TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
I
wasn ’ t sure I was going to make it to the start line of the Comrades … Luckily , my physio and good friend Parys Edwards not only understands , but shares in my crazy sense of adventure , and she sorted out my back issue and got me to the start line completely pain-free , which was a massive achievement in itself . I even managed a shake-out run with the one and only Bruce Fordyce on the Saturday , at the Umhlanga parkrun , and then spent the rest of the day lazing around with my awesome friends and support crew , Keree and Marne .
Now , I have to say that final preparation for Comrades was far easier than an ultra-trail . I felt like I had forgotten half of my things ! No camelback , change of clothes or first aid gear ... just my road shoes , my Rockies vest and my royal blue shorts , and I was good to go . But I still spent most of night before the race convinced that I had forgotten something !
I had to catch the shuttle from Durban to Maritzburg at 2am , so that meant a 12:45am start to the day – how exciting ! – but I was so impressed with the organisation of it all , and I was at the start by 3:30am . It was freezing , and in true trail runner fashion , I thought I would be the smartest person there by bringing a space blanket to the start . Little did I know we were not allowed into the start pen with said space blanket , so I stayed outside the pen and waited for friend and fellow runner Ryan , picking warmth over socialising .
When the National Anthem played , 13,000 people sang along , and the goosebumps continued through Shosholoza and Chariots of Fire . I honestly always
Carla with her experienced and wise personal pacesetter , Yolan Friedmann
Truly Spectacular !
Even as an avid ultra-trail runner , I have to say that my first Comrades Marathon was a spectacular experience , from start to finish , and fortunately without any of my usual misadventures .
The unforgettable experience of a first Comrades finish
thought people were exaggerating when they spoke of how emotional the start of Comrades is , but after experiencing it , I can safely say it is truly spectacular . Then the gun went off , and it was time for business … and about 10 minutes after that I needed to wee . Obviously .
Personal Pacesetter
I ran the first part of the race with Ryan , but lost him after my second wee break . Such a pity , as I was thoroughly enjoying his company , and I found myself feeling really jealous of all the men who could pull over for a pit stop so easily . Anyway , I ran the next 30-odd kays alone , which was quite nice , but I definitely was not pushing myself , until I came across fellow Rockies runner Yolan . She asked me what time I would like to finish in , and I said 11:59 would be perfect . She was less than impressed . “ No , Carla , you are too strong for that . We will make up some time and get you home in under 11 ,” was her response .
I was not convinced it was achievable , but I didn ’ t dare tell her that . I listened to her pacing strategy , and if she said walk , we walked , but we ran the majority of the way and had a lovely run . The crowds and support were so incredible , and the physio ’ s absolute lifesavers , but I made a rookie mistake … Do not , and I repeat , do not put Deep Freeze on chafe . It burns
more than the heat of a thousand suns ! ( But it did make me run a hell of a lot faster , for some reason .)
Yolan and I kept a steady pace throughout and never ran out of things to chat about , and then just after halfway came one of my favourite parts of the race . There was our very own Sean Falconer from Modern Athlete on the mic ! In true Carla fashion , I stole the mic and assured everybody that I was not lost , had not been stranded on a cliff , and had not fallen over . About 15 steps later , I tripped over a cat ’ s eye just as I was giving some kids a high-five , and left half of my elbow on the road . I just jumped back up , lifted my arms in a victory pose , and everyone cheered . Fame at last !
Written on One ’ s Face
The rest of the run went smoothly , and thanks to the amazing Yolan , we made up some serious time and got in at 10 hours 56 minutes . Coming into the stadium was unreal , but the most memorable part of the finish was what Yolan said as we turned into the tunnel . “ Carla , when we come in , you must look at yourself on the big screen , but I will not be looking at my face , I will be looking at yours , because finishing your first Comrades is the most incredible thing , and I cannot wait to see your face as you cross that finish line .” Once again , she was so right .
Medal in the bag … and already planning a Back-to-Back
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-say-die attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
Images : Courtesy Carla Farina
42 ISSUE 153 | www . modernathlete . co . za