’ ve had quite an event-filled and eventful month since my last Ed ’ s Letter . It started with the Pink Xtreme Trail Run on the Vrede en Lust wine estate near Franschhoek . Let ’ s just say that the route pretty much went solidly uphill from just after the start to just after halfway , and the higher up we went on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain , the steeper it got . As I continue my comeback from Long COVID , my fitness is slowly coming back , but my calf muscles are lagging a bit on the ‘ great reawakening ,’ so I took a bit of strain with all that climbing !

Of course , the views , scenery and fresh air made the climbing worthwhile , but what made the run even more enjoyable was bumping into a friend from varsity days , Yvonne , and passing most of the race while having a lekker catch-up chat . Thanks to my calves , those 10 kays would likely have dragged on , but instead they passed all too quickly . Then Nicole and I sat and enjoyed some great wines for much of the rest of the day with various friends , old and new , and it just made for an awesome day out .

Less than a week later , we were in the southern Cape for the Rhodes Quality Dryland Traverse – Nicole was there to run the four-day stage event , while I was on the mic once again at this incredible event . It starts with a Thursday evening prologue that runs through a section of the Cango Caves , followed by three stages of stunning trails in the Swartberg Mountains , plus what the organisers call Stage 2.5 , a Saturday night dress-up party .

This year ’ s them was the Mad Hatter ’ s Tea Party , and I had a whale of a time making a grand ( singing ) entrance to Queen ’ s iconic song , I ’ m Going Slightly Mad , with my pink , glow-in-the-dark pet squirrel and

a hip flask that holds a whole bottle of whiskey ! Let ’ s just say you had to be there ... and made for truly unforgettable memories of a wonderful weekend hanging out with awesome people from all over the country , making new friends and catching up with old ones .

Speaking of Squirrels

Two weeks after that , Nicole and I lined up at the Trail Series Super League # 6 at Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin-Grabouw . I really wanted to run this finale of the 2022 series , after doing commentary for most of the preceding events , because the medal featured a certain fluffy-tailed , tree-dwelling , acorn-eating animal that I mention loudly to start trail races .

Each medal for the six races in this series featured a different animal or plant , and let ’ s just say that I had a hand in the idea to put a squirrel on the last one , so

I am really chuffed to now be the proud owner of a unique squirrel medal . Added to that , I got to run with my ‘ better half ’ for a change , and also enjoyed some lovely chats with fellow runners before , during and after the race .

All of these events were real food for the soul ( and soles ), and once again reminded me why I love being part of the running community . It is the running clubs , event organisers and events themselves that provide the heartbeat of this community , and it is beating stronger than ever , in spite of the challenges we ’ ve faced these last few years with the pandemic and economic downturn . Race fields may be slightly smaller , but there ’ s just as much conversation , laughter and camaraderie as before , and that keeps people like me coming back week after week .

On a Sad but Inspiring Note

Getting back to the mag , I often find myself deeply affected by the stories I get to tell in this job , and this month the one that stood out for me was my interview with Carte Blanche presenter Macfarlane Moleli . I think there ’ s a life lesson in this story for all of us , that we don ’ t know what tomorrow will bring – or if we will even have a tomorrow – so we should make the most of today . Every day .

As runners , I think that includes embracing every run , and every opportunity to hang out with running friends for a good chat . So , if you see me at a race , please come over to say hi , but for now , it ’ s time for you to turn the pages and get reading , and time for me to go for a post-deadline run .

Images : Nicole Hayes