RACE REPORT - Rhodes Quality Half Marathon

The Half Marathon That Made My Runner’s Heart whole again 🏃‍♀️💨🌧️

Some races deserve a medal just for existing — and this one? This one deserves a blog post of its very own. 💁‍♀️

Let me just say it loud and proud: I have not enjoyed a run like this in ages.  Not a casual jog. Not a race. Not even a "run because I forgot the groceries in the car and it’s raining" sprint. This half marathon? Chef’s kiss. 👨‍🍳💋 After the run I had on Saturday in Paarl....I did not have a lot of hope, ,just knew I will finish and finish in one piece. The rest I decided that I am not going to pressure myself into anything.

The Forecast Called for Flippers… Not Fast Feet 🐸🌧️ With the seasons doing that weird thing where Mother Nature forgets how to calendar, the weather app was basically screaming: "Bring a snorkel, Karen!" ⛅➡️🌧️➡️⛈️

But like the legends we are, we got up at stupid o’clock (you know, that time when your alarm goes off and you're not sure if you're going for a run or being initiated into a secret society).

Half Asleep but i'm on the start line

All Carbed up from the 3 days before moping about my sore feet after the Paarl 10km Coffee in hand ☕, eyeballs half open, we made our way to the race venue.

With 6,000 runners across five distances, we thought, "Hey, let’s be responsible adults and arrive early."  And then we sat in the car eating our last-minute race fuel like it was a fine dining experience. 🥯🚗

Pro Tip: This Race Includes a Free Warm-Up Hike 🥾

Now, if you've never done this event, let me tell you — the distance from your parking spot to the start line? Basically a 3K on its own. We sauntered our way there, had some chilled pre-race banter, and enjoyed the fact that — miracle of miracles — it wasn’t raining. Yet. 😅

A Steep Awakening 😳

Start gun goes off and… we dawdle. Not even joking. First 300m? Straight up like we were trying to summit Table Mountain before breakfast. Legs screaming, lungs negotiating. “We agreed on a fun run, not a vertical hike, Susan!” 🧗‍♀️So hence the dawdle....lets warm up some more ha ha ha

At around 800m, a light rain shower appeared, just long enough to say, “Hey, don’t get too comfortable.” But honestly? Cool running weather is a blessing, and I wasn’t even mad about it. 🌦️as sunstroke has been in my post run life in the past after this race.

By 5K I was settled, heart rate cruising in the aerobic zone like I actually knew what I was doing. (actually I do LOL) Another little rain surprise came and soaked us right through, just to keep things spicy. 🌧️💦

Scenery So Pretty You Forget You’re Running far 😍

The course winds through the gorgeous countryside just outside Wellington — vineyards, mountains, farmlands... basically a running postcard. 🍇⛰️🏞️

Then came the gravel section. I turned to my running buddy like it was a battle cry and said, “Right, let’s do this.” And boom 💥 — we shifted gears and started picking off runners like it was a video game.

10K in, and we were turning back toward town. Views? Still stunning. Legs? Still surprisingly cooperative. So the pace slowly kept creeping up...

Cue "Heartbreak Hill" 😭

By 15K, the route decided we were having too much fun and hit us with “Heartbreak Hill” — a soul-sapping, spirit-testing climb that basically whispered, “You thought this was going to be easy?” 😂 My legs filed for divorce right there. And Not because of its incline or length...just because you see the whole hill from start to finish... from 14km😂

The hill kept going, and we kept pushing. Because that average pace? 🔥 On Fire... We were doing better than expected, and suddenly this was a race-race, not just a let’s-hope-we-survive kind of jog.

16K = downhill (hallelujah) .17K = surprise uphill (of course). 18K = downhill again (woohoo). 19K = flat — which felt suspicious and untrustworthy. - and right past the finish line 😏 Then suddenly:

20K… and the turn that dreams (and near-ankle-rolls) are made of. I almost pulled a Fast & Furious handbrake turn around that final bend. 🏎️💨 21.5k= finish line glory 🏅🏅🏅🏅

Just Me, My Heart Rate🥵

I genuinely had no idea we were so close to the 2:30 mark. I had kept my heart rate within the Threshold zone. Crossed the finish at 2:32, a post-op PB and my fastest half marathon in years! 🥳🎉 Had I looked ( I chose not too) at my average and race time on 19km I probably would've tried to push for a sub 2:30 BUT I was more that satisfied at my race pace...just 5 seconds per km slower than my 10km on Saturday - WAYY more elevation

Was it 20 minutes off my lifetime best? Sure... Do I care? Absolutely not. Because this race reminded me why I love running in the first place. ❤️

Thank you B for capturing this!

Moral of the story?

Do the training Be consistent - even if it feels in vain Train slow to race fast

Get up early. Brave the rain. Eat those carbs. Run the race - with no pre set ideas Sometimes, you’ll surprise yourself. And sometimes, you’ll just have a ridiculously fun day doing something hard with amazing people. 👟💪👯‍♀️

Thankful. Grateful. Slightly soggy. Will definitely do it again. 🙌🌈 Race photos Courtesy of Action Photo SA