THE ED ’ S DESK by SEAN FALCONER the ed ’ s desk
Just What is Normal Anymore ?
For the last two years we have been talking about the ‘ new normal ’ of the COVID pandemic – lockdowns , restrictions , masks , curfews and the like – but now things appear to be slowly returning to normal , so I find myself asking the question , are we going back to the ‘ old normal ,’ or will it be a ‘ new-new normal ,’ or perhaps an ‘ old-new normal ?’ It ’ s all so confusing …
By now you will know that the fourth wave of COVID infections – the Omicron variant – has proven to be more contagious than Delta , but less deadly . In other words , more people tested positive , in a much shorter period of time , but far fewer fell seriously ill , ended up in hospital or succumbed to the illness . The fourth wave was not nearly as bad as expected , and that has led to many saying we are finally developing immunity to the COVID bug , and thus the world can start relaxing all the anti-COVID restrictions .
I have mixed feelings about that . Of course , I ’ d like to believe that the pandemic is over , but I have also read that the Omicron variant was different to the Delta variant , attacking mostly the upper respiratory tract and thus appearing more like flu than a serious illness . In other words , I think we will only know if the danger of COVID is really waning when the next wave hits us , which is projected to be around April / May , as the waves tend to come every three or so months . If the next wave is also more like a flu bug doing the rounds , then I think we will be able to truly move on with our lives .
As I have stressed before , I am no doctor , virologist or epidemiologist , just an ‘ Average Joe ’ trying to make sense of it all , and as such , I still believe that vaccinations and general safety protocols are necessary . I know vaccinations are a touchy subject , and I do believe that it is a personal choice , but I also think that for at least the immediate future , vaccination is going to be mandatory if you want to play a full part in society reopening . Only time will tell who is right about vaccinations , but for now , we ’ re all doing the best that we can in unsure times .
Good News for Runners
With the fourth wave seemingly over , the racing calendar is starting to look a little something like its former self . While trail races managed to keep going through much of the last two years , thanks to generally being much smaller , most road races were cancelled . Now they ’ re starting to come back bit by bit , and we even have provincial calendars with road race fixtures again . Those races that are back still generally have limitations on entry numbers on top of mandatory safety protocols , but at least the races are coming back !
In light of this , we have several columnists writing about racing this month . Norrie Williamson takes a deeper dive into developments at Two Oceans , Comrades , the Nedbank Runified 50km and other events , including COVID compliancy at races , while Manfred Siedler unpacks the idea for a new national 5km series to kickstart the sport at all levels , from elites to beginners . Also , The Running Mann takes a look at some of the smaller , low-key ultramarathons on the SA calendar to consider if you want to try something different .
Speaking of elites , one of our features this month is on Precious Mashele , who enjoyed a terrific 2021 running year that brought him four new personal bests , three national titles and a first trip to the Olympics . As he tells us , the focus for 2022 is to achieve even more . Inspirational in a different way is the story about Rupert van Vuuren , who set out in 2019 to run 1000 marathons in 1000 days . He eventually stopped at an incredible 658 – he explains why in the article – and now says he is faster and fitter than ever before , and ready to race up a storm on the track and road in 2022 .
Another story that caught my attention comes from Bianca Tarboton , women ’ s winner of the 2021 Otter African Trail Run . She came back from a disastrous 2019 Otter , where she literally crashed out of the race with just one kilometre to go and while lying comfortably second , to shatter the course record by seven minutes in 2021 , and her story is largely thanks to a change of mindset . She actually decided to go easier on herself … and became an even better runner , with the opportunity to race the international trail running circuit !
Righto , enjoy the read folks , and I ’ ll hopefully see you at one of the upcoming races .
Sean Falconer
Image : Nicole Hayes
4 ISSUE 148 JANUARY 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za