ROAD RUNNING
Coming
Full Circle
Juliana Ambrosi finishes the Alan Robb 32km race in 2022
The news in recent months has really sparked some introspection on the past three years , and what an unimaginable time we ’ ve all been through mentally , physically and emotionally , including the seemingly incomprehensible thought that at one stage , we looked set to wear masks permanently . Through all of this , my memories and thoughts are sparked and marked by my running milestones . – BY JULIANA AMBROSI
I
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m a 40-something-ish wife , mother to three boys , Yogi , animal lover , wannabe writer and runner . My previous life saw me in the corporate world , managing e-procurement systems and call centres , which I certainly would not describe as joyful , but the motto by which I try to live my life comes from Mahatma Ghandi : “ Be the change you wish to see in the world .” I try , in my own little way , to make a difference daily .
I grew up with a dad who was an avid runner – with no disrespect to him , it was probably the thing he did best . His average daily trot was 17km , and running a race every week was mandatory . He fuelled himself with a diet of Coke and white bread , sprinkled with sugar . I guess the nutritional advice that we have today was not readily available yet . My mother too , is a runner , although she will not admit it . She was a sub-2-hour half marathoner , but in those days , that made her a tail-ender , giving her the impression that she wasn ’ t very good . Today , if you run a sub-2 for 21.1km , you are above average ! Anyway , at the age of 76 , she still does a parkrun , and will come run the 5km of any road or trail race with me .
Initially I ran far more trail than road , but I have to say I love them equally – each is unique and challenging in its own way . Running has taken me on an incredible journey . In the words of Dr Seuss , “ Oh the places you will go , the people you will meet .” Well , I ’ ve met so many fantastic people , made some good friends , not to mention I ’ ve gone to places I would not have even known existed – some good , some bad , but all with a story to tell . ( Stories , stories and more stories … like the dead body at the Diepkloof Half Marathon . Only in Africa !)
A Challenging 2020
Running is my coping method , my sanity , my sense of self , my health . Running has made me who I am and has given me many experiences and forged many friendships . Sadly , a few figures are noticeably absent now as I write this , victims of COVID . That takes me back to the start of the pandemic in early 2020 , which brought us physical confinement , resulting in hours on the treadmill and indoor trainer . Three hours on a treadmill – how did we do it ? But I was lucky . At least I didn ’ t have to resort to running 20m loops around my back yard .
I always used to run 5km to 10km , but only ran my first marathon as a 40th birthday present to myself . My previous life saw me as a horse rider – that being my first love and passion – but I started running seriously after being ill for over two years . It was make or break : As long as I was running , I was alive , and life couldn ’ t be that bad . A person is nothing without good health , and that is something I will never take for granted ever again in my life . As the saying goes , you don ’ t realise the value of something until it ’ s gone . You do not realise the gift it is to be able to run , until you cannot . You do not realise the gift it is to be healthy , until you are not ! |
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Once we were allowed out , literally like horses bolting out the stable , the three hours were used to the max for runs around the neighbourhood , together with every man and his dog . During this initial lockdown period , many runners were born . But allowed out for just three hours a day – ludicrous ! Also embedded in my mind are the many trail runs done at Cradle Moon , sneaking out ‘ illegally ’ and running on the deserted trails in the winter dark and cold . Amazingly , when a place is untouched and no feet have trodden the ground , the emptiness is literally felt , and it was eerie at times . |
Any opportunity to run was grabbed during lockdown ! |
Images : Courtesy Juliana Ambrosi |
28 ISSUE 155 | www . modernathlete . co . za