Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 126, January 2020 | Page 28

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I have met a car guard that walks for miles with his mother early in the mornings.
They are the most humble people, with a constant smile on their faces. One
morning a lady looked like she was in a big rush and told me that she works at
Pick n Pay and was late for work. That is when I wish I had my car with me and
could offer her a lift. I once came across a man that was on his way to work with an
amputated leg and was using a crutch! My heart sank when I saw him and realised
that my problems are so small in comparison to his. I felt really humbled for not
appreciating my healthy, active body more.
Familiar Faces & Places
I have seen lots of parents dropping their children off at school. There is a young
lady that walks her daughter to school every morning while pushing a pram with
her other child in it. I always think about her when it gets really cold or rains, and
wonder how she copes. There are also young children that walk to school on
their own. It makes me realise again how privileged I am, and how I was able to
transport my children to school every
morning by car. Some have a parent
walking with them and they are always
happy and full of life. I presume that their
living circumstances are often not the best,
yet they seem to be such happy people.
When I run alone, I tend to do a lot of thinking and I let my
mind run wild. My mind wanders to what I have planned to
do at work, what I am going to make for dinner that night,
if I should cut or grow my hair, and the list goes on. It’s a
good time to think, plan and unwind, but it’s also made me
more aware of my surroundings, and I have noticed the
‘invisible people’ on the streets. – BY LISA MACKENZIE
T
he majority of the ‘invisible people’ are walking, and sometimes you get the
odd person on a bicycle. I always greet the people I pass, and sometimes I
get a loud reply, sometimes a nod, and every so often, not a word back. It
doesn’t matter to me, as some people are friendly and outgoing, while others are in
their own world.
The man that sells newspapers and Robert who sells flowers at the four-way stop
have now become familiar faces and we always smile and wave. They work in
harsh conditions, but always seem to be cheerful and positive, and have become
a real inspiration to me. One morning a lady who works in the postal office (she
was in her uniform) said that she was thinking of joining me. Actually, that is the
comment I hear the most, of people wanting to join me. It always makes me think
of the movie Forrest Gump, when runners joined him running across the USA.
There are a lot of domestic workers that walk together and chat loudly among
themselves. The petrol attendant I saw one morning was polishing his shoes on
his way to work, and I have even tried to keep up with another attendant running
to work. I have met many gardeners and workmen that live in the nearby township
and work at the local factories. They are usually the friendliest of the lot and often
give me words of encouragement. They always ask if I am running Comrades, and
often they are runners, too, with amazing running times. They run before the sun
comes up to be in time for work.
On my 10km route, which I call the “church
route” because I pass three different
churches, I also run past a high school.
One winter morning, while training for
Comrades, I passed a schoolboy with
earphones in his ears. As I passed him, he
jumped and shouted at me for giving him a
fright. It was quite a funny situation.
On my 6km route, I usually try to push the
third kilometre as much as I can to get the
blood flowing. At the end of this street,
where the kilometre ends, there is an old
man that is always standing in his garden
and comments in Afrikaans on how well I
am doing, even though I am huffing and
puffing like a steam engine. I always wave
and smile at him. And on my 5km ‘time-
trial’ route, there is an elderly Englishman
that is always standing in his front garden
and always has a funny remark. I often
wonder about him and his story. How did
he land up in South Africa, does he have a
family, and many other questions?
Everyone has a story of their own, and
people are generally friendly if we just take
the time to notice them. That’s why running
has been an eye-opener for me... It has
humbled me and made me appreciate life’s
blessings, big or small.
This piece was originally published on Lisa’s Little Forrest blog. To see more of her writing, go to http://accounts433.wixsite.com/littleforest.
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ISSUE 126 JANUARY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za
ROAD RUNNING