Dig in to the sand, it will pay off

PREPARATION for the Surfers Challenge is, or should be, quite different to what a runner would undertake to run a half-marathon on the road for instance and on Saturday February 18 2017 many could be found wanting if they do not heed that simple fact.

The sponsors, Discovery, are now synonymous with Surfers as is Surfers with the sporting DNA of Buffalo City. In just 10 weeks’ time we may understand why when some 4 000 runners, paddlers and walkers take part in Surfers 2017, or an aspect thereof, with the Junior and mini version also on offer.

Ten weeks is not a lot so it is to be hoped that all who have the 17.5km journey from Kwelera Mouth to Nahoon Beach in mind will by now have base training secured.

The varying terrains of the run are a challenge in themselves and too many runners may be tempted to forgo the puritan’s Surfers experience because they have been told the first section is dangerous because of rocks, or swimming the Gonubie River is treacherous.

The best advice I can give is to not fall into the trap of embracing the fears of others.

So indeed the first section as far as Gonubie River does present stretches that include rocks and/or pebbles, and if the participant has never run such surfaces before they are going to feel mightily uncomfortable. If, on the other hand, they have practised walking, then jogging and eventually running on a similar surface, the confidence will be in place to tackle the terrain in front of them on race day.

“I don’t like running on sand” is a clarion call