When athletes from around the world line up next Sunday for South Africa’s most beloved long-distance run, deputy finance minister David Masondo will be the highest government dignitary there — in his running shoes and wearing his official entry number.
It’s been a busy few months for Masondo. While training for the 90km epic, he has also had to help in getting the national budget over the finish line.
“Having a solid Treasury team behind us made it possible to navigate three budgets in three months,” he laughed.
“In these interesting times I often turned to running to gain some clarity of purpose. When you are out there, no matter how many others are running with you, you find sanity in the beat of your running shoes on the tar.”
As we all know, in most spheres of life prevention is better than cure
— David Masondo, deputy finance minister
Masondo trains when he can, which is not as often as he would like.
“There are two types of runners: those who pay to run and those who run to get paid. I am solidly in the former camp,” he says.
He is part of a running club. Running with them was his training for the gruelling ordeal that awaits.
“We run from 5am to 6am. I do this about three times a week. My aim is to run 10km each of those hour-long sessions. Those who run to get paid do about double that distance every time. I also go to the gym twice a week for some strength work if time allows.”
He finds his hobby to be “addictive”.
“When I am out of the country and on government work, it often works out that I can’t run. Then I physically miss our fresh-aired country and running in Johannesburg or Cape Town.”
Does he then revert to a gymnasium treadmill? “That just isn’t the same. A treadmill is very congested and restrictive. It also sure does not beat running through the streets of South Africa — a country not yet as polluted as many others where I have run,” Masondo said.
This will be his seventh Comrades Marathon. He says the uphill and the downhill races are the same for him.
“Whether you run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg or the other way, it is only the last bit that classifies it as either downhill or uphill. People who haven’t run the race won’t know that the real challenge is the up-and-down bits in between,” Masondo laughed.
Did he follow a special diet in his race preparation? “Not really. I believe in eating healthy anyway. I try to avoid red meat, sugar and junk food while eating my veggies and drinking a lot of water. I am not strict about what I eat, but I know my body. I also start every year with my GP doing a full blood works on me.
“As we all know, in most spheres of life prevention is better than cure.”
He says his most precious memory of the race was the first time he entered.
“I will never forget how jittery, uneasy and unsure I was. Looking back now to that morning, I know I will never forget that wonderful experience.”
What is his best Comrades time up to now? “I run to finish. Time doesn’t matter. The only time that matters in the Comrades for me is the medal cut off. It is always heartbreaking when they fire that shot and there are still people racing for the line.”
He has a message for an unfit Mzansi: “Start running. It doesn’t matter whether you run 10km or 2km. Just get fit and start running.”
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