Murray blogged about his preparation for 2011 Comrades on Runner's World.It was his first and like this year's run also UP. Truly inspirational! We will be posting his blog entries as part of our build up to Comrades 2013.
Running And Me: A Late-blooming Love Affair
JANUARY 20, 2011
Running and me: a late-blooming love affair.
In fact, I always thought the chances of me becoming one of those crazed, emaciated, sweat-oozing, luminescent, blurred figures devouring kilometre after kilometre of tarmac were nil. But a little while ago, fed up with an expanding waistline, unflattering tagged pictures on facebook, and general lethargy, I realised that I was tired of apathy and laziness. I knew deep down that the chubby guy in the pictures was not me, and I decided to make a change.
So, I tied my shoelaces, fell out the door, and slowly started running, and gradually everything changed. I dropped a few kilograms, my pants felt a little looser and a new sense of confidence seeped through me. Here I was, a new convert to the crazed, sweaty world of runners: a place where men’s nipples bleed and your best friend can be plasters and a jar of Vaseline.
This year’s Comrades will be my first attempt at this race that has to a large extent formed my and my family’s identity. At 27 years old, I am the last member of my family to attempt to run the Comrades. I am the black sheep, with a new paint job who got let in the backdoor.
Attempting to run the Comrades for me is not only about honouring family tradition but, rather, it’s simply something to do, a goal to achieve and a way of keeping fit. Whether in groups on a club run, going full tilt at time trial or slowly disappearing inside myself on a quiet stretch of road, running is something I enjoy and somewhere I think I may have a bit of talent slowly emerging. Maybe it’s genetics as some of the older club members like to point out, who still remember my father’s exploits at Comrades. I just like to run. At the moment I still consider myself a mediocre runner at best.
This week was supposed to be a momentous running week for me. Tonight, Wednesday, was supposed to be the one-year anniversary of my first 10-kilometre race. Unfortunately, I came down with a horrible throat infection and have been forced to keep the shoes in the cupboard for the week until I get better.
Hopefully, by Saturday I will be ready to do a nice long morning run, even though they start at 5 am. Until then, I will continuously quaff down endless supplies of vitamin C to increase my chances.
Funny, how life can change in a year.
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| Murray at 2012 Comrades Marathon |
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