November

[Sweder]

It gets light early in Cape Town.
I set my alarm for 6:45 am, leapt out of bed at the appointed hour and gazed, horrified, at a fully risen, blazing sun. Oh well . . .

The Hotel provided a 'Map for Joggers', offering 3 routes.
The first 4k out 4k back. This would have been ideal for a 'loosener'; but the start point was not, strangely, at the hotel, but rather several kliks up the road (and up the hill) towards Table Mountain.
The second, a 7k out 7k back hilly ramble along Table Mountains' skirts also started some miles away, so I plumped for run number three; the coastal path.

Through the Waterfront, Cape Towns' maze of bars, bistros and shops, and onto the coast road proper, this route offered a pleasant sea level plod without undue undulation. A stiff, cool breeze blew from the east, offering a little resistance and essential relief from the rising temperature.

I ran slowly, taking in the fabulous sight of rollers breaking on the rocky shore, glancing inland to wonder at the monsterous mass of Table Mountain and Devils' Peak. I should very much like to take on the Table Mountain route, but based on my run today I'll have to leave at around 6 am to beat the heat.

At 7k I turned, grateful for the breeze helping me home. Nigel speaks in his Brighton report about how the wind rarely seems to help, but it did today, if only as a coolant. I felt better on the homeward leg, the rust and ache from yesterdays 12 hour flight starting to drop away.

14k round trip, my longest run for several months. An hour and a half banked, and I'm looking forward to more Cape Town capers in the week.