Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i Runner's World South Africa

THE INBOX WINNING LETTER CHANGE – ONE RUN AT A TIME Each time I run 5km, I choose to greet people. As a result, I’ve seen pedestrians’ faces light up with a broad smile. Some have even said ‘Well done!’, or asked if they can join me. My personal favourite: once, a lady who was probably twice my age shouted, “Vinniger, sussie!” Which got me thinking… if 500 000 runners greeted 20 people daily, some 10 million exchanges and connections would occur. Assuming these runners trained three times a week, over 30 weeks of the year, there would be 900 million moments in which South Africans experienced human solidarity! – HELGA LISTER, PRETORIA HONESTY’S THE BEST POLICY Honesty and integrity are essential ingredients of good sportsmanship, and runners should strive…

NAME: ROMEO KUMALO AGE: 45 PROFESSION: CEO OF WASHIRIKA HOLDINGS, ICT ENTREPRENEUR, VENTURE CAPITALIST, AND ‘SHARK’ ON M-NET’S SHARK TANK SA. I wasn’t sporty when I was growing up, because nothing really took my fancy. Back then I was into music and the performing arts. It was only when I was older that I took up cycling for a few years, and participated in the Cape Town Cycle Tour and the 94.7 Challenge. I started running in 2012, to keep fit while I was furthering my studies at Harvard Business School. I fell in love with running during my daily 5-K along the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. Running helped to detox my mind, after my gruelling studies. My desire to be an entrepreneur was also born at Harvard. My…

NICOLE SCULLARD Age: 27 Home Town: Cape Town Height: 1.58m Occupation: Research Psychologist Time Required: 8 Months Then: 75kg Now: 57kg THE WAKE-UP When I finished my internship, I started a demanding new job, and I faced challenges in my family life. Having to adapt to these stressful changes, coupled with my lack of knowledge when it came to proper nutrition and exercise, led to my gradual weight gain. My fiancé proposed while we were on holiday in our hometown, East London. Which was amazing news. But how could I look my best on my wedding day when I felt so unhappy in my own skin? THE SHAKE-UP The reality was, I couldn’t afford a gym contract or a personal trainer, because at the time I’d just finished my internship.…

If you run for at least 30 minutes three times a week, congrats: you’re doing enough to maintain your running fitness. Tack on another 60 minutes of activity each week – from running, cross-training, or some combination of the two – and you’re exercising enough to meet the US Centres for Disease Control’s recommendation for healthy adults. (And doing more than most people in the US: 51 per cent of the population fails to meet this guideline. Sad, or what?!) Still, investing just a little more time in your health can produce even bigger benefits. Here’s how: 1. RUN A BIT LONGER Research shows that the more time you spend exercising, the longer you can expect to live. Plus, an additional five minutes of running can confer cardiovascular benefits without…

“Walking won’t slow you down.” At this year’s Comrades, I plan to walk for one minute after every third kilometre. What pace should I run at? – JACQUI, Pietermaritzburg Walking should form part of everyone’s strategy for racing the marathon and upwards, regardless of which seeding pen you start in. Even notable elite athletes use this tactic: Caroline Wöstmann takes walk breaks, and she achieved the fastest-ever-recorded Comrades ‘Up’ run, when measured in minutes per kilometre. The final quarter of the Comrades is mostly downhill. By adding walk breaks early on, you’ll increase the likelihood of your legs feeling strong enough to finish. The trick is to choose a number you feel ‘earns’ you the reward of a one- to two-minute walk – that could be anything between 3km and…

01 / HILLY TWIN SKIN R200 Hilly socks are made in South Africa, and then distributed around the world from their head office in the UK. The sock is made up of two layers: the soft, inner layer prevents blistering, resulting in a comfortable feel. 02 / STANCE FUSION RUN RECOVERY CREW FOR WOMEN From R249 When it comes to cool designs this season, these socks are among our favourites. Custom left and right fit, specific areas enhanced with cushioning, and a reflective logo and stripes for visibility during winter. 03 / VERSUS PREMIUM SERIES R120 Like Hilly, Versus are also made in South Africa. They’re actually intended for cyclists, but the brand’s two Stellenbosch-based creators are currently working on a running-specific sock, which will be available this winter. Same…

1. Start slowly. “There’s no rush,” says Phil Venter. “And if you do rush, you’re shopping in the wrong aisle. If you’re new to running, time on the road will benefit your body and mind more than speed work.” 2. Be patient. “It takes months of consistent running and healthy eating before you see progress,” says Sumi Singh. “The weight falls off when you forget about the hard work, and fall in love with running instead.” 3. Set goals. “A challenge – for example, finishing a 10-K in under an hour – is a healthy way to stay motivated and remain focused on your training,” says Paulos Eshetu. 4. You can’t outrun a bad diet. “If you don’t think about what you’re eating, you won’t lose those stubborn kilograms,” Demitri…

1. Apply the 10% rule. This means that you should never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% over the previous week. 2. Periodise your training. Treat every fourth week as a recovery week, and reduce your time training by 10 to 50% of your peak week. 3. Recover effectively. Never follow a high-intensity session or a long run with another. Either rest, or run at an easy pace. 4.Listen to your body. Don’t try and run through tiredness, sickness and lethargy.…

“…imagine they are a chorus of canine fans … ” BARKING MAD! When I run past the dogs in my neighbourhood, they lose their minds. I love dogs, so how can I make my existence less infuriating for them? – KAREN, Cape Town It’s not you, it’s them. Dogs bark. To alert their tribe to the presence of an intruder, to celebrate the full moon, to express their utter delight at finding a dead squirrel under a tree in Delta Park, to announce that they’re on heat, and to settle the burning question on every dog owner’s lips: ‘Who’s a good boy, then?’ If your neighbourhood doesn’t have particularly high walls, chances are they’ll see, smell or hear you. Why not take the time to stop at each fence, and…

NAME: Megan Loftie-Eaton INSTA NAME: @magpie_megan AGE: 27 HOMETOWN: Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province OCCUPATION: Ecologist, working in the field of wildlife conservation. What phone do you use to take your Instagram pics? iPhone 5s Where is your favourite place to run? In the bush, here in the Lowveld. Tell us about your Insta name. My siblings and parents used to call me Magpie when I was little, and the nickname stuck. What’s the story behind your top three most-liked pics? Where did you take them, and why? Instagram 1: One of the many reasons I love running is that I often make exciting discoveries, like these leopard tracks on a dirt road here in Hoedspruit. Living close to nature and wildlife is a privilege. Instagram 2: I was out for an…

1.7m The average height of the world’s top 100 men’s marathon winners (in 2011 – down from 1.73m in 1990). 33 KILOMETRES THE MINIMUM WEEKLY MILEAGE YOU NEED TO RUN, IN ORDER TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE YOUR BELLY FAT. 8:44 A rough estimate of how much your half-marathon time will improve if you lose 10kg – as long as you have it to lose… 56.2kg THE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD’S TOP 100 MEN’S MARATHON WINNERS (IN 2011 – DOWN FROM 59.6KG IN 1990). 90% How much more efficient running is for weight loss than walking. That’s because your body is still burning kilojoules hours after you’ve finished running. 18.5 …but if your BMI drops below this number, you’ll risk becoming weaker and slower.…

Researchers combed through four decades of studies to determine the most effective type of interval training. The sweet spot for aerobic fitness, they found, was repeats lasting 3-5 minutes each. So it was a surprise when the team leader, physiologist and training guru Michael Joyner, recently promoted a very different workout. Joyner suggested building up to doing 20x400m, with a 200m jog after each repeat. Depending on pace, each repeat might take 1-2 minutes – shorter than ‘optimal’ length. But the benefits are “as much spiritual or philosophical as they are physiological”. The stops and starts demand a hyperfocused state of mind and cultivate a meditative rhythm, the physical challenge leaves you with a sense of mastery. And it’s short enough that you can run pretty fast, but you can…

At the end of March, the World Cross-Country Championships were held in Kampala, Uganda. Joshua Cheptegei dreamed of winning the 10-K race, a feat that had never before been achieved by a Ugandan runner. On that Sunday afternoon, in temperatures approaching 28°C, he went as close to fulfilling his prophecy as you can ever hope to see in sport. (If you haven’t seen any video of the race, I highly recommend you watch it at runnersworld.co.za/wheelsoff.) By 4km, Cheptegei was leading the race by a considerable distance. Inspired by vociferous local support, his lead grew even further – so much so that by the time he had reached the final 2km, he had an advantage of 12 seconds over his closest pursuer, Geoffrey Kamworor. THE CATCH Then the wheels started…

MEXICAN-STYLE HOT CHOCOLATE Bittersweet chocolate has polyphenols, which when routinely consumed can help boost bloodflow and improve running performance. The heat from cayenne pepper may also rev up your metabolism. Post-run, the protein and carbs in milk will help muscles recover. DRINK UP Mix 1 cup low-fat milk, 30 grams 70-per-cent chocolate/ cacao bar (chopped), 2 tsp. raw sugar, ¼ tsp. vanilla extract, and a pinch of ground cayenne pepper. Warm, stirring until chocolate melts evenly. TURMERIC TEA A staple in Indian-style curries, turmeric is partially made of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory. In eastern medicine, curcumin is used to treat digestive disorders and arthritis. Research has also found that this phytochemical may fight oxidative damage from tough workouts. DRINK UP Steep slices from a 3cm piece of fresh, unpeeled turmeric for…

“…pool-specific weights serve to stabilise you...” I want to use pool running as part of my recovery from an injury. What do I need? – VICKY, Hogsback Training in both shallow and deep water will benefit your running rehabilitation. You can buy a specific belt – some call it an aqua trainer – which will help you float and stay stable when you’re aqua-jogging in shallow water. And in water that’s too deep for your feet to touch the bottom of the pool, it will keep you afloat enough to ensure you’re never submerged above your shoulders. Holding pool-specific weights is also a great option, because they serve to stabilise you in the pool. Pump your arms as you move through the water, and you’ll benefit from an additional workout.…

I first got drunk at 12 YEARS OLD. Young perhaps, but it was Soviet Moscow, where my dad was stationed as a journalist in the 1980s. I wasn’t very good at drinking, though I tried. When I was 15, I was arrested three times for public drunkenness, twice in one day. Back home, while I was still in high school, a litany of drug and alcohol violations got me kicked out of boarding school – with the final incident just hours before my valedictory, my father the keynote speaker (nope, no daddy issues there). At varsity, the morning I was scheduled to clock in for a new job on campus, I woke up behind the wheel, on a freeway in another state, facing the wrong way. Several years later, I…

“Each made a conscious effort to change his or her lifestyle.” You can’t outrun a bad diet. Wanna know how I know? I tried. For many years, I over-indulged in high-GI carbohydrates (not to mention fat and sugar) after my long-distance runs – convinced that after the hard slog, I deserved it. Besides, I reasoned, during the week I make up for it by picking at salads. But no matter how much effort I put into running, my race times didn’t improve, and I never lost any weight. I just couldn’t put my finger on it… Until, in early 2016, I went to see a dietician for the first time. Lise Bryer helped me to understand the need for a more balanced nutritional intake. Now I pay careful attention to…

 Why are you racing shorter distances? – BEN, Port Elizabeth “…shorter races help me to improve my tactical racing.” I’m training for the Western States® 100-Mile (161km) Endurance Run, which is a fast race. As the sport of ultra-trail running has progressed over the past couple of years, so too have the performances of the elite runners who compete in them. Participants are racing 100 miles at the same pace at which they used to race 50 (80km). Most runners at the front blow up over the final 50km, because they can’t maintain the pace. The one or two runners who can stick it out go on to finish in crazy-fast times. Western States is going to be fast and super-competitive this year. In order to give myself the best…

IF YOU NEVER run all-out, you’re missing something: working at top speed can help any runner shave a few seconds to a few minutes off race times. Plus, all-out running taxes your body in different ways to other types of running, even speedwork done at 5-K pace. By pushing yourself really hard for short periods, you’ll build muscle as well as the ability to run more efficiently. That means you’ll be able to go faster throughout an entire race or workout, not just at the end. Sprints, strides, and surges all involve working at or close to your all-out speed – and they’re all a fun change of pace from most distance training. SPRINTS A sprint means going all-out for as long as you can hold it. Olympian and coach…

01 Under Armour Speedform Slingshot R2 600 The SpeedForm Slingshot is a high-end racing model, maximised for performance from top to bottom. The upper begins life on a 3D knitting machine in a jersey factory, and surrounds the foot with three levels of support: loose compression in the toes, mid-compression in the heel to allow dynamic movement during the stride, and high compression in the ‘tortilla wrap’ that surrounds the arch and instep. Testers raved about the ‘sock-like’ fit, which hugs the foot. Susan Cotley, of Richards Bay, said, “It’s usually difficult to find shoes that fit both my heel and my toes, but this pair does the job.” Underfoot, two types of foam sandwich a Y-shaped plate in the mid-sole that flexes and springs back with each stride (hence…