Author: Modern Athlete

Get FREE BINS for Your Race with Modern Athlete’s #runclean campaign, brought to you by Garbie.

As part of the #runclean campaign to promote no littering, we are providing FREE fold-up cardboard bins and plastic bin liners to registered #runclean events, in conjunction with Garbie Bins from East Rand Plastics.

Any running or walking event held in South Africa can apply and the requirements for event organizers are quite simple:

1. Register your event online and tell us how many bins you will need for your event.
To register, look for the quick and simple sign-up form via the link on www.facebook.com/runclean, or go to https://modernathlete.co.za/bf.php?fid=287. We suggest you do this well in advance, so that your request can be processed in time and the bins delivered, and you will need lead time to follow through on step 2.

2. Put the #runclean and Garbie logos on your entry form, and race/club website.
Your event should be proud to be called a #runclean event, as you will be contributing to cleaning up both our sport and the environment, and Garbie should be listed as a sponsor of your event, given that the bins are sponsored and delivered FREE of charge to your event. As part of the sign-up process, we will require to send us an example of your entry form and the address of your website.

3. Commit to anti-litter measures at your event.
Actively promote a no littering attitude to your entrants across all platforms, during registration, at the start, on the route and at prize-giving. Get your race announcer to talk about running clean, put up anti-litter posters, incentivise athletes to bring their plastic back to the finish by offering a prize for the best anti-litter effort, or offer a prize for the best race day selfie posted online showing anti-litter efforts. Only by highlighting it will we begin to solve the littering problem.

Once your event is registered and has met steps one and two, Garbie will arrange the delivery of the bins, liners and bags, all free of charge, to the address you have specified in your registration form. Modern Athlete will then also promote your event through our various platforms – magazine, website, newsletters, social media, etc.

Please note that as from the 1st of August 2017, only events that display the Garbie logo on their entry forms and website will qualify for FREE bins.

THINK BEFORE YOU THROW – #runclean
Modern Athlete’s #runclean campaign calls on all runners to stop littering during races. This problem – runners dropping used water sachets or cups in the road – has become one of the most prominent talking points in South African running circles, and while many runners have already stopped littering, some continue to just toss their used sachets on the road, even when dustbins are provided along the route!

Here’s how all athletes can #runclean:
• Throw all water sachets or cups in a rubbish bin, or carry them until you find a bin.
• Wear running kit with a pocket for used sachets, or make a pocket with your licence number.
• Carry your own water in a hydration pack or belt, so you don’t need to use sachets.

Share your #runclean efforts or experiences at www.facebook.com/runclean or mail to [email protected].

Young Cape Town-based hand-cyclist Zach Legward wrote himself into the record books when he rode the Momentum Knysna Cycle Tour 50km in early July. We heard about his story just before his incredible ride and wrote this piece for the July edition of the mag. – BY BRENDON LOWSON

The recent fires that ravaged Knysna in the Southern Cape claimed a number of lives and left many homeless, but the whole country applauded as the people of Knysna courageously picked up the pieces and said the show must go on. That started with the announcement that the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival in mid-July will go ahead, including the cycling events on the programme. This means that 10-year-old hand-cyclist Zach Legward will still have the opportunity to take on the 50km road race of the Momentum Knysna Cycle Tour, and if he completes the race, he will become the youngest hand-cyclist in SA, possibly even in Africa, to race that distance.

Biking Dream
Zach was born with a condition called Gastroschisis, where an opening forms in the baby’s abdominal wall and the bowel pushes through to develop outside the baby’s body. He was operated on shortly after birth to remedy this, but post-operative complications saw an infection spread to his lower spine, which left his legs paralysed. As a result, Zach has always been confined to a wheelchair, but like most boys, he always wanted a bicycle, so his dad, Geoff, made him a hand-cycle three years ago.

“Unfortunately, you can’t just walk into a shop and buy one, so we made him his first one out of two steel BMX bikes, very much a sit-up type,” says Geoff. “Two years later, because he had grown so much, we made him a proper race bike. You can get bikes out of the USA or UK, but they cost between R60,000 and R200,000, and each one has to be custom-built for the athlete’s disability. It took us five months of late nights and hard work to finish his bike, using pictures and dimensions downloaded from the Internet, but now he is flying. I think he likes cycling because it gives him freedom. He loves the speed – going downhill we have seen his bike do 50km/h, but I start getting a bit nervous – and he also just loves riding through puddles of water!”

Besides allowing Zach the opportunity to get out and participate in a sport he loves, Geoff says they are seeing some really positive physical changes in Zach. “He seems to be getting feeling in places he has never had before. The medical experts say it’s potentially from the increased cardio-vascular activity, which is forcing blood circulation to his nerves. Nobody really knows, but we are definitely seeing some changes slowly happening.”

Request Granted
Earlier this year Geoff wrote to the Knysna Rotary Committee that organises the cycling events at the festival to ask for permission for Zach to participate in the road race. He wrote that Zach has ridden the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge three times and won gold in all three events, and he has also ridden the Cape Town Junior Cycle Tour twice and recently did the Gun Run. Most importantly, he explained that Zach can handle the distance and will be looked after during the race, if given permission to ride.

“In training his coach and I ‘box him in’ for his safety, so he is supervised 100% all the time, and our intention is to have a four-man team ride with him in the 50km. We were training 13km with him every second day, which he handled easily, so we increased his distance to 20km, with 30km rides on the weekends, all of which he still handled with ease.”

The Rotary Committee duly gave Zach and his support team not only permission to participate, but free entries. Meanwhile, Geoff has promised to give Zach R10 per kilometre he completes. “I would like to challenge other cyclists to also sponsor Zach R10 per kilometre. These funds will be given to a charity for disabled children, and we also want to use some of the money for the Knysna fire victims as well as the South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled.”

Justifiably proud of his son, Geoff says that “Zach has a never-say-die attitude and is scared of nothing. He swims, scuba dives, rides a quad bike, flies radio controlled planes, and is a very happy little boy. He never wakes up in a bad mood, and is always smiling. He wants to go to the Olympics one day, and riding Knysna will hopefully be a big step towards that.”

If you are interested in sponsoring Zach’s ride and fundraising efforts, Email [email protected].

Thanks to his expert reporting and incredible ‘hands-on’ coverage of events via radio, social media posts and videos, and through his incredible photography, Jeff Ayliffe has built a huge reputation in sports journalism in South Africa, and one of his favourite events to cover is the Absa Cape Epic. – BY ROXANNE MARTIN

Through the years, Jeff has worked on some of the biggest sporting events South Africa has to offer, and you will be hard-pressed to find an adventure-based or endurance sport that Jeff hasn’t reported on. Amongst his favourite events to work on he includes sailing’s Volvo Ocean Race, mountain biking’s Absa Cape Epic, as well as trail running’s Otter Trail Run, and he says these events have provided some of the best moments of his career. “During the 2015 Otter Trail, I was running alone with Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein, filming his record-breaking run, and it was such an honour to be there alone – to watch and feel this legend at work, that moment is one of my career highlights,” says Jeff.

A natural thrill-seeker – Jeff has made close to 3000 skydives, competed internationally for South Africa in the sport, and also ran a skydiving school – he is often rewarded on assignments with thrilling moments that make him thankful for the opportunity to do what he does. “Covering the Volvo, I have raced with some of the top sailing teams in the Pro-Am, and I get to set up on the mast or on the rigging in 30 knot winds, reporting on the race. It’s a thrill every time,” he says, adding that a visit to the Kyalami Race Track produced a moment that he will never forget. “Sitting in the passenger seat of a BMW touring car with Williams Formula One driver Thierry Boutsen at the wheel, it was raining and we went through a mineshaft corner at 170 kilometres per hour. That was a definite career highlight!”

EPIC LOVE AFFAIR
Jeff has worked on the Absa Cape Epic for seven of the 14 years that it has taken place, and he has gained a deep understanding of the race, allowing him to get to know the riders and bring many great stories to light. “My secret is that I live like the riders, including sleeping in the tented village,” explains Jeff, even though he says that always being on site means he is invariably always working. “I really don’t mind that, though, because I don’t view the Epic as a job, I’m always finding something to do, someone to interview.”

For example, former Springbok rugby player Joel Stransky crashed out of this year’s race, suffering serious facial injuries in the fall, but a few days later was back to support his team mate and the other riders still in the race. Jeff immediately pinned the World Cup winner down for a video interview that went viral on social media.

Thanks to being so close to the riders, Jeff says he thinks they feel comfortable talking to him, even when they’ve had their worst day or terrible luck on the trails, because he has taken the time to develop a relationship with them, even becoming friends with many of the riders. “What’s always interested me about sport, and the coverage of it, is not the technical aspects of the sport, but rather the human element, what makes these riders tick as humans,” says Jeff. “I have seen the best and the worst of many of the riders on the Epic, and that’s what gets me excited as a journalist.”

DEMANDING SCHEDULE
This year’s race saw Jeff mostly working on the live streaming and coverage of the event, alongside anchor commentator Gerald de Kock and former professional rider Neil Gardiner. While Gerald did commentary from the race village and Neil was doing live coverage from the race helicopter, Jeff did radio updates from spectator points and refreshment points along the route, and at the finish, plus video shoots for Absa, video work with Spur-Specialized’s Ariane Luthi, edited daily videos of his own footage for his own Facebook page.

“Each year the Epic is an eight-day blur of amazing athletes, moments, friends, sights, sounds and experiences that leave me equally exhausted and exhilarated, but it’s such a privilege to be a part of this beautiful race,” says Jeff. He also says working under such pressure taught him a valuable lesson this year: “I discovered that it’s always worthwhile double-checking your hashtags when you post an image on social media, because sometimes auto-correct has other words in mind. I posted an image in a rush the one day, and added #lovemyjob, but auto-correct decided that I meant to say #lovemaking. Thank heavens it was on my personal page and not the official Absa Cape Epic page. I was very #embarrassed!”

PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE
What sets Jeff apart from other journalists is his passion for the sports he covers and an attitude that there is no limit to how far he will go to get the best shot, or an interview, and it’s why so many of the biggest races in the country choose to use him as part of their media teams. Those are the same characteristics that first opened doors for him and brought him success in the media world. Jeff grew up in Durban and says he always had a keen interest in radio. “I used to listen to Capital Radio 604, which in the 80’s was the only independent radio station, and their whole style of broadcasting appealed to me.”

He initially tried breaking into the radio industry by doing a brief stint at ‘Main Control’ at SABC Durban, but that didn’t lead to anything concrete. Then his break arrived when he was a member of the SA Skydiving team that was getting ready to depart for Brazil for the World Championships: Capital called to ask if one of the team members would be able to do a daily 45-second voice update on the event, and Jeff jumped at the chance. Those short but sweet radio crossings made him decide that radio was definitely the best career path for him, and to be the best he had to learn from the best, so in 1989 he approached Capital for a job. “There were no openings, but they offered to teach me on weekends for no pay, if I was serious about learning. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands, spending every weekend in studio, and I learnt that being a good broadcaster comes from the heart, from the passion you have for what you are covering. It wasn’t about money or reward.”

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
When a spot eventually opened at the station, Jeff was first choice, because he was already part of the team. “I had done the hard work and proven my passion, so I was in,” says Jeff. That was also when he began working for Dave Mcleod, who became the mentor that would shape his career for many years to come. “He taught me about passion, accuracy, integrity, and every other area of being a solid sports presenter. I’ve held onto those lessons,” explains Jeff. “Possibly the biggest lesson that Dave taught me is to build a sense of integrity and trust with the people you interview, and most importantly, to always honour your word. If they trust you, you are sorted. If you lose their trust, you’re dead in the water – as simple as that.”

Jeff has gone on to work as a professional radio sports presenter for a variety of radio stations throughout South Africa, including Capital Radio 604, Good Hope FM, 94.5 KFM, 567 Cape Talk, Talk Radio 702 and East Coast Radio, and throughout his 28-year career he has continued to implement that lesson from Dave as he has met and interviewed some of the biggest stars in world sport, including the late Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Tana Umaga, Bruce Fordyce, David Beckham, Shane Warne, Steffi Graf, Kelly Slater, Karl Platt, and more. “As the years have gone on, so my relationships with top athletes has grown too, and I have built a relationship based on understanding – to treat them with respect at all times, even if that means losing the interview. They appreciate that,” says Jeff.

And while he has met many of the greats, Jeff says he still relishes meeting his listeners and followers on the street, that the real golden moments of a career in broadcasting have been when a stranger approaches him in a restaurant or shopping centre, introduces themselves and tells him how they listen to him every morning and how they really feel like a friend. “When I saw how much a smile and a kind word touched those people, and how much it meant to them that I took an interest and made an effort to connect, that made me realise how special my job was,” says Jeff.

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
These days Jeff provides freelance digital media services in Cape Town, including radio, photography, video, MC’ing, writing and social media. “I take pride in being able to cover a wide cross-section of areas for events, so a client can use me in various roles if need be. I believe I’ve put in the work to reach a standard in all of these areas that I’m proud of.” When he is not working, you will often find him taking to the skies to paraglide around Cape Town, and when the wind doesn’t allow for flying, he’ll be running along the mountain trails, rock climbing or surfing. In between pursuing this active lifestyle, Jeff says he simply loves the work he does, and the people he gets to work with, and thus he adds that he is already looking forward to covering next year’s Absa Cape Epic!

In winter it’s important for athletes to eat healthily and keep warm while beating winter weight-gain! Just one bowl of these wholesome soups a day can give you energy and help you stick to your weight. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

Pea and Ham Soup
Peas are good for your heart because of their high soluble fibre content that reduces LDL cholesterol levels. They also help to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure!
(35 minutes to make, serves four.)

Ingredients:
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g frozen peas
• 3 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
• 250g lean ham, chopped
• 1/3 cup light sour cream/buttermilk/plain fat-free yoghurt

Step 1: Spray a large saucepan with oil and place over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and peas and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
Step 2: Add stock and 3 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Blend well using a stick blender.
Step 3: Return soup to low heat. Add ham and stir until warmed through. Ladle soup into bowls, swirl with sour cream, buttermilk or yoghurt and serve.

Cauliflower Soup
This filling, low-calorie, high-fibre veggie is one of the most powerful healing and cancer-protective foods. It contains high amounts of vitamin C and other nutrients like folate, plus cancer-fighting compounds called phytonutrients.
(45 minutes to make, serves 6.)

Ingredients:
• 700g cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 1 small leek (white part only), sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled, cut into chunks
• 3½ cups reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ cup light cream/buttermilk/fat-free yoghurt for cooking
• pinch paprika
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Step 1: Place cauliflower, leek, potato, stock and garlic into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until potato is tender. Cool slightly.
Step 2: Blend mixture using a stick blender, or in two batches in a food processor. Season with freshly ground black pepper and stir through cooking cream. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley before serving.

Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Carrots are high in B-carotene and fibre, which help protect against certain cancers and high cholesterol.
(40 minutes to make, serves 4.)

Ingredients:
• 3 cups reduced-salt veggie stock
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1kg carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup red lentils
• 4 tablespoons toasted almonds, roughly chopped
• fresh coriander, to serve
• 4 pieces pita bread, to serve

Step 1: Add ¼ cup stock to a large saucepan. Cook onions and garlic until softened.
Step 2: Add caraway seeds, carrots and celery and a little more stock, if needed. Cook 8-10 minutes.
Step 3: Add remaining stock, lentils and 2 cups water. Bring to the boil and simmer 10 minutes.
Step 4: Purée soup in blender until smooth, but slightly chunky. Divide soup between bowls. Top with almonds and coriander. Serve with pita bread.

I am a lazy person by nature. I once did a personality test and it revealed that my motto should be “Why stand when you can sit, and why sit when you can rather lie down?” And yet I became a runner… – BY LISA MICHELLI MACKENZIE

While at a family braai in 1989, we watched 80-year-old Wally Hayward finish the Comrades Marathon. There was hardly a dry eye as he staggered across the finish line in 10:58:03, making the final cut-off time by a mere 1 minute and 57 seconds to become the oldest finisher in the history of the Comrades. My dad, Giuliano Michelli, watched this and announced that if an 80-year-old can finish this race, then he could walk it, too!

Of course, my mother Gail took him up on his challenge and made a bet with him that if he did not manage to complete the run the following year, he would have to pay for her to visit her sister in Canada. So my dad started to run that year and completed his first Comrades in 1990, coming home in 10:56:07. Since then he has run the race 20 times, finishing it 18 times, and fittingly, the late Wally presented him with his permanent Green Number after his tenth finish in 2000. And that’s how running was introduced into our family…

From Zero to Hero
I was never interested in running myself. I thought that I ‘waddled’ and could not run, and I have never been any good at sports, so the thought never once crossed my mind that I would ever want to take up running. I was always in awe of other runners, especially at the finish line of the Comrades, but I thought that it was something that I could never do, and quite frankly, I was not interested to even try.

The years passed, I turned 40 in 2012, and it felt like I was going through a mid-life crises. I was feeling miserable and felt like I had nothing to live for – that’s how bad it was! – so I went to see a psychologist and my doctor put me on anti-depression pills. Then my dad called me up one Sunday morning and announced that he was going to enter me to run the Comrades Marathon the following year, so best I start running!

On the 6th of November, my dad met me at my house and we went for a short run/walk. I remember not being able to run 100 metres without needing to walk… I absolutely hated running for the first few months. I was always out of breath, everything ached, and it was no fun at all. I was told that running is like a drug to the body and that we get all these “feel-good endorphins,” but I was not experiencing any of that. This felt like sheer torture! But I persevered, and after three months I was going to run my first half marathon. I have never been so scared before, but my dad ran with me and was so patient, telling me when to walk, and to drink, and breathe. I finished it and the feeling was out of this world! Now I finally understood about all those endorphins.

The Lure of Comrades
A few months later, I ran my first marathon, so slowly that the timing mat had already been packed away when I got to the end, and the next day I was so stiff, but words cannot describe the sense of achievement that I felt. I was now a runner! That year I did not manage to qualify to run Comrades, as I was still unable to run a marathon under five hours, but in November 2013 I ran the Kaapsehoop Marathon and eventually qualified in 4:36. I was now able to attempt the Comrades in 2014, but training for it is no easy feat: You have to be consistent in your training, and 100% dedicated to achieving this huge goal. It’s also a mental game, and I had to train my brain to believe that finishing it was indeed possible.

In the six months from January 2014 leading up to my first Comrades, I ran six marathons and two ultra-marathons, and felt that I had put in the mileage to be ready. Even though I was still petrified, I ran the Down Run in 11:18, so I decided to do the 2015 Up Run and get my Back-to-Back medal. I finished that one in 11:38, and then decided that I want to get my permanent number, so I ran the 2016 Comrades in 11:24. Unfortunately, I was cut-off at Umlaas Road in this year’s Comrades, having been nauseous for much of the first half due to the heat, but this experience has motivated me to come back next year even better and stronger, and amped to run my best Comrades ever. Because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

Nicky van der Westhuizen’s extraordinary journey to the 2017 Paris Marathon, via the Modern Athlete 9to5 Programme, is an inspiring story that defies medical and biomechanical logic. – BY JEANNIE JORDAAN, 9to5 COACH

I clearly remember the day that Nicky walked into the gym, on 23 May 2015, her birthday. One of her friends had dragged her to my 9to5 Challenge that morning, determined that the best thing to do on one’s birthday is go for a run with a new running group. Nicky confidently introduced herself and took me through a bit of her history with running, and I remember thinking, this girl is going to fly, never mind run. Needless to say, Nicky has proven me right time and time again. She doesn’t do anything in half measures, and doesn’t know the meaning of “stop.” Our running journey together (and our steadfast friendship) began that day, and I can say with both the pride of a coach and of a friend that I am grateful to be able to tell the inspiring story that got her to Paris.

THE JOURNEY STARTS
In November 2015 Nicky decided to compile a list of 40 things she’d like to do in the six months before she turned 40, hence the title of her blog, 40beforeforty. Then at Nicky’s 40th birthday party in May 2016 she received an entry for the 2017 Paris Marathon from her brother, Craig. There was another half marathon on the 40beforeforty list, not a full marathon… but what do you say when you get handed an opportunity to fulfil a dream and run a marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the world? In Nicky’s words, you say “Wow, wow, wow! I couldn’t think of a more amazing gift.” And so began the training, and the blogging, and her journey to the start line on the Champs Elysees.

However, there is a significant bit of history that is relevant to this story. Nicky was unfortunately born with a club foot: Her left foot was turned inwards and upwards, with her toes virtually touching her shin! Her parents were worried she would not be able to walk, let alone run, and 40 years ago a club foot required fairly extensive surgery, often without much success. That meant her lower left leg was in a cast for much of the first year of her life, with the cast being redone every six weeks to try to straighten the bones as much as possible before three sets of surgeries commenced, the last when she was five years old.

Today Nicky has virtually no mobility in her left ankle and her “little foot,” as her family affectionately calls it, is three sizes smaller and overpronates substantially. This means she has to buy two pairs of shoes every time she needs a new pair, but more importantly, since ankle mobility is essential for the biomechanics of running, running is extremely difficult for her. As she explains, “I didn’t grow up running – in fact, I hated it. I was a tennis player through school and varsity, but after I was unceremoniously thrust into running a half marathon in Knysna in 2007, my road to running started, and thereafter I entered a few races, went to time trials and included a run or three in my week.”

Nicky completed a few more half marathons after that first one in 2007, and then in 2011 she decided to prove to herself that she could complete a marathon, in spite of her foot. She duly ran the Watervalboven 3-in1 Marathon, crossing the finish line in five and half hours, and through tears of joy, said to her watching parents, “I bet when I was born, you didn’t think I’d ever run a marathon!”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Fast forward to May 2016 and we set out to get Nicky ready for Paris in April 2017. “It didn’t take too long for reality to hit, and while running the Paris Marathon sounded super glamorous, I soon realised it would involve months and months of training, hard work, commitment… all that stuff that sounds so noble, but is often hard to follow through with,” says Nicky. “I am not a fast runner, and so the six-hour cut-off time for the marathon was always going to be a challenge, but I was determined, and I would try contextualise my long training runs to see how they would translate into my ultimate marathon time. In other words, would I make it? My training under the guidance of Jeannie and Craig showed that I should (hopefully) make it in under six hours, but it was by no means a sure thing.”

Given her challenging biomechanics, Nicky often picks up injuries from long distance running, and that included a calf injury last September. Although not nearly ready to do a run over 21km after her injury, Nicky travelled to Nelspruit in November and surprised me on the start line of the Kaapsehoop Marathon. With a mixture of joy to see my friend and dread at the thought of what Nicky was about to put herself through, I knew there was nothing I could say to change her mind about running that morning. She assured me that she knew she was not fully fit yet, but still wanted to go as far as she could, which turned out to be 34km. My jaw dropped when I heard later what she had done.

Nicky just kept her sights on Paris and mentally pictured crossing the finish line on Avenue Foch. “That image kept me going many a time, especially on those early Saturday and Sunday mornings when I had to get up at 3:45am – or as my friend and training partner Amanda calls it, stupid o’clock – to be in time for a race at 6am in Pretoria or the South of Joburg,” says Nicky. And all too soon, she found herself in Paris with ‘bestie’ Amanda, lining up to register for the race at the Salon du Running Fair on the Friday before race day.

THE BIG DAY
As Sunday 9 April dawned, the girls made their way to the top of the Champs Elysees, and Nicky says she vividly remembers every step once the race started: “We began moving slowly forward en masse, with music playing, adrenaline pumping, and of course, some tears of emotion seeping out. But that was when my smiling started!” She took in the sights and soaked up the atmosphere, just as she had dreamed of doing so many times, and at 29km, when passing the Eiffel Tower, she thought, “Wow, who has that as a marker in their Sunday run?”

“The last 10km were really tough, but I just carried on… still smiling, still plodding, still making sure there was no walking when I could hear the various bands, and eventually, after 41.5km, I was on the Avenue Foch. The crowds were lining the road, banging on the advertising boards and cheering madly, ‘Allez, Allez,’ and I finished with tears of joy in my eyes, trying to take in as much as possible of the experience – which is why there is not one photo of me at the finish where I am looking in front of me! I did it, 42.195km in 5:49… and it was the most beautiful marathon I could ever have dreamt of, the culmination of a year of planning, training, saving, treating injuries, running races at stupid o’clock, crying, laughing… but knowing that Paris is ALWAYS a good idea!”

Having been unable to complete the 2016 Comrades when aiming for her 30th (and final) medal, 1991 women’s winner Tilda Tearle returned in 2017 for another go at earning her Triple Green before hanging up her Comrades shoes for good. In her typically honest and irreverent way, here is her story.

In 2016 I failed to finish my 30th Comrades as I had been injured and couldn’t train properly. However, I “kept the faith” that I would do it in 2017, because I had made a promise to myself that after I completed 30, I would take Comrades ‘pension’… but then 2017 did not start well. I tore a calf muscle which reduced me to a swimmer and walker for six weeks. Life is not always a bed of roses!

After six weeks I was able to run again and decided to try compression socks. These helped, as I felt I was being “kept together,” but I had not qualified for Comrades during 2016 and had to get my act together. So I entered the Pietermaritzburg 42km on just a few weeks’ training and one 21km run. Phew, I qualified in 4:56 – hurdle number one had been overcome and my calf remained intact.

All in all my training went well. I decided that this year I would not run so many races, but would do a lot of back-to-back training runs, and I also decided to stay off the route and rather use the Chatsworth 52km as my long run. I stayed away from trail runs, and was extra careful while running in the dark, so no further injuries, and as Comrades got closer, I never lost faith in myself. I know I am now quite slow, but I perform like an old truck and can just keep going once I’m warmed up!

Friendly Support
Meanwhile, Stephan Bruwer (aka Fanie), who I have run with for many years, was not as fit as he should have been and was thinking about withdrawing from Comrades. I suggested he run with me and forced him into a few longer training runs. On Comrades morning we met outside the Hilton, and I gave his daughter some GU’s, Rennies and sparkling water, as she would be seeing us at various spots. Fanie and I then walked up to the start and fought our way into a spot amongst the E batch runners.

It was the normal pandemonium at the start… runners jumping the fence, some unmentionable smells, a bit of pushing and shoving. Eventually the Comrades cock crowed, the gun went, and it took us four minutes to cross the start line. We got going with a few leaps over discarded tops and bottles, and potholes in the road. During the early stages of our run we saw the lady being pushed in the adult pram, the lady doing her thing in a racing wheelchair, the “backwards man,” the blind man, and the barefoot man from Celtic Harriers. When we got to the bottom of Field’s Hill we met Fanie’s family and I collected a GU. This was unfortunately the last time I would see them.

Up Field’s Hill I felt like James Brown and started pulling ahead of Fanie and Robbie Richey (who by now had hunted me down, because he has used me as a pacer since 2013!). We still went through Kloof together, but by the start of Hillcrest I had dropped the boys. I only found out later that Fanie encountered problems at Botha’s and had to withdraw… His pulse rate shot up so high he thought he was having a heart attack!

My plan had been to get through halfway around 5:20, so I could walk a lot in the second half. I was a bit off, but still had lots of time for walking. I encountered lots of runners who wanted to chat and wish me well, and I saw everyone I had planned to see along the route, so my day was turning out happy. Meanwhile, Robbie had caught up again and made sure he stayed near me. At one stage I even held his hand to keep him going.

Digging Deep
During Comrades you have to learn not to panic. I had now lost my GU’s, as Fanie’s daughter was nowhere to be seen, but I knew that at Camperdown I had a GU at the Savages table. That thought kept me going, but it was good to see that table! Camperdown is normally the point where you have to start digging deep, and the race is often won or lost in this area. I was still fine, and lucky for me I was carrying my own Rennies, which I have learnt to take for nausea.

At about three in the afternoon fellow Durban runner Gina Hinchcliffe of Stella was suddenly running next to me. Her husband was struggling and told her to push on, and so we stuck together for the rest of the race. She gave me a helping hand down the hills, and we remained in a positive frame of mind as we walked the whole of small Pollies and then the whole of big Pollies. At the top of Pollies, I said to myself, “Goodbye Pollie, I have kissed your arse goodbye… finally!” We were then confronted with the nasty new finish – 7.2km of rollercoaster, but we kept moving. A friend riding a bike reported that Gina’s hubby had been spotted at Pollies. We hoped he would pull finger and finish in time. The same guy then told me it looked like I needed a good meal.

Gina informed me that she had a friend about 2km from the finish waiting with wine. “Yay,” I said, hoping she would share. When we got to the friend, Gina had her sip of white wine and I had 2 big glugs. Tasted so good! Revived and with a grin, off we went. Meanwhile, Body Guard Clive (my husband) and I had arranged that if he could get close enough, he would hand me a banner which I could run in with. I spotted him, collected my banner and Gina and I ran in carrying it for an 11:43:50 finish. My ‘triplets’ had finally been born, and I was such a happy girl. To add to the pleasure, Bruce Fordyce and Alan Robb handed me my Triple Green.

All done… kind of
After the race we went to see my mother, who lives in Pietermaritzburg. She had bought me a teddy bear wearing a hat, and she said this was because she took her hat off to me. She then told me to put my hand on her Bible and swear that I wouldn’t do Comrades again! I said 30 Comrades is really enough for me… but if I am in one piece, I would like to run in 2020 (as a 60-year-old) and in 2025 when it is the 100th running of Comrades. If I am still able to qualify in 2025, I will be at the start. After 32 Comrades’ starts and 30 finishes all I can say is that Comrades is not for sissies. It is ******* hard, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, but is it absolutely worth it!