Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 99, October 2017 | Page 17

reading his running magazines and
found interesting articles on how
running has transformed people’s
lives. Having lost so much weight, I
was ready to push the boundaries,
so I signed up for the 2011
Old Mutual Two Oceans Half
Marathon in Cape Town, and that
turned out to be a life-changing
experience. I kept thinking, why
did I not do this earlier. I was
hooked!”
Today she says she has lost count
of the races she has successfully
tackled, including thee Comrades
Marathons, which set her up
well for the MDS challenge, but in
October last year she fell and badly
injured her ankle while training for the
100km Skyrun, and then she developed
a mysterious blister problem. “I was even
getting them on short runs and it frustrated
the hell out of me. I now suspect it was the
socks I was testing, but going into the race was a
case of not ‘if I get blisters,’ but ‘when I get blisters,’
and I was ready for it! I even went to see a podiatrist and
learnt to tape my feet, but as expected, I suffered blisters from
day one at MDS!”
checkpoint four for over 30 minutes to attend to my feet, and again at checkpoint 5,
as the blisters were killing me!”
Ultimate Runner’s High
While the blisters were one of the low points of Moerieda’s MDS experience, she
says there were plenty of highlights as well. “My first surprise was race director
Patrick Bauer and the whole MDS crew singing Happy Birthday to me at Quarzazate
airport when I arrived. Another highlight was starting each stage to the tune of
Highway to Hell, with helicopters flying low to film us. I always set off with my heart
pounding, thinking this is it, I am actually running the MDS. Oh, and being surprised
by the organisers with a can of ice cold Coke on day five! It’s the little things…”
Moerieda and her tent mates
“Hell, it was painful, and every day there were more. Fortunately, the medical team
at MDS are the best, and I think the dropout rate would be much higher at MDS
if it wasn’t for Doc Trotters and his team. They took very good care of my feet.
I remember on day two, after 39.1km in 50-plus degrees, my feet were so sore
that my tears just started rolling in the medical tent. The doc looked at me with a
smile and told me that I am a very strong woman. I cried even more after he said
that, but felt strong when I walked out, ready to face day three! The blisters really
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affected me on the long day four stage, with its seven checkpoints. I had to stop at
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