Spar Women's Challenge 2011

Yesterday was an interesting day. My mother and I donned our green t-shirts and made our way to the Centurion Supersport stadium. We were ready to take on the Spar Women's Challenge. And before you feel too impressed, we did the 5 km fun walk. On the other hand, as recounted in my post on the quest for Abinger Harvest the slopes of Unisa were too much for me and my knee.

Spar Women's Challenge 2011: mother and daughter (frangipani) team

Thanks to the measles and so on, the only training I did for the event recently, besides jumping to conclusions*, was running around at a friend's batchelorette and dancing for hours at the wedding the week after. However, my knee made it and my mother and I completed the fun walk without resting along the way despite the hill (roughly between the 1 and 2 km mark - see picture below). Some people turned back at the hill - so it's basically Polly Shorts for the unfit. The women (and men dressed as women) and dogs were kind and encouraged each other to keep on going. I had to slow down, but otherwise the knee made no complaints.

Route map - taken from www.ladiesrace.co.za

The residents were also full of fun and Afrikaans music. Before the watering point (marked with a tap) a kind gentleman had his hose out to give water to dogs, children and me. The water was divine. Some of the other neighbours either held the hose over the wall to cool runners down or put their sprinklers outside for the same reason. I enjoyed the cooling down immensely.

Despite the length of the prize giving there were some highlights. I found out that the kind runner who smiled at me as I hit the water after finishing my walk was none other than Zola Budd! She won her age category in the 10 km race. I can't believe that I was in the same race (different category) as a former Olympic athlete.

My other moment at the prize giving is when they had a lucky draw. I won a shopping voucher!

Everyone who finished was awarded a medal

Thank you to all the organisers and paramedics. I'm just grateful that I didn't have to bother any of the medics as a patient :)

*expression appropriated from my GP. I once asked him if I should gym.  He looked me in the eye, kept a straight face and said: "Exercise is for the birds. All exercise I get is jumping to conclusions and running from responsibility". I love his sense of humour.