Koppie X-ing 2017 Race Report
 
Trailing through Hospitality
 
by Fran Siebrits
 
April in the Karoo is arguably the best time of year to visit – the summer heat is settling, the winds seem to be more gentle than usual and the winter bite has not quite woken up yet. However, this massive part of South Africa has a harsh beauty for which it is renowned, and the unpredictability of the weather adds an exciting element to its reputation.
Fortunately, these two days covering 65km were generously hospitable, a theme that was extended to participants in every other way humanly possible. Welcome to the Karoo!
   
A small group of about twenty different runners from across the country, most of whom didn’t know each other, gathered to co-habit for three nights and two days. A recipe for disaster, some would say.
On the contrary, we all left with a greater sense of community and connectedness. So why did we all feel so strongly attracted to the Karoo? Apart from the beauty, it’s due to the generous and hospitable environment. And how was this environment created? It’s obvious that credit is due to the people operating this well-oiled machine! A network of family and friends work closely with Willem Avenant, race organiser, and his Karoo Running team.   
The bar was already set very high on arrival with goodie bags packed to the brim; and this standard of abundance did not flay once. It was obvious from the first meal, all lovingly sourced and prepared by Erika from Karoo Cuisine, we were not going to starve. Locally sourced veggies and greens accompanied the famous Karoo meat dishes - a Banter’s delight! Each meal was a spread of fresh decadence and even the vegetarians were treated like kings with home-made, high-protein tasty alternatives.
The mild weather allowed us to relax outside around the campfire where evenings were spent chatting and laughing. Some took the opportunity to sample the sponsored beer and wine (another massive plus on the hospitality front) not letting the next day’s distance deter them from getting a good dose of the Karoo’s night skies and kuiervuur conversation.
Although only in its second year, Willem wishes to keep this event small and intimate, with hospitality at its core. This boutique experience is laid on to encourage participants to immerse themselves in the Karoo, rather than just to race through it.
This is running hospitality at its best!

​If you can’t wait until next year for a Karoo Running experience, then don’t miss Koppie X-ing’s big brother event, Sneeuberg Traverse. These three days of trail running will take place 2-5 November 2017, covering 100km which include more technical trails crossing the iconic Sneeuberg. 
 
 
Fact Box

• Location: Murraysburg
• Distance: 65km over 2 days (1 x aide station per day)
• Technicality:  The terrain is not very technical, mainly farm roads and disused tracks – a great introduction to off-road and stage running
• Elevation gain: Stage 1 - 485m ; Stage 2 - 230m ; Total 715m
• Expected temperatures: The unpredictability of the Karoo’s weather can leave one guessing what to pack - prepare for anything between 0 and 30 degrees
• Price: R4500 (2017), includes all accommodation, meals and drinks (except for cash bar at the final night’s prize giving dinner)
• Next Koppie X-ing: dates to be confirmed but tentatively 26-28 April 2018. Entries open Sept 2018

The  weather on Sat 18 March was perfect!  We set up registration in the "bos" and soon after 14:00 the first runners started arriving and registering.

We were blessed with a diverse crowd of great people from all over the country, and would like to thank each and every one for attending.

By 15:15 we were ready for the kids' run, a highly anticipated event. The kids' course circled around the farm house, down a little koppie and through the "bos" all the way to the finish line.  It was a great hit, and Hannes Kruger took first place, even after a fall!!!
We all walked up to the start after the kiddies run, and the 12 km took off before the 5km route.

​The 12km route shared the first and last parts of the course with the 5km. The route went along the top of an earth dam wall, up the side of a koppie, and over another dam wall before getting to the 5/12 km split. Here the longer route followed the fence line through the veldt.  In the last 2 weeks "steek gras" had come out, and everyone was terrorised by the tiny, scratchy thorns from the "steek gras". Eventually the "though the veldt" section merged with jeep track, turning the route back towards the house. Just as you were comfortable on the jeep track, the route threw up its toughest challenge, and you entered a dry river bed with its walls rising up on both sides. The route went along the river bed for a large part of the run, creating a sand trap for already tired legs.
As the river bed petered out in the "vlak" there was a bit of marker to marker running, and then the route merged again with the 5km route.
This section followed jeep track for a while until it entered a field, and crossed to the river and the Poplar "bos". Once you went down into the river, you ran in a "forest" along the river on great single track, up the side of the river, over a fence and boom, then to the finish line.
Everybody finished and had a great day out.

The 5 km route was well attended with a lot of walkers as well.

After everyone was done, we had a great stretch class that was lead by Caroline Minnaar, our local Pilates teacher, introducing many people to her craft!
Then followed a social braai, and a very special drumming circle by Jaco Spies from Djembe Drumming before we all headed off to bed and a night of well deserved rest!
 
There was great competition in both distances with the following people taking positions:

12km
First to third female
1) Therina Terblance - 1hr 12min  also overall winning time shared with Willie Maree!
2) Christa Ungerer - 1hr 22min
3) Shared by 3 sisters Carin Leonard, Annélle Weppelmann, and Bianca du Preez - 1hr 28min

First to third male
1) Willie Maree - 1hr 12min
Father and son duo
2) Beaurich Groenewald - 1hr 13min
3) Ludrich Groenewald - 1hr 13min
 
 
6.3km
First male and female happened to be husband and wife!!!
First to third female
1) Danel de Villiers - 39min 41sec
2) Caroline Minnaar - 39min 47sec
3) Winnice Grobler - 45min 17sec

​First to Third Male
1) Jacques de Villiers - 34min 25sec Overall winning time
2) Wihan Scheepers - 35min 40sec
3) Heinrich Berner - 35min 56sec

Here are the full list of results - ​Results

At Koppie X-ing '17 you have to be prepared for anything, from taking a wrong turn to a runaway horse cart hurtling down the road toward you!!!

During Koppie X-ing 2016, Mariska and Marie stopped by me with their horse cart en route to a neighbouring farm, as I waited along the course to photograph some passing runners.  We chatted about everyday farm life, the weather, their horses (one was giving them problems and they were taking him back to the neighbouring farm) and the fact that there were a bunch of crazy people running across the farm they live on.  "Why would they want to run from town to the farm?" they asked.

A group of runners passed, and I told Mariska and Marie that they could cross the river (I got stuck here quite badly during marking the section), but to be mindful of the runners as there were some more on the way.

I was perched on a suspension bridge as they led the horses down the embankment, as it was too steep to ride the cart down. From atop, having many years of experience with horses, I could see things going wrong very quickly. The problematic horse was head strong and before they knew what happened, the cart lurched forward; the horse taking his chance as both women were off the cart. Leaving them behind, the horses hurtled down the embankment and through the river at full speed!!!
​
I tried raising the back-up vehicle on the radio, and reached them just in time; minutes before the runaway horse cart came hurtling down the trail at them and some of the last runners.
In the end, no people or horses were hurt, and we all lived another day to share yet another trail story!

Wednesday 2 Nov started as a great day in the Karoo! The air was filled with anticipation and excitement for all of us involved in the organising of the first ever Sneeuberg Traverse!!
The first runners started arriving in town in the early afternoon, and were shown to their respective guesthouses and left to explore the town.  By 19:00 we were almost all assembled by the show grounds enjoying some drinks, some runners meeting each other for the first time, and others, old friends reuniting! We had scrumptious snack platters prepared by Noleen Hattingh of Hattingh Safaris.

One of our entrants had a break down just before Laingsburg, and we were all waiting on eggshells, hoping that she would join us for the race. After a concerted effort of an entire small Karoo town making calls to everybody they knew, we came to the conclusion that there was going to be no lift for Barbara. However, just as we gave up hope, we remembered that the Greyhound stops at Laingsburg and she was en route shortly to Three Sisters, where we arranged for her to be picked up!
Some entrants also missed the Murraysburg turn off and the result was that the last race briefing was held behind the bar, after 11:30 that night.

Breakfast was prepared at the show ground early on the morning of 3 Nov by Chanel & Sias Bezuidenhout from the Merino Restaurant in Victoria West.  They provided the catering on the farm for the next three days.  By 6:45am, everybody had their breakfast, bags were loaded, kit was checked, and we headed off to De Dam to start the 26km first stage of the first ever Sneeuberg Traverse. We were transported from town to the start via truck by Phillippie Retief Vervoer.
By 7:45 the runners were on their way to tackle the most varied stage of the run! Stage one was a "sampler" of what you would encounter on the rest of the run. Jeep track, single track, disused jeep track, steep climbs, loose rocks, gravel, great views, etc...

The altitude and thinner air soon became apparent and suddenly everybody knew they were in the mountains.

Shortly after 11:00 the first runners started rolling in with Johan Van der Walt and Retha Jansen Van Rensburg taking first places for stage 1.
Runners were ferried via bakkie from the finish line to the tented camp we had set up at Rooipoort, owned by the Pienaar family, and runners were able to select their tents, claim their bags, and relax for the afternoon.

The rest of the day was spent in camp, resting and kuiering, getting to know each other and feasting on wholesome lasagne for lunch  (the best lasagne I have ever had), with sheep and afval pot at night, socialising with some of the locals. We tried to have the farmers on whose land we ran across each day over for dinner every night.

The 04:45 wakeup call on Friday 4 Nov came far too early, but before we knew it, breakfast was done, and everybody was back on the truck, breathing in fresh Karoo air, and singing happy birthday to Johan van der Walt in the early morning light.

Stage 2 started on single track, transitioning to jeep track, and then turning into "through the veldt running" with some extreme downhills, and one massive climb out of a valley, ending off with a 7 km straight, passing some caves and crossing a dam wall! After herding some stray runners who felt that the 36km stage was not long enough and wanted to add some distance to their day, we rolled into camp exhausted.  Johan clinched first male again for day (being his birthday and all), and Fran Siebrits (of Tuning In--Body and Mind Practices for a Healthy Lifestyle) showed her preference for technical single track, taking first place for the ladies for stage 2.

Stage 2 definitely came into its own as the most beautiful, technical and difficult stage of the entire race for the majority of the runners.

I was running/sweeping  with one goal in mind, an ice cold GRT Brewery beer waiting for me (specially placed in the freezer that morning). However, Fran had other ideas, and as I pulled into camp, we started a yoga stretch class (my first ever), and would you know it, that beer had to wait!! After the stretch session I felt so good I forgot about the beer!

The rest of day 2 was spent lazing around, and generally worrying about the final stage the next day. I could see worried faces and sore bodies scattered around camp as painful blisters had started forming on feet!

On Friday night physiotherapist Claudie Troskie worked some runners over with sports massages. Spirits were lifted as we celebrated Johan's birthday with chocolate cake and feasted on perfectly  braaied and spitted leg of lamb, socialising with the local farmers once more.

Day 3 started with a kind of excited apprehension, the feeling  of " I have done it this far, one more stage is not going to get me down", and determination showed on each and every face!

The last stage is the longest stage of the run at 39km, but not nearly as technical as the previous two.
Stage 3 started with a long haul through a valley and a massive climb up the valley to reach the top of the mountain range. Once the runners reached the top of the first climb they shifted into top gear and really moved across the mountain, knowing that half of the stage was downhill.

I waited in the back for the sweep bakkie and then jumped on the motorbike to go through the field taking pictures of each runner  as I went. I rode hard, and was only able to catch up with the leaders less than 5 km from the finish line!!

Stage three was also clinched by Johan van der Walt and Fran Siebrits , with Barbara Cole appearing from nowhere to almost beat them to the finish line of Stage 3.

Having formed relationships over the last few days we all wanted to wait for each and every runner to cheer them on as they crossed the finish line. The result was a wonderful afternoon of  cheering friends across the finish line, with lots of tears, hugs and handshakes! The knowledge and relief that they had completed a 100km stage race over one of the major mountain ranges in the Great Karoo resulted in a very happy feeling at the finish line as we all kuiered under the pear trees and swam in the waterfall. Sias and Chanel packed a great lunch and everybody ate their lunches throughout the afternoon.

We were very happy to cheer each and every runner over the finish line.  Hennie Prinsloo finished his 100th run of 2016, an amazing achievement, and Rocco Tromp finished in third place of the men, the Sneeuberg Traverse being his first ever serious trail run!!

Claudie was at the finish line for sports massages and Louis Slabbert from Toverwater was so kind as to provide us with access to showers and toilets for the runners as they finished. Phillipie and Luzane Retief brought the truck and kuiered with us for the afternoon as the runners made their way over the finish line.

Once everybody crossed the finish line we trucked it back to down, and everybody enjoyed a welcome rest at their respective guest houses.
By the time I got to the show grounds, the bar was bustling with the voices of happy trail runners. We were all so happy to be drinking out of real glassware as opposed to tin cups, that I am sure everybody was drinking more than they would have!

Our prize giving dinner was provided by Noleen Hattingh once again, and we feasted on a three course dinner, with the prize giving before dessert.
Once the formalities were over, people started retiring to their beds, for no doubt a night of well deserved rest in a proper bed.

Some of us started kuiering, I remember shots being poured, advice being doled out, laughs, and over all happiness as we kuiered well into the night with the last runners going home after 2 am.
I recall Louw saying that this was the first ever trail run where a runner came into the bar asking for a non alcoholic beer at the start of the night and was buying shots by the end of the night!! That about sums it up.

Thanks to each and every runner who made the trip to the Karoo, you guys were amazing!! Your determination, will power, love for nature, and friendliness are truly inspirational.
 
We would like to sincerely thank the following people, without you, this run would not have been possible:
 
Our amazing sponsors:
​
Our name sponsor Beaufort West Toyota for our prize money and the use of an amazing Toyota bakkie.
L'Avenir for sponsoring our wine for the goodie bags, as well as for the wine for the prize giving dinner and the amazing MCC to celebrate Hennie's 100th run of 2016.
Namaqua Wines for making Karoo Running famous for having runs with unlimited alcohol!
GRT Brewery for the craft beers in our goodie bags, and the ice cold beers at the end of stage 1.
Oasis Water Graaff Reinet, for the use of their gazebo and for sponsoring our drinking water for the entire weekend.
Buffelsfontein Baard Olie for inspiring runners to grow trail beards and providing us with "kenkiste" for the best beard.
The Owl House Backpackers for sponsoring one nights accommodation for our first male and female winners and their partners.
The Two Goats Deli for sponsoring a lunch and some beers for  our first male and female winners and their partners.
Adri Kruger from Stokkiesdraai for sponsoring handmade rustic wooden frames for the first 3 male and female winners.
 
Our service partners:
Sias and Chanel Bezuidenhout from the Merino Restaurant in Victoria West for doing all the meals during our time at the camp!! Absolutely amazing food prepared with love, nourishing both body, mind and soul!
Nonleen Hattingh for providing fantastic platters at the race briefing, serving us the delicious 3 course prize giving dinner, and providing us with a wholesome breakfast on Sunday morning at Burgershof guest house before everybody headed off again!
Fran Siebrits from Tuning In for introducing many of us to yoga stretching.
Phillipie Retief for transporting us to and from the start and finish!!!
Willem Schalk Pienaar for providing us with a site to camp, and a house to crash, and Wi-FI!!!
Willie Van den Berg for being our event doctor.
Claudie Troskie as our physio for Friday and Saturday!
 
Farmers/Land Owners
Without the very open minded and generous land owners we would not be able to have a run like this, and we would never be able to experience the absolute beauty of the Karoo!
The Cloete family from De Vlei and De Dam
The Biggs family from Leliefontein
The van Heerden family from Onderstetuin
The van den Berg family from Beeldhouersfontein and Komsplaas
The Pienaar family from Rooipoort
The Krugel  family from Ringsfontein
The Corti family and Louis Slabbert from Hoeksplaas and Toverwater
 
Family and friends:
Paul and Jeanette Avenant for manning the aid stations, running the " to order tuck shop", driving around in the middle of the night, and always being there when we needed something.
Naude Avenant and Chrisna Smith for helping at camp, breaking up camp, and helping at the finish line.
John and Renée Swanepoel for ferrying runners from the finish line to camp, as well as sweeping in their 4x4.
Frans Retief for providing our radios.
Louw Kruger for running the bar and sitting up with us till the wee hours of the morning despite having a newborn at home (thanks for lending him to us Adri Kruger)
Louis Slabbert for providing showers at the finish as well as helping us with 2 flat tyres high up in the mountains!
Marion Siebrits for always being ready with what we needed, even before we realised we needed it, for making ice cold Coke appear from thin air, and for being able to conjure up a cup of tea or coffee no matter where in the wilderness we were!!!
 
 
 
 
 

​Name:  Hennie Prinsloo
Occupation:  Managing Director: Konica Minolta Dealer

Date of birth: 3 February 1955
Hometown: Centurion

Latest achievements: 
In my younger days: 5 silver medals in 11 Comrades marathons.  Best marathon of 2 hours and 39 minutes.
Latest:  Completed 99 races since January 2016.  The J-Bay X trail run was a unique concept.  Completed 3 individual 20km trail runs, all starting 12 hours apart.  The 60km over 24 hours really test the “mettle” and endurance of all participants.  My medal is a proud item on my shelf.
Sponsors: Venditor Konica Minolta


Firstly, thank you for taking the time out to share a bit of yourself with us, we really appreciate it
 
Karoo Running (KR) - What is it that you love about trail running?
Being out in nature is proven to make you happier.  It’s science running on soft surfaces like dirt, which is so good for your joints and less stress on your body.  You get to escape. No cars, no street lights or buildings.  It’s always like a mini vacation.

KR - How did you become a trail runner?
In Gauteng operates a person called “Shane Gouldie”.  He was stuck in a running rut, bored by his neighbourhood routes and believed it might be time to leave the road behind and head to the trails. I first got started with trail running when I saw Shane’s website called “trailadventure.co.za”. That was the “kick start” that I needed.
 
KR - What is your favorite trail?
To run in the Karoo.  In the Karoo you will have the privilege of running through the most amazing landscape with people that have never seen the Karoo landscape before. There is no better way to experience nature than by running through it. The friendly people in the Karoo tend to lead happier lives, because they are down to earth, approachable and welcoming. Karoo people make visitors more confident in themselves.
 
KR - What are your recommendations for trail running beginners?
·         Get the right footwear. Look for a shoe that has a good solid tread.
·         Get the right kit. The challenging days are always the ones you remember the most.
·         Don’t just jump straight into trying to run across hills and mountains if you haven’t done it                   before.
·         Use trail running as an adventurous way of exploring the outdoors.
 
KR - What is your favorite trail running gear? (ex: Shoes, Hydration pack, headlamp, socks)
·         Packable waterproof jacket that is water repellent fabric so it keeps you dry.
·         GPS system to track your progress.
·         Gaiters to cover your shoes and stop little stones getting into them.
·         A running cap keeps your eyes and face protected so you can stay focused on the route.

KR - What is an average day of trail running for you?
Stay on the marked trails and run through puddles, not around them (making the trail wider), leave no trace, and don’t litter.

KR - What is your longest distance you have done in a trail?
The Karoo Koppie X-ing stage race over 65km.  Not far behind is the JBayX in Jefferys Bay. To run 3 x 20km every 12 hours, is really challenging.

KR - How much do you eat when you are training?
I am a 100% banting supporter. A low-carb, high fat and a moderate amount of protein along with non-starchy vegetables, ares always my favourite.

KR - What do you take with you on your long runs? (ex: gels, fruits, snacks, salt tabs)
No one will believe what my favourite energy source is on long runs:
·         Purity pouches: Pureed baby food in convenient pouches. My favourite is the “vanilla                             custard and prune” flavours.
·         Squish: Puree for babies. Favourite flavour: Summer Berry.
          The big advantage: Approximately only R7.00 per purity pouch.
·         Some marketing for Woolworths: A few of their fruity twisters is always a must in your                           backpack. (Approximately only R5.00 each.)
 
 
KR- Do you have a favourite running app? If so, which one and why?
Shane Gouldie’s “trailadventure” and his facebook page always promote adventurous trail running events.  “karoorunning.com” is also creating some challenges.

KR- Have you ever been to the Karoo?
Many times as a visitor, but only at a single occastion as a trail runner.  The Koppie X-ing in 2016 was one of the golden moments in my life.

KR - When you hear the word "Karoo", what is the first thing that come to mind, other than wide open arid space?
The Karoo is the home of peace and tranquillity where you can recharge your batteries, while exploring the wide open plains dotted with hills.
 
KR - Thank you very much for sharing your time, experience and knowledge with us, we truly appreciate it, and hope to see you on some Karoo trails soon.

The friendly folks over at SPOT Africa offered me a Gen 3 unit to play with for a month. I only recently became aware of this neat device, mainly through Ryno Griesel's tweets and secondly after one of the runners at Koppie X-ing 2016 had one, and set me up as the emergency contact person.
During the run I had a chance to chat with him about the device, and was very impressed with what I heard. Shortly afterward, I received an email from SPOT, and here I am writing this review!

For those of you not familiar with SPOT, in short, it is a small GPS tracking device, which can track your outdoor excursions. Most people's reaction to that is: "… and so? My phone can do that as well.” So can mine; there are many great apps out there that can use your phone as a GPS tracker. BUT, what makes the SPOT different is that it has the capability of letting people (family, friends, etc…) know that you are OK or in trouble with the push of a button.

You set up your account with contact details (phone number and/or email) and then when you press the relevant button, the designated people get an SMS or email with a custom message (you set up the message in the device setup) stating your coordinates.  This, together with the web interface, makes it possible for anybody who has the link to follow your SPOT tracking URL.  That makes this device revolutionary, and pretty handy, especially for me as I spend a lot of time in the mountains without cell signal. Now I can check in once a day, send a message if I am in trouble, or my family and friends can just check where I am at any moment on the internet.

Another cool thing about SPOT is that it is revolutionising non-spectator sports, as you can now watch people climb Everest, or just see how your friend is doing in a local trail run.

First impressions:
Seeing the SPOT for the first time, only one word comes to mind: ADVENTURE. It's pretty kickass and if you see one, and if you are an avid outdoorsman who goes into the wilderness often, you will definitely want one!

Set up:
The set-up of the device was really very easy, and pretty much plug 'n play.  I did have to download a little program onto my laptop, but the rest was a seamless interface on the SPOT website.

Use:
The device is very easy to use, but you need to read the manual first.  It took me quite a while to work out the functions, and I was only successful once I read the manual.  However, if I had read the manual first, it would have been super easy.
There are several functions. Two buttons (Check-in/OK and Custom) allow you to send customised messages to pre-designated email addresses and phone numbers.

​Then there are two "emergency" buttons. One is Helping Hand, used for emergencies, in the same way as the other two buttons. You set up a message and designate certain people to receive it when you push the button, e.g. "I am in trouble, please come and help"! This message, as well as the custom messages, is accompanied by your GPS coordinates.
Then there is the SOS button, reserved for life-threatening situations where you need fast/immediate evacuation. This button should only be used for critical, life-threatening emergencies as it sends a message to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). Depending on what plan you have with SPOT, pushing this button could result in you having to pay for mobilisation of emergency services.

Lastly there is the tracking function. When you press the tracking button, the unit sends waypoints to the web interface and people with the tracking URL can follow you on your adventure.  This feature I used more than any of the others.  You can also then go back and check out your route on the map when you get home.

​GPS signal:
Obtaining a GPS signal with this baby is really amazing.  I feel this is pretty much what you pay for. It quickly locks onto a signal with the satellite as soon as you switch it on. When I first switched on the device I was in a double story house in Cape Town, and I was convinced it would not pick up the satellite. However, as soon as I switched it on it locked onto the satellite.  The result is that even though the manufacturer suggests you mount the SPOT outside on your pack with a clear view of the sky, I am happy carrying the device inside my pack.
There is no doubt that it works better outside your pack, but it worked well in the top of my pack, with the logo facing up.
In all of my tests over the month, only once did a message not go through, which I thought was pretty impressive. In the user manual the manufacturer does warn you that some messages might not go through.

Battery life:
I am very impressed by how light the unit is on batteries. I set my device to ping every 4.5 min, I am sure the more often it pings the heavier it will be on batteries. It uses 4 x AAA batteries and you can only use Lithium or NiMH rechargeable. Pick n Pay had Lithium batteries but they were quite expensive (R80 for 2).
The device can also be powered by USB cable from a 5V stream.  I used my Amped battery pack for longer trips, to conserve the batteries and it worked great.  Note that if you have the USB port open, the device is not rated as waterproof, and if you have rechargeable batteries the battery pack WON’T charge the batteries, it will only power the device.

Social media integration:
The social media integration feature is new to the Gen 3 and really useful. You simply link your account to Twitter or Facebook or both. On Facebook you can post to your wall or to a page you manage (not both though).
Although it's a nice feature, I think SPOT can invest some more in this feature. The device posted to Twitter like clockwork, but sometimes it did not post to my Facebook wall.
Furthermore, the interface says that the OK/Check-in button links to your social media. However, when you use the other button (Custom SMS), it also posts to social media.  I found the function to disable this, but it kept on occurring.

​In conclusion:
I had the SPOT Gen 3 device for just under a month and I loved it. I used it for reccing large parts of the Sneeuberg Traverse, and everybody who had a link to the tracking URL could watch where I was. I could let friends and family know I was safe, and I could post updates to Facebook and Twitter.
The SPOT changed how I approach outdoor activities, especially those that take me away from my loved ones for extended periods of time, as I had the peace of mind they always knew where I was, and that if I did get into any trouble, I could summon help at the push of a button.
SPOT is revolutionising the adventure sport and outdoor activity market, and will become an integral part of turning traditional solo sports into spectator sports.

Do you struggle to get up for training when it’s dark and freezing outside?

The other morning I was lying in my bed awake at 4:30. For a winter morning in the Karoo it is pretty much still the middle of the night. On this particular morning, it was the coldest morning of the winter so far.  It was literally freezing outside, with the coldest part of the day being just before sunrise, and temperatures dropping to below minus 10 degrees Celsius not being uncommon in winter.

In that moment I decided to rely on social media for motivation, and sure enough, within a few minutes, I had enough motivation to force me out of bed!

So here are the top tips I received:

Lorraine Boshoff from Gauteng, emphasized how important it is to have all your gear laid out and ready so that you can go from opening your eyes, to getting out of bed to getting on your gear. Another great tip she had, which is something I used to do (and will be doing from now on) is to place your alarm on the oooother side of the room, to make sure you have to get up to switch it off.

Paola Vignani from Montague reiterated the "early morning gear set up" and reminded me that our winters are relatively short compared to Italy, where she is from.  However, I am sure they have central heating in Italy. My room is often pretty much as cold as it is outside, due to the construction of old Karoo houses, and the complete lack of insulation. Another great point Paola made was the fact that getting used to the morning cold is in fact great for preparation when one needs to start a race early. 

Paul Murphy from Cape Town & Colin van den Bergh from Durban reminded me of the old classic, sleeping in your running clothes. Back in the day when I was at hostel, we used to grab an extra few minutes of sleep in the morning by risking the wrath of our "koshuis vader" by sleeping in our school uniforms and then getting up only to go straight to breakfast. 

Cherona Vlok from Wellington, advised me to get a running buddy, and I have to confess, the best training I have ever done, was with a running buddy.  I could not lie in bed knowing that someone else is waiting for me in the cold, thus, we both were always up and ready to run by 5am, come rain or shine. In the absence of a running buddy, Cherona also mentioned that you can get your partner to kick you out of bed (literally, if need be) as long as they promise to prepare breakfast for you!

Justin de Klerk made me realise that we have to be mindful of where we are, often times, just where you are could be enough reason/motivation to get you up and on the trail, knowing that you are fortunate to be in that specific situation.

There were also loads of people focusing on the mental aspect of just having the mental power/strength to "just do it", "why we run", "you are the only one that can stop you", etc…, and I took it all to heart.  The best one was from Marc Meadon from Pretoria with an old saying "Beautiful bodies are made in winter."

But the one thing that was suggested most, was COFFEE, by a mile. One thing I have learned is that trail runners are coffee drinkers, big time, luckily so am I!

With this repertoire of tips and tricks, there is no excuse for not being able to get up and go for an early morning run! Thanks everybody for all the great advice.