Spinning
ROAD RUNNING
Out of
Control
With a total of 24 marathons and 8 ultra-marathons to her name , Annalie Rich has really enjoyed her running career over the last decade-plus , but an inexplicable problem with vertigo and dizziness almost forced her to hang up her running shoes for good . This is her story . – BY SEAN FALCONER
“ It feels terrible running with a spinning head . It ’ s really hard , and I cried many tears in my shower after yet another frustrating run .”
Running is a relatively simple activity . You put one foot in front of the other and move forwards as quickly or comfortably as you can , while trying to breathe steadily . But imagine you also need to struggle to stay upright , and run in a straight line , while trying not faint or vomit due to dizziness . That ’ s what Cape Town runner Annalie Rich has had to contend with for much of the past three years , having developed a strange case of vertigo .
Vertigo is a sensation that you , or the environment around you , is moving or spinning , causing you to feel dizzy or nauseous . It ’ s caused by your senses telling your brain that your body is off balance , even though it isn ’ t , and while in some cases , this feeling may be barely noticeable , it could also be so severe that you find it difficult to keep your balance and do everyday tasks . For Annalie , it was her running that really suffered . “ It feels terrible running with a spinning head . It ’ s really hard , and I cried many tears in my shower after yet another frustrating run ,” she says .
The Running Bug Bites
Originally from Oudtshoorn , Annalie ( 50 ) is married to Andrew and they have two sons , Robin ( 22 ) and Christian ( 19 ). She works as the Personal Assistant to the Head of Radiology at Stellenbosch University ’ s Tygerberg Educational Hospital in Bellville . Her running career began when she became friends with a group of running women in the Kuilsriver area . “ I started working out at a women ’ s gym in 2009 , met other women who also ran , notably Veruschka Kolbe and other members of In Touch AC , and they invited me to join them for a run . I started with two kilometres and built up
Images : Brenda Human , Action Photo SA , Jeanne AdonisCourtesy The Sweat Shop & Asics
20 ISSUE 140 APRIL 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za