ROAD RUNNING
Confined Comrade
Comrades 2016
We all run for a variety of reasons . To keep fit , to stay healthy , to achieve goals , to escape life ’ s pressures and worries , to maintain weight , to relax , but mostly for the joy of running , for the feeling of freedom that you get once your feet pound the road , pavement , trail or track . For me , it ’ s for all of the above reasons , and more . It ’ s also my time with God …
Comrades 2014
I ’ d like to share with you my personal story about living alone and experiencing running loops in my garden , and about surviving lockdown during the first 35 days of lockdown , when we weren ’ t allowed to run on the streets . It ’ s my story , as a runner , making the best of the lockdown .
– BY ASTRID FISCHER-THOLE
I
was a confined comrade … along with my fellow South Africans and many people all over the world . Confined to lockdown in the safety of our homes , in order to flatten the curve caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . Author Andrew Murphy once said that “ you are only confined by the walls you build around yourself .” I have to agree , and thus I was not going to build walls around myself during lockdown . I may have been confined to the walls of my home , but I was not going to allow lockdown to lock me down mentally , emotionally , physically and spiritually .
Suddenly finding myself in lockdown with plenty of time on my hands , I made a choice to use it positively . To reflect on my faith … people … my job … running … and everything in between . I would definitely be taking many life lessons out of it . This new , different and challenging experience called lockdown .
You may ask , why did I see myself as a confined comrade ? Well , I am a comrade , not in the conventional sense of belonging to a particular political party , but that of a member belonging to a particular group of determined , strong-willed and brave people who annually undertake to run the gruelling 90km Ultimate Human Race . I am a Comrades Marathon runner , and yes , I run it for fun . It ’ s why I agree with the words of Fred Lebow , co-founder of the New York City Marathon : “ In running , it doesn ’ t matter whether you come in first , in the middle of the pack , or last . You can say , ‘ I have finished .’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that .”
Reasons to Run
Comrades runners have been described in many different ways : Crazy , ambitious , driven , goal-orientated , passionate , stubborn , funny , disciplined , courageous . No different to other runners , but dare I say it , Comrades runners are a tad crazier than runners who choose to run no more than a full marathon .
Then it ’ s just God , the road , and me . It is my time to reconnect with God . To pray , to talk to Him , to be one with Him in the moment . It has been said that those who walk with God always reach their destination . I can agree . Why do I enjoy the long distances ? My answer lies in this quote : “ If you want to run , then run a mile . If you want to experience a different life , run a marathon . If you want to talk to God , then run an ultra .” I can testify this to be true .
Making a Virtual Plan
Understanding and accepting the lockdown rules and restrictions was a given . However , the restriction of not being allowed to run on the road was a bitter pill to swallow , but one that I had to accept . Hard as it was , I had no choice , like all my fellow runners .
Then on the Friday morning – the first day of lockdown – I was checking Facebook and saw that there was a virtual marathon being offered . The Mzansi Marathon Lockdown Challenge was the brainchild of two runners , Warren King and Russel Nugent , and their aim was for people to run 2km or more daily , in their gardens , on balconies , or on treadmills , for the ( initial ) three weeks of lockdown . Running these 2km would contribute to a fundraising challenge , and the monies collected would be donated to the Solidarity Fund for the COVID-19 virus .
I chose to run the ultra 70km over the 35 days , and found that running up and down in my small garden was mentally challenging . Gandhi said , “ Strength does not come from physical capacity . It comes from an indomitable will .” I can testify that this was true for me on my daily runs . I had to remind myself that my body may be a strong machine , but I had to fuel it with positive thoughts to keep my mind strong . So , along with thousands of runners all over the country , I ran daily in my confined space . And it was the highlight of my day !
Maintaining Sanity
The Mzansi Marathon Lockdown Challenge was mentally challenging . When I felt emotionally weak , I would go outside and run . I overcame my feelings of weakness by reminding myself that I have completed four Comrades Marathons , and those were much tougher than running a few kilometrs in a small space . I believe mental strength is best described by Rikki Rogers , who said , “ Strength doesn ’ t come from what you think you can do , it comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn ’ t do .”
The challenge also reminded me how blessed I am to normally have the freedom to run on the road . And to participate in races . My daily garden run routes were different … challenging ... fun … but this Confined Comrade will never , ever , take another run , race or training session for granted . It is a true blessing and privilege to have the gift of the freedom to run whenever and wherever .
A special word of thanks to Warren and Russel for coming up with this wonderful initiative . I am grateful , because it kept me sane , and happy . It made me tougher , stronger and more resilient . “ You need a little bit of insanity to do great things ,” said Henry Rollins , and that sums up us runners . We are a pretty insane bunch of people .
Images : Action Photo SA
26 ISSUE 138 FEBRUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za