Category: Features

It takes a special type of runner to enter a six-day circuit race over New Year’s. It takes an even more special runner to enter as part of a two-man combo who pledge to run 800km between them to raise funds for refugees in war-torn Sudan, and then sprint the last few hours on a strained calf muscles to fulfil that pledge. Anthony Bold, take a bow. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The annual Festival of Running in Johannesburg attracts a motley crew of long distance junkies who camp out for between two and six days to run or walk repeatedly around a 500m circuit. It’s definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, but those who do it love both the physical and mental challenge. One of these distance junkies is Anthony Bold, a 16-time Comrades finisher, who was doing the six-day event for the third time this past New Year’s. In his first in 2012-2013, he completed 405km before his feet packed up, and a year later he managed 420km before swallowing a bee and being forced to retire. “This time I planned to do an easy 500km, with Stefan Roodt doing the other 300km of our combined 800km to raise funds for the S4J – Sudan for Jesus organisation, but people were teasing me that he was not going around the track that fast, so I would have to make up the difference.”

Foot Problems
Besides regular rest breaks, Ant’s strategy was to change his socks every four hours to keep his feet dry and intact, but blisters still formed on his heels and toes. By day three the blisters were so bad that podiatrist and running friend Dennis Rehbock visited to drain and treat them with spirits, but by then Ant says his feet were too sore to put shoes on, so he began running in just socks. “I was running in seven pairs at one stage, to still give my feet at least some cushioning, but after a few hours of that my heels were badly bruised. Then at midday we hit upon the solution to cut the toe boxes off my shoes, like the old Bruce Fordyce way. It doesn’t affect the shoes at all, and it’s actually very comfy. After that the blisters didn’t worry me nearly as much.”

So Ant continued running, and on the fifth afternoon, with some 20 hours still to go, he hit his target of 500km. That’s when another running friend, Stuart Wainwright, suggested he push on to 563km, which equals 350 miles, traditionally a notable mark for circuit runners. “I decided to keep going, but in the early evening shift I strained my calf muscle, so I pulled off and moped in bed. I came out twice during the night to try again, but no luck, and it was only at 4:30am that I could at last hobble around a bit, but ridiculously slowly. I still had about 40 kays to go and Stefan was struggling to finish his kays, so I thought I actually had to keep going for us to make 800.”

“Then organiser Eric Wright got Johnny van der Walt to chase me after we packed ice into my compression sock, and I started running. Problem was, nobody seemed to know how many laps I still needed, and at one point I actually stopped and cried, said I can’t go on, but I got going again after some words of encouragement from Norman Johnson of S4J. Just before the final cut-off at 12pm, I was told I had three minutes to do my last lap to make 563km, so I sprinted it, made it by 20 seconds, and then I just collapsed. That was when they finally told me that collectively Stefan and I had passed 800km half an hour earlier, but they didn’t want to tell me because I was so close to my 563km target!

Tough Enough
Unsurprisingly, Ant says his body was “broken” after six days of running, and that he had to walk around the office without shoes for a number of days. “My colleagues definitely think I am a bit weird, or possessed,” he jokes. “You just can’t compare six-day circuit racing to anything else. I went through hell, and it was one of the toughest things I have ever done. But you get to know yourself, and what your limits are. You learn to vasbyt.”

If you think you can’t run, then you need to speak to Jeannie Jordaan, the driving force behind the new Modern Athlete 9 to 5 Challenge for beginner runners, because today she may be faster and fitter than ever, but not so long ago she was having those same doubts. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Two and a half years ago, Johannesburg-based Life Coach, Wellness Consultant and Personal Trainer Jeannie Jordaan found herself contemplating a running life very much different to the one she had been leading since she was young. She had just undergone an emergency Caesarian for the premature birth of her twin boys Kergan and Barron, and she didn’t think she would ever be able to run at the same competitive level again.

“Fortunately my boys emerged strong and fearless, despite their two-month early entrance into the world, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to run again like before, because my body had changed and my pace had slowed,” explains Jeannie. “But running is capable of bringing about incredible change in all spheres of life, so when I was given the go-ahead to start running again, I hit the road with the twins safely snuggled in their infamous red running pram, and set out to prove to myself that it is possible to bounce back from pregnancy stronger and faster than before.”

Jeannie’s personal goal soon grew into an idea to create various group running challenges, to train, educate and motivate people who want to start running but just don’t know how. For the last 18 months she has been running these challenges with incredible success stories, health and wellness results and a whole lot of fun along the way, especially since the programme enables challengers to meet new running friends with similar goals. And now, starting in January 2016, Jeannie will be working with Modern Athlete on a bigger 9 – 5 Challenge, to get absolute beginners running five kilometres comfortably in nine weeks. “The nine-week programme is designed to help participants start slow and build a base,” says Jeannie. “We’ve all experienced or witnessed someone take on an overly aggressive training plan, only to quit, and the goal of this programme is to build sustainable, smart fitness.”

Running in the Family
Jeannie, who lives in Parkmore with husband Len and the twins, inherited her love of running from her father, Ron Henderson, a multiple silver medallist in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra-marathon. “Athletics also played a big part in my school career, but it was only in my mid-twenties that the bug really bit hard, when I decided to up the ante and complete the Two Oceans, the race that had become a family destination every Easter.”

As a professional trainer, most of her time is now spent in the gym, but you can often spot her running the streets of Sandton in between sessions. She currently boasts a marathon PB of 3:12, which she is confident will be bettered in 2016 under the expert guidance of her own coach, Neville Beeton, and she has set herself the target of running her fastest marathon and ultra in the year she turns 40. “With AfricanX and my first Comrades on the cards this year, I feel more passionate about running than ever before. Fitness and health are cornerstones of who I am, and I cannot imagine life without sport and exercise.”

You CAN do it!
Jeannie is now focused on helping others reach their running, fitness and health goals. “If provided with the right programme, plus support and knowledge of one’s body, I believe that anything is possible, and this challenge is the first step to building better balance with power, purpose and passion,” says Jeannie, “so I am really looking forward to working together with Modern Athlete to get more people running. If you think you can’t run, then I am going to show you that you can!”

Click here to find out more or sign up for the Modern Athlete 9 to 5 Challenge.

The weekend of Comrades 2014, my husband and I were in Durban, so we decided to go and watch. I got so inspired that I decided I would like to run the Ultimate Human Race, so in November 2014 I ran my first marathon in Soweto and qualified for Comrades 2015 by finishing in 4:29. Many other races and early mornings followed, and there was not only running, but sacrifices, tears and self-doubt. – BY COMFORT SELEBI

I am a mother of three. My eldest daughter is 21 years old and is studying at UP, my son is 16 and my last-born daughter is turning nine this December. For me to be able to meet my running buddies at the gym at 5am every morning, I had to find my kids transport to take them to and from school. Yes, I don’t see my kids in the morning. Thanks to my helper, she prepares the little one for school, and thank God I have a very supportive husband who understood that I had a goal that I wanted to accomplish. It wasn’t easy missing the family functions because I had to run, and some relatives didn’t understand why I had to go to training instead of being with my family… but I had a goal!

I remember crying in my car coming back from a Comrades Women’s Seminar in Pretoria which was on a Saturday, because when I looked at my watch it was 1:30pm, and my youngest daughter had a birthday party to attend which started at 12pm. I asked myself what kind of a mother I was. I didn’t have time for my kids during the week and I still didn’t have time for them on weekends… but I had a goal!

The Letter
My son wrote me an inspirational letter and gave it to me just before we left for Durban: “As your son, I stand here a proud son. The reason why I say this is because you have inspired me in such a way that no one has. This tremendous race that you are about to take on is filled with many obstacles, but the fact that you are taking this head on, says a lot about you. I therefore take my hat off to you because it is one of the longest races in the world! It’s not for the faint-hearted and certainly requires a high level of training, dedication and determination. The collection of medals you have in your room is evident that you work hard to achieve what you want to achieve.”

“All these years, you have pushed me to great lengths and have always been quick to encourage me in everything that I do. Now it’s my turn to give back. As you run the Comrades Marathon, keep in mind that you have your friends, your family and most importantly God behind you. Even though we won’t be there when you cross the line, just know that you will be in our hearts. I only hope this is the beginning and not the end, because you are really good at what you do. I hope that you pray a lot, travel safely and arrive safely. You are the best Mom in the world and my best friend. Even if you don’t get a medal, it’s okay! Just focus on running at your best ability, and last but not least, have fun! Lots of love, Boyzaaa!!!”

The Run
With that inspiration, the day arrived and I got to the start. After doing my prayer, I told myself that not finishing is out of the question… this was a journey to go and fetch my medal, and I would not come back without it. At 35km I was worried, because I was told to start slow to reserve my energy, but it felt like I had no energy left. I remembered what I once read, that your mind gives up a hundred times before your body does, so I had to keep on pushing. As I got to the top of Polly Shortts, the last big uphill, one lady shouted, “Welcome to Pietermaritzburg!” Those were the sweetest words I’ve ever heard, and triggered something in me that said, “You made it!” I started sprinting – don’t know where I got the energy from, but I sprinted all the way to the finish line for an 11:06 finish.

With November’s Vital Winelands Run in Stellenbosch becoming the first road running event to officially pledge support for the Modern Athlete #runclean campaign, athletes were challenged to not only reduce the litter they left on the road, but even to bring their litter to the finish, and two runners really lived up to their promise to #runclean. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Blake Dyason and Robert ‘Brundle’ Le Brun are irrepressibly free spirits, hence they often do crazy things such as running races in ‘onesie’ fancy-dress costumes to raise funds or awareness for a good cause. And so they headed to Stellenbosch in their onesies for the Winelands, only to get stuck in traffic and miss the start. Once they finally got going, they still took their time, because they had decided to support the call by the race organisers to #runclean.

So, Blake and Brundle started picking up empty sachets along the route, especially in areas between water tables where the race volunteers would be less likely to find all the discarded sachets. By the time they reached the finish, after the final cut-off gun, they each had a large bag of rubbish in hand. Unfortunately, only a few people noticed them cross the line, as the final prize-giving was taking place, but they should have received a standing ovation!

Modern Athlete would like to say a huge thank you to Blake and Brundle for leading by example, and we hope their actions will spur other runners on to help clear up the mess, or at least reduce the amount of litter in the roads. We would also like to thank the Vital Winelands Run for coming on board with #RunClean – not only did it lead to more awareness amongst the running community, but also led to more races pledging support for the campaign.

We would love to hear about your efforts to #runclean, so send your letters, photographs or ideas to [email protected].

THINK BEFORE YOU THROW – #runclean

He has conquered the world’s highest mountains and trekked to the most extreme locations in the Arctic and Antarctic, but now Sibusiso Vilane has been challenged to do something he’s never done before, his first triathlon later this year, with the help of the Modern Athlete Dare to Tri programme. – BY RAYMOND TRAVERS

Sibusiso Vilane is truly an adventurous spirit. Besides climbing the highest mountain on each continent, including the highest on the planet, Mount Everest, he has also taken part in a string of sports endurance events, including multiple Comrades marathons, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, the Old Mutual Wild Series and AfricanX. On the cycling side, he has competed in various mountain bike stage races, including the FNB Wines2Whales and the Old Mutual Joberg2C.

This former goat herder is the only black South African to complete the Grand Slam of adventuring, the Three Poles Challenge, to reach both Poles and climb Mount Everest, which he completed in 2012, and he has even met Queen Elizabeth II, but there is one thing he cannot do: Swim.

It was in a 2013 television advert for Windhoek Lager that he revealed this fact about himself. “Yes,” he commented in the advert, “this is not a joke. I cannot swim. But I am prepared to learn, as I never back down from a challenge.” And it was this fact about Sibusiso that prompted the challenge that will see this Nelspruit resident tackling his first IRONMAN event in 2017.

But unlike many other athletes that are ‘challenged’ in this way and just dive straight in, if you’ll excuse the pun, Sibusiso is planning his attempt with a little more care. “I believe in proper planning, preparation and execution for the attainment of anticipated results,” he says, “so in this case one has to be realistic. Ideally I’d prefer to plan for my first ever ultra-distance triathlon to take place in 2017, simply because I need enough time to learn how to swim – and swim very well.”

Nevertheless, Sibusiso has chosen the South African leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series, the Discovery World Triathlon Cape Town, over the 23rd and 24th of April 2016 as his baptism of fire for multisport events. He will take part in the Sprint distance event, which consists of a 500-metre swim, 20-kilometre cycle and five-kilometre run, to build his confidence and knowledge about tackling multisport races before trying out a long distance IRONMAN.

Sibusiso seems confident about the cycling and running legs of the triathlon. “I’ll need to get a good road bike,” says the adventurer, who has done plenty of mountain biking, so he is used to pedalling, “and I will need to train hard, but it will be up to me how much training I commit to. I know what the challenge will require of me and I am ready to take it up. I do not take it for granted, and I never bring the ‘I-have-done-this-and-that’ attitude. I respect every challenge that I undertake.”

Running is actually Sibusiso’s strong point. “I run for exercise and always take part in a number of marathons and even ultra-marathons each year. Running is not my concern,” he says confidently, “and that is one aspect of the Discovery World Triathlon Cape Town that I will not even worry about. My only concern for the whole thing will be the swimming part,” he confirmed.

Sibusiso has now been appointed a brand ambassador for the Modern Athlete Dare to Tri programme that will prepare him for the Discovery World Triathlon Cape Town. “I accept brand ambassador roles simply to inspire others to understand and become involved with that particular organisation or programme,” he says. “I will be honoured if I am one of the people who will be the figure to look up to, and it is a great opportunity to be asked to fulfil such a role.”

So, once he learns to swim, Sibusiso will no doubt rise to this challenge, just as he was able to rise to the challenge of climbing Mount Everest – a challenge that ironically was also issued to him by a friend. “And I took that challenge and pushed myself to the top,” he concludes.

Sibusiso will be part of Modern Athlete’s Dare to Tri Programme, and you can join him on his journey from non-swimming novice to triathlon finisher.

There is a finishline pic of me in my first Comrade Marathon in 2013, wearing my H seeding number and looking elated with my sub-11 finishing time, while the runner next to me, wearing an A seeding number, looks exhausted and ready to collapse. However, 20 minutes later I was not feeling so well. What I did that day is quite embarrassing, but at the time, I never thought there would be any negative consequences… – BY MARC BESTER

I had trained very hard that year and just prior to Comrades I had done the Two Oceans Ultra, IRONMAN 70.3 and the Full IRONMAN, plus three more marathons and various triathlons and long trail events. I was fit and ready. Now I had always followed the rules of not eating or drinking anything new, nor using any supplements on the day, that you had not used throughout your training. Like many runners, I had usually suffered with severe cramps, which I always thought was due to dehydration, but I had never taken more than cramp-blockers in a race. However, I was very worried with Comrades, especially when I heard it was going to be very hot and windy, so I had asked around all my running mates and on the Comrades Facebook page what medication to take if in serious pain.

Mostly I was told just be a man and run though it, that’s what Comrades is all about. I was also told by someone that if I feel the pain coming along, “just pop two myprodols.” It was not until two days before the race that I decided to take Myprodols along, just in case, having only ever used them when I had a serious back strain or various sports injuries, and I only recall ever using two at a time. Well, I conveniently packed a strip of them – for me and any runner who might also want, of course. I didn’t even research the pill, and was not worried that it could cause me damage or be harmful. I just didn’t think I was doing anything wrong…

Runner’s High?
Well, I had a great race. I suffered like everyone else with heat and dehydration, but from the start I thought I could pop two pills every two hours or so, just to keep the pain away. To be honest, I felt no negative effects. I ran the entire race to my exact goal, finishing under 11 hours, and I never had any cramps at all. Every two hours I just took two more and stayed hydrated. I’m not sure if I was supposed to have experienced anything negative, but I got to the end totally elated. I was probably high, as I had taken 12 pills along the route!

After finishing I sat for about 20 minutes with friends and then started to feel weak and dizzy. I tried to get up but fainted, and I was taken to the medical tent and placed on a drip. The tent was overflowing with runners and I was shocked to see the carnage of the day. As the doctor came to me, she said “Mr Bester, you are severely dehydrated and need a drip, so I need to ask you some medical questions. Firstly, have you had any Myprodols?” Immediately the alarm bells rung in my head. I stuttered and mumbled yes, that I had in fact had four. Big lie! She shrieked and scolded me, telling me I was crazy, and didn’t I know the side-effects and the possibility of renal failure, and how the meds block the body from pain even though I pushed my body to its capacity. I lay there for probably 45 minutes thinking I was very lucky to still be ok. I really did not want to expose how many I actually had and then be hauled off to hospital for a stomach pump!

Lesson Learnt
Fortunately, I never had any negative side-effects, but since then I never touched Myprodols again, including during two more Comrades runs. I do think runners should be wary of what anti-inflammatories are used for, and should not push their bodies to a point that they need meds to get to a goal or a finish line. I’ve heard horror stories of long-term damage caused by lesser meds used by runners, and I’m really glad my story turned out ok, and that I lived to run another day.

Ed’s Note: This article is not meant as criticism of any specific medication, but rather to warn athletes to use all medication carefully, and only with instruction from a properly qualified medical professional.

He’s one of the most irrepressible spirits of the Western Cape running and multisport communities, but just a few years ago Ashraf Orrie was going through hard times, and he says it was running that got him through it. – BY SEAN FALCONER

When his construction business took a downturn in 2010, Ashraf Orrie took a lot of strain, eventually ending up with depression, but things started to change for the better when he decided to take up running in order try take his mind off things. “That was when I realised what I had been missing all my life. Not only did I get fitter, lose weight and feel great, but you make so many contacts through running, and I picked up many jobs through the sport. Also, when I was having financial troubles I was sleeping 10 to 11 hours at a time, but now I feel fully recharged with just five or six hours. I was sleeping my life away!”

By 2011 Ashraf had been joined on the road by his whole family – wife Roldah, daughter Nabeelah and sons Zunaid and Riaz – and they all took to the sport so well that the whole family went home with awards at the 2014 Lion of Africa Itheko Athletic Club Awards. “Our kids are very dedicated to their studies, top academic achievers, but come race day, all the talk in the house is about running. We really went through a total lifestyle change: No more burgers, curries and biryani, now it is salads or tuna for supper. We train together, and shop together for sporting goods, and there are running magazines on all our dressing tables.”

With three Comrades to his name, including a best of 9:44:59 last year, Ashraf (47) says he felt he had come full circle in running, having done all the races in Cape Town and a few others around the country, as well as joining clubmates on two overseas tours to run marathons in Athens, Barcelona, Rome and Istanbul. “I decided my next challenge would be triathlon, so I did the ITU Cape Town Tri and the XTERRA at Grabouw, but just as a social athlete. My first proper triathlon race was at Slanghoek near Worcester in September, and I finished third veteran. I came out the water mid-field and stayed there in the cycling, but then made up all my time on the run. Now in January I’m taking on my first IRONMAN 70.3, and then it will be the full IRONMAN a few months later.”

Running Cameraman
If you spot Ashraf at a race, chances are he will be pointing a camera at you, and he has been known to take between 300 and 400 photos during a half marathon! “I run with my camera if I am doing an easy run, and everything goes up on Facebook, where people can tag themselves. I also post my diet and training programmes, and I have a lot of contact with youngsters who say I inspire them. They even joke that I am now a bit of a target to chase,” he laughs.

“I regard myself as a very unselfish person – I’m happy to share what I have learnt, and my door is open to all. Some of the young guys know where I live and that they can get a plate of food there, and I also give them lifts to races, or help them with supplements, or accommodation. I don’t ask for a cent; my satisfaction comes from seeing their faces when they realise somebody is prepared to help them. I simply love running. I only started running late in life, so now I’m grabbing all the opportunities, making the most of it, just enjoying myself, but also trying to help others along the way.”

One of those philosophical questions people like to ask each other is, mountains or sea, which do you prefer? One person who would undoubtedly choose the mountains would be Jacques von Wielligh, who has a burning passion for visiting high places, preferably by running up to them. – BY SEAN FALCONER

By day he works in IT in the tourism industry, but give Jacques half a chance and he will don his running gear and head for the nearest mountain. The 39-year-old husband and father of two from Kuilsriver in the Cape simply loves getting to the top of high places, and he is currently ‘collecting’ trigonometric beacons by running to them and photographing them, in what he calls his 100 Trig Beacons Challenge – and that is just a logical extension of his other great adventure, the Nine Peaks Challenge.

Jacques excelled at rugby at school and also did athletics, clocking a PB of 2:03 for 800m, but after school he made a name for himself in road cycling, winning the prestigious Die Burger Sanlam Tour in 1997 and earning himself a pro contract to ride in Belgium. However, he soon became disillusioned with cycling: “I was heading towards a serious career in the sport, dreaming of riding the Tour de France, but I saw other riders taking EPO right in front of me, and that put me off, because I was not prepared to cheat. So I came home, and I haven’t owned a bicycle since. Then I saw an interview by Ryan Sandes about running the 4 Deserts Challenge, and seeing the places he was getting to visit made me also want to get out there. Back then, even running 10km was an achievement for me, but now I run up to 150km at a time, and I’ve seen some incredible places, so I’m very grateful to Ryan – if not for him, I would not have gone out there.”

Accepting the Challenge
About two years ago Jacques read online about a challenge to run the highest peak in each of the nine provinces of South Africa, which would entail a total elevation gain of 10,300m, but after doing some research he realised there was very little info available for some of the peaks. “I wanted to go map out routes for others to summit, because I never just do things for myself. I had just run a sub-five-hour Two Oceans, so I was fit, and I am quite computer-savvy thanks to my work, so I pulled out Google Earth, plotted the routes, exported the files to my GPS device and then took my cycling mate Nigel Isaacs with me for support and followed the little arrows to the highest summit of each peak.”

Typically, Jacques is understating the magnitude of the trip. They started in the Limpopo Province and in just under two weeks he and Nigel worked their way down to finish in the Cape, with Nigel summiting some of the easier peaks alongside Jacques, and him doing the rest solo. First up was Iron Crown (2126m), then Die Berg (2331m) in Mpumalanga. “Die Berg is not difficult to get up to, because there is a tar road all the way to the summit, but I mapped out an off-road route where there is so much more to see, including animals, rivers, pools, a waterfall… If you don’t go my route, all you see is the road.” Next was Nooitgedacht Wes (1806m) in the North West, which Jacques describes as a sacred place. “It’s a mountain sanctuary park, and we ran up a river gorge system, where I incidentally lost my wedding ring, did a circle route on the other side, then came back down through the gorge. Absolutely stunning!”

The fourth peak was Toringkop (1913m) in Gauteng, where no running is actually allowed. “It’s not really a summit, just the highest point, and we found a note left on our vehicle to call the officials, because we had been spotted running on the hiking trail.” Then it was on to Namahadi (3275m) in the Free State, and Jacques says the adventure really started here. “If I could recommend one place in South Africa to run, this would be it. It’s so beautiful there, on the border with Lesotho, and the Mont-Aux-Sources trail race is run on the same route. Some people think Monties is the highest point, but you actually have to go quite a bit further to get to Namahadi, although it is actually just a few metres higher. You park at Sentinel Parking Point, go up the chain ladders, and what an amazing view!”

From there they headed to KwaZulu-Natal for Mafadi (3451m), the highest point in SA in the Drakensberg. “We went up Leslie’s Pass, past the natural marble baths, into the snow. You can’t really run there, it’s more like crawling as you follow the Lesotho border, but there’s a cave up there where you can overnight and then watch a stunning sunrise the next day.” Next was KwaDuma (3019m) in the Eastern Cape, where they stayed overnight in a local village, having handed out food and other goods, before heading up the peak. “That was something special, untouched beauty, with wild horses running free up on the escarpment,” says Jacques.

It was a quick 10km summit to Murch Point (2156m) in the Northern Cape, but also a hair-raising one. “There was mist over the Kompas Berge mountains, so I could not see the view, and then suddenly lightning struck the ground less than 300m away as I came down, so I ran very fast to get to the car. It was very frightening!” And that left Seweweekspoort (2325m) in the Swartberge, about 60km from Laingsburg in the Western Cape. “Nigel tried to go up with me and didn’t make it, because my route was too rocky with dense bushes, so I went back later with a foreign running mate, Frenchie, who is a real trail runner, and we found a better route.”

Passing on the Info
Jacques says the round trip can be done as an active 12-day holiday, if you’re fit, but he warns that some of the summits involve a long trek, and for some you need to go equipped with a tent and emergency gear. “Being in the tourism industry, I can take people on the tour, or can arrange a tour bus, accommodation and tour guides, which will make it a nice experience. There are also so many things to see along the way, including some 200 caves to explore on the various peaks. That’s what makes me tick. It’s all about exploring, experiencing amazing journeys and discovering new things. The mountains were there long before us, and will be there long after us, and I find peace and freedom up there. It is mind-blowing to reach a summit, and if you can share a mountain with somebody, the memory will last a lifetime. That is what motivates my running now, not competing against the clock or other runners. If I could relive my life, I would touch the top of a mountain every day.”

To read the full story of the 9 Peaks adventure, go to http://issuu.com/jacquesvonwielligh/docs/the_9_peaks_experience.

If you had told me two years ago that I would one day run a half marathon, I would have laughed in your face, but once in a while you need to blow your own damn mind. – BY DIANE SHEARER

I was never much of a runner until I started going to parkrun on Saturday mornings. That’s when I realised 5km is much further than you think. At first I absolutely hated parkrun… It was self-willing torture, where I would wake up at a ridiculous hour on a Saturday morning to run for what felt like the longest half hour of my life, but I think my endorphins overruled the feeling of torture, because I just carried on going back. I have now run over 50 parkruns, and I went from 5km to doing a 10km and then to entering a half a marathon in just a few months.

Now I don’t half-ass things: I either give it my all or I just give up, and so, when my boyfriend Jason wanted to do a 10km training run the week before the race, which would be my first 21km and his first marathon, I think I had a moment of optimism… I was meeting family at Gilroys Brewery for lunch and couldn’t do both, unless I ran there, but it is 21km from my house to Gilroys. I was waiting for a “Just kidding,” but those words just didn’t come.

Full Dress Rehearsal
We duly headed off, telling my parents to keep an eye out for us in case we needed a lift, and at first I thought this isn’t so bad, but that was quickly replaced by, “Woah, you’ve clearly forgotten that you’ve never run more than 10km in your life!” However, quitting was not an option and I forced my legs to push harder. Once I start something, I will always finish it, no matter how hard I have to push myself.

We got to a seriously long hill and I was really wondering what I had gotten myself into as I felt my throat close up in panic. However, I felt a surge of adrenaline and eventually got into the rhythm, and I could feel my heart beating in my feet as they hit the ground. We ran 15km in one hour 40 minutes and that was when we saw my parents anxiously waiting for us, but we stupidly decided not to take their offer to drive us the rest of the way, as we only had 6km left. That’s like a Parkrun, it would be easy…

We stopped at a garage for a quick Coke and carried on running. Big mistake, because it’s hard to get those legs moving again. The last 4km, with about 3km uphill, was probably the hardest thing I have ever done – everything in my body just said “No!” My muscles were sore as I stomped one foot in front of the other, but I tackled that long hill and continued running, probably because I was so desperate to finish. We took 45 minutes to run the last 6km, but we were done, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel: A beer never tasted so good! I was so tired I couldn’t even lift my beer mug, which is strange, because I didn’t run on my arms… although at some point I’m pretty sure I was crawling.

The Real Thing
Official race day came, and I couldn’t believe I woke up at a ridiculous hour to stand in the freezing cold to put myself through that torture again. The timer started, the crowd of runners started moving, and I quickly felt the warmth seep into my muscles and my breathing matched the beat of my feet hitting the round. It suddenly felt so easy, as though I was flying on autopilot. All I can say about that race is that I just ran and ran and ran, and it felt so good. (Oh, and it’s harder than you think trying to drink out of a cup while running, but it just felt so unnatural to walk!)

I finished my first official half marathon in two hours and eight minutes, and still felt strong as I moved my legs as fast as I could towards the finish line. I did not expect it to go that well, my mind was blown, and that prompted me to do an illustration about my experience. I still have no idea why I run. I just can’t stop. Maybe it’s the feeling of accomplishing something I never imagined doing.

Having won the ITU Duathlon World Champs Junior Women’s title in Australia in October, Gizelde Strauss appears to have a bright future ahead of her in multisport. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The lead pack of four girls competing in the ITU World Du Champs in Adelaide stuck together for the 5km first run leg, and then through the 20km bike leg, but after just 100 metres of the final 2.5km run leg, SA’s Gizelde Strauss put the hammer down and pulled away from her competition, quickly opening a 20-second lead and holding it all the way to the finish to claim her first World Title. Not bad for a 16-year-old competing in the 16-19 junior age category against older girls.

Gizelde says she went into the race with a clear gameplan. “I was stressing a bit when they called us to line up, but soon as the gun went off I forgot about everything and did my race as I was supposed to. The plan was to stay with the pack at first, because I run well, so I can break away early, but my cycle is not as strong, so it doesn’t help to go too early. Therefore, I stayed with the pack on the first run and the bike leg, then broke away on the second run. Winning the title for SA felt really great, like all my hard work paid off, and I would definitely like to stand on the podium to hear our National Anthem played again!”

Starting Young
Gizelde was born in the Free State, has grown up in Limpopo Province, and currently attends the HPC High School in Pretoria, where she is coached by former Olympic and Commonwealth triathlete Katie Roberts. Her older brother Yanich is also a talented multisporter, and Gizelde says she got into sport thanks to him. “When I was five, my brother did running and swimming, so I also started, just having fun. I got SA colours for the first time in Grade 0, in biathle, and also did cross-country and biathlon, and I started with duathlon and triathlon when I was 12.

This year has been particularly successful for the youngster, as she won the SA titles in her age category in both duathlon and triathlon, then won the African Champs title in Duathlon in Egypt before claiming the World Champs title in Australia. “I was also selected for the World Champs in triathlon, but Kate and I decided my swimming is not good enough yet, and it would not make sense to spend all that money to go there and then not even finish due to possibly being lapped and eliminated, so I will work on that in the coming year and hopefully get to both World Champs next year.”

Unsurprisingly, Gizelde also dreams of turning pro after school and one day competing at the Olympics, but she also wants to study sports nutrition and go into that after her competitive days are done. Either way, the future looks bright for this young World Champ.