Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 30

opportunities I was given. I think I’m finally there
now.” However, juggling a busy life is a tricky thing
for any athlete who hopes to make podiums a regular
occurrence. In Dale’s case, this includes a fulltime job
in running retail at the RUN store in Cape Town, while
also trying to find time for hobbies and interests – he
is a self-confessed petrol-head that gets excited by
anything with an engine, and having studied art at
school, also tries to find time to let his artistic side out.
“The biggest obstacle to me is myself. I tend to be
hard on myself, but I am learning to trust myself more
as I get older. I feel better equipped now to handle the
training, and the discipline. I am more mature than I
was during my motocross days, and that has made
me work harder and cut out things that can negatively
impact my journey. I am very lucky to have the
support system that I have from friends, family and my
work, so that I can chase this running dream.”
Hard Works Pays Off
The Herring running tribe is not just made up of Dale
and Kyle. Their Mom, Elmare, is also a keen runner,
and even though she started out a bit reluctantly
with encouragement from her boys, she has since
taken the lead, and has probably raced more than
the twins over the last two years. “We wanted her to
start running for health reasons, and even set up the
treadmill so that she could watch TV while running.
Eventually the treadmill broke and she started running
outside. In the two years since she decided to live a
healthier life and become more active by running, she
has lost over 45 kilograms. I am incredibly proud of
her!” says Dale.
In contrast, he doesn’t follow the practice that sees
many runners doing as many races as possible each
week. “A lot of athletes my age come on to the scene
and put in amazing performances for a period of two
or three years, but then they fade away. I would like
to get to that high level of competition, too, but my
goal is sustainability, and having a career spanning
decades. The best advice I ever got is to avoid
rushing anything. Be patient. If I put in the hard work
and trust the training, the rest will take care of itself.
I live by the 10,000 hours rule: If you spend 10,000
hours doing the thing that you feel will bring you
success, then nothing can stop you from achieving
your goal.”
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Even though he came to the sport quite late, Dale
has run some terrific times on the road, including
17:10 for 5km, 35:36 for 10km, 1:21:20 for the half
marathon, and a 3:09 marathon. Typically, given his
competitive nature, he would like to go still faster,
and says he is willing to put in the work needed to
become the best that he can be. “I am working hard
toward my goals, and I spend between 11 and 15
hours a week training. I am just 25 years old, and
still learning lots, so there is no hurry to get on to
ultra-marathons just yet. I would much rather stick
to marathons and respect the distance the way it
should be respected.”
“As a trail runner you have to face what you don’t find
comfortable. I am not the biggest fan of mountain
ascents, and try to avoid them at all costs, but of
course, if you want to come down, you first need to
go up... Downhill running is such an adrenaline rush.
You are on the edge and gunning it down the side of a
mountain. I don’t think there is a better feeling. During
an ultra, I will hold back a little going down, because
it is a long way to go, but during shorter races I am at
my happiest when I can let it rip. During a race I would
use every ounce of negative energy that has been
flung my way as fuel for the fire inside of me.”
Making His Mark
At present, Dale alternates his primary training for trail
running with some cycling, body boarding, swimming
and climbing as part of his strength training. All this
hard work has helped him be noticed by a few brands,
and he’s currently attached to Balega socks, Ultimate
Direction and ASICS. “This sport can be expensive
and every little bit helps,” he says simply. He adds
that the use of social media to promote oneself is
a great way of getting your name out there, but he
prefers to let results do most of his talking.
“Social media platforms are a good tool to have, but
I see many people losing focus on their original goals
while chasing likes, followers, shares and reposts.
As an athlete, it is important to focus on becoming
the best you that you can be, and if you use social
media to highlight this journey, then good for you. Just
remember that there are loads of guys out there who
are not on social media, but are setting the running
world on fire with amazing performances while training
in the shadows to get better.”
ISSUE 117 APRIL 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
It is this inner drive – and competitiveness – that
compels this talented young athlete to keep pushing
his own limits as he works towards his trail running
goals. “Go out there and find your own style. I look
up to running heroes, like Anton Krupicka and Tommy
Rivs, but I don’t want to be like them. I want to be
me, and find what works for me, and what does not. I
want to challenge my own limits and become stronger
by doing that. I would love to one day run in the
Chinese countryside or under the northern lights. That
is more my kind of racing than a big hyped up race
that has lost its soul.”