As we approach spring we shall be able to start at 6.00am again. That half an hour seems to make a huge difference to the rest of the day. Thanks to the stalwarts that regularly appear on Saturday mornings; to Gaynor and Errol who always make it to breakfast even when Gaynor was strapped from head to toe. We hear that they are now planning to move to UK to be closer to their family – we shall miss them.

Quote from magazine received in the Spar Ladies goodie bag:

“Exercise is not a selfish thing. You become a better person and that ultimately helps your family, your work and everything else. Exercise keeps you young, reduces anxiety, stress and depression and increases feelings of wellbeing and self-esteem. It creates a foundation of self-respect that permeates your other relationships, and inspires confidence in all life’s exploits”.

Time is a balancing act for all of us with increasing demands of family, work and social life. These were a few tips suggested to help find ways to fit in an exercise schedule:

Do it first. It sounds crazy to haul yourself out of bed in the early hours of the morning, but there are less interruptions and traffic. If you have trouble overcoming the temptation to sleep another hour, put your shoes and clothes out the night before to remind you of your commitment in the morning.

Do it immediately after work. Don’t go home first!! Exercise at the end of the day can help hake out job stress and serve as a relaxing end to the day and as good as a session on the shrinks’ couch.

And Nike’s slogan: JUST DO IT. (and think later).

ULTRA MARATHONS

Now that the Comrades Marathon is over, our calendar is filled with races every weekend and some of our members are putting in distance training for the Walking Marathons.

The Dolphins 50km on 2nd September was the original Ultra walk but for the past few years the Gaterite 50km has gained in popularity. Unfortunately, as Cecily pointed out, most of the local races are around 10km, not enough distance required for the Ultra’s. Inevitably the club splits into smaller groups who train on home ground.

CLUB WALKS ON SATURDAY

Last Saturday we had almost 20 members at our Club morning. Is it time to change the usual format though? Some people don’t like change but that is one sure thing in life that there will be change, and it has been suggested that one Saturday a month -either first or last - we walk from Westville instead. We have a number of members who live in Westville and we feel that it would encourage them to join us and give us regulars a change of scenery. If you have anything you would like to share or comment on with regard to training or to races, please contact me on my email address.

QUARTERLY SHEETS

Quarterly sheets are included with this newsletter – please get them back to Dave as soon as possible. A slightly different format has been designed for quarterly race results. If you mislay it or it is eaten by the dog, (puppies are prone to this kind of delicacy!) please contact me and it will be emailed to you.