Reluctant Runner

This is the sixth story in my series of Running Stories, some of the others can be found here, here and here

I’d like to introduce you to Bruce Fordyce.  Bruce won the Comrades Marathon 9 times in the 80′s.  Now I have to confess, Bruce was part of some of my earliest childhood memories – waking up at 5am to watch the start of the Comrades and then being glued to the TV for the rest of the day until I saw him running over the finish line, arms in the air… Of course back then I didn’t even contenplate running, I was more concerned with getting back at my brothers and ballet!

What made you decide to start running?

I started running on June 17th 1976 (major date!) as a result of sadness following the 1976 Soweto uprisings in which we Wits students had been involved. My girlfriend had also recently broken up with me so I suppose suppressed libido is a good reason, and I had also met a couple of Witsies who had run and their enthusiasm was infectious.

Why the Comrades Marathon?

Comrades was and is part of the South African culture.  If I was going to start running it could only be to run Comrades. (Please direct any negative comments to Bruce!!)

When you are out front in a race, what goes through your mind?

At the front of the race my emotions were  fear, panic and then great joy and sadness.

What is the impact racing like this has had on your body?

Intense racing at stupid distances has left me very stiff and unsupple but otherwise all the other side effects are beneficial.

In my experience I’ve learned some valuable life lessons from endurance racing (like Vaseline has many many uses), what have yours been?

The most valuable lesson that I have learnt from endurance racing is that the worthwhile things in life are always those for which you have to strive for and work for. Winning the lottery might be nice but winning the lottery of life is more satisfying.

Obviously winning a race like the Comrades 9 times gives you “celeb” status, what are the best things you’ve gotten out of being famous??

Fame, if only limited fame, gets you upgrades on plane flights and tables in full restaurants

If you could give 3 points of advice to a newbie what would they be?

Don’t hurry the process. It takes years to achieve your true potential.
Start slowly in races.
Injuries always win

This is the fifth post in a series of posts on Running Stories.  You can read the first 4 here, here, here and here.

I’d like to introduce you to Sharon Fuchs.  Sharon is the first woman to have led a bus, the first of which she did last year with Stuart…

How long have you been running for?
I started running in about Feb 2007.

What made you decide to start running?
Funny that, I’d been walking for ages, Charmaine’s husband (old comrades runner) said to her that I walked well, I should consider entering a marathon, run the downs to qualify and then I could do comrades too.  Silly suggestion but the seed was sewn…

I was training for the natal 50km walking champs at the time. I completed the race with your mom (yes, my mom walks AND runs – total over achiever) I spoke to her at the end and asked her if she thought I “had what it takes” – she said she did…

I had missed the official cut off date for the Indian Ocean Marathon and said to myself that if I could get an entry then I’d try, if I didn’t then I’d write it off. Well, I got my entry the next morning. (almost to my horror) and did my first marathon (until that day, the furthest I had run was the 10km Stella Royal!)

What was it like leading a bus in the Comrades, knowing you were the first woman to do so?

I didn’t realise at the time that I was the very first,  as far as I knew there was some lady doing the 10hour bus too… turns out I was mistaken… go figure!

Leading a group of people towards a goal in a race as taxing as this takes a lot of energy as well as keeping focused on the race, what was going through your mind?

Not really anything, I think if you think too hard about it you could well chicken out! You go with a mind to be focused, you know that you have a lot of people depending on you. You can’t fail, it’s not an option.

How did you prepare mentally for this?

Practice. I did a lot of races where I made a point of doing the pace I intended for Comrades. The toughest was the Mannix Monster.

Did you have help?

With Stu last year it was fabulous, we worked towards the same goal – he works on a 5km stratergy, I work on 1 k at a time.  I managed to get my hands on his pace strategy before the race to make sure we had the same objective, I had to keep on track which is why every kilometre matters to me.

Will you do it again?

Oh yes. it was incredibly awesome!

What is the most important thing that endurance racing has taught you?

No two races are ever the same – not the same distance or even the same race .  It always changes,  when you think you know what you are doing – you don’t!! It is part of what makes it incredible! I also know – beyond all shadow of a doubt I am not a mountain goat, those ultras in the mountains are not for me. My self-preservatoin is far too strong!!

What is it that keeps you going on these long races and running in general?

Well, some people die at the finish which is why for now, just keep on runin sista! keep on runin

I stumbled across a great write up on Sharon by another runner on one of the running forums I’m on, have a look to see what other people have to say http://runnerstalk.myfreeforum.org/about1858.html

This is my fourth post in the “Running Stories” series, you can read the first three here,  here and here

I would like to introduce you Craig Vivian.  Craig ran the entire Comrades with me this year.  Our mothers both compete in many full and ultra marathons together and it is through them that we became friends.  Craig’s mom ran the Comrades this year with a broken foot – and she finished!

What made you decide to do the Comrades?
There were a few reasons:
(1) I had completed 2 Two Oceans and felt like I was ready to step it up a level.
(2) I was asked by a charity to run for them to raise money.
(3) I’m 27, my mother is 60 and she was running her 6th Comrades. I had no excuse really.

How long have you been running for?
I have been long distance running since the beginning of 2007 when I did my first marathon and Two Oceans. I’ve always been fit though throughout school and university, through shorter distance running and playing sports.

What was the most difficult thing about the training?
I found the two most difficult things about training were:
(1) The length of the training. It’s hard to train solidly for 5-6 months.
(2) The personal sacrifices – whether it’s not going out on a Saturday after the rugby because of a Sunday race, or just sacrificing on sleep. It was all worth it though

What was the most difficult thing during the race?
Being my first Comrades, it was difficult to get my mind around running +-90km. I always seem to have a bad period during a race, usually around the 3rd quarter. Your legs aren’t fresh anymore and you’re still not that close to the finish. My mind sort of goes walk about. Luckily in the Comrades, this period came with 18km to go, I knew that if I could hang on until 10km to go, I’d be alright which is what I did.

Was it as hard/easy as what you expected?
The Comrades was easier than what I expected purely because in the three ultra marathons (anything over 42.2km) I have done, there were stages where I got bad cramps in my legs. In the Comrades, I had a couple of scares but no painful cramping. The recommendation to go out slow in the beginning really worked.

Did you have any epiphanies about yourself during training or the race?
You have a lot of time to think when running for just under 11 hours. I ran the whole race with a friend and I definitely feel that the Comrades experience made us closer. I also felt after finishing the race that I shouldn’t be afraid of any challenge, being work, personal or sport related.

Would you do it again and what would you change, if anything?
I am definitely going to do it again. I have already told the charity I ran for this year to sign me up again. Training wise, I would concentrate more on quality training, this year I focused too much on just long distance running. You do need this but I feel that additional speed training and some strength training in the gym is also important. I would also like to a much better time, 10h:52 minutes is a long day at the office.

* I would like to add that it was such a change running with someone for the entire race.  Last year I ran half of the way on my own and it becomes very boring.  I’m really glad we experienced this incredible race together (that’s him on the left in the picture in case you were wondering)!