THE ED ’ S DESK by SEAN FALCONER the ed ’ s desk
Perhaps I Need to Run More
I had to have a laugh the other day . I was on the mic at the Spartan Harriers Firgrove Challenge 15km race in Cape Town , which served as the first race in the 2022 Discovery Vitality Run Series in the Western Cape , and I was doing my thing on the finish line , welcoming runners and walkers in , when a group of three gents in the 60 to 70 age-bracket came walking into the finish and stopped to chat with me .
“ Young man , it ’ s so good to see you again ! You know , the last time we saw you at a race was in Langebaan , at the West Coast Marathon , just before lockdown began , and do you remember what you said to us that day ? You told us to forget about our times and enjoy our run , look at the views , say hello to our fellow runners and try to meet somebody new , because it might be the last race for a while . You were so right , because the next day they announced the start of the lockdown ! Oh , by the way , you ’ ve put on some weight since then …”
I was momentarily speechless . I know I have gained a bit of middle-age spread since reaching my 40s , and the past two years have compounded that – not just because of lockdown and the cancellation of most running events , but also due to health issues , including a serious bout of COVID as well as torn ankle ligaments . I admit that I have let myself ‘ go ’ a wee bit , but still , gents , that hit a nerve ! So , when I got home , I did a few sit-ups …
A Wee Bit Unfit
Jokes aside , I think my current level of fitness , or lack thereof , is not all that unusual . Two years of pandemic , illness , lockdown , restrictions , cancelled events and the like have seen many people put their normal sporting and training regimes on hold , and thus many of us are now effectively beginner runners again , needing to start with small steps and build up our running again . I know I can ’ t just go out and run a half marathon this coming weekend . I need to start with shorter distances , get back to running regularly , ease my running muscles back up to full speed and distance .
Now , I ’ ve never really been big on New Year ’ s resolutions , but after being told to my face what the scale ( and my mother ) had already told me several months ago , I have decided to get my butt into gear and get running again . I am going to make 2022 my comeback year , and I think I am going to have to choose a goal event to focus on , in order to motivate myself to train regularly . And the good news is that there are now plenty of events on the calendar for me to choose from !
On that note , while we are seeing the calendar filling up again , we need to understand that the pandemic is still having a massive effect on our sport . Most events are still limited by local authorities in terms of the maximum number of entries they can accept , while some provinces , cities or municipalities are issuing different COVID safety protocols to others . The result is a wide disparity in entry fees , and a lot of confused and frustrated runners .
Better Times Ahead
I think we all need to understand that the pandemic is not yet over , and that there are still restrictions in place , not to mention different views on what is or isn ’ t safe just yet . As a result of this , race organisers are faced by even more challenges than before the pandemic , and for the most part , they are trying their best to navigate confusing waters as they try to get events up and running again . So , I think we runners need to be patient .
By all means , speak up if you think something is unfair or unjustified , but I do not like seeing members of the running community openly attacking race organisers and accusing them of unethical , even illegal , practices . For example , the marked increase in entry fees of several high-profile events has caused a storm in running circles , and the organisers of these events have tried to explain why they ’ ve had to put up prices , but some of the comments on social media are simply below the belt , like “ I ’ m not entering race X because I ’ m not paying for the race director ’ s holiday house !”
The sad truth is that road races are very expensive to put on , sponsors are scarce right now , and while events are forced to accept limited fields and extra COVIDrelated expenses , it means that entry fees may be higher than we ’ d like . I think things will get better sooner rather than later , and if we are just patient , things will get back to normal again . And in the meantime , we will keep running . ( Or , like me , we ’ ll start running again !)
Sean Falconer
Image : Nicole Hayes
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