your athletes. At 70 he was still running up and down massive sand dunes with Herb Elliot, the latter never beaten over the mile. They trained barefoot, and stop watches came into it only when doing a bit of track work. More like a monitor of progress.
Sebastian Coe trained on hills rather than on the track, avoiding a repetition of the same route every time, and he broke the World Record for the 880 yards, as it was then, simply by running the other athletes off their feet, start to finish. Also way back when, the trainers of harness racing horses in Sweden wised up early. Endless circuits of the track were as boring for the horses as they were for the drivers. Instead, a gentle trot through the forests fairly regularly paid far more dividends. Similarly, race horses towing logs of wood through sand as part of their training... Mavis Hutchinson still does just that with a rope around her waist, towing a tyre on the beach at Fish Hoek in Cape Town. Who has done more mileage than she has? And she’ s still going!
Running shoes … way back in the 60’ s when I ran the Comrades twice, we ran with flat-soled tackies, the toes cut open, and no side-effects. So it’ s no surprise that Orthopaedics are once more recommending the almost flat shoes. And I’ m pretty sure those Ethiopian, Kenyan and other athletes from Africa run up and down mountains instead of on the road. They also eat plenty of mealie meal, by contrast to a banting diet! The secret of that mealie meal has yet to be fully analysed … – Frank Meaker, Johannesburg
The expression tried and trusted springs to mind here, and I hope I am also still running up sand dunes when I am 70. That’ s why I run now! – Ed.
RUNNING SHOES SAVED MY LIFE
The 17 th November 2014 was the day that changed my life. I collapsed at work with major chest pain and was taken to a nearby hospital in Benoni. I was hospitalised for seven days and the cause of the pain was unknown. After a few weeks I was happy to be back at work, but two days later the demons within were awakened and yet again I was taken to a hospital in Pretoria. After multiple times in theatre trying to figure out what was wrong, luck was still not on my side, and now it was worse. From December to February I had many consultations with different doctors, until I had an operation on the 6th February 2015.
After my operation I couldn’ t feel my legs and was bedridden for three days. Once home, the stress kicked in, as I could only return to work mid-March. When I returned, I couldn’ t continue, as I was emotionally, physically and financially drained, and I could no longer lift the heavy equipment. I was declared medically unfit and that led to heavy drinking as I awaited the sickness to come back.
Some time in June 2015, it was time to take the usual bunch of medication when I saw my trainers sitting there, as though they had been watching me. I decided to go for a 5km run, as I hadn’ t taken a run in two years and wanted to clear my mind. I put on my running shoes and off I went … kilometre after kilometre, with my thoughts keeping me on the road, and I came back after two and a half hours. I did about 20km!
Since that day I just can’ t stop running, and alcohol lost a dear friend in me. Now I run nearly every day, and I haven’ t been to see a doctor since I put those running shoes on. I run every day like it’ s my last run, and running has brought nothing but peace in my life. I have never been healthier and happier, so to everyone, if life is throwing you hardship, put on your running shoes and get even. – Gontse William Mfete, Pretoria
I love letters like this, when readers tell how running helped them overcome great obstacles. Always motivating for the rest of us as well. – Ed.
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