Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 130, May 2020 | Page 39

Trail
(Mis)Adventures
By Carla Lea Farina
APPRECIATING THE
LITTLE THINGS
So, I write this ‘episode’ to you with very mixed emotions.
We are well and truly into the thick of lockdown, and I
have run more garden challenges than I can count. I did
the Fresh Trails virtual ultra-marathon… three days in a
row. I ran the Versus Socks virtual 5km, and I took on the
Nissan Trailseeker Challenge in association with Hoka and
Ikhambi Distribution. I ran every single KZN Trail Running
Garden Series run, and I even ran the virtual Ultra-Trail
Drakensberg, a race that I was really looking forward to,
until it was taken by corona.
So, what do I have to show for all these epic runs? Well, on the surface,
nothing besides a deeply dug trench around my otherwise beautifully
manicured garden. I haven’t had any near-death experiences of falling off
cliffs, enduring the wrath of man-eating spiders the size of my face, or similar
stories I usually bring back from the crazy trails I find myself on. In fact, most
notably, for almost three months now I have not gotten lost. Not even once. Can
you believe it?
Running as The Flash in
the KZN Trail Running
Garden Series
Camping during the Run With It
24-hour challenge, running 2km
every hour for 24 hours
However, what I gained from these runs was a deep sense of achievement, a feeling
of unity with other runners, and a couple of awesome medals and certificates, but
mostly I had something motivating me to get up, achieve something and have a
sense of purpose during lockdown. So I am sure I speak on behalf of all road and
trail runners out there when I say I have to express such gratitude to the people
who organised these events, expecting nothing in return and giving us all a sense of
hope, and ‘togetherness,’ in an otherwise very difficult time.
Facing the Challenges
Now this is not to say that lockdown has been easy. I mean, running circles in the
garden is not fun, and running circles alone in your garden is even less fun. One
leg gets sore, so you change direction. Then the other leg gets sore. Now you have
two sore legs! Also, I don’t know about you, but I got seasick running in circles…
and it wasn’t because I had eaten 10 kilos of shortbread.
I promise there is a point to all this moaning, but first I just have to complain about
one more thing. Why do GPS watches not work in your garden? Seriously, we have
technology that can connect hundreds of people around the world using just one
app. We have drones that could, in theory, drop us food, or medicine, or cake. We
have cars that can drive themselves! So why can’t we have a GPS system that
accurately tracks us running in our yards?
Anyway, having said that, let me get to my actual point. Do you know what all this
garden running has done for me? It has reminded me why I love trail running, both
the epic adventures and near-death experiences. Yes, I love pushing my body to
the limit and seeing what it is capable of, and I love getting lost and trying to find
my way back, like running through some sort of self-inflicted maze, but those are
all ‘nice to haves,’ in a way.
The real reasons I love trail running, which I think I have been taking for granted for
a while now, are all very basic. I love being out in the mountains, or in the thick of
a lush forest, and I love being out in nature, to appreciate our beautiful country firsthand,
with all of my senses. That is a magical experience. I also love trail running
because it’s something you can enjoy no matter what your age, fitness level or
athletic capabilities.
Friends for Life
Finally, and I think most importantly, it’s the people. Not just my fellow runners, but
also the race organisers, the marshals, the honorary rangers and more. Trail running
has such a wonderful sense of community, and I miss that more than anything.
I miss running with my friends. I miss hearing Andrew Booth’s voice over the
loudspeaker. I miss seeing Sven and Arlo’s awesome Team Phonix Capture slide
shows and videos, and I miss their friendly faces on the trail, too. I miss aid station
banter, and I really miss asking the question, “How far to the next water table?” And
I really miss being able to buy a post-race beer and enjoy it with said friends.
Images: Courtesy Carla Farina
No trail race
is complete
without a
muddy Carla!
Lockdown has really taught me to appreciate the little things, because they make
the big things possible, and worthwhile. So I’d like to dedicate this column to every
single trail runner out there, and would like to extend a massive shout-out to all the
amazing friends I have made through the sport! You all rock, and I cannot wait to
get lost with you all again soon!
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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