ROAD RUNNING
Rightfully proud of that new Guinness Record !
Carla and Mike met during the run from Cape Town
Reason to Stay
Besides a coveted Comrades gold medal and great memories , Carla took something else from that 2018 challenge , which saw her decide to stay in South Africa . “ Mike and I had been chatting since the previous November , when the challenge idea was born , but we only actually met a couple of days before the run . We really enjoyed each other ’ s company during the run , so we decided I should move to Joburg and give the relationship a chance ,” she says .
“ I had been doing operations work for an advertising agency in West London , while taking a break from the personal training and coaching work I had been doing in Saudi Arabia . Once settled in SA , I got back into running coaching , strength conditioning and yoga instruction under my own name , while Mike and I also started The Running Company , to put on trail running events , inspirational talks and training workshops . We did our first Women ’ s Running Weekend one week before lockdown started , including training , nutrition , injury-prevention , yoga and sports massage . That went well , but plans for more are on hold till next year . We are still hoping to go ahead with our iKhulu Trail
On the long road to Comrades 2018 with Mike and Roger
Run later this year , depending on COVID restrictions and entries .”
On the topic of looking ahead to 2021 , Carla says she would love to tackle another big running challenge , but adds that she wants to find a balance between fast races and multi-day challenges . “ I would like to run the Two Oceans and Comrades next year , and I would also love to run the Western States 100 Miler in the USA . Of those , Two Oceans is the big focus , because I have never run the ultra . But I would also like to have a better 2021 Comrades than my last one in 2019 , when I picked up a stress fracture in my ankle the previous November and couldn ’ t train properly for the race .”
Carla enjoyed a stunning run at Comrades 2018
That injury saw Carla forced to take two complete months off running , then slowly start running again on an anti-gravity treadmill . Her longest run prior to the Comrades was just 15km , but she had done a lot of cross training , so felt she had a good enough endurance base . “ It obviously wasn ’ t really enough , though . Up to the marathon point I was OK , and if the race had ended there , I would have been OK , but after that it was just really painful . People were overtaking me , saying come with us , but I just couldn ’ t . I walked up Polly ’ s , chatting to a guy I had met through Strava , and dragged myself to the finish line .” And yet , she still managed a great time of 7:51:12 , earning her second Bill Rowan medal , and finishing 44th woman on the day !
Given how tough and determined Carla is , it is no surprise that the next expedition challenges she has in mind are by no means easy , including the 866km GR10 route , which follows the France-Spain border from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean , via the Pyrenees Mountains . “ I am also looking at running the length of South Africa , from the Beit Bridge border post to Cape Town . I haven ’ t yet found info on anybody having done it before , but whether it ’ s been done or not , 1943km of running sounds like something I would enjoy !”
Coming home to claim her unexpected Comrades gold medal
You can find out more about Carla on her personal website , www . carlamolinaro . com , and more info on the events she is involved , including the iKhulu Trail Run , at www . therunningcompany . com .
Images : Action Photo SA & courtesy Carla Molinaro
16 ISSUE 133 SEPTEMBER 2020 / www . modernathlete . co . za