Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 115, February 2019 | Page 18

ROAD RUNNING
Running
in Style
Lipstick and sweaty runs do not normally go together, but Naiema Abrahams is
changing that mindset. – BY PJ MOSES
“I don’t just want to run, even though I enjoy it, but
I want to make it as stylish as I can,” she continues.
“We runners have to remember that all of us have day
jobs and some kind of responsibility that requires us
to be serious, but running is our ‘down time’ and it
should be fun. If you are not having fun while doing it,
then I do not see the point of continuing.”
This is the attitude she takes into all of her running
and training, even though her busy work schedule
makes it challenging to get in training some days. “I
try to run at least four days a week, while adding gym
sessions five days a week, but I work in a pressurised
environment with a lot of travel involved, so in order
for me to keep up with my training, I have tried to
make running friends in every city that I go to. It has
served me well thus far, and I even have an honorary
membership from Jacaranda AC in Johannesburg.”
Running Mentorship
Naiema grew up in Hanover Park, a township on the
Cape Flats, where the everyday challenges are often
life-threatening. “Having a loving and supportive
family helped me deal with those challenges, and
now I think it is my turn to give back, not just to my
family, but also to the community that I grew up in. I
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am trying to organise athletic kit for the kids at my old
high school, Crystal Senior Secondary, with one of my
ideas being to get the running community to donate
their old T-shirts and shoes so that we can distribute
it to the kids who are underprivileged but want to
do athletics. I am also helping with their training and
hope to show them the benefits of an active lifestyle.”
Another way Naiema keeps herself motivated and
also inspires others to get in on the running act is
through her very active social media accounts. “My
hope is that my social media presence on platforms
like facebook and Instagram can motivate people out
there to live a more active lifestyle. I want to make
them believe that anything is possible with the right
attitude, a little effort and a lovely dose of beautiful
lipstick. If they follow my posts, people will soon
realise that I don’t run it fast, but I do run it stylish.”
Meanwhile, she says she is inspired by the runners
she meets and shares the roads or trails with. “Other
runners and their stories motivate me, and their
achievements keep me focused when I hit any dips.
I remember attending my first Topform Athletic Club
awards evening and being inspired by Nailah Davids,
who talked about her journey. I was moved by her
words and her determination, and I told myself that I
wanted to be like her.”
The Long Stuff
Naiema has done multiple marathons, including the
Peninsula, Cape Town and Soweto Marathons, and
she recently made her way to Turkey and successfully
ran the Istanbul Marathon. She also has a fair amount
of ultra-marathons to her name, like the Hewat 50km
at the Cape Town Festival of Running, which she has
now done twice, and says is one of her favourites.
ISSUE 115 FEBRUARY 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
“I ran the 50km on the Saturday and followed it up
with the team relay that afternoon, before ending
the weekend off by running the half marathon on the
Sunday. It is not often that I get to do 76km of racing
over two days, so I took full advantage.”
However, she says the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon medal means the most to her. “I was
very emotional when I crossed the finish line at Two
Oceans. I cried like a baby, because it was such a
great achievement after all the hard work it took to get
ready for it.” That said, she maintains that the Soweto
Marathon is the toughest race that she has run. “It is
just so hilly at the start, and the temperatures are very
high. It felt like it could be 36 degrees in the shade,
and if you add the altitude, then it is a hard day’s
work for anybody from the coast. I have run it twice,
and I have a love-hate relationship with it... so it will
probably see me again.”
R
unning wasn’t always about fun for Naiema
– she started out doing it as a way of dealing
with her grief at losing her parents and brother,
with the added benefit of getting fit and managing her
weight. Now, however, it has become a big part of her
life – and a big reason for her happiness. “As a newbie
runner I was told to smile more and enjoy it. I have
definitely learned to smile more, and now I advise
newbies to not just smile more, but wear lipstick too!”
she says with her trademark beaming smile.