I have a massive case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) or in this case KIHMO (Knowing I Have Missed Out) that I wasn’t able to take part in the Energizer Night race this past Saturday. As this time of year goes our diaries were fuller than a Christmas stocking and we had another engagement on – an early Christmas with my fiances family.
As irony would have it – my brother and his fiance both took part – and their feedback only added to my envy. I decided to do a fun QnA with my brother John and one of the winners of the hamper Kate Els.
– Which race did you take part in?
(Kate) 10km run
(John) 10km trail run
Was this your first night race? If not which other ones have you done
(Kate) Not my first, but my furthest night race so far. I take part in the Kinetic Night Trail series once a month and will be running the 8km in December.
(John) Yes, first running race and a night trail run at that!
The entertainment lineup was diverse – who was your favourite performer?
(Kate) I loved the drummers! Code Red Drum Corps I think they were called? They were fantastic and made me bounce up and down a little in the cold wind before the race
(John) Most definitely ‘Code Red’, the drumming show. Real talent and coordination. Apart from that just watching the runners freezing their butts of in the cold waiting for the start!
*Seems we have a definite favourite here!
Would you do it again?
(Kate) Definitely, I think next year I’ll organise a big group of friends and spend more time at the venue though. And won’t be as nervous!
(John) Definitely! Can’t wait to do other trail runs as well.
Did you dress up? If so, in what?
(Kate) Ha ha no! I was far too nervous about running 10km with a headlamp on to even consider dressing up. Made sure that I had lots of reflective neon strips on my clothing though. I loved the guys dressed up in morph suits that looked like tuxedos. They were winners!
(John) No, very boring in my running clothes and Salomons.
Summarise the event in 3 words
(Kate) Energetic, fun, totally-worth-it
(John) Challenging, Rewarding, Entertaining.
Did you take part to compete or just have fun?
(Kate) A bit of both. I want to take part in a half marathon early-ish next year so I’ve started trying to improve my fitness and my 10km personal time.
(John) A bit if both, I told myself it was just to take part, but once I started I felt strong and decided to compete as best I could.
What was the toughest part?
(Kate) Trail runs are harder mostly because of the uneven ground and the winding path, making it more important to concentrate on where you’re running. But even though it makes it tougher, it also makes you a better runner and strengthens your ankles, so less chance of an injury in future!
(John) Waiting in the cold to start! Not the events fault, the weather just decided not to play the part but luckily the rain held out.
