TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Carla and Henry on the beach near Haga Haga
Week of Halves with Henry
If you read last month ’ s edition of the mag , you ’ ll know about my friend , Henry Cock . He is aiming to set a new Guinness World Record for 133 consecutive number of days running 21km as he runs from Mozambique to Namibia along the South African coastline , and in August , I was able to join him for seven days of adventure in the Eastern Cape .
Stopping to enjoy another majestic view
Carla and Dusty comparing feet . You had to be there …
Man on a Mission , Henry Cock
Images : Courtesy Carla Farina
While 133 consecutive half marathons is epic enough , even more noteworthy is that Henry is doing this in order to raise funds and awareness for mental health , a cause that is very close to my heart . Added to that , I was able to join him in a part of the world that is also close to my heart , the Wild Coast , Stutterheim and the Amatola forest near Hogsback . Typically , however , I managed to ‘ encounter ’ one of my misadventures before even getting started .
I had cracked my toe , and as you may know , there isn ’ t much you can do to help a broken toe to heal . Also , it is one of the most painful breaks I have experienced , as you need your toe for doing just about everything ! Now most people would have run fewer days , or shorter distances , or not run at all ... but not Carla ! You see , I have recently read a book called Can ’ t Hurt Me , by David Goggins , and after reading how he completed his Navy Seal training on two broken shins , I told myself to ‘ suck it up , buttercup ,’ and off I went .
Down to the Beach
My first run with Henry was in Haga Haga , a beautiful coastal town , and we were joined by crazy man Dusty , who is a far superior runner to me , but epic company . We ran from Haga Haga to the Morgan Bay cliffs so we could admire the amazing views , and on the way back , coming down a hill , I smashed my broken toe into a rock and landed on my face . After that , I had to convert my run into a walk , as my toe was too sore to run on .
Upon our arrival back at base camp , we shovelled food into our faces and then I headed off to find a pharmacy , to get Gen-Payne and Voltaren Gel . I didn ’ t care how , but I was determined that I was going to
complete all seven runs with Henry , because if he could keep going for 133 days straight , for such a great cause , then I could at least manage seven !
The next morning , I was ready , and we headed into Cintsa . I took two Gen-Paynes , smothered my toe in Voltaren , and then on the advice of my good friend and physio of note , Parys , popped my toe into a toe condom . Yes , a toe condom ... it ’ s a real thing , and it works a charm . Toe condoms are actually meant to help prevent blisters , but totally did the job for me . I ran the next three days pain-free .
One of those Cintsa runs was along the beach , 10.5km out and 10.5 back , but because we were all so incredibly chilled , we mistimed the tides and headed back on soft sand , into a 30km / h headwind . That was like strength training mixed with running … and we all needed a nap after that one . Word of advice : When running on the beach , always check the tides !
Off to the Forest
After our third Cintsa , we dropped Dusty at the airport and headed into Stutterheim . Here we did an epic run from Hornbills to Gubu Dam , where my cousin Ryan met us and cooked us a delicious post-run breakfast . The following day we met up with another cousin
of mine , Scott , who is a cyclist of note , and he took us on a beautiful trail around the Stutt forests . Even though I have been exploring those forests for as long as I can remember , we saw parts of it I had never seen before .
And then came misadventure number three … Due to running oddly because of my toe , I developed two of the worst blisters I have ever had ! This made running even more painful , but I was not going to stop , because my last run with Henry was a bucket list run for me . We headed into Hogsback for a Lord of the Rings-style run , where we saw the largest yellowwood in the southern hemisphere and the six falls . Added to that , we stayed in a place that had a bath at the edge of a cliff . It was all just so epic !
The pain of my broken toe and blisters was totally overshadowed by the journey that I had gotten to be a part of . There is something so special about running for a cause , and though we ran in some of the most amazing and beautiful parts of our country , the focus of Henry ’ s journey is about so much more . So , I challenge all Modern Athlete readers to run at least one run with Henry – in real life or virtually , just tag it as # runhenryrun – and donate to this amazing cause at www . runhenryrun . co . za .
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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