“It was a brutal and painful experience but I am looking forward to another brutal and painful experience next year.”
So said Connie Mkhize, who completed her first Comrades Marathon at this year’s down run in KwaZulu-Natal on August 28.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable was that, in July, she badly injured her Achilles tendon and her radiologist said it would be a miracle if she recovered in time to run it.
Her last long-distance run before the Comrades was the Pirates to Pirates 30km on July 17, where she ran an a extra 10km to follow her 40km training plan.
“I could not run for four weeks and I had physiotherapy as I rested my foot until Comrades,” said the Randpark Ridge resident, who is also race director at local running club, Randburg Harriers.
“My radiologist said it would be a miracle if my ankle recovered in time and I was fit enough. But when I could not run I could still swim, and I am so glad I could swim.”
Before that she had competed the Two Oceans Marathon (her longest distance before Comrades – 56km) and a few other qualifiers for Comrades. She also ran 25–40km twice a week before the injury ended all running training.
She believes regular swimming, along with the physiotherapy, helped her ankle recover quickly, though when August arrived Mkhize still didn’t know if she would be able to run 90km.
“The biggest challenge was the mental side of it. My mind had to get over the idea that I could not run.”
Before the injury, Mkhize had been training with a group called Team Cedar, which included runners from different clubs.
“Our coach and the guys there were very encouraging. They would not let me feel sorry for myself for one moment. They kept me going.”
The combination of encouragement, determination, and physiotherapy and swimming, had Mkhize and her muscles ready for the big day, which she loved.
“They say the bug bites and wow it did,” she added. “I will definitely be back.”
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