TRAIL RUNNING
– but they ’ re running clubs , so many friendships span the club divide , and we mostly just tease each other . We check each other ’ s results to see who ran what , we greet each other as we pass on our daily routes . We smile , confident in the knowledge that we ’ re with the nicer crew . So , it wasn ’ t without controversy when our family ’ s newest two runners decided to wear Jeppe black instead of Bedfordview blue , splitting our family running contingent evenly between the two clubs .
Sabrina was soon confronted with the realities of running , the complex mechanics that quickly highlight any weakness . Anything over 5km and her feet ached terribly , so we consulted the local foot guru , Dennis Rehbok , a nice guy albeit also a member of the wrong club . Unfortunately , the news wasn ’ t good . Her feet just weren ’ t designed for running far , he said , so pain was to be her limitation , and when she felt pain , she should stop .
Her running ambition apparently seemed capped at single digit distances , but before leaving the guru ’ s rooms , he gave her something to hold on to . He showed her a picture of feet like hers , ostensibly with similar limitations , and they belonged to a chap by the name of Bruce Fordyce .
Her running ambition apparently seemed capped at single digit distances , but before leaving the guru ’ s rooms , he gave her something to hold on to . He showed her a picture of feet like hers , ostensibly with similar limitations , and they belonged to a chap by the name of Bruce Fordyce . The inspiration was a gift from Dennis , the perseverance and determination would be up to her . Sabrina is talented in both , and so , a few years later , the opportunity to run together was an unexpected joy .
Picturesque , Historic Setting
We picked the Oyster Catcher three-day trail run in late September as our outing of choice . There would be enough time to build up our training , the varsity timetable allowed a couple of extra days on either side of the Heritage Day long weekend , the event is touted as an ideal one for first-time multi-day trail runners , and given the boutique event that it is , the numbers would allow it to happen even under anticipated COVID restrictions . Not that COVID nearly didn ’ t get the better of the plan , with Sabrina contracting it on campus in June and still barely able to run a couple of kilometres by July . However , perseverance is in her genes and by the time spring appeared she was well on track to be ready .
The event takes place just south of Mossel Bay , partially in the Fransmanshoek Conservancy , which is made up of gorgeous bays and villages . Fransmanshoek itself is a peninsula that juts out into the sea with stunning , orange-coloured rock formations . On the right is Malbaai and on the left Stilbaaitjie . To the west is a long sandy beach that ends at the little village of Kanon and the Cape Vacca Nature Reserve .
The history of Fransmanshoek is associated with the stranding of a French warship during the 18th century . Fransmanshoek gets its name from the wreck of that man-of-war , La Fortune , which sank on the 11th of September 1763 . She ’ d anchored just offshore to load fresh water from the spring , which still runs today , but an easterly gale drove her onto the rocks and she couldn ’ t be saved . All crew made it safely to shore , and all valuables on board were removed at the time , except for 56 cannons that subsequently sank into the waters of the bay .
The spring flowers put on quite a show for the runners
36 ISSUE 145 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Images : EL Rorke Photography & Stef Migliore