Last year I went to support my mom who was running her 3rd Comrades Marathon at age 48. It was a great experience I even managed to squeeze a tear out as she came galloping into the stadium, not really looking at all like she had just run 89km from Maritzburg to Durbs.

Being my astute, verbal self (as a supporter you are also allowed to carbo-load, mine being in the form of beer) I happened to observe out loud that amongst the people finishing there were a number of fat and old people and that there was no excuse I could think of (just then) why I wouldn’t be able to do the same at the age of 27 and the body of a pre-pubescent boy.

My mom responded to my observation with a subscription to her running club, the kit, a permanent number and a very clever and persuasive: “I only want to do one more comrades and I’d like to do it with you, my only daughter”. Not being easily swayed by peer pressure I accepted all of this with a smirk and a promise to do what I could i.e. more carbo-loading and a jog every now and again.

At the end of October last year my mom came to visit and joined me in my first half marathon (the VOB Grape Run). I had visions of my mom leaving me in her (now 49 year old) dust and me limping in with the ambulance being the only thing behind me.

To my surprise I managed to keep up and finished in a very respectable 2 hours 18 minutes for a relatively tough course, which made me think that perhaps I should try a little harder to train, considering I have the kit and all…

Look out for Candice’s regular column as she writes about her trials and tribulations in training for the Comrades.