A divorcée ran his way back to happiness – and fulfilled an ultra dream. – By Lisa Abdellah

Age: 39
Home Town: Randburg, Gauteng
Height: 1.98m
Occupation: Software Developer
Time Required: 7 Months
Then: 96kg
Now: 76kg

The Wake-Up

I had a bad year. I got divorced, and my son decided to go and live with his mom in England. Because I wasn’t in a good place mentally, I began to overeat, often reaching for high-fat, processed foods.
I’d wake up feeling terrible every morning, having battled to sleep and struggling with low self-esteem. Every month I had to buy new clothes, to fit my expanding waistline. But in the back of my mind was a nagging feeling: ever since I was a child, I’d wanted to be a runner and take part in the Comrades.

The Shake-Up

My biggest challenge was convincing myself I could leave my comfort zone behind, and achieve my goal of running the Comrades.

At first, I battled to run further than two or three kilometres without feeling like passing out – which was a far cry from the ±90km I would need to run on race day. To motivate myself, I set smaller goals, such as 10km races.

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I cut out all the foods that weren’t helping, like pastries, takeaways and sugary drinks. I also abstained from alcohol – and I’m proud to say, I haven’t touched a drop since!

The Reward

The results were tangible: as I increased my distance, the weight dropped off, and I began to feel happier. I completed my first 10km race after just 22 weeks of running, and went on to participate in half marathons and marathons. Then, on Sunday 4 June 2017, I realised my childhood dream of running the Comrades! (Addison finished in an impressive time of 10:40.36. – Ed.)

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