Author: Modern Athlete

Having
just recently run the Two Oceans and then facing 20 hours of flying to get to
Boston, Chris and I knew that we weren’t going to be in tip-top form, so we
decided to soak up the experience and have the time of our lives. We got to
Boston on 12 April, did some sightseeing and commented a few times about what a
safe and beautiful place it was… The registration and Expo were unbelievable
and we were like two kids in a candy store. We also took a bus tour of the
route, and I must say that their much-feared “Heartbreak Hill” has nothing on
our Chappies or Fields Hill!

 

Race
day arrived on Monday 15 April, Patriots’ Day in the USA, but also known as
Marathon Monday in Boston. Our day began with an early bus trip from Boston to
the start, where we waited for three hours in the athletes’ village and
marveled again at the safety and security as Americans packed their phones and
wallets in their post-race, pick-up tog bags. Being from South Africa, we
didn’t even consider this – and arrived in black plastic bin bags!

 

TRAGEDY STIKES

I
was just 500m from the finish line when a barrier was suddenly placed across
the road to prevent runners going through. I had heard a loud bang just before,
but there was a lot of noise from the crowd, so it didn’t register that anything
was wrong. I just thought maybe they were allowing traffic through for some
reason. Minutes later an official announced that there had been an explosion
and that we should wait until further announcements as to how we could finish.

 

We
stood there for about 45 minutes and runners were using their phones to call
loved ones waiting for them. Many were worried about people waiting at the
finish. I quelled my own anxiety by trying to reassure others – I also think
that living in South Africa sadly creates resilience, as most of us have been
touched directly by violence. I was nevertheless very worried about Chris. He
should have finished about an hour before and the plan was that he would wait
for me at our hotel about 1.5km from the finish. I just hoped that he had not
decided to wait at the finish after all.

 

A HELPING HAND

In
the meantime the people of Boston gave us water, food and plastic bags to keep
warm. One very kind woman just gave me the coat off her back! Eventually the race
was abandoned and we were directed to leave the course, so I made my way on
foot back to our hotel. It was the longest walk of my life, as I still had no
idea about Chris. In the meantime, he was in the hotel, oblivious to what had
happened, until he turned on the TV. He reckons it was the longest few hours of
his life as he waited for news of me!

 

Not
finishing was extremely disappointing, but this was far outweighed by the joy
of knowing that we were both safe. Events like this make you take stock and
redefine what is important. We are both still shocked and sad,
but we are determined to return to Boston and show that a small number of
cowards can’t defeat the spirit of the runners and the good people of Boston.

The last
30km of Comrades 2012 was no fun for Zola Budd Pieterse. At the marathon mark her mind went blank
when she realised she had already run a marathon but was not even halfway yet!
And from the 60km mark she was in pain and found it hard to believe that there
were still some 30km left of this race that thousands choose to run each year!
Zola did finish, alongside running friend and mentor, Bruce Fordyce, and
although she swore to herself many times during the race that she would never
run it again, she crossed the finish line knowing she would be back. “I
finished the race and told myself I could do better!”

 

Now Zola is
back to tackle Comrades 2013, but is humble in her expectations and says she
just wants to finish. “That is my first goal. If I feel OK at the 60km mark I
will try to run faster than last year. And that will be great! I would be very
grateful for a silver medal, but it is not the main aim.”

 

At the
recent Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, Zola crossed the line in a
respectable 1:24 and says she was pleased with the result, especially
considering she only arrived in SA the week before and then worked three full
days at the expo. Her training for Oceans was all Comrades-based, which meant
she was not sharp or race fit, just covering the distance, she says. “I would
love to run the Oceans Half again and see if I can run faster than this year! I
would also like to do the ultra, maybe in three years when I am 50. I can’t
wait for my new age group.”

 

LIFE IN THE USA

Zola, her
husband and their three teenagers have been based in the USA for the last five
years. They initially moved to Myrtle Beach so Zola could compete on the
Masters Athletics circuit. “Now the kids are in high school and we don’t want
them to change schools again. It will depend on their education when we move
back to South Africa,” says Zola. She visits South Africa four times a year as
promoter of Newton Running Shoes. “I miss South Africa a lot, especially our
running community. And I really miss running with friends and in Bloemfontein
on the farm roads.”

 

Zola still
tackles her beloved cross-country races in the USA and loves racing 5km
distances. “There are loads of 5km races over there. My favourite was the Foot
Locker cross-country race last year. I won my age group in 17:30,” says Zola,
who in 1983 clocked 8:39.00 for 3 000m before breaking the 5 000m world record
in 1984. She represented Great Britain at the Los Angeles Olympics and went on
also win two World Cross-Country Champs titles.

 

THE ‘BIG C’

Zola admits
that she never thought she would be tackling the 90km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg,
let alone running it a second time. “Comrades challenges your normal day-to-day
existence and it makes you feel part of something bigger. I think all Comrades
runners have to be a bit crazy, because you have to rationalise why you are
doing it, and craziness is the closest or best answer I can find.”

 

This year
she is definitely in better shape physically, having done more long runs and
track workouts, and also emotionally. “I think the most important factor in Comrades
is how fresh and injury-free you can get to the start. You need to look forward
to running it and not dread it.” She adds that she still turns to Bruce for
training advice, but with all the travelling she does it has been difficult for
her to follow a set programme. “I have a general guideline and then apply it to
my day-to-day circumstances.” The former barefoot starlet also hopes the Up Run
will suit her better than the Down Run. “I have never liked running down hill. If
you are tired going down hill you can’t really walk, but uphill it is easy to
walk!”

 

THE ROAD AHEAD

She is not
sure that she will be running Comrades every year, but she would like to do it
again when she turns 50. “I think people run Comrades because it adds meaning
to their lives. You are not just a runner, but a Comrades runner. It is a
challenge on a physical level, but even more on an emotional and spiritual
level.  It also makes you part of
something bigger than yourself, and bigger than just a race.” She is also considering
tackling a Half Ironman race this year in the USA and Ironman next year. “I
believe you have to keep challenging yourself!”

A year ago, Ludwick crossed the Comrades finish line first in
5:31:03, sparking huge celebrations in his Limpopo
hometown. Then the news broke that his A sample had tested positive for
methylhexaneamine, and a while later confirmation came that his B sample was
also positive, which resulted in a huge knock to his reputation and a loss of lucrative
sponsorship deals. Now, a much-delayed
inquiry has found multiple irregularities in the testing process and cleared
Ludwick of all charges, and at the beginning of May he was finally
awarded his winner’s medal and trophy by the Comrades Marathon Association.

 

Now he says he now hopes for a better future
in the sport he loves. “It was a very low moment going through these
allegations,” says Ludwick. “I had to allow the law to take its course. Maybe
it was God’s will, but I knew of my innocence from the beginning. I won fairly.”
He adds that he knew he would have to fight for his name to be cleared: “I
walked a dark road, but I always felt that positive things would eventually
come.”

 

Cleared to
compete again, when asked if he fears being watched and doubted, Ludwick
remains positive. “People can judge. I know the truth and that I ran fairly,
doing what I love best. There is always hope after a storm and now I’m on top
of the world!” And for Ludwick, there is no better response than going into competition
harder than before.

 

NEED TO EDUCATE

Ludwick continues
to stand by his ‘work-hard-to-get-ahead’ philosophy and feels that the
drug-testing irregularities found in his case is a definite wake-up call for
South African athletes. “It’s an eye-opener to the procedures, and we need to
educate athletes,” he says. “And as athletes, we need to take responsibility.
We need to ask ASA what they’re doing. Some of the top athletes in this country
don’t know what’s happening when they cross that finish.” He uses a very
powerful image of a climber trying to climb Kilimanjaro without the tools to do
so, when describing the knowledge the average SA runner has: “One can be very
talented, but then one doesn’t know about the processes involved in testing,”
he says.

 

For an
athlete who has avoided alcohol and smoking throughout his career, the doping tests
were indeed a mountain to climb. While suspended and trying to clear his name,
the champ still turned to running to help him cope, despite the media circus over
the last few months. At home in his village in Ga-mamabolo, Polokwane,
Ludwick’s loving wife, Loreto, as well as his friends and the community all stood
by his side. “For months I could not provide for my family, so we took a knock,
but we survived,” he explains. “Running just made me happy at that point, and
it helped me get rid of my stress.”

 

That saw
him return to fulltime running late last year, and early in the New Year he came
back to Gauteng
and joined Bedfordview Athletic Club. “They took me in as their son,” says
Ludwick. “I was lost and they accepted me, despite the dark cloud that followed
me. It gave me more strength after the criticism out there.”

 

COMRADES AND BEYOND

Now the
champs says the 2013 Comrades is his priority, and the Big C will always be his
main focus. “The race is a privilege for any athlete, it’s the nation’s and
world’s ultimate, and something every South African should honour.” He’s eyeing
another top finish this year and has spent a few weeks in KwaZulu-Natal restudying the route. For now
he is remaining tight-lipped about where he wants to be in the next few years,
simply putting it this way: “I’ll always be back and grow stronger!”

RULING SUMMARY

Here are
just a few of the points in the inquiry findings that saw the doping charges against
Ludwick dropped:

?        
There
was an absence of control over the Doping Control Station (where samples were
taken), regarding who entered it and the reasons for athletes leaving and
returning.

?        
The circumstances of the sample collection process were found to be such
as “to cause some doubt to be placed on whether or not the samples that were
tested were in fact those of Mr Mamabolo.”

?        
The panel found a
“remarkable lack of concern for the need to record precisely what happened or
the rationale for the documentation and information required.”

?        
Mr Mamabolo was described as “a patently honest witness.” By contrast,
the credibility of three SAIDS witnesses was called into question.

Vanessa’s competitive edge was challenged
when she was invited to run the Otter African Trail Marathon in 2011. She had always
wanted to hike the Otter Trail, so she jumped at the chance. “I had never run a
marathon before, only a half marathon, so I trained very hard and luckily had a
great coach… The ‘Sandman’ himself!” says Vanessa. “I cannot describe how much
I enjoyed the race. It was so tough, but it’s the most beautiful trail I have
ever run on, and 7:08 seemed like a very long time to me, but apparently it was
a great time.” And not many people can say they grabbed a 12^th
position in their very first marathon.

 

BRAVERY TO BEAUTY

In Vanessa’s earlier years she says
she was painfully shy and a very awkward teenager. Her mother thought modelling
and finishing school would help Vanessa gain confidence, and by the age of 22
she had become a beauty queen, strutting her stuff at Sun City as a Miss South
Africa finalist. Thereafter, her modelling and acting career took off and she
travelled all over the world for work. “It was a very exciting time in my life.
I’ve always loved entertaining and it’s in my blood. I feel most comfortable in
front of the camera,” says Vanessa. “However, the film and television industry
is also a very difficult one, as the work comes and goes, and sometimes it can
be a little soul-destroying, as I’m sure all actors will agree with me. So I
wanted to be involved with something more positive and something I had more
control over. I believe what I put in, I will get out.”

 

That is why Vanessa chose to pursue
her sporting life as well in recent years. Growing up in Mpumulanga had a great
influence on her love for the outdoors and for sport, and she began to realise
that without sport, her life would be empty. Vanessa adds that Ryan was a major
catalyst to this “more serious” approach to sport. “I’m happy to say that I am
now a semi-professional mountain biker! Every facet of what I do is highly
rewarding. In this day and age, sport is more than likely the only thing that
unites people from all backgrounds. It knows no colour or creed, it promotes
health and wellbeing, it changes people’s lives for the good. Being outdoors
and active is my ‘church.’ It’s where I connect with our Maker, and I clear my
mind and revive my soul,” says Vanessa.

 

EPIC ADVENTURE

Vanessa recently participated in her
second ABSA Cape Epic mountain biking event alongside riding partner and TV
personality Dr Michael Moll. Their team name was The Doc-Ness Monsters and
Vanessa became widely known as ‘Epic-Ness.’ She completed the eight-day Epic in
2012, uncertain of what she had gotten herself into, but crossed the finish
line in good shape. This year she knew what to expect and made sure she was
even fitter than before, but on stage five she suffered an acute asthma attack
and was hospitalised when she got to the end of the stage. After being in ICU,
Vanessa got back on her bike the next day and completed the rest of the race.

 

“The Cape Epic is ALWAYS tough and
it can throw anything at you!” says Vanessa, who reckons she gets through tough
races by switching off from the pain and removing thoughts of failure. “I don’t
have a quit button, so not completing a race or training session is not an
option. There are varying levels of suffering that require different methods of
mind-control, though, so when things aren’t too bad I like to think happy
thoughts, like lying in a hammock on a tropical island, or repeating mantras to
myself about strength and resilience.” Vanessa also admits to having two pairs
of ‘lucky earrings’ that she likes to ride with, and she did the Epic with a
charm bracelet, one of the charms being an eye. “It’s the eye of God and He
watches over me. I’ll probably never run or ride without it again!”

 

VANESSA AND RYAN

Vanessa met Ryan at the Knysna
Oyster Festival via a mutual friend. “We have been together since that day, so
it probably was love at first sight!” She admits that Ryan has had a great
influence on her sporting career. “I have never met a human being who is as
focused and dedicated to his career. I cannot describe how hard he trains and
how much he puts into what he does. This has motivated me in every sphere of my
life and his passion for life and sport has influenced me greatly.”

 

She likes to support Ryan at his
races and says that she cries buckets of proud tears when he crosses the finish
line. They also recently teamed up for the four-leg Terra Firma race in the
Totalsports Challenge and were placed fourth in the mixed teams category. “We
are very supportive of each other personally and in our careers. We communicate
about everything and share our thoughts and fears when doing so.”

 

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Trans-Alps Challenge is still on
Vanessa’s bucket list, as well as the joBerg2C and Sani2C, but her priority for
now is to complete the Cape Epic in 2014 and thus gain membership to the
exclusive Amabubesi Club. The name means ‘pack of lions’ in Zulu, and you can
only belong to this club once you have completed the Epic three times. She is
also an avid golfer and enjoys water skiing, and add, “I wouldn’t mind giving
snowboarding a proper go, but there’s one problem: No snow in SA!”

 

Vanessa says sport has taught her
patience, tenacity and immense mental strength. “In sport, I live by Albert
Einstein’s quote: ‘Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the
impossible.’”

 

VANESSA’S TRAINING TIPS

?        
Commit
to a sport or event.

?        
Employ
a good coach under the recommendation of a friend or fellow athlete, and stick
to what he or she says – don’t cut corners!

?        
Find
a good training partner or group, because it’s safer to train with someone and
the company is also great. Identify a mentor within that group or someone you
look up to and inspires you.

?        
A
healthy balanced diet is essential when you’re training hard. You should try to
balance carbs, protein and fat, whether you’re training or not. You have to eat
before a training session or race, because your body needs the sustenance. Try
eat an hour or two before, though, as you don’t want a heavy tummy sensation
when exercising.

?        
It’s
also important to find a supplement range that works for you.