Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i Runner's World South Africa

You and Ryno Griesel are attempting the fastest known time (#FKT) on the Great Himalaya Trail. How have you prepared? – LAWRENCE, Ballito We will cover roughly 1 400km at high altitude (some passes are over 5 000m in elevation), over an estimated 28 days. Neither of us has done anything like this before, but Ryno is a great navigator, due to his adventure-racing background. And I’ve been competing in ultra-distance trail-running races for 10 years, which means I’ve built enough endurance to tackle a project of this magnitude. Running for so many consecutive days will tax our bodies, so we’ve both tried not to overdo it in training. Instead, we will reach our peak physical fitness during the project itself. You can’t move fast at 5 000m-plus. With this…

LET’S FACE IT: RUNNERS AREN’T necessarily known for their arms. That’s not a dig – it’s just easy to neglect your top half when it seems like your legs do all the work. Failing to train your upper body, however, can hold you back big time. “Have you ever tried to run without your arms? It’s weird, inefficient, and hard as hell,” says Pamela Geisel, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery’s Tisch Sports Performance Centre. “Arm drive is a big part of running –when your legs get tired, you use your arms more because of the kinetic chain; you can’t have one without the other.” That means your strength-training has to include more than just deadlifts and squats. Building a strong upper body will help you maintain good…

ToeFlick Skipping Skip for a couple of minutes while trying to land midfoot. When you jump off the ground, flip your toes up. Ankle Dribble Jog with ankle dorsiflexion, but keep strides short and feet close to the ground, like you’re running over 5-10cm ‘hurdles’. Then try the same drill with 15cm and 25cm hurdles. Bosch Skip Shift weight to right leg, and as you skip forward, pull left knee up to hip level. Drop left foot back down as you finish a second skip. Use arms to pump forward. Continue skipping on right leg and lifting left knee; repeat on opposite leg.…

That’s the million-dollar question, and the one researchers say they get the most often. Everyone wants to know the minimum they can get away with and still reap the benefits – the optimal dose, if you will. While there is nuance to that answer (for example, the type and amount of running you need to improve vascular health is different to what you need to increase VO2 max), the overwhelming consensus is ‘not that much’. “I think what people don’t realise is you get a huge fraction of the benefits from relatively modest amounts of running per day – just 5km,” says Dr Michael Joyner, a physician and researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, and one of the world’s leading experts on human performance and age. In their broad…

THE WAKE-UP Mother’s Day. I’d been struggling with my weight since the birth of my oldest son, Keanan, and had continued to pile on kilograms even after my second son was born. I also wasn’t dealing with work stress in the right way, often turning to food for comfort. On that day, I felt unattractive, unfit and unhappy. THE SHAKE-UP I cleaned up my eating habits by cutting out carbs, cane sugar and alcohol. I also started walking and jogging. Once I could run 2.5km without stopping, I began to push for further distances: 5km, 10km, 21.1km, and then 42.2km. Now that’s what I call ‘goal digging’! Running it off was challenging: I have a demanding and stressful job; I also lacked self-confidence, and my negative inner voice constantly broke…

After years of cross-country and longer-distance running, Andronicus stopped running in 1993. “I wanted to focus on my job, and it was difficult to keep up with training. Being in Emergency Services demands a lot from you physically and mentally.” In 2010, and weighing 98kg, he decided to start running again. “I started by walking, then jogging, until I could run about 10km a week.” Andronicus now weighs 67kg and is at his ideal weight. Like many runners just starting out, Andronicus trained by himself for the first two years. “From 2013 I decided to join Discovery Vitality and the gym, so I could train better. The treadmill and the other equipment at Virgin Active became my training partner,” says Andronicus. Andronicus’ first Comrades Marathon was the down run in…

Focus on form. No matter how much you’re lifting, if your form is crap, then you won’t benefit and you risk injury, Pags says. Ask a trainer how to correctly perform rows, chest presses, triceps kickbacks, and curl variations, he suggests. Then set up in front of a mirror to keep an eye on technique. Fatigue the muscle. To reap heavy-lifter rewards, Geisel says you need to exhaust the muscle 100 per cent, meaning you can’t do another rep at that weight. If you’re new to strength-training, practise your form with a lighter weight, then start with 5kg to 12kg pounds for eight to 12 reps until fatigue. If your form is sorted, go for fewer reps (five to eight) and more weight (12kg to 18kg). Go for broke. If…

Swop Out ‘I’ for ‘You’ Using the word ‘I’ can stress you out instead of helping you regulate your feelings and behaviour, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Make your words more effective by talking to yourself as though you’re someone else, Wiersma says. Take it a step further by bringing someone you care about or admire into focus. “Imagine someone who is powerful saying your mantra,” he suggests. “Hear their voice. It’ll take a simple technique to the next level.” Say It Out Loud Starting to fatigue? Bring your mantras to life by voicing them – even quietly. Trust us, the weird stares are worth it. One study found that basketball players passed the ball faster when they motivated themselves out loud, and…

FULL COVERAGE Oakley EV Zero Stride Prizm R2 981 Not only do the vibrancy and contrast of the Prizm lenses enhance the conditions in any environment, but the type of lens can be chosen specifically to suit road or trail, too. The coverage of your face is as complete as for any glasses we’ve ever tested – any larger, and you’d be wearing ski goggles. This is also Oakley’s lightest frame for running. Oakley SA 021 486 6100 IN STYLE: Oakley Frogskin R1 655 The lifestyle option of eyewear for running has passed from its novel phase in 2016/17, to mainstream acceptance in 2018. These Classic Frogskin frames, in check-box silver matte, are perfectly on point for this year’s style. Oakley have added the Prizm lens technology to enhance detail,…

From heart to muscles to the brain and immune system, running at any age and for almost any amount of time turns the body into a more efficient version of itself. “If you could put the effects into a pill, it would be a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company,” says exercise historian Dr David Raichlen. MIND // Runners have a higher concentration and greater volume of grey matter, which means better memory, quicker recall, and generally feeling sharper and a lot flipping smarter. Run through complex environments – a busy city or a rocky trail – and you also strengthen the brain in ways that positively affect planning, multi-tasking, self-awareness, and motor control. IMMUNE SYSTEM // Ever notice you don’t get colds and flu as often as non-runner friends? Not a coincidence.…

“Somehow, running is seen as something we humans are not designed to do...” ‘YES, YOU ARE A RUNNER!’ If I’d run a kay for every time someone told me that they ‘just weren’t built for running’, I’d have made it around the world three times by now. It’s probably the most inclusive of all the excuses ever used to justify the attitude that running is not an option. It covers a wide range of potential difficulties for the poor non-runner to use in explaining why they can’t give running a chance. We can preach all we like about the value of running, from its effectiveness in weight loss, to beating stress, to helping you live longer – and no, it’s not true that your knees will wear out if you…

NAME: Karabo Mashele INSTA NAME: @karabeyps AGE: 24 HOMETOWN: Midrand, Gauteng OCCUPATION: Communication designer for BlackBrain Pictures, PopUpGym, Thesis Lifestyle and Champagne The Colour; an Adidas Booster. What phone do you use to take your Instagrams? iPhone 7 Where’s your favourite place to run? The streets of Jozi are so busy – no matter what time of day it is – that running on them is a more like an extreme sport! I dodge pedestrians, taxis, and navigate shortcuts and sharp turns. Tell us about your Insta name. Kara is my name and ‘beyps’ is a slang term I made up (it means ‘babe’). What’s the story behind your top-three most-liked pics? Where did you take them, and why? Instagram 1: Thick Thighs Save Lives That’s the best way I…

Is a 25km long run enough training for a Comrades qualifying marathon? – BUSYBEE, Ladysmith The main goal of the Comrades Finisher’s Programme is to ensure runners have the best chance of remaining injury-free, healthy and consistent, and of achieving their finisher’s medal. To this end, the Programme – while not minimalist – is conservative, and on the lower end of the recommended mileage. It also assumes runners will participate in a qualifying marathon during the lead-up to the Comrades. To answer your question, 25km is probably a little on the light side. Your longest run should be 30 to 36km; however, if you have done consistent training that includes two or three efforts of approximately 25km, then the total of all your sessions is greater than the sum of…

Salmon-Coconut Curry MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 Tbsp. coconut oil 6 cups mixed veggies, chopped (onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, sugar snap peas, etc.) 1 tin (385 grams) coconut milk 3 Tbsp. Thai green or red curry paste ½ tsp. salt 4 salmon fillets (about 450 grams total) • salt and pepper to taste 2 cups short-grain brown rice or buckwheat noodles, cooked In a large pan or wok, heat coconut oil. Add veggies and sauté over high heat until browning begins. Transfer veggies to a bowl. Turn down heat and add coconut milk. Stir in curry paste and salt. Once simmering, add salmon fillets, skin-side facing up. Simmer until cooked through, 8 minutes. Add veggies back and toss until reheated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice…

Asics Motion Dry R120 (2 pack) You don’t have to sacrifice comfort for minimalism. These secret socks have a plush heel and toe. asics.co.za Versus Feet Performance Running R120 The cycling brand has now branched out into running. Extra support comes in the form of ribbed arches, and padding in the heel and toe. versussocks.co.za Sox R129 This easy-fitting sock scores highly when it comes to style. It has a higher-than-usual sleeve, which means it won’t slip down into the shoe. soxfootwear.com adidas Parley R120 A low-profile sock. It’s also environmentally friendly: part of the material is made of recycled plastic from the ocean. There are tabs on the heel and tongue, which enable you to adjust the shoe to fit. adidas.co.za Injinji Performance 2.0 R350 The naturally anatomical toe-splay…

Your body doesn’t distinguish one type of aerobic activity from another – your heart, for example, doesn’t know the difference between a bike ride that gets your pulse up to 150 and a run that does the same. Still, there are reasons why running is the top form of exercise to keep the muscles and mind young. And they’re best illustrated in this massive 2017 international study: Researchers examined more than 55 000 men and women between the ages of 18 and 100 and determined that regardless of how old you are, whether you’re male or female, how much booze you drink, or whether you’ve ever exercised before, if you start running just one to two hours per week, you can slash your risk of cardiovascular-related death by 45 to…

ED’S CHOICE GAUTENG SUNDAY 25 MARCH Merrell Autumn Trail Run Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Roodepoort, Johannesburg; 20km: 7am; 12km: 7:30am; 6km: 8am; 2km: 9am Tatum Prins 083 449 0760 The lush Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is considered the best place to get back to nature in Gauteng. The technical 12km and 20km Merrell runs head into open, rocky, highland grasslands, and pass cascading waterfalls. The cliffs are home to a pair of majestic Verreaux’s Eagles. KWAZULU-NATAL SUNDAY 25 MARCH Umgeni Water Marathon Midmar Dam Resort, Howick; 42.2km & 32km: 6am; 15km Run/Walk: 6:15am Collegians Race Office 082 750 0822 The fastest marathon in KwaZulu-Natal will turn 21 this year. The 15km race takes place entirely within the tranquil Midmar Dam resort, while approximately 20km of the long-distance routes are…