Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 107, June 2018 | Page 21

ROAD RUNNING “To date, he has walked or run at least a kilometre every day since that December morning first walk. That’s over 1600 consecutive days now” and then the distance grew by a block at a time until he was walking the Johnson Crane Half Marathon soon thereafter. That also started a streak that Shawn has kept going: To date, he has walked or run at least a kilometre every day since that December morning first walk. That’s over 1600 consecutive days now, and he says, “It’s something everyone can do with a bit of effort. There are always excuses, but you can’t just give up.” If it’s raining hard, he has been known to go out late at night, once the rain has stopped, and he even does his kay when travelling abroad, but jokes that he hasn’t yet been brave enough to actually run in an international airport building, as he fears he might be shot at. Still, to get in his daily kay, he has walked from terminal to terminal during lay-over stops. Collecting parkruns During his rehabilitation, Shawn discovered the parkrun concept and began joining the then small groups of people who would run on Saturday mornings at nearby Delta Park. Since then, he has completed a parkrun at 68 different venues, including two international parkruns. “At the heart of my passion for running, and what has made the journey back to completing marathons all the more enjoyable, is my desire to travel and experience all that is beautiful in the world, so parkrun has been just another great way to combine my two great loves.” One of the international parkruns he and Paula did was in Waterford, Ireland, and says they were astounded to see that the whole thing was over and packed up in 45 minutes. “Their emphasis is very much on the ‘run’ in parkrun there. On the opposite side of the spectrum was the fun and sense of community we enjoyed after the Treviso parkrun just outside of Venice, in Italy – once we finally found the venue. We then ran through the most beautiful forest, and suddenly a man with a guitar appeared out of nowhere at the finish to serenade us all while we enjoyed what seemed to be warmed ice tea.” Shawn’s whole face actually smiles when he tells of the places he and Paula have discovered and the people they have met along the way, thanks to running. They scour the race calendar to find different, new races or parkruns to do while they explore the country, and they have been everywhere, from running The impromptu concert at the Treviso parkrun in Italy majestic Cannibal’s Cave parkrun in the Drakensburg, to the Screaming Monster race that takes you into the Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga. They have also stumbled upon some real running gems, says Shawn. “En route to Phalaborwa for a race and getaway, we escaped the frustration of a stop/go delay on the Magoebaskloof Pass by stopping for a cold one in a little town called Haenertsburg. While chatting to the locals in the pub, we learnt about the Iron Crown Trail Run organised by the Haenertsburg Rotary Club, which takes participants to the highest point in Limpopo, where a man hands out shots of OB’s to ease the cold. We just had to come back to do that!” Next Round Added to travel and running on Shawn’s list of interests is craft beer. When he injured his back, Paula bought him a beer brewing kit for Christmas, and spurred on by a friend who is a craft beer connoisseur, Shawn’s curiosity began to grow. With the help of Paula’s skilful researching, the couple have now discovered craft beer breweries in the most interesting p laces, including the Kebenja Brewery in an old car dealership workshop in Welkom. They now often combine a running trip with a visit to a new brewery, and Shawn says, “It’s all about embracing the local culture and community. Cheers!” Another goal is to run 100 different marathons worldwide – at the time of writing he had done 84, including 15 international races – before he takes it a step further to completing 100 different standard South African marathons. For that reason, top of his current bucket list is the Swakopmund to Walvis Bay Marathon in Namibia, which is run at the same time as the Oktober Beer Fest, so it will be perfect timing for some post-run beer tasting! Looking ahead, Shawn says he wants to continue his streak of walking or running at least a kilometre a day, wherever he is, while another goal is to add the Boston and Tokyo Marathons to his done list, to round off his collection of Major Marathons medals. “Paula really has her eye on the special medal you get for completing all six,” he adds. “But my ultimate goal is to run until I die, and to continue exploring the world, completing races and parkruns, finding breweries, and making memories.” 21