Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2016 i Runner's World South Africa

THE INBOX WINNING LETTER UNSTOPPABLE My daughter Lara was devastated when a stress fracture left her out of action in the lead-up to her first Two Oceans Half – she’d planned to run it in celebration of her 21st birthday. Her physiotherapist recommended alternatives – such as spinning, weight training and pool training – while she recovered; and Lara approached her new training programme with the same conviction she’d had for running. When race day arrived, technically she hadn’t done any running for two months, and she was still wearing an ankle brace. But because of the dedication she’d shown in training, her ankle held out – and we ran the race together as a family. Treasured medal in hand, she was hooked! – STEVE REES, CAPE TOWN RUNNING SAVED…

MARK TREVENA Age: 29 Home Town: Cape Town Height: 1.89m Occupation: Sales Manager, Twisp (Pty) Ltd Time Required: 4 years Then: 135kg Now: 85kg THE WAKE-UP It happens to the best of us: when we fly the nest and move into university digs, our nutrition and fitness fly south. Away from the dictatorship of our parents’ home for the first time, we experience unbridled freedom; finally, we can live the good life – which also means we can eat whatever we like. That’s how I found myself looking at clothes for the larger-framed at Edgars. In an attempt to take the edge off, they’d called it the ‘Kobus Wiese’ section. THE SHAKE-UP By starting a healthy-eating plan, I felt I’d already won most of the battle. I cut out sugar…

11 624 TOTAL NUMBER OF GREEN NUMBER-HOLDERS. IF THEY’D ALL RUN LAST YEAR, THEY WOULD HAVE MADE UP… FORTY-FIVE Dave Rogers has received the highest-ever number of Comrades medals. 43 THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE COMRADES MEDALS, ACHIEVED BY BOTH BARRY HOLLAND AND LOUIS MASSYN. 91.3% …OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ATHLETES TO FINISH IN 2015. 9 HOURS The time you need to beat to receive a Bill Rowan medal, based on Rowan’s 1921 winning time of 8:59. 1668 THE NUMBER OF BILL ROWAN MEDALS AWARDED AT THE 2015 COMRADES. TEN The number of Comrades Marathons you need to run to be eligible for a Green Number. Or if you’re impatient… 3 …the number of Comrades wins you need to be awarded a Green Number.…

“…to the body, change can be stressful…” Is running on a treadmill the same as running outdoors? – PETER, Sandton Studies have shown small differences in the angle of joints such as the knee. I’ve also noticed a change in which of my muscles fatigue when I’m running on the treadmill, compared to outdoors. I suspect that the belt helps by pulling your leg backwards, meaning you don’t have to activate your hamstrings and glutes as much. When you’re running on land, you have to push backwards on the ground in order to move forwards. That’s why the hamstrings and glutes work more – and fatigue more – than when you’re running on the treadmill. Hamstrings are more active on land than on treadmills, but only during a specific phase…

How can I prevent shin splints? Avoid running on concrete, don’t overstride (aim for 160 to 190 steps per minute), and consider adding inserts to your shoes to make them more supportive. It may also help to stretch your calves and hamstrings after you run. – Stephen Pribut is a past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. Does faster running burn more kilojoules? Yes, because as your pace quickens, your muscles must work harder to process oxygen, which requires more energy. Even better than steady, slightly faster runs are intervals, which boost your metabolism and keep it elevated for up to 24 hours afterwards, adding 10 to 15 per cent to the workout’s kilojoule burn. Try six to eight 400-metre repeats at 5-K pace, jogging 200 metres…

MUNA LEE KNOWS her strength lies in running short distances – after all, she’s competed at the Olympics twice, in both the 100 and 200 metres. But sprinters need more than speed to succeed. As Lee prepares for the 2016 US Olympic Track & Field Trials in July, she’s putting a greater focus on building endurance and devoting more time to recovery, thanks to results from DNA testing. Two years ago, Lee submitted a swab of saliva to the Canadian company Athletigen. The analysis she received back provided training suggestions based on several genotypes, including HIF1A (indicates how much oxygen the body delivers to muscles). This knowledge, she believes, may offer the edge she needs to make her third Olympic team. Already, she feels stronger and better rested. “I wish…

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Once you have a solid base, it’s clever to mix in more challenging workouts. “If you’ve been doing the same thing day-in and day-out for weeks and weeks, your body has probably fully adapted to that, since there’s no demand to do more,” says coach Janet Hamilton. “If your goal is to get fitter and faster, then eventually you’re going to have to push your body a little bit.” Try one of these each week – in addition to a couple of easy runs and a long run – to develop speed and strength. HILL REPEATS Pick a hill in the middle of your running route that takes about 30 to 60 seconds to cover at an easy effort. After 10 minutes of easy jogging, do the hill two to…

“The flat-bed press truck was something of an institution, with its rock-hard banks of bare wooden seating offering little in the way of comfort for the 90km slog.” REPORTING ON THE COMRADES Marathon back in the 80s and 90s could be called many things… but none of them would be classified as dull. I covered the first of my close to 10 Comrades back in 1985, as a fresh-faced, long-haired junior reporter for The Star newspaper. In those days of SA’s sporting isolation, it has to be said that sports coverage in the mainstream media was very skewed. With little or no international interplay, it was very much a case of ‘local is lekker’. As such, road running enjoyed print media coverage we could only dream about now. The Star’s…

“There was only one thing for it, I decided. I would have to run at a completely unrealistic, silver-medal pace for the first six hours…” YOU MIGHT RECOGNISE ME as the guy who lead the sub-11:30 Pink Hope Bus in 2015, wearing a ridiculous pink tutu around my waist and a stuffed toy penguin on my head; the guy with the goofy grin and the longest legs in South Africa. I’ve finished 12 Comrades, with a brisk PB of 9:12.01. But behind every successful Comrades runner is an epic tale of trial and error… It was 1995. I’d only really started training for the Comrades in March, after a good qualifying marathon at the end of Februrary; having left it so late, I’d (unwisely) attempted to cram all of my…

GAUTENG SATURDAY 4 JUNE Silver Oaks Crossing Race of Faith Silver Oaks Crossing, corner of Von Backstrom Boulevard and Solomon Mahlangu Drive, Willow Acres; 15km Run/Walk & 10km: 7am; 5.5km Fun Run: 7:10am; 500m Kiddies Race (3-6 years): 9:30am; 1km Kiddies Race (7-10 years): 9:45am Daan du Toit 082 572 4169 Run through the streets of Silver Lakes Golf Estate, Willow Acres Estate and the Silver Oaks Crossing Shopping Centre. The Race of Faith forms part of the Silver Oaks Crossing Shopping Centre’s annual community-marketing campaign, and its name serves to remind participants to have faith in life. This year’s chosen beneficiary is the Paul Jungnickel Home for the Disabled. Prize money will be awarded to the pros, and ‘Faith’- themed medals to all finishers. SATURDAY 4 JUNE MTN Half…

“…your friend will either get the green light, or the green-eyed monster…” BUMPED OFF? I belong to a moms-to-be running group, and one of my non-mom friends is asking to join. Would it be wrong to exclude her? – KELLY, East London Why does your running group exist? I’d wager it’s for a) fitness, b) a social get-together, or c) connecting with the expecting. Your non-breeding friend wants both a) and b), and either chooses not to – or is not able to – have c). Would the introduction of your friend really destroy the social fabric of your group? Is your non-mom friend capable of keeping up? If the answer to the former question is ‘no’ and to the latter ‘yes’, then it’s safe to run it by the…

It can be intimidating to step off the treadmill and into the unpredictable world. Inside the gym, you’ll find like-minded people who value exercise as much as you do. Outside you get fresh air, natural beauty – and occasionally a less-than-positive interaction with folks (or animals) who are not as cheerful as you. Here’s how to deal with these challenges so you can continue on your great adventures. HECKLERS Somehow, there are still people who think shouting “Run, Forrest, run!” at passing runners is clever. Whether you hear that or something more cruel mid-run, the best response is none at all. (Unless, of course, you feel threatened. Then, get to a safe place and call the police.) Hecklers are fairly uncommon – if you often encounter them on a particular…

“…adding a short run onto up to two cycling sessions…” What’s the best way to prepare for the running leg of a triathlon? – SAM, Bellville In an Olympic-distance triathlon you’ll run 10 kilometres, which is relatively short; but after swimming and cycling, it feels more like the last 10 kilometres of a marathon! Training for multiple disciplines means you’ll have to forgo a session or two of running. But once you’ve begun your programme, you should be able to work out if it’s your run itself that needs work, or your run off your bike. A general rule: look at the difference between your 10-kilometre time in a running race, and in a triathlon. If it’s less than seven per cent, work on your running specifically. Greater than seven…

As an overweight runner, how can I balance my diet with fuelling up for a race? Running your best on race day and watching kilojoules seems like a catch-22. To meet both goals, you need to eat balanced, well-timed meals the day before your race (see ‘Eat Up, Slim Down, Run Strong’, below). On the morning of a race 10-K or longer, fuel your muscles and liver with 100 grams of carbs (about 1 670 kilojoules). Try a cup of oats with raisins and fresh fruit or four small (10cm) pancakes. Skipping a meal on race day leads to low energy and low blood-sugar levels, and will hurt your performance. I’ve run more than 100 marathons, and I don’t eat while running. But if the race has oranges, I’m ecstatic!…

SPEEDVS. ENDURANCE WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Genes influence your balance of fast- and slow-twitch fibres, which plays a role in whether you’ll excel at 100 metres or 42.2 kilometres. For instance, most elite sprinters do not have a particular variation of a gene called ACTN3, which hurts sprint performance. BUT IS IT HELPFUL? Having this variation only tells you that you won’t challenge Usain Bolt, not whether you’ll qualify for a marathon – and certainly not how to best train for it, says Dr Stephen Roth, a geneticist at the University of Maryland, US. INJURYRISK WHAT YOU’LL LEARN A certain copy of a gene called COL1A is linked to ACL ruptures. And 67 snippets of DNA influence your odds of developing fractures. Your genes probably explain part of your propensity for…

WALK FIRST New runners – as well as those coming back after a long break – should ease in with walking. Work up to walking 16 kilometres per week before beginning to run. Add 30- to 60-second bursts of slow jogging for every two or three minutes of walking, then shift towards more running as you progress. STAY CONTROLLED Move at an easy pace that allows you to hold a conversation. A base of a few months of easy kays will help you stay injury-free and prepare you for some faster running. (See ‘The Next Step’ on page 62 for starter workouts.) OPT OUT Running outside forces you to work against wind resistance, while hills and uneven terrain (kerbs, potholes, and so on) build strength and balance. An occasional treadmill…

“I might as well have been attempting the North Face of the Eiger. I was sweating and labouring, and my legs felt like great, heavy oak logs.” WRITING MY OTHER PIECE IN THIS ISSUE (see ‘Better Late Than Never’, page 76) I teased my mate David Vlok about his 20th (double-green) nightmare run. However, my 20th Comrades – while not as dramatic – was also a nightmare. At 46 years old, I’d lost the spring and speed I used to possess. While I had come to terms with that, I probably hadn’t recognised that I’d also ballooned in weight. My non-running friends constantly told me I was looking great. And as we all know, the gravest insult for a runner is to be told by a non-runner that we look…

“The camaraderie along the route is a case study in human relations…” In this issue of Runner’s World, we’ve dedicated more pages to the Comrades Marathon than I suspect we have in a long time. It’s probably because we made the error of asking well-known running celebs and Comrades legends to spill the beans on their most memorable Comrades war stories. When we started the project we imagined we’d receive only a smattering of submissions; but as we got closer and closer to deadline, suddenly everyone seemed to come out of the woodwork with their own Comrades tales. After running the event himself, former Runner’s World US editor Amby Burfoot – who’s probably run every race on the planet – described the Comrades as ‘the world’s greatest foot race’. That’s…

“…running isn’t always the fastest option.” When is it steep enough to walk? – NATALIE, Knysna That depends on your individual fitness level, and your running background. But for all runners, the key to conserving energy and lowering your heart rate is to move as efficiently as possible. Runners who come from a road-running background tend to run more on steep climbs, whereas an adventure racer used to trekking will favour power hiking. Find what works for you. When I power hike during a race, I pass a number of athletes who are running – which proves that running isn’t always the fastest option. Another factor to consider: how far will you be running? If that’s a long way, it may be better to conserve your energy by hiking the…

DID I MISS A KM MARKER? I can’t hold this for three more reps. How does tempo pace feel again? The first time you do a workout, you face a number of challenges, from understanding the logistics to knowing your body’s limits. The second time, you start to hit your groove. By the third, your mind and body know what to expect – and you’re ready to crush it. “You’ve put yourself in an uncomfortable situation three times in a row, and now you’ve got a handle on it,” says coach Dr Randy Accetta. That’s the theory behind Introduce, Improve, Perfect, or IIP – the term for three-week training cycles coined by Accetta and Greg Wenneborg, also a running coach. Physiologically speaking, your body takes about three weeks to adapt…

Unlike Kenya and Ethiopia, Japan isn’t widely considered a running powerhouse. But since 1991, Japanese marathoners have earned 19 Olympic and world championships medals, compared with four for Americans. Japan also had the most 42.2 finishes in the world in 2015 (559 991). Growing up in Osaka doesn’t offer any advantages compared with growing up in, say, Cape Town – so what can we learn from Japan’s success? TAKE THE LONG ROAD While there’s no single Japanese way to train, a common theme is high mileage – sometimes more than 320 kilometres per week, for elites. Two-time Olympic medallist Yuko Arimori recalls doing two 20-K time trials, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with a 50km run the next day, during one of her Olympic build-ups. Along…

IF THERE’S ONE RULE runners swear by, it’s ‘Don’t try anything new on race day’. But sometimes that’s the best time to experiment. “When something goes awry during training, you can turn the race into a different kind of opportunity,” says running coach John Goldthorp of fixyourrun.com. If you’re registered for an event but don’t feel fully prepared, you don’t have to skip it. Practising a new pacing or fuelling strategy on race day – when you’re excited and nervous – gives you a better sense of its effectiveness than trying the same thing on a training run. The next time your race prep doesn’t go as well as you’d hoped, consider one of these novel tactics when you toe the line. TAKE WALK BREAKS “A good walking strategy may…

EGG WITH POLENTA AND MUSHROOMS STAY PERKY Shiitake mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, which help create energy from carbs. COMBINE ¼ cup instant polenta in a bowl with ¼ tsp. crushed garlic. MICROWAVE with water, according to package directions. Sauté 3 sliced medium shiitake mushroom caps in pan with ¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth over medium-high heat until most liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. FRY 1 large egg sunny-side up over low to medium heat in a small non-stick pan with spray oil. COMBINE polenta with mushrooms and egg. SEASON with black pepper and salt. HORSERADISH CHIVE EGGS WITH SMOKED SALMON REDUCE INFLAMMATION Smoked salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce joint pain. BEAT 1 large egg with ½ tsp. horseradish,…

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“…take your costume for a test run of at least five kays…” How do you run a race dressed in a superhero costume? – SIMON, George If you’re planning on running in unconventional gear, your best bet is to buy a large tub of Vaseline. Superhero costumes aren’t designed for running (imagine if Spawn had to haul his never-ending cape towards the finish line!), which means there are hot spots just waiting to rub repetitively against your skin and irritate you beyond all comprehension. If possible, take your costume for a test run of at least five kays, to see if there are any spots that have the potential to chafe – this will also help you get used to running in your new, cumbersome attire. Luckily for you, Spiderman…

It beefs up your brain. Many human and animal studies have found that exercise boosts brain volume, but a study from earlier this year found that rats who ran long distances produced more new brain cells than rats who did intervals or strength-training. It’s good for your knees. A growing body of research supports this, including a recent study of 2 439 people. Those who were (or had ever been) runners were less likely to have developed knee osteoarthritis than the non-runners. It keeps you mobile. Walking economy – how efficiently your body uses energy while moving – gets more significant as you age: lose too much, and mobility suffers. A 2014 study looked at three groups of seniors: walkers, runners, and a sedentary control group. The runners had greater…

“…THEY BELIEVE IT WILL HELP THEM FIGHT FATIGUE, MOOD SWINGS AND MUSCLE PAIN...” GLUTEN IS A PROTEIN FOUND IN GRAINS such as wheat, barley and rye. When those with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity eat it, resulting symptoms include stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and flatulence. There’s no cure for any of these, other than to cut out gluten from your diet. But that means saying no to all the good stuff: bread, pasta – and even my personal favourite, carrot cake. So why would anyone choose to give those up, if they didn’t have to? In fact, a growing number of athletes are turning to the gluten-free diet; not for medical reasons, but because they believe it will help them fight fatigue, mood swings and muscle pain –…

THREE-TIME CHAMPION STEPHEN MUZHINGI was doing a training run on the Comrades route. It was to be a 60km run, at 3:10 mins/km. I was seconding in a back-up car, and we started at the top of Polly Shortts at around 4am, so that most of the run would be done in the dark. The run was going well; when, on the way down to the halfway mark, we were passed by a big group of cyclists, all kitted out with their shaved legs and aero bikes. But halfway up the climb after Drummond, the group slowed; and as the climb got steeper, Stephen caught them, his powerful stride keeping up his pace. Some tried to accelerate, but it was no use – Stephen left them all trailing in his…