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Running on the mountain, through the beautiful fynbos and
forests that we are so privileged to have access to in Cape Town, makes me
incredibly happy. It may sound ridiculous, but I have been known to sprint down
a single track, navigating through trees and around hairpin bends, hopping over
boulders with an insane grin on my face. For me, running is more than exercise,
it is pure bliss, a chance to get outdoors and appreciate the beauty of nature,
a way to clear my head and continuously challenge myself beyond my comfort
zone. I love running, so much so that in recent months my boyfriend has taken
to calling me ‘Gump’; and without my daily dose of trail, I seemingly morph
into an irritable and anxious person with twitching legs and way too much pent
up energy. I am no longer ‘Gump’, but ‘Grump’.
After a fall a couple of weeks ago that resulted in an
injured knee, followed by flu and laryngitis, I decided to wave the white flag
and give into a good old rest period. Taking my dogs for walks on the trails on
which I should’ve been running frustrated me to no end and cycling; swimming
and any other form of cross training was out of the question. My only saving
grace over this period was regularly practicing yoga, which helped to keep me
sane. As hard as it was to stay away from running, I know now that there was
nothing as good as rest to help heal my injured body and give it a chance to
recover.
On the up side, taking out those abandoned running shoes and
stretching out your legs as you take the first few tentative steps on a run after
a long break feels amazing and the sensation of running on fresh legs and
expending all that pent up energy is incomparable. The feeling that one gets
when setting off on a run after a rest period is almost worth taking the time
off, it grows your appreciation for your fit, healthy body and shows us how
lucky we are to be able to take time out of our busy days to get outside and do
something we love, to run.
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