Karen Completes the 2 Oceans Ultra Marathon in Cape Town!

The 2 Oceans Ultra is a 56 km race which takes place in Cape Town on the Saturday of Easter weekend each year. This was the 49th year. 11,000 runners in the Ultra and another 16,000 in the half marathon. It's called 2 Oceans because you run along the Indian Ocean for part and the Atlantic for part

I had prepared well and was ready for the race. We arrived in Cape Town on the Tuesday before. Everything was going well until Good Friday when I got food poisoning or picked up a bug. Lots of trips to the bathroom! I thought it was out of my system, but not so. I was in the bathroom again on Saturday morning. We got up at 3:15am for a 4:30am pick up. I decided to go to the start. My husband did it too. He waited for me while I was in a porta-pottie when the race started. 

We started out together, going slow. I was feeling a bit better. By 28 km, I wasn't well and reluctantly told him to go ahead without me. I was going to pull out of the race. There was a medical station there, so I went in. My blood pressure was low but not terrible. I sat in the shade for 10-15 minutes. Then I felt a bit better so decided to try to see the views from Chapman's peak, the next section. I kept going, ran again, wondering if I could make the cut off at 42.2, almost hoping I wouldn't! I made it within a second! 

If I was to finish the race in the 7 hour time limit, I would have to pick up the pace. So I did! The last 14km are quite challenging with another, steeper, longer climb. I kept at it. I caught up to the 7 hour pacer and passed him! I finished in 6:54:41. My husband was sure surprised to see me at the finish line! He did very well at 6:35 which would have been better if he hadn't had to go so slow with me. 

I went straight to the medical tent. They were wonderful there, I really wasn't in too bad of shape.  Just low blood pressure.  I am feeling much better today.


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