There is always a lot of talk around how fast your long slow distance (LSD) training runs should be in preparation for races like the Comrades Marathon or the Two Oceans. The big question however is, are you running them too fast? More importantly are you running them too hard? It is difficult to know, but on today’s Ask Coach Parry Podcast Comrades Coach Lindsey Parry looks into that exact issue.
With Two Oceans upon us, it’s too late to start introducing strength work into your programme, but if you’re running Comrades or another long race, make sure you get yourself to a gym, because long-distance runners need to prioritise strength training to minimise overuse injuries. – BY RAY ORCHISON
Join me in a quick experiment: Start with a short warm-up – a few star jumps and a couple of walking lunges – then with stop watch in hand, stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart, and then slowly slide down the wall into a ‘seated’ position, keeping your knees bent at a ninety degree angle. Now lift and hold your right foot up and start the stopwatch, hold for as long as possible and make a note of the time, then reset and repeat the process by lifting the left leg.
In most cases, the first thing you will notice is that you were able to hold one of your legs up longer than the other. This indicates a muscles imbalance between your left and right side. Ideally, you want your muscles balanced, so that you’re working both sides equally and don’t have one side over-compensating for the weaker side, which often results in an injury or strain on the stronger side, because it’s doing the bulk of the work. More importantly, however, is looking at the number of seconds that you were able to hold this position. Compare your times with the table below.
Rate Yourself
(seconds)
Excellent >100 >60
Good 76-100 46-60
Average 51-75 36-45
Below Average 25-50 20-35
Poor <25 <20
Most non-elite endurance athletes will find themselves somewhere between Poor and Below Average, which is strange when you consider that this test lasts two minutes, while an ultra lasts anything from five hours and up!
TARGETING THE MUSCLES
An ultra is nothing more than conditioning the body to perform a single movement over and over, but using the same muscles in the same way increases the risk of overuse injuries. To avoid strain, it’s crucial that you strengthen these muscles, and in running, the most important are the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads and hip flexors. When these muscles are weak, they no longer perform their task in moving the body forward, which results in the smaller, less-trained muscles doing more work then they’re designed to do. That’s when niggles turn into full-blown injuries, and most often, this will point back to a weaker bigger muscle, such as the glutes.
Athletes who have not done enough strength training will often start a race with good form and posture, but by the end may find themselves bent over at the hips or leaning toward one side, or struggling to lift their legs. These are all indications that their muscles have not been trained to go the distance. As your form breaks down, your speed decreases and you find that certain muscles go into spasm because they’re being overworked. Strength training enables us to maintain good form for longer.
START SLOW
When introducing strength training, start off using light weights and focus on doing the exercise correctly, slowly and controlled – that’s far more important than how much you can lift. In the first three to four weeks, use the lightest weight possible and perform two to three sets of 15 repetitions each per exercise. After the initial three to four weeks, you can start increasing the weight slowly over the coming weeks while decreasing the number of repetitions as you increase the weight.
Ray Orchison is a Joburg-based USA Track & Field and NAASFP certified coach. For more info, contact him on [email protected].
Join the friendly, free 8am Saturday morning 5km in your area!
parkrunner Q&A
Peter Hawthorne
Ebotse parkrun, Benoni
How did you get into parkruns?
“Ebotse was the third SA event started back in 2012. I saw a note in the local newspaper and thought it would be interesting. I was running essentially the same course already, but doing it alone. I must be the luckiest parkrunner in SA, as the start is only 500m from my house.”
Have you run any other parkruns besides Ebotse?
“Yes, I’ve run two in the UK and 22 in South Africa so far, and to date I’ve done 77 in total. I’ve been running regularly since 1985, but I can’t remember the other things I used to do on Saturday mornings that were so important before I started parkrun! The reason I have done so many of the parkruns in SA is that we have a motor home, bought originally to spend days overlooking waterholes in Kruger and other parks, but one winter we ran away to the coast to avoid the Highveld cold. Then along came parkrun, which gave us another reason to spend time at the coast, and I started to ‘collect’ runs.”
What do you think of the sense of community at parkruns?
“It’s fun to meet different people at different events – they’re all there for the same purpose, to enjoy the running, the surroundings and each other’s company.”
parkrun in your area
North Beach, Durban
Twitter: @NBparkrun
Facebook: NorthBeachparkrun
Every Saturday morning, hundreds of enthusiastic parkrunners gather outside the Suncoast Casino for their weekly 5km alongside the pristine Durban coast. The course takes you down the promenade alongside the ocean, past the smiling faces of our resident sand artists with their beautiful works of beach art, then on past bustling restaurants and paddling pools until you reach a familiar face waiting at halfway with a smile and word of encouragement. The last kay greets you with some welcomed shade provided by rows of exotic bush and palm trees until cheering volunteers bring you into the finish.
Durban humidity is not for the faint-hearted, but the views and friendly faces on the promenade make up for it! Durban’s warm winters also make it easy to get up and put your running shoes on. There are ample drinking taps along the route, and plenty of restaurants and cafés for a post-parkrun coffee and breakfast.
With free parking offered to parkrunners in the Suncoast Casino parking lot, finding a safe place for your car is a breeze. The course is flat and unchallenging, serving as the perfect time trial for the more competitive runner, or an enjoyable stroll for those out to enjoy some sun and a chat with friends. So join us! – Rox Lewis
Parkrun SA Stats
Number of parkruns: 26
Number of events: 1146
Number of active runners: 38 124
Number of individual runs: 172 683
Total distance covered: 863 415km
Total run time: 12 years, 342 days, 14 hours, 9 minutes, 55 seconds
*Last updated 18 March
SIGN UP!
Go to www.parkrun.co.za to find your nearest parkrun and to register for free. Just a simple contact form and voila, you’re good to go! OR follow parkrun on Facebook: parkrunSouthAfrica or Twitter: @parkrunSA
parkrun PARTNER!
Modern Athlete is proud to be an official partner of parkrun SA. Each month in the magazine, you’ll get all the parkrun news, info and updates, plus all registered parkrun members will receive a FREE Modern Athlete digi-mag each month!
We hope you’re getting ready for the 1st of June, because the world’s ultimate ultra-marathon is almost here. The gruelling 89km from Pietermaritzburg to Durban is always a test of the human spirit, but that journey is one of the most memorable in any runner’s life, and here at the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), we’re looking forward to once again presenting this historic race. – BY DELAINE COOLS
THE ULTRA WEATHERMAN
A word from Derek Van Dam, Chief Meteorologist for eTV & eNCA
“My expectation for this year’s Comrades is to come home and proudly hang my Back-to-Back medal on my living room wall. It is a particularly special race for me because it will be the second time I run the race with the love of my life.”
BACK TO FINISH IT
Radio personality Koula Budler on why she’s taking on Comrades 2014
“Making it to the top of Pollys last year and being cut off there due to time was a very humbling experience. It was my seventh Comrades and I thought I knew the race well. I’d never had a DNF prior to Comrades 2013, but it was the first time I had flown in from the US to run it, though, and I hope that I’m better prepared in terms of handling the jetlag this year. I am a little nervous attempting it this year, but Comrades truly is the greatest ultra in the world and I can’t wait to be part of this incredible race again!”
Having a child is one of life’s greatest joys, but childbirth can definitely compare to an endurance event. Despite childbirth being a natural process, your body is still put under stress and physiological changes occur, so we asked Reproductive Medicine Specialist Dr Chris Venter to give us his expert advice to help new mothers get back on the road.
There are many aspects to take into account after having a baby, and how easy, or difficult, it could be to get those running shoes back in action. “For starters, most women feel out of sorts after having a baby, due to their fluctuating hormones,” say Dr Venter, a former gynaecologist and now a Reproductive Medicine Specialist at Vitalab in Morningside, Johannesburg. “During pregnancy, the levels of progesterone in a women’s body are at their highest level. Progesterone has a calming effect on the brain and once you have your baby the progesterone drops straight down to what it was before you were pregnant. This is when some women suffer from what they call the ‘baby blues,’ or Postpartum depression.”
Dr Venter says that women should give it six weeks before getting out on the road again, for a number of reasons:
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: “In the first six weeks after your baby has arrived, your resting heart rate is increased by 15 beats a minute. Due to this, you are also short of breath. Therefore, if any training takes place, it needs to be extremely gradual, and also needs to be monitored.”
JOINT LAXITY: “During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called Relaxin. It loosens connective tissue, including ligaments that connect bones and help support our joints. This increased laxity allows for expansion of the rib cage, making room for the growing fetus, as well as allowing the pelvis to expand in order for the baby to be delivered. Up until six weeks after the baby, your laxity levels in your ligaments and joints is still high, so by putting too much stress on the body, you can pick up injuries easier, and it is also common to feel sharp pain or discomfort in your lower back.”
BIRTH PROCEDURE: “After having a cesarean done, you need to go for your six-week post-birth checkup and your doctor will then be able to indicate whether you are ready to start training. It is vital that the wound heals properly before putting stress on the body. A natural birth will have you training a lot quicker, unless you experienced a tear, which will mean that you will also need to wait until the wound has fully healed.”
BREAST MILK: “Training too hard or putting your body under stress will decrease a mother’s breast milk. Your routine should revolve around creating more breast milk.”
GETTING STARTED
The latest craze is to take your baby with you in a running pram, and this can be great fun, although hard work on the uphills. It is important to take it slow to start off with, as your baby doesn’t have much of an immune system in the first six weeks and can be susceptible to flu and colds. Any exercise should be started off gradually, and not to the level you trained at before your pregnancy. “You need to listen to your body,” says Dr Venter, “you also need to be sure to invest in good support bras, as in this time you also stand a good chance of stretching your Cooper’s Ligaments, the connective tissue in the breasts.”
After your Two Oceans run, it’s important to eat and drink properly to replenish glycogen stores and to rehydrate. These guidelines will help you to recover quicker, so you can get started on chasing down your next running goal.
REPAIR
Consuming 20 to 25g of protein soon after exercise enhances repair of damaged muscle and stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Whey protein contains the key ‘trigger’ amino acid leucine, which promotes muscle growth. Dairy also contains whey, so milk and yoghurt have become an inexpensive solution for repair.
REFUEL
Total carb requirement post-exercise is determined by the intensity and the duration of your session. Athletes should have 1g of carb per kilogram of body weight after exercise, at regular intervals (i.e. each hour for the first four hours) and then resume normal eating patterns. It must be stressed that this is for runners who intend training within the next eight to 24 hours. There’s less stress on ultra-runners who intend to take it easy after their long run.
REHYDRATE
Replacement of 120 to 150% of fluid losses incurred during exercise is recommended (1.2 to 1.5L for every 1kg lost during the run) within the first one to three hours after your finish. Rehydration solutions and salty foods in meals and snacks help fluid and electrolyte replacement.
REVITALISE
Athletes should incorporate a range of vitamins and minerals during the post-exercise period through the use of whole-foods rather than single nutrient supplements. Whole-foods provide antioxidants and phytonutrients to recover quicker. Flavoured milk, for example, provides protein, carbs and fluid, together with calcium and B-vitamins. Athletes should always have a
food-first approach to avoid deficiencies that could hinder performance.
RECOMMENDED RECOVERY MEAL
Thai Chicken with Curried Yoghurt & Coriander Marinade
50g carb & high protein, serves 2 to 4
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, skinned
2.5ml salt
Ground black pepper
175ml low-fat plain yoghurt
30ml Thai red curry paste
60ml coriander leaves, chopped
500ml frozen whole corn OR 1 cup uncooked rice
1. Slice each chicken breast open and cover with clingfilm, flattening with a rolling pin.
2. Flavour the chicken with the salt and black pepper.
3. Mix the yoghurt, curry paste and coriander.
4. Cover the chicken with the mix and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Fry the chicken pieces on both sides until cooked.
6. Serve on a bed of corn/rice with two cooked vegetables.
There are several remedies you can try to quicken your recovery after a long run or race, so that you can focus on your next goal sooner – especially if you’re not used to high-impact mileage. We look at some tried-and-tested tips, and debunk some others. – BY SSISA’S ANDREW BOSCH & LAUREN VAN DER VYVER
1 STRETCHING
There is little evidence that stretching helps speed up recovery. Stretching before an event can actually reduce muscle power, and long-term stretching reduces running economy, as the muscle-tendon loses springiness. A low running economy, in turn, means that more oxygen is needed to run at a given speed. Nevertheless, there is a point when a runner becomes so inflexible that some stretching is needed.
2 MASSAGE
Many runners use it because there is a perception of reduced soreness, but this does not translate to improved strength, power or endurance. Light massage will loosen the muscles, but don’t book that deep tissue massage just yet!
3 COMPRESSION
There have been many studies on whether compression garments aid performance and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness, but there’s little effect. However, there is some improvement on enhancing lactate removal (reducing stiffness) and reducing muscle oscillation (the slight vibration you feel in your legs after high-impact running).
4 HOT AND COLD
Research focuses on water temperature, length of immersion, depth of immersion, etc. While it may have some benefit in contact sports, evidence of a positive effect in running is minimal. The theory behind the ‘hot/cold’ baths for recovery is that warm water causes vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels), which lowers blood pressure, while the cold causes vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels, increasing local blood flow. The contraction and relaxation of the lymph vessels improves inflammation, too.
5 EATING RIGHT
One’s glycogen stores are depleted after a long run and should be restored quickly. There is potential improvement when athletes use whey protein or protein hydrolysate ingested together with carbohydrate post-training, and the amount of protein ingested should be around 20g.
6 RUNNING AGAIN
The stiffness felt after a long race is due to muscle damage, and it is best to wait until post-race stiffness has disappeared before training again. The first run should be an easy 20 to 30-minute run, gradually rebuilding to normal training. Don’t go in too quickly! If you’ve been building up mileage for a while, three to four rest days are important.
WHY GO
Excellent running right on the Mother City doorstep comes to you courtesy of Silvermine Nature Reserve, a protected area set along the south-eastern slopes of Table Mountain. If you’re down in this neck of the woods for the Two Oceans Marathon, but still enjoy dabbling in a touch of trail, Silvermine is less than half an hour from the city centre, with stunning views across both False Bay and the Atlantic, and even has a remote tarmac strip for those not keen to get their shoes dirty!
WHAT YOU GET
A whole network of circular and return routes spider-web through the Fynbos vegetation blanketing the Reserve. Options include the full gamut, from a gruelling gravel road climb up Ou Wapad, to a punchy and technical 4.5km River Trail looping from the Northern Gate. The southern section combines meandering gravel road loops with excellent single-track booming up onto the trails traversing Steenberg and Muizenberg Peaks.
WHERE TO RUN
Silvermine boasts so many options, with a total trail distance of well over 50km. If you’re looking for a quickie workout for a couple of hours before or after work, thump onto the River Trail from the Silvermine North entrance gate. Get ready for a combo of gravel road and hiking trail, with some wooden boardwalk and a touch of tarmac on the side. Expect rocky ascents, loose gravel and looping Fynbos singletrack, with a workout bordering on hardcore if you plan to take on the complete route.
Keep to the left of Silvermine River, following the rocky River Trail up to the concrete dam wall for 3.5km and then keep right. (A River Trail return run would be a good start for beginners). Keep left past the dam onto the concrete dual-track, then look for a single-track forking right to wind its way towards Elephants Eye Cave before dog-legging left to cross over the gravel road and ascend up Silvermine Peak. A twisty-turny trail brimming with rock-hopping and tight Fynbos bends drops you back down towards the dam, from where you can double back to the start, either via the River Trail boardwalk or the rough-and-ready loop above the Ou Wapad and back to the gate.
Fast Facts: SILVERMINE
MAP: Available at Silvermine entrance or download at www.mtbroutes.co.za.
ACCESS REQUIREMENTS: SANParks Wild Card, or a fee of R40 per day (adults).
TRAIL MARKINGS: Limited signage at main trail junctions.
FACILITIES: Secure parking, ablutions, picnic spots, swimming in dam.
CELL RECEPTION: Relatively good.
BEWARE: Mountain bikers, hikers and dogs.
TIME OF YEAR: Trails may be sandy in summer; waterproof gear is a must in winter.
LOCAL INFO: www.sanparks.org.za
GETTING THERE
Follow the M3 from Cape Town towards Muizenberg, then keep right along the M42 onto the M64 (Ou Kaapse Weg). Silvermine Nature Reserve (North) is on your right just as you reach the top.
GPS: 34º 05’ 135” South / 18º 25’ 144” East
STAY HERE
Check out www.capepointroute.co.za.
Thanks to his winning ways in the pool, Olympic, World and Commonwealth champ Chad Le Clos has become one of South Africa’s brightest sporting heroes. This month, he’s going all out for a record eight titles at nationals, with the Commonwealth Games and Rio 2016 in his long-term sights.
Who can forget one of the iconic South African moments from the London 2012 Olympics: In the 200m butterfly final, a 20-year-old from Durban, Chad Le Clos, won the gold medal and beat the most decorated Olympian of all time, American Michael Phelps, and then Chad’s ecstatic father, Bert, won the hearts of the nation as well, thanks to gushing on emotionally about his “beautiful boy.” Coming back from London, Chad says the hype was overwhelming. “I felt like Justin Bieber, and it still hasn’t died down! There’s been great support. Swimming is a lonely sport, it’s just you out there, so it’s important to be appreciated.”
London really put him on the proverbial map, but Chad’s success in the pool actually began a few years earlier. In 2010 he brought home a gold, three silvers and a bronze medal from the Youth Olympics, as well as two golds, a silver and two bronze medals from the Commonwealth Games. The following year he won five golds and a silver at the All Africa Games. Then came 2012, bringing a gold and a silver from London to go with two World Champs golds and a silver. Next up was the 2013 World Champs in Barcelona, where Chad shortened his programme to focus on the butterfly events, his signature stroke. It paid off as he won gold in both the 100m (with a new SA record) and 200m. Chad has also twice won the Overall Swimming World Cup, in 2011 and 2013.
WINNING MENTALITY
Chad’s drive to succeed in the pool actually stems from watching Michael Phelps bag six golds at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Back then, aged eight, his only sessions in the pool came in Physical Education classes at school. However, his swimming ability soon shone through, and today he is one of the world’s foremost swimmers, but he remains humble about his achievements. “People expect me to win, but you can’t always be Superman. I just focus on what I have to do. I also watch my opponents on Youtube, because I want to keep learning, and see how I’ll match up. As a pro, you have to think outside the box.”
Having travelled the world, Chad says he is hard-pressed to choose a favourite race or meet. “I’m biased when it comes to places I’ve visited – the results stand out more than the venue. That’s because I don’t get to see any of the countries, I’m just in the pool doing my thing.” There’s little ‘downtime’ for the champ, with just 15 days off a year for short recovery. Along with interviews and obligations to sponsors, he puts in 10 training sessions a week, doing about 80 kays in the pool, or as Chad puts it, “Swimming the Comrades Marathon!”
He also fits in three gym sessions a week to work on his core and improve his stamina, but 80% of his training is in the water. Most Sundays are spent surfing with his brother. Apart from training, Chad remains loyal to his diet, having started using GNC Nutrition products three months ago, avoiding heavy supplements, and using whey protein for recovery as well as FutureLife after morning sessions.
MORE ON THE CARDS
This month, Chad is chasing eight wins at the SA Champs. “The most won is seven and it will be difficult, because the competition is tough, but it’s my stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games later this year, and obviously Rio 2016. My goal for London was any medal; my dream was gold. It might have been unrealistic, but if you’re not up to dreaming big, you won’t make it. There were occasions growing up that people told me I’m not good enough, but my parents were always in the crowd and guided me. I wouldn’t be here today without my sponsors, coach and family. I swim for myself, but I also do it for them.”
Running 100 marathons is a lifetime goal for many runners, but few set themselves a goal of 100 in a decade, let alone 100 after they turn 70… but that is exactly what Derry Devine recently achieved – and he isn’t finished yet!
In mid-November, the ever jovial 78-year-old Derry Devine of the K-Way Varsity Old Boys Club in Cape Town lined up at the Winelands Marathon in Stellenbosch to run his 99th marathon since turning 70. A week later he completed the Die Vlakte Marathon from Heidelberg to White Sands to complete his ton. “I run just to keep fit mostly, but I thought I could pass the figure of marathons I did before my 70s, which was two in my 50s, when I started running at age 58, and 88 in my 60s,” says Derry. “It’s a really skewed result, isn’t it – and there’s no way that will be repeated in my 80s, I can assure you! If I manage five or six in my 80s I will be very happy.”
Incredibly, within weeks of achieving his goal, Derry also ran his 500th half marathon and 400th 10km since taking up running, and his meticulously kept logbook also lists 20 ultras, including two Comrades, five Two Oceans and eight Cape Town 100 milers. However, a week after Die Vlakte, his intended 191st marathon didn’t quite go to plan. “I wanted to run the new Prison to Prison Marathon in Worcester, but my calf gave in at 13km. I could barely walk, let alone run, so I had my first marathon bail in 19 years!”
The topic of bailing actually gets Derry chuckling. “I have bailed twice in the Two Oceans and once in the Comrades, and once in the Tygerberg 30km, and it’s always a muscle that gets me, but in the 2012 Paarlberg Half Marathon, the skies opened and we were absolutely soaked before we even got to the start. Rob Lanning and I had just started running, then looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s go back and have a nice breakfast at the Wimpy.’ So we turned around and that was that, but the club got to know about it and I was awarded the bailer’s award for 2012, for bailing after 100m in a 21km.”
IRISH EYESARE SMILING
Derry was born in Ireland and has been married to Maura for 53 years. They have three daughters, living in Belgium, Luxemburg and Canada. The Devines came to South Africa for the first time in 1963, then settled here permanently in 1984, with Derry working as a lawyer. Now retired from practice, he continues to work as professor emeritus lecturing part-time in legal subjects at the University of Cape Town. Even now, Derry still runs three to four times a week, including a weekly club time trial, and shows no signs of bowing out of running just yet.
“I do about 70 to 80 races a year, including some weekends with two races, and I like the companionship of running, and meeting up with the same people each week – the back-packers of course, not the elites. I turn 79 in April, and reckon I can do another four of five marathons this year and another four or five next year. But that’s being optimistic, and I have to pick ones that give at least five and a half hours – no more sub-five marathons for me. My times are getting slower and slower, but I am always learning new things about myself, like sometimes I can walk up a hill faster than I can run it!”