Running gives her freedom
Colinda Potgieter from the Pietersburg Road Runners athletics club says running the Comrades Marathon should not define a person, but it does mould and shape participants in a positive way.
POLOKWANE – Colinda Potgieter from the Pietersburg Road Runners athletics club says running the Comrades Marathon should not define a person, but it does mould and shape participants in a positive way.
Colinda will be competing in the Comrades for the 14th time this year and says she wants to finish this year’s race in a time of 8:45.
She ran her first Comrades in 2001 and completed the race in a time of 11:57, which is her slowest time to date. She has completed 13 consecutive Comrades Marathons since 2001 with her best time being 8:46 in 2010.
“I completed a lot of quality sessions this season and will have run around 1 450km when I line up on June 1. The race I cherish most is my Comrades 2010 run, when I received my green number,” she says.
Colinda describes herself as somewhat of a sports addict. “I like to cycle and I have taken part in the 94.7 Cycle Challenge three times. I enjoy swimming and regularly train in the gym during the off-season.
“One of my unfulfilled dreams remains to take part in the Ironman competition where you get to compete in all three disciplines; swimming, cycling and running,” says Colinda.
She says long distance running has been her favourite sporting activity since she was in primary school. She explains how she always experiences a feeling of freedom when she is running and therefore it is her first choice in sport.
“Add a bunch of friends who share your interest and fitness, the great outdoor experience and all the therapy that comes with training and you will only start to understand why runners get so addicted to the sport,” she says.
Colinda says hormones turned her into a chubby girl in high school and she stopped running, but played netball.
This year her daughter, Martinique, will run her second Comrades. Colinda’s brother, Johan van der Merwe, will run his 14th Comrades and her sister, Erika Bantjes, will take part for the 11th time.
She says running is not merely a lifestyle, but rather an extension of her need to channel her energy, passion and goals.
“People regularly ask me how many more Comrades marathons I plan to run in future.
“I am not sure at this stage, as I have never had the urge to call it a day.
“I think once running becomes a chore, I will lose interest. Until then, it is one foot in front of the other.”
