Welcome to that week between Christmas and New Year when even the days of the week become a mystery. This time of year, akin to limbo, is truly special. My children’s stationary and school clothes are mostly sorted and ready for the upcoming year—well, they’ll survive with what hasn’t been sorted yet. Christmas has come and gone, and it feels as though the entire world has collectively decided to take a bit of a breather. ...
I have been participating in a reflection workshop since the beginning of December. I also took part in this workshop last December. It is a wonderful way to conclude a year. One of our recent prompts for introspection was: ‘Where did you own your value this year?’ To unpack this prompt, I used the following rationale: To understand where I owned my value this year, I first need to comprehend what it means to own my value. ...
During one of our runs, my friend Raymond walked me through the intricacies of conducting a fire test. It’s amazing the subjects we delve into while pounding the tar. The process entails subjecting materials to intense heat until they reach their smoking point. Sensors, strategically placed above the experimental setup, are supposed to detect the smoke. The order and time at which these sensors detect or fail to detect the fire are recorded. This data is later presented to the client, a mining company, aiding them in deciding which sensors to invest in. ...
I’ve now run two marathons. It was the same marathon, one year apart, almost identical routes, same time of year, similar weather (this year’s weather might’ve been slightly more challenging) - and yet two completely different experiences. Last year’s was the more difficult run of the two. I was still very inexperienced then and I cramped for at least the last third of that marathon. But I enjoyed the experience and the vibe of the event, and will always treasure it. Afterwards, I took what felt like forever to recover. I kept trying to get back into running but couldn’t seem to figure it out. ...
A few days after completing the 2023 Cape Town marathon, I wrote a thank you note to Michelle on my blog page. In this piece, I wrote the following: “I had to take some time to figure things out especially my ‘why’ and then my ‘how’ - both felt unfigureoutable.” My Kopskuif-course started at the end of last month. It is a weight-loss preparation course. In this course, I try to unpack the world of diets and exercise and try to make it slightly less intimidating for someone who knows that they need to lose weight but is unsure of where to start. ( Before you ask, it is only available in Afrikaans) My focus for about half of this course is on ‘why’; during the other half, I focus on ‘how’. ...
Planning for and working towards a big goal is incomplete unless you also plan what to do after reaching that goal - especially when it is an event you’re working towards. Not having a post-event plan can leave you feeling aimless, even depressed, when your event is done and dusted. Note: you are probably going to feel a bit lost and down anyway, but having a post-event plan will definitely help. ...
We had an interesting problem these past two weeks. I wrote “we” even though it was actually my problem. I had someone who shared this problem with me and solved it for me - which is a massive privilege. The Wednesday after my previous newsletter I had a 10km Easy run on my training calendar. I cannot recall a 10km ever feeling better or easier during the course of this past year than my run that morning. I shared this observation with a running friend who was very happy for me. ...
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” What a lie! On the one side, I believe that we should be able to fairly criticize and share an honest opinion. On the other hand, I believe that it is better to keep quiet when you don’t have something good to say. When trying to console someone who’s been the receiver of some hurtful words, sentences such as “Remember hurt people hurt people”, “Choose who you allow yourself to listen to” or “Offence is taken, not given” are sometimes uttered. Not that these consolations help. Once the hurtful message has been spoken or posted there is no knowing how long it will be pondered over in the mind of the receiver. ...
We had an inspiring “Journeys”- themed town hall session at our offices. Myself and some of my colleagues had the opportunity to share a bit about our journeys. One of my colleagues shared how she and her husband were keen Camino trail walkers. One of their bucket list items was to walk the Camino trail in Italy, but when her husband collapsed and passed away next to her one day while walking in the Transkei she decided to walk the Italian trail by herself. She shared her adventures, stories and reflections. ...
I suspect I am writing today’s newsletter just for myself. It is the message that I need to hear. These past few months we’ve been focusing on improving my running form. There is so much that I need to fix. I lean forward too much, I don’t lift my chin enough, my shoulders are too much forward, I don’t lift my knees enough, my shoulders rock, or sway, too much, my cadence is too low and I heel strike. In short: I don’t do anything right… (It is not true, but sometimes that is how it feels) ...