ROAD RUNNING
Inspired by the
Bus Driver
In his newly published book , The Bus Driver : Leadership Lessons from Running Comrades , author Modiba Lazarus Malebana draws on his experience of running in a pacing bus in the Comrades Marathon to write a metaphorical guide to good leadership . It ’ s a unique take on the Ultimate Human Race , which Lazarus has run 11 times , and with his permission , we have selected a few extracts to give you a taste of the book . – COMPILED BY SEAN FALCONER
Chapter 4 : It Takes All of You
My Comrades dream took steps into reality as the crowd surged forward to cross the starting line . The excitement was so contagious as we all screamed and blindly waved to the television cameras overhead . From the start , the race was punctuated by motivational cries and songs . It was dark in the early hours of the morning , but we hoped someone back home was watching us as we bellowed in jubilation before the blinding camera lights . As snaking runners stretched and surged forward I began to believe that at the starting line we were all equal and it was the starting gun that separated us , and later on it would be the finish line that defines each one of us .
As our bus crossed the starting line 10 minutes after the starting gun sounded , I felt like we had been thrown into the deep sea or a jungle . Fear continued to haunt me : What am I getting myself into ? A gloomy voice which would nag me throughout the day , kept saying , “ Just disappear into the dark , no one will notice !” But I knew I had a mission to accomplish . I believed my ‘ Why ’ was strong enough to keep me on the road .
If you have a strong purpose in life , you don ’ t have to be pushed away from your dream .
Your passion will drive you even when voices dictate otherwise ; at least that ’ s what my training partners told me . The ‘ Why ’ inside of me was too strong to conquer the defeatist mentality . Or was it ?
Lazarus in action at the Comrades , with one of the large pacing buses just a short distance behind him
It was still dark in Durban and I was being driven into the middle of nowhere with people I hadn ’ t met before . I trusted these strangers because I had no other choice . The excitement and camaraderie had not subsided 20 minutes later into the race . The bus driver exhumed confidence as he made a roll call , naming those he already knew and the new acquaintances .
His easy-going manner prompted the joy with which I ran the race .
I believed he trusted himself enough to lead others and was determined to live to his promise . We joined him , out of sheer choice , on the advice of friends , family or by chance . Our ideal buses or paces could be the slower or faster ones , but we had decided to stick with the Sub-11 bus . So we identified with this brand , the Sub – 11 bus .
Images : Action Photo SA & Sean Falconer
22 ISSUE 142 JUNE 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za