Author: Modern Athlete

This is going to be a ‘consolidation year’ for 21-year-old
trail star Kane Reilly. He did well on the SA trail running circuit in 2013 and
was selected for the SA Team for the World Mountain Running Champs in Poland
last August, but the Stellenbosch University B.Comm student says his studies
suffered as a result, and his three-year degree has become a four-year plan as
a result. “My main priority this year is to finish my degree. I’ve only got a
few subjects to finish up, but I want to get them done, and that’s why I have
only picked three target races for 2014 to focus on.” This will see Kane lining
up for the ProNutro AfricanX Trailrun in March, teamed up with his good friend
and World Champs teammate, Thabang Madiba, followed by the SA Long Distance
Trail Champs at the Outeniqua Traverse in June and the Otter African Trail Run
in September. “I enjoyed the 2013 Otter and felt I was close to getting it
right, so this year I want to put into practice what I learnt last year.”

 

HARD WORK PAYS

Kane took up running at school at Bishops in Cape Town,
but says he only got serious about it in Grade 11. “I did well in the southern
suburbs schools scene, but when I ventured into the club cross country races, I
was being smoked by some of the club runners. So I came out to Stellenbosch in
2009 and started working with Jacques van Rensburg, and within a year I was running
in the same Western Province team as those guys.” That improvement also allowed
Kane to chase down his first big running goal, to break the school’s 3000m
record, and in Matric he shattered the old mark of 9:02 with a stunning 8:45!

 

Since then, he has enjoyed much success, but there
have also been some disappointments, like finishing fourth in the Jonkershoek
Mountain Challenge Marathon in Stellenbosch last May. The event served as the
SA Mountain Running Champs and the top three men and women would be selected
for the World Champs in Poland, so Kane gave it everything and with just 5km to
go was in the lead. “In my mind I had already won it… I was not celebrating
yet, but I was getting a bit emotional, because that feeling of being an SA
Champ is a phenomenal feeling! But it all changed in the last kilometres, and I
was very disappointed to only get fourth, because it’s every athlete’s dream to
represent your country.”

 

So when he was offered an extra slot in the team if he
could cover his own expenses, he jumped at the chance, and then AJ Calitz had
to withdraw from the team anyway, so he was in… but in Poland things just
didn’t work out for Kane as he finished 307^th. “I was over-trained,
had a few niggles going into the race, and I was taking life far too seriously.
Then on race day I also suffered stomach problems, but I’m not going to blame
that for my poor performance… I reckon my head just wasn’t in the right space.
Still, I figure that if I can get through 42 kays in that state, I can get
through any race!”

 

PROFESSIONAL APPROACH

Looking ahead, Kane says that if he qualifies for the
2014 World Champs at Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA, he is not yet sure if he will
be able to go. “I’m not completely ruling it out, but I would need to go train
in the Drakensberg, then head to the US to acclimatise, so I will have to see
how my studies go first.” Even if he doesn’t get there, Kane has a long-term
vision for his running, starting with turning professional straight after he
completes his degree. “A lot of older guys have told me to take the opportunity
while I can, before I need to start working, because it’s an opportunity that a
lot of people never get. Thankfully my parents support me fully in this, as do
my sponsors, Salomon and GU.”

 

For now, however, he is just focusing on not making
the same mistakes as 2013. “Last year I learnt that burning out can happen
easily if you’re not careful. I went through a stage of being overly
competitive, but now I am running for the love of doing it, not just to be on
the podium,. I know that if I’m enjoying all aspects of my life, then the
podiums will come. That’s my New Year’s Resolution, I suppose.”

(Strap) FEATURE

 

Ask Gill about about 2013 and she answers quite
frankly: “I’m not one for excuses, but I did not realise how much 2012 and the
lead up to the Olympics took out of me. There were still some good results –
African Champ, European Cup podium, top 10 in Yokohama – however, I expected so
much more of myself,” says Gill. “I do take great heart, or maybe relief, in
scrolling through the London 2012 results and noticing that it was not just me
who failed to make an impact on the circuit last year. I think people
underestimate how much an Olympic year takes out of you and the difficulty in
coming back the following year from such a high. However, it has made me hungry
again. While I felt deflated at the end of last season, I feel ‘uber-motivated’
now! I can’t wait for the 2014 season and to express my full potential.”

 

NATURAL ATHLETE

Gill (32) grew up in Pietemaritzburg and soon proved a
gifted runner and swimmer, in keeping with the family trend. Her father,
Kenneth Curr, had run the marathon for SA in the SA Games in the 1970s, then gone
on to ultra-marathons and competed at numerous World Triathlon Championships,
while her mother Margaret earned SA colours for the 100m, 200m and 400m. Older
sister Rowena was also a talented triathlete, so it was no surprise that Gill
also got into multi-sport at the tender age of nine, and when she was just 13,
she finished fifth in the 13-15 age group at the 1995 World Tri Champs in
Mexico, going on to represent her country many more times.

 

After school, Gill moved to Stellenbosch University for
five years to study law, and while there she met her future husband, Mark, a
cricketer at the time and also originally from KZN. Having completed her
studies, she moved back to Pietermaritzburg and subsequently became the youngest
female lawyer to appear in the High Court in South Africa. Then the opportunity
arose to go work in London, and it was here that Gill found herself racing on
the elite ITU circuit. However, balancing a demanding legal career with tri
training and competition was proving too much, so at the end of 2010 she
decided to put her legal career on hold in order to turn pro.

 

OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHT

The move paid off handsomely when Gill was selected to
represent SA in London, and she says the Olympics have definitely been the
highlight of her career thus far. “I finished 19^th out of 55 girls,
and I was really pleased with that, as I had only been racing for 18 months as
a full-time athlete.” Looking ahead, she says the long-term goal is getting to
the Rio 2016 Games, but for now she is building up to the Commonwealth Games in
August while also focusing on getting more great results on the ITU circuit.

 

“I’ll be 34 come the next Olympics, so I’ll probably
have to think of packing it in after that, but I might as well make the most of
it while I can! When I do retire, I have the option to return to law, but I
think I’d like to give back to the sport a bit before I do that, somehow get
involved in triathlon to help other athletes, and see where that goes.”

 

RUNNING FUTURE?

Gill is also considering a switch back to road running
once she retires from triathlon. “I haven’t run many flat road races for a
while, but I’m capable of a low 34 for 10 kays off the bike, so I’d like to
think I can run a low 33 straight. I love running, it’s my favourite discipline
of the three, and I think that’s where I will end up. But for now I get to do
what I love, which is swimming, cycling and running, competing in triathlons at
the highest level while travelling to the most awesome cities all over the
world. I’ve got this short window, just a couple of years in my life to do it,
and I’m just loving it.”

With a solid win in the Dis-Chem Half Marathon in
Johannesburg in January, to retain the title he won here in 2012, Elroy Gelant
has started the year in the form he hopes will allow him to compete with the
best at the World Half Marathon Champs in Copenhagen, on 29 March. Having
finished third at the SA Half Marathon Champs last September, the
Potchefstroom-based star is expected to be part of a strong SA team in Denmark
alongside Stephen Mokoka, Lusapho April and Gladwin Mzazi, and they’ll be aiming
to repeat the team gold medal that Hendrick Ramaala,
Abner Chipu and Mluleki Nobanda won for SA in 1999 in Palermo, Italy.

 

The win at Dis-Chem is actually
just the latest in a string of great results for Elroy over the past year. He recorded
a unique ‘double’ at the SA Cross Country Champs in Potch by winning both the
12km and 4km events, and made it to the final of the 5000m at the IAAF World
Champs in Moscow, finishing 12^th. He also narrowly
missed Shadrack Hoff’s 18-year-old national 5000m record of 13:14.16, clocking
13:15.87, so once the World Half Champs are out of the way, his focus will
shift back to the track ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Scotland in late
July, and in the lead-up to Copenhagen he also aims to do well at the World
Indoor Champs from 7 to 9 March in Sopot, Poland.

 

Elroy says he appreciates the
competitive atmosphere on the different circuits and surfaces, and picks out
last year’s Track World Champs as his highlight thus far, running alongside the
likes of Olympic champion Mo Farah and former World Champ Bernard Lagat. “You can feel the tension and everyone looks so
focused. I just remind myself of my plans and I don’t worry about anyone else. God
provided me with a talent to achieve great heights, and athletics is my soul. I
can’t imagine life without it. Also, athletics has made me tough, disciplined
and a respectful person.”

 

SPORTING YOUTH

Elroy grew up in Pacaltsdorp, near George, and was
very active in his school days. “I was always the all-rounder. I played rugby
and cricket in school, and started cross country in Grade 3, going on to
represent the South Western Districts and winning a medal when I was only nine.”
At North West University in Potchefstroom, he initially specialised in the 800m
and 1500m, but his current coach, Jean Verster, and former SA middle distance
great Hezekiel Sepeng, helped him move up to the 3000m and 5000m, and he has
subsequently also excelled on the road. “I knew I could show what I’m capable
of in 10km and 21km after doing them for endurance training,” he says, “and
after Rio 2016, I plan to step up to marathons.”

 

Currently holding down a
full-time position at North West University as a Human Resource Assistant in
the Department of Human Capital and Client Services, Elroy still manages an
intense training programme while representing the Traumeel NWU-Pukke team in
all three running disciplines. “It’s not easy! I wake up at 4:30am every day to
train and get home by 6am to shower before work. After hours, I train again
before 5pm, and it’s tiring, but what keeps me motivated are the goals I
continually set myself.” Added to work and training, Elroy also has to fit in hitting
the books, as he’s currently registered for a Diploma in Sports Science, having
already completed his B.Com and Honours in Human Resource Management and Labour
Relations.

 

A typical day in the week sees
him doing a 15 to 18km run in the morning and afternoon for endurance, with two
days a week set aside for afternoon sets of eight 1000m bursts. Elroy also
focuses on tempo runs and hill sessions to work on his speed, while Sundays are
for long runs ranging from 20 to 25km. He is just as dedicated when it comes to
his diet: “We hit 120 to 160km a week, putting a big demand on our bodies, so it’s
important to get the right nutrition in order to thrive and recover.”

 

BIG GOALS FOR 2014

Elroy says he wants to make 2014
a successful and injury-free season, and is aiming for top-eight performances
at the World Indoor Champs and Commonwealth Games, and his long-term goal is to
get to the Rio Olympics in two years in the 5000m. Before the showpiece in
Brazil, he also wants to compete at next year’s World Cross Country Champs in
China. “My 12^th position last year in Moscow is my stepping stone to
Rio, and I want to make the country proud!”

Over the years there have been other
expeditions that have set out to navigate the length of the Orange River. There
have been plastic kayaks, racing kayaks and even a swimming relay that took on
the river for a couple of days at a time. A major river in South Africa, the
Orange regularly welcomes kayaks and rafts on commercially-operated sections, but
to navigate the length of the river, in the water, by river board, and to do it
alone? Ray is embarking on an adventurous first, titled ‘The Plastics SA Nampak Rigid Plastics Orange River Project.’

 

RIVER
WHAT?

River boarding is an in-the-water
discipline where the athlete lies on a buoyant board to travel down a river. This
isn’t an ordinary boogie-board, though. Ray’s specialised river craft is moulded
from hard plastic by the Parys-based kayak design and manufacturing company,
Fluid. This river board, called a Fluid Anvil, has Ray positioned so that his
forearms, elbows and chest rest on the board while his feet – wearing fins –
kick for propulsion and steering.

 

The river board offers limited
protection from rocky collisions in rapids, which is why a full-face helmet and
knee pads are crucial. Although Ray will portage the Gariep and Van Der Kloof
Dam walls and the major waterfalls at Augrabies Falls, Twin Falls and Richie
Falls, the rest of the time he’ll be in the water moving through rapids and
flat-water sections alike on the river board.

 

LET
THE FUN BEGIN!

Ray’s journey started on 6 April from
the Mnweni Valley in the Central Drakensberg. For the first 80km, the river is
impossible to navigate, but Ray kept to his source-to-sea objective by carrying
the river board from the start. He’s also carrying a waterproof backpack loaded
with clothing, first aid supplies, food, camping equipment and river boarding
gear. On top of this, he has to strap on his river board and helmet. The river
board alone weighs in at a little under 10 kilograms, so he set off with about 40kg
on his back.

 

A hiking trail took Ray into the valley
and to the top of the Mnweni Pass and into Lesotho. Here, at 3 000m above sea
level, lies the source of the Orange River, an open expanse of marsh and small
streams that first join to become the Senqu River, then later the Orange River.
Hiking parallel to the stream, it took him a week to cover the 80km to the
first main settlement, the village of Mokhotlong in Lesotho, where he restocked
his food supplies and then got into the river for the first time.

 

Ray’s biggest concerns are infection,
skin conditions and drowning. He’ll be in the water during daylight hours –
that’s a good 10 hours a day – and along much of the 2 300km distance, the
water quality is questionable. “Each day I’ll spend an hour out of the water at
lunchtime to dry out and at the end of the day I’ve got antiseptic soap to
scrub down. I’ll have one day a week not in the water to thoroughly dry my skin
and disinfect,” Ray explains.

 

Ray has been training for months on the
Palmiet, Molenaars, Dwars and Liesbeek rivers in Cape Town, at both high and low volume. “Thanks
to the patience and generosity of members of the Cape White Water Club, I had
an incredibly steep learning curve last year,” he says. He also trained at Wadi
Adventure, a white water park in Abu Dhabi, to hone his skills in swift-moving
water.

 

UNFANTASTIC
PLASTIC

Ironically, Ray’s specialised river board
is plastic and it was this same material that sparked the idea for this
expedition. “During my time on the Dwars River last year, high up near the
watershed, I was horrified by the amount of plastic waste in the water and
hanging from vegetation on the riverbank after flooding. Litter and waste from
people starts off on land, ends up in rivers and is pushed into the sea,” he
says. “I became very ill from this trip as a result of the water pollution.”

 

The water samples that Ray will take
every 100km along the river during his trip will be analysed for pathogens and
contaminants. On his rest days, he will lead clean-up activities, encouraging
the participation of children and adults from communities along the river.

 

FOLLOW RAY ONLINE

 

WEBSITE:
www.RayChaplin.com

FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/RayChaplin

TWITTER:
www.twitter.com/RayChaplin

LIVE TRACKING:
https://share.delorme.com/RayChaplin

You’re probably
not sucking on sugar cubes during the day, but you might be consuming more than your fair share of sugary cereals,
sodas or ice cream. Added sugar is what we call an empty calorie. Sure, with
foods like honey and molasses, you get a few other nutrients, but
calorie-for-calorie, sugar is just carbohydrate. If it’s consumed in excess, it
can actually rob the body of the nutrients required to process it. Excess added
sugar can also send your blood glucose levels sky-high – then insulin shoots up
to clear out the glucose, sending you into a hypoglycaemic state, which can
eventually lead to insulin-resistance.

 

NON-NUTRITIVE
SWEETENERS

For those who
want to (or must) limit their sugar intake, there are extensive sugar
substitutes on the market, but we’re faced with so many names and terms, so
making the right choice becomes difficult. Sugar substitutes
are loosely considered to be any sweetener that you use instead of regular
table sugar (sucrose). They are anywhere from 30 to 1000 times sweeter than
sugar, and as a result, they have much fewer calories than foods made with
table sugar.

 

The benefits of artificial sweeteners are:

?      
They are non-nutritive — they have
virtually no calories. In contrast, each gram of regular table sugar contains 4
calories.

?      
They don’t contribute to tooth decay
and cavities.

?      
They may be a good alternative to
sugar if you have diabetes, as they don’t raise blood sugar levels. (However, because
of concerns about how sugar substitutes are labelled and categorised, first check
with your doctor or dietician about using any sugar substitutes.)

 

POSSIBLE HEALTH CONCERNS

Critics of artificial
sweeteners say that they cause a variety of health problems, including cancer.
That’s largely because of studies dating back to the 1970s that linked
saccharin to bladder cancer in lab rats. As a result, saccharin once carried a
health warning label, but according to the National Cancer Institute and other
health agencies, there’s no sound scientific evidence that any of the
artificial sweeteners approved for use in South Africa cause cancer or other
serious health problems, and the warning label was dropped.

 

Some people can be sensitive to sweeteners and experience symptoms such
as headaches, bloating or an upset stomach. The only people for whom it is a
medical problem are those with the genetic condition known as phenylketonuria
(PKU), a disorder of amino acid metabolism. They need to keep the levels of
phenylalanine in the blood low to prevent neurological, behavioural and
dermatological problems.

 

THE BOTTOM
LINE

Sugar in moderation can safely be part of a healthy diet and there is no
evidence that added sugar needs to be removed from one’s diet completely. For
people who are trying to control their weight or blood glucose levels, using
artificial sweeteners can be an effective way to achieve this, but remember
that there is an acceptable daily intake limit worked out per kilogram of body
weight. As a general rule, this limits all non-nutritive sweeteners to less than
8 pills or 4 sachets per day.

 

Regardless of which
sugar substitute you use, it is best to curb your sweet tooth. Most of us can
no longer perceive the natural sweetness in foods such as almonds or snap peas
because we bombard the sweet receptors of the tongue with high-intensity
sweetness and overwhelm that natural ability. By cutting down on sweets, you
can discover a new dimension to the natural flavours in many of your favourite
foods.