Ja well no fine, we are one month further into the year and as close to Comrades as dam-it is to swearing. Have you ever calculated the cost of a race? Yes we all calculate the obvious things like petrol & toll roads, accommodation, food and race entries, but what about the other hidden costs? Take Jurgens Strydom as a shining example. He travelled down to Cape Town for the Two Oceans marathon. His petrol was expensive, so was the accommodation & food. Now we all know before a race we are so charged up that invariably you don’t sleep well but after the race you deserve to sleep well.
Jurgens unfortunately found that the refrigerator in his room was making the most awful noises and he just could not sleep. By manoeuvring the fridge by slightly tilting it forward the noise was gone. The only suitable sized article at hand to shove in between the wall and the fridge was his running shoe. After a well deserved rest he packed up the next day, had breakfast end returned to Gauteng. The next Tuesday at the time trial Jurgens discovered with a more than mild shock that his one running shoe is still wedged into that “quite” space between the wall and refrigerator. Add R2000.00 for a new pair of Brooks Ghost to the race cost and it becomes a sizeable amount. Jurgens, a sleeping tablet would have been much cheaper and I am sure Medihelp would have paid for the script.
For our next story our readers must have a vivid imagination or you would not enjoy this. It is a clear case of too much time spent in a car and not enough on the road. Our clubs GM, Wynand, did the Cradle race near Krugersdorp. Wynand now an avid walker was going strong when he noticed a lady which he thought he knew coming from the front. As she passed him going in the opposite direction he wanted to have a second look, just to make sure. Wynand glanced at “the rear view mirror” but only saw tar road and legs where the rear view mirror should have been. I will only say this once “Eish”
One of the many husband & wife combinations at our club Andrew & Chantel Heuvel have been members now for a few years. As recent as April this year while Andrew was at the club with his kids, waiting for Chantel to arrive, he received a call on his cell. It was Chantel and she was phoning in desperation, wanting to know how to get to the clubhouse. Now picture this, they have been members for a few years, and Chantel has never been to the clubhouse before. Chantel, you will not live this one down. I think you must be voted on to the committee, that way you will have to come to the club at regular intervals.
My next story is something like the fable about Rip van Winkel, just very different. Our club also have a Rip van Winkel but he did not sleep long enough, he woke up to soon. Our GM, Wynand, walked a podium position at the Wally, and after the prize giving went to put some exercise in for his upcoming event to represent Gauteng North at the SA championship event in Port Elizabeth. After a day of hard exercise he showered and then went for a well deserved sleep. Wynand also set his alarm in order to be up and awake when the rugby started.
The alarm did its job and Wynand arose fresh and ready for the big game on TV. The time of the game came & went but no rugby on TV. It was only when Ansie asked, ever so matter of fact like, is the game not on Saturday, that Wynand realized his mistake. The Wally was on Friday, a public holiday, it was not a Saturday. Or did Wynand know this, and just did not sleep long enough to wake up on the Saturday? We will perhaps never know the truth, but let sleeping dogs lie.
And then we have the seasoned runners that still make the novice mistakes. Heinrich Pick did the Love Run, and when he eventually got to the finish he had an immense difficulty to tear off the bottom of the race number. After a few attempts and a bemused look from the official at the medals table, Heinrich took a closer look and low and behold, his race number did not have a perforated line at the bottom. It then became clear to Heinrich that he actually only had his provincial licence on and no race number for the event. After a few apologies to the officials he made his way to the club gazebo, fetched his race number, and like a true sportsman, returned with the number to the officials to claim his medal.
Our last story and it was kept till last because it is a unique story which happened at the Jackie Mekler race at Voortrekker Hoogte. The older generation will remember the story of “Siener” van Rensburg and then later in years we had a movie about “Siener” in the Suburbs but our club now has its own “Siener” in die Verte” or shall we call her “Siener” Steenkamp?
Travers Snyman, also nick named by one group as the “coach” took a “buss” of potential Comrades runners on a long slow jog on the Jackie Meckler 25k race. When they approached a slight uphill, nothing more than a slight bump, he asked Lindie Steenkamp to take the lead up the hill and told the ‘buss” to imagine that they are running up Cowies Hill. When Lindie crested the “hill” she shouted “I can see the finish”. Cowies from the Durban finish is about 19 kilo’s but from the Maritzburg Finish is about 67 Kilo’s. In hind sight it may be that Lindie forgot it is an up run, or she must have some wonderful foresight. Be it as it may, anybody who can see the finish in Pietermaritzburg from Cowies is indeed in my estimation a “Siener” So folks, take a moment when you pass Lindie again and speak to the “Siener” she may have a message for you!!.
Well folks that it for now so cheers vir eers. Enjoy your Comrades, I will chat to you afterwards, depending if I have the strength to.
The Running Reporter
Jurgens unfortunately found that the refrigerator in his room was making the most awful noises and he just could not sleep. By manoeuvring the fridge by slightly tilting it forward the noise was gone. The only suitable sized article at hand to shove in between the wall and the fridge was his running shoe. After a well deserved rest he packed up the next day, had breakfast end returned to Gauteng. The next Tuesday at the time trial Jurgens discovered with a more than mild shock that his one running shoe is still wedged into that “quite” space between the wall and refrigerator. Add R2000.00 for a new pair of Brooks Ghost to the race cost and it becomes a sizeable amount. Jurgens, a sleeping tablet would have been much cheaper and I am sure Medihelp would have paid for the script.
For our next story our readers must have a vivid imagination or you would not enjoy this. It is a clear case of too much time spent in a car and not enough on the road. Our clubs GM, Wynand, did the Cradle race near Krugersdorp. Wynand now an avid walker was going strong when he noticed a lady which he thought he knew coming from the front. As she passed him going in the opposite direction he wanted to have a second look, just to make sure. Wynand glanced at “the rear view mirror” but only saw tar road and legs where the rear view mirror should have been. I will only say this once “Eish”
One of the many husband & wife combinations at our club Andrew & Chantel Heuvel have been members now for a few years. As recent as April this year while Andrew was at the club with his kids, waiting for Chantel to arrive, he received a call on his cell. It was Chantel and she was phoning in desperation, wanting to know how to get to the clubhouse. Now picture this, they have been members for a few years, and Chantel has never been to the clubhouse before. Chantel, you will not live this one down. I think you must be voted on to the committee, that way you will have to come to the club at regular intervals.
My next story is something like the fable about Rip van Winkel, just very different. Our club also have a Rip van Winkel but he did not sleep long enough, he woke up to soon. Our GM, Wynand, walked a podium position at the Wally, and after the prize giving went to put some exercise in for his upcoming event to represent Gauteng North at the SA championship event in Port Elizabeth. After a day of hard exercise he showered and then went for a well deserved sleep. Wynand also set his alarm in order to be up and awake when the rugby started.
The alarm did its job and Wynand arose fresh and ready for the big game on TV. The time of the game came & went but no rugby on TV. It was only when Ansie asked, ever so matter of fact like, is the game not on Saturday, that Wynand realized his mistake. The Wally was on Friday, a public holiday, it was not a Saturday. Or did Wynand know this, and just did not sleep long enough to wake up on the Saturday? We will perhaps never know the truth, but let sleeping dogs lie.
And then we have the seasoned runners that still make the novice mistakes. Heinrich Pick did the Love Run, and when he eventually got to the finish he had an immense difficulty to tear off the bottom of the race number. After a few attempts and a bemused look from the official at the medals table, Heinrich took a closer look and low and behold, his race number did not have a perforated line at the bottom. It then became clear to Heinrich that he actually only had his provincial licence on and no race number for the event. After a few apologies to the officials he made his way to the club gazebo, fetched his race number, and like a true sportsman, returned with the number to the officials to claim his medal.
Our last story and it was kept till last because it is a unique story which happened at the Jackie Mekler race at Voortrekker Hoogte. The older generation will remember the story of “Siener” van Rensburg and then later in years we had a movie about “Siener” in the Suburbs but our club now has its own “Siener” in die Verte” or shall we call her “Siener” Steenkamp?
Travers Snyman, also nick named by one group as the “coach” took a “buss” of potential Comrades runners on a long slow jog on the Jackie Meckler 25k race. When they approached a slight uphill, nothing more than a slight bump, he asked Lindie Steenkamp to take the lead up the hill and told the ‘buss” to imagine that they are running up Cowies Hill. When Lindie crested the “hill” she shouted “I can see the finish”. Cowies from the Durban finish is about 19 kilo’s but from the Maritzburg Finish is about 67 Kilo’s. In hind sight it may be that Lindie forgot it is an up run, or she must have some wonderful foresight. Be it as it may, anybody who can see the finish in Pietermaritzburg from Cowies is indeed in my estimation a “Siener” So folks, take a moment when you pass Lindie again and speak to the “Siener” she may have a message for you!!.
Well folks that it for now so cheers vir eers. Enjoy your Comrades, I will chat to you afterwards, depending if I have the strength to.
The Running Reporter
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