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Got something on your mind that you want to share , a burning question you want answered , or a good story to tell ? Then send it to letters @ modernathlete . co . za , and add a pic if you can . Letters should preferably be no more than 300 words long , and pics should be high-resolution . ( Note that letters may be shortened due to space limitations .)
EDITOR ’ S PICK
THANKS TO MY COMMON FRIENDS
Recently I had to complete a 21.1km “ race ” challenge as part of a training programme . I looked at route options that offered uninterrupted , traffic-free roads and settled on eight laps of the Rondebosch Common . I knew it would be dull , but if those elites could run laps to complete the London Marathon , then I could hook it around the common a few times , right ?
I crawled out of my car at 6am . Beautiful drizzle , maybe one other runner in sight . No music , no-one on a mic , no portaloo queues , not even a vague waft of Deep Heat , fart or coffee . I looked at my uninspiring nemesis , The Common , plugged in some 90s rock and got started . However , after the fifth lap , not even Rage Against the Machine could help me ... but three laps to go . There were two couples walking The Common , separately , who I had passed a few times . On the fifth lap , both asked , “ How many to go ?” So I told them . “ Mal !, said the one lady … and then they became the reason that I kept pushing .
I don ’ t know who you are , or if you will see this , but thanks for reminding me how amazing South Africans are . Each time I passed one of the couples , all of us drenched but out there doing our thing , I got cheers and chirps . The one couple even waited for me to complete the eighth lap and told me in no uncertain terms how ridiculous my mission was , but there they were , all smiles and cheers . I drove home a sodden , happy , grateful mess . Love and thanks to The Common walkers . – Kim Stephens , Cape Town
What a great story , Kim ! Nothing beats a smile , a chirp and a friendly bit of support when you ’ re slogging your way through a training run , but even more so when you ’ re running a solo 21km time trial . Hope your walking friends do somehow manage to see this . – Ed .
FOR THE LOVE OF SHOES …
Running is the only instance in life where guys and girls probably have the same degree of obsession with shoes . If I was in the ‘ desert island ’ situation and could only take one thing , I ’ d take as many pairs of my running shoes as possible . – Zaidee Small , Cape Town
I can tell you that I have a very large collection of running shoes – perks of this job – and I would also take as many pairs as possible to the desert island ! – Ed .
BAREFOOT COMRADES …
Would you consider running the Comrades Marathon barefoot ? The 2015 Two Ocean Marathon is the last official race I ran with sneakers . When I decided to get rid of the shoes in 2015 , at the age of 60 , one of my goals was to run the Comrades Marathon barefoot .
I first ran the whole distance of the 2016 Comrades Marathon ( 89km ) with minimalist shoes and finished in 10:20:12 . I returned the following year and ran the first 63km of the 2017 Comrades Marathon barefoot , then I put on minimalist shoes to prevent unnecessary pain or damage . I finished in 11:14:02 . Finally , I easily ran the 2018 Comrades Marathon barefoot , completing the race painand injury-free in 11:13:04 , just seven days after running my fastest barefoot marathon ( 3:37 ), in Duisburg , Germany .
My goal is to show that we all can readapt to barefoot running , regardless of age or any other consideration . It ’ s in our biology . – Sidy Diallo , France
Hats off to you , Sidy , for your ability to run 90km barefoot , but speaking for myself , there will be no barefoot running any time soon . My feet are simply way too soft ! – Ed .
Sidy Diallo finishing the Comrades barefoot
Images : iStock & Courtesy Kim Stephens , Sidy Diallo , Christopher Jack , Mr Price Sport
6 ISSUE 138 FEBRUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za