Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Runner's World South Africa

THE INBOX WINNING LETTER A STROKE OF LUCK After a long layoff from running, I decided to run the Dan Luyt 15-K. When I found myself in last position, sweeper Lucky Ngwenya offered to accompany me until the end of my race. He shared anecdotes, and words of advice. In the darkness, Lucky illuminated the road with a flashlight, and played motivational music from his phone. I didn’t make the cut-off time, but when the finishing clock came into view, I cried like a baby. Lucky’s selfless act had reminded me what it means to be a runner. – SHAMIEL MARTHINUS, SOMERSET WEST NO JOKE Sadly, my wife and I experienced male chauvinism at the Nelspruit Uniwisp Marathon. Catcalling, wolf-whistling, and general inappropriate comments about women’s butts, calves, and the…

1 Don’t Hog The ’Mill If the gym is busy, limit your workout to 20 minutes. Use the opportunity to stretch and do some weights; and then, if you want to go longer, hit the whirr again. 2 Wipe It Down Because you’re not running through the air, you tend to sweat more than you would on the road. Consider the next person, and wipe the machine down with your sweat towel when you’ve finished. 3 Don’t Be ‘That Guy’ You know who we’re talking about: the guy next to the girl on the treadmill who goes faster than he should – just to show off – before landing up in a heap against the wall. Be cool.…

What’s the best way to recover after a run? – GRAHAM, BLOEMFONTEIN In my opinion, recovery is more important than training, because it’s during this phase that your muscles repair and your body rests, which is crucial to becoming a faster, stronger runner. I believe ice baths work. I usually submerge myself in the cold Atlantic Ocean after a heavy training block or long run. Sitting in cold water resets my nervous system, which clears a lot of stress out of my body. It helps to speed up my recovery, and leaves me feeling super-chilled – no pun intended! Ice water also helps me to sleep better, which is another crucial component of recovery. (Though I must admit, sitting in the freezing-cold ocean with just my head above the surface,…

NAME: Quaniet Jakoet INSTA NAME: @quaniet AGE: 32 HOMETOWN: Woodstock, Cape Town OCCUPATION: Rewards Partner Relationship Manager, Old Mutual What phone do you use to take your Instagrams? iPhone (5s and 6) Where is your favourite place to run? I live close to Cape Town, and I love running in the surrounding areas, like Gardens and Sea Point. There’s never a shortage of inspiration when I’m running through the city centre. Tell us about your Insta name. I kept it simple, so my friends and family can find me easily. Quaniet: runner, family man, and food lover. What’s the story behind your top-four most-liked pics? Where did you take them, and why? Instagram 1: This picture was taken after the Two Oceans Half. In it, I’m proudly showing off my…

The best runners, we often hear, are black belts in the art of focus. While the rest of us are wondering if we left the kettle on, those at the front of the pack are centring their thoughts on…well, what, exactly? Being focused, on its own, isn’t necessarily helpful – your performance depends on where you focus your attention. The best way to focus depends on the context. 1 During Strength-Training Hoisting a weight seems simple, but it involves co-ordinating the precise movements of thousands of individual muscle fibres in the correct sequence. So once you’ve practised an exercise enough that it becomes familiar, your best bet is to let your body run on autopilot. Instead of focusing internally, on the movements of your muscles and limbs, focus on the…

When most runners think ‘yoga’, they probably imagine an active practice: forward fold into upward-facing dog into downward-facing dog, and so on. These better-known types of yoga – including flow, power, and hot varieties – build strength, balance, and range of motion in a way running does not. These classes appeal to runners because you feel like you’re working out. Yin yoga, on the other hand, involves holding gentle poses for up to 10 (!) minutes. Remaining still for that long is hard – especially for runners – but relaxing into these poses promotes joint mobility and prevents degeneration. Plus, the inward focus developed through yin yoga can help you better tolerate discomfort and keep calm in the face of adversity – skills that carry over into running. To practise,…

On the RUN 01 / Asics FuzeX Packable Jacket R1 400 A no-fuss, lightweight, running-specific jacket. Has a hood, and is resistant to light rain. Dries quickly, and can be folded up and stowed away easily, even on the trails. BEST IN THE RAIN 02 / Asics Waterproof Jacket R2 400 A waterproof jacket is an essential item in your bag of winter tricks. This jacket features a tailored hoodie, which is adjustable and can be gathered around the face for a secure fit. The hoodie doesn’t obscure your view by sitting too low on the brow. Seams are welded and sealed to prevent leakage. 03 / Columbia Trail Endeavor Jacket R1 600 One simple jacket to tackle all the elements – water-resistant, wind-resistant, and easy to pack away. Tester…

This 10-minute cold-weather warm-up from endurance coach Tom Craggs, which can be done in your house, gets your body primed to brave the cold in comfort – and injury-free. “These five exercises are a combination of activation of key muscles used in running, and dynamic stretching,” says Craggs. “Do each exercise twice, for 45 seconds, with 15 seconds’ rest, before going on to the next move.” 01. THE FINGER CRUSHER WHY To engage your lower abs and activate your hip flexors. HOW Lie on the floor in a sit-up position. Place your hands under the arch in your back and engage your lower abs and pelvic floor to push your spine onto your hands (to ‘crush’ your fingers. Keeping the pressure, add alternate leg lifts (approximately 10cm off the floor).…

#1 Consume sugar in races lasting longer than one hour Studies show that sugar boosts performance in events lasting as little as 60 minutes, even though such events aren’t long enough to deplete your carb stores. It appears that sugar does this by stimulating the nervous system. #2 Take in even more in longer races In very long events, your performance is limited by the depletion of carbs in the liver and muscles. While 30-60g of sugar or other fast-acting carbs will maximise performance in shorter races, runners can gain further performance benefits from taking in as much as 90g per hour in longer races. #3 Consume multiple types of sugar It’s impossible to get 90g of carbs per hour from a sports drink. It’s too much fluid. So in…

“ The fitter and healthier you are, the better your body will cope with surgery.” For Cape Town runner Lloyd Jacobs, hearing that he would have to undergo open-heart surgery was shocking. Besides the fact that there was no history of heart problems in his family, he was a young man in his early 30s, who ate healthily. A competitive trail runner, he had finished in the top 10 at the Cape Winter Trail Series. He had also achieved five Two Oceans Half medals. It happened quickly. Up until two days before the diagnosis was made, he hadn’t experienced any of the symptoms associated with a cardiac incident. He had competed in the Trail Series on Sunday, and trained as usual on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But on Thursday night,…

NAME: KOOS SMIT AGE: 60 FAVOURITE RACE: MEIRINGSPOORT 21KM Koos Smit is a former senior-age-group cricket umpire, who spent seven years playing in the South Western Districts Cricket League. That changed one day at the gym, when he saw a little girl running on the treadmill next to his – he was walking. Smit was inspired, and went on to conquer new fitness goals: age-group accolades at 10km, half-marathon and ultra-marathon races. His newfound love of running, Smit says, has enriched his old bones with fresh impetus. I played action cricket for the SWD team. I’ve also represented the Springboks, and in my younger days I played against Allan Donald and Wessel Johannes ‘Hansie’ Cronje. At 58 years old, I started going to the gym. I saw this little girl,…

Raksha Gosai Age: 24 Home Town: Cape Town Height: 1.56m Occupation: Energy analyst Time Required: 1 Year Then: 62kg Now: 52kg The Wake-Up I never shied away from indulgent Indian food, and satisfied my sweet tooth with pastries, biscuits and chocolate. Food was my friend. I was curvy, but I’d never considered myself overweight. I even entered the Miss South Africa India pageant in 2013. But a health check revealed my eating habits weren’t sustainable: my BMI was 25, which is nearly overweight for my height. Concerned about the risks associated with carrying extra kilos – especially at such a young age – I decided to make my health a priority. The Shake-Up At first, changing my mindset and increasing my physical activity was hard. Twice a week I went…

1min 15secs THE AMOUNT OF TIME RUNNING IN THE RAIN COULD ADD TO YOUR PACE PER KILOMETRE. 65KM/H THE SPEED THE WIND MUST REACH TO BE CLASSIFIED A ‘FRESH GALE’ – STRONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE INJURY. 85-90 The number of strides per minute you should take on wet days. By shortening your contact with the road, you’ll reduce the chances of slipping. 2 680m THE HIGHEST ALTITUDE REACHED AT THE RHODES RUN, WHICH IS CONSIDERED SOUTH AFRICA’S COLDEST RACE. -10°C The average temperature on the morning of the race. -27°C The average temperature in Antarctica during January, which is when the annual Antarctic Ice Marathon takes place. FIVE THE NUMBER OF COMPULSORY LAYERS ICE MARATHON PARTICIPANTS WEAR – THREE ON TOP, AND TWO AT THE BOTTOM. -40°C What the temperature…

“I learn a lot. I find myself trying new things.” – Katie Mackey, on training camps Within hours of arriving in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Brooks Beasts’ preseason altitude camp, I’m on a bus with about 40 other visiting runners. We’re heading through the city to the University of New Mexico track, and I’m feeling both excitement and low-level anxiety. My training has been on the back burner for months, with a big project – co-authoring Bart Yasso’s upcoming book, Race Everything – dominating my waking hours. But even though I’m out of shape, I’m looking forward to spending three days focusing on running, eating, and sleeping, just like the pros do during their training stints. Under coach Danny Mackey, the Beasts – including six-time US 800-metre champion Nick…

TRAINING #PlankaDay – is it worth doing? Yes, up to a point. Bracing your shoulders, core, glutes, and legs to hold a plank position creates tension throughout your body, which builds all-over strength that makes activities like running feel easier. That said, holding a plank for longer than two minutes offers diminishing returns. Once you’ve worked up to two minutes, progress to a more challenging movement. Try doing push-ups (which are basically dynamic planks) or a new exercise that targets several muscle groups (like glute bridges with weight on your hips). – Dan John, strength coach and author of several weightlifting books (danjohn.net) TRAINING Why does it feel so hard to run with a slower running buddy? Your body self-selects your most efficient gait. When you run more slowly than…

Let’s talk doping. Not the EPO and blood kind, which – though made famous by cyclist Lance Armstrong – has probably contributed to many Olympic running medals. Or the testosterone and growth-hormone kind, that sprinters use to help them train harder and recover faster. Those drugs are outright illegal. (Though a worrying number of non-elite athletes also have access to them, thanks to doctors who prescribe them to people unnecessarily.) No, I’m talking about legal doping. The line between doping and the normal use of legal medical products has become blurred, because of what I call the ‘medicalisation’ of sport. Anti-inflammatories and painkillers are widely used by runners. Sure, they won’t get you banned, even if you are tested; but that’s only for logistical reasons – it would cost too…

1. iPhone 7+ It’s not as big as we thought it would be, which means it’s easy to carry with you when you run. Of the 7+’s numerous attractive features, the camera is the most useful for runners. It has two lenses, which allow you to blur the background to enhance depth of field. The optical zoom magnifies x2 without adding graininess. The phone is waterproof (not just resistant), which means it will survive being fully submerged in water, should you have an accident on one of your trail-running adventures. From R16 000 2. Samsung Galaxy S8 The first thing you’ll notice is the significant increase in the size of the viewing area. While the display is only 18% bigger than that of the S7, the black bars have been…

The customisable lacing system enhances fit and support, by combining a high-grade engineered net with a formfitting base material. You can lace the shoes according to your liking, for a comfortable fit. STANDARD LACING The customised lacing option is for runners who need minimal support. HEEL SUPPORT LACING Prevents heel slippage by locking the heel onto the platform. NARROW FOOT LACING Provides additional upper support to grab the foot and lock it onto the platform. WIDE FOOT LACING Provides a foot lockdown that secures your foot to the platform. STABILITY LACING This customised lacing option supports runners who over-pronate.…

In his book Salt, Sugar, Fat (WH Allen), Michael Moss revealed that food companies hide sugar in all kinds of foods to trick our brains into craving more of them. The list of foods to watch out for includes bread, dried fruit, hot dogs, pasta sauce, peanut butter, salad dressing, crisps and yoghurt. But avoiding the hidden sugar in these foods isn’t as easy as looking for the word ‘sugar’ on the list of ingredients. Food companies disguise the presence of sugar by giving it different names: agave nectar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, sucrose and tapioca syrup. Watching your sugar intake? Look for the devil in the details.…

1 • The fitter and healthier you are, the better your body will cope. 2 • A healthy weight means your body will heal more quickly, with fewer complications. 3 • You’ll approach your recovery with the same positive attitude and mental toughness you apply to running. 4 • Your desire to return to running will make you all the more determined to get back on your feet. 5 • Running is therapeutic. It will help you combat depression, and win back control of your life.…

 CARSON DEAN IS A YOUTUBE SENSATION, with a gazillion views of a treadmill dance workout done to the tune of Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’. It’s one of the most viral videos on the internet, and it’s a great mash-up of exercise and contemporary dance, all to the tune of a foot-tapping song. “Treadmill running is time-efficient, since there are no traffic lights to stop at, dogs to skirt or tjommies to slow you down. It’s just you and the whirr!” He’s so famous, he’s even appeared on Ellen. Carson claimed to have uploaded the video one evening to show just his family (yeah, right!), but by the time he woke up the next morning, his video had hit Facestagram, and suddenly treadmill dancing was a Thing. It even has its…

NAME Ryan Scott AGE 42 PROFESSION RW Gear Editor Foodies flock to the Big Apple. Not for the refined culture typical of restaurants in cities like Paris, but for the cutting-edge and the over-the-top – after all, the Cronut (a croissant-doughnut hybrid pastry) was invented here. Broadway, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park and the Statue of Liberty are all crowd-pleasers. High voltage JFK airport was manic, and filled with a cosmopolitan crowd. I had to stand in at least three long queues before I could even think about how to get to Manhattan – which primed me for all the waiting I’d be doing at some of NYC’s popular culinary treasures. While I was standing in the last queue, a police sniffer dog had a whiff of…

Can you participate in a half Ironman and run the Comrades in the space of a year? – MELANIE, STELLENBOSCH The majority of first-time Comrades participants make the mistake of returning to running too soon, which increases their likelihood of injury the following year. Often, they end up feeling flat. By entering a triathlon, you’ll reduce your running load, but maintain a good cardiovascular load by swimming and cycling. In short, cross-training will make you a better athlete, and reduce your risk of overuse injuries. Still, you need to approach triathlon training sensibly, meaning you shouldn’t plan to race too soon after the Comrades. Aim for one between the end of October and early December. The rules for triathlon are the same as they are in running. Don’t do too…

Is eyewear with polarised lenses worth the extra expense? – CHARLIE, BRYANSTON We tested lots of different types of eyewear last summer, including some with polarised lenses. Let me explain what polarised lenses do. The sun’s rays bounce off surfaces, and if the glare hits your eyes in an unfavourable position, it can damage them. Technology has made possible a way of extinguishing that glare, via a grid pattern carved into the lens which cuts out the bothersome light. While it’s true you’ll notice some difference when you’re running on the road, our RW testers are of the opinion that it’s not significant enough to warrant blowing all that extra cash. The technology does allow you to look deeper into water, by limiting the amount of light that bounces back…

“Running reduces even the most illustrious macho man to the lowest common denominator.” ONE OF THE MANY ADVANTAGES us slow runners have over our faster counterparts is that we have time to think. And talk. If someone were to jot down the minutes of our discussions at the back of the pack, it would probably solve all the world’s problems. Just the other day, we answered life’s most pressing question: do male runners suffer more than female runners? ‘Non-runners’ (a polite way of referring to motorists) will tell you that the slow male runners they pass on the road never seem happy. They appear to be in the throes of an agony seldom seen outside of a dentist’s chair, or when a teacher’s nails scrape slowly down a blackboard. Runners…