The Comrades marathon was brutal. A mixture of heat and the relentless pulls of the infamous Up Run found many with unmet/reset goals or heartbreaking DNFs.

For KK, this years race was particularly tough. I caught him at x4 different spots along the route and each time I saw him, he seemed to struggle more and more. 

At one stage, he declared, “I’ve had enough. I’m walking to the finish.” 

I smiled. You see, KK is really strong mentally. He’s never been one to quit during a race. In those moments of darkness, he switches on to plan B. Walking to the finish. He knew he had to finish. Quitting was never an option. 

I was scanning through some old photos of previous Comrades races when I happened to notice something. 

The day before each race, we like to walk down to the beach and relax. KK always spends time dipping his feet in the water. But if you look closely at these pictures, there’s something else going on…

It’s as if he’s looking far away, into the ocean, deep in thought. I’m guessing this is where he has that final conversation with himself while staring at the waves building and crashing around him.

The nerves. The self-doubt. The fears. Taking on a race of this magnitude, only something as big and powerful as the ocean would understand and allow him to soak up as much energy as he needs. 

X4 medals later, the ritual must work. 

This is what I got up to…

Selfies on the beach. Notice the beach sand on my elbow. Fail. Yeah, I know. I’m working on it.