Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 114, January 2019 | Page 21

dry socks and a shirt, but he never changed his shorts. “I went through seven
shirts on the day, in spite of them being moisture-management material, but I
believe it is bad luck to change your shorts mid-run, because if the pants sit right,
you don’t mess with them!” He also changed shoes once, after five hours, and
says he swears by the adidas brand. “I have only run in adidas shoes for the last
eight years, after I saw Modern Athlete Editor Sean Falconer wearing them at the
Comrades Expo. I really liked them, so went and bought myself a pair right there
at the Expo and ran that Comrades in them. I’ve never had a single problem with
blisters or toenails in all these years.”
TOUGH LOVE
With the lure of the record and the supposed threat of the Aussie to spur him
on, Johan put everything into his record attempt, and as the 12-hour mark
approached he upped the pace as much as he could. “I clocked a final mile of
4:24 as I hit the 163km mark, and I was running on pure emotion. It was only after
I stopped that my wife and crew told me the Aussie had actually never been in
front of me, and that he had bailed after just six hours! But I wasn’t angry, because
the motivation really helped, and made the run so much more exciting. I guess it’s
true what they say: Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.”
“In the end, when I handed in my proof, the Guinness people said they didn’t
expect quite so much evidence, but they said it was better, because many people
try to cheat when submitting records. My record is now due to appear in the 2020
edition of the book, because 2019 was already printed by the time I submitted
my paperwork. I have also submitted my distance as a new World Record, and
ironically, the guy working at Guinness told me his cousin works at the World
Record organisation. Now I’m hoping they will both courier my record certificates
to me soon.”
PJ’S PIECE
By PJ Moses
Another Door
To RUN through
R
unning didn’t just save me
from a dark ending, but also
gave me the opportunity
to do things that I never expected
to. I get paid to run with people. I
get paid to talk to people. I even
get paid to write down words and
have other people read it! All this
because I put on a pair of running
shoes and chased after a better
me. Now a new door has opened
for me, and it is one that I am
very excited about, and extremely
grateful for.
LOOKING AHEAD
Even though he has only just recently run the new record, Johan is already looking
ahead to the end of 2019 and another treadmill record. “I’ve been challenged to
take on the 24-hour record by a US runner, who also wants to link up via Skype
and take on the challenge at the same time. I think only six guys have ever done
it, and the current record is 228.7km. I would like to break that record as well, and
become the first SA runner to hold two Guinness Records. My longest run to date
was 48 hours, and I have done twenty 100-milers, so I think my legs will handle it.”
He says that Comrades and Washie will help him prepare for this record attempt,
but the Washie also features in his goals for 2019. “I want to see if I can get as
close to 12 hours for 100 miles as I can. I’ve done it on the treadmill twice, and
I feel that if can go into the race with the same preparation as I had for my last
treadmill run, I think I can get close, even though the course record is still over
13 hours. I know it is a road race, with tough hills and tough conditions, but I feel
confident I can give it a good go.”
I find myself dealing with my beloved running community, in a more personal
manner, by looking down at their feet and helping to select the best shoes for
them to go further on their individual running journeys. I am now a staff member of
the RUN Specialist store in Cape Town.
The amount of running shoe knowledge that RUN mastermind Grant Bryant
has cannot even be imagined by many a seasoned runner. I am emptying my
cup of the little stuff I know in order to learn from a master. But it is not just the
knowledge of shoes that I love about his approach, but the customer service that I
admire. He wants runners to come in and get the shoes or info that will help them
to increase not only their performance, but also their love of the sport.
I am drawn to that idea, because in all honesty, I am not much of a salesman, but
I am passionate about running and the joy it can bring to everybody. I don’t want
to just sell shoes, I want to facilitate a more
enjoyable running experience, and in order
to do this I need to become knowledgeable
about all things running.
“I made a promise to God that if
he helped me, I would always try
to help others, including running
the Comrades to help other
people reach their goals”
I have already learnt about the development
that goes into modern running shoes and
the differences between the brands. It is
only the tip of the iceberg, though, but I am
here to learn and then share that info with
the rest of the running world. But as Peter
Parker’s uncle said in Spiderman: “With
great power comes great responsibility,” so
I’ll try to be the best ‘shoe hero’ I can be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PJ is a former Cape Flats gangster who took up
running, and writing about it, when he turned his back on that dangerous
lifestyle in order to set a better example for his two young sons.
21