NOFSA BRAND AMBASSADOR 2020
As we all know Lee-Anne, our NOFSA Brand Ambassador, is a sports fanatic and a runner par excellence! We popped in to see how she is keeping sane during lockdown and also staying fit in the name of bone health!
Says Lee-Anne, “The first day of lockdown I ran 4km in my garden and almost died with boredom on how long it took. I thought I would never do it again but then the runner in me got the better hand and I went back for more almost every single day. I signed up for the Mzanzi lockdown challenge and ran a total of 302.17km in my 50m garden; the initial goal was only 42.2km!
During that time I ran half of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon on the day that the marathon was meant to happen, which meant 29km in 2 hours and 36 minutes.
I took part in the Ultra race, Romania, a 10km virtual garden run; it took me 44:29 minutes, placing me as the 4th female out of 54 nations.
Shortly after this race I got invited to take part in a 24 hour relay lockdown challenge where each participant gets an hour slot to run. I managed to get the highest mileage with 13.12km in an hour around the garden.
It is safe to say that my garden no longer exists and the path I ran will be there for years to come!
On the 1st of May we were allowed to hit the road again and even though I was very active during lockdown at home, it took me some time to get used to the road again and having to run with a facemask.
My current running mileage for May thus far is 150km and I am averaging between 11-12km per day.
This past Saturday my running club hosted a virtual race where we got to choose our distances and tons of runners went out to take on the road. I chose the 15km distance and ran it in exactly 1 hour and 12 minutes.
I am also running in the home girl’s ultra-marathon with the club called ‘Catch me if you can’ with the goal of 89kms in May!
Throughout all of this I have also been focusing on strength training. The one thing runners hate the most. I do squats, lunges, push ups, sit ups, plank and some weight training.
Now that the Comrades has been cancelled I am feeling a deep sense of mourning, however I have decided to continue the fight. Running didn’t get cancelled, my passion didn’t get cancelled, my hobby isn’t cancelled and so I will continue my training. The goals have just moved ahead in time slightly…
When I lace up in the mornings, I try and remember those who fight health battles daily and I try to run for those who can’t.
I have been having such fun running in mismatched socks for Osteoporosis awareness and getting others to join in on the venture. It has got me so excited that I am now even looking at running in mismatched shoes!
The plan of action now is to continue the training, increase the strength training and continue to raise awareness about bone health every time I hit the road.
