Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 112, November 2018 | Page 19

ROAD RUNNING
during Comrades, and I could help by passing on
water and supplements as needed. This made my
first Comrades experience so much more special, and
also took my mind off my own race while I focused on
being part of their special journey.”
Healthier Lifestyle
Naturally, all this running has done wonders for Sri’s
health and overall lifestyle, and he says he is actually
free to eat whatever he feels like without any guilt.
“Running has really helped with keeping the weight
off, and it gave me new friends plus a healthier life.
At my heaviest I was 115kg just a couple of years
ago, but my new healthier and more active lifestyle
sees my weight stay stable at around the 70kg mark.
I know that whatever I put into my body now will be
used up on a long run or in the gym, so if I want a nice
breakfast, I run a 10km in the morning, and if I want
a big lunch, I run a marathon! Also, now when I have
some stress at work, I just put on my running shoes
and go for a run. It is the best way to calm myself and
put new ideas in my head.”
Sri is a vegetarian by choice, but insists that this does
not mean, as many non-vegetarians think, that he
can’t eat junk food, because he loves veggie pizzas
followed by ice cream for dessert. “People will always
complain about how hard it is to lose weight or to
exercise, but you just have to put in the effort and
you will see the results in time. Nobody can tell you
to change, because you will not unless you decide to
make those changes that your life needs.”
Chasing the Mileage
Running has become such a big part of who he is
that Sri is now a well known member of the 1000km
Challenge, which sees runners trying to log 1000km
or more in race mileage over a year-long period from
Comrades to Comrades. The runner that logs the
most mileage wins the challenge overall, and there are
WALK
THIS
WAY
By Anel Oosthuizen
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
FOMO… the ‘Fear Of Missing Out,’ a persistent worry that others might be having
a rewarding experience from which one is absent. That describes what I have
experienced for about two months. Thus the sheer joy of being able to train again
without pain has been such a weight lifted off of my shoulders.
also category awards, but for most of those involved
it is not about competition against each other, but
against themselves, and many run in support of a
charitable cause. “I prefer doing what I love in order
to assist others, and the added bonus is that the more
races I run, the more time I get to spend with my
running friends,” says Sri.
Looking ahead, he says he has no plans to cut back
on the racing, as he is enjoying it all too much, but he
does talk about it a bit less. “My Mom worries that I
am running too much and that the distances are too
long. She also says I spend too long in the sun, so I
don’t tell her any more about the longer distances I
run, and only tell her about the short ones. My goal
is to run until my body says that I can run no more. I
think everybody who runs is a hero, but I do look to
those 60- and 70-year-olds who are still running races
alongside us young people, and I hope that I can be
like them one day.”
I sometimes worry about the fact that one
often does not appreciate something fully
until it has been taken away from you, but
then I remember what Oprah Winfrey once
said, that you must be thankful for what you
have; and you will end up having more, but
if you concentrate on what you don’t have,
you will never, ever have enough. I find that
concentrating on the positive things while a
lot of things around you may seem negative,
is the best possible thing you can do for
your mindset – and that played such a big
role in my recovery from injury and staying
motivated throughout the rehab process.
Coming back into training, I actually found it strange that during one of my normal 16km
training walks, I realised I was enjoying myself again – thoroughly! It was like seeing
training in a whole new perspective, and another part of this journey of appreciation of
the small things. Like realising that normal walking was not painful anymore, that I can
now sleep through the night without waking up every time I turn, and that I am now able
to start a training session without the fear of having to stop halfway. It is the simplest
things that I never even imagined would be an issue, that I am now appreciating.
I remember that day I stopped in the middle of a treadmill session because I simply
could not endure the pain any longer, and I thought to myself that if I could just get past
this, I would never, ever complain again about my training being too hard, or that I was
too tired to go on. It made me appreciate my legs, my feet, and even the simple ability
to walk.
I am a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason. We might not always
know what that reason is, and we might not like the outcome, but there will always be a
lesson to learn from it. I’m just incredibly thankful to be walking on sunshine again!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Race Walker Anel Oosthuizen is a multiple SA
Champion and Record Holder, and represented SA at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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