Yearly Archives: 2012

What you don’t get from books

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I always chuckle when I see the looks on people’s faces when I tell them I studied librarianship. I can even imagine the thoughts running through your head as to why the hell anyone would study librarianship (or Information Sciences as I like to point out). I can confirm that there’s a hell of a lot more to the Dewey Decimal system or ensuring the bookshelves are neat and tidy.

More than my love for books and reading is my huge passion for research and non-fiction books. I absolutely love to research topics about history and documentaries. And don’t get me started on biographies! *love, love*

Even when it comes to running, I have immersed myself in some of the best known books on the topic and studied all the articles and research on foot injuries, running techniques, you name it.

But what I have discovered lately is that as I grow older, I am relying a lot more on people around me to get the answers I need.  I’ve been ‘consulting’ those close to me every day for their opinion and advice on a range of issues that are bugging me. This is so out of character for me.

What I have found has been an amazing, eclectic mix of opinion, thoughts, advise and stories from so many angles, so many perspectives. What it has done is made me realise that with every problem in life, there are so many directions one can take. So many choices to choose from and so many different ways of looking at situations.

The books present facts. But the beauty in speaking to people is that they come with wonderful life experiences. Some of it good. Some bad. I am loving their stories and fascinated by their own experiences. I am not alone in some of the problems I am grappling with. It’s comforting to know this.

Their advice to me has also revealed a lot of how they ‘see’ me and what they think is the best for me. I like that.

Running through my week…

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1. Gerald Fox 10km race – Conquered! 2. New Bocca pizza at Col’Cacchio – Devoured. 3. Team training away in Mogale’s Gate, Maropeng – Awesome! 4. Mountain Biking out at Groenkloof Nature Reserve – Fun! 5. Two tjoppies on the braai on a Sunday night – Delicious idea. 6. Traffic on a Friday afternoon – Not fun. 7. Prawn curry at one of our favourite restaurants, The Raj – Yummo! 8. First sunset of Spring – Come on Summer! 9. Annie who never knows what to do with a chewie – sigh…

Lessons from 9/11 about married life

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11 years ago today, I was four days away from getting married when the world was changed forever by the fateful events of 9/11. It was a Tuesday. I was 26 years old and about to marry the man of my dreams. I had no idea what awaited me. It’s only now, 11 years later, that I look back at that week with fresh eyes.

Perhaps I’m a little older and wiser, but I realise that there are some valuable lessons for my marriage I have learnt from 9/11.

  • Expect the unexpected. Just like those two planes, sometimes, with no warning at all, problems, issues, even events will hit your marriage with all its might and come out of nowhere. It is usually unexpected. You cannot know what and when something will come which will test your marriage. But it happens.
  • Ensure your marriage is strong enough to withstand the hits. If not, one or even both of you will come crashing down.
  • Through the years, there will be pain, hurt, anger and blame. But it’s important to deal with those feelings and move on. Every relationship goes through the dips. Always re-build something new.
  • Prepare relentlessly. It was New York’s mayor at the time, Rudi Giuliani, who said, “when faced with new and stressful situations, prepare relentlessly”. Giuliani adds, “Don’t assume a damn thing.”  Do not slip into a comfort zone but keep on your toes and keep the relationship alive. Be prepared.
  • Change. Adapt. Or die. The world was forced to change after 9/11. I am a very different woman compared to the girl I was when I got married so many years ago. KK has also changed, but we’ve managed to grow together. Anticipate that each other will change. It’s only normal. It’s a good thing, embrace it.

Time has flown. I cannot believe how quickly 11 years has gone by and how much has happened in that time. We built a house, we bought new cars, we changed jobs, we got two dogs, and we travelled to some wonderful destinations.

I even started running!!

But we also lost Pa as well as Marla. I got diagnosed with a disease and we lost quite a few friends along the way. But through the highs and the lows, I’ve walked every step of the way with you KK. I still love you with all my heart.

Happy Anniversary week my babes. X

Thoughts while running through a zoo

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This morning KK and I ran the Gerald Fox 10km and 21.1km race at the Jo’burg zoo. We’ve run this race twice before and every time we’ve run it, the weather has been miserable. It was no different when we arrived at the zoo with the temperature hovering on a nippy 9 degrees.Okay, so let me cut to the chase. How’d it go?

The good:

  • I felt strong. This must be due to the weekly spinning sessions as well as the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon runs.
  • I kept to my run/walk strategy.  Ironically, it takes my mind off watching the kilometres.

The bad:

  • KK and I forgot our running chips at home so our race times were not recorded. Pity for KK who did a PB! 1:41 minutes for 21.1kms.
  • My Garmin died on me at the 8km mark. Dead. I need to get it fixed. It seems my satellite doesn’t switch off which drains my battery.

The ugly:

  • The race was tougher mentally than physically. I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I did not feel like running in the cold. I struggled running whilst being surrounded by walkers who kept passing me. In fact, the last 1km was hectic. I’m racing against people who are walking. WTH!
  • At around the 6km mark, I thought about running a half marathon again. Just the thought of it scared me and I was filled with self-doubt. I need to work on this. *what’s new*

So to end off on a postive note, my training for the 2013 running season has started early. Last year, I only started in November with the Irene race but already I’ve completed Old Eds, Wanderers and Gerald Fox.

This is good. Now just to keep going…