Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 113, December 2018 | Page 19

Florence
and Archie
during
a hiking
outing
WALK
THIS
WAY
By Anel Oosthuizen
GOOD TIMES
These days Florence puts in four to five days a week in training, doing between
55km and 60km on average. “I mostly run and will only alternate with cycling
when I am training for the Argus, but I do hike once or twice a month, so maybe
that can be called cross-training. Apart from eating a peanut butter sandwich on
the morning of the race and cutting out refined sugar from my diet, I do not do
anything special other than train properly.”
Even though she has medals in many distances, including two from the Comrades,
three in the Two Oceans Ultra and several in multi-day stage trail runs, the
Kensington-born and Garden Village-raised runner says the half marathon is her
favourite distance to race. “I love the half because it is not too long and also not too
short. One of the best halves for me is the Two Oceans 21.1km. The vibe is electric,
and you always meet new people from different walks of life and different places.”
ANOTHER GREAT CHAMPS
T
here is a quote that says, “There is no better time than now…” This is
applicable in so many situations in life. For me it was the weekend of the
27 th of October, when the Interprovincial Championships were held at Green
Point Stadium in Cape Town. It had been five months since I last competed in a
race, due to injury, and I was super nervous to see what my body was capable of in
the 20km, since I only started training again about six weeks before the Champs.
Florence credits running with introducing her to many of the good friends she has
made, and the great life lessons that she has learned along the way. “Running
has helped me to deal with complex work situations and issues in everyday life.
Sometimes you have ups and downs during runs, just like in life, but if you believe
that you can reach your goal, then you need to hang in there... just long enough to
reach your destination. I taught my kids never to give up without a fight, because
sometimes you will feel good and other times you will not, whether in life or in
running. It is best to remember that nothing is permanent and that every situation,
good or bad, will eventually change. I have become a more positive and motivated
person thanks to running. It has made me want to always try and see the bright
side of things.”
Getting to the venue was wonderful, and to see so many familiar faces was
pure bliss. Only then did I realise how much I had missed the race walking
community. I also thought that the new race venue and course was something
different, walking in and out of the stadium for each 1km loop. Although there
were a few turns, I really enjoyed racing there, and I was privileged enough to
walk away with a gold medal.
ESSENTIAL ADVICE
Asked what advice she would have liked to know when she started running races,
Florence laughingly answers that “Running with both licenses on your shirt or vest is
one of the earliest lessons that Archie and I learned. For almost the entire first year of
our running we ran with only one number on our vests, until he got pulled aside by a
race official at the Hohenort 15km and asked where his other number was.”
Overall, Florence says she simply loves
running, hence still going strong after
20 years. “Running is like a drug for
me, once it has you hooked, then you
just can’t stay away. Also, I think it is
important not to take your health for
granted, and to invest in it, but I have
done what I wanted with running. I now
focus on helping others achieve their
goals. But before I call it a day, I may
squeeze in a running and hiking holiday
to Cuba. That would be nice.”
Getting serious again, she says good advice for inexperienced runners is simple:
“If you are looking for PB’s, then forget about your watch and run on how you feel.
The legend Lionel Klassen taught me to not look at my watch, and to feel the run.
That approach has helped me to many of my best runs and my fastest times. She
also has great advice for those who want to join a pacesetting bus in their next race.
“Three things stand out for me. Don’t
hesitate to leave any bus that you are
on, don’t litter, and always be mindful
of other runners. When running with
a bus and you feel that you can go
faster during the last 3km, leave the
bus and go for it.”
Some highlights of the day included Frieda Blignaut walking an astonishing
50km SAMA record of 6:22:02 in her 65 to 69 age category, in the heat of the
day, while Ross McDonald walked a 10km WPA Masters 45-49 record of
54:25. Natalie Le Roux and Mthunzi Mnisi dominated the 50km once again,
and Lebogang Shange won the 20km senior men’s category, finishing 1 minute
and 39 seconds ahead of Sizwe Ndebele.
The whole event saw 195 athletes in action, and what an amazing sight it was
once again to see so many development athletes, especially from ASWD and
WPA, showing off their talent in the 1km race. Seeing such young kids enjoy
the sport truly brought me so much joy,
as this was where my love for the event
began. Those competitive, focused faces
were the highlight of the event for me,
and I once again realised how crucial
it is for us to support and guide young
talented athletes to make sure they don’t
fade away.
The weather played along really well,
although I think some of the 50km
athletes might have a permanent race
tan! Hats off to each and every athlete
who competed, it was a very well
organised and successful day, and a
special mention to Stefano Aracena
from WPA, who did a splendid job
organising things!
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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