ROAD RUNNING
Running memories from Dok ’ s 20 successful Two Oceans voyages .
that Manie has mounted one of his shoes . “ Luckily , I already had another pair of shoes , so I am using them , but now I ’ ll just be doing the 10km races , and most probably just in this area where I live . I don ’ t really want to get up at three in the morning to drive through to Joburg on a Sunday any more , and I think 10 kays at 10 minutes per kay is good exercise for a guy who ’ s 80 years old ! But most of all , I can ’ t wait for all my buddies to pitch at the races , and we start right at the back – I don ’ t even have a watch on me , and I don ’ t mind if I miss the cut-off , I just want to enjoy it . And hopefully , if there ’ s a tap in the nearby area after the race , a beer or two won ’ t do any harm .”
SPORTING BALANCE
Throughout his life , Dok has been a standout sportsman , playing hockey and cricket , as well as running out as a rugby referee for many years in his ‘ home province ’ of Northern Transvaal . He says he handled over 420 matches in his refereeing career , and today he is still involved , as a life member of the Referees Association of the Blue Bulls . However , it was running that became his focus , even though his career path did make that challenging at times . “ I had a very good academic run , and I was very fortunate to combine the academic part and the career path of my life with the running part ,” he says .
After running for nearly 40 years , Dok says that he has many wonderful memories of fellow runners and all the races they ran together . “ I think the camaraderie and the spirit amongst the runners was always one of the most outstanding features of road running for me , and you looked forward to every weekend ’ s race . I also did
quite a few back-to-backs in those days – two races in one weekend – because I was involved in the 1000km Challenge every year , and you had to run quite a few races to get to 1000 kays using mostly half marathons . There are still some of us runners from those early years on the road , and I have very good memories of all those people .”
It comes as no surprise that Dok also says that running has changed a lot over the last four decades . “ Entries have tripled , if not more , and runners now get medals at the end . We still got woven badges in those days , and I have a scrapbook full of them . I also think there is more variety of refreshments at the water tables , and now we have online entries and results , instead of entries and results being sent by postal mail … Those are the major differences .”
STILL CRUISING …
Dok is still training regularly , getting up to go walking four mornings of every week , doing at least five kilometres each time . “ I ’ ve got a nice route where we live in Faerie Glen in Pretoria , where there are very few cars , and I can do a nice bit of walking to clear my head . Then I go to the gym , just to make sure that the physique and the academic parts still match each other , so that I don ’ t overdo the one against the other ,” he says . Then Dok usually heads back to work , usually on Stenden business , or refereeing matters .
He and Petra still travel the world regularly , although he says that driving in foreign countries is not something that he enjoys doing any more . “ England is not too bad , because it ’ s also on the left-hand side , but all the other countries a bit of a problem , so now we are doing those beautiful long boat cruises , taking you from one port to the other . You arrive on the boat , put your stuff in the cabin , and that ’ s where you stay for up to 25 nights . You eat and drink whenever you want to , you do the excursions as they come about , you see a bit of the world , and you meet a lot of nice people , so we love it .”
“ But most importantly , I would like to say thank you to Petra . She has been my biggest supporter by far , and loyal partner , in everything I have done . She was always there for me , including at the finish of races , and we ’ ve had a fantastic relationship over all these decades , and I must really thank God for having given me that , and our four married children and their families , including six grandchildren . I am so fortunate and so blessed , and when I wake up in the morning , I just say thank you to the Lord for the beautiful blue sky , for the chirping of the birds around me , for being able to still walk a nice five kays , and then doing a 10 over the weekend . What more do you really want in life ?”
Making more running memories in 2022 , with Gerald Kroukamp and Elbert Loubser .
Dok and Manie after the Johnson Crane Half Marathon prize-giving .
Dok can also count one Comrades medal in his collection .
Dok says that with the 600th half marathon goal ticked off , he is not completely done with road running , and fortunately , he does have more running shoes , now
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