ROAD RUNNING
Plenty of support from family , friends , colleagues and clubmates throughout the challenge
“ It was a few tough months of training , so we were really grateful for all the love and support from all of our friends , and especially our families . A big shout out to all those champions ! Was the training hard ? Oh yes ... Were we licking our wounds ? Indeed … Was it fun ? Always ! And I was just looking forward to sharing the experience with my two amigos , even though I knew it would be long , brutal journey , and then quenching my thirst at the end of a long day with a dry lemon , and maybe even a bit of champagne to celebrate at the finish line .”
In keeping with his good friend Angelo , Esmund is also quick to throw in a witty comment when asked about his running philosophy . He says that good advice for a long run , which he has found helpful over the years and still follows , is that “ Running far is not easy , and you don ’ t ever bend down to pick anything up after the 35km mark , because your legs won ’ t be happy !”
Like his famous namesake from Arthurian legend , Merlin loves the magic that being active brings to your mind and body . He has taken part in and played various sports over the years , and also completed an Ironman back in 2009 . “ The best piece of advice I think any runner could take on board , would be to work hard in training so that on race day you can have fun , and make it look easy to others .”
While the three friends did 90 to 110km of running mileage per week , Merlin added two swims a week to his training , just to mix things up and also focus on strengthening other muscle groups . “ My family thought I was a bit nuts when I told them of our plans , but because they could see that I was serious about it , they backed me a hundred percent . Of course , I did still get the occasional question from them asking me why I want to run that far ? Well , they got the answers in more than words on the 20th of March ,” he says
with a smile .
Going for the Finish
Angelo , Esmund and Merlin duly set out in the presunrise darkness , and finished just before sunset . There were hills galore , baboons lurking , and even chirps from passers-by about their ‘ Dad-bods ,’ and things got much quieter during the last part of the run , but at the end of it all they were able to cover the 100km distance and not only raise their target amount , but go far beyond that target . “ We set out to raise R30,000 for Hannah ’ s Place of Safety , and with the help of our friends and family we managed to reach R61,710 ! As far as I am concerned , running that 100km was a bonus , because we had so much fun doing it ,” says Angelo .
“ Thank you to all for putting up with our campaign to raise the much-needed funds , and if you are interested to see what goes on at Hannah ’ s Place , then please make contact with Dion and Janine Fabe , or Rodney Brown . I was privileged enough to pay a visit to the safe house , and I can tell you that it will certainly be an eye-opener for you , because there are people on this rock looking after these abandoned babies , and they really care .”
The manne recover after a training run in the Blaauwberg area
14 ISSUE 140 APRIL 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za