Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2018 i Runner's World South Africa

AS USUAL, THE TOP TEN men and women to cross the finish line at the 2016 Comrades marathon were tested for doping. A few weeks later, the South African Institute For Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) released a statement to the press indicating that all 20 finishers had tested negative. But there was no mention of a 21st: Ashraf Orrie. The seasoned ultra-marathoner had just crossed the finish line, in 8:57, when he was approached by doping officials. While that’s an impressive time, it hardly warrants a drug test. But it wasn’t Orrie’s time that had raised concerns; it was the amount of running this 49-year-old does without being injured. Over the course of a single year, Orrie’s training mileage is 3 500km, and his racing mileage is 1 700km. “When I…

Do you stretch before or after your run? – ROSS M., Centurion Sometimes my hips and ankles feel tight – due to the repetitive nature of running – so I perform mobility exercises to help identify problem areas that need attention. Usually this consists of a ten-minute drill before each run, and two one-hour sessions a week. My favourite drills are baby get-ups,hipaeroplanes,single-leg toe saws and dynamic side bridges. The aim is to keep my alignment straight and iron out any imbalances in my body movement. I avoid stretching individual muscles. Here’s why: tightness is often caused by a combination of different muscles moving at the same time, which is why I find stretching muscles in isolation can actually make those tight, painful areas feel worse. Post-run I gently foam-roll…

NAME: Solly Malatsi INSTA NAME: @sollymalatsi AGE: 32 HOMETOWN: Polokwane and Cape Town. OCCUPATION: Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament What phone do you use to take your Instagrams? iPhone 7 Where’s your favourite place to run? In Cape Town, from the Sea Point Promenade to Hout Bay. And in Polokwane, the Flora Park suburb, which passes the new and old Peter Mokaba Stadium, is a popular running route. Tell us about your Insta name. It’s just my own name – not every ’Grammer has to have a witty running- or fitness-related pseudonym! What’s the story behind your top-three most-liked pics? Where did you take them, and why? Instagram 1: This picture was taken at Biskop Steps, on Victoria Road in Clifton, Cape Town. I do an endurance session once a…

Quad + Piriformis Walk TARGETS: Quads, glutes, piriformis Grab one foot behind you, pulling toward your butt. Release and step forward; switch legs. After 30 seconds, cradle right leg at ankle and knee, pulling up to chest. Release and step forward; switch legs. Repeat for 30 seconds. Hip Opener TARGETS: Deep hip external rotators From standing, bend left knee and lift leg to hip level, then rotate out to 90 degrees. (Place left hand under knee to stabilise and guide if needed.) Bring leg back to front; lower foot and switch sides. Repeat for 30 seconds. Arm Circles TARGETS: Chest, deltoids, upper back Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift arms out to shoulder height, palms down. Make small circles; after 30 seconds, switch direction. Continue for another 30 seconds.…

1 Savoury Pretzel Granola MAKES 7 CUPS Fuel a runner’s snack-attack with a crunchy, savoury treat they can feel good about devouring. This unique salty-and-spicy granola recipe is high in protein and healthy fats. 3 cups pretzels (twists) 2 cups nuts (almonds and cashews) 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup sunflower seeds 2 tsp. mustard powder 1 tsp. garlic or onion powder ½ tsp. fine sea salt ¼ tsp. cayenne, optional 2 egg whites 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. honey Preheat the oven to 135°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pretzels, nuts, oats, seeds, and seasonings. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, olive oil and honey, add to the dry ingredients, and toss to combine. Spread…

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1. ACCOUNTABILITY Registering for a race and forking over hard-earned cash gives your running increased importance and priority. Now you’re more accountable, because you have to be prepared to run to the best of your ability on a specified date. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll run your fastest. But it does mean you’ve made a commitment to train. 2. A TEST OF FITNESS Often, races are just measuring sticks – opportunities to gauge where our fitness is and where it needs to improve. And it’s easier to give yourself an honest check when you’ve pinned a race number to your shirt and lined up with other people. You’re not there to compare yourself against anybody else, but the presence of those around you can bring more out of you than…

THE WAKE-UP I’m an ex-chain smoker, drug user, and excessive drinker. I gave up smoking 11 years ago, only to replace it with comfort eating. Then, in 2009, I injured my spine in a work-related accident. I had an operation to fix it, but I’ve suffered from pain and nerve damage ever since. In the years that followed, the dial on my bathroom scales rose steadily. By 2016, a combination of chronic pain and feeling sluggish and overweight had left me battling to stay sane. THE SHAKE-UP I started to walk a few kilometres a day, but nothing more until a friend of mine who’s an avid club runner invited me to run a 10-K road race. I hesitated at first. Are you mad? I berated myself. That’s too far!…

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE BEST guide dogs aren’t used as guide dogs? They’re reserved for an even more important job – breeding more guide dogs. That’salittle something I learned months ago, during a run with a blind friend (and her own guide dog, Jenny). It was an airy, inconsequential bit of information – trivial, really. It had no direct bearing on me or my life. Certainly not on my running. But I loved learning it. By the time the three of us ended our run, not only had we logged 8km, I was a bit more enlightened than when we’d started. I loved that, too. I find that this happens fairly often when running with others – conversation ebbs and flows over the kilometres, and every now and then…

LET’S PRETEND THAT YOU’RE A SORE RUNNER training for one of the world’s first marathons in ancient Greece. You visit a practitioner to heal your weak-feeling muscles. He places a plank of wood on your sore spot, and using your body as a stabiliser, begins sawing away. The hope: that the resulting vibrations reach your muscles and help alleviate pain. That was the beginning of vibration therapy, and while it sounds a little horrifying, the intention was scientificallysound.Wenowknowthatthetechnique helps build strength and speed, improve flexibility, and loosen stiff muscles, says Matthew N Berenc, director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. And until recently, this was largely done through bulky platforms found in gyms (rather than tools with dangerously sharp edges – phew). If athletes wanted to get strong, they stood…

I run with a water bottle, but I’ve heard that’s not good for your form. Is there anything else I can do? When carrying anything – even a phone – you want to keep it close to your body, so bigger bones and muscles can displace the weight. The best spot is the small of your back, in the centre, just above your waistline. Choose bottle belts or a small bumbag over full backpacks, which place stress on your shoulders. If you have two or more bottles, keep them symmetrical left and right, and alternate sips. – MATT LOPICCOLO, ASSISTANT COACH AT REEBOK/ZAP FITNESS RUNNING CENTRE On my easy days, I end up running too fast. How do I stop overdoing it? For training, easy runs should make up the…

It was the autumn of 1977, and I was a 21-year-old who had wasted my teen years on cigarettes, beer, and weed. I headed out for my first run in cut-off jeans held up by a belt, a Budweiser T-shirt, and a pair of old shoes. I ran straight to a bar about two kilometres away. When I arrived, I celebrated by downing two beers – then I walked home. It was an inauspicious start to a life forever changed by running, but it was a start nonetheless. I had been inspired by my daily walks with my girlfriend’s dog, Brandy, who showed unadulterated joy when she was liberated from her leash, free to romp and play. Those walks eventually morphed into runs by myself, gradually enjoying my own sense…

It’s 3:45 am at an upscale shopping district in California, characterised by a central plaza of red paving stones, ornamental flower beds, and – at this pre-dawn hour – thousands of runners who’ve courageously heeded their alarm clocks. I am one of them. The Wings for Life World Run road race starts in 15 minutes, and I thread through the crowd in pursuit of Aaron Baker, a former amateur motocross champion and current event ambassador. I want to ask him about certain planned race tactics of mine. I find him standing on a large swathe of red carpet with a long white banner behind him inscribed with personal ‘Why I’m running’ messages. Wrestling with some guilt, I tell Aaron that what I’m planning feels like cheating. “It’s definitely not!” a friend…

ED’S CHOICE WESTERN CAPE SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY Spartan Harriers Firgrove Challenge Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology, corner of Firgrove and Spaanschemat Road, Constantia; 21.1km: 5:45am; 10km: Run: 5:50am; Walk: 6:10am; 6km Fun Run: TBA Top Events 021 511 7130 spartanharriers.co.za In the half marathon, undulating hills wind through picturesque Firgrove and Constantia. The 10-K is flat and fast, and is run on part of the half-marathon route. Winners’ medals and age-category prizes are awarded to walkers, and medals to all runners who finish the race. Note: the course isn’t suitable for wheelchair users. GAUTENG WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY Spar Irene Lantern Race ARC Irene Campus, Doornkloof 391-Jr, Centurion; 10km & 5km: 7pm Race Office 082 951 2581 The most popular…

“If you can pick up the pace in the latter stages, that means you’re mentally fatigued; if it tapers off gradually, that’s physical.” – Sean Tait, running technique coach I LEARNED A KEY LESSON from our expert Sean Tait (offthemarktraining.com), when we consulted him on conquering the famed sub-two-hour half marathon (‘The Fast and the Victorious’, p42). Sean is a running technique coach who is good at translating complex training principles into layman’s terms. (Note to self: ask him to explain Fartleks to non-runners!) One thing I’ve always battled to understand is the difference between mental and physical fatigue in races. As Sean explains, how we respond to fatigue is key to our success – particularly in longer races like the half marathon and beyond. So the short quote…

You already know that lower-body strength training can make you faster; but damn! Doesn’t time in the squat rack trash your legs for tomorrow’s run. If you’ve ever rationalised skipping it to prep for the next day’s mileage, you may have a point. According to a recent review of 132 studies, it takes a full day or two more to recover from resistance training than it does a high-intensity run. That doesn’t mean you should bail on strength work – just finesse it. Research shows that properly scheduling resistance training can lop seconds – even minutes – off your PB. To get it right, you need to understand how your body reacts to moving heavy stuff. Picture pushing a trolley for 50 metres. Pretty easy. That’s running, and your body…

A 40km/hr wind sabotaged my attempt to run a sub-4 marathon and qualify for a good seeding at Comrades. I had trained so well! How do I get over it? – TRACEY, Bellville A 40km/hr headwind on a point-to-point course means you need to add in the region of 10 seconds per kilometre to your pace to work at the same effort level – meaning a 3:50 marathoner would probably just make it. You can only run based on effort against the wind, and you need to accept that the equivalent effort will mean you run at a slower pace. If you went out faster than sub-4 pace, in real terms you were going way harder than your splits show, meaning it was only a matter of time before you…

When your daily run becomes a chase towards a bigger, broader goal – a full-on pursuit for something more than ticking off a workout or hitting a weekly total – suddenly every kilometre has intention, and every step gets you closer to reaching your full potential. You’re not just running – you’re running with purpose. Ready to start? Choose from these five expert-backed gain plans, and you can become the runner you’ve always wanted to be – faster, stronger, tougher, more confident – and all in 30 days. Commit to a goal now, and you’ll reap the rewards all year (check out the real runners’ success stories for proof). You’ve got nothing to lose – and everything to gain. CRANK YOUR SPEED IF YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO PB A HALF…

1 STRENGTH-TRAIN  We’ve learned that this kind of supplemental work can reduce injury risk, improve running economy, and contribute to good running posture. I try to get to the gym twice a week, and focus on exercises that build stabiliser muscles, and particularly the ones that support the muscles we use for running. To do that, I perform a combination of the basic moves below. Of course, there are countless variations and many more exercises to explore, but incorporating these in a workout will give you a solid strength base. • Planks and side planks • Bicycles • Supermans • Russian twists • Mountain climbers • Bridges • Classic push-ups • Body-weight squats (include single-leg) • Lunges • Burpees • Hamstring curls with physio ball • Pull-ups • Dips •…

SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA 4:00 am SUNRISE, FLORIDA 7:00 am PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA 1:00 pm TAINAN, TAIWAN 7:00 pm MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA 9:00 pm…

 RUNNING USUALLY HAPPENS during the worst hours of the morning. Before your brain has had chance to reboot from sleep mode, your body is jarred awake by a loud bang! “Ferdie looked like a condemned man who had awakened on the day of his execution.” Once the starter has fired his pistol, you’re shoved by the impatient oke behind you, and your legs protest: “What the #*@$?!” But lurch forward you must, or you’ll fall flat on your face. That said, the average guy or gal at the back of the pack isn’t the freshest sandwich in the picnic basket, even when he or she is awake. Try throwing in an early morning after a party the night before, and let’s just say I’ve seen road-kill dassies that appeared less…