ROAD RUNNING
June and Daniel Smith
We decided to go ahead and attempt as much as we could , even with the little training we did , and so packed our bags for the adventure starting in Mooi River . We did not know what to expect .
The weather was cool and overcast on the first day , and we managed to do 60km on a challenging but beautiful scenic route towards Greytown . On day two , we ran an extremely challenging route out towards Kamberg . Again , the weather was our friend , keeping things nice and cool . The scenery was out of this world , with green pastures , dams , rivers , and cows for company , not to mention the mountains – that ’ s what it felt like we had to run over for days ! We completed 50km for the day .
Day three greeted us with mist and rain , and we decided as a group that the planned route was going to be too dangerous to run with traffic and poor visibility , so we drove closer to our destination of
Richmond . There we ran in a light drizzle , through the town and out to Byrne Valley , which ended in another mountain greeting us at the turnaround point . On our return , about 10km from the end , it started raining hard , the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped . We got back to the guesthouse cold and wet , with about 32km for the day .
At this point , the running took a toll on our bodies , and I ended up with an injury and was not able to continue on Day four . June also had a niggle in her quad , but soldiered on to Day four and managed 20km before she had to stop .
We are extremely satisfied with what we ’ ve achieved , under the circumstances , and grateful to Haroon and Akanani for the amazing experience . We are blessed to be able to do what we love and give back in that way , and we will carry on promoting the good work that they do . We feel honoured to be part of your team .
Mluleki Ngidi
I am from Umkomaas and currently run for Umkomaas Athletic Club . Last year I saw the post on Facebook about the Akanani Charity Run , and after I talked about this initiative with one of my family members and told her that I would love to join them this year , she arranged everything with the chairman .
A bit of wet weather could not dampen the Akanani spirit
I was not fully prepared for this 275km , and I was scared that I didn ’ t know how my body will respond . When we started on the Wednesday , it was cold and I didn ’ t perform well – at 43km I started cramping and got in the kombi . The next day I told myself that I need to fix all the problems I had yesterday , and from the second day to the last day , I was doing well . I could ’ ve done more , because my body responded very well , and it was awesome to have such a team supporting and caring for me .
It was a nice experience to be part of history in the making and giving back to the community . Surely next year , if God allows , I will join them again , and I will be ready to dominate again and break the records .
Mluleki Ngidi
Hazel Moller
Last year , the Akanani Challenge was like a beacon of hope for me . I had a very nasty accident with my husky , which led to a meniscal tear and subsequent tibial plateau fracture , and in June 2020 I had surgery on the leg . That involved an osteotomy and arthroscopic repair of the meniscus , and between the doctors and myself , we were not sure if I was ever going to do long distance again , which is what I love most about running , because it takes me places . I would be able to run , but nobody knew how far . When I saw the advert from Colleen McNally for runners for the Akanani Challenge , I thought what the hell , I can just do what I can do .
What was awesome for me was being part of the team and going back to the beginning , because three or four of the ladies had just started running , and it reminded me – and humbled me – just to remember how difficult it is when you start out . Distance running is not easy , but these ladies just went out there last year and gave it their all , and it made me realise I would still be able to do what I wanted to accomplish . I was sore a lot of the time during the run , mainly from the plate and two pins in my leg , but I endured it , because I knew that it was for a good cause . It was also nice to push myself and help the ladies achieve their goals , which they were incredible in doing .
This year I came back because I had such fun last year , and I have healed quite a bit since then . Again , it was a reminder how difficult running is , and how impressive these people are that have only just started running . These ladies kept pushing , even though they hurt , even in terrible conditions , even while they were making every excuse not to run , because they were tired . They kept going because they wanted to raise money for the charities .
What I have also gained from the experience is listening to the Bobbi Bear Foundation lady and her
Images : Courtesy Haroon Emam
40 ISSUE 148 JANUARY 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za