‘Losberg’ together, we jumped at
the chance. I enjoyed it so much
that I immediately wanted some
more adventure!
WALK
THIS WAY
By Anel Oosthuizen
ON TOP OF
THE WORLD
The long lockdown has forced us to find ways to keep
ourselves active and entertained, so as soon as we heard
that we have a free pass and can start exercising outdoors
again, we went all out, turning to Mother Nature for breathtaking
views, a ton of fresh air, a few sore quads and some
never before seen places!
Braving Rain, Hills and
Snakes
Next JC, my brother Juan and I decided
to tackle a bigger, longer ‘expedition,’ a trail
run from George to Herold. (Yes, I do also run!) In
the days leading up to the trip, the weather wasn’t really
playing along, and it seemed like it was going to be rained out, but we made a lastminute
call to go ahead, even though it was raining. So, in 12 degrees Celsius, we
started our trip, and it turned out it was the best call we could have made. Within
five minutes of setting out, it stopped raining, and the weather soon became more
bearable. We had such a great time and marvelled at some of the most amazing
views.
However, my legs weren’t completely there on the first few climbs, as I had done
two ‘biggish’ training sets in the same week, and I had a good laugh at myself
sweating up those hills! Not being used to this type of exercise and climbing, I
was definitely the ‘weakest link’ in our trio. My hip flexors and quads were working
overtime on all the climbs, and as I am far from the technical skills of Ryan Sandes,
I am not so fond of very steep downhills. Fortunately, on the way back I started
to find that I was getting used to planting myself more solidly on the ground,
and could therefore go a little faster… which was still a snail pace, if my watch is
anything to go by!
As we made our way back to George – on Dizzy Heights, to be exact – I had an
encounter with a snake. The whole time during our expedition I had been thinking
about what I would do in case something like this happened, but even so I was
not mentally prepared to react fast enough when one of the guys in front of me
didn’t see the snake and stepped on it accidentally – and I was the unlucky one the
snake snapped at!
I felt so sorry for the poor little guy, but at the same time I got such a fright. Luckily,
we both got away unharmed, and the rest of the way, I made sure I could see
where I stepped, and I made sure everyone else was also more aware of their
surroundings, by reminding them every five minutes to watch where they were
going!
Rolling with the Tumbles
What is trail running without a few tumbles, right? Well, going downhill – which
I have already admitted I don’t like all that much – I took a dive and somehow
landed bum-first in a lovely mud puddle! I also went full gymnast, doing my best
impression of American Olympian Simone Biles as I made an almost-split in the
mud. I was laughing so loudly at myself, I could hear the echoes in the mountains!
Nevertheless, we had such a good time. I couldn’t believe the views up there, or
that in 25 years of living in George I had never visited these incredible places that
are practically in my backyard. We did approximately 38km to Herold and back,
with a elevation gain of about 736m, and it is an experience that I will definitely
want a do-over for. After my quads have recovered, of course! I also realised a lot
of things during these outings, and what stood out most for me was that in these
challenging times, we need to trust in the unknown, find gold in the little moments,
and trade fear of the uncertain for freedom to thrive within it.
Dizzy Heights, White Beacon Climb and Losberg are just some of the places
I have been exploring during the past month. You see, we figured we might
as well go for an epic view while staying in shape! My boyfriend, JC, is
an absolute mountaineer, and he knows all the local routes and climbs near our
hometown of George. That’s lucky for me, because for those who know me well will
tell you, I am absolutely clueless when it comes to direction. I guess that’s why I do
a sport that usually walks a 1km loop 20 times!
Anyway, back to the mountains... Being outside and feeling ‘free’ is something I
think all of us have appreciated a ton more during recent weeks, and when a few
of our friends decided to make the most of this newfound freedom to hike up the
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Race Walker Anel Oosthuizen is a multiple SA
Champion and Record Holder, and represented SA in the women’s 20km at the
2016 Rio Olympics.
Images: Courtesy Anel Oosthuizen
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ISSUE 132 JULY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za