ADVERTORIAL
RUN , RECOVER , REPEAT – THE COMRADES RUNNER ’ S MANTRA
What makes someone come back year after year to tackle one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world ? Non-runners can ’ t comprehend it , but for die-hard Comrades runners , the siren ’ s call of those 89.9 kilometres of waiting tar , including the challenge to run it better than last year , is too loud to ignore . It ’ s this drive to continually improve on the previous year that brings 44-year-old Bheki Khumalo to the start line for the 15 th time this year .
SOCCER ’ S LOSS , RUNNING ’ S GAIN
Growing up in Northern KZN , Bheki was too little to play soccer with the older boys , so to occupy himself , he started running around the field . Running soon became a passion , and Bheki never made it onto the soccer pitch . Instead , he was dreaming of running marathons . Despite not having running shoes – he trained in his father ’ s gardening boots – he started excelling in school races . On hearing about Comrades , he ran from his village to Mandeni to find an athletics club to join so he could enter this marathon of marathons .
His first Comrades was in 1996 , which he finished in an impressive 7:23:16 to earn his first silver medal . It was also his hardest Comrades . “ I didn ’ t have proper running shoes and wasn ’ t at all ready for the pain of that race ,” he says . “ I finished with bleeding toes and lost all my toenails .” Thanks to the generosity of a man who saw him running and gave him a decent pair of running shoes , Bheki came back stronger the following year to finish in an exceptional 6:52:00 and earn another silver medal . “ It was those shoes ,” he laughs . “ They gave me the confidence to perform at my best !”
UNEXPECTED SUPPORT
Having moved to Wyebank in 2007 , Bheki didn ’ t run as competitively as before . “ With a young family there wasn ’ t the financial means to enter races or buy good running shoes . That was okay , every parent understands your children come first ,” he says , but he didn ’ t stop running , because he says running is his life . “ It ’ s like breathing for me , I have to run . It ’ s part of who I am .”
In 2015 he began working as a gardener at St Mary ’ s Diocesan School for Girls in Kloof , and when a teacher spotted him running on the school field wearing a Comrades peak , the school realised it had a successful Comrades athlete on its staff and began assisting Bheki to obtain running apparel and supplements . That support saw Bheki back on the Comrades starting line in 2017 , for the first time since 2014 , and he bounced back straight away with another silver medal in 7:09:03 !
Now in 2018 he will line up for the 15 th time , and he says he feels ready for the race . “ I believe discipline , patience and learning what your body is capable of handling are the most important aspects of training . I run 8 to 10 kilometres from home to work and back every day . I ’ m up at 3am every day to train before work , and on hectic training days I ’ ll even start at midnight . I normally run one Comrades qualifier , but this year I ran three , including my first Two Oceans in Cape Town .”
“ Good supplements are also important , especially as you get older . I ’ ve used Threshhold MSM for the past 10 months and seen big improvements in my stamina and recovery times . The painful joints and muscle stiffness I used to experience have gone . And post-run protein shakes help too .”
SHARING THE EXPERIENCE
When asked if he has any advice for first-time Comrades runners , Bheki says , “ Make sure you ’ re as mentally and physically prepared as possible . No-one can be totally prepared for their first Comrades , but if you run at the same pace you train at , you ’ ll be okay . Don ’ t start too fast , and make sure you have proper shoes ! Also , for nutrition , stick to what works , don ’ t try anything new on the race . I use protein shakes , peanuts and chips . I also take bananas and lots of water from the tables .”
Bheki adds that running has taught him so much , especially discipline and commitment . “ I know no other life but running . It ’ s shown me how strong my desire to excel is . Each year I try to improve on the previous year , and unless you win Comrades , you can never stop improving or learning . Also , running seems like a solitary sport , but knowing there are people rooting for me has had a huge impact on my performance . I ran many races in the past where I was alone , and it was very hard , so I ’ m so humbled by the support St Mary ’ s has given me . My dream is to one day win a gold medal and have my family waiting for me at the finish .”
Images : Courtesy Threshhold
24 ISSUE 107 JUNE 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za