Runner praises her community for inspiring her
Ferne Kalamer prepares for the 2024 Comrades Marathon and shares with us what has inspired her and her goal of obtaining a silver medal.
A HIGHWAY Comrades Marathon runner is thankful to her community for their inspiration in her journey. Ferne Kalamer, who will be running her fourth race in the upcoming Comrades Marathon, says the race is like a drug when you are joined by an enthusiastic community.
“That’s what I live for, and it gets me out of bed in the morning. I love seeing people succeed, especially after the hours of countless training and sacrifices they have made to get to where they want to be,” she said.
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Kalamer is a Kloof resident who ran her very first race in 2019 after she was inspired to be better and she discovered running as her path.
“I aspire to be better and better every year. So when it comes to entering Comrades, I am going for a new medal and to smash my previous year’s times. Also, the training journey of the race makes it extra special. Many hours on the road with friends, coffee runs, track sessions, preparing and travelling to races – this is what makes the Comrades journey extra special,” she said.
For her training, Kalamer said she is happy to have invested in training. “I have a coach, and he is the only person I listen to and who can tell me what to do. My training has consisted of plenty of elevation training to get strong on the hills, speed sessions, throwing in plenty of races and lots of coffee runs with friends. I also focus a lot on strength training in the gym to get strong, prevent any injuries and improve my running form.
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“All of this contributes to my performance on the road. Training also comes in the form of nutrition – making sure I have my race-day nutrition and hydration tried and tested to give me the best fuel for the big day,” she said.
Kalamer is aiming for a silver medal for this year’s race. “That is running under seven hours and 30 minutes. It’s a big and scary goal that seems rather unfathomable, especially being an Up Run, but I have done all the hard work and have trust in my coach and the training – that I will get to my goal,” she said.
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