TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Celebrate the Small Milestones
They say that you don ’ t know what you ’ ve got till it ’ s gone . I always believed this statement to be true , but I ’ ve experienced it first-hand recently , and let me tell you , it aint fun !
Trying to concentrate on the route instructions , so I don ’ t get lost ( again )
Up till recently , I knew that I loved trail running , but maybe I took it for granted . Maybe I took my physical health for granted , too . Ok , relax , I don ’ t have a terminal illness , and I ’ m not dying , but I was recently out of action with what I though was COVID . To cut a long story short , it wasn ’ t , but I was still ‘ man-down ’ for two weeks . Couldn ’ t work , couldn ’ t run , could hardly stay awake , and lost all desire to eat … I was weak and slept . A lot .
So , fast-forward about three weeks and you can imagine my excitement to start running again . I was going to pick up again like I had never been off the trails . Right ? Wrong ! I tried – I really tried – but I couldn ’ t run further than about two kilometres without needing a walk , and I couldn ’ t run longer than about seven kays in total . Also , I couldn ’ t run faster than about seven minutes a kay . I was so irritated and annoyed ... How dare my body behave this way ? I was feeling better , but nothing was working the way it should .
Lastly , and it took me a while to realise this , but you come to understand what it feels like to be a beginner , facing challenges you haven ’ t in a while , starting small and working up to minor achievements again . After being sick , I was so excited when I was able to just go for a walk . After that , I was thrilled when I ventured out for my first kilometre of running again . From those first tentative running steps , I was super excited to be able to run with the Worms ( my running group ) again , just one of those small but significant milestones that I have come to appreciate all over again .
Going Long Again
A few weekends ago I was finally ready to up the distance and training partner Su-yen and I headed off to participate in the Karkloof training camp . This involved a total distance of 80km spread over three runs on Saturday morning , Sunday morning and Sunday evening . The two morning runs were about 30km , give or take , and as this was the longest distance I had done since being sick , I decided to take it easy and walk .
After feeling pretty good during those two walks , I decided that I was going to try and run the evening run , which was about 17km . I ran very slowly , but I ran , and it felt amazing . I was just so happy to be able to run again . There was no pressure , I was purely out there to enjoy it – and once I was finished , all I could think of was the next ultra I could enter … perhaps a quick 13 Peaks in December ?
The bottom line is that when something is so ingrained into our daily lives , as trail running is for me , it is often what you take for granted the most . So , my challenge to all of you is to celebrate the small milestones , whether you set a new 5km PB , or are able to run just 100 metres further than your previous longest run . Because it is these small milestones that prepare us for the bigger ones … like running your first ultra , or running your best marathon time .
For those who will actually be running the Karkloof 100-miler , make sure to come say hi to Team Challenge Accepted , as we will be manning the Bushwillow aid station , and it promises to be epic . I ’ m so looking forward to seeing you all on the trails ! As for me … next stop is another Umoya Adventure , and one or two backyard ultras in the pipelines , and … and … and …!
Always time to find new toys on my run ( I mean walk )!
Images : Courtesy Carla Farina
Since then I have slowly gotten back to a pace of about six minutes a kay – still slower than I was before the illness – but in some ways I am pleased to be in the position I am in . Firstly , and I ’ m sure its wildly clichéd , but you do appreciate your health more after being seriously ill . You appreciate just being able to move , and to test the limits of your body . Secondly , you realise how much you love whatever it is you ’ re doing . Whether its playing tennis , trail running , swimming , hiking , cycling – when you are fully capable and able to do it whenever you want , having it taken away from you really does make you appreciate it that much more .
Karkloof training camp day two , finally able to get in a long run again
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-say-die attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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