My 2024 Marathon Challenge by Dot Eiserman
I kicked off 2024 with a midlife crisis (perhaps ongoing?) and to my husband’s dismay I declared I was going to do a marathon. Before I could change my mind, I joined FHAC in February and entered the Cape Town Marathon on the 20th of February.
Struggling with a bit of imposter syndrome, I found it tough to join the FHAC Saturday club runs, everyone seemed so fit and fast. I told myself that if I just kept showing up, I’d eventually get stronger and fitter—and it worked. It was also at these Saturday club runs that I got to know the special running friends that would help me on this journey, I don’t think it would have been as rewarding and fun without our little first timer’s club.
Note: Special thanks to my hubby Warren that kept appearing on the Saturday long runs with ice cold Energades. 😊
Fast forward to race day, it involved a 3am wake up to catch the bus at 4am, we got to the stadium at 5am and huddled together to keep warm.
Spirits were high and everyone very chatty, the more seasoned FHAC runners got a little glint in their eye when they heard it was our first marathon, the saying “hulle weet nie wat on weet nie” comes to mind.
My batch start time was only at 07:03 so I found the wait quite long and didn’t organise myself properly, I kept waiting to do my warmups and then rushed off for a last toilet break which involved standing for 30 minutes in the queue, and by the time I got back we were being ushered into our batches. Our X batch nervously shuffled forward and then suddenly we were off.
The first 25km my pace was consistent and exactly what I had planned but I was struggling with a tight left leg and hip flexor, I hoped it would warm up and loosen but it didn’t and I was starting to step funny which caused pain in my right foot.
At this point I whatsapped my husband to let him know I’m having problems (#mayday), he asked what my plan was and I said I was going to speed walk and persevere. The next 17km was a bit of a blur between trying to jog and speed walking, the watering stations became beacons of joy that broke the monotony, and I really enjoyed the little dance groups that were dotted along the route.
It was when I got to the loop of death that I felt like I wanted to shed tears, it was quite hot, the wind was still blowing, and we were going AWAY from the finish. I saw Bronwyn D across the barriers and we shared an emotional hug.
2km from the end I suddenly got a spurt of energy to finish the monster and found my husband Warren 100m from the finish line, he jogged with me for a bit to make sure I was indeed ok. I was very relieved to receive the medal as I had told myself I was going to get scrappy with the first person to tell me they had run out. 😉
The route highlights for me were: running on the elevated freeway, the cheerful crowds running towards the Rondebosch common, the energetic dance groups, and the shaded greenery of the Company Gardens providing a nice break from the concrete jungle sections.
What worked for me:
- Hydrating properly the week before the race
- I followed the “Gerda Steyn” diet the day before, she swears by chicken and rice and that’s all I ate, on race day I had no stomach issues at all
- I used GU gels at every 45-50min and they luckily also didn’t cause me any issues
- Generous application of anti-chafe creams
What didn’t work for me:
- Not warming up and loosening my legs before setting off
- Running in shoes that I’m not 100% happy with, I struggled to find shoes with a comfortable toe box and was stuck with my Ghost 15s, they felt quite hard underfoot for the last 20km
- I didn’t specifically ask any friends to meet me halfway, but in hindsight, when you’re having a tough race it can really help to see a loved one for a quick smile and pep talk
- I was not used to running in a cap and the conditions were very windy so I spent a lot of energy fighting with the cap or having to angle my head down to keep it on
It wasn’t the race I had envisioned, but the sense of accomplishment from finishing made persevering worth it! Thanks to everyone at the end for the celebratory hugs and high fives, I’ve been smiling all week long, FHAC you’re the best!
