I’m not one to generally back down from a challenge. In fact, I thrive on challenges. I love taking myself out of what I know and delving deep into the unknown, which is why taking part in a 10km trail run was something I needed to do.
The Steenberg Spring Trail Run
Steenberg Wine Farm hosted their annual Spring Trail Run — and, as unpredictable as Cape Town weather can be, we welcomed September with heavy rain and slippery slopes. That didn’t stop me. All the runners that took part enthusiastically pushed their way through the vineyard uphills and I thoroughly enjoyed the wine and water pitstops along the way.
The routes
The two trail options were a 5km and a 10km loop through the vineyards. I must admit, I was very confident at the start of my race, but the uphills showed me who was in charge after the first ascent.
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A trail run for a good cause
A portion of the proceeds and donations raised on the morning went towards helping the True North Vrygrond Early Childhood Development project. True North partners with pre-school principals and teachers to provide quality care to young children in the Vrygrond community located near Muizenberg.
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Steenberg’s Marketing Co-ordinator, Natalie Ferreira says: “Steenberg Vineyards is a lifestyle brand which promotes balance. We strive towards the creation of memorable experiences and aim to show our guests that we are more than just the sum of our parts. Doing all this whilst being able to make a difference in our communities is a point of pride.”
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Tips from a rookie
- Mentally prepare yourself for a trail run.
- Have the right gear, especially trail running shoes for the various terrain.
- Go easy on the uphills, and power through the downhills.
- The minute I stopped taking my running time seriously, I realised I wouldn’t enjoy the run as much so have fun!
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More trail running adventures?
I’ve come to realise that not everything is for me. I have immense respect for my colleagues at , who take on 21km and even 45km trails. Trail running is not for the faint-hearted.
