
THE summer just past seemed to never end. There were long spells of sunny days filled with outdoor pursuits, especially in the water. Each day merged into the next and I couldn’t tell exactly what day of the week it was. Distant hills became parched in the creamy hues of hay instead of the usual lush green, and my thirsty tomato plants required twice-a-day watering.
On Sunday 16th of March, it all changed. Heavy rain started the previous night and woke me up several times. I thought to myself ‘Oh well, it’s better than running in the extreme heat. We need plenty of rain.’ As usual there was an early start on race day and I was at The Glade by 6.15am to catch a bus to take us to Cape Paterson, the starting point of the 14km run. I couldn’t miss it.