Have Your Say
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
OUR DAY WILL COME AGAIN
Hi Sean , thanks again for keeping us motivated , and hope your hand has healed well . Reading through the latest issue , I was reminded of my own experiences , and how much I miss the club runs .
I recently did my Wally Hayward Half Marathon ( virtually ) and the route I chose was the Loskop Dam Run from Middelburg on the N11 . I was reminded of a book by Alan Sillitoe , The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner . The road was long and lonely , and very hot , and I missed the camaraderie of the backmarkers . There ’ s always someone chirping , but it also gives one a sense of competitiveness .
Not being a fast runner , I usually focus on someone just ahead of me and use that person to toe me along , trying to keep just behind , and in the last 400m before the finish line , I try and sprint ahead . Difficult to do when all you have on a long road is you , your thoughts and your Garmin Forerunner .
I ’ m sure there are many runners who long for the days when this COVID crisis will be over and we can again enjoy that festive feeling at the start of a major race , or just the fellowship of people around you , and the crowds at the finish urging you on before a cut-off time . So to all the runners out there , stay safe – our day will come again ! – Mike Gordon – Van Dyk , Middelburg
Thanks , Mike , the hand has healed well , back to typing at full speed ! And nearly ready to tackle a bit of loneliness out on the long road myself again . As to your trick of following another runner in races , my favourite trick is to spot a clubmate ahead of me and then reel them in . And always say hi as you pass , of course ! – Ed .
RICHER FOR THE WISDOM …
I love Rich Roll ! An amazing human being with an inspirational story . Look him up !
His wise words ...
Instead , connect with the allure that initially sparked your interest .
Instead , find the joy .
“ Train where you ’ re at – not where you used to be or where you think you should be .
It can ’ t always be about smashing PR ’ s . Metrics are great , but they don ’ t tell the whole story . Measuring yourself against yourself and others is a tool . Helpful , sure . An internal motivator . But it can also be weaponised against the self . It can be a drain .
Drain leads to burnout . Burnout robs you of the fun . The whole reason you got into it in the first place .
Instead , fall back in love with the thing .
Do that and you ’ ll discover an inexhaustible fuel source to sustain your path .” – Christine Le Roux , Durbanville
Thanks for sharing these inspiring words , Christine . I think so many people are suffering burnout at the moment , or near to it , and we all need to find the joy in what we do , including our running . – Ed .
Images : Pranalens & Unsplash
Many runners long for the day when things go back to normal
WAITING FOR OUR RETURN …
Every time I ’ m in KZN , I can ’ t help but tell my wife about the Comrades route as we drive along the N3 and zig-zag past many of the great landmarks . On a recent trip : the sheer difficulty of the stretch between the bottom of Inchanga and the Top of Botha ’ s Hill really struck me . It is the heart of our journey through the Valley of 1000 hills . As I learnt on my first Down run in 2018 , it is probably the most difficult section of the route , and it is where those who went out too fast get found out .
I was one of those overeager souls in 2018 , speeding off into the darkness , chasing an overly ambitious dream . By the time I reached the bottom of Inchanga , I was in big trouble . I was feeling flat ( exhausted ), and my body was starting to hurt . My wheels fell off dramatically after that , and I limped home in Durban , my Down run dreams dashed until the next time we can run it .
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