Marshall Kiewiet
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Oh wow! I can not believe that March is almost over. I have been having a major case of FOMO! because it is #homieshalf in Berlin and I am in Johannesburg. The RUN! PARTY! REPEAT! I could be turning up right now but one day is one day. Marshall is the latest addition to the indierunner crew, when are you joining us...
On who you are…
My name is Marshall Kiewiet,
proud dad and husband born and bred in magnificent Cape Town. Running, ameteur powerlifting
and hikking are my passions, they are all about SELF improvement and becoming
the “strongest version of yourself” (that’s an Elliote Hulse quote) I’m also
known for playing Civilization V and cooking. I spend a lot of time at this
thing called work, which I’m not a fan of but the IT industry has been paying
my bills for years.
On running…
I’ve been
hiking for about six years making small insignicant gains on my fitness. In
2013 we had an exceptionally wet winter which, with work, caused about a six
month absence from hiking. I wanted to come back with a bang and be much fitter
than before, so I turned to running. The first run was painfull, my legs were
killing me, I couldn’t breath and at the end I could hardly walk. All the other
runners around the Rondebosch Common that day seemed to be at peace, almost
meditating and had a look of determination I never noticed while driving past
runners. While sitting on the grass that day trying to catch my breath I
understood why runners run and I wanted to part of it.
There is a
zone that all runners try to achieve, whether by pacing away or going slow and
steady, in a pack or alone. I feel it best mid race after everyone has settled
in. Theres a point when the pack goes silent and all you hear is the sound of
your breathing and everyones feet hitting the ground in sync with yours.
My running
is all about trying to achieve this feeling. Slow and steady for longer is my
main goals in runing so I can savour the feeling.
On Running culture…
Running has the honour of being the most competitive and most uncompetitive sport. Runners don’t compete with each other but rather compete with themselves. It makes them a humble bunch (well mostly, I’m generalizing) and they are always trying to help each other.
There is a special bond we runners share. Its always amazing when discovering someone runs for the first time, a converstion that normally would have been a few sentences turns into a hour long conversation on running.
I’m a proud member of this community and culture.
On gadgets…
Nowadays
you just need to have a smart phone with Nike+ or Endomondo installed, you can
track your progress and always have your running stats with you.
I
personally use a GPS running watch, as my distances increased my phone battery wouldn’t
last but it syncs with my phone so I always have my stats handy.
Not a fan
other gadgets like heart rate monitors because I don’t like running carrying
too many things, although I don’t deny their benefits.
On injury…
When I
started running, I was addicted to going faster and longer, I pushed my self
daily and just as I started making progress, BAM!!!, shin splints. I ended up
limping around for weeks.
Its always
depressing being out for long and seeing others going through the same, but
sometimes we have to learn the hard way.
My injury
taught me the importance of taking things slow and listening to my body.
On achievements…
Completing goals
you set yourself is one of the best feelings anyone can have.
I am so
proud of all my fitness achievements and those of my friends. The feeling of
achievement is what keeps us motivated, that last couple of kms of a race when
your body gave up and it’s just your mind.
It’s
actually funny what runners put themselves through to achieve.
On future goals…
I’ve set myself some ambitious running goals for this year. I want to bag 12 official half marathons and finnish my first marathon ever (Cape Town Marathon) but within a qualifying time for the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon 2016.
That’s right, I’m going to finish the Two Oceans next year no matter what.
On your social media…
I’ve always been posting pics of my weekend hikes on facebook, the positive feedback from friends keeps me motivated.
Nike+ has a feature which posts your runs to IG and this has also kept me motivated. By posting my runs on IG I discovered that there is a worldwide running movement and its awesome.
I’ve made so many IG friends and following their progress is insperational.
Despite my best effort I’ve been struggling to get my blog http://fitintellect.blogspot.com of the ground but I’ll get there soon enough.
On Pain…
When I die…
It should be like a scene from an action movie LOL I havent really thought about this, I’ve been to busy living but I suppose I would like to be remembered as a person who loved living and being dedicated.
#RunRevolution
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