To cut a long story short , neighbours down the road have warned all other dog owners in the complex that their bull terrier simply does not like other dogs , so we all keep our dogs safely at a distance when they walk their pup , but this was the one time I was not paying proper attention while Coco was off her leash , fetching the ball . Unfortunately , Coco decided to go say hello to the bull terrier , and that ‘ greeting ’ quickly devolved into a major disagreement , forcing the two owners to try pull the dogs apart . Next thing I knew , I felt teeth digging into my right hand .

The Ed with Bailey ( left ) and Coco

Luckily the bull terrier let go immediately – no lock-jaw or thrashing , and no crushed fingers – but I had blood streaming out of various painful punctures in my hand , so Nicole drove me to the emergency ward . Getting the stitches and tetanus shot was fine , but there was a wee problem getting the prescribed antibiotics and painkillers … Thanks to Eskom ’ s latest round of loadshedding , the pharmacy had closed early , which meant I could only get the antibiotics the following day . The wound thus became infected , my hand blew up , and I had to go back to the doctor for even stronger antibiotics and painkillers . Then I was told to rest the hand – no typing , doctor ’ s orders !

Back to Business

So , friends , that ’ s why this edition is a wee bit later than originally planned . ( I know , I know , it sounds like a ‘ dog ate my homework ’ story .) Happily , at the time of writing , I am able to type again , albeit much slower than normal , with regular rest breaks , and that ’ s also why this edition is a wee bit thinner than originally planned . I ’ ve held a few interviews and features over to the next edition , but the next mag will be back to full size , and as usual , jampacked with motivational stories .

I was in the finish line VIP / media area the year she won the Comrades , standing right next to a family member of hers , so when Ann won , she came over to this family member for an emotional hug . I was quite emotional myself – the Comrades does that to me – so when she finished hugging her loved one , I called to her to congratulate her . Without thinking , I just gave her a hug , too , and I ’ ll never forget the slightly quizzical look on her face as she was obviously thinking , I ’ m sorry , do I know you ?

Throw it , Dad , throw it !

That said , one the highlights in this edition is the interview I did with 2018 Comrades Marathon women ’ s winner Ann Ashworth , focusing on her impressive win in the recent Ultra-Trail Drakensberg . Yet another recognised road runner showing what she can do on the trails , while road running is still effectively locked down due to COVID restrictions . Ann and I also had a good laugh during the interview , when I told her how we met for the first time ...

I ’ m glad to report that we ’ re now better acquainted , and I hope you enjoy the article , as well as the rest of the mag .

PS : I ’ m happy to add that no dogs were harmed in the making of this story .

Images : Nicole Hayes