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Forced to the summitFrom Nick Taylor in Cape Town
February 09, 2007 11:00am
WESTERN Force strength and conditioning coach Haydn Masters found a unique way of conquering his fear of heights - running up Cape Town's 1085m high Table Mountain.
And in the process he beat Force players Matt Hodgson, Digby Ioane and AJ Whalley and , academy members Garth Ziegler and Ryan Tyrrell.
The challenge was thrown down three years ago when members of the NSW Waratahs ran to the top - and the Force boys made their times look like they had been out for a pleasant Sunday stroll.
They ran, scrambled and crawled to the top on the zig-zag path that runs up and around the mountain for about 2km.
"It was a life experience,'' Masters said after reaching the top on Thursday afternoon.
"I've never done anything like that before and it's going to be a few years before I do it again.
"Mate, I'm scared of heights!
"There was anxiety going up, I did it, but it was a matter of willpower at the end.
"It started as a run but it didn't last and it became a dead set hard slog.
"It was a rock path that was six inches deep in stones at times.
"It was hard yakka. You were on your hands and knees pulling on rocks.
"It was like climbing a ladder."
For the record, Masters got to the top in 39 minutes 55 seconds, 20 seconds ahead of Hodgson.
The Tahs only managed times in the mid-40s.
So how did Masters beat the very players he conditions?
"I'm 20 kilos lighter than those guys and they are not training for continually running.
"There's a lot of stop-start in a game of rugby whereas I'll get on a treadmill or a bike and go for 20 or 30 minutes.''
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!! 
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Originally Posted by Burgs
top during the Waratahs v Force match!!!!
