Sport	Race
Event	Cradle of Humankind Race
Date	27 April 2014
Where	Muldersdrift, South Africa
Distance	21 Km
Finishing Time	01:49:36
Race Number	n/a
Result	137/722
Top %	19%
Pace	5:13 m/km
Speed	11.5 km/h
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My experience at the event:

Some races are just not meant to be. After a long break thanks to the end of football and triathlon season, and with some extra weight accumulated from the Easter Weekend, on the spur of the moment I decided to enter the hard 21km at the Cradle of Humankind. After completing the 10km race twice (and once the 5km race), I decided to focus my efforts on the longer distance.

The decision was made only 48 hours before the race, and with very little training I arrived just in time for the start at 7am. Unlike last year, this time the conditions were ideal: no fog and mild temperatures.

My first few kilometers were actually ok, but as I progressed I starting having stomach cramps (from a dodgy meal I ate the night before), and unusual pain at the sole of my feet. I tried to get a rhythm like I always do, but my efforts were pointless. Every time I got to the 5 mins/km, I then dropped as soon as the first hills hit me. The last 5km, where I usually manage to accelerate, ended up almost in agony with cramps so strong that I had to slow down to avoid embarassment.

I still managed to compled under 1.50, which was my upper limit, but I was far away from the 1.45 I was hoping for....

Some pictures from race:


Arriving in the morning at the starting area


The beautiful finish line


My medal


Here I am, post stomach relief.

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