Author: Modern Athlete

For many years, it was believed that
cramping was caused by heat, dehydration, or a lack of salt and minerals in the
body, but study after study has ruled out all of these factors. “Although the
idea that mineral deficiencies and dehydration can cause cramps have been
popular, we have done many, many studies that do not prove these as causes for
cramps during exercise,” says Dr Martin Schwellnus of the Department of Human
Biology at the University of Cape Town, who is considered one of the world’s
leading researchers in this field. Instead, the growing research on cramps points
to muscle fatigue and failure in the neural communication pathways of the
muscles as the cause of cramping.

As an athlete, you train a muscle to
contract so that you can run, but this fatigues the muscle. It then begins to ‘short-circuit’
and stays contracted when it shouldn’t, causing a cramp. “The mechanism for
muscle fatigue and muscle damage causing cramping is best explained through an
imbalance that develops in the nervous system control of muscle. Muscles tend
to become very twitchy when they become fatigued or are injured,” says Dr
Schwellnus.

So what this means is that to stop
cramps you just need to get fitter before racing… but that’s not going to help
you much when a cramp stops you midway through a race. If that happens, there
is only one thing you can do: Stop and stretch! Static stretching, in effect,
breaks the cramp, and once you achieve that, you must start slowly and
gradually build up your speed again. (And eating a banana to break a cramp is
just an urban legend!)

Then, after the race, adapt some of
your training runs so that they are done at the same pace you intend racing,
including accelerating in the second half of the run and throwing in that fast
finishing effort that many of us inevitably put in at races. You may still get
some cramps, but you’ll be fitter, faster and better prepared to race – and
besides, cramping in training is much better than cramping in a race!

Hi-Tec Luca

The
first thing myself and the guys in the office said was “Wow, they are so light!”
They weigh in at just 210 grams – so light it feels like you’re barefoot, but
the super-flexible IMEVA midsole rubber still provides great cushioning. Now,
even after running in racers for the last year or so, I was not still sure what
to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. After five kays, I looked down and
realised that I was actually in a different, brand new pair of shoes. They just
felt so comfortable, with no problems just jumping into a pair and kicking off!
– Craig
van der Westhuizen

GET THEM: R399 at Hi-Tec stores in CT (Kenilworth, Kuils River & Montague Gardens), Johannesburg (Kya Sands) and Pretoria (Kolonnade) or via www.hi-tecdirect.co.za (021 606 6900 for more info)

Injinji Performance
2.0 Run Toe Socks

I
will be the first to admit that I have soft, sensitive feet, so my toes have
never quite gotten used to running in Vibram’s Five Fingers barefoot technology
shoes, because they just can’t seem to get used to the feeling of rubber,
leather and seams between them. Also, I am not used to running without socks,
which is necessary with Vibrams, since none of my socks ‘fit’ into the five-toe
design… but now, thanks to these Injinji socks, I can now run in my Vibrams
without my toes kicking up a fuss. They have the same five-toe design, thus keeping
my toes happy and also allowing my feet to glide into the snug-fitting Vibrams
a lot more smoothly and comfortably. – Sean Falconer

GET
THEM: From R110 to R180 (depending
on style) at Sportsmans Warehouse, Drifters and Athletes Foot.

My02 Therapeutic Gel

Most of us know about the
anti-inflammatory properties of Arnica oil or gel, extracted from the root of
the arnica plant, but I have to be honest, I had to Google horse chestnut to
find out what it is when I read that it is the other active ingredient of this
new therapeutic gel. Like arnica, it is a plant extract, but what caught my
attention is that horse chestnut contains Escin, which opens up the capillaries
(smallest blood vessels), allowing more oxygen and nutrients to reach sore or
damaged muscles and ligaments. Well, since my knee was giving me grief, I knew
exactly where I would be testing this new gel… It smells great (minty), is cool
on the skin, and requires a bit of ‘elbow grease’ to rub in fully, which means
you’re massaging the sore area thoroughly in the process, further promoting
quicker healing. Works for me. – Sean Falconer

GET
IT: R122.50 for a 150ml tube, from leading pharmacies (or ask for a stockist
nearby at [email protected].)

Second Skins Activskins Sun Protection
Long-sleeve Crew Neck Top

Second Skins is a
Cape-based company specialising in sports clothing and gear, from running and
cycling to swimming. Also in the range are various UV-resistant sun-protection
items which form part of the company’s ‘Keep You Cool’ range, and I tested out
this long-sleeve top. It’s super lightweight and body-hugging, so very
comfortable to run in, plus I could literally feel the cooling effect, even
when out in the sun. Naturally, the white colour also reflected much of the
heat and UV rays, and I found the top to be quick-drying and great at
moisture-wicking. Best of all, no chafe under my arms, despite my first
thoughts about the seam being a bit thick. – Sean Falconer

GET IT: R249 at selected retailers
nationwide, or online at www.secondskins.co.za.

In December I attended the global Boost launch in Germany, at the company’s HQ in Herzogenaurach, and I will admit to being ever so sceptical as the launch presentation began. I mean, when Eric Liedtke, Head of adidas global Sport Performance, compared their latest innovation in running shoe design to the first man walking on the moon in 1969, I couldn’t help but quietly raise an eyebrow in surprise. But he soon made his point, explaining that running in the new shoes feels more like bounding across the moon’s surface than any shoe has ever done before.

“With our new Boost foam, we are addressing a fundamental insight: Everyone wants more energy. Our revolutionary Boost cushioning foam provides the highest energy return in any running product,” he said. “We believe Energy Boost will reset the running industry and pave the way for all future performance footwear.”

PUT TO THE TEST
Soon I was standing in my socks on a platform of Boost foam built into the catwalk in the auditorium, bouncing up and down on my heels, then dropping this huge ball bearing they gave us to compare the lack of bounce-back from conventional foam rubber versus the high bounce-back from Boost. Then we got to strap on a pair of the new Energy Boost shoes and give them a test run, and that saw me running up and down an indoor test track – it was snowing outside, and the temperature was well below freezing, so I decided that running indoors was perhaps the better choice for this South African boytjie!

What I found was while you still get great heel cushioning on landing, you can feel the elasticity of the foam rubber and it helps to shoot you back up off your heels. Then, as you transition onto the forefoot, not only are you moving through the foot-strike a bit quicker, but you’re getting a slingshot up onto you toes. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying your feet are rocket-blasted off the ground again – no shoe is ever likely to achieve that, unless they can build mini rocket engines into the soles one day – but there is definitely more ‘push-back’ by the shoes.

Admittedly, with a thicker section of Boost foam in the heel and a low-profile forefoot, the shoe will not give quite as much energy-return to forefoot strikers like myself, but even I could feel a difference in springiness when I ran up on my toes. And when I deliberately planted my heels, I definitely felt the springiness! (Now I can just imagine hordes of South African ultra-marathon runners thinking to themselves, “Yes please, I’ll have some of that for when my legs have had it and my feet feel like they’re stuck to the ground in the last 20 kays!”)

Boost foam rubber comes in 10% lighter than conventional foam rubber, but it’s not about weight in this shoe, it’s about energy-return. I also really liked the upper design, which is mostly breathable mesh that offers a sock-like fit, but with the same adidas Techfit technology currently used in form-hugging adidas clothing, featuring elastic polyurethane powerbands that provide optimal comfort and support. It makes for a great fit.

GETTING TECHNICAL
The development process of Boost saw the adidas team go looking for a new rubber compound that would provide great cushioning while also springing back to provide superior energy-return, and also maintain it’s shape and elasticity for many kilometres, i.e. durability. After testing some 25 different materials, they found what they were looking for… in their cars. You see, the foam rubber compound made by leading chemical company BASF for the seats of Mercedes Benz and Audi cars proved to be exactly what they were looking for.

BASF literally blows solid granular foam material (TPU) up to turn it into thousands of small energy capsules, and these are now being moulded together to form the distinctive Boost midsole. With their unique cell structure, these capsules store and unleash energy more efficiently in every stride. And the durability of this new material has also proven to be superior to conventional foam rubber, so these shoes will go the distance.

GO GET IT
The Energy Boost is the first shoe from adidas to feature the new Boost material, and they plan to roll out a full range of ‘Boosted’ shoes later in the year. Available at adidas Concept Stores at R???. Visit www.adidasrunning.co.za for more information.

Growing up, many of us were regularly told to drink eight glasses of water a day, because it was supposedly bad for us, even dangerous, to become dehydrated. As athletes, we were then told to work out our sweat rate by weighing ourselves before and after a hard session, and then drink exactly the same amount of liquid to replace what we calculate we lose. Added to that, the sport drink companies, particularly in the USA, promoted the message that we needed to drink more and more to avoid dehydration at all costs, especially their products… and the result of all this was that many an athlete finished a long distance event, particularly marathons and ultra-marathons in hot conditions, having drunk way too much water – which not only impaired their physical performance, but put them in serious medical trouble!

You see, when water is absorbed into the bloodstream from the digestive tract, electrolytes in the blood are diluted, especially sodium (salt), which you are already losing through sweating, hence feeling all salty when the sweat dries on your skin. The condition where the blood sodium levels became dangerously diluted is known as hyponatremia. Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAS) isn’t a rampant problem, but it’s far more common than symptoms of dehydration, especially in all-day events like the Comrades Marathon, particularly amongst the slower back-markers, and even mild forms will make you very uncomfortable.

Also, by a process known as osmosis, water moves from the bloodstream into the cells. When one is dehydrated, this shift will correct any water deficit, so drinking from that perspective is a good thing. However, if you drink water when already well hydrated, this shift can lead to cellular swelling, including swelling of the brain (hyponatremia encephalopathy), which in turn can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea and stomach problems, and in worst case scenarios, even bursting of cells, seizure, coma and death.

That’s why severe overhydration is also known as water intoxication, where good old water, the very thing we rely on for life, can actually become toxic and dangerous to your health. Fortunately, your kidneys normally filter out excess water and it is eliminated by urinating, but if you drink large quantities of water in a relatively short amount of time – like chugging down a litre of water at every water table during a marathon – the kidneys reach a point where they can no longer filter out so much water quickly enough to prevent cellular swelling.

THE SOLUTION
Now before you throw your water bottle away, understand that nobody is saying you should avoid drinking water! It is still important to stay hydrated, but research has shown that drinking based on your thirst is the best guideline, and that thirst will actually protect you from the hazards of both over- and under-drinking by providing essential feedback on your internal fluid balance.

Yes, by all means drink small amounts regularly during a long event in order to prevent dehydration, but do not follow a strict quota system for drinking fluids and end up over-drinking. In other words, if you are not thirsty, you should not feel compelled to drink at every water table in a race. Yes, if it’s very hot, you should drink more, but your body will tell you this through thirst. So the rule of thumb to follow is very simple: Drink as you feel by listening to your body.

In October 2011, Milan celebrated her 37th birthday and decided she needed a new challenge. “A big one,” she emphasises. So she decided to enter the gruelling OTTER African Trail Run marathon, the so-called ‘Grail of Trail Running.’ For someone who had never run a kilometre in her life, this was quite some goal! “I remember how proud I was to finish my first 5km fun run. My first 10km was a month later in Paarl, and then I took on my first 21km in Wellington, in May that year. I then tackled the mountains!”

In October 2012, Milan finished the Otter in 10:02 and describes it as the best 10 hours of her life. “I’m a working mom with two kids, an ordinary woman. I felt extraordinary that day. I was a gymnast at school, I never did track or any team sport. I think it’s because I’ve always been a bit of a loner, and I like to do my own thing. I like silence. Those 10 hours, by myself, was the best time I’ve ever had!” She will be taking on the Otter again this year, as well as many other trail runs.

CALL OF THE STAGE
Milan studied drama in Pretoria before landing her first job on Isidingo. “I doubted my potential as an actress while at school. It wasn’t an obvious choice. I’m not loud. I’m not an extrovert. I thought those were essential qualities if you consider a life on stage, but when it came down to choosing, there was nothing else I wanted to be,” says Milan. After Isidingo, she went to New York to further her studies at the Creative Acting Company, then returned to South Africa and landed the part of Sage in the film Murmer, which she considers her favourite role thus far, and more recently she has been seen in The Wild.

Having gotten married to Schalk van der Merwe and had two kids, Steph and Lua, Milan also published a book called Koemelaat, a humorous take on motherhood. “I kept a journal about my first three years of motherhood. This is where ‘I call a spade a spade.’ I tell readers about my struggles and frustrations. It’s a funny book, because I say what a lot of women feel. It’s ‘Sam Cowen’, but for an Afrikaans audience.”

FIT AND FOCUSED
Milan says she and Schalk enjoy a fit and healthy lifestyle, although he is more of a triathlete (he’s busy training for the Ironman in April), and they do careful planning as to when training and family time takes place. Their kids enjoy cheering their parents on. “Some afternoons when we run in town, the kids will play at a park with the nanny and we will run a circular route so they can ‘high five’ us with each lap. I love what our training discipline teaches them. Every time my husband finishes a race my son will ask, ‘Daddy did you win?’ And my husband answers: ‘No love, Daddy finished.’ I get tears in my eyes just thinking about the beautiful life lessons we learn from sport,” says Milan.

She says her biggest motivation to keep fit is a healthy mind. “Ever since I read Julia Cameron’s book, Walking in this world, I’ve used walking as meditation and for brainstorming new ideas. Walking naturally became running.” As an actress, Milan says she has to look her best, but running gives her more than just looks. “I’m nearing 40, I care more about what I feel like, and less about what I look like. Being fit makes me more beautiful than any plastic surgery ever could.”

Follow Milan’s blog, Pssst, which focuses on motherhood, social issues as well as her progress in training for the Otter Trailwww.pssst.co.za