Two Oceans – Two Perspectives

This past weekend, the two of us ran the Two Oceans half-marathon, so we decided to share our experience from our respective points of view.

Here we go!

Shinell:

This past weekend, I had the amazing privilege of running the Two Oceans Half Marathon. I had been preparing for it for quite some time, but four weeks before the race, I had to stop abruptly due to an injury. Against the odds, we rehabbed and got me to a point where I could at least be part of the race and not on the sidelines. I had to let go of my goal and my expectations and just enjoy the ride. And boy, did I ever.

I just wanted to finish with no injuries and have fun. I cheered for other runners, encouraged those struggling up the hills, and even pulled one lady over the finish line.

I smiled a lot. And in the end, I exceeded my expectations.

While I was running, there was a gentleman behind me complaining about everything. I don’t know who the lady was he was running with, but she said to him, “Focus on the donut, not the hole.”

I thought this was so profound. Because in life, much like in a race, we tend to focus on everything that is not going as planned. We get flustered by traffic, deadlines, and other curveballs, and they become the only things we see. It was at that exact moment that I was filled with gratitude for the opportunity to experience the race. I could have been focusing on the hole — the fact that I couldn’t go full steam, or that I wasn’t able to train as I wanted over the last few weeks, or even comparing myself to other people’s race plans. Or the fact that we almost got dropped off at the aquarium instead of the race (this would have completely freaked me out a few years ago — growth does happen). But instead, I chose to focus on the donut: I got to run, I learned a lot about myself, I got to spend time with two of my closest friends, I got to know some people a lot better, and man, did we share many laughs.

At the end of it all, I think every person had a different experience this weekend, even though we were all running the same hills. Every person who showed up conquered something. May we take the lesson: realise that the people living in our world are all experiencing life in their own unique way. Take perspective, have grace, don’t take yourself or life too seriously — nobody is getting out of it alive.

PJ:

The Two Oceans is one of my favourite races. Although it takes place on my doorstep, it always creates a sense of occasion. I have participated every year since 2022, completing one Ultra and now my fourth half-marathon.

This year, because of work commitments, I ended up flying back to Cape Town the day before the race, which made it feel like even more of an event. I was excited to run alongside Shinell (something I’ve wanted us to do for a long time) and a bunch of friends who would be travelling down for the event.

Compared to the previous five years, my race schedule has been quiet in 2026. I have been training, but not to the level of previous years. I had a rather optimistic goal time in mind to finish this race, hoping that everything would click on the day. I was on target for the first half of the race, knowing that the big hill was waiting at 11 kilometres. How you navigate Southern Cross Road has a big influence on the final 40% of the race. Things got serious when I hit the hill, and I started to realise that I was not going to be able to stick to my goal pace. This was not the day for a personal best time.

I had to dig deep, quieting the critical voice that threatened to spoil the experience for me. In the end, I finished the race in a respectable (yet disappointing) time for me. It took me a couple of minutes of coaching myself to remember to stay present and be grateful for the opportunity and ability to run in such a fun race. I am healthy, it was a beautiful day, and I got to spend plenty of time with Shinell and other wonderful people I don’t get to see that often. My ego was a bit tender, but I still had a big smile and a grateful heart.

Honestly, it was a bit stupid to expect a fast time when my preparation was not exceptional. It was a reminder to check my ego and put in the work. Next year, I will be better prepared and give it another go.

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