SUNDAY READ: Things I learned at Comrades (by a guy who actually ran the Comrades)
Let me tell you why the featured photo of this blog makes me all sentimental as well as feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
- Look at this photograph!
Every time I do it makes me laugh (and conjures up an array of other indescribable emotions).
Now that I have channeled your inner Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, let me tell you why the featured photo of this blog makes me all sentimental as well as feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Well, if you have been following these blogs of mine since 2016 you will know that I made a cheeky remark, in black and white (for all to see), that I, the chubby, lager-loving, fast food-munching local sports journo Logan Green, would someday run the Comrades Marathon.
Here is that blog in case you missed it (check out point three:):
https://www.citizen.co.za/benoni-city-times/259300/blog-things-i-learned-in-the-kingdom-of-the-zulu-and-at-comrades-by-a-guy-who-didnt-actually-run-the-comrades/
At the time it was just a bit of silly banter in a blog.
I never thought I could, or would, actually take on the challenge of running the world’s oldest and longest ultra-marathon.
As the time rolled on something inside me just sparked.
I just had to do it!
This heavy joller was going to run the Comrades Marathon in 2018 (I gave myself a bit of time to get prepared for it).
And so, the greatest adventure of my life commenced:
Naturally, a few of life’s great lessons would follow suit.
When I arrived at the start line at Pietermaritzburg’s City Hall in the early hours of the morning on June 10, 2018 I was already armed with a whole load of lessons acquired from the so-called ‘Road to Comrades’ journey.
The proper ‘Road to Comrades’ gets going between the months of January to the end of May, but I had oodles of work to do before then.
Before January 2018 arrived I had run my first half-marathon (21.1km race) and first full marathon (42.2km) just to tick those off the list before the serious training got going.
Here’s the blog about my first marathon experience:
https://www.citizen.co.za/benoni-city-times/307945/lgs-blog-things-learned-still-learning-road-running-completing-first-marathon/
As you can tell road running has changed my life.
These are some of the lessons I have been taught in the lead up to as well as during and after the longest run of my life:
1. “You can do anything you set your mind to, man.”
Eminem said that at the end of his hit song Lose Yourself and the slimmest of Shadies was not wrong.
I remember sukkeling my rear-end off when I ran my first 21km race at the end of August 2017.
How would I ever be able run 90 friggen kilometres of the Comrades friggen Marathon?
But, through devoted application and commitment and over 1 100km of training later, I exhaustingly stumbled my way to the finish line at Moses Mabhida Stadium on the afternoon of June 10 to complete my first Comrades.
Those are words I never thought I would be able to say.
It just shows you – it’s all in the pip, boet.
Let me get you all pumped up with the tjoon that gets me going before a run (mind the odd F-Bomb):
If this guy can do the Comrades then what is your excuse to do something new?
2. Comrades is not only about you
Yep, the race might be about you getting from Point A to Point B, but it is not about you only.
There are so many people behind the scenes who have to make sacrifices for you to take to the tar.
I am not married, but I know so many runners whose significant others and kids had to make do without their mom, dad or spouse while they were out on the road training in the early mornings or evenings.
I am sure they drew inspiration from that.
Meanwhile, my inspiration to run the great race came from a little boy, my six-year-old nephew Jaden.
READ his tale by CLICKING HERE
I dedicated my novice Comrades Marathon run to him:
What a treat it was to be able to bring home this tiny, but special medal to this little man.
Speaking of doing it for others, I had such tremendous support in the build up and on the day.
I am so fortunate and blessed that I had such an incredible following (some people got there on their own steam with no supporters seconding them on the route).
All the messages of support did not fall on deaf ears.
From written letters to the Benoni City Times to phone calls and Facebook posts, I thank you all.
My mom tells me that a lot of folk from Brakpan were keeping a keen eye of my progress on WhatsApp groups.
Dankie, julle!
I also had a chat with Uncle Paul Rotherham on Caxton Radio Benoni before the race:
Rad!
3. I do love the ladies
I got a bit of stick in my post-Comrades article for the City Times for neglecting some of the women’s results in the article.
Alas, no sexism was intended in the piece.
I wrote that in a bit of a haze after the race and perhaps I should have given more love to the ladies.
There were some truly impressive results from the local women runners.
Keep an eye on this lady, Melinda Jansen van Vuuren, in particular, in future Comrades races:
I see Comrades gold in her future.
4. The hurt locker is a real thing
“Are you ready to meet the real you today?”
A question posed to me by my friend Kendall Hancock just before the start of the race.
Boy, I met the real LG out there indeed!
Guys, I was having the best run with my buddy Dazz de Kock up until about 70km when I started hurting like a Liverpool fan after the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
I was on for a bronze medal time, and had to bid farewell to Dazz, as my body had decided that we were not cool anymore.
That last 20km was the longest, toughest time of my life.
Thoughts of Jaden and all the support back home and on the side of the road kept me moving forward.
In Pinetown my lovely girlfriend Ashton (who I met through running) literally dragged me by the arm and ran alongside me for a little while and that got me going again.
There was no way I was not going to get to the finish line after that.
I was poised for a bronze medal finish before my stomach cramped up and the biggest stitch of my life introduced itself to me.
I watched the sub-11 hour bus disappear in front of me with a few kilometres to go.
Am I disappointed?
Nope.
The aim of the game was always to get to Moses Mabhida Stadium and I did it.
5. I will forever cherish the friendships made
On this journey I made so many new friends from all walks of life.
Existing friendships were made stronger while new people came into my life.
If you want to make awesome friends, start running.
6. There’s no place like South Africa
Sho, but the Comrades Marathon really does showcase the best of South Africa.
The hideous, racist garbage spewed on social media can give you the wrong impression of our country, but the Comrades throws all of that out of the window.
When I was feeling down and out there was always someone shouting out my name (names are printed on your race number), motivating me to keep going.
There were black people, white people, Indian people, little people, all people just willing me on.
It really gave me so much hope for this beautiful land.
7. That photo will always tug at my heartstrings
Ah, finally.
That photo.
This is what I posted on Facebook about that photo:
“Whoa, this pic gives me goosebumps every time I look at it!
It truly sums up my running journey from beer-boeped ‘beach ball’ to 2018 Comrades Marathon finisher.
Firstly, it showcases the spirit of Comrades – the sheer satisfaction of completing a 90km-plus race and all the time and effort that has gone into preparing for such a revered, grueling race.
Secondly, it sums up what Benoni Northerns Athletic Club is all about – the experienced heads guiding the naive, clueless novices to their running dreams through wise advice, unparalleled support and belief.
Thirdly, it highlights a tremendous friendship between myself and Jan Jordaan, with whom the Benoni City Times and I have worked with so closely with in recent years to promote and cover the Robor Marathon and Rowlin National Glow Run.
You cannot buy this kind of moment (well, you can if you purchase an entry when they open and start training towards it).”
What a journey!
What a feeling!
8. I must be mad
After my race I said I would never do it again.
A few days later and it looks like I am going to be running up for my Back-to-Back Medal in 2019.
Here we go again.
LG
* Please note that this is an opinion piece and that the views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Benoni City Times or Caxton Newspapers.
Check out some other blogs from this writer:
LG’s A to Z of a South African road trip
LG’s Blog: Things I’m learning while learning to run really far, like really, really, really far
LG’s Blog: Cough, cough… Comrades is around the corner (I just died)
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