Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 129, April 2020 | Page 33

Trail
(Mis)Adventures
By Carla Lea Farina
MUCH ADDO
ABOUT NOTHING
Surprise attacks by prickly pears, getting lost along the way,
forgetting essential gear, and getting rubbed up the wrong
way… just another typical, fun-filled day on the trails for me!
T
here we were, on 7
March, at the start line
of a bucket list race, the
Addo Elephant 50 miler. It was
forecast to be 45 degrees, and
as we lined up, I asked running
partner Su-yen for my Squirrel’s
Nut Butter in her pack. I had just
realised I’d forgotten to put some
under my arms… and chafe isn’t
cool. But just as she reached for
it, she said she felt ‘free’ all of a
sudden. No, this was not some
philosophical breakthrough,
but the realisation that her pack
had broken. She spent the next
three minutes before the start
looking for cable ties and trying
to fix her pack. She made it. But
I never applied my Squirrel’s nut
butter…
Anyway, we set off and the first 10km or so was easy running. My plan was to
walk the ups, and run all the downs and flats, so when we finally came to a peak,
which resulted in a wonderful, long downhill on the other side, I was in heaven!
Until I missed a turn... Fortunately, I used my fancy new Garmin to track myself and
eventually found my way back onto the right path, but my friend who had joined
me on that downhill – I never caught his name, he was simply referred to as ‘guy in
the red top’ – was not so lucky. I called for him when I found the right path, but he
had pushed on… I sure hope he’s not still out there!
Finally, I found some fellow runners, Su-yen included, and we then stuck together
for a while. Thank goodness we did, because what happened next was rather
dreadful! As we embarked on a descent that raised even my hairs, I felt an
immense burning sensation in my left ankle. I looked down and there was a
massive prickly pair
stuck to my leg, so I
did what any other sane
human being would do…
I sat down to remove it. And
then… that same intense burning
sensation was coming from my
bottom.
“SuYen, help, it hurts, get it out!” I cried out. Su-yen
duly removed the fruit of death from my butt, and said, “Hey
Carla, how many people can say that they’ve had to ask a friend to remove
pricks from their bottom?” Well, Su-yen, let it be noted that I am eternally grateful!
Another Piece of Shortbread?
We pressed on, it got hotter, and then we arrived at the most amazing refreshment
station, full of shortbread. It was delicious, and I felt like a child possessed by the
cookie monster as I ate piece after piece! But I definitely ate too much… because
I vomited halfway up the mountain of doom that followed, and although that made
me feel better, I was tired of this never-ending climb. The Garmin profile said we
were to supposed to have arrived at a downhill, but that never happened. It was
just up, up and more up.
However, I got my second wind when the sweeper for the 45km race told us we
were in podium contention in our race. It turned out this was ‘fake news,’ so I
decided that I would just enjoy the rest of the race by swimming, admiring the
scenery, taking photos and appreciating where I was. I was also stalling, as I had
forgotten my drop bag and had no clean, dry or warm clothes to change into at the
drop bag station. Thank goodness there was a (much bigger than me) gentleman
who lent me a T-shirt and jersey. Note to self – never forget your drop bag!
We finally arrived at the finish, crossing the line arm-in-arm as joint 6th women
and joint 12th overall. There is something so uplifting about finishing with a good
friend… the camaraderie, the shared kudos and the celebration after such an epic
battle is something I’ll never forget. The evening ended with us enjoying a not very
vegan pizza and beer, and keeping track of our friends running the 100-miler.
So, for those wanting to run Addo next year – here are a few pointers:
• Apply anti-chafe lube EVERYWHERE!
• Remember your drop bag.
• Do NOT sit on prickly pairs – it burns like the wrath of a thousand suns!
• Swim along the way – it’s lovely.
• One piece of shortbread. Just ONE!
Locked Down at Home
Today it’s 1 April… I write this to you from my home during lockdown, and I have
entered the Freshtrails Ultra Backyard Trail Challenge as well as KZN Garden Trail
Series. Watch this space – so much entertainment to follow!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: While Carla’s ‘day job’ is Head Tennis Coach and
Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg, her second love
is trail running, which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure,
a never-say-die attitude, and a healthy sense of humour about all the
misadventures that befall her on the trails!
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