Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 95, June 2017 | Page 12

Kalmer’s
CORNER
Our Modern Athlete Brand Ambassador’s Blog
I was over the moon when the doctor gave me the green
light to start training again, having not been able to run
for almost a year because of my hip surgery and then
pregnancy. What I missed most during my pregnancy
was... well, you guessed it…. running! Even more than I
missed sushi, or a glass of wine. And I really love my sushi
and wine! – BY RENÉ KALMER
A
t the time of writing, I
have been training for
three weeks, and that is
all thanks to my friend
Karen. A month ago she sent me
the following message: “Time to get
fit again! When are we jogging?” I
ignored her at first, but a week later
she sent me another message: “Are
you up for a jog or two this week,
my friend? No pressure, though!”
I realised this was the perfect way
to start getting back into a routine
and make a comeback, as having a
training buddy is a great form of motivation. It is much harder to skip a workout
when you know you have a ‘date.’
Luckily, Andre is more than happy to baby-sit at 5:30 in the morning, as he went
into early hibernation after he “forgot” to train for Comrades this year. Most
mornings father and daughter are still fast asleep when I get back from my run,
with Karli’s bottle still on the bedside table.
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ISSUE 95 JUNE 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za
Even though Karen and I are highly motivated, we don’t want to overdo it and
risk injury. We jog every second day, and in between we mix up our training with
sessions on the ElliptiGO, Wattbike or in the pool. This way the training stays
fun and interesting. We are also very cautious not to increase pace and distance
dramatically, and this is where a training logbook comes in handy. Keeping a
journal/logbook of your runs is a great training tool.
That way, whenever your motivation is a bit down,
you can look back and be encouraged by how far
you’ve come.
I’m relieved that
there is no big
event on the near
horizon, like an
Olympic Games,
that I need to rush
my comeback for.
Instead I can do it
on my own terms…
or Karli’s terms. If she keeps us awake at night, I will reschedule my run, while
grandma is babysitting. I always wondered who trains at midday, but now I know.
And if I feel a niggle, I cut my workout short and walk back home. Even though
this is frustrating, there is no use running through a niggle and potentially making it
worse. Unfortunately, I had to learn this the hard way with my hip.
Going for Goals
Whatever your fitness level, setting a realistic goal is useful to stay motivated. At
the recent launch of the Pretoria leg of the Spar Ladies’ Series, I committed myself
to be in shape to race competitively again, which gives me three months to get rid
of the preggy-belly and into my racing shoes again. So bring on the 5th of August!
For now, it is just really great being back on the road again, and sometimes you
just have to stop for a minute and appreciate the small things that you have
accomplished in your training. My small victories for now are being back on the
road, and earning Vitality Active Rewards again, so I don’t have to pay for my Kauai
smoothies! And even though it is winter, I really look forward to the next steps of
my journey back to competitive running. The struggle is real, but it hurts so good!
BOUNCING
BACK
Mixing it Up