Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 119, June 2019 | Page 72

MULTISPORT
It had always been a bucket list item to complete
the full ironman in PE, and after my Sun City result,
Audrey put the idea into my head to go for it in 2019.
So I took the plunge and entered the full Ironman,
as well as the 70.3 in East London. This year, I have
completed both, with a finishing time of 12:23:48 for
the full Ironman, and I also recently finished the 70.3
in Durban.
I have enjoyed the Cradle cycling with friends and
much prefer it to being on the indoor bike. I have
enjoyed the hill and track running sessions with the
team, as it motivates me to close the large gap to
the numerous strong athletes out there. To know
that we have a number of elite athletes going to
World Champs motivates me to get better, and I am
excited for them to all do well. I am also encouraged
by seeing my coach Audrey perform at a high level
during races, as it shows that I am in good hands.
NEWFOUND APPRECIATION
Even though I am extremely impatient, I am taking
it day by day, as I am still uncertain as to what I can
achieve, but I will keep on setting big goals and
striving to achieve them with vigour. I appreciate
the fact that I now have new times in a new sport
to chase after. I have a newfound appreciation of all
things after being a second chance, and so I have to
give it everything, and I am hopeful that my sporting
results and story encourage others to do well.
I informed her that my main goal was to complete
the 2020 Down Run Comrades Marathon, as I had
completed the 2013 Up Run after failing to finish the
2012 Down Run. The reason my goal was so far away
was that I was running slower than ever after the
accident, and I had huge doubt about being able to
finish in 12 hours, purely because of my physical state.
I have always believed that to run Comrades you
must be able to run a sub-2-hour half marathon
comfortably. (My pre-accident half PB is a sub-1:45.)
Still with much doubt, this became my initial post-
accident goal. In August 2016 I ran a 1:21:23 at the
Old Eds 10km race, where my goal was to just be able
to run without walking, which I did achieve. Two years
later, I ran the Pirates 10km in 53:35, and this gave
me much encouragement as I had come a long way.
Shortly after that, on a training run in Durban, I ran a
21.1km in 2:01:52.
THE TRI CHALLENGE
After meeting with Audrey again, we decided to start
a coaching programme towards me becoming a
triathlete, which I started in December 2017. I had
cycled before taking up running, and had cycled
my fastest 947 Cycle Challenge in 2013 purely on
running legs. I was one of those runners who thought
cross-training was a waste of time. But I had now
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committed to the triathlon journey, and I was fully
committed to following the programme.
It would have been on one of my first early morning
sessions that I made an agreement with myself that
I must never miss a session. One of my personal
post-accident mottos is, “How bad do you want this?”
I have learnt that I need to be consistent if I want to
achieve my goals. I use my accident as a reference
point to motivate myself, and to reflect on my
progress, but at times I am hard on myself, and others
have to remind me how far I have come.
It took me a few months to settle on a swim squad
and coach, because initially I just wanted to ensure
I made the cut-off in the swim. I seemed to put less
pressure on my swim, but I am consistently giving it
100% and sticking to the training plan. Overall, I don’t
feel limited by what I want to achieve, and constant
improvement keeps me going. I love the idea of
having to follow a daily training plan, and the training
variety makes it enjoyable, even though 4am starts
have become the norm. I had so much to learn about
triathlon, which kept it interesting.
SATISFYING PROGRESS
My first half-distance Ironman was in May 2018 at the
Sun City Ultra, where my target goal was a 6:50 finish
and each discipline had its own time goals. I finished
in a time of 6:44:49 after a tough day of giving it my
all. At the time I thought it was my best endurance
event ever, in that I achieved my goal and everything
went perfectly to plan. I actually feel that my fighting
spirit as a result of my accident gives me an edge in
racing, which I am grateful for.
ISSUE 119 JUNE 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
eager to share his knowledge, which I am grateful for.
Soon thereafter, I completed the sign-up form on the
Trifactri website, intending to use the triathlon training
as cross-training for my running. I received an e-mail
from Audrey and we set up a meeting to discuss the
coaching.
I am competitive and I am doing well at the sport,
and I have probably reached or bettered my output
from prior to the accident. I feel I have potential, and
I want to find out what that potential is. I also feel an
immense sense of pride of having been in a coma and
achieving what I have. I love this feeling and can’t get
enough of it. But most importantly, I appreciate the
fact that I am able to participate, and I can’t waste the
opportunity given to me.