About Bo

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

Winter is coming…

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Bo

After a few years of running, my schedule starts to look quite similar at this time of year. Tapering down for Two Oceans is high on the agenda and everyone I speak to seems to ask if I’m running. Yeah, I am. I was fortunate enough to get an entry along with 16 000 other runners!

I’ve been keeping an eye on Cape Town’s weather. Easter is early this year which means that hopefully we still get some sunny days on the beach when we head down there for the race.

But there is a definite chill in the air in Jozi. The mornings are dark. The leaves are falling. Even my hair is dry and static.

I know that by the time we get back from running Two Oceans down in Cape Town, we’ll arrive home ready to face Winter.

Running with headlamps strapped to our foreheads. Running gloves. Long sleeve tops. Ice cold mornings at track. Grass all over my car mats.

The sun is setting earlier these days. Soon we’ll need the flood lights.

I’m not ready!

It started out as a bet. But I ran with it anyhow.

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Bo

It started out as an agreement. A dare. Our trail running buddies, Dan & Linda agreed to run a road race if I would come along and try out a trail run. They stuck to their word and ran Varsity Kudus (*gasp* of all races!) in January. The pressure was on!

So last week, I headed off to run the Biogen Love Run 2016 night race at the PWC Bike Park to close off my end of the bargain.

The PWC Bike Park

All set up & ready for the runners

It was my first trail run. I have never even run Park Run before.

Here’s some differences I noted compared to road running:

The field is smaller. We’re used to a couple of thousands of runners lining up at the start of a road race. Here there must’ve been a max of about 350 runners. You can imagine my panic thinking I would come last in such a tiny field!
It’s casual. Very casual. Runners arrived and sat on the grass embankment, some snacking on crisps, others playing on their cellphones. No one was doing any serious warming up. No lubing or vaselining.
Before the race. Notice how relaxed everyone is!

More runners gathering and relaxing before the race.
No ASA or temp numbers are needed. We each received a little bar-coded card to pin to our clothes. Race results were up the very next day too!

Runners ready! The first batch, ready to go. Headlamps being turned on.

Runners go out in batches. On road races, everyone goes off when the gun goes off at the same time.
The paths are quite narrow. This means that passing someone slower in front of you is quite a challenge. I was unsure of the trail race etiquette, but goodness me, hardly anyone moves out the way for anyone else. It’s as if, sorry Jack, make your own way around me.
People walk. They walk and no one else gives a damn. In road races, the walkers get a bad rap. Faster runners are always complaining that walkers should have their own start or that they get in the way of ‘real runners’. Trail running is different. If you want to walk, you do, and no one gives you any grief about it.
You get dirty. My socks and my shoes were so dusty when I got home!

I really enjoyed it. It’s way less competitive than road running. It has a very relaxed vibe to it. And everyone seems to do their own thing and have fun.

Super bright headlamps! I look like I’m about to go looking for gold!

The best part? My time was fantastic! I averaged 8:14 mins per km. I thought I’d be much slower. And, I came 9/26 in my category and 109/234 total of 5km runners!

The question I’m sure you’re asking is, “has the trail bug bitten?” A little. But I’d definitely need to go shopping for the right trail running shoes and a camel pack and perhaps try out a more technical course? And a daytime run. But yeah… It was fun. Dan and Linda, you guys were right!

My Mom and I have been scheming…

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Bo

When my dog Annie was diagnosed with an adrenal gland tumor, I realized that she needed the best care and treatment pre as well as post operation. As much as I love the luxury dog boarding kennels we’ve always booked the dogs into, I thought that maybe, just maybe, my girls would enjoy some time at my parents. Besides, there’s no place like ‘home’ when you’re not feeling well, right?

So this past weekend, I packed the girls into the car and off we went road tripping to Pretoria. My parents stay in a retirement village. They have a free standing house but it has no walls. The challenge would be to see how both Annie and Emma reacted to being in a different environment and if my parents were indeed able to look after them.

My mom was so excited! (Read: So was I!)

We arrived on Friday night and they nervously walked around the garden on their leads. Emma did get a fright when she bumped into the ‘varkies’ in the garden. Little did she know that the big owl was watching us all!

How cool is this owl? It’s head moves when the wind blows! Ooooh!

Annie and Emma settled in quite quickly and it didn’t take long for them to get comfy on the couch. My Dogs They must have been exhausted (as was I) from sitting in that ghastly Friday evening traffic to Pretoria and we all slept like babies. One of the highlights of the weekend was waking up to go run with my Dad on Saturday morning! Running with my dad

My Mom taking the girls on walks while I snoozed

Meeting the friendly neighbor

Enjoying some tickles and love from my Dad in front of TV

The rest of the weekend was spent lying on the couch, going for many more walks and feeding the birds, even this little guy who practically eats out of my Dad’s hands! We truly had a ball this weekend! The best part is that it looks like Annie and Emma settled in quite quickly and my parents have no issue looking after them. *phew*

Okay Mom, so when can we come again?

Stripping down

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Bo

Lately at track, I’ve been rewarding myself. Not with cupcakes (although other Running Junkies have spoilt us with some on the odd occasion) but by doing something that makes me really feel my body!

I’ve taken my running shoes off and run the last lap or two barefoot! Let me tell you, it’s the most awesome feeling in the world!

The grass is always cool and once I step out of my shoes, my feet feel a little lost and off balance. When I start to run, the ground feels hard after having been so cushioned in my asics. Suddenly I feel somehow connected to the ground. I can actually physically feel every footstep that I take. It’s as if I awaken my body and electricity shoots through my feet with each and every step.

I’m not only faster on those laps but I feel freer (if there is such a word?). It’s difficult to explain but if feels like after a stressful day at work, and a hard quality session around the track, that I’m giving something back to my body in that final lap. That I’m in tune with both my body and my mind.

We don’t often make time to truly connect with ourselves. I will *Google* and find out more because there must be loads of benefits to barefoot running?

For now, it’s bliss!