In less than six hours now, the clock will start and the record will be in progress. No telling what will happen between now and then, but I'm feeling pretty good right now. We've had great weather here in Soweto, and it's looking like a great day for a run tomorrow.
Yesterday was a lazy day--it felt good, after constant motion for the last 3 months. After a short run, I headed out to find the race venue and ended up driving around the Soweto area for quite a while before getting there. After picking up my number and shirt, I stopped back by the registration table and found my old friends,
Jan and Irene vanEeden. In 2007, I stayed with them in Port Elizabeth when I ran there. They're here to do the timing for this race.
Last night was also a good time to catch up on some reading while a big thunderstorm blew over. Then I walked down to the corner for some supper and picked up a six-pack of Castle Milk Stout, and hung out in the lobby working on my computer and enjoying a couple of beers. There is a group of runners from Port Elizabeth staying here at the hotel, and when they came in Lenneth and Vernon both stopped and had a beer with me.
Today was a great tour of Johannesburg and Soweto via mini-bus with three other guys. Very educational. The country of South Africa has undergone MANY changes just in my lifetime--from the eviction of all the blacks from J'berg into the SOuth WEst TOwnship (SOWETO), to the end of Apartheid, now the people of South Africa are enjoying more freedom and education than ever before. People here seem to want to advance themselves even more, treasuring education and hard work.
The area is also rich in gold reserves and diamonds. In fact, the big bluff behind Nasrec Center is actually the processed tailings from the gold mines that has been piled up over the decades. From a distance it looks like a mountain.
Relaxing tonight, getting up about 4:00 a.m. to head down to the race. Gun time is at 6:00 a.m.
Yesterday was a lazy day--it felt good, after constant motion for the last 3 months. After a short run, I headed out to find the race venue and ended up driving around the Soweto area for quite a while before getting there. After picking up my number and shirt, I stopped back by the registration table and found my old friends,
Jan and Irene vanEeden. In 2007, I stayed with them in Port Elizabeth when I ran there. They're here to do the timing for this race.
Last night was also a good time to catch up on some reading while a big thunderstorm blew over. Then I walked down to the corner for some supper and picked up a six-pack of Castle Milk Stout, and hung out in the lobby working on my computer and enjoying a couple of beers. There is a group of runners from Port Elizabeth staying here at the hotel, and when they came in Lenneth and Vernon both stopped and had a beer with me.
Today was a great tour of Johannesburg and Soweto via mini-bus with three other guys. Very educational. The country of South Africa has undergone MANY changes just in my lifetime--from the eviction of all the blacks from J'berg into the SOuth WEst TOwnship (SOWETO), to the end of Apartheid, now the people of South Africa are enjoying more freedom and education than ever before. People here seem to want to advance themselves even more, treasuring education and hard work.
The area is also rich in gold reserves and diamonds. In fact, the big bluff behind Nasrec Center is actually the processed tailings from the gold mines that has been piled up over the decades. From a distance it looks like a mountain.
Relaxing tonight, getting up about 4:00 a.m. to head down to the race. Gun time is at 6:00 a.m.
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