1996 - 1998: MIDDLEAGED COUCH POTATO TO THE LONDON MARATHON & AN 80 KM ULTRA

By 1995 I was an overweight, asthmatic
couch potato fast approaching middle age.





1996: My friend Phyllis decided that we should take up walking. So, we started with 2km on the beach twice a week; then 5km fun/run walks. Then 10km fun run/walks; then Phyllis (bless her) decided we should aim for a MONSTER walk - the 88kms, 2 day Capital to Coast Charity walk from Pietermaritzburg to Durban along the famous “COMRADES MARATHON’ route.
Yeah, yeah!
No body would believe that us two old crocks would do it so we started training in secret. Day after day, week after week until the big day of the BIG WALK arrived. What and achievement!! 11 hours and 1 minute! We even beat the great Bruce Fordyce by about 3 hours overall. Afterwards I said, ‘NEVER AGAIN!!”
1997: So proud of my new found ability to walk a long distance I went to Johannesburg and did the 42,2km Johannesburg Big Walk.
A month later I met Marion and she, Linda and I walked the 50km Guardbank Ultra along the same route. Eish!! That was a loooooo....ng way. My back ached. My legs throbbed. My feet were frot. And I said: "NEVER again!"
1998:
In April 1998 I went to England with Clare & Brian and we walked the London Marathon. I love saying that - me! walk the London Marathon!! We even made the newspapers - we walked to raise money for a young girl paralysed in a car accident. But it was ONLY 42.2 kms - what a pleasure!! I LOVED it! Wanted to do it all over again in reverse but they wouldn't let me.
"NO MORE LONG DISTANCE WALKS FOR ME!" I said. " No Sireee! Nothing over 42km from now on."

Later that year.......
In August 1998 I joined a group of 8 crazy ladies from Highway Athletics and we started training to walk the Capital to Coast 80km Ultra. (Once again along the Comrades route from Pietermaritzburg to Durban). Finn (my ever patient, supportive husband) seconded us the whole day with a boot full of food, tea/coffee/coke as well as muscle rubs, plasters etc.
Our bus broke up along the route and I ended up coming in with Glynis and Gail in 11 hours and 3 minutes. Afterwards I said:
" 80 kilometres!! I must be mad!
NEVER, EVER, EVER AGAIN!!”.