Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 115, February 2019 | Page 11

ROAD RUNNING
O
ne of the biggest smiles in the room at the
recent launch of the new Murray & Roberts
club belonged to Charne Bosman, and she
has continued smiling at the start line, and on the
podium, at recent races in Gauteng. “I am thrilled
to join the Murray & Roberts team – and black and
yellow are definitely my colours!” she says. “I decided
at the beginning of this year that it was a new year, so
I needed a new beginning, and I’m looking forward to
this next chapter in my career.”
“I decided at the beginning of this year that it was
a new year, so I needed a new beginning, and I’m
looking forward to this next chapter in my career.”
“I have nothing but thanks for the Nedbank Running
Club, but I felt it was time for a fresh change, and
when I saw the incredible support of the new club at
the Dis-Chem Half Marathon, I knew I had made a
good choice. On the other hand, I decided to go back
to being coached by Lindsey, because he helped
me do so well in 2015 and 2016. The last two years
I did my own thing, but realised that even with all my
running experience, having Lindsey in the build-up to
races, especially the Comrades, is so beneficial.”
Charne finished second woman overall and first
veteran at Dis-Chem, showing that she is already in
good racing shape for the 2019 season, with plenty
of speed in her legs over shorter distances, but she
says her main focus this year will once again be the
Comrades. “People say I am 43, but to be honest, I
feel stronger than before. I don’t let myself say I am
getting older, I stay positive. As you get older, you
realise you need to work harder, therefore I’m doing
more strength work, cross training and swimming, fo-
cusing on my recovery, and I have my coach back to
take the stress away. I’m aiming to get to Comrades
well prepared, and Lindsey gives me such valuable
feedback. If I go too fast in a race, he adapts my
training the following week and gives me a little less to
do, so we are watching it all carefully.”
Comrades Highlight
Unsurprisingly, Charne lists her 2016 Comrades win
as the biggest moment of her career, especially given
the way she reeled in a faltering Caroline Wöstmann,
who had earlier opened a massive lead – and that
in spite of having broken a small toe just under
seven weeks before the race when she slipped in
the bathroom. “I kept that quiet for a long time, only
Lindsey and my family knew, so I didn’t expect to run
so well, but it just shows you, anything can happen on
race day.”
“I will always remember how down I felt for about
four hours after breaking my toe, but then I went onto
Google to research treatment and read that hyperbaric
chambers can speed up recovery from injury. I found
a chamber at the Eugene Marais Hospital, mailed
Doctor Gregory Weir the next morning, and he replied
that he would help me, for free! I also read that rugby
players often play with broken toes, so I spoke to
Dr Org Strauss at the Blue Bulls rugby team and
asked whether I would do further damage if I kept on
running. He said the pinkie toe does very little, so if I
can deal with the pain, I can still run.”
That saw Charne take two weeks off running, during
which she did 10 sessions in pure oxygen in the
hyperbaric chamber, which she says halved her
recovery time from the injury. “I also told myself that
pain is just temporary, blocked out the pain for two
to three hours when I ran, and then iced my toe so
that I was ready to go again the next morning. I still
can’t believe I got through that and lined up for the
race, but if you’re hungry enough for success, you will
get to that start line. I’m hungry again this year... just
going to mind my toes!”
Even so, Charne admits that she didn’t expect to
win, even when she heard from her supporters that
Charne wins the 2016
Comrades Marathon
Caroline was in trouble. “Lindsey had given me a
plan and I stuck to it, but with 10km to go I didn’t
think I could close a 10-minute gap. I still had to get
through the race myself, so I had to keep running
at my pace, and besides, I need to see someone
in order to chase them, but when I actually saw
the cars and motorbikes around Caroline, that was
when I realised the win was on. I knew that when I
passed her, I’d have to run as hard as possible. For
everyone watching, it was clear that she wasn’t able
to respond… but I didn’t know that, so I kept pushing
all the way to the finish. It was a great race!”
Career Longevity
Winning Comrades shot Charne into the national
limelight, but she had actually been at the forefront
of South African women’s running for more than two
decades. Amongst her many titles and accolades
are three SA Marathon titles and 23 outings in the
green and gold of her country (in road and cross
country), plus she won the Soweto Marathon twice
in consecutive years, as well as three consecutive
Two Oceans Half Marathon titles. However, it was the
Comrades win that brought her the mast attention. “I
don’t think we realise the magnitude of the Comrades
in South Africa,” says Charne. “When I won in 2016,
some people asked me when I’d started running!”
Of course, there have also been disappointments
along the way, and Charne says her biggest regret
remains not getting to the Olympics. “2003 was one
of my biggest years, with wins in the Peninsula and
Soweto Marathons. I then tried to qualify for the 2004
Olympic Marathon, but picked up a stress fracture
in my leg. In 2008 I was in the marathon squad, but
I wasn’t selected for the final Games team, and in
2012 I messed things up in Rotterdam when I tried
again to qualify. My target was 2:36, but I felt great
and thought I could go 2:34, so I started too fast
and by 22 kilometres I’d blown it. Failing to make the
Olympics in 2012 almost ended my running career.
I was sad for months after that race, because it was
one of my biggest dreams, and I didn’t achieve it.”
Eventually, some months later, Charne says she finally
got herself running again, but with a new focus. “I
decided that my Olympic dream was just not meant to
be, but at least I had tried, and that led to my decision
to try my first ultra, at the 2012 City to City 50km. I
finished second, in spite of not being properly prepared
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