Running on Delusion

Author: Kim Clow

  • Week 1

    Week 1… technically in the bag.

    It did not exactly go to plan.

    Katy and I started really strong last week, with Pilates, gym, and all the enthusiasm of two women who had just committed themselves to running 103km.

    And then the bugs hit.

    Both of us spent most of last week under the covers, so today feels much more like the real beginning of this journey.

    This challenge hits on quite a few vulnerabilities for me. I shared some of those thoughts on my personal blog, but probably the biggest one is body image.

    I’ve had a long and complicated relationship with my body and with food. And right now, my body isn’t where I want it to be.

    I don’t want to pretend that changing how my body looks isn’t part of this. It is. I’m excited to get stronger, build muscle, and hopefully lose some body fat along the way.

    But there’s something else I’m far more excited about.

    I want to see what this body can do.

    When I had my babies, I remember being completely in awe of my body. I couldn’t believe what it was capable of. Somewhere over the years, I lost that feeling. My body became something I judged far more often than something I appreciated.

    I would really like to change that.

    Over the next few months, I’m going to ask an enormous amount of this body. I’m going to ask it to get stronger. To climb hills. To run when it’s tired. To recover and go again. And eventually, I’m going to ask it to carry me 103kms.

    That’s pretty bloody incredible when you think about it.

    So today, as we officially “begin”, I hopped on the scale to see where I’m starting from. I also took the obligatory start photos, but absolutely nobody is seeing those yet. 🤭

    I’m planning to check in every Monday and track how things change over the coming months. I’m less interested in the number on the scale and much more interested in things like muscle and body fat, but even those numbers aren’t really the goal.

    They’re just the starting point.

    The real measure of progress will be what this body becomes capable of.

    1 August 2026

    Weight (kg)88.4
    BMI29.9
    Body Fat %33.3
    Skeletal Muscle %37.8
    Visceral Fat12
    Muscle Mass (kg)55

    With love,
    Kim.

  • Delusion Meets Determination

    Delusion Meets Determination

    “You two are completely delusional.”

    They’re probably right.

    Because if you’d asked us a few months ago whether we’d willingly sign up to run 103 kilometres over three days along one of South Africa’s most spectacular coastlines, we’d have laughed. Then we’d have ordered another coffee… or maybe a glass of bubbles.

    Yet somehow, here we are.

    We are Kim and Katy. Best friends since 2008. Two women who have always encouraged each other to dream a little bigger, laugh a little louder, and occasionally make decisions that seem slightly questionable at the time.

    This might be our most questionable one yet.

    Next year, we’ll stand on the start line of PONDO—a race that will demand far more of us than either of us feels ready to give.

    I’ve (Kim) spent years dabbling in endurance events. I seem to have mastered how slow you can move to finish in time.

    Katy?

    This is her first endurance event. But don’t mistake “first” for “weak.”

    She’s built a successful business through grit, resilience and determination. Her endurance has simply been tested in boardrooms instead of on start lines. If anyone can discover just how strong they really are, it’s her.

    The funny part?

    Neither of us is actually that fit.

    We’ve got a mountain of training ahead of us. There will be early mornings, sore legs, weekends that revolve around long runs, and more self-doubt than we’d like to admit.

    Because the truth is, we’re scared.

    We’re scared of injury. We’re scared our knees won’t hold up. We’re scared of letting down the incredible people who choose to support us. Most of all, we’re scared of letting each other down.

    But maybe courage isn’t about feeling fearless.

    Maybe courage is signing up anyway.

    This journey is about so much more than running.

    It’s about raising funds for the Pondoland Conservation Trust and Cipla’s Miles for Smiles Foundation. It’s about protecting one of the most beautiful places in South Africa while helping children access life-changing medical care.

    It’s about proving—to ourselves more than anyone—that life doesn’t stop offering adventures.

    You don’t have to be the fastest.

    You don’t have to look like an athlete.

    You don’t have to wait until you feel “ready.”

    Sometimes you just need enough courage to start.

    Over the next year we’ll share every part of this journey. The victories. The setbacks. The training runs we’d rather forget. The moments we question why we ever signed up. And, hopefully, the moment we cross that finish line together.

    If our story encourages even one person to chase something that scares them—or to believe that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things—then every kilometer will have been worth it.

    Welcome to our wonderfully ridiculous adventure.

    We’re so glad you’re here.