The Flying Fish

Highlands Trail Kogelberg Nature Reserve Kleinmond, Western Cape   They say change is as good as a holiday. Well, I wasn’t expecting my change to involve moving to the Eastern Cape to start a new job. But, thankfully, it meant that I sprang into action and organised a hike prior to leaving the Western Cape.   I wanted to do a 2-day hike, and I came across the Highlands Trail on the Hiking South Africa forum. A 39km 2-day hike, it looked ideal especially as we could leave our gear and food for the night at our accommodation in Kleinmond, which meant we only had to carry a day pack.   I chatted to some friends and we set a date: 27 July 2019. My first multi-day hike (excluding Kilimanjaro), and my first time organizing something like this. I tried to learn as much as I could about the route, especially the lagoon crossing on Day 1. I also tried desperately to get some sort of trail map. Yes, I was completely over-thinking things, but as I was the one with ...

There is something therapeutic about the feel of shoes hitting the pavement, the sound as you crunch over sand, or slap concrete or tar. Muscles tensing and releasing with every step. Eyes ahead, focused, breathing in time with your feet. And then there’s the jostle of others around you, the sound of their feet, their labored breathing, a jingling set of keys in a bag, the whiff of deep heat hitting your nostrils. I knew I could run a half-marathon – Since the beginning of 2019, I have run 21.1km 4 times – two training runs, and two events. I knew I could walk a full marathon – turns out I can run one too! But, could I complete 42.2km that wasn’t an organised event with other competitors. No cheering crowds or supportive athletes. No water points to walk through. Could I do it alone? I set out to find out. In 2019 I decided that I wanted to run a half-marathon by the end of the year. And then I saw that, as a Fedhealth Medical Aid member, I got free entry into the Sanla...