Blog

These past two weeks a friend who had lost 80kg via bariatric surgery within the space of 2024 alone, made me again ask myself the question “Am I the fool for having done things the way that I did it?” My husband says it must feel to me like saving up to buy an expensive car for three years, and then having the car go on sale for a third of the price the day after I had finally bought it. That’s not a bad analogy. But it’s not the most accurate analogy either. Every journey and what’s gained or lost during each is different. ...

At the start of this year, I chose my word for the year: Lemon. Or rather, Lemon chose me. It happened during my New Year’s Day run when I picked up a lemon along the route. I don’t believe in coincidences, so I looked into the spiritual meaning of lemons and found themes of cleansing, protection, transformation, clarity, and focus. Those last two—clarity and focus—struck a chord. They seemed exactly what I needed for a year that already felt murky and directionless. ...

With the start of 2025 and a flurry of New Year’s resolutions, I wondered why we often wait for a Monday, the 1st of the month, or a new year to start something. Is it because we crave structure, the promise of a clean slate, or simply because everyone else is doing the same? Yet starting on a random Friday or the 14th of the month doesn’t seem to carry the same weight. Do you also reckon so? ...

These past two weeks have tested me more than I expected. Not long after I told my coach how blessed I’d been to avoid injuries that sidelined me from running this year, everything seemed to unravel. I probably jinxed it! It started with a spider bite that turned into an infection so bad I needed surgery to drain it. The wound had to stay open, so running was out of the question. Just as I started easing back into it, I had an allergic reaction to the plaster covering the still-healing wound. I ended up running with the wound uncovered, which made me nervous and extra cautious. ...

If I had known on the 5th of December 2021 that it would take me three years—almost to the day—to improve the 10km time I ran that day, I’m not sure I would have laced up my shoes at all. This past weekend, I finally broke that 10km personal best—three years of trying, failing, and trying again. For most of this year, I’d been actively chasing this goal, coming so close—just seconds away—on several occasions. But no matter how hard I tried, it refused to fall. Until this weekend… ...

I am so surprised by how much better I feel after my marathon this year, which was only a month ago, compared to how I felt after the previous two marathons I ran. I reckon I’ve recovered well and am back to running strongly. Mentally, I also feel far less lost than before. I thought that because I hadn’t already entered next year’s edition of the Cape Town Marathon, I would feel aimless, but I don’t. Instead, I feel like there’s much less pressure on me. I haven’t set any new goals for next year yet either, and that’s also not bothering me. ...

I recently attended a talk by Mark Sham titled Happiness Isn’t What You Think. During the presentation, he guided us through an exercise on gratitude: Think of someone you’re grateful for. Meditate on why you’re grateful to have this person in your life. Write down these reasons in a letter. When the opportunity arises, read this letter to that person. I feel incredibly fortunate to have many people in my life to be grateful for, but for this exercise, the first person who came to mind was my husband. Reflecting on why I am so thankful to have him in my life made me feel deeply emotional, and I’d like to share those reasons. ...

The wind was howling when I awoke, long before dawn on race day. I’d listened to it since midnight, a constant, relentless reminder of the challenge awaiting me. Although I don’t consider myself a fair-weather runner, stepping out in weather like this is something I’d be hesitant to do even for a training run. But this wasn’t just any run; it was race day: the culmination of all the hours and countless kilometres. ...

In less than a week I’ll be lining up for the 2024 Cape Town Marathon. Less than a week… It’s hard to believe that by this time next week, the marathon I’ve dedicated so much to will already be behind me. The thought that I won’t run it next year makes me sad. (I’ve decided to focus on improving my 10km and 21km times next year, perhaps working towards a goal like a 2h30m half-marathon.) ...

Three weeks ago, just after 4:00 on a Sunday morning when I had a 15km run scheduled, I sent this message to my running coach: “I woke up on time to join Run Zone, but I’m still exhausted (despite going to bed before 19:00 last night). I can’t go on like this… I can’t wake up daily feeling like death warmed up and keep pushing through. I’m going back to sleep and will probably run the RH 5km route x3 later by myself.” ...