Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 100, November 2017 | Page 17

#9TO5 CHALLENGE Wanderers WONDER-WOMEN From the time I started the #9to5Challenge and set up groups around Joburg where newbie runners could learn how to run in a safe, supported and relaxed environment, I noticed that each group soon developed its own ‘vibe’ as the participants got to know each other, and succeeded together. One such group with a great vibe is the Wanderers Wonder-Women, as they have come to be known. – BY 9TO5 COACH JEANNIE JORDAAN T he 9to5 group based at the Wanderers Club in Illovo meet for a weekly run on Monday mornings at 8:15, and the majority of the members are mothers who have just dropped kids off at school. This group melded together seamlessly from day one at the beginning of 2016, and the nurturing group spirit just keeps attracting new faces. One of the fairly recent recruits to the group is Nicky Smither, who says she already loves the Monday morning training sessions: “It is such an awesome way to start the week with a great group of ladies. Big smiles and energy all round definitely helps, too! A ‘running high’ is a very real thing – it’s addictive and keeps one going.” Nicky echoes what many of the other Wanderers Wonder-Women have said over the last two years: “This is a perfectly relaxed and easy way to get into running. It’s a wonderful release and the endorphin rush will help anyone who may be feeling out of sorts. Also, the training has highlighted for me that I do better in a group training scenario, because as mothers, wives, employees, business owners and ‘do it all ourselves’ kind of people, I don’t think we have enough time or energy to self-motivate all the time!” UNUSUAL REQUEST Towards the end of 2016 I received an unusual request from Zelda van den Berg, a South African based in Dubai, to join the Challenge. I initially wondered how I was going to include her in the group sessions – which really is where the magic and the learning happens – but soon decided to make her part of the Wanderers group, because Zelda told me she was desperate to start running with a group and have a programme to follow. She was adamant that she wanted to participate in the group, regardless of the distance, so along with all the other Challenge participants, she received her weekly training programme and information newsletter via e-mail, and off she went to achieve her goal to run. “After moving abroad and spending most of my time indoors, with few friends and nothing to really work on, I needed to regain my confidence and self-esteem,” says Zelda. “I needed to believe in myself again, and I really needed something else to keep me occupied and focussed, so the #9to5Challenge piqued my interest whilst paging through the digital edition of Modern Athlete.” GROUP SPIRIT When Zelda achieves a milestone, she shares it with the group so that we can celebrate with her, even though she is on the other side of the world. “The #9to5Challenge gives me the motivation to challenge myself and improve, and the first time I ran a 6km in 40 minutes, I simply could not wait to share this with Coach Jeannie,” says Zelda. “My running goals have changed substantially from when I joined, and I am now working towards being able to join the #9to5Challenge 21km programme, but it is quite a challenge to run only at night or on the treadmill, due to the excessive heat in Dubai that reaches in excess of 35 degrees most days! However, as Zelda points out, you don’t have to be physically present to benefit from a group vibe. “I have learnt through interacting with the group over WhatsApp that we all have the strength to conquer feelings of uncertainty and to not let anything get us down. No matter what my goal is, once I reach it, I’m able to set more goals and push toward those. It’s an ongoing and rewarding process, and there is no greater sense of satisfaction than setting a personal goal and conquering it.” That’s the Wanderers Wonder-Women way! #9to5 Challenge If you want to go from zero to hero in just nine weeks, then sign up today for the Modern Athlete 9to5 Challenge. Go to www. modernathlete.co.za/page/9-to-5- challenge or e-mail [email protected] for more info. 17