RUN WITH RORY runner . I even changed my conversations to include words like ‘ run ’, ‘ ran ’ ‘ running ’ and ‘ ran off ’ - I was so proud of myself . The weeks flew by , and I had officially started cleaning up my life . I had swapped joling for jogging . I told people I was a runner because I was ! In immediate response to me proudly stating I was a runner , someone said , “ Have you run the Comrades Marathon ?”
( there was no time to get it sewn on and I obviously needed it for training runs so safety pins would have to do !)
It ’ s a story I still laugh about three Comrades Medals and one Two Oceans Medal later , but we all start somewhere , check back next month for my next adventure .
Having come from Gqeberha , PE as we all know it , all I knew about the Comrades Marathon was that it was that long race we used to watch Bruce Fordyce win every year on the big Telefunken in our lounge in Walmer .
Not wanting to be cheated out of being allowed to identify as a runner , I Googled “ How to enter the Comrades Marathon .” This was in January 2018 and that took me to Riverside Harriers on Saturday 24 February 2018 doing my first ever 25km training run with an actual running club .
The run was due to start at 05h30 in the morning , so of course I arrived at 05h20 . I was already anxious as I had never run with other people before , but apparently if you wanted to take part in Comrades you had to join a club and get an ASA license and all that important stuff .
There I was , proud , but also nervous and asking myself , “ are they going to be too fast for me ? What if they ’ re too slow and ruin my Strava ?” All these thoughts racing through my head almost psyching myself out of my first run .
Driving into the parking lot of Riverside Harriers in Durban North I saw my new running club mates standing there . I looked again , full blown panic hitting me head on . Why were they not also dressed in full club kit ? What is going on ? Are we not supposed to do training runs in our red and white striped ‘ Where ’ s Wally ’ pyjama kits ?
They had seen me drive into the parking lot now so I couldn ’ t leave . Maybe they won ’ t notice I ’ m dressed in full club colours , including cap , socks , shorts , vest , sweat band and ASA license pinned on
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