ACHILLES RELAY SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2014

WITH A BEAUTIFUL SEA VIEW BEHIND LINDSEY HIS FACE REFLECTS THE EFFORT THAT HE HAS PUT INTO RUNNING HIS LEG

ACHILLES RELAY SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2014

The annual Achilles Relay format is as follows:

While this relay is for Achilles Members, a few invitation teams also take part.
There are 6 members in a team
Each member runs a certain section of the run between 7 to 8.5km. The total distance is about 50km.
We meet at the Italian Club
Drive to the Greenbushes Hotel where the race starts
We start running at about 6am
The event is a Handicap event so the slower running teams will start off earlier.
The last team (the fastest team) leaves around 1H.10min after the slowest team.
We drive in One Car per team to reduce the chance of accidents.
The route takes us up the Old cape road towards st Albans; Turn right after about 5k and then then left at the Draaifontein road. We run along this road until the turn off to Seaview. Down to Maitlands River mouth. Up the infamous Maitlands Hill and then to Seaview village. And then back to the Italian club along the New Seaview Road. To make the run interesting there is a bit of a sting at the end with a climb up Melsetter and across to Bernard before finally heading back to the Italian club.

This morning we meet at the Italian Club at about 5.30am. We will be using Graham's car so there are 6 of us driving to the start. I get a lift with Afrika Mhlope. Afrika is a minister at a church in Kwazakhele. He is also a family man and writer. And a member of Achilles. Like me he will be running the first leg as he has to be at the Global Leadership Summit at the Harvest Christian Church. Afrika is the author of the book: "Christianity and the veneration of the dead" He examines the veneration of ancestors in South Africa from a Christian perspective. He also writes for the Gateway magazine.

I have, for the past three years, been first to start. I run for the Tigers team. This morning is the first time that it is not raining. In fact conditions are perfect as it is overcast and there is an east wind on my back. I am called to the start and start running immediately. I am determined to not let my team down so I run as fast as my slow legs will take me. I am feeling heavy with lactic acid and my lungs are heaving. I should have had a bit of a warm up run. I have run a few hundred meters when Graham; who is the driver today; calls me to stop and go back. I think that he is having me on and continue to run. He does a U turn and tells me that it was a false start. I drive back with him and then Percy starts the race again.

PETER RUNS THE FIRST LEG. I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE MY LAST TIME TO RUN THIS LEG AS I MUST NOW TAKE MY PLACE RUNNING SOME OF THE HILLY SECTIONS. I AM NOT STRONG ON HILLS AND SO WILL HAVE TO DO SOME HILL TRAINING IN THE WEEKS BEFORE THE 2015 EVENT.

Again I run off as fast as I am able. This time I feel a bit better as I have had at least a short warm up. I know this section well; having run it on two previous occasions. It is a mainly flat section with a bit of a slow up hill pull. The chaps drive next to me for a bit but then push on to the turn off point. It is quite strange to run alone as I am so used to running with someone else.
My lungs are burning and my left foot Achilles heel is hurting but I am forced to press on. At the top of the hill you can see the Green Road sign for the turn off and I see the chaps waiting for me there. I turn to the left and try to work out my change over point. I can see some Wattle trees but I am mistaken -- still further on. Cross the rail line and then finally I see the chaps waiting for me. I run even harder for the final 500m and hand over to Robin Clark. He is substituting for Tom Darcy whose wife (Jean) is not well. Tom will remember this leg as being a toughie with some long and some steep hills.

I am given a few minutes to cool off and have a drink of water. Then we drive on to support Robin. We wait at the Draaifontein Road for Robin to come over the hill. He is running well and to his predicted time of 7min a kay. He has quite a tough section to run with a few hills thrown in. I am feeling a bit guilty that I should have been running a more hilly section.

ROBIN LOOKS EXCEPTIONALLY CHEERFUL

Robin hands over to Geoff Roberts who is in place of Bill Emslie who is injured. At this time we are feeling quite pleased with our team time. When we last ran the Achilles Relay in 2013 the ladies team had caught us around this stage of the run and today they were not in sight. As it turns out the ladies and the Body Concept invitation team would only pass the TIGERS on the 5th leg along the Seaview Road.

Geoff starts with a downhill to Maitlands River. After the turn there are a few ups but then he reaches the bottom of this really nasty Maitlands Hill. It is about 2kay of unending up. As you run this hill you see the False Top a few times. Evil. We support Geoff as best we can but he has already run hard and having to end his leg with this hill hurts. Geoff had the hottest time: he had to run in the valley where there was no cooling breeze and to add to that the sun was at its hottest just at this time. Finally he makes it to the top of the long Maitlands hill and after a 500m down hill he hands the Baton to Lindsey.

 IS THIS GEOFF GOING FOR AN AFTERNOON JOG? ACTUALLY THIS PIC WAS TAKEN AS GEOFF WARMED UP WHILE WAITING FOR ROBIN TO HAND OVER THE BATON

Lindsey has had a two month holiday in Africa and how he is back on the run with our team. His leg takes him down to the caravan resort and then along a long beachfront road towards the village of Seaview. It is a beautiful road to run but today Lindsey is not thinking of the ocean to his right, nor of the roar of the waves crashing on the rock, nor of the birds soaring above as they seek for fish below. Lindsey is focused on trying to maintain a pace of about 4.45min a kay. And he does this well up to the T junction at Spar in Seaview. Aydn has gone to the shop to buy a few cold drinks and gives Lindsey a bit of cooling down. At this stage he has about 4k to go and starts to battle to maintain the pace. The road has a gradual up hill pull. Lindsey runs as hard as he can and finally reaches the next hand over point. He is exhausted and takes a while to cool down.

 GRAHAM GIVES A THUMBS UP EVEN THOUGH HE HAS STILL A WAY TO GO AND HAS TO WORK HARD FOR EVERY FORWARD STEP HE TAKES.

Graham takes over from Lindsey on the Seaview road. The Ladies Team is now starting to bear down on him. And just behind them is an invitational team with Chris van der Walt chasing down on Graham.  Graham tries hard but the pressure is too intense and first Chris passes him and then, on the next hill, Lynette from the fast ladies team passes him as well. Graham does well to maintain the pace and makes his way up the hill to the final hand over. He is sweating heavily as Graham tends to do. He immediately makes his way to the bushes and then has himself a bath using the 5lit water bottle that he brought along for this purpose.

 LINDSAY TRIES TO HAND OVER SOME WATER TO AYDN AT THE TOP OF HEARTBREAK BUT HE IS FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE PACE.

Aydn has the job of trying to maintain the position. But now the FAST teams start to climb up to the final hand over point. |Aydn has the Heartbreak hill to work chasing Christine Claassen who is in peak condition. In front of her is the invitation team who are too far ahead to catch. But it looks like Aydn is making good progress in chasing Christine. But then she reaches the top of Heartbreak and just behind Aydn is Paul Wolf who is a machine when it comes to running hills. He takes off his shirt and bears down on Aydn just as we reach Melsetter road. Now the racing snakes are starting to make our team look like we are walking. One by one they pass Aydn who works as hard as he can but cannot maintain the 3min a kay pace that these athletes are running at.

Amazingly the handicap system has worked and all 11 teams finish within minutes of each other. Chariots of Fire and Eye of the Tiger (how appropriate) bring the athletes in.  It is a real race to the end and very festive and exciting. Bruce has brought his truck firstly with coffee and rusks but also with some cold beverages.

I have a busy day ahead and leave but I can imagine that the party will continue for some time.
Well done to the Organisers and to the supporters. An awesome event and lots of fun. Well done to all the athletes who took part. It is wonderful that we can run together -- fast and slower runners all competing at the same level. And a special congratulations to the Achilles Ladies Team who win the event for the second time.

Aydn is an amazing team captain who keeps record not only of our times this year but was also able to tell me, as I turned the corner off the Old Cape Road, that me time was better than last year. Aydn writes as follows:

Here are the team times:

Peter Giddy       7.2km @ 36.04
Robin Clarke     8.2km @ 58.36
Geoff Roberts    8.3km @ 45.08
Lindsey Pillay    8.2km @ 40.42
Graham Nell      8.3Km @ 49.52
Aydn Wilson     8.6km @ 42.02
Total team time   4H 32m 01s

Well done Guys I am proud of your efforts.
Thanks to Graham for the use of his car today.

Tom stay strong we are all thinking of you and Jean.

LINDSEY WORKS HARD ON THE SECTION BETWEEN THE T JUNCTION AT THE SEAVIEW SPAR AND HIS HAND OVER POINT. 

WITH A BEAUTIFUL SEA VIEW BEHIND LINDSEY HIS FACE REFLECTS THE EFFORT THAT HE HAS PUT INTO RUNNING HIS LEG

 ROBIN HAS RUN HIS HEART OUT AND NOW HAS A FEW HILLS TO GO AS HE TURNS INTO THE DRAAIFONTEIN ROAD.

 I AM NOT SURE WHAT OUR CAPTAIN IS TELLING THE GROUP BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS SAYING: "RIDING A BIKE IS MUCH EASIER THAN RUNNING". TODAY WE SAW MANY CYCLISTS AND RUNNERS TRAINING ON THIS BEAUTIFUL ROUTE.

 GRAHAM GIVES A THUMBS UP EVEN THOUGH HE HAS STILL A WAY TO GO AND HAS TO WORK HARD FOR EVERY FORWARD STEP HE TAKES.

 AYDN MAKING HIS WAY UP THE HEARTBREAK HILL

ROBIN LOOKS EXCEPTIONALLY CHEERFUL

 LINDSAY TRIES TO HAND OVER SOME WATER TO AYDN AT THE TOP OF HEARTBREAK BUT HE IS FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE PACE.

PETER RUNS THE FIRST LEG. I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE MY LAST TIME TO RUN THIS LEG AS I MUST NOW TAKE MY PLACE RUNNING SOME OF THE HILLY SECTIONS. I AM NOT STRONG ON HILLS AND SO WILL HAVE TO DO SOME HILL TRAINING IN THE WEEKS BEFORE THE 2015 EVENT.

 AYDN TAKES OVER FROM GRAHAM PROUDLY WEARING HIS TIGERS SHIRT

 WHILE GEOFF POUNDS HIS WAY UP THE MAITLANDS HILL WE WERE ABLE TO ENJOY THE VIEWS ACROSS THE BAY ALL THE WAY TO JEFFREYS BAY

 PAUL WORKED LIKE A MACHINE UP THE HEARTBREAK HILL. AYDN WAS IN FRONT RIGHT UP TO MELSETTER BUT THEN WHEN PAUL SAW HIM AHEAD THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL.

GRAHAM ALLOWED THE TEAM TO USE HIS CAR. GEOFF WAS CO DRIVER. LINDSEY MANAGED TO WORK HIS FEET INTO THE MIDDLE WHILE ROBIN AND IT FLANKED HIM. 

AYDN WORKS HARD TO THE VERY LAST STEP. WELL DONE CAPTAIN. 

GRAHAM IN THE FIRST HALF OF HIS LEG IS STRONG. 

 LINDSEY WORKING HARD TO MAINTAIN THE PACE HE STARTED AT

 IS THIS GEOFF GOING FOR AN AFTERNOON JOG? ACTUALLY THIS PIC WAS TAKEN AS GEOFF WARMED UP WHILE WAITING FOR ROBIN TO HAND OVER THE BATON

THE SWEAT ON LINDSEY'S SHIRT TELLS THE STORY OF HOW HARD HE WAS WORKING.

AT THIS STAGE GEOFF WAS PUSHING TO KEEP TO HIS DECLARED TIME. 

TIGERS TEAM OF GRAHAM; GEOFF; LINDSEY AND PETER; ROBIN AND AYDN ARE ON THE ROAD.

WHAT REALLY WORRIES ME ON DAYS LIKE THIS IS A MOTOR ACCIDENT WITH ACHILLEANS BEING CARELESS AND MOTORISTS BEING IMPATIENT.

 TEAM ACHILLES

 TEAM ACHILLES TWO

 BRUCE SPONSORS THIS TEAM WITH COFFEE AND RUSKS

 SPEEDY TEAM ACHILLES

 SIZINZO AND HIS RACING SNAKES

 INVITATION TEAM ONE

 PAUL AS HE HEADS UP HEARTBREAK HILL

 AYDN IS FINISHED HIS LEG AND IS PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED..

 TEAM MEMBERS GIVE THEIR ALL ON THESE RUNS

 AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN .... SO SCARY.

 IT IS LONELY BEING ON THE RUN LIKE THIS -- GIVING YOUR ALL TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT AND TRYING TO CATCH THE RUNNER IN FRONT OF YOU.

HAND OVER THE BATON

In April this year  AFRIKA MHLOPE presented two interesting talks at our church at Walmer Methodist. 

He based his talk on an article he wrote for the Gateway Magazine:
The books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles in the Bible are named such because they chronicle the history of the kings of Israel. Each king’s reign was measured against the standard that was left by his predecessor. For instance King Solomon’s reign had to be contrasted against that of his much-loved and revered father, King David. Although it is not always possible to emulate a person’s personality and charisma it is however possible to follow his values.

2 Chronicles chapter 14 tells us of King Abijah who died and was succeeded by King Asa. Abijah was a God-fearing man and a warrior. Regarding King Asa his reign is summed up in this verse, “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God” (2 Chronicles 14:2). In other words King Asa was not judged by factors outside of his control but by his own moral aptitude.

As South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy we are forced to reflect on its short democratic history. The period of 1994-1999 was when we were governed by the late president Nelson Mandela and most of us felt as if we were dreaming during this time. We were the darling of the world, a paragon of virtue and offered hope to the hopeless. Mandela made us famous and taught us to love each other.

1999-2009 we saw the entrance of a philosopher in former President Thabo Mbeki. Mr Mbeki was a realist and under his tenure the dream was tempered with the realization that we have to work hard in order to achieve greatness. He once delivered a State of the Nation address under the theme ‘Business Unusual’ to drive home the point that we still have a lot of work to do. His ‘I am an African’ speech showed us that being an African was not a curse.

He pioneered African Renaissance and made Africans believe that they can be equal with other citizens of the world. Mbeki sought to correct misconceptions about Africa and perhaps was overzealous in this regard. His distrust for the West is perhaps the reason why he dragged his feet in approving the use of life-prolonging ARV’s and many HIV positive people needlessly died as a result. He was a hands-on leader who often got accused of being a control freak.

President Thabo Mbeki never finished his term because he was recalled (to use the euphemistic term) under dubious circumstances. To this day we are yet to be made privy to the spy tapes that were instrumental in his dismissal from office. After Mbeki’s was ‘frog marched’ from office we saw a brief stint of Kgalema Motlanthe who was a caretaker president until the rightful heir took his place.

Now we are under the presidency of Jacob Zuma and he continues the narrative that is the history of a democratic South Africa. For me the dream has now turned into a nightmare. The leader of the UDM, Bantu Holomisa recently made the point that Jacob Zuma is embroiled in almost every scandal that has engulfed South Africa. Even ANC veterans like Trevor Manuel and Pallo Jordan are beginning to raise a caution about the country’s current course under Zuma.

When in 20 years time we read the history of South Africa we will read about Mandela and his connection to reconciliation, Mbeki and his belief in the potential of Africa, and Zuma and the many scandals that dogged him. Our history will not be read without mentioning the Arms Deal issue, Guptas, Marikana, Nkandla, and much aberration that characterises the presidency of Jacob Zuma. We look at this time in history to remind ourselves of when we lost our bearings.

We will have to remind ourselves that never again shall we allow ourselves to sink this low. Personally I am dejected and consider that God is our only hope now. This is despite the fact that even He is being denigrated in the desperation to garner votes. Under Zuma we have seen the spectre of blasphemy raised up and also superstition and many things that are uncharacteristic of a head of state.

Look Mandela and Mbeki had their own flaws just like the different kings who led the nation of Israel but today we are seeing the refusal to take personal responsibility for mishaps. President Zuma’s ready answer for anything is ‘I don’t know or it is not my fault.’ 2 Chronicles 13:22 says, “Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo.” So are President Jacob Zuma’s.

AFRIKA MHLOPE
The talk that Afrika gave on the second evening was based on the following article

The general elections to be held on May 7, 2014 are probably the most contentious since the advent of democracy and there are divisions that are also beginning to show in the Church. These became evident after the release of the Public Protector’s report into security upgrades in the President’s private residence. There are sections of the Church who surprised many of us by maligning the Public Protector and accusing her of reversing the gains of democracy.

Politics are about the governance of the nation and as the Church we are called to disciple the nation. The question then is: can we effectively disciple the nation without paying attention to how it is governed? I do not think so. When we become silent on issues of governance the country ends up being misgoverned. We can participate in the governance of the nation and influence its trajectory through voting into public office those who will carry a righteous agenda into government.

As South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy we are told that we have much to be proud about but do we? In the last 18 years we have lost R650 billion through corruption and in fact our country has now become synonymous with corruption. Our murder rate is one of the highest in the world with 16 000 people killed every year. As if this is not enough we also kill those yet to be born because since the Termination of Pregnancy bill was passed in 1996 we have killed over a million unborn babies.

Lately we have seen blasphemy rising with politicians vainly using God’s name to gain votes. Superstition has also entered the fray with people being told that if they vote in a certain manner the dead will haunt them. Should Christians ignore these pronouncements and misdemeanours when they cast their votes? If we do not align our values with our vote do we have the right to complain about moral decline?
I believe voting gives us the opportunity to hold our public representatives accountable. If we do not hold them accountable then they rule with impunity. Voting for me is not about WHO but about WHAT a person votes for. Who governs is less important than what governs them. We cannot expect a party that is driving a humanistic agenda to act in a manner that honours God. Jesus said an evil tree produces an evil fruit.

The laws that have passed in South Africa in the last 20 years have clearly demonstrated that we are not governed with a Biblical worldview. We cannot change the legislation framework without changing the system that underpins that framework. We cannot just remain a voting fodder for corrupt leaders but we must stand up to them. We must be sensible instead of being sentimental when we enter the ballot box.
We must think about the future and not only the past. Ask yourself about the kind of a country you want to leave for your children and as well as whether or not your vote honours God. The light of SA
is becoming dark and as Christians we are complicit in this. We have enabled this through our passivity and by creating a dichotomy between what we profess and how we act. We have also contributed by allowing ourselves to be seduced into race-based politics.

Are we not hypocrites when we choose a person based on the colour of his skin instead of his values and principles? Why do we preach that in God’s eyes a person’s race does not matter and yet it is at the forefront of our minds? It is because we carry so much baggage and prejudice that I think we should ask God to guide us in these upcoming elections. He must be present with all of us in that voting booth.

Afrika Mhlope is a young pastor of a church in Kwazakhele in Port Elizabeth. 

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PETER GIDDY

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