TRAIL RUNNING the next stage , and instead of a medals , we were presented with a ‘ kierie ’ made by the local community . “ I was really impressed with the race , and would love to do it every year , but I would feel too bad , as I am so slow . They ’ d be waiting for me to finish every day !”
SHOCKING DISCOVERY
Harriet describes the incredible but challenging experience on the Pondo Trail as a bucket list item that she has now ticked off , and admits that it is especially satisfying to have done it after the last few years . You see , in 2016 she was diagnosed with breast cancer , and her health has been her main concern for the past six years . “ There was no family history of cancer , so the diagnosis was a huge shock . I had already discovered a lump in my breast in late 2015 , so when I had a mammogram test in 2016 , I knew what was coming , and still it was a shock . The doctor told me it was female hormonal cancer , not hereditary ,” says Harriet .
“ I decided not to go for chemotherapy or surgery , and was instead determined to eat healthily and live healthily , with more running and positive lifestyle changes , in order to take the cancer on .
Harriet ( right ) and Belinda pause for a drink in their Comrades run
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“ I was always a very slow runner , so even though I was mad about the Comrades , I could never qualify . I did enter in 2012 , but didn ’ t even run a qualifying marathon – I decided that if I couldn ’ t do a half marathon fast enough , then there was no point trying to run a marathon in under five hours . But then in 2018 , Belinda said she would help me qualify for Comrades , as she knew it was my passion , and we began chasing a qualifying time .” |
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Tackling the rocky Pondo coastline
Images : Courtesy Harriet Kruger & Belinda Skinner
“ I decided not to go for chemotherapy or surgery , and was instead determined to eat healthily and live healthily , with more running and positive lifestyle changes , in order to take the cancer on . I cut out all sugar and carbs , because they say cancer thrives on sugar , and thankfully , I never got sick . Some women ’ s lumps give problems , and I did get some pain or cramps from time to time , but overall I felt OK and was able keep on running .” In fact , she even continued to chase her dream of running the Comrades Marathon .
Harriet took up running some 30 years ago while living in Springs . She says she did some running while in school , but “ nothing serious ,” and it was only once married and raising three kids that she decided to run for fitness . “ We moved around a lot due to my husband ’ s work , so we also lived in Pretoria , Margate , Westonaria , Randburg and other places , and I joined the running clubs wherever we moved to , including Springs Striders , South Coast Striders and Randburg Harriers .”
ELUSIVE QUALIFIER
That saw the duo tackle the Maritzburg Marathon together , but Harriet could only manage a 5:13 finish . Next they travelled to Gauteng for the Irene 48km , but Harriet felt sick on the day and only made it to halfway . She missed the five-hour mark again at the Umgeni Marathon , but finally , on the last day of the qualifying window , she qualified .
“ We went to run the Hibiscus 48km on the South Coast , and I needed a six-hour finish . The 48km distance actually gives runners a 2km bonus , as it counts for the 48-50km qualifying time , but still I was worried . Late in the race I spoke to the guy I was running with , and we both said we didn ’ t think we would make it , so we started to walk . Belinda had dropped slightly behind me , as her legs were tired after running the Loskop 50km the weekend before , but she was still close enough to shout , ‘ Run , Harriet !’ each time she saw me walking .”
In the end , Harriet finished that race in 5:58 , making it by a minute and a half , but she thought she had only just made it by a few seconds , as she had forgotten the race used mat-to-mat timing , and thus her time only began when she crossed the start line . “ I didn ’ t think I was going to make it , and thought I needed to sprint as fast I could to qualify , but I actually made it fairly comfortably … by my slow standards !”
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