Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 115, February 2019 | Page 21

ROAD RUNNING because he had developed Dropped Foot Syndrome that year and knew he could no longer delay. The effect of Dropped Foot Syndrome is a complete lack of feeling in your foot, which leads to difficulty in walking, never mind running. Fortunately, the operation was a success and Nuno was soon out exercising again. For him it was not a difficult decision, especially after recently facing the prospect of never being able to walk or run again. “Before the op, the surgeon was not willing to commit to a post-operation prognosis, as it was a delicate operation, but when he came to see me the first time after the operation and tested my leg, I had immediate feeling, and he said straight away that the road was waiting for me after I recovered.” Nuno admits that the long rehab period after the operation really got to him at times. “Three months’ bed rest, followed by seven months of no training was hard for me. Frustrating, actually. But my wife Adél’s support kept me going through the long Comrades 2018 recovery process, as did keeping busy with coaching, especially seeing how my athletes improved. That was the motivation I needed for my own comeback. Without Adél and the coaching, things would have been way more difficult, but five months after I started running again, I obtained a Bill Rowan at the 2017 Comrades, finishing in 8:52 with Adél. Later that year I had the good fortune of winning the SA 10km Road Champs title in my 55-59 age category in Mbombela.” Coach and Mentor Nuno began coaching as far back as 1996, and he has taken some athletes all the way from their first 5km to the Comrades, as well as guided a few athletes to Two Oceans or Comrades gold medals. He is also currently serving as Chair of the Johannesburg branch of the Easy Equities Born2Run club, also manages the Pretoria branch, and oversees the national elite squad of the club. Just recently they launched a new club venue in Pretoria at Pierre van Rynveld NG Church in Baltimore Street, with a time trial on Tuesday evenings. Meanwhile, he still has a full-time job at The Core Group, where he is the Applecare Spares Manager, so it all keeps him pretty busy, and while he still runs, he says his focus has now changed. “The competitive drive is no longer there, I am now quite happy to help and see others achieve their dreams. I find that very gratifying,” he says. Therefore, these days you are more likely to see Nuno cruising (by his standards) the long races, and then hanging out afterwards at the club tent, all the time speaking to club members, motivating them and of course giving them valuable running advice. But you won’t stop him running, and in spite of all his illness and injury troubles of the past few years, in 2018 he completed his 20th Comrades to earn Double Green number 24750, and he just needs two more medals to earn Double Blue at Two Oceans. But he now brings the same enthusiasm and desire to his club and his athletes that he brought to his own running, always applying his #everyonematters philosophy, which has become his motto in life. Nuno with his wife, Adél Two Oceans 2018 JB TRAIN TOURS ‘Argus’, ‘Argus’, Two Two Oceans Oceans & & Comrades Comrades Train Train Tour Tour Packages Packages Comrades Marathon Two Oceans Marathon Cape Town Cycle Tour Train tour package: Flight tour package: 17 – 22 April 2019 (Six days) Wednesday – Monday 18 – 21 April 2019 (Four days) Thursday - Sunday 5 – 9 March 2020 (Five days) Thursday evening – Monday night R3350 per person R6300 per person R6900 per person R4900 per person Click here for full details & Booking Form Click here for full details & Booking Form Click here for full details & Booking Form Click here for full details & Booking Form 7 – 10 June 2019 (Four days) Friday evening – Monday morning Looking forward to welcoming you on board. www.jbtours.co.za | Mail [email protected] 21 Tel [phone] | WhatsApp [phone]