Surrounding myself with greatness in 2013

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Bo

I did not start 2013 off with a bag of New Year’s resolutions like I always do. I decided that this year, there’s only one thing which I will focus on: It’s to ensure I surround myself with positive people, those that want to see me succeed and those that encourage me to reach my goals.

Let me tell you a quick story…

In 2010, I did not make the Two Oceans 3 hour half marathon cut off time. I missed it by 6 minutes. I can still remember the route clearly and the sections where I struggled most and desperately needed that extra push. But instead, I was surrounded by “supporters” who let me down. You see, running at my pace of 8mins/km, I’m typically at the back of the pack surrounded by the backmarkers and walkers. It’s not usually a big crowd but stragglers who are huffing and puffing. On this particular day, as I was running along, desperate to make up time, I passed many people standing along side the route who did not realise that whatever they said was heard by every runner passing them.

“These guys will never make it, they are too far behind.”
“Oh no, look at these so-called runners. Why bother if you can’t run at a decent pace?”
Shouts of “Stop walking, run. This is a running race, not a walk!”

I let it all get to me and it was very difficult to push myself being surrounded by these negative statements. I allowed myself to believe what they said, and I gave up. By the time I reached University Drive and KK came running down to meet me, I did not have enough energy to give it that extra push and try beat the clock. I just cried. I did not make it. No medal. DNF.

When I look back now, I realised that it was my own fault. The lesson for me is that I should not have listened to them. I should’ve believed in myself and pushed myself. I should’ve drowned them out with the supporters that were cheering me on, wanting me to have a good race. But in life, how easy is to allow the naysayers to break your spirit. How often do we listen to people who are negative and do not believe in us? We allow them to plant those seeds of self-doubt. We end up not believing in ourselves.

So in 2013, at work, at home and especially during the races, I will seek out those ‘supporters’ who cheer me on. The ones who believe in me and get me to that finish line so that I reach my goals! Here’s to a fantastic 2013!

Taking a picture in my head

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Bo

The kennels where my dogs board when we go away happens to be on the same route of the Johnson Crane running race in Benoni. In fact, we run right passed the kennels as we head up to the 17 km mark of the half marathon.

So when I happened to be in the area recently dropping the girls off at the kennels, I pulled over, stopped the car and got out. There was nothing in sight. The hot sun beat down on the empty road, creating a mirage.

As the silence engulfed me, I was flooded with memories of previous Johnson Crane races. My very first half marathon was Johnson Crane. It was also where I hit the wall on that very road where I was standing. But the route where I managed to cut 20 minutes off my previous PB. I realised that out of all the races on the calendar, Johnson Crane is really close to my heart and one of my favourites.

As I stood looking down the road, I was unsure if it was the memories of the runs, or the light breeze that have me *goosies*, but I promised myself that in 2013 I would once again be back to challenge myself on that road, running that race.

The image of that long, lonely road is etched into my memory until then…

Thoughts while running through a zoo

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Bo

This morning KK and I ran the Gerald Fox 10km and 21.1km race at the Jo’burg zoo. We’ve run this race twice before and every time we’ve run it, the weather has been miserable. It was no different when we arrived at the zoo with the temperature hovering on a nippy 9 degrees.Okay, so let me cut to the chase. How’d it go?

The good:

I felt strong. This must be due to the weekly spinning sessions as well as the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon runs.
I kept to my run/walk strategy. Ironically, it takes my mind off watching the kilometres.

The bad:

KK and I forgot our running chips at home so our race times were not recorded. Pity for KK who did a PB! 1:41 minutes for 21.1kms.
My Garmin died on me at the 8km mark. Dead. I need to get it fixed. It seems my satellite doesn’t switch off which drains my battery.

The ugly:

The race was tougher mentally than physically. I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I did not feel like running in the cold. I struggled running whilst being surrounded by walkers who kept passing me. In fact, the last 1km was hectic. I’m racing against people who are walking. WTH!
At around the 6km mark, I thought about running a half marathon again. Just the thought of it scared me and I was filled with self-doubt. I need to work on this. *what’s new*

So to end off on a postive note, my training for the 2013 running season has started early. Last year, I only started in November with the Irene race but already I’ve completed Old Eds, Wanderers and Gerald Fox.

This is good. Now just to keep going…

Running marathons instead of rat races

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Bo

Ask any South African what they enjoy about the Comrades marathon and somewhere in the conversation, they will mention the excitement around the cut-off guns. The screams from the crowds as the clock ticks down, the agony as some runners are reduced to crawling and the tears on the faces of those runners who don’t make it.

It was the same watching the Comrades marathon on TV on the weekend. As the clock ticked down and runners were left with less and less time to complete the race, runners were encouraging each other on, supporting one another, urging each other not to quit. When a runner would fall on the grass on that last stretch and not have the energy to get up, other runners would stop and help out, grabbing their heavy, tired bodies and pulling them over that finish line. Supporters were screaming and encouraging the runners. It was nail-biting!

The races I run are certainly not as long or dramatic and we don’t drag each other over the finish line, but in many races, especially those such as Two Oceans, runners will not let one another fail and we will support each other to the very end. If I stop to walk, those around me encourage me to carry on. When it looks like I cannot go on, other runners will shout out support and advice as they pass me, even grabbing my hand or pushing my back, saying “Come on 8408 (my race number), you can do this!”

Running is the one sport where it’s all up to the individual but where we all want each other to succeed.

Yet, it’s a pity I don’t see that same sense of camaraderie in the corporate world…

You see, my own experience of late is that if you are down, very few colleagues stop to help you up. If you’re struggling and on the verge of quitting, it’s rare that anyone will urge you to continue. No one stops to look at the full picture or give anyone the benefit of the doubt. In fact, in the rat race of the corporate world, it’s become a matter of survival of the fittest and each person has their eye on the finish line. The competitiveness has over-shadowed team spirit and people are walking over one another to get to the end.

We all have different goals even if we are all running towards the same finish line, but it’s important to stop and help those around you who are struggling or who may be needing that extra little push to get to the end.

When you run at my running pace of 8 mins/km, you inevitably land up at the back of the pack. A typical half marathon takes me 3 hours to run. But let me tell you, there’s something magical about running with the back-markers. A certain sense of camaraderie that I cannot explain. But also a vibe where we all realise that some of us won’t make that cut-off gun.

I wish my colleagues would only realise that in a race, the real reward is when you stop and help someone over that finish line so that in the end, you both achieve your goals.