerves didn't get too bad until it was time to go home and try to sleep. Thankfully I managed a few hours before waking up at 4:30 to get ready for my pickup at 5. My Hout Bay running buddies have an awesome business office in town just a block away from the start! Soooo ideal, especially when this means no porta jon lines. Had a bit of a struggle with bag check once we got there, but shimmying through to the front of lines has become a skill that I pull out in times like these and managed to get onto the start line with a few mins to spare.

Once in my corral (they assign you according to your qualifying time) I was able to relax for a bit and chat with people around me and altogether get excited about what was ahead. Your bib also shows if you are an international participant (bright orange instead of the usual green) and what country you are from, as well as your name, so it starts up many convos. The starter asked for all the internationals to raise our hands, which was pretty cool to see. Then they asked all the females to raise their hands...looking around I didn't see a single one....ahhhh! Guess not too many in the B group! Hearing the national anthem of South Africa at the start was a really special thing for me, and reminded me of how cool it was to just be here.

The race in general was awesome, and ridiculously tough. You kind of just need patience to settle into a rhythm and not freak out too much about how much longer you have to go. There is no, yes we only have 10ks left... its more like yes! we have made it 26ks, now... only 30ks and two huge climbs to go lol. Passed the halfway point in about 2:19, a good pace for the flatter, easier first half of the race. We started to climb Chapman's peak after that and started to start really feeling my legs when we hit the flats after a cruising downhill into Hout Bay, about the marathon mark. Made it there in about 3:38, so still on pace with what I was aiming for, but still had the more difficult of the two climbs to contend with. Constantia Nek on tired legs is one big struggle, but I had more pain coming down the other side. Hello sore feet. But music and great support along the way kept you going, along with the awesome treats they had for us runners to eat (potatoes around the 25k, ice cream and bananas at the top of chappies, and candy bars right before the summit of constantia, not to mention powerade and water sachets and coke all throughout the race). Seriously guys, these packets of water and powerade are AWESOME and so much better than cups (except when you accidentally squirt some up your nose). Digging in deep came when you hit the highway portion on the way to UCT, but the finish is so close you can taste it... and that feeling pushes you on. Coming into the stadium and seeing the finish was so rewarding, definitely something I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Left with a finish time of 5:02, not quite a sanisbury medal (sub five) but really can't be disappointed for finishing my first ultra, especially when I decided to do it about 3 weeks prior!

Other than a bruised toenail, some sore legs, a huge gash on my back from where sweat met my one and only seam of my shorts, and one gigantic blister, I am alive and well. Actually already started running again, and while the legs have lost a bit of their spark, they feel good and are ready for the next challenge :) Thanks everyone who sent up prayers and thoughts for me on race day, definitely appreciated them!