~ musings and meanderings

  about all things trail ~

Rockhoppin’ Trail

about Linda Doke

Three decades (plus) of ultra-distance running began with a chunk of years on tar (incl 10 Comrades, 16 Two Oceans) and followed with more than 25 years of trail, racing through canyons, on beaches, deserts, islands, glaciers, salt flats, over mountains, escarpments and peaks. Nine years ago I began coaching, passing on the ultra-running lessons I’ve learned to help others seeking to reach beyond their comfort zones discover their full potential.

Namib Desert Challenge 2011 race report

Namib Desert Challenge 2011 race report

The Namib Desert Challenge: five days and 220km of running across sections of the oldest desert on the planet. The race is tough (self-sufficient per day), long (average distance each day 44km), gruelling (the highest dune in the world was saved for Day 5) and...

Namibia, horizons of green desert

Namibia, horizons of green desert

Time to sneak in a non-running-related blog post. Just because I can 🙂 Back home after two fantastic weeks – the first spent running an average of a marathon a day for five days, and the second doing so little that I’d have made a sloth look energetic. Cape Town and...

Catching my breath after NDC

Catching my breath after NDC

What a special week: running 220km through the Namib Desert in the land of big skies, vast horizons, towering dunes, canyons, and mile upon mile of now grassland bursting with life, and sleeping each night under star-studded skies illuminated by electric storms....

tick tock… tick tock…

tick tock… tick tock…

Just 23 hours and counting before we hit the desert start line. I’m sitting in Cape Town International with a while til I board the plane, so keeping the Vida guys busy as I load up with enough quality latte’s to see me through the next five days. Anyone keen to set...

taper time

taper time

Today began the 7-day countdown to the Namib Desert Challenge. That’s certainly frightening enough to shake off my blogger’s block and get me posting again. (It’s all the running I’ve been doing, y’see, that’s kept me away from my screen. Well, at least that’s my...

slogging the desert for Solomon’s Haven

slogging the desert for Solomon’s Haven

I've run many miles over massive mountains, next to picturesque lakes, across glacial moraines, through forests and grasslands, along stretches of exquisite coastline, through day and night. Now it's time to put my endurance to the real test by taking on a desert run....

Bruce hits the Peak

Bruce hits the Peak

 No runner ever needs an excuse to run Chapman's Peak Drive – it’s there, that’s reason enough. Runners from the Republic of Hout Bay (Noordhoek too, of course, but I’m biased) have one of the most scenic roads in the world on their doorstep – it’s just minutes...

An exercise in horses for courses

An exercise in horses for courses

Yesterday morning involved exercise – or better put, AN exercise. Said exercise not only involved a vigorous workout (which, of course, it would have to in order to earn the acclaimed term of exercise), but also an experiment. Subject of said experiment: me. Aim...

get ready for a HOT 2011!

get ready for a HOT 2011!

It’s a strange phenomenon, New Year. In our culture we’re programmed to see it as a new start, a time to reflect, look ahead and set goals for the next 12 months. And yet Jan 1st is really no different from any other of the 364 days in our western calendar. Logically...

delayed update on C2K

delayed update on C2K

The start line of Coast to Kosci 2010 Apologies: delayed Rockhoppin’ update on the C2K due to festive season slow-down 🙂 Marie achieved her third Coast to Kosci, finishing as 4th woman and 11th overall in a blistering time of 37:28. Seven of the 38 competitors...

~ explore a world of trails ~

Testimonials