Author Archives: Bo

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About Bo

Dog lover. Runner. Although very slowly. Keeping up with the stresses of running and life...

Escaping to Bushman’s Hide

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I guess I’m like most people who signed up for the Groupon and Wicount daily deals email. I get that rush when I see deals that promise such massive discounts, but I’ve only ever bought meal vouchers.

That was until in August when I spontaneously bought a mini holiday break at a tented camp in the Waterberg called Bushman’s Hide. The deal was 80% off (too good to be true, right?) and promised a 2 night, 3 day stay including all meals in a secluded environment in the Waterberg.  

KK and I were lucky enough that when we booked, the days between Christmas and New Year were open and so we grabbed the opportunity to rest after the busy Christmas weekend.

What a surprise Bushman’s Hide turned out to be…

From the minute we arrived there, we were treated to 5-star treatment. Our luggage was carried to our luxury tent while we were ushered to the welcome area for a drink whilst our guide took us through the logistics and plans for the next two days. The difference is that, other than breakfast and supper times, we were free to do whatever we chose, we just had to inform the lodge of when and what it was.

So we acted like real honeymooners and chose to eat all meals at our room, booked a quad bike the following morning to view the game and decided to have a picnic, in the bush, followed by a massage (also in the middle of the bush).

The service at Bushman’s Hide is fantastic and even though they only have 4 tents (which means a maximum of 8 people can stay there at the same time) we totally felt as if we were the only ones there! The staff were at our beck and call the entire time.

Our bed got turned down at night with a little chocolate on our pillows and soft candles lit in the tent.

The best was the picnic in the bush, surrounded by nothing else but that zinging of insects and deafening silence, we read magazines and nibbled on cheese and biscuits until our masseuse arrived to give us both massages. In the bush!

The weather was overcast and on the 2nd day, we had light drizzle in the afternoon which was absolutely perfect for that afternoon snooze.

We had such a great time and with no cellphone reception (I know!) we were forced to do nothing else but read, sleep and relax.

It was wonderful!

The highs and lows of my twenty eleven

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Before heading into 2012, I sat back and made a list of all the highs and lows of my 2011 year. The ironic thing is that for me, 2011 felt like one of the most stressful years I’ve been through. It was a year of change, a year of ill health, a year full of anxiety. Yet when I compiled my list, I was surprised that I came up with more highs than lows. It made me realise that I had perhaps spent the year too focussed on the bad, the stressful, the negative instead of all the good. It’s definitely going to be something I focus on for next year.

So looking back, here’s what made me smile, laugh, comforted me and gave me many hours of joy:

  • Starting a blog and realising just how much I love writing and sharing my thoughts.
  • Celebrating 10 years of marriage and going on a fabulous cruise through the Mediterranean.
  • Coming back to not only get my Two Oceans 2011 half marathon medal, but achieving a PB at the same time.
  • Making a stack of new friends on Twitter and meeting some of them in real life.
  • Coming to the decision that the Media industry is where I want to build my future career.
  • Coldplay. #enoughsaid

The lows where I wasted too much time and energy and which got me down more days than it should’ve:

  • Organisational change at work which I struggled with.
  • 6 months of cortisone treatment to treat “trigger finger” associated with enteropathic arthritis.
  • Putting on weight (almost 7kgs since December 2010) due to the cortisone. *sobs*
  • Starting January off in a post-retrenchment office environment and watching some of my friends leave the organisation.
  • Watching helplessly as two of my closest friends go through separations from their partners and realising that they’ve been hurting for a very long time. Then subsequently hearing of another friend’s divorce.

How strange that it took me a while to come up with this list. The lesson is that a whole year can fly by so quickly and yet it feels like just the other day that things happened. I had forgotten a lot of it and I’m sure there’s still stuff I’ve left out. I’m even more grateful for my blog now. I’m definitely going to use it to log all the important and special things that happen in my life next year.

But for now…

Good bye 2011…

I found a coach! (or rather, he found me!)

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My Christmas present arrived early this year.

 

In early December, I received a Twitter DM (direct message) from one of my followers informing me that he was a running coach and asked if I would be interested in some coaching. Are you kidding me? Of course I was interested! However, being the sceptic that I am, I didn’t take it too seriously. In fact, I told no one.

 

Reason being is that I don’t have the best of luck when it comes to finding coaches. After missing the cut-off for a Two Oceans half marathon medal by a mere 6 minutes in 2010, I decided my only hope was to find myself a running coach. However, finding a coach proved to be quite challenging. I was either met with the excuse that it was too close to Comrades for anyone to take on my cause or that my running pace was so slow (8 mins/km) that I would slow the other runners down.

 

I Googled for names, searched local running sites, phoned running clubs with no luck. In the end, I landed up with a personal trainer at the gym who specialises in sports science and who was willing to work with me.

 

That was May 2010 and it’s now December 2011 and even though I managed to do a PB and get my Two Oceans medal in April this year, I still run at the same pace.

 

Yes, I feel much stronger and my core muscles are strong. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my gym workouts. But I am still slow. The ‘walkers’ are still able to finish races well before me.

 

So yes, you bet I am interested in any running coaching!

 

As a typical Information Scientist librarian, I did my homework and discovered that this man came highly recommended, was known in running circles and knows his stuff.

 

But his credential was not what impressed me and got me hooked. It’s his motivation and belief in me.

 

From day one, he has spoken to me as if I am the New York marathon champion. He believes in me and makes me believe in myself. He has mapped out a training schedule and a planned goal of where I can be in the next four months. All he expects is dedication and hard work. Trust me, he’s a no-nonsense kinda guys too!

 

I secretly think the name of my blog “Keeping up with the walkers” bugs him. One of the first things he told me is that running at my pace is for old tannies. *ahem*

 

Anyhow, so I’m going in to 2012 not only with a renewed dedication to running but with butterflies in my stomach. My head is telling me that I am capable. My legs already feel like jelly after two days of training (mainly because I haven’t done squat for weeks and my belly is full of gammon) but what an awesome goal to work towards. I’m so excited!

Thanks Eldi!

Every runner needs to rest

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When KK and I were invited by our close friends to spend a long weekend with them and some others at a holiday camp called Lindani in the Waterberg, we jumped at the opportunity. We never really take any long weekend breaks and decided it might be a good idea to take advantage of the December 16th long weekend.

With a car boot packed full of food, drinks and cozzies, off we went…

Lindani is a 3800ha game farm in the Waterberg 275kms north of Johannesburg situated on the Palala and Melk rivers. It has eight secluded houses and lodges, each with its own pool. We hired out Motseng, which is 4 lodges, sleeping 18 people.

Our days comprised of nothing else but eating, sleeping, laughing and relaxing…

LINDANI MOTSENG LODGE

 DOWN AT THE RIVER…

SUNDOWNERS…

GOOD FRIENDS…

We had all intentions of running and even took our running kit with us. But the running shoes stood at the door and the Energades on ice. We were just too relaxed to run. I guess every runner needs that once in a while…