It’s been a busy week trying to fit in exercise every day and also prepping for a trip we’re about to take on Saturday.
Monday - Summer Squad Bootcamp workout
Tuesday - Chapmans Peak Drive run
Wednesday - Summer Squad Bootcamp workout
Thursday - Silvermine East Trail run
Friday - Constantia Nek hike (tomorrow morning)
Thought I’d fill you all in on my two runs this week so far.
CHAPMANS PEAK DRIVE RUN
My friend Minnin and I decided to take on the first 1/4 of Chapmans Peak Drive. It’s about 10kms in total, one way, but we have to turn around to get back so did the first 3kms and then headed back to the car.
View of Noordhoek Beach from the start of Chapmans Peak Drive
We started at the Noordhoek Common and ran along the road through the boom of Chapmans peak or Chappies as us locals call it. My legs were still a little “challenged” from Saturdays early morning almost 10km run (read that blog too!). The pace was a little slow with lots of stop start walking and photo taking and I may have had to pee in the bushes before we continued 😂. You gotta do what you gotta do! (We will see who really reads the blogs by the comments section 😝)
But the views down to Noordhoek Beach are always stunning...
sheer cliff with surfers surfing “the Hoek” below
As we ran into the shade of the mountainside there was no shoulder to the road and no sidewalk. All you get is a tiny gutter to step into as cars drive past (or bicycles flying by). It’s a little nerve wrecking to try to keep up a decent pace of any kind when you think your life might end by either falling down a serious cliff or getting taken out by a car.
My old village of Hout Bay in the distance at the opposite end of Chapmans Peak Drive.
The half tunnel engineered into the cliff to keep everyone safe from rockfalls
But regardless of the fear factor we managed to get to the 3.3km point shortly before the road goes through a half tunnel overhanging rock wall. This section took a few years to excavate from 2000 to 2003 when the drive was closed indefinitely due to
rockfalls. Luckily the feat of engineering enabled the road to be reopened as a toll road and is one of Cape Towns major tourist attractions. We are lucky enough to live only a few Kilometres away.
Minnin
Minnin and the Porsche!
Happy with our distance we turned back towards Noordhoek and the common. And just as we did a Porsche came flying past Minnin on the road! Not every day you get an action shot with a Porsche on Chapmans Peak!
The last stretch was an uphill walk into the sun, followed by a lovely downhill finish to the forest.
Here’s a map and some stats:
SILVERMINE EAST TRAIL RUN
This morning we set out, Minnin, Bianca and I, for my 3rd trail run on this route. The trail is more familiar now and not as daunting. The trail is mostly jeep track with the top loop being a rocky single track where we mostly walk. None of us are keen to get injured so we take our time. I think Minnin and I could take it a bit faster on the jeep track but on the mountain we all stick together.
Autumn Sunrise
This morning we all arrived to a stiff South Easter blowing over the top of the mountain and some mist coming in with it. But it made for stunning photos. Our route takes us into the shady side of the mountain and therefore quite a bit colder as we’re heading into autumn.
Single track
First jeep track section was straightforward and not too hard. A decent warm up. At 1.8km we hang a left onto the single track and hike the rocky path for just over a kilometre before we get back onto the jeep track and head back.
Here’s a map and some stats:
Our run back was a better pace, except the last hill where we walked to cool down.
Me, Bianca, Minnin
I feel like the variety of exercise is helping me get fitter and stronger in all different ways. Road running builds endurance, trail running builds agility, bootcamp builds strength. The fact that all of these take place outdoors is what keeps me coming back.
After my break (standby for tons of Travel posts) Minnin and I will attempt to run to the actual Look Out of Chapmans Peak Drive. That will be a 10km run, so hopefully if I keep on running while we’re away, we can do it as soon as I’m back home.
