Runners, do you recognize this face?

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Bo

He’s a familiar face at pretty much all the road races in Jo’burg as well as Pretoria. He arrives at the race long before majority of the runners and sets out all his goodies. It’s mostly running shorts, carbo loading sweets, cool drinks from the back of his bakkie and running gloves (which have saved me before on an icy Winter morning). His name is Mens Moosa and he’s been a friendly face at the races for the last 25 years!

Mens says his love is mainly for ultra marathons and boasts 25 Comrades medals to his name. I did not realize that 5 minutes before the start of the races, he quickly packs up all his goods and manages to get to the start line to run the race with everyone else.

When you do see him next time, say hi! No race is the same without seeing his face! Thanks Mens!

Run like a Pirate

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Bo

As with most things in life, once you’ve taken a break, getting back into it takes effort, even with running. I had been itching to start my running again (after going into hibernation for a few weeks) and decided to enter the Pirates 10km race. I was surprised KK decided to run the race because his usual mileage on Sunday is between 15 and 20 kms.

We’ve only run Pirates once before after @tanyakovarsky introduced us to the race when she organised a twunners (runners who tweet) tweetup in 2011. Luckily the race day was not as cold as two years ago but I still wasn’t taking any chances and arrived in three layers, including gloves and a buff. (I kinda look like a running pirate, hey?)

It might be a short distance in KK’s eyes but a lot happens over 10kms…

I ‘bumped’ into @CraigBeePee, @RichardAsprey, @Samu_M & @TanyaKovarsky at the start and finally meet @JanetBr in real life. (We ~~ran~~ sprinted the first kilometer together. When she told me her normal pace is just over 6min/km, I nearly died. How do you politely tell someone to run away!)
There were loads of dogs participating and marshaling the race. I even out ran a Randburg Harriers runner and her staffie.
For my running pace sins, I was unable to out run a woman who was telling her running partner about HR stuffing up resulting in her not getting her dream job. She exhausted me.
I managed to catch up to 4 year old Max Kovarsky who decided today was the day to run and not be pushed the entire way in a pram. He still managed to beat me.
I chatted to a woman who told me she attended her 37 year high school reunion last night which meant she was running with a ‘moerse’ hangover. Niiiice. #overshare

Be it a Knysna marathon, a Pirates 10km or a 3km jog around the block, there’s something about that sweaty face when you get home. That glow. There’s something quite special about that divine hot shower when you’re done. The afternoon nap. That feeling which is indescribable unless you’ve been there.

It’s what @angelo2711 tweeted me on the morning of the race, “A run is a run – enjoy!”

Going into running hibernation

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Bo

The Comrades marathon always signals the “year end” of my running year. As winter arrives and with it, dark evenings and chilly mornings, my running mileage takes a dive as I slow down and find ~~excuses~~ reasons not to run. During this time of year, there are very few races on the race calendar, it’s a ghost town at time trial and you find a couple of brave runners venturing into trail running. (I’m considering that idea myself.)

As I look back and take stock of the races I’ve run in the year under review, I must admit that this year has been one of my favourites. I had minimal injuries compared to last year’s plantar fasciitis pain and even though I entered fewer races than previous years, the ones I did run stand out for me for different reasons.

I started 2013 with the Johnson Crane & Pick ‘n Pay half marathons – two of my favourite 21km races. It was after seeing the smiles of joy on runner’s faces at the finish line of the Johnson Crane that made me ask myself, “Who cares how long it takes me to run 21kms! I want to be as happy as these runners!” It set the tone for the rest of the year.

I absolutely loved the KFC Valentines night race. Loved! This was my very first race I ran years ago, so going back and running it again was just magical! I also returned to conquer the Deloitte half marathon! After coming dead last (I kid you not) in 2009 and vowing never to run it again, I did it!

A race I did expect to come last in (but didn’t) was the Springs Striders 15km race because there were so few runners participating. But it turned out to be so memorable especially running in the mist which was so eerily quiet and beautiful! Running at my pace had its advantages as I missed the Pick ‘n Pay shootout during the RAC 10km race!

But ironically, it wasn’t just these races that stood out for me. I must confess that I enjoyed my running mainly because of the shorter unplanned distances too. Getting home after work and heading out into the hot afternoon, watching the sun setting, chatting to my running partner (@terencetobin) was what made the difference for me.

I didn’t over-analyse every run like I normally do but just enjoyed each run for what it was. Just me. Out on the road. Running.

You are more beautiful than you think. (Sometimes)

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Bo

Have you seen the new Dove campaign? If not, in a nutshell, Dove posted a three-minute ad on YouTube that teaches a vital lesson about how we view ourselves compared to how others see us. The tagline of the campaign is: “You are more beautiful than you think.”

It made me giggle. Don’t get me wrong, I totally ‘get’ the campaign. It moved me and like others, I shared the clip on various social media platforms. But it did remind me of an old video clip of myself taken 5 years ago. The clip was an eye-opener for me and reminded me that how I view myself is not always how others see me.

You see, I entered the Two Oceans 8km fun run in 2008. A close friend managed to take a video clip of me running to the finish line. When I watch this video, I can die of embarrassment!

It’s weird to see just how odd my running style was (and is still today). It’s a shocker! As a newbie runner, I had no proper running kit so I ran in my gym pants. I’m slouched forward, terrible running posture. My running pace looks like I’m taking a Sunday stroll through the park but yet 5 years later, I still run this slowly. I would never have realized this unless I had seen that clip. In my mind, I thought I looked like any other professional runner.

It’s so good to look back and see just how far I’ve come…

The message of the Dove campaign has one thing in common with running though. It’s how I love the look of my face after a run. No make-up. Red cheeks. Flushed and sweaty. Big smile on my face. Medal around my neck. I practically glow!

It’s the one time when I don’t wear make-up that I truly do believe I look more beautiful than I think.

(If you receive my blog via email and the video doesn’t play, please view this post via the web. Thanks!)