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Local champs
run the
Mirilene Swanepoel
Comrades
O
n the 1st of June I was an eager beaver
attempting to run 89,28km! This was
my first Comrades Marathon and I
did things a bit upside down....I arrived at the
start at 4am – waaay too early, but luckily I am
a morning person and I had a blankie to keep
me warm! I had nobody en-route waiting for
me with supplies and I had no one at the finish
line to take me home (hence no photo with the
medal around my neck at the finish line and by
the time I got home I was too tired to pose!)
But my dearest husband drove 6 hours only to
surprise me at 65km (for a full 3 minutes) before
he drove the 6 hours back home! That was the
inspiration I needed to finish the 89km in 10
hours and 32 minutes (2 minutes shy of my goal
of 10 hours and 30 minutes). From 68-88km I
contemplated many times to get on the “bailbus” as I was cramping all over, but I pushed
through and at the end I received a medal the
size of a R2 coin!
This was the toughest but the most
rewarding thing I have ever done! Thank you
so much to all my colleagues, family and friends
for all the phone calls, SMSs and well wishes! I
am overwhelmed by all the support I received!
Karin Greyling
M
y preparation for the Comrades
Marathon was a physical challenge
leading up to the day of the race,
which was a gruelling 115 700 steps from start
to finish. Every morning I woke up early for my
daily run and on weekends I focussed on getting a
lot of extra kilometres on the legs. From January
to May I ran approximately 800-1200km.
While running the Comrades, I experienced
something spiritual. Phillip ran in loving
memory of his late son who was still in school
when he sadly passed away. Chelaine ran in
memory of her late husband who passed
away the previous year at the Comrades, while
another runner finished the race despite the fact
that he was physically handicapped and had no
arm. It was in this moment that I realised that
the Comrades is not just about the 89km, the
early wake up calls, or the sacrifices like giving
up your weekends and watching your diet.
Instead, the Comrades is about running for
something or someone. My motivation was to
run the race with my husband by my side – a
priceless experience.
After 56km I had to stop because of
dehydration and diarrhoea. It was a huge
disappointment and I cried my eyes out! They
say that the Comrades only truly starts after
60km. It’s then that you need to keep a steady
head. So I have not yet started the Comrades – I
did the toilet run this year. But the Comrades
will most definitely see me next year and I can’t
wait to see who I’ll meet in that last stretch of
33km and what it will feel like to finish the race!
Chris Schutte
A Beautiful Day
hen it comes to the Comrades
Marathon, five to six months is barely
enough time to fully prepare yourself
for one of the world’s most challenging and wellknown marathons. During this time, you not only
have to train every day, but you also need to make
sure that you have the right shoes and socks for
the big day – as simple as it may seem, this is
definitely essential.
People often look at distance runners like
myself and ask “why?” Well, when you practice
every day for six months and finally reach that
finish line, how would you feel?
W
The Trip to Durban
It is the Friday morning before the Comrades and
I’m spending the last few minutes with my little
girl before we begin our journey to Durban. Last
night, however, the nerves already kicked in and
questions kept going through my mind whether
or not I was fully prepared for this race.
Did I run enough kilometres? Did I run
enough long distances to build my endurance and
stamina? Were my times fast enough? Are my time
estimations correct? But the biggest question of all
was: Will I be able to finish the race?
When I took my little girl to school that
morning, I wished her the best of luck for her
final netball game she was to play the following
day. After kissing her goodbye, she turned around
and with great enthusiasm asked: “Daddy, are
you going to win?”
“Daddy always wins my dearest”, I answered
and then continued to explain how the Comrades
Marathon is a victory to all who participate. It is
the ultimate race of endurance and every single
person, from the winner to the very last person
30
roodelife.co.za
to cross that finishing line, is a winner!
It is now 11h30 and everybody except my
wife, Lizhel who had to stay behind in support
of our daughter’s netball game, are packed and
ready for our trip to Durban. Whilst on the road
we passed cars, minibuses and buses parading
Comrades flags, messages and so on, but this was
only making me more nervous for the big race!
At 18h30 we finally arrived at our lodgings
and I wanted to make sure that I get a good
night’s rest, so I did what any runner would do
– I ate a juicy piece of 400g steak and enjoyed a
nice glass of red wine…to help with the nerves
of course. But I was missing my wife.
The Day Before the Race
On Saturday morning the Comrades Expo
was cause of great excitement! Some people
were dancing, while others played music, but
everybody wanted to begin the race.
Without any difficulty, I got my runner’s
number. We then moved on to give Durban’s
economy a bit of a boost and bought a few more
provisions for the race.
After a midday rest, I unpacked my stuff to
get ready for the big day and to make sure that
I had everything I needed. The checklist: shoes,
two pairs of socks, Rehidrat™, magnesium
supplements, sunblock and a hat, but most