Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2016 i Runner's World South Africa

THE INBOX WINNING LETTER THE RUNNING GENE Recently, I discovered a new element of running – that gives me a huge thrill! My 10-year-old daughter has decided she’s old enough to join her mother at running races. So we run every 5-K we can. We chat, giggle and have fun, from the starting gun until we cross the finish line. But after our last race, she told her dad that she’d had to run extra slow, so that her mother could keep up! Although I’d beg to differ, perhaps she was referring to the last 200m, when she went flat out and I really had to dig deep to keep up. I look forward to tackling endless more races with my – mostly – darling daughter… The race is on!…

“Maybe they’ll see dear old Arthur’s face in the never-ending majesty of your poly shorts…” HALF-STEP STEVE I have a buddy called Steve who always runs slightly ahead of me. He actually looks back to talk to me. Should I say something? – KARL, Port Elizabeth I used to know a guy called John who did that. Every time I sped up to draw level with him, he accelerated again. John was built like a racing snake; I was more a geriatric mule. Nevertheless, we continued our charade – me speeding up, and then John speeding up – until eventually we opened up into an all-out sprint, à la Wayde van Niekerk. When I felt as though I was about to keel over, I called time out and asked John…

Running is one of the most effective ways to torch kilojoules. Our newest Run It Off Club member, Bennett Napoleon, lost a whopping 23kg (Read his inspiring story on page 26). His secret? High-intensity runs, three times a week. Examples include hill repeats at 10-K pace, and 5-K time trials. Napoleon’s diet is simple: he eats breakfast, avoids fast food and fizzy drinks, makes his own healthy lunches, and always eats the veggies on his plate first. Want to reach your racing weight? Turn to page 60 for expert advice.…

“Don’t fight physiology; it always wins!” What’s the best way to prepare for altitude? – DAVID, Johannesburg The air is thinner at altitude, which means there’s less pressure driving valuable oxygen into your blood. When less oxygen is delivered to your muscles and brain, you perceive running as more difficult – and as a consequence, you slow down. Your body senses this, and responds in a number of beneficial ways. You make more blood cells, for example, which means more oxygen can be carried around your body. Cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations also take place, which help you return from wheezing to your normal self. But it’s not all good news. Firstly, you’ll never quite get back to 100%: even people who’ve lived at altitude their entire lives can’t perform as…

Can spin classes help my running? Pedalling against high resistance will help you power up hills when you run, and the faster cadence of cycling will improve your turnover. Substitute a spin class for a weekly easy run, but don’t push hard on tired legs the next day. – Kourtney Thomas is a running coach and Spinning instructor. Should I wear my lightweight shoes only in races? You need to break them in before you race to prevent chafing and blisters, so wear them for faster-paced workouts like tempo runs and track intervals. The lightweight shoes will help you maintain the quick stride turnover that you’ll need to hit your paces. Also consider wearing your lighter pair for hill repeats, even if you don’t run them very fast. Hills build…

PACKED WITH heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, avocados supply more than 20 runner-essential nutrients, including potassium, copper, zinc, brain-boosting choline, vitamins E and K, and B vitamins like folate. At 960 kilojoules per medium fruit, it works as a healthy swop for mayo, butter, or sour cream. “I eat avocado every single day,” says Nate Appleman, a three-time marathoner and the culinary manager of Chipotle restaurant in the US. Here are some of his favourite ways. – YISHANE LEE GRILLED SCOTCH FILLET Grill a Scotch fillet with spring onions, and serve with a wrap, fresh tomato salsa, and a side dish of sliced avo drowned in extra virgin olive oil with sesame seeds and sea salt. “One of my favourite dinners.” AVOCADO ‘TORTILLA’ Rub a halved avocado with olive oil and salt…

START WITH CARBS Without carbs in your diet, you have no fuel or glycogen stores in your muscles. And without any fuel in the tank, it’s going to be difficult to get through a run, not to mention maximise your kilojoule burn. Carbs are simply the easiest form of kilojoules for your body to convert to energy. That said, many runners fail to reach their weight-loss goals because they consume more carbs than their level of running demands. While there’s nothing wrong with a plate of pasta the night before a long run (note ‘long’) or a bagel after a long, hard workout (note ‘hard’), when you’re trying to lose weight, there’s no need for these foods every day, even if you run every day. They cost you too many…

1. You are an experiment of one. No-one else has to live your precise life, with your specific challenges, biochemistry, anatomy, injury history, calendar, boss, or family. 2. When something works, excuse-proof it. Running and weight-watching are tough; make the habits that work for you as easy as possible to practise. Keep tempting foods out of the house, out of sight, and out of mind. 3. When something stops working, stop working it. Give any new strategy at least a week before you call it quits. If you’re not seeing results from the strength-training routine you’ve been doing for two months, try something else. 4. Take good notes. Record every run. Same goes with kilojoule-counting. A 2008 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that among 1 700…

“It is a legacy that many administrators in today’s era would do well to learn from – to put the politics and personal agendas aside to serve the sport truthfully, as Chet did for over 30 years.” A LIFE IN RUNNING 1943-2016 • Two Oceans Race Director •  32 Two Oceans finishes •  14 Comrades finishes MY FIRST RECOLLECTION OF CHET is from when I ran my maiden Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in 1989, and noted what a magic and well-organised event it was. Little did I know that from 1992 we would become far more closely aligned on many different facets of the sport of road running; and, indeed, on the Two Oceans Marathon. In 1992 we had our first ‘official’ meeting, when – as a bunch…

“Avoid people who are sick, and load up on vitamin C…” What’s the best way to prepare for the Comrades? – LAURA, Cape St Francis At this stage, you should be tapering. Sleeping as much as you can in the week leading up to the Comrades is important, because you’ll probably be too nervous to get much shut-eye the night before. I would even suggest skipping the odd run, if it means you get to spend more time in bed. Your immune system will have taken a knock during intense training. Avoid people who are sick, and load up on vitamin C or immune-booster vitamins. A good probiotic will also help boost your immune system, and will prepare your stomach for what you will eat and drink on race day.…

You don’t run in Scotland, I was told, unless the police are after you, or you owe someone money. Sometimes these are related. But there are more runners than you might think. You just can’t see them, because in winter (specifically around New Year, when we visited), ‘daylight’ is defined as ‘that brief murky bit round about lunchtime’. For 23 hours of the day, a head torch is essential running equipment. (Incidentally, New Year is called ‘Hogmanay’, in an attempt to deceive English people: no, there’s no New Year’s party happening, move along, nothing to see here.) Our base was a picture-postcardy village near Dundee – in the grand Scottish tradition, we were sponging off old mates, ex-Saffers now permanently planted in the peat. Their children have ScotAfrican accents, it’s…

IF YOU WANT TO RUN FURTHER and faster with less effort, you must perform like a Prius, not a Hummer. Like cars, runners exhibit a range of fuel economies, only they draw on oxygen rather than petrol. “We’re not technically burning oxygen, but we need it as part of the energy-liberating process,” says coach Greg McMillan. By training your body to sip instead of gulp oxygen, you can log longer runs or cover a typical distance with greater speed. “Economical runners enjoy more wiggle room before fatigue sets in,” says McMillan. They burn through muscle glycogen stores more slowly, so their tanks can power them over greater distances. But becoming more economical also makes you speedier over shorter distances, because burning less fuel leaves more energy for explosive power. It…

The climate-controlled convenience of the treadmill is especially appealing in winter. But just because it’s colder, that shouldn’t stop you from running outside. Fresh air is more invigorating, and if you’re planning to race, you must learn to deal with weather and terrain. That said, outdoor kilometres involve more variables. These safety and etiquette rules will help you make a smooth transition to… ROADS Run on the shoulder of lightly driven roads against the flow of traffic, so you can see oncoming vehicles. (The exception: when approaching a blind curve on a narrow shoulder, cross to the right side 60 or 70 metres in advance, then cross back once you’ve rounded the bend.) Use the pavement on narrow or heavily trafficked roads. Wear reflective clothing and lights if you’re running…

“You’re probably getting more sleep on Saturday night...” Why do I run easier late on Sundays when it’s hot, than on cool Saturday mornings? – HENNIE, Nelspruit While at face value this appears contradictory, there are two possible explanations for what you’re experiencing: 1. You’re well rested, and have recovered sufficiently for your second run. 2. You’re under-recovered, and can’t get your heart rate up. We can probably exclude under-recovery, based on how good you feel on Sunday, and the fact that you’re running at a faster pace that’s easy to hold. However, it’s worth noting – for future reference – that on days when you feel flat and can’t get your heart rate up, it’s necessary to adjust your training, because this is a sign of overtraining. But, I…

Low Sugar, Full Taste This runner-friendly menu is packed with nutrients, protein, and high-quality carbs – without totally depriving you of sweets. POST-RUN BREAKFAST • 2 eggs scrambled with 1 cup spinach, ½ cup diced mushrooms and onions • 1 pear topped with 2 tsp. cinnamon-sugar blend • 2 slices sprouted wholegrain bread MORNING SNACK • ½ cup dried cherries, 20 almonds • 500 ml unsweetened iced green tea LUNCH • 1 ½ cups lentil soup • 2 Tbsp. hummus with handful of fresh veggies • 1 cup fruit salad with ½ cup plain Greek yoghurt topped with 1 tsp. honey AFTERNOON SNACK • 50 grams biltong DINNER • 100 grams baked salmon with 1 cup wild rice • 1 cup steamed cauliflower, topped with 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese DESSERT • 1 slice olive-oil cake with ½ cup blueberries and a…

PRO ULTRARUNNER Timothy Olson had done almost 112 kilometres of the 2012 Western States 100-Miler when he lost his mojo. “The burning in my lungs and legs was up to 10, and each downhill stomp sent stabbing pain into my quads,” says Olson, who watched as another competitor took over his lead. Olson might have reacted with panic and alarm. But he had recently taken up meditation, and the practice helped him focus on his breath, acknowledge his worries, and feel a powerful sense of calm. By dialling down the emotional racket, he was able to hear what his body needed – a little fuel, and a few minutes of slow, recuperative running. Tuning into his body and tuning out negative thinking enabled him to react in a smart, strategic…

TESTER’S TAKE NAME: Mark Pistorious AGE: 36 HEIGHT: 1.9m WEIGHT: 99kg KM PER WEEK: 48 YEARS RUNNING: 8 HOME: Rosebank, Jhb OCCUPATION: AV Technician “The Peregrine is very comfortable. The shoe felt like an extension of my foot, with minimal foot sliding. It provided good cushioning, even over heavily rocked areas; I didn’t feel anything piercing through the sole. And I didn’t experience any slipping or sliding, even on turns and loose gravel.” Asics GEL-Fuji Trabuca 4 R1 700 Like the Asics Fuji in this review, they’re a bit heavy. But this is because they offer lots of protection and comfort – which is exactly what a large number of trail runners are looking for. DuoMax in the midfoot protects runners who over-pronate, and Twist Gel is responsible for absorbing…

“Kipchoge’s speed and stride could be key...” Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge won the 2015 Berlin Marathon, but the insoles falling out of both of his shoes for most of the race stole the headlines. It seems his sponsor, Nike, will have to go back to the drawing board on the racing flats he was testing. “Eliud was testing a prototype racing flat which we’ve been working on together for several months,” a Nike spokesperson wrote in Runner’s World. “As with any prototype, elements can sometimes go wrong. On this occasion, the sock liner didn’t work. As in all innovation, we will learn quickly from mistakes.” Most running shoes have a loose insole, called a sock liner, which can be lifted out and replaced by a custom footbed or an orthotic.…

BREAKFAST • ½ cup oats with 250ml fat-free milk • 1 medium apple • 250ml green tea with lemon • water MORNING SNACK • ¼ cup hummus • ½ whole-grain pita, toasted • 1 cup baby carrots • water LUNCH • 2 slices wholewheat bread and 60g sliced chicken • 1 cup chopped lettuce topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat vinaigrette • 1 cup fat-free Greek yoghurt • water AFTERNOON SNACK • 1¼ cups high-fibre, high-protein cereal • 1 banana • 250ml fat-free milk • 250ml green tea with lemon DINNER •85g baked salmon • 1 cup brown rice • 1 cup steamed broccoli • water EVENING SNACK • 30g cheddar cheese • 6 wholewheat crackers • ½ cup sliced cucumber APPROXIMATE DAILY INTAKE Kilojoules: 8 326 Total fat: 44g Sat.…

1) Ensure that when your foot makes contact with the ground, the heel is directly beneath your knee, or further towards your centre of gravity. 2) Aim to achieve good leg extension, as this is the most crucial aspect of running with good posture. If you focus on this, there’s a good chance your forward lean will improve, too. 3) Drive the hips forwards, with minimal forward lean from the hips. More than half of the elites are running in this way. 4) On race day, never try to do anything differently to what your body is comfortable with. It will come at an energy and muscular-fatigue cost. FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF TAIT’S TECHNIQUE TIPS, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.CO.ZA/CT12STUDY…

“Nothing quite compares to the emotions that go through the mind of a runner coming back from injury.” I could feel the lump in my throat as the build of emotion hit me in a wave. I was running. After four months and 13 days, I took my first tentative steps towards running since a recurring Achilles tendonitis saw me hobble off a trail run in November last year. I tried to rest it, stretch it, ice it, elevate it and strengthen it; but nothing worked. Every time I ran more than five minutes, the dull ache began to pull at my heel, and I knew I’d be hobbling within minutes. But I persisted. I told myself I could run through it – and I tried to. That just made…

“ determination Riana’s strength always and for stood running out, and and her life passion is inspirational.”– Caroline Wöstmann ULTRA RUNNER •Comrades Gold Medallist •Two Oceans Gold Medallist A HUGE HEART carried by a small body, and a fighter with steel in her veins – yet a person possessing the gentlest of souls. That is how multiple Comrades Marathon and Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon gold medallist Riana van Niekerk will be remembered. On 13 February at 4pm, Riana lost a nine-month battle to pancreatic cancer. In an athletic career that spanned more than 20 years, she progressed from shorter distances to the marathon, and ultimately faced ultra-distance challenges. Riana’s remarkable career saw her win a total of 13 ultra-marathons, with six of those earned at the Old Mutual Om…

BENNETT NAPOLEON Age: 40 Home Town: Humansdorp Height: 1.78m Occupation: High-school teacher and rugby coach Time Required: 6 months Then: 102kg Now: 79kg THE WAKE-UP After college and marriage, I steadily picked up weight on a diet of greasy takeaways and sugar-laden cooldrinks. The fact I was out of shape was most noticeable on the rugby field, at the school where I teach; I felt dizzy, and couldn’t keep up with the under-nine rugby team. That amused them, but when I got home I suffered from painful gastric reflux (stomach-acid damage that causes heartburn. – Ed), and had to take medication in order to sleep at night. THE SHAKE-UP At the end of 2012, I decided I’d had enough of those little rascals ridiculing me, and the discomfort I felt…

FNB CAPE TOWN 12 ONERUN: ENTRY FEE: R120 12% GOES TOWARDS YOUR MEDAL. 24% Goes towards your complimentary race buff. 20 PER CENT PAYS FOR RACE NUMBERS, TIMING CHIPS AND ONLINE ENTRIES. 26% WENT TOWARDS 24 ENTERTAINMENT POINTS ALONG THE ROUTE IN 2015. THERE WILL BE 30 AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT. 700 Number of staff employed by the race. 18% Goes towards promotion and marketing. R130 960 Is the total amount runners paid to Western Province Athletics in 2015 for temporary licences, valued at R20 each. 0% of entry fees was used to pay staff. RICHTERSVELD TRANSFRONTIER WILDRUN® : ENTRY FEE: R3 200 45% GOES TOWARDS CAMPING ACCOMMODATION AND CATERING. 10% Goes towards logistics, such as transporting belongings from one campsite to the next. ELEVEN PER CENT is…

HILL FARTLEK Pick a five- to 10km loop with a few hills, and run up each as strong as you can. Sprinting isn’t essential: maintaining your flats pace makes a good starting point. HILL REPEATS Climb a moderate slope at 5-K effort, progressing to all-out effort over the course of 45 to 60 seconds. Do six to eight repeats. Recover by jogging the downhills. HILL CIRCUITS Find a steep hill near a moderate one. Sprint up the steep hill for 10 seconds, recover, run at 5-K effort up the other for 45 to 60 seconds, and recover. Do three or four reps.…

The first time I tried the all-out fade, I threw up in the bushes. It violates everything you know about pacing: instead of controlling your effort to maintain a pace for a certain distance, you take off at a sprint and fight your way through the inevitable fade. I encountered it in a physiology lab, where researchers used it to push runners past their supposed VO2 max limits – that’s how hard it is. But you can harness its power in training. WHY IT WORKS Last year, researchers published a study in which cyclists did a workout with three 3.00 all-out reps, with 3.00 of rest between each. They were told to sprint as hard as they could, to try to sustain 100 per cent effort in each rep. Not…

EVERY TIME you step up to the line, you have three distinct races to run: at the start, you’re fighting adrenaline and trying not to go out too fast. In the middle kilometres, you’re settling into a pace you can maintain without bonking. And in the final stretch, you’re passing people (you hope), and trying to avoid being passed. Winning each mini-race requires a different strategy and skill set. Pick one of these targeted workouts to do each week, and you’ll be a triple threat on race day. BEGINNING The longer the race, the more disastrous a too-fast start can be. “It gets exponentially bad quickly in a marathon because of the sheer distance,” says Brian Rosetti, founder of The Run SMART Project coaching service. But even in a 5-K,…

DIABETES High-sugar diets have been associated with obesity, increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetes. A 2015 study found that a regular intake of sweetened drinks was tied to a greater incidence of the disease. VISCERAL FAT Drinking sweetened beverages daily is associated with visceral fat, or fat around internal organs. This type of fat (also called belly fat) may play a role in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. CHRONIC DISEASE Sugar is also a potential culprit for obesity, liver damage, heart disease, and cancer. High-sugar diets increase levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and decrease levels of good HDL cholesterol. HUNGER Refined sugar messes with the hormones that make you feel full. When you eat too much added sugar, you don’t get feelings of satiety and can…

Shoes that look good on the shelf aren’t always the smartest option for South African trails. In the UK and Europe, for example, those who participate in fell running find themselves tackling mountains in all conditions, which often include boggy marshes and a lot of mud. Their tread needs to be aggressive, and specific to those conditions. This is why treads based on large lugs, with generous spaces between each knob, have been developed: they drop any mud that would get caught up in the tread if it were finer. There is very little running in South Africa that necessitates such aggressive tread, even though retailers sell a lot of these shoes. The rugged design of the shoe might look good; however, the likelihood of hotspots under the foot, and…

IT’S OFTEN SAID that weight loss is a simple matter of eating less and running more. But anyone who has tried that knows it’s hard to balance fuelling for a run with trying to burn off kilojoules you’ve already consumed. That’s why runners from all parts of the pack struggle to juggle their exercise and weight-loss goals. If, despite your best intentions, you haven’t lost weight with running (or worse, you’ve gained weight), the first step is to take a close look at what (and how much) you’re eating – and why. Have your portions grown too large? Have you slipped into the habit of taking second helpings? Are you continuing to indulge in post-long-run ice cream even when you’re not (be honest) running long? Keep a food diary or…

Last year saw the birth of the FNB Cope Town 12 ONERUN : a 12-kilometre, mass-participation race that starts in Milnerton, and follows the western coastline to the finish in the city centre of Cape Town. The field of Olympians and World Champions was formidable. As a running technique coach, and online coach for the event, this presented me with an opportunity I couldn’t pass up – to study these great athletes, and learn more about what they do that makes them so great. We live in the modern era, in which we feel the need to find the answers to everything that we see and do. Scientists studying human movement have covered tremendous ground in relation to how the human body operates. But if – hypothetically – we were…