ROAD RUNNING |
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to finish – it was the same as the first , just with none of the bitterness ,” says Debbie . “ As I had on my first run , I got down and kissed the ground to give thanks for my run !”
A Challenge is Born
Motivated by her now happier memories of Comrades , Debbie decided on a new challenge , to finish nine consecutive Comrades Marathons and earn her Green Number by the age of 50 . That saw her run the Comrades each year from 2008 to 2014 , clocking the first of five consecutive sub-10s in her third run in 2009 , and posting her best time in 2011 . “ I finished that one in 9:10 , which I put down to experience . You learn to recover as best you can from the training mileage , and that you have to have your nutrition right on race day .”
However , she was regularly beset by injuries , including strained muscles and torn ankle ligaments , but with her sights fixed on her Green Number goal , she tried running through the pain . “ That ’ s what runners do … you think you are doing well , but actually all you are doing is pushing too hard ,” says Debbie , who earned her eighth medal overall in 2014 , aged 48 , but then had to sit out the next two years due to injury .
She had developed peroneal tendonitis – inflammation of the peroneal tendons on the outer side of the ankle , just below the so-called bony knob of the ankle – which is a common injury suffered by runners who have upped their mileage . Repetitive overloading or stretching can cause small tears in the tendons , which leads to inflammation , irritation , weakening and degeneration , and this can be made worse by the tendons rubbing on the bones in the foot . The pain in her ankle made it virtually impossible for Debbie to run .
Understandably , she was devastated to have to give up on her goal of earning her Green Number after nine consecutive finishes , but supporting her
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Paying homage to Arthur ’ s Seat on the Comrades Route in 2014 |
Proud moment receiving her Green Number from Alan Robb
friends as they tackled the 2015 and 2016 Comrades helped her decide on a new goal : Instead of running her 10th in her 50th year , she was just going to get to 50 and prove she could still run Comrades . However , first she had to deal properly with her injury problems . “ I see it around me , with other runners … you are given advice , but you ignore it , and I guess you must make the mistakes to learn from them . We think we are invincible , but the truth is that our bodies are not indestructible . I was forced to listen to what my body was telling me , so I took the recovery slow , saying to myself that if I wanted to continue running , I had to do everything right .”
Forced to Slow Down
Debbie therefore took three months off running completely , which she says was very frustrating , but it made getting back on the road a soulful , almost spiritual experience . “ Running becomes an addiction , and you are addicted to the high it gives you , that feeling of pushing your body , and feeling the endorphins as you do . You feel better mentally and spiritually ,” says Debbie , adding that she was determined the mistakes of the past would not come back to haunt her . What she did obviously worked , and in 2017 , aged 51 , she finished her ninth Comrades in 10:27 .
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“ What makes Comrades so tremendously special is the sense of camaraderie , with everyone running and the crowds standing at the side of the road all wanting to see you achieve your goal , so I was glad to help .”
She didn ’ t qualify to run the 2018 Comrades , but in 2019 , now aged 53 , she was back and ready to go for that coveted Green Number . It was an Up Run , her preferred direction , and she says she had a terrific run . “ It was my best Comrades … my fitness , my nutrition , everything just worked perfectly , and when you run your tenth , you run with a yellow number , so everyone knows you are going for your Green Number , and runners kept cheering me on , saying go and convert that yellow to green .”
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“ I also ran next to two legends during that day , Louis Massyn and Barry Holland , and watching how they helped runners along inspired me , so I decided I would also help others as much as I could that day . I had met a woman at the start , Thandi , who said her target was to run a sub-11 , so I helped her as much as I could to achieve that ,” adds Debbie . “ What makes Comrades so tremendously special is the sense of camaraderie , with everyone running and the crowds standing at the side of the road all wanting to see you achieve your goal , so I was glad to help .”
Coming home in 9:44 , Debbie says she just made sure to savour each moment , including crossing the finish line and hearing the marshals calling out , “ We ’ ve got a 10 , we ’ ve got a 10 ,” then guiding her to that tent where Green Numbers are awarded . “ I got my picture with another legend , Alan Robb , and it was so special ,” she says , but what she didn ’ t know at the time was that this would be her last Comrades finish , because another injury nightmare was waiting down the road .
Didn ’ t See That Coming
Following her 10th finish , Debbie decided that she needed specialised help for her 11th , and for the first time in her running career she signed up with a running coach . Training was going well , and she lined up at the Kaapsehoop Marathon in November 2019 feeling better than ever , duly clocking a brilliant 3:48 . However , in January 2020 Debbie started experiencing a searing pain in her hip , and eventually the doctor recommended an MRI , which showed that there was no cartilage left in her joint .
In a healthy hip , the surface of the ball-and-socket joint is covered by a layer of articular cartilage , which allows the bones of the hip joint to move freely without
With Comrades winner Charné Bosman at the 2019 Randburg Harriers prize-giving
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Images : Action Photo SA & Courtesy Debbie Fass |