Just keep showing up!
At 58, I thought I was doing pretty well with my running and fitness. Then I spent two days hiking with our 73-year-old friend Wolli, who is training for a 60 km UTMB race, and suddenly my standards needed adjusting. After struggling to keep up with Wolli and Marion, I returned to Zurich and lined up for a 14 km race of my own. Maybe I’m doing alright after all. Or maybe Wolli and Marion are just making me look bad!
I signed us up for a “lovely scenic half marathon” in the Swiss Alps. Only later did I realise it meant 1,150 metres of climbing and a finish line high on a mountain. Somewhere in between forest trails, a shrinking glacier and a brutal final ascent, my husband slowly accepted his fate. And just when we were done, the weather decided to have its say too.
Cape Town delivered the perfect race day: cool weather, great crowds and the luxury of racing practically from my own doorstep. There were nerves, strange mental games to keep the pace going and the infamous “Loop of Death”, where the course takes you past the finish line before deciding you haven’t suffered quite enough. Somehow, everything clicked.
London delivered exactly what it promises: huge crowds, nonstop noise, and just enough chaos to derail even the best-laid race plan. What started as a controlled 3:15 attempt slowly turned into a lesson in patience, pacing, and survival. This was less about perfection and more about getting it done.
Phew! Ran my fastest 10K ever at the SPAR Women’s Challenge, but the podium stayed out of reach. Eighth in my age group at 58 – proof that getting faster doesn’t always mean finishing higher. Can’t wait to hit 60 and start fresh in a new age group!
A “dress rehearsal” 30 km race quickly turned into a full-blown showdown. I battled the hills, kept one step ahead of Obertina, and survived the relentless instructions of her yelling coach. I crossed the finish line first in my age group, exhausted but triumphant…
London, I’m hoping for a calmer run!
I returned to the Peninsula Half Marathon two years after a stress fracture derailed my season. This time, everything clicked: good legs, kind weather, a small personal best, and a confidence boost heading towards the London Marathon.
Back from snowy Switzerland and feeling decidedly “unproductive” (thanks, Garmin), I faced a 30 km race… or a 15 km race. I chose less—and wow, what a difference! Hills, laughs, overtaking exhausted runners, and a second-place finish later, I learned: sometimes less really is more.
Over the past two months, I’ve been coaching Sandra for her 10k, and we were both excited about this one. It wouldn’t be her first…
I did a 14k race, the Grape Run in one of Cape Town’s vineyards. It was beautiful.