Author: Modern Athlete

When 40-year-old Port Elizabeth triathlete Hanson Singaphi lines up for the Ironman World Champs in Hawaii on 14 October, it will be the culmination of an amazing 13-year journey in multisport that began with him learning to swim at age 27. – BY SEAN FALCONER

In October 2004, Hanson was working at the Virgin Active Gym in PE, taking care of the maintenance of the gym’s pool, when he saw Ironman South Africa race director Paul Wolff presenting swimming lessons and coaching triathletes at the gym. “I had always had a passion for sport, and had a strong background in running, so when Paul told me about the SA Triathlon Development team, I signed up to learn to swim,” says Hanson. “When I started I just wanted to challenge myself, because I like a challenge, so I took up triathlon, not knowing that one day I would land up in Hawaii! But I still get butterflies at the start of a race, even though I have now been doing this for years.”

It’s actually strange to hear this remarkable athlete speak of pre-race nerves, considering what he has already achieved. Born and raised in Walmer Township, one of the poorest areas of Port Elizabeth‚ Hanson began running in school, taking part in track athletics and cross country. After school he moved into road running and boasts impressive personal bests of 33:07 for 10km, 1:11 for the half marathon and a 2:56 marathon. However, swimming and cycling were complete unknowns until he began training with Paul, who also organised a job for him in sales at Triangle Sports, the retail arm of the Ironman operation.

Within a year of learning to swim Hanson was lining up for his first full Ironman at the African Champs in Port Elizabeth, ready to tackle a 3.8km open water ocean swim, which is normally the most daunting leg for athletes without a swimming background, as well as a 180km bike leg, followed by a full marathon. Even more surprising is that he says he actually found the sea swim easier than his training in the pool! “The distance was more challenging, but the swim was not as hard, because the salt water provides more flotation.”

IRONMAN PEDIGREE
Today, Hanson can look back on a remarkable Ironman record. He has started 11 Half Ironman events and completed nine, with a best finishing time of 5:20, and has completed eight out of eight full Ironman events, with a best of 12:06. He also earned Eastern Province colours, has competed at the SA Duathlon and SA Triathlon Champs a number of times, and was selected to represent his country in his age category at the 2007 World Duathlon Champs in Hungary.

That was the first time he travelled overseas, and now he is off to Hawaii for the biggest Ironman of them all, thanks to the support of Standard Bank, sponsors of the SA Ironman events. Naturally, Hanson is thrilled about the opportunity to race in Kona, as it is the number one bucket list event for most triathletes. “Paul told me after I finished the Ironman SA Champs this year that Standard Bank wanted to send me to Kona, covering all my expenses, including flights, accommodation, entry fee, even the visa fee. I am very excited. It’s a great feeling because it’s every athlete’s dream to do Kona, and I never thought that one day I would be going to the World Champs.”

In terms of his Kona race plans, Hanson says his focus will be more on the experience than the clock. “To me, Kona is about learning, meeting new people and learning different cultures, so the race is not about time, but more about finishing, because I’m going there as a novice. That’s the main thing, and to enjoy myself. It’s the World Champs, and I’m just so proud to be representing Walmer in Kona, because I am proud of the community that raised me. I wanted to do something different to inspire my community, and that’s why I am so proud that some of my friends in the community are now also doing triathlons.”

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
Hanson says that triathlon has become more a lifestyle for him than just a sport. “I had always been a runner, but what inspired me to do triathlon is that it is a unique sport that challenges you every time you enter a competition. The most rewarding thing about triathlon is what it teaches you about yourself. You learn quickly about your strengths and weaknesses, and how self-discipline can benefit you as an athlete and as a person.”

Of course, given that he is inspiring so many others to also take up the sport, Hanson has some basic advice to pass on to any would-be triathletes. “My advice to people who are interested in the sport is that anything is possible – you just need to be dedicated. And you don’t need an expensive bike… If the wheels turn, that’s good enough.”

Some people see running and being active as a chore, but Lisa Ogilvie is not one of them. She sees it as a way of showing gratitude for the second chance at life that she feels she has been given. – BY PJ MOSES

When Lisa headed to Nigeria in mid-2014 to visit her husband Dean, where he was working at the time, she had no idea the trip would turn her life upside down. While there she was bitten by a mosquito and contracted cerebral malaria, which in many cases leads to death. Soon after returning to South Africa, she began showing symptoms as the sickness took hold and her mother decided to take her to hospital. Fortunately the doctor in the emergency unit recognised the signs of malaria and asked Lisa if she had recently travelled, but by then the illness was well advanced. The doctors tried everything, but began losing hope that she would pull through.

“My Mom had to make the toughest call of her life by letting my husband know that he had to come home, because it didn’t look good,” recalls Lisa. When he arrived, the doctors told the family there was nothing more they could do for Lisa, and it seemed only a miracle could save her now. “I believe this is where God intervened and made me well again. Many people prayed for my recovery, even when all hope seemed lost, and God heard their prayers and spared me. The doctors gave up on me and thought I would not survive. But I am still here, I am still alive. That’s why I am a miracle. I was part of his plan and my time was not finished yet.”

Bouncing Back
Nevertheless, Lisa’s recovery still took almost a year and a half, and took a superhuman effort on her part. “I had to learn everything again… how to walk, to drive and even how to just live again. Fortunately my family was very supportive and patient with me.” She also changed many of her old habits on the road to recovery. She became a vegetarian and now prefers juice to solid foods, and says, “I don’t even drink wine anymore, and to be honest, I don’t miss it at all.”

Another change to her daily routine was doing more strenuous exercise as soon as she was physically able – a big change from her previous lifestyle, where she used to love socialising with friends and not even thinking of a healthy approach. “I had started walking with my Mom because I thought I was a little overweight,” says Lisa, adding that evolving from a walker to a runner was less of an effort than she thought it would be. “I always dreamt of being a long distance runner when I was a little girl and now I am finally able to live that dream. It is amazing and I don’t take it for granted. I am happy. I’m healthy and I can run. I have my husband, my family and God, that is all I need.”

Now she lives every day to the full and finds happiness in the little things life has to offer, like walking her dogs or going for a run. “Running helped me so much. It helped me to deal with what I went through and now I can’t stop running. I get tears in my eyes when I run, I’m so happy.”

Running for a Cause
However, Lisa was not content with just changing her own life, she was determined to do good for others by running for a cause. “While recovering my health, I was motivated to run the half marathon at the Old Mutual Two Oceans in 2016. I couldn’t get an entry, so thought I would try to get a charity entry. Something about my story and the Non-profit organisation Cape Kidney Association just clicked, and I knew I wanted to run for them.”

That saw Lisa make contact with Molly Fabe at Cape Kidney, who was both touched and inspired by Lisa’s story. “Molly asked me to speak at their end-of-year event, and she has been very supportive of my journey, while I have been blessed by her presence.” In turn, Lisa has been able to raise funds for Cape Kidney by using her running as a way for people to get involved and to also create much needed awareness. “I was able to raise R20,000 at Two Oceans 2016, which was my first major race since getting my health back again.”

Having gone on to run the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon later in 2016, Lisa decided to join the Bellville Athletic Club in 2017, and specifically the legendary Wietse van der Westhuizen’s training group, in order to become a better, stronger runner. “Being with them has been so great for me. The training is good and intense. I like that. And the support and motivation from the other runners has also helped me a lot. I believe even more in myself now.”

Going Bigger in 2018
In 2017, Lisa once again ran the Two Oceans Half and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, amongst other races, all while continuing to raise funds for Cape Kidney, and looking ahead, she has already set her sights on bigger things. Not only is she hoping to run the 56km Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, but she has also secured an entry to the Paris Marathon next April. And she doesn’t seem too worried that Paris is only five days after Two Oceans. “I want to go to Paris and make a difference. I’ve got such a passion for my running and my charity, so I want people to join me on this amazing journey.”

She’s hoping her drive will help to raise R100,000 for Cape Kidney when she does Paris. “My motto is: Creating dreams by uplifting others. This has been my mantra as I go forward. I am smiling the whole time when out running because I feel so blessed to be here to do this.” She adds that it really helps having such great support. Besides Dean, her mom is her biggest supporter, going with to most of her races. “She comes to fetch me the morning of a race and then she stays there till I cross the finish line.”

Unsurprisingly, given the serious nature of her illness, Lisa has had to overcome a few health setbacks along the way that have prevented her from doing some of her other goal races, but she says she won’t be defeated that easily. “I’m a little fighter. I pick myself up and then I go again. I tell myself: ‘Sit jou voetjies in jou skoenkies en hardloop.’ (Put your feet in your shoes and go run. – Ed.) It helps me a lot to keep on moving forward, no matter what, because I believe that you must live your life to the full, because you can do anything that you want to. And please look after your kidneys!”

The Marathon Des Sables has been called “The Toughest Foot Race on Earth,” which is not surprising, given that it’s a 250km, six-stage race through the Sahara Desert in Morocco, with intense heat, grating sand, agonising blisters and incredible fatigue to contend with, and yet it was the number one bucket list item for Moerieda Mackay… even though she has never thought of herself a runner, let alone an ultra trail runner. – BY SEAN FALCONER

All it took was a photograph in a running magazine four years ago, of a man running in the Sahara Desert, to get Moerieda Mackay hooked on the idea of running the Marathon De Sables (MDS). She had never even been to a desert before, and says the hottest temperature she had experienced was 43 degrees in the Karoo, but somehow she became obsessed with running the event. “I was fascinated by his backpack and the intricacies of all his equipment, but it was the fact that he was carrying an anti-venom kit that really caught my attention! And yet the vision of me running the MDS stayed with me over the years. It was the craziest feeling, this burning desire to run 250km through the gruelling and inhospitable Sahara, carrying everything you would need to survive for seven days in the desert … but it’s like the desert was calling my name!”

Unsurprisingly, the journey just to get to the MDS in April this year proved a challenge for Moerieda, a mother of three from the Midrand area of Gauteng. She says that entering is hugely expensive and until 2016, South Africans had to go onto a three-year waiting list with the UK agent for the race to get an entry. “Luckily you can now enter directly, but once you’re entered, the challenging part lies in the training and preparation for the event, which includes sorting out your backpack, shoes, food and all your kit.”

“Once you arrive in the desert, funnily enough, the most challenging elements of the race are not the running or the heat, even though the highest recorded temperature was 54 degrees Celcius, but for me it was adjusting to life in the bivouac and sharing a tent with seven other mates! Luckily I was part of the Hope for Children group, running for the UK-based children’s charity, and we formed a great group. They say with a race like this your tent mates can either make it or break it for you. Mine were the best! The word self-sufficient took on a whole new meaning with the amount of sharing and caring shown by all of them.”

Another huge challenge for Moerieda was the logistics of the race. “If it was just running every day, the race would be fairly manageable, but with all the logistics it quickly becomes a lot trickier. It took me a good four days to get into my own rhythm, and I only really settled into the race on day three! But I guess the real big challenge of MDS is, of course, the sand! There is just no way of going faster than your fastest walk in the sand and blistering heat – unless of course you are a Moroccan or elite front runner – and as we hit sand dune after sand dune, I just kept saying to myself, Marathon of the Sands… this is your race!”

Latecomer to Running
By her own admission, Moerieda has no sporting background and zero athletic ability, so running is by far the most challenging thing she’s ever done, but she says it has put her on a path of physical, mental and spiritual transformation. “In 2010 I was trying to lose a few kilos and find that elusive work-life balance at the age of 40, because I’m a bit of a workaholic. And that first year I lost 22kg just training on the elliptical trainer and watching my diet. Meanwhile, my husband Adam had started running and he was having so much fun at the races on the weekends, so I started reading his running magazines and found interesting articles on how running has transformed people’s lives. Having lost so much weight, I was ready to push the boundaries, so I signed up for the 2011 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town, and that turned out to be a life-changing experience. I kept thinking, why did I not do this earlier. I was hooked!”

Today she says she has lost count of the races she has successfully tackled, including thee Comrades Marathons, which set her up well for the MDS challenge, but in October last year she fell and badly injured her ankle while training for the 100km Skyrun, and then she developed a mysterious blister problem. “I was even getting them on short runs and it frustrated the hell out of me. I now suspect it was the socks I was testing, but going into the race was a case of not ‘if I get blisters,’ but ‘when I get blisters,’ and I was ready for it! I even went to see a podiatrist and learnt to tape my feet, but as expected, I suffered blisters from day one at MDS!”

“Hell, it was painful, and every day there were more. Fortunately, the medical team at MDS are the best, and I think the dropout rate would be much higher at MDS if it wasn’t for Doc Trotters and his team. They took very good care of my feet. I remember on day two, after 39.1km in 50-plus degrees, my feet were so sore that my tears just started rolling in the medical tent. The doc looked at me with a smile and told me that I am a very strong woman. I cried even more after he said that, but felt strong when I walked out, ready to face day three! The blisters really affected me on the long day four stage, with its seven checkpoints. I had to stop at checkpoint four for over 30 minutes to attend to my feet, and again at checkpoint 5, as the blisters were killing me!”

Ultimate Runner’s High
While the blisters were one of the low points of Moerieda’s MDS experience, she says there were plenty of highlights as well. “My first surprise was race director Patrick Bauer and the whole MDS crew singing Happy Birthday to me at Quarzazate airport when I arrived. Another highlight was starting each stage to the tune of Highway to Hell, with helicopters flying low to film us. I always set off with my heart pounding, thinking this is it, I am actually running the MDS. Oh, and being surprised by the organisers with a can of ice cold Coke on day five! It’s the little things…”

“Surviving the decent of the last jebel on day two sticks in my memory. Legs deep in the sand making your way down the dune, it felt like skiing down a mountain slope in the Alps! All I could think of was, ‘What an adventure!’ And that after being in tears just two minutes before the decent, telling the organisers I didn’t think I could go down the jebel by myself! Another highlight was finishing day three feeling strong and very proud of myself, because day two was tough and had me at my lowest point, so finishing day three on a high was good for me from a mental and emotional perspective. I felt like I had ‘qualified’ for the 86.4km day four stage. In fact, for some weird reason, I felt like I had finally earned the right to be at the MDS!”

“I only have great memories of the MDS. I loved running in the desert. It is so beautiful out there, and I loved everything about the race, the organisation, the organisers, camp life, my tent mates, the routes… even the heat, and the six-hour bus ride from Quarzazate to the desert! The opportunity to be part of an event like the MDS, to run through the Sahara Desert, make new friends and to push your limits is priceless! The cut-offs at the MDS are very generous, so if you prepare well in the months before the event, you are almost guaranteed a successful MDS finish. And memories for a lifetime!”

Next on the Bucket List
After years of dreaming about MDS, Moerieda says she has struggled to get going again after coming back from the desert. “Some of my tent mates were doing 100km races within weeks of the MDS, but I feel I went into a kind of running depression, because I was thinking what next? Fortunately, I have found some answers to that question. I want to focus on building my new management consultancy business, but at the same time, running has brought me so much joy and opportunity, so I don’t want to let it go. And when it comes to running, the simple, easy races just don’t do it for me… so my next big thing will be the Tour de Geants, or Tour of Giants, in Italy in 2020.”

“It’s 330km with 24,000m of altitude gain, which is like climbing Everest three times, and you’re given 150 hours to finish, so I don’t know if I can do it, but I have to set myself a plan and then walk the motion, because I want to become a giant. That’s the goal for 2020, and along the way I want to run the 110km Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy in 2018, and I have put my name in the pot for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France in 2019. I believe that you must run with dreams in your heart and visions of doing something great, and that keeps me motivated. Thanks to MDS, I feel like I have achieved something great, and I hope it will inspire others.”

Running develops character. The tough, painful parts of it make us stronger runners, and stronger people, in general. So I find it strange that athletics, and running in particular, are such sidelined sports in the current school system.

Individual achievements seem to be frowned upon by the powers that be and a conformist mindset is all the rage at the moment. What little freedom kids used to have for expressing themselves through sheer grit and determination has been taken away from them.

Team pursuits like soccer, rugby and cricket are the top sporting codes in our country, and “taking one for the team” seems to be the golden mantra. Individuality is not just frowned upon, but also coached out of the kids. Talk is only about a shared vision and a common goal. What candy floss nonsense is this? As Rocky said, “Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.”

No, friends, we need to teach kids that life is hard, and often unyielding. They need to step forward, take the blows and roll with the punches if they want to achieve something. Nobody should think that life is going to be easy, because quite frankly, it isn’t.

We do our kids a disservice by not letting them pursue individual goals. Kids need to learn that they are strong enough to do amazing things on their own. They are tough enough to take all that is thrown their way and come out swinging in the next round. And running teaches you to dig deep. To keep moving forward when you don’t want to, and to finish what you start, no matter how long it takes. First or last place doesn’t matter, being brave and going the distance does.

Let your kids fall. Let them fail. Be there to cheer them back to their feet. Be there to motivate them to try again. You will raise a better human. You will build a legacy of hope and faith within them that they can carry forward into adulthood. Let them find themselves through lungs gasping for air and muscles burning from the strain. Let them find the joy of living. Leave a legacy by letting them run.

About the Author: PJ is a former Cape Flats gangster who took up running when he turned his back on that dangerous lifestyle, in order to set a better example for his two young sons, instead of becoming just another crime statistic.

From the first time I met Troy Murray and Werner Nel, they were inseparable. I remember when they arrived in front of me after doing their initial 1km time trial with Coach Jonathan, looking ready to dominate the Modern Athlete #9to5Challenge. Both had many questions about what they were about to get themselves into, but I got the impression that these two were going to be committed, and boy did they prove me right. – BY JEANNIE JORDAAN, MODERN ATHLETE 9TO5 COACH

It all started when the two business partners as well as close friends, attended a conference at the Wanderers Club and saw the #9to5Challenge poster. Troy had lost most of his fitness and also wanted to get Werner on the challenge, because he is a rather large unit and hadn’t really done anything resembling a fitness programme for years. “At that stage I was unfit and overweight, and Troy and I kept talking about doing something to change it,” recalls Werner.

The plan was simply to start. Once that had happened – arguably the biggest hurdle of all – they simply had to follow the programme with the intention of being able to run 5km by the end of nine weeks. As Troy says, “My view is that everyone should be able to run 5km, and I was embarrassed that I could not. What if I actually needed to?”

For Werner, the ease of hitting the snooze button was a daily routine, but by joining the programme and committing to running twice a week with the group, he learnt that running is a great stress-reliever. “Or maybe I’m just too tired to stress about anything after a good run,” he laughs. Troy had a similar problem: “It’s easy to find an excuse not to do something, but when you’ve got other people you’re committed to, you find a way of getting up at 5am. I just didn’t have the self-discipline to do it on my own. Running has given me a nice base fitness level that allows me to comfortably cross over and enjoy other pursuits too, whether they be cycling, hiking or swimming. Also, you can take it anywhere.”

Upward Trajectory
These two are so full of life and had us all in stitches during most training sessions, but they have also proven a lot to me and themselves on this journey, even though they both say they nearly died the first time they ran the Westcliffe stairs. Troy laughs at the memory of utter pain and suffering when reaching the top of the stairs that first time, and then being told they still had another four loops to go. “I love those stairs now. And I also believe the early morning sessions when you are still suffering from the party the night before, are the best cure for hangovers!”

But more than that Troy elaborates on what else the two gained over the past months of training. “I actually learnt how to run and now know a bit about the science of running. I didn’t realise beforehand that just running round and round the block for 5km is just not a good way to get to run 5km. I’m more aware of my body and have a keen sense of distance now. And I even understand what “heart rate” means. I’m less tired overall and even recently encountered the feeling that I ‘need’ to run if I’ve missed more than two to three days… a sort of panic kicks in.”

Similarly, Werner puffs out his rather larger chest – albeit a little smaller than eight weeks previously, as he lost 8kg over that time – and admits that he is very proud of the more than two minutes he cut off his initial 1km time trial. “I really enjoyed that feeling of achievement!” he says.

No Stopping Them Now
Having both received prizes for “Best Overall Achievement” and “Most Improved Runner” on the programme, Troy and Werner admit that they have only just started on their fitness quest. Werner recalls that “My first goal was just to finish the nine weeks, but now keeping fit is my goal. After putting in the hard yards to get here, I don’t want to go back to the start. Also, to do a parkrun in under 30 minutes would be nice.”

Troy’s direction is a little bit more of a team effort. “My wife has just joined the programme, following recovery from a long-standing injury, so I’ll only know when she tells me at the end of the programme. I’m guessing we will bump up to the 10km programme,” he laughs. “It’s very uplifting when you see the progress you’ve actually made at the end of the programme. It seems like running has now become a lifestyle habit, which is pretty cool.”

If you also want to go from zero to hero in just nine weeks, like Troy and Werner, then sign up today for the Modern Athlete 9to5 Challenge. Go to www.modernathlete.co.za/page/9-to-5-challenge or e-mail [email protected] for more info.

We runners sometimes think that our running fitness will see us through any physical challenge, but sometimes we learn the hard way that skill and experience on top of fitness are an even better idea… as I found out during the recent Nedbank Tour de Tuli mountain biking event. – BY KIM STEPHENS

In 2012, one of the clients on my books was an outdoor apparel brand that happened to be the sponsor of the African Otter Trail Run, and thus I was offered an entry to the ‘Grail of Trail.’ The Otter is South Africa’s premier marathon distance trail race, and it is relentlessly tough. I hadn’t even run a marathon on road, but I found myself enthusiastically accepting the entry, and promptly purchased a clunky pair of trail shoes and badly-fitted hydration pack.

I ran a few long trails, none of which were appropriate to Otter training, and completed my first road marathon, on a flat as a pancake course. Then I lined up for a giant reality check. I completed the Otter well within cut-off, but was totally out of my depth the entire way. I fell, I cried a little, and even briefly considered flinging myself into the ocean… but it changed me. I realised I was, as that tubby yellow bear likes to say, braver than I believed.

IRRESISTIBLE INVITATION
A few months ago my client, Coleman, offered me the opportunity to join its team for the 2017 Nedbank Tour de Tuli in late July. I’d worked as crew on the event in 2013, and knew this isn’t just a mountain biking tour through three different countries, it is also the main fundraising event for Tour de Wilderness, an environmental and life skills programme for rural children living in and around conservation areas. Since that first Otter, I’m annoyingly prone to “seize the moment” choices, and I felt that my endurance base would see me through the 250km of riding. It is a tour, after all, not a race – but it is very much a tour on a bike, and I am very much a runner…

Anyway, I purchased a beautiful little second-hand bike, but it became a crime statistic after just four rides, and I was not in a position to replace it. My training was therefore limited to a couple of spins on a gym bike and plenty of mountain running. And that is how I found myself in the Ciovita showroom in Cape Town, agreeing to become the proud new owner of things like cycling bibs (the very thing I had mocked on my husband numerous times). Upon recommendation, I added a large tube of chamois cream to my kit. At the very least, I was not going into this battle at risk of damaging my nether regions.

Before I knew it I was in a car with my team mates, heading to the South Africa-Botswana border, where my beautiful new Cannondale Scalpel loan bike was waiting for me. A truck took my duffle bag, and I casually requested assistance in attaching the pedals borrowed from my son to this unfamiliar piece of equipment. The 3km ride to the first camp, on an airfield in Botswana, was fairly uneventful, and I patted my new best friend as I hung her on the bike rack and told her that we’d do just fine, but when I met the leaders and sweeps allocated to our team, I’m pretty sure they rolled their eyes as I said, “I’m strong… my running endurance will get me through.”

RUDE AWAKENING
The first day was a 65km ride from the Limpopo Valley Airfield to the Amphitheatre Bushcamp. I applied that chamois cream with wild abandon, and put on a cycling bib with slightly less enthusiasm. I added a pair of borrowed cleats. I looked the part! After a picture-perfect sunrise and great coffee, we were off, each team leaving with 10-minute intervals, and we were team 19, last to leave. The first 15km felt like a shedding of life and work stress. Phones were off, noise was limited to birdlife and the whirrrrr of tubeless tyres on dusty tracks, and we found a rhythm as I bonded with my bike. This sense of freedom was short lived, however. Soon I realised I was probably going to die, face-down in a dry river bed, with a bike attached to my body.

That soft sand made my tyres take on their own personalities, like teenagers with middle fingers in the air! What had I got myself into? My brain was saying “No!” very loudly while I ate sand, and I was using every profanity I’d ever learned. Then we hit rocks, and I swear my pedals smashed into every single one! I wobbled and fell, smashing my right knee on the handlebars. I got off and walked as I swallowed tears. I got told to harden up by sweep Matt, and I wallowed in self-pity. I was holding my team back and felt like a giant fraud. Basically, I was deeply afraid. I quite like my teeth where they are; likewise my kneecaps, and 40km in, after I had shocked my wonderful team mates with a complete 180-degree personality shift, I finally climbed into a Landrover at one of the checkpoints. Gutted, I was just not up for it, and I needed to stop. It was that, or call the lions to eat me. And lions don’t come when called; I did try.

HAVING ANOTHER GO
After plenty of sundowners that went on long past sunset, I crashed into my tent with my kit vaguely prepared for the next day. The exceptional Amphitheatre Bushcamp would be home for two nights, with open air showers, a feast of food and the sound of wildlife all around. It would have been heaven, had I not been panicking about the second day’s riding.

With legs and arms already covered in cuts and bruises, we set off into the sunrise with a river crossing to warm up the legs. After crossing the Motloutse, we moved into open plains on well-used ellie tracks, and we saw elephants each day, including one unnerving experience during day two where we had to backtrack swiftly and warn the other teams! The total distance for the day was just under 60km, and I did it. We were slow, but I was gaining in confidence. The lions came during our second night in the Amphiteatre Bushcamp, their low grunts filtering through to our cozy tents at about 2am, but I told them I wanted to live and would give day three a go, so they moved on.

The route description for day three promised us around 70km of fun, but the race briefing outlined a course closer to 80km. I started with big eyes and a determination to master some of the technical elements that lay ahead. I had such a great team, full of humour and passion. We had two Russians that thought it was the Olympics – still great guys – but the rest were fairly chilled about pace. I’m not sure what the Bush Telegraph had put out, but on day three Jeremy, an equestrian vet from Zimbabwe, appointed himself my personal mentor. “Stay on my butt, watch my wheel, follow my lead.” He led me to the mid pack of our team, and things got real. I was actually riding a bike, at a fair pace, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying.

GETTING THE HANG OF IT
The first section to the tea stop was 95% single track with a lot of mopane trees. Ever been slapped by a mopane branch? They were never-ending, and I prayed for game sightings and a stop to take photographs. My upper lip took a slap, and swelled impressively. But I also wobbled through sand, and even managed to stay on the bike for some of it. Sweeps Matt and Greg smiled at me, and shook their heads. “Like a Lotus flower opening,” said Greg, generously.

But at the tea stop I was overwhelmed by exhaustion; the kind that I normally feel at the end of a race like Comrades. I nervously told Saffy, our team leader, that I needed to stop. He organised another Landrover and in I piled for a very long round trip across the Zimbabwean border into the delightful Maramani Community Camp on the banks of the Limpopo River. I was so tired that I slept through some rough 4x4ing, bouncing around on the back seat, oblivious to my surrounds. I arrived at camp at the same time as my team, and ran in with them, with deep joy as I used my trail shoes for their intended purpose! That night we drank beer on the river bank, beside a sign that said “Beware of crocodiles,” and ate like royalty before another solid tent sleep.

FINAL STRETCH
We woke with mixed feelings: Glad that the end was in sight, sad that our time together was nearing an end. What an adventure. We had all disconnected with reality for a few days… no signal, no work, no admin or deadlines. The final 60km lay ahead, and we were all pretty tired. Rachel, the only other woman on our team and a resident of France on her first trip to Africa, was administering Essential Oils to herself and the rest of us, as we were all battered and bruised and covered in mopane welts. Dieter, our oldest team member (but with the youngest heart and most impressive one-liners) asked a medic how long it would take to die… and with that we piled our weary bodies back on the bikes for one last push.

We’d been promised a sighting of 200 million year old fossils on Sentinel Ranch, among other highlights, and a border crossing back home across the sandy Limpopo River. We all made it, and I owe much of that to a combination of Jeremy the vet and Matt the Macadamia nut farmer who simply would not let me quit. Handing the loan bike back was an emotional moment, and I realised then that mountain biking will become a permanent part of my adventures, as it’s a great way to improve my mountain running, and to see the world. That’s why I’ve purchased that loan bike and had it shipped down to Cape Town. As far as life choices go, this was a good one. But next time, I’ll train.

Fallon Finlayson is a 31-year-old graphic designer now based in Somerset West in the Cape, who lives by two motivational sayings: My only fear is not trying, and if your goals don’t scare you, they’re not big enough… which is why she went from the couch to the IRONMAN 70.3, and intends going still further…

Triathlon and fitness is an absolute passion of mine, but it has not always been this way. Growing up in Zimbabwe, my absolute worst nightmare was having to attend sports days at school. I literally hated it. The only thing I enjoyed was swimming, and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just swim? This running thing was not for me, in any way! During compulsory cross country, I would sit under a tree and only do one lap of the two-lap route, and catch up with everyone on their second lap. I was also quite an unhealthy eater and loved all the junk food. All in all, I was quite an unfit, unhealthy and overweight teenager – and I just accepted it and carried on with my life.

Finishing school and moving to South Africa to study, I lived the typical student life. Lectures, parties, late night garage pies, student burger specials, and a bit of studying. A healthy life was the last thing on my mind! However, once I started working in Johannesburg – some would say grew up – I decided it was time to get healthier, and so I did the normal thing and joined a gym. I attended classes about five times a week, but the real turning point was the day my sister phoned me and invited me to swim the Midmar Mile with her company team. Having been such a keen swimmer a few years earlier, I agreed immediately.

I got into the pool that evening to start training… and battled to swim even two lengths of a 25-metre pool! I was out of breath and my chest was on fire. “How am I battling to swim?” I asked myself, but the answer to that question was obvious, after not swimming for about five years and not worrying about a healthy life. But I was committed to swimming Midmar, and after a few weeks of training, I was comfortable in the water again. Slow, but comfortable, and it felt good.

The Running Bug Bites
I completed Midmar and absolutely loved it. I also lost about 5kg during all the training, and after the event, I remember thinking, “Now what?” I loved the transformation, getting fitter, completing an event and the bonus of the weight-loss, so I decided to try running, as I knew I would definitely lose more weight. Let’s just say that my first attempt at running is a day I will never forget. I could barely jog 200 metres, I was so out of breath, and I’m sure my heart rate was well over 200! I felt nauseous and wanted to throw up, but I persisted as I jogged and walked around the block. It was mentally and physically very challenging for me, but again, I decided not to give up.

Another day I’ll never forget is when I jogged around that same block without stopping, a huge achievement in its own right. That is where my passion for running began, leading to 5km races, then to 10km and from there to my first half marathon. I had absolutely fallen in love with running. By this time, I was also a healthier eater and had lost another 8kg. I felt totally energised with life.

Then came the devastating day. After a few weeks of hip pain followed by a few physio’s, an incredible chiropractor, a podiatrist, gait analysis, and a sports doctor, I was told I had a badly misaligned pelvis, which would take anything between eight months and a year to realign and get my piriformis muscle to settle down. The news of no running for eight months or more came down like a ton of bricks. I was crushed.

I carried on attending my aerobic classes with my favourite instructor and kept all movements low-impact, but I was not getting the satisfaction that running gave me. That’s when I decided to buy a road bike and I entered the 94.7 Cycle Challenge. I was craving some sort of physical endurance challenge, so training began, and six months later I completed the race. Another thing I never thought I’d ever be… a cyclist.

Getting Going Again
By that time, eight months of no running had passed and I was given the go-head to attempt a jog. Happily, it was pain-free, but I was still told by the specialists that it was highly unlikely I’d ever be able to run long distances again… and I almost accepted that. But I didn’t, and after six months of running again, I had a bit of a light bulb moment: “Hey, I can do a triathlon now!” Some quick research showed that the next big triathlon event was four months away, the 11Global in Sun City, so I immediately entered… and then thought, “Eek!”

I basically had no triathlete friends in Johannesburg, and I had no idea what was in store for me. No idea! But I did some research on the Internet about training for beginner triathletes and then I ‘just winged it.’ Typically, I went on to do the 11Global with a few pulled tendons on the top of my foot from the increase in training. Even so, I had an incredible time, and as I finished, I remember thinking, “I loved that, so I’m definitely going to do another one.”

I have never looked back. Being a triathlete makes me feel so alive. Pushing my body, testing my limits and what I am really capable of doing, achieving what a few years ago I would have called absolutely impossible… and soon I was entering my first Ironman 70.3 in East London, in January 2016. I was so excited! I trained very hard and I was loving the journey, and by this time my high school friend was also into triathlons and we planned to do the event together.

Reason to Tri Harder
Then, came the heart-breaking news just two months before the race that my father had died from a massive heart attack. As a very close family, this really took its toll, but I decided I was not going to give up on 70.3, and instead I decided to race the event in honour of my Dad. But then came another devastating blow, just two and a half weeks before the race when I was involved in a bike accident, cracked my elbow pretty badly, and was ruled out of Ironman. I was absolutely heartbroken, as this was now more than just a race for me.

Six weeks of recovery and no training followed, but then I was back in the water with only two weeks to cram in some training before my second go at the 8 Mile Challenge at the Midmar Mile swim. Most people told me, I’d never be able to complete all 8 miles with my elbow joint still recovering, but I like a challenge, so I went and completed all eight miles for the second year in a row.

A year later, a few triathlons, a marathon, several sea swims and cycle races later, I still had the desire to do the Ironman 70.3 in my Dad’s honour, so this year, along with three special people in my life, I completed Ironman 70.3 Durban. Thanks to hard training in spite of three injuries in the year, and the support from these guys and my close friends and family, it was an absolutely magical race. I had a good swim, overcame three punctures on the bike, and then posted a pretty decent run, but finishing for my Dad, with tears in my eyes, was an absolute priceless moment. We won’t talk about the toenail loss and insane blisters, because it was all worth it!

Inspirational Message
I want this story to motivate other athletes, because if you want to do something, it is never too late. Don’t wish you had tried, or wonder what it would have been like. If you want to achieve something, go and do it. Even if others doubt you. Do it for you, not for anyone else. Put in the hard work and you won’t regret it, because nothing that is worth it comes without effort and hard work.

As for me, I already have the next year’s worth of goals lined up:
•  Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, September 2017 (2nd consecutive year)
•  Cape Ultra Triathlon, September 2017 (70.3 distance – 2nd consecutive year)
•  11 Global Triathlon, October 2017 (going back to where it all began)
•  Old Mutual Soweto Marathon, November 2017
•  12km in 12hours endurance swim, November 2017
•  Sandman Triathlon, December 2017 (Another 70.3 event)
•  Midmar 8 Mile swim, February 2018 (4th year competing)
•  Robben Island Crossing, date to be confirmed
•  Comrades Marathon, June 2018

As I always say, set a goal that is so meaningful that it creates a drive inside you to become better and stronger. Then go after it. And believe me, you can do it – I am proof of that. If it’s your dream, go and do it. It will be an incredible journey and something you will never regret!