THE ED ’ S DESK by SEAN FALCONER the ed ’ s desk
Getting
Back to Running
Well now ! Since my last Ed ’ s Letter , the COVID pandemic took a turn for the better as the Minister of Health announced that the wearing of masks was no longer compulsory , and restrictions on travelling and gatherings would be scrapped , too . As runners , I think we all had similar first thoughts : Besides the urge to burn our masks , we imagined how great it will be to line up for a race without any COVID restrictions , and to hang out with running mates after a race while sharing a cold one and a ‘ war story ’ of the race just run . It ’ s been a long , hard road to get to this point , but we got there !
The last 14 months really have been a rollercoaster ride for me , with a series of medical ups and downs that have really disrupted life and work . I was bitten on the hand while trying to separate two fighting dogs , and the wound became infected . Then I contracted COVID and was seriously ill for about three weeks , and I was still recovering from the effects of ‘ Long Covid ’ when I stepped in a hole and sprained my ankle , putting me on crutches for a couple of weeks . Next I developed an abscess above a tooth and the pain was so intense I could barely function , and that was followed by a really bad stomach bug .
I reckon a few municipal authorities , safety officers and race organisers in coming weeks may still choose to play it safe , or stick with what has already been organised and approved , thus perhaps retaining staggered wave starts or other social distancing measures – because COVID is definitely not entirely gone just yet , and a lot of people still have fears or doubts .
There are still some reports of people being hospitalised due to COVID , and tragically , some are still passing away , but it appears most infections are now proving quite mild – more like a case of mild flu – and life really is getting back to normal . Of course , we can only hope that any future waves of COVID infections continue to be mild , and that we don ’ t lose any more loved ones and friends to this virus .
Speaking of Medical Issues …
On my side , it ’ s been yet another interesting month . About a week or so before sitting down to write this Ed ’ s note , I was being wheeled into an operating theatre for surgery on my mouth . To cut a long story short , my dentist found a suspicious shadow a few weeks back in an X-ray of my upper jaw and referred me to a dental surgeon , who confirmed that I needed urgent surgery to take care of a cyst . He said it could lead to serious complications requiring reconstructive surgery if not removed as soon as possible .
As you can imagine , that really disrupted my month . In between several visits to the dentists and dealing with the medical aid , dentist , surgeon , anaesthetist and hospital for treatment , bookings and pre-authorisation , I was still trying to finish off this edition . As you can see , I did eventually get there , albeit with the help of painkillers and antibiotics , and thankfully , I am now on the road to recovery after a smooth surgery .
Then , just as I was picking up speed again , this latest dental issue , which was related to another operation I had some years back to remove a cyst in my palette . Let ’ s just say that I have had my fill of doctors and dentists for a while , and so has my bank balance ! Touch wood that ’ s the last of my medical mishaps , because I ’ m really keen to do some serious running again .
Remarkable Athletes
OK , enough about my medical misadventures . Let ’ s talk about this edition . On the cover this month we have Cian Oldknow , who has really hit the ground running since the sport re-opened after the pandemic . PB after PB after PB , on road and track , with national titles and medals in the mix , and then came her astoundingly brave run at the recent African Champs 10,000m in Mauritius . I won ’ t spoil the story here – you can read about it in our lead feature – but I will say that many lesser athletes would have bailed if that happened to them , whereas Cian just ‘ fixed the problem ’ and got back on the track . Her sheer guts and determination carried her to the finish line in an unforgettable first outing in national colours , and it is a great honour to have her on our front cover .
Also look out for articles on Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel setting an FKT by running all the way around Lesotho , new sprint sensation Viwe Jingqi , Stef Migliore ’ s humorous recounting of taking on the Feral Duo adventure racing event ., and more . It ’ s another mag full of inspirational stories to entertain you as well as motivate you to get out there and put one foot in front of the other .
Sean Falconer
Image : Nicole Hayes
4 ISSUE 151 | www . modernathlete . co . za