2019 was a difficult year, one of the toughest of my life so far. And also one of the best. I thank God for helping me and teaching me through the hardships and the tears about His character of love and holiness. I think I am a better person now than what I was a year ago. All glory to Jesus!

Running was the least of the difficulties, but I did suffer with Plantar Fasciitis for three months or so. During this time I cycled and also did an epic 200+ kilometres into Himachal Pradesh.

We organized the Freedom run again at the end of November and it was a fantastic success with all the runners enjoying the Punjab countryside and the camaraderie. Our cyclists (including me) had more flat tires than usual, but we somehow still pulled off good support to the runners. When I had my flat tire, I decided to start running and did 65k. We raised 1 lakh rupees for Parivartan.

I am proud of my children who showed resilience and character during 2019. My eldest had a very successful first year of study. The middle one, also did well and did an internship in our office. She displayed her talent and also capacity for hard work. My youngest is still being a child as he should be. My wife’s paintings are becoming better every day.

I did the Kasauli half marathon and then the Tricity half marathon with good results. (both podium positions overall) Yesterday, I ran my personal best Park Run (5k) in 19:31. It bodes well for my 2020 running year. Looking forward to the Still Bay NSRI Old Year 10k. Then there is a possibility to go to Darjeeling for an ultra in April. Let’s see.

We have a period of rest and catching up with family here in South Africa where it is summer. I am thankful for a chance to wind down after what was some hectic months at work.

Keep running

Stephan