DOING LIFE

THE 'FLIP PIN' MINESHAFT - Sunday, 29 October 2006 Don't know what's wrong with us. What happened to DOING LIFE instead of DREADING LIFE, when the alarm clock goes of with a deafening noise, officially announcing 'here's reality', and that at 4:00am on the rest day, Sunday! Dreading life happens when you had a serious bad night with hardly any sound sleep, having to wake up at this rude early hour of a Sunday morning, your body, feeling like a TUSH (trapped under something heavy) not wanting to co-operate and lagging behind the brains activity. The body's unwillingness to co-operate is understandable, when it is being brainwashed with '21.1km coming up - not on four wheels but on your own two legs!' A half-marathon run/walk devilish known as the MINESHAFT is reason enough for one's body to go on strike. After a slice of white toast with honey and peanut butter accompanied by tea and lethargically getting geared up - that is inclusive of large slaps of Vaseline on all those tender spots of the body and finishing it off with sunscreen lotion, we were off to attempt this dreadful race called the MINESHAFT.

We have done this race in 2002. I did the 10km and Conroy did the 21.1km. The race was held during a cooler time of the year and even then the traffic was a nuisance. This year it was held during a much hotter time of the year and zillions of cars shaving past one was quite unsettling, not to mention the heat. It was a two-lapper and the heat and traffic quadrupled during the second lap.

To stay alive, one had to use pavements which were very uncomfortable under foot. With no shade to speak of en route and the temperature soaring to the 30's, not to mention km's and km's of 'mineshaft' hills, the race took its toll. With mild heatstroke and endless hills the last 4km's of each lap, I probably was a sight for soar eyes entering the last stretch to the finish. Being way too 'gatvol', I did not hear the commentator airing very rude remarks on the PA system. Conroy filled me in later on our way home. The commentator announced that: 'here's another Run & Walk for Life lady finishing. Her time is 3h14min and she definitely does not look very happy'. Well, it was just as well that I did not hear this at the time, otherwise this poor uninformed commentator's life was at serious risk. 'How dare he make such comments sitting in the lovely cool shade of a gazebo with an ice cold bear in his hand?'

The cherry on the top is that we endeared this awful experience (self-inflicted) and paid for it in cash for a meagre coffee mug!

- Heatstroke signing off