Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 122, September 2019 | Page 22

ROAD RUNNING
With a Little Help from Friends
The project was initially a self-funded and self-
supported effort, but Pick n Pay stepped up and
joined Dave in making it a success. “Being self-
supported, I was looking for three watering holes
along the route where I could maybe buy a snack
and drink. I approached Pick n Pay with a request for
a couple of drinks and an energy bar discount, per
day, but they came back and sponsored my entire
nutritional needs for the project. For that I owe them a
very big thank you.”
at least, he tries to be. “I sometimes try to take
photographs, but then I’m struck with the dreaded
thought of having to hop in a car, and drive five
kilometres to my sister’s house, to go develop them
in my darkroom, so I have a lot of undeveloped film in
my camera bag.”
DAVE THE DREAMER
“Also, the people I encountered on the route each day
were fantastic. It meant a lot to me, even if it was just
a hoot or a wave as I ran by them. It was interesting
seeing how the various suburbs along the route
responded to my repeated presence, but if I am to
give out medals for support then it would have to go
to the folks of Muizenberg, Noordhoek and Hout Bay.” Dave is a big believer in chasing dreams, and doing
the things that bring joy to your life. “We have no
control over the past, nor the future. And, we only
have marginal control over the present. When
presented with these brief moments, take control, no
matter how silly they may seem. Kids live in their own
realities, and I challenge you to find a happier sound
than a bunch of little hooligans running around living
their best lives. Taking control of the present is the
best way that I know to add value and direction to my
life, and a sense of peace,” he says.
Ironically, his biggest obstacle came during the
actual race, at kilometre 17, when the crowd of
runners around him felt like it was suffocating him.
“I’d run the course for 49 days, with all the space
in the world, and found the crowds on race day
claustrophobic. Luckily, I was able to start running
along the pavement, and escape the crush. And after
that, with the gradient starting to kick up to the base
of Ou Kaapse Weg, the road opened up nicely. So, I
stopped being grumpy.” “How you choose to manifest that control is up to
you. If you like stamp-collecting, dedicate an hour a
week to completely immersing yourself in stamp-
collecting. If you love to bake, but don’t know how to
give back to society, go to a nearby orphanage, get
a list of birthdays, and bake each child a cupcake
for their birthday. The sense of recognition that that
child will receive is far greater than anything that I can
achieve through running, and it takes so little of one’s
time. Change is possible, and opportunities are all
around us. You don’t need to save the world. Bringing
a smile to a strangers face is all that is required.”
The challenge he sets for all of us is a simple one, but
one that many people struggle to fulfil in their own
lives. “Never let anyone destroy your dreams, and
never destroy anyone else’s.” Dave is doing his best
to live true to those words, and so should we.
NEXT CHALLENGE, PLEASE
He is not a bucket list type of guy, but he has a few
ideas for interesting adventures that may be worth a
go. “I already have my eye on something for January.
Without running projects, I would quickly turn into a
blimp. I am keen to find out how many marathons I
can do in a row, other than that I would love to run the
original routes of the Tour De France, Giro Da Italia or
the Vuelta Espana, just to annoy the cyclists.”
He is even considering a run across Japan or Nepal,
but that would depend on how much cash he can
save between projects. Other than running vast
distances, Dave is also a keen photographer… or
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ISSUE 122 SEPTEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
This former scuba diving instructor is a man trying to
keep busy, and when he is not working in the family
business, Dave is usually looking for his next running
adventure. “The moment that I finish, I’m already
thinking of the next possibility. I think that it comes
down to the fact that I don’t do these projects for
running reasons, so the physical completion of the
project is merely part of the cycle towards the next
chance to travel, or to explore my psychological state.”