Category: Features

When it comes to getting the most out of races and just enjoying being out there, few runners do it better than Caroline Lee, who seemingly has a camera glued to her right hand. – BY SEAN FALCONER

It is unlikely that Caroline Lee will ever run another personal best in a South African race. Even a fast time is improbable, because this 51-year-old anaesthetist from Johannesburg chats to everybody in races, from fellow runners through race volunteers to spectators, and takes hundreds of pics as well. “I’ve made so many friends along the way and now everybody wants to chat, even when I come down to Cape Town, and all my PBs were run overseas, including 4:00:24 in the Munich Marathon in Germany. One of my running goals is a sub-four marathon, so I was close. Then again, I did take 360 pics along the way that day,” she laughs. “I usually take a few hundred pics per race, and do about 60 races a year – some trail events I took over 1000 pics! So I have many great memories.”

What’s Up, Doc?
Caroline (51) was born in Taiwan, then moved to Africa aged 13 when her diplomat father was transferred and the family spent two years each in Lesotho and Swaziland before moving to SA. She matriculated in Bloemfontein, then studied medicine at WITS in Johannesburg, specialising to become an anaesthetist. Today she is divorced with two sons, aged 20 and 15, and operates out of various hospitals in Joburg. She also has a reflux-testing unit at Donald Gordon Hospital, attached to WITS, and it was thanks to her medical training that she kind of ‘fell’ into running in 2007.

“I was not a runner at all, but a friend was worried her husband would collapse in the Valentine’s 10km night run, because he’d recently had Achilles tendon surgery, so she asked me to run with him and keep an eye on him. We finished in 1:09 and I quite enjoyed it, and when I saw the Morningside club tent at the finish, I decided to join them. My second race, still with no training, was the Two Oceans 21, which I only ran because friends had invited me down to Cape Town for Easter. At the finish all the spectators were banging on the sideboards, so I thought I was about to miss the cut-off and I sprinted home, only to see my finishing time was 2:00:10, way under the cut-off!”

Later in the year she was hit by a truck while training for the 94.7 cycling event, so was out of action for about a year, and then in early 2009 she was involved in a car accident, but by the end of that year she was able to run two half marathons in one weekend. “The Club Captain said if I can do two 21s in one weekend, I can do a marathon, so they invited me to go with to the Kaapsehoop Marathon. I ran the first half in two hours, then walked the whole second half – couldn’t run another step – but I finished in 4:57 and qualified for Comrades. It had been a dream of mine since 16 to run the Comrades, so it only took me 30 years to fulfil, but I got my medal. Of course, I said never again, but the club told me I would not only get a second Comrades medal, but a third medal for running them back to back – and I do love my medals!”

Say Cheese!
Meanwhile Caroline had also started running overseas marathons. In 2010 she went to Amsterdam, then New York in 2011, and Berlin in 2012. “I just couldn’t resist running, and I wanted to see the world, so the two went together naturally for me. The problem was, I ran Amsterdam and couldn’t’ remember anything of the route afterwards, so in New York I carried my camera and took about 10 pics. I realised it was quite easy to run with a camera, and that’s how I became a running photographer.”

However, she doesn’t need photographs to remember her experience at the 2013 Boston Marathon. That was the year that two bombs went off right near the finish line, killing three spectators and injuring an estimated 260, and the race was immediately called off as emergency services flooded the area. “I was just 600m from the end when they went off,” says Caroline. “I heard the first one go off and thought it was a 4:00 cut-off gun, but then a second one went off 30 seconds later, so I asked a guy next to me what it was and he said he thought it was probably a cannon being fired to celebrate Patriot’s Day. Then a policeman ran in front of us and stopped us. Everybody just stopped dead, nobody tried to go past, and we stood there for close on two hours, in two degree temperatures, not knowing what was going on and still hoping to be allowed to finish. They just said there had been an incident at the finish.”

“The worst was for the runners around me, many of whom had family waiting for them at the finish line, so there was huge panic amongst the runners. By the time I got back to the hotel, it was already dark, and then I realised people back home had been panicking about me, because they had been tracking me online and my running time had me down as finishing in 4:09, the exact time the bombs went off! However, the race is run mat-to-mat with chip timing, and I was actually a little bit further back after only crossing the line a bit after the starting gun. It was a frightening experience.” But that didn’t stop Caroline going back in 2014, when the organisers invited some 5000 non-finishers from the previous year to come back and run it again, without needing to meet the normal strict qualification criteria. “They did give us a medal in 2013, but I went back and finished the race officially.”

Busy Year Ahead
Today Caroline can look back on over 8000km in race mileage, including 10 marathons in 2010, 11 in 2011, 12 in 2012 and 16 in 2013! “Ok I went a bit overboard in 2013, but not bad for somebody that does no training at all because I have no time in the week to run. My races are my training runs, and if you do two marathons in one weekend, I think that is enough for the week!” She has the Tokyo Marathon this March and will then run Comrades again later in the year, followed by the Frankfurt Marathon in October. Of course, her camera will go with to all these events…

She also has some long trail runs pencilled in. “I’ve done most of the long trail events, including the Outeniqua Quest, Cederberg Challenge, and the Mutter in the Drakensberg, but there are others I still want to do, like Blade Canyon, and the AfricanX is on my bucket list – when I can find somebody slow enough to run at my pace, and who doesn’t mind stopping for me to take hundreds of pics!”

It’s been years since US-based Colleen De Reuck competed in a South African running event, but on 26 March she will line up for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, thanks to sponsors KPMG, and then in May she will take on the Comrades Marathon, to finally run two of her all-time bucket list races, and make one of the most anticipated ultra-marathoning debuts in the history of SA road running! – BY SEAN FALCONER

She’s a four-time Olympian, a World Cross Country Champs bronze medallist, holder of two former world records, winner of Big City marathons in Europe and the USA, as well as holder of multiple SA and US titles, and can even lay claim to being an age-group World Champion at both IRONMAN distances, but now Colleen De Reuck (52) is set to finally take on the two biggest ultra-marathon races in her mother country. Naturally, the pundits can’t wait to see how she goes, but she is taking it all in her stride, simply saying that she has always wanted to run both races.

“My husband Darren was fourth in the Two Oceans Marathon in 1992, and my brother Colin was 10th the previous year, and my sister-in-law Kerry also ran it in 1991. In the Comrades, my Dad, Frank, ran it 15 times – we used to second him along the route – and Colin has four medals, including a gold for seventh place in 1995, while Kerry also earned a medal in 1992, so both races have always been a family affair. Recently I spoke to Helen Lucre, telling her I was interested in running them and asking if she knew of any clubs who would sponsor me. She put feelers out, spoke to Bob De La Motte, and next thing I was invited to come over by KPMG. They’re sponsoring me and I will be running for them, so I am very fortunate.”

Having grown up in KwaZulu-Natal, Colleen says she understands the incredible history of the Comrades, and that running it is a real achievement in most people’s eyes. “One year Colin and Kerry moved into a new house, so Darren and I visited for a house-warming party. Now that year Colin, Darren and I had all made the KZN Marathon Champs team, but when the new neighbours heard Kerry was training for Comrades, she was the instant hero of the day. Now I will finally be able to say I also did it!” she jokes.

World Class Talent
Colleen is one of the best female long distance athletes ever produced by South Africa. Over 10km, she has the second-fastest time at 31:16, just three seconds slower than Elana Meyer’s SA Record, and she has the sixth-fastest 15km time at 48:19 and tenth-fastest time over 21.1km at 68:38, with only Elana having ever gone faster. In the marathon, Colleen’s best is the 2:26:35 she ran to win the Berlin Marathon in 1996, which was on a record-legal unaided course, whereas Elana’s SA Record 2:25:15 was run on the aided Boston Marathon course. Colleen also won the Honolulu Marathon in 1995.

Unfortunately, the first 10 years of Colleen’s running career were limited to competing only within South Africa due to the country’s expulsion from international sport during the Apartheid years, but in 1992 she finally got her chance on the world stage at the Barcelona Olympics, finishing ninth in the women’s marathon. In 1996 she ran the 10,000m at the Atlanta Games and finished 13th in the final, followed by 31st in the marathon at the 2000 Sydney Games. She also placed fourth in the 1995 World Half Marathon Champs, was eighth in the 1997 World Champs 10,000m final, and 15th in the 1998 World Cross Country Champs.

Having moved to Boulder, Colorado in the USA in the early 90s so she could pursue a pro career in running, Colleen and Darren became US citizens in December 2000, and she brought home individual bronze and team silver medals for her adopted country at the 2002 World Cross Country Champs in Ireland, as well as a team bronze in Switzerland the following year. Then in 2004 she won the US Olympic Trials Marathon to qualify for the Athens Games, where she finished 39th in the marathon, and also won the US Cross Country Champs in 2004 and 2005. Back on the road, she finished fourth in the 2005 Chicago Marathon, eighth in the 2009 Boston Marathon, and won the 2010 Copenhagen Marathon.

While Colleen had an amazing career before she turned 40, including world record times over 10 miles and 20km, she posted some of her most impressive results after turning 40, setting 10 American masters records, including a 1:16:19 half marathon and 2:30:51 marathon when she was 46, and was voted the 2009 Master’s Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field magazine. In 2012 she also turned to triathlon, winning an IRONMAN 70.3 age-group World Title in 2013 in Las Vegas, then adding a full IRONMAN age-group World Title in Hawaii last year, with a marathon run leg of 3:19:09, the 18th fastest among all female competitors on the day!

In Fine Form
On 13 February this year, Colleen ran in the 2016 US Olympic Marathon Trials race in Los Angeles, which she qualified for by winning the 2013 Indianapolis Marathon in 2:39:22. Even though now much older than most of her competitors and unlikely to qualify for the Rio Games, just being invited to the Trials is a huge honour in American running, so Colleen says she wanted to race it – and it would be great training ahead of Two Oceans and Comrades. Colleen duly clocked an impressive 2:49:57 in very hot conditions, and says “I’m in good shape, so now I hope to keep it going to Two Oceans, then step it up to Comrades. I don’t think it would be wise for me to race both, so Oceans will be a build-up for Comrades, but I am a competitive athlete, so when the gun fires, we’ll see what happens.”

Looking ahead, Colleen says her plan is just to keep fit and healthy, as her top level competitive days are behind her now, and she is focused on her career as a personal trainer. “It’s nice to compete, not just train, but I had originally decided that I didn’t want to race any more, because I was getting slower and it was not fun any more. However, running is part of my lifestyle, and Two Oceans and Comrades have given me a new goal and put the spark back into my running.”

“I’m also really looking forward to coming back to South Africa because it’s been two years since our last visit. My mum will be coming down to Cape Town, and we’ve plenty of family and friends to catch up with when we go to Durban. We might not live in South Africa anymore, but my daughters Tasmin and Tara tease me about some of the words I still use, like ‘petrol’ instead of ‘gas’ for the car, and I still say ‘ja’ now and again. In some ways, I will always be a South African.”

Running has always meant a lot to me, so when I met the man of my dreams through running and we could share running as well, it made me so incredibly happy. – BY NANDI ZALOUMIS-MITCHELL

My running is my closest friend, my counsellor and my confidante. Running is who I turn to in dark times, and also in times of joy. I am running, and it is me. That’s because running saved me when I was a teen suffering the depths of despair as an anorexic. It was my freedom to just be me. Running never judged me. As I grew stronger and was able to gain control over the anorexia, my running remained a vital part of my recovery, and to this day is a constant in my world.

I know that I run faster than my daily challenges and problems, because after a run it takes them a while to catch up to me. I am also inspired by the strong women at the sharp end of the field who do not make excuses in times of adversity and when training is difficult. They simply find a way to get out and make the sacrifices necessary to be a top runner. That motivates me to run 80 to 90km per week, enjoying both trail and road running, and I have now run the Comrades Marathon on two occasions, clocking a 10:19 in 2014 and an 8:40 in 2015. I have also run the Maritzburg Marathon and the Mandela Day Marathon, and I traditionally do a New Year’s long run as well, and this year I did 65km.

Best Running Shoes Ever!
I met my love through running and we were married in October. Jody has also run the Comrades, and he knows how much running means to me. That even inspired his proposal. We went into the Nike Store at Gateway Mall and there was a surprise waiting for me: A pair of customised shoes, with the words “I Love” on the right shoe and “Nandi” on the other, along with a stunning diamond ring tied to the laces. He proposed to me right there in the store!

Our shared love of running is amazing, as it gives us the opportunity to share our sport and be the best partners we can be to each other. We start our day together with a 4am run, and on most afternoons we also run a few kilometres on the trails together. Our world would not be the same without running, and I know that running will still take us on many adventures together, and that we are going to see amazing places, share special moments and meet new friends along the way.

No Horsing Around
We were married in October, which turned into quite an adventure in itself. We planned a Saturday morning 5:30am sunrise ceremony on Mpate Mountain just outside Dundee, where we run each morning, thinking it would be the perfect time and place to share with our family and friends, some of whom flew out from the States and Australia for the wedding. Then on the Friday afternoon I was washing my one horse when he kicked me, shattering my arm in four places and dislocating my elbow. I was rushed to Newcastle for emergency surgery and the doctors told us to reconsider the wedding, as I would only be released the next morning.

So we phoned around to postpone the ceremony, and when I was discharged at 7:30am, we still had the reception at 9:30, which carried on through the day, and then we had the wedding ceremony on the Sunday at 5:30am. I had planned it as a weekend away for many of the guests, including an early morning run on Sunday, so luckily quite a few could stay for the ceremony. It was simple, no chairs, misty conditions on the mountain, my mother played the flute for my wedding entrance, and it all went well, but I have to be honest, I don’t remember that much due to the morphine I was on for the pain!

Stronger Than Ever
Two weeks later I started running again, against the doctor’s wishes – they ended up replacing my cast twice due to it stinking so much from sweat – and funnily enough, I ran my fastest marathon in training just after that, so two weeks off did me the world of good! Now my goal is to get my marathon time under three hours, and after that I want to get as close to a silver medal as I can at Comrades.

On 31 December 2014, I had a little drinks session on my balcony to welcome the new year in. As part of the fun, I put up a whiteboard for everyone to write down their goals for 2015, and most of the 30-odd guests wrote something down. Mine was to do 12 marathons and 21 half marathons in the coming calendar year, a commitment of about 33 weekends of the year. – BY JONATHAN KAPLAN, FORMER RUGBY TEST REFEREE

The year got off to a slow start, as I was still recovering from a nerve issue developed towards the end of 2014, and I could only really start running again in the middle of January. The Peninsula Marathon was my first, which I had to do – it starts practically outside my house! Besides a little hurricane in Lakeside, it was a fine plod, although running a familiar route (my fifth) didn't make the last bit any easier – the sun really starts to beat down as you approach the last little mound leading to the finish – but there are no time pressures for me these days.

The Cango Caves 42 has always been one of my favourites, and my AAC club had quite a large contingent going through, so it made it a lot more fun! Essentially a downhill marathon with a sauna waiting at about the 32km marker, it was nevertheless the same fun as before. Thanks to my old mate Jonny Aitken of Wanderers for keeping me company for about 10 kays and reminding me that I'm a little heavier than when he used to chase me round the rugby fields in Joburg.

My seventh Two Oceans was run in perfect weather, with a light drizzle accompanying us for the first 21 kays. Then we climbed this unfamiliar 7km hill that is Ou Kaapse Weg, from the back side, and it became a little tougher. It did, however, give me time to absorb the incredible damage that the recent fires had done to our environment. The highlight of the race was encouraging a much younger and fitter athlete, who was having a bad run, to plug on to the finish. For about 8km I cajoled and confused him into not just going home – he lived “around the corner.” My medal has more colour than those finishing ahead of me… it appears to have been reserved for those that are slightly older, more mature and a little heavier.

Overseas Expeditions
I had planned a trip to France to run the Paris Marathon and I wasn't disappointed. I joined up with a group from Regents in KZN, and the greatest photographer I know, Brett Florens (20 Comrades as well). A little night out with an extended group and the race was upon us, setting off down the Champs Élysées towards the Louvre. The initial group of friends eventually splintered, but I was happy to share the maiden journey of Sam Edwards (along with new running friends Paul, Melissa, Vanithay, Ed and Paige). My race itself was one of my all time fav’s, with many sights along the way, massive support and lots of amazing and very noisy bands! What a privilege to have run this race. We went for a few drinks afterwards and that quiet little afternoon decision turned into a huge night for some. We ended up at the Buddha Bar. That's all.

Next I hopped over to England for some chill time with friends, and the next Saturday, six days after Paris, I was in a tiny little village in East Anglia called Bungay. After a few of the local beers and a pizza to prep for the race (Prof. Noakes would not have been impressed), the next day I ran the Black Dog 42 along with about 350 others. The weather was unreal, staying around 10 degrees, and the course was mostly flat. We did two loops of Bungay to Beccles and back, on country roads through some really quaint places, and as I was finishing the first lap, I had to run past the half marathon start and got a round of applause from the 1000 odd runners. A couple of minutes later, I got swallowed up as they started their race.

I returned to SA and made the trip to George to run my fourth marathon in 21 days. The Outeniqua 42 is a beaut of a race run from George to Wilderness, with breathtaking scenery, and I was running slow enough to enjoy most of it. The last 10km are mostly downhill, which gave me a chance to find that delusion once again that I am actually Superman. Or is it Kaplan America?

Tough Day in the Office
After a few weeks’ break, I ran my seventh Comrades. I thought the prep went ok, but I suppose I just had one of those days. The huge doses of echinacea that I was taking before the race to offset a little cold could possibly have hidden illness, but I really had a poor run. The special event that this is, is made by the camaraderie of the runners and the support of the public, and there was plenty of it. I had some retching and vomiting for about 20km from about the 28km mark, and from then on I was a mess. Too proud to stop, I just continued on at a really pedestrian pace (pun intended) and finished 10 minutes before the cut-off. Thanks to Candyce Hall for parting with her flavoured milk at the finish as I attempted to put a smile back on my face, and Craig, our club captain, was incredibly helpful after the run as my body went into a cramp frenzy. I must have resembled a spastic break-dancer as I lay on the ground recovering!

A winter fattening up of sorts followed, but the lure of Knysna proved too enticing, and before I really had time to recover, I found myself lining up at the start of the Knysna Forest 42. I don't remember the first 15km, because I hadn't yet woken up… which was a good thing… and I shuffled through this very tough expedition to finally arrive at the festive finish with another one in the bag.

I love a little weekend getaway, and Riebeeck-Kasteel is one of my fav destinations, with the Royal Hotel one of my fav hotels. A near perfect run weekend followed with a great crew of five of us running one of the best social runs known to mankind – Jana, Craig, Caroline and Terry stuck with me for most of the way and waited when I wilted, so that we could all finish together (in a heap). The gin and tonics at the Royal are beyond tasty, and we drank them dry, joined by Kenny and Lisa Jackson. We had the time we were all after.

The Cape Town Marathon is one you simply have to do if you live here. The course was improved from previous editions as the race attempts to stamp itself in the World Class category, and I ran a bit with Marius Hurter (Bok prop) and Ryan Williams (UCT & False Bay), and finished with a wet sail storming home strong on the inside rail!

‘Heatwave’ in England
Whilst doing some ‘work’ at the Rugby World Cup in England, I snuck in a marathon in Chester. What a fantastic event! Run in perfect conditions, it didn't stop some of the locals complaining about the boiling temperature – it never rose above 16 the whole day – or the hillock at the end, which was nothing more than an oversized footbridge! I wasn't the only AAC runner there, and neither was I the only South African, as I was met at the start by my running friend Adnaan from Central Athletics. At the start they introduced some bloke who had done nearly 400 marathons – made me think my attempt to get to 100 was child's play! The race itself was bloody awesome, and if I'm ever in that neck of the woods again, I will definitely be going for an action replay!

My 12th was the Winelands Marathon in Stellenbosch. It was my fourth take on this race, but my first in 25 years… Long time between drinks! Anyhoo, I arrived in time for the start, only just, but fell behind looking for some of the others whose numbers we were holding. I had told Sabine I was going to run her first with her, and whilst there were some gaps missing from the picture, I did start and finish with her. For me, the finish line was a big relief as the commitment finally came to an end. I did enjoy every step of the way… almost.

Just one more…
Not having had enough, I decided on the spur of the moment to drive through to Heidelberg for the Vlaktes 42. I stayed at Swellendam the night before and woke up at 4am to get to the start on time. After an initial bit of climbing to get through to the 12km marker, we were treated to a gradual downhill drag to Witsand. The weather was very good, the finish on the beach was lekker, and the baker’s dozen was in the bag.

One last plod awaited, and such a friendly mob in PE easily distracts one from the inevitable windy conditions, but the route itself was flat and pretty forgiving. It was my 50th standard marathon and 70th overall, and with that I finally caught up with the number of test matches that I had done as a referee. I have 30 to go to reach the magical 100, and it all starts again in 2016 with the Miami Marathon on the way to my nephew’s Barmitzvah in Toronto.

These marathons are just small journeys, little steps joined together to form the greater journey. I know there are others who have done much more for much longer, and I take my hat off to them all, but it doesn't make me any less proud of my little steps.

In the last three years, Anel Oosthuizen has established herself as South Africa’s best senior female race walker since the reign of 2004 Olympian, Nicolene Cronje, who was also coached by Carl Meyer. – BY MARK MUNDELL

In 2015 Anel took her 20km PB time from 1:42:40 to 1:38:03, an improvement of 4.81%, and the University of Johannesburg athlete says her sights are firmly set on Rio in August. “Olympic qualifying of 1:36:00 is my goal for 2016, and everything that comes with it will be a bonus,” says Anel. “Last year was my first senior year, and just like 2014, I had a phenomenal year, despite some setbacks when I twisted my ankle badly, which carried over into 2015, but through proper care I managed to race well.”

Anel had very good coaching as a youth and junior athlete, where a good foundation was laid, but it’s when she teamed up with Carl Meyer in her last junior year in 2013 that her performances improved markedly. “Since then I have learned how to train at the correct intensities. Other than that, the only other secret is to follow my programme – achieving the small milestones helps me to believe in my goals, and with the help of my coach to set realistic goals.”

“In the last three years I have also overcome my fear of disqualification, as my coach helped me to improve my technique to the extent that I have not had any judging problems in any of my local or international races since 2013. I became more confident and I can now focus more on racing well.”

Dreaming of Rio
Like 2015, this year promises to be another one of excellence for South African race walking, with the possible inclusion of four race walkers in the Olympic team. Two have already qualified, Marc Mundell and Lebogang Shange, and all eyes will be on Wayne Snyman and Anel Oosthuizen, the two walkers most likely to achieve qualification as well. “I plan to have my first Olympic Games qualifying attempt in March, when I will be doing two 20km events in Europe,” says Anel. “Thereafter I hope to have another opportunity at the World Race Walk Team Championships, and possibly a final attempt towards the end of May at another event in Europe.”

Regular Race Waking columnist Marc Mundell is a 2012 Olympian and the SA and African 50km race walking record holder (3:54:12).

When radio personality Phindi Gule, a self-confessed non-runner, decided to run her first Comrades in 2012, she went on air and told 1.2 million listeners about her goal. No pressure, then! But she did it, and that led to a whole host of running adventures and initiatives, including the Comrades Women’s Seminars. – BY SEAN FALCONER

She will be the first to admit that she got into running by accident, through her husband, Englishman Kevin Burley, and that her first training run was a real shock to her system, but Phindi Gule has never looked back. “In 2011, I figured that since I was already getting up with Kevin to go to all these running events, why not do them, so we started running together. But the first time I went out training, I couldn’t even run one lamppost to the next! My first race was the Youth Run just before Comrades, and it was pure torture, but I finished, and that feeling was priceless, so I made it my business to stick to it. Later Kevin said, ‘I think you can do Comrades.’ I said, ‘Are you mad?’ But running sucks you in…”

“Now I always need to find a really good reason to do something, and stick to it, so what pushed me to continue running and go for the Comrades was that in KZN there wasn’t an on air radio personality who ran Comrades. I had never been a runner, but I had eight months to train for it, so I told 1.2 million listeners my goal, and next thing I knew I was back in Soweto, my hometown, for my qualifier.”

Phindi duly lined up alongside Kevin for her first Comrades in 2012, but he was not feeling well due to flu. “Eventually he told me to go on and leave him, but at first I didn’t want to go – I even said I don’t know the directions! Later I was passed by the 12-hour bus, but I thought of all those people supporting me and that motivated me not to give up. When I ran into the finish, it was already dark and cold, but I saw supporters with boards with my name, still waiting for me, and when I finished in 11:59:03, I celebrated like I was the winner!”

Helping Others
Phindi’s experience in the build-up to that first Comrades, which included looking for women-specific advice, sparked an idea, so she contacted Gary Boshoff at the Comrades Marathon Association to suggest a series of Comrades Women’s Seminars. “I was seeing a lot of women out running, but far less in the Comrades, and I thought it was because the recommended training was too hard – six days a week for somebody with a job, kids and husband, and more, was perhaps just too daunting. So I proposed the idea of seminars covering all the bases, where women could get all the info they needed to run Comrades. The CMA loved the idea, and we started with three in 2013, in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, added Pretoria in 2014, and we’ve added PE this year. I am still amazed that we even get women at the seminars with Comrades Green Numbers, who come for new info.”

Having MC’d the Women’s Seminars, Phindi lined up for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Comrades Marathons armed with plenty of great advice herself, but things did not go to plan. “I had run and finished my first Comrades with Kevin, but in the second one I ran alone. Physically I was fine, but mentally I was not ready, and just before Fields Hill I was tempted to walk, until a guy just behind me said, ‘No, you can’t walk, I’m using you as my pacer.’ So we started running together.”

“Around Hillcrest he was feeling sick, so we stopped for help, then got going again, but just before halfway he was really out of it – I could see the whites of his eyes, so I decided to stay with him until an ambulance came. Then I had to sprint for halfway to avoid the cut-off, and just missed it by 14 seconds – but I am OK with that, because I can live with my conscience.”

Things went much better in 2014, but once again Phindi just didn’t have enough in the legs. “I missed the final gun by seven seconds! That is the worst, when you reach the finish, but no medal – but it was still a wonderful experience.” Then came the 2015 race, which saw Phindi running as one of four athletes being followed by a documentary film crew, and this proved the undoing of her race. “I had to be up at 2am for the first recording, and then had the camera crew following me in the race. I thought it would be doable, and everything was fine until just before halfway, when I felt a sharp pain around my heart. I told Kevin, but said I was still OK to run.”

“However, around 50km in the pain was getting severe. He said I must stop, I said another 5km, but I could hear Comrades Coach Lindsey Parry’s voice in my head, ‘If you have pain that is uncomfortable or unfamiliar, you have to stop, and come back and try again another year.’” That saw Phindi and Kevin catch a bailer bus at 56km, and later the doctors told her it was anxiety. “Of the four of us being followed by cameras, only one finished, and I think it was too much mental pressure to deal with. Luckily I was fine physically after the race, but that emotion and pressure was visible in the video, and I still get people telling me that it gave them goosebumps. So I’ll be back to try again this year, but no camera crew this time!”

The Right Voice
Born and bred in Joburg, Phindi studied chemical engineering at Cape Tech, specialising in IT, and initially worked for SAA as a programmer. However, after listening to a news reader on Radio Metro, she decided she could do better. “I have a passion for public speaking, so I called the station asking for a weekend job to read the news.” Within a week she was on air. After initially working part-time in radio, Phindi went on to work full-time at various radio stations, relocated back to Johannesburg, studied journalism part-time, then relocated to Durban, eventually ending up as station manager at Vuma 103FM. “I came into the job with 15 years of experience in radio, but well aware that there are few female station managers in this country. It was a huge challenge, but they believed I could do it, and that made me feel confident. The other thing that made me feel like I could do anything, was having run the Comrades.”

Today Phindi is still involved in radio part-time, but her current day job is alongside Kevin in the Phindi Gule Group, doing marketing and communications work, plus leadership development and wellness presentations. “Running has actually become a job – who would have thought! – and we incorporate running in everything, because health is one of the key things holding companies back.” She has also developed her Master Class workshops for beginner female runners. “There are lots more women starting to exercise and changing their lifestyles, but they need to start at the right point, with the right info.”

Besides her seminars and workshops, Phindi is quite the running motivator. Recently, using radio and social media, she got people all around the world to join her in the 10×10 Challenge, running 10 kays each day for 10 days, then 25km on Christmas Day, followed by 31km on 31 December. Her next project is the 30-day, 900km KZN Challenge in April, where she and Kevin will run the length of the KZN coastline to raise funds for the Live Foundation, which cares for orphans in Verulam, near Durban.

Another project on the cards is the launch of Phindi Gule World, an innovative TV app that will allow people to watch health, fitness, wellbeing and motivational content on their phones. And then it will be the 2016 Comrades, if her legs have recovered in time from the KZN Challenge. “I would love to run, but I’ll have to see how I feel. Comrades is just so addictive!”

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