About Bo

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

Swapping the turkey for Chinese takeaways

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Bo

A couple of years ago, I shared three Christmas survival tips. Tip number 2 was about making Christmas your own and allowing family members to celebrate in their own way. I remembered this tip when my Dad announced that this year, we would drop all tradition and get Chinese takeaways for Christmas Eve lunch. My head was saying, “WTF?!” but instead I agreed and said, “Great idea!”

In his mind, Christmas is always an exhausting day spent in the hot kitchen cooking loads of food, which is gobbled up in 10 minutes, with the remaining afternoon spent behind the kitchen sink washing dishes. He was having none of that this year! The decision had been made. Place your order, we’re buying lunch from Tong Lok!

KK was horrified and kept wondering if this was a joke. With strong German genes, Christmas Eve is very important to him. Gammon with mustard, roast potatoes followed up with rich fruit cake smothered in marzipan. Having to choose his lunch off a Tong Lok menu was not what he imagined!

We arrived at my Dad’s place around 11 am and exchanged gifts, then headed out to the famed Derrick Avenue in Bruma. Tong Lok is not in the main drag, but rather tucked away outside the beautiful archway to Chinatown. The food didn’t take more than 25 minutes and we were already headed back home, with my Mini filled with the smells of sticky chicken and sweet and sour sauce. My mouth couldn’t stop watering!

The portions from Tong Lok are ginormous and as we chuckled reading our fortune cookie predictions out loud to one another, it was great to sit around the table relaxing. When we looked, it was after 3 pm and KK and I headed home.

It was everything Christmas is supposed to be about. Family, good food, laughter and spending quality time with people you love. Dad, you were right! What a great idea (and hopefully new family tradition?).

KK did get to make his gammon later that night. It was just the two of us.

What a perfect Christmas Eve! XXX

My year captured in 12 pics

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Bo

1. The year started with us finding out that Annie had a tumor on her adrenal gland. It was successfully removed, however the remaining gland has not been able to do the job for two glands, so Annie remains on high levels of cortisone. 2. Track sessions with the Running Junkies continued. 3. There were many races run this year, including Two Oceans half marathon. My times were not so great. 4. A few of my running buddies left SA to take on adventures overseas in Munich & Dublin. I miss them! 5. I learned that I can hit a golf ball. 6. KK ran another Comrades race. He shaved off even more time and now is determined to kickstart his 2017 training. 7. We holidayed in the beautiful Drakensburg with Dan & Linda. This photo also won me first place at camera club. 8. I ran my first trail run. Without proper gear, my feet ached for days. 9. I went back to Mari, my bio to help me with my running form. I’ve since scaled down on running such far distances & focus on 5kms and 10kms. 10. I commissioned my first rooster from a street wire artist. 11. KK ran his first Otter trail run. Again, the bug has bitten and I can’t see any other race coming close in terms of fun, views and organisation. 12. We renovated and I painted my walls blue. I absolutely love the colour! I’m so proud of myself for being brave and different!

Here’s hoping 2017 brings even more ‘firsts’ and exciting surprises!

The finish line. Are we there yet?

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Bo

KK has run his last race for the year and instructions from his coach are that he needs to take a three week mandatory rest period before Comrades training starts in January 2017. Three weeks? He’ll never last!

His last race for the year was the 35km Ultra Trail Cape Town. It was a technical and nasty course with lots of tough uphill climbing, hikes and steep rocky downhills.

There are just so many thoughts that go through my head while waiting (im)patiently for KK to finish the race. His time 7:17!

When he woke up on the morning after the race, he had a stiff body with sore bruised feet and toes and vowed never to run #UTCT2016 again. *famous last words* As for me, I managed to get horribly sunburnt with ugly patches of red all over my body.

I was wearing sandals so my sunburn is all patterned. Bloody marvelous!

The race day summed up 2016 for me. An entire year dedicated to early mornings, heavy training sessions, races, track sessions, eating healthily, sore muscles, strength training and mild injuries. Only runners can relate to the amount of sacrifices made. And then it was all over leaving us both battered and bruised.

There were some good races and then some you know you never want to enter again because you hated the experience so much. That was 2016…

One of my Pinterest boards showing photos of the medals from all our races this year.

We lost some running friends along the way. Those that chose to move away to start exciting new adventures, and others who decided to focus on other sporting events. We miss them.

When people say, ‘running mirrors life’, I found the balance between work life and home life may not have been as “balanced” as I would’ve wanted. I sacrificed too many afternoon runs in favour of meetings at work. I skipped loads of track sessions when I claimed that “urgent” emails needed to be answered immediately. What rubbish! What I regret the most was allowing work stress to get the better of my eating program. I will enter 2017 heavier than I’ve been in 4 years.

Was it worth it? Some days, most definitely. But in the long run, I’m at the end of 2016 exhausted, demotivated and unsure of what 2017 holds. Does anyone know?

A good friend of mine Whatsapped me with this quote: “Keep the positive attitude and stay motivated. Remember, Donald Trump is fucking president! The whole world has gone mad!”

My running goals are clear! Shorter distances and an increased focus on strength training. If I allowed 2016 runs to take a back seat, that won’t happen next year. The balance (although only mentally for now) has shifted. Even if it’s only 3kms on a lovely afternoon when the sun is setting, I must commit!

Here’s to a fantastic, rewarding and exhilarating 2017! You never know quite what to expect but at least line up at that starting line.

The memorial park

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Bo

I didn’t plan it that way but the day seemed to run a different course and before I knew it, I was standing in the most beautiful cemetry surrounded by memories of loved ones who had left this earth. Quite coincidental but it’s also Conrad’s birthday today.

I had offered to drop a colleague off on my way home from work and as we turned into her street, she nonchalantly said, “oh and that’s the memorial park. Have you seen it?” I knew the suburb well but had never known that in the middle of the gridlocked cluster complexes and townhouses that something so out of place co-existed.

I couldn’t resist.

After dropping her off, I drove through the gates to take a look. There was no security guard to stop me, no one to ask why I was there, but I suddenly felt as if I had stepped into a different world uninvited. This was no ordinary cemetry. The name on the gate read Fourways Memorial Park. The single paved street snaked through rows of closely packed gravestones and beautiful gardens. But compared to other cemeteries, this one was different.

I climbed out the car and walked around, winding my way in and out of the maze of memories, captivated by the stories, the names, the dates. Jo’burg had just been blessed with one of its spectacular afternoon thunder showers and as the setting sun poked its head through the clouds, the wet grass lightly sprayed my ankles as I made my way from one side of the park to the other.

It was so peaceful and calming. Dead quiet. But I kept hearing echoes of laughter. This was not a sad place at all yet tears poured down my face.

It’s on everyone’s minds at the moment. This end of year rush! This frantic race to get to the end. The last dash before the holidays. Yet time stood still for me this afternoon.

If anything it allowed me to stop to catch my breath. To reflect on 2016, my family, my friends, work and then lastly to remember Conrad.