Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 62, September 2014 | Page 8

Ma letters

Have YOUR

SAY

Got something on your mind that you want to share, a burning question you
want answered, or a good story to tell? Then send it to
[e-mail].
(Note that some letters have been shortened due to space limitations.)

WINNING LETT
ER
STEP BY STEP

ULTIMATE BLUE NUMBER

It started back in September 2011, when my
friend Jennifer started counting steps with
a pedometer. I got one two months later
and by the beginning of 2013 we were both
managing 10,000 steps as many as five times
a week. Then in November 2013 I signed up,
with another friend, Sue, for Run/Walk for Life
(RWFL) in Rondebosch, with Hans Hoefnagel.
I was shocked when the 500-metre walk in my
introductory session left me gasping for breath
and stiff for two days. I lost three toenails as
well! But (with new shoes) I kept going back,
and as the weeks went by, my relief when the
traffic lights forced my group to take a short
rest gave way to impatience. I wanted to
keep moving!

Fifteen kilometres into my
‘comeback’ Two Oceans, wearing
my permanent number I received
in 2002, two guys passed me and in
unison said, “Cool number, dude!”
A while later, “Auspicious number,
bud.” This had me thinking, what’s
with my number, so I asked the guy.
“Hey, 1994, a new South Africa and
a new era in our history.” And let
me not forget, also the birth year of
my youngest daughter. So a great
year, a great number, and a good
story to tell. – Greg Kerr, George

In February I changed my goal to running and
started trying to keep up with Janet over 5km.
We crept closer and closer to 40 minutes, and
towards the end of April we joined a group
of seasoned RWFL runners (easily identifiable
because they talk as they run uphil