At 30km I decided that since I had already qualified for the Comrades, and in essence was only using this marathon as a training run (ok and perhaps I was feeling very ill and was hoping my heart wouldn't pound out of my chest to land in an unsightly mess on the road), that it was far enough and I wasn't actually going to manage another step!

Being in the West Coast National Park with restricted access to the public, I thought I was in for a long wait for a ride to the end of the race in Langebaan. Luckily for me, that thought was still leaving my head when a car pulled up and I took my chance, approaching the stranger I asked (quite obnoxiously now that I think back), if he could please turn around and take me back to the gate where, after using his cell phone to call my friends, they would come and fetch me.

He obliged, letting me slump (rather dejectedly and trying my best not to let my quivering bottom lip turn into a full-blown boo hoo) into his heated leather seats (also, I had just run 30km, so sweat is natural in this regard). Not only did he take me back to the park gate, but all the way back to Langebaan (Cobus, I am eternally grateful) to where my friends were waiting.

I learned some pretty important things from this race:

Lesson 1: Listen to your body when it is shouting NO! (Don't just turn up the music)
Lesson 2: Don't be shy to ask for help when you need it (thanks again Cobus)
Lesson 3: NEVER, under any circumstance, run when you are not well
Lesson 4: Don't lie about how you are feeling, just to avoid flack from your friends.

Comrades here I still come, a little humbled by my restrictions but grateful that I did listen – eventually...