Blazing a trail

Asthma-sufferer Leigh-Anne Hunter discovered a new passion for exercise

Age 29 Cape Town Achievement Overcame asthma

The setting sun paints the sky a deep crimson, disappearing below a grove of pine trees. Our bobbing headlights glow in the thick mist, our shoes crunching on rocks and branches. Hoisting myself up the ravine, my muscles burn but I keep going. Then someone spots it: a fire-red flower peeking out from a crack in the rocks. The Cape Disa only blooms once a year. And I’m here to see it.

Back home later, my husband sees me sprawled on the couch, exhausted and sweaty, my shoes caked in mud and my shorts torn. “Aren’t we looking glam?” he jokes.

Glam or not, running South Africa’s nature trails has captured my heart like no other sport. There’s something about scrambling up rocks and splashing through mountain streams that makes me feel “hardcore” – and I love it!

When my childhood asthma flared up after a bout of pneumonia over a year ago, I feared that I might have to give up road running for good, and it was one of my favourite ways to work out. My doctor said the asthma was exercise-induced and gave me a pump to carry. He encouraged me to keep exercising because it’s meant to be good for asthmatics, but I felt scared to run as I hated not being able to breathe properly. I also worried that traffic fumes might irritate the condition.

Then I learnt about a trail running group formed by some of the members of my local road running club and decided to give it a go. From the moment we climbed into Constantia Nek forest on my first run, majestic mountains towering above us, I was hooked. At first, I still had to use my pump, but after a few months of breathing clean mountain air I started to use it less frequently. Then one day during a run I realised I had forgotten to take it with me, but I didn’t need to worry — I could breathe just fine.

Trail running has plenty of physical rewards: feeling healthier, losing weight and toning your body. I felt stronger and fitter than ever before after just a few months. But there are also a number of psychological benefits to being outdoors in nature, rather than inside a crowded, sweaty gym. Every run strengthens my body, but also feeds my soul.

Away from the noise and stresses of the city, trail running helps restore my sense of calm, and I love the beauty and tranquillity of nature. Every time I reach the top of a steep hill, my heart pumping and muscles burning, I feel proud of what I’ve accomplished and this motivates me to push harder in all other aspects of my life.

Trail running can seem intimidating for newbies who may think that the sport is only for die-hards. But anyone can participate — one of our group members is in his seventies. This sport is more about appreciating our country’s natural beauty than competition and no-one’s watching you (except the birds).

The unexpected benefit? Trail runners are wonderful people! Sharing a common love of the outdoors, we are one big, happy family and I am very grateful for the new friendships I have made. Not to mention the fact that it’s now one year later and I don’t suffer from asthma anymore.

Motivational Tips:

- Set yourself small goals and gradually build up the pace and distance. Running, like life, is about taking one step at a time.
- Trail running is known to be less jarring than road running, and you can further prevent injuries by stopping to stretch when you feel pain or discomfort.

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