Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 64, November 2014 | Page 32

The Reason We Run
Ma My Story

Waiting for Chet Sainsbury outside his house at 5:45am to go for our midweek longer run, I often ponder as
to why, what is there to prove. Between us we have run 67 Two Oceans, hundreds of marathons and so many
other runs. The obvious answer could be to watch the early sunrise over the Helderberg Mountains, to enjoy
good health and the joy of fitness, yet for me it can all be embraced in a single concept: Friendship.

C

– BY JOHN BRIMBLE
John and Chet enjoying another Two Oceans voyage together.

het and I go back a long way. We were at
school together. Later he offered me a shortlived job at Old Mutual. For his and my sanity, I
did not linger long. Yet through friendship we ran
many of the Cape trails well before they became
the fashion; we hiked even more trails with our
families; we celebrated mutual birthdays; we
shared exhilarating races, and later, memories of
past glories.
A good friendship like ours, glued together over
so many races and training runs, allows us to
be very different personalities, yet still enjoy
each others’ company. Mutual respect is the
basis of this. I know of the huge stresses and
responsibilities Chet faced with driving Two
Oceans, what he had to deal with for many
years being Chairman of Western Province Road
Running, and his other rugby portfolios. Yet on
the road or trails, he is a different, more relaxed
person. We can laugh at the absurdities of
others, discuss rugby and how we would make
it better, or politics, visits to family overseas,
and of course, how we will run the perfect next
Oceans – and the training schedule it will entail.

EXTENDED CIRCLE
Yet it is not only about Chet and I, there are
others, and building up to each Oceans, our
group of runners with 30 or more Two Oceans
completed can be as competitive as any younger
racers. Tony Abrahamson with 39 behind his
name, still pushes the pace whilst managing
to look graceful, and Mark Wagenheim, who is
renowned for having the most organised training

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FRIENDS FOREVER
But friendships are the glue that keep us
running. Not faster, or longer or further, or to
boast how many Two Oceans we have done,
but to be still participating in life. We are not
accepting our boundaries, nor allowing age to
relegate us to mere watching life through TV,
and sliding into turgid comfort.

group in town – consisting mainly of a bevy of
AAC ladies – has 36. One has to do an annual
Nek to Nek with them in order to keep abreast of
current trends: Which is the best Woolies to shop
at right now; is Banting a con or not; do those
face creams really work; and to pick up recipes
that become favourites for the next few months
– this year it was Terry’s date rolls that took top
honours.
Yet it is not only about old and valued
friendships. That common denominator of
running has allowed me to expand friendships
across age groups. The pleasure of watching a
younger runner build and then succeed in their
ambitions, whether it be Comrades, Oceans or a
marathon, compensates for our fading abilities.
Through them we can still race and be relevant.

ISSUE 64 NOVEMBER 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Friendships built over decades of running.
Running through the seasons, running the
hard yards