Author: Modern Athlete

Early in 2012 a group of triathlete friends who were all training for
the Ironman came up with an idea to create more team camaraderie within their
highly individualised sport, to help each other, as well as help to grow the
sport in the Western Cape. The idea was to create a sponsored team of select
multisport athletes to compete as brand ambassadors, and invite athletes who
showed promising results in the various disciplines that make up triathlon, or
who really ‘live’ the multisport brand to the full, to be part of the mix and
create a platform for brand visibility.

With Tiaan Pretorius and Morne van Greunen taking the lead, a group of
17 athletes was selected, and the Dynamic Multisport team was born in October –
but that name was short-lived. “Dynamic Coaching contacted us to say they were
starting a multisport club and wanted to use the name, so we offered to change,
to keep the peace,” quips Tiaan. “Seven of us sat around to decide on a new name,
and since I am putting in a lot of time on the team, we decided to use my
family’s business name, Cape Auto Centre, as our new team name. It’s a bit of a
different sponsorship, as car dealerships normally go into motor sport, not
multisport, but my brother Corne and I like that triathlon is one of the
fastest growing sports in the world, that the triathlon community is vibrant,
and triathletes are courageous, committed, passionate and bold. We feel these
are characteristics we would like our business to be associated with.”

GETTING
NOTICED

Other sponsors also came on board, like 32Gi, Virgin Active, Quali
Juice, Power Protection Testing and Tuna Brands, and the team members all
signed up to join the New Balance Multisport Club in order to obtain their ASA
and TSA licence numbers. They now compete in team colours whenever possible,
but also in club colours when necessary, and their team kit features all their
sponsors’ and club names.

“Our team is a diverse group of talented athletes who train like professionals,
yet race as amateurs whilst holding down a full time job or studying. The team gives
us the support base that all athletes need, and we feed off each,” says Morne.
“Also, we’re above average athletes, but not at the elite level, so obtaining
sponsorship is that much harder. Now we have a team and thus more presence at
events, so it is easier to approach sponsors.” Tiaan adds that the criteria for
team selection went further than just results. “We chose good athletes that
have a bit of an audience, and we encourage the members to increase their own
profile by not only participating in events, but also to blog about and publicise
their racing – if you can have a result and an audience, it’s a win-win.”

The team also decided to work towards a worthy cause, so they chose SCAS
(Sport for Christ Action South Africa) as their official charity. “Each team
member is responsible for raising funds through friends, colleagues, etc., and
we will do a cheque handover at the end of the triathlon season, just after
Ironman,” says Tiaan. “Next season we’re thinking of getting involved in the development
side of the sport, such as sponsoring young kids from disadvantaged communities
to introduce them to multisport.”

STAR
PERFORMERS

The team’s profile has grown rapidly thanks to the great performances of
many of its members. There is not enough space here to list them all, but
stand-out performances include Colleen De Oliveira winning her age category at
the XTERRA SA Champs and then representing SA at the World Champs in Hawaii for
the second time, Elma van Noordwyk representing SA at the Long Distance
Triathlon World Champs in Spain and Cornelis Engelbreght representing SA at the
Olympic Distance Triathlon World Champs in New Zealand. Added to that, many of
the team were picked to represent Western Province in various disciplines and
distances.

Looking ahead, Tiaan says they don’t have plans to grow the team for
now, but instead want to focus more attention on supporting the members who
have the potential to compete internationally. “Next year the Olympic Distance
Triathlon World Champs are in London, which would be a cheaper trip than to New
Zealand, so we hope to support our members who qualify. We’re also planning to
put on our own weekend multisport event and of course, get many more podium
finishes.”

For
more on the team, check out www.facebook.com/capeautomultisport.

A
good running cap is a good investment. Whether it’s blazing hot or briskly
cool, running caps can protect your noggin from the sun’s harmful UV rays,
provide shade for your face and eyes on bright days, provide warmth during the
colder months, or add a reflective safety element when you’re running in the
evening. Heck, they even make a good place to store your sunglasses temporarily
without the lenses getting all sweaty or misted up on top of your head. So
check out all these great caps and peaks and then go get the one that catches
your fancy.

adidas
Women’s ClimaCool TR Cap

This
cap offers UPF 50+ UV protection, and is made from ventilated CLIMACOOL
material with a breahable sweatband to wick sweat away.

R139.00 at adidas concept stores and selected retail outlets.

adidas Run 3 Stripe ClimaCool Cap

A
super-thin, lightweight running cap with CLIMACOOL materials and strategic
breathable mesh ventilation sections to keep you cool and dry during those hot runs.

R169.00 at adidas concept stores and selected retail outlets.

Capestorm Visual Cap

Made from soft waterproof fabric to
protect you from sun and rain while the comfortable inner headband wicks away
moisture to keep you dry and comfortable.

R99 at Sportsmans Warehouse

First Ascent FRESCO VISOR

Visors
allow maximum ventilation while still keeping the sun off your face. Made from
Lite-Speed fabric, with a moisture-managing inner band and reflective print for
visibility.

R99 at Sportsmans Warehouse

First Ascent Overdrive Cap

A
moisture management performance peak designed to protect you from the sun with
high UPF rating on the Moisture management Lite-Speed fabrics used. Also
features.

R99 at Sportsmans Warehouse

First Ascent Radiate Cap

The
contoured cut of this cap catches the eye and provides a great fit, and its
effective moisture-wicking performance does the rest of the job.

R99 at Sportsmans Warehouse

K-Way
Sporty Peak

Here you get a simple,
lightweight microfibre peak with Aertex mesh panels on both sides for
breathability plus reflective piping for visibility in low light conditions.

R120 at Cape Union Mart

K-Way
Trainer Cap

With absorbent
microfibre material and large Aertex mesh side panels, this cap offers great
ventilation and breathability, so take it for a sunny spin. 

R150 at Cape Union Mart

PUMA Running Cap II

Made
from coolCELL materials to draw sweat away from your skin and sunCell material
for protection from UV rays, it also has air-flow features for temperature
regulation to keep you cool and dry.

R179 at selected retail outlets.

Salomon
Trail Visor

Lightweight visor with sweatband, for maximum shade
on the face coupled with maximum breathability. Stashes away easily in a pocket
when not being used.

R179 at
Salomon Concept Stores, Trappers and Sportsmans Warehouse

Salomon XA Cap

A lightweight cap made from ClimaWIND fabric that
offers both breathability and wind protection, with integrated sweat band,
small mesh vents and reflective logos.

R199
available at Salomon Concept Stores, Trappers and Sportsmans Warehouse.

Buff High UV

This version of the versatile Buff
offers the customary soft, ultra-thin, highly breathable performance, but also
98% protection from UV rays and double the wicking performance of other Buffs.

R189 at Buff stockists

The
incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes aged 12 to 35 is
about 0.5 to 2 per 100 000 per year, and they occur far more commonly in males
than females (10:1). The incidence in runners over 35 years of age is about 1
per 15 000 to 50 000. (These are world wide figures). The tragedy is that these
athletes are usually fit, healthy individuals, not the sort of people one would
expect to die participating in sport.

There
has been a lot of research done into the causes of SCD, with many papers
published and many causes identified, the main one being undiagnosed congenital
cardiac disorders, of which Cardiomyopathy (progressive weakness of the heart
muscle) is the most common. Other causes include post-viral myocarditis
(inflammation of the heart muscle) and Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
(commonly known as hardening of the arteries).

RISK FACTORS

The
question arises as to what risk factors, either individually or in combination,
can suddenly trigger a fatal cardiac arrest, when an athlete has been doing the
same activity for years and is very fit. It is thought that a natural
progression of the underlying disorder may be one of the factors, where the
heart eventually cannot cope with the stress applied to it, e.g. a marathon, which
it was previously able to. Other factors are thought to be:

?        
Electrolyte imbalance.

?        
Viral infections and Myocarditis.

?        
The use of common analgesics, such as
anti-inflammatories and Paracetamol, which can affect the kidneys and heart.

?        
There are quite probably other factors which have not
yet been identified.

COMRADES STUDY

Professor
Efraim Kramer, Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wits University
Medical School, is going to be doing a study during the Comrades Marathon in
2013 and/or 2014 to try to positively identify some of these triggers. This
will involve in the region of about 250 to 300 volunteer runners being screened
and monitored on a weekly basis during the five months of training prior to and
after the Comrades.

He
will be looking for any medical problems, injuries and use of any medication
which may affect a runner during training or Comrades itself. In particular he
will be looking for any specific effect on the heart. Runners who are
interested in participating in the study can contact the Comrades Marathon
office for further details. Hopefully this will provide some positive results
as to what precipitates these catastrophic events, and some insight as to how
they can be avoided.

PREVENTION

So
how can runners try to prevent something like this happening to them? Probably
the most important is a person’s family medical history, which could provide
important pointers as to the possible presence of a congenital/genetic
undiagnosed problem. You need to go for a thorough medical check-up and even
see a Cardiologist if:

?        
There is a family history of Cardiac disease,
especially if it manifested at a young age, e.g. before age 35-40.

?        
There is a family history of an unexplained death, or
death due to heart problems, at a young age.

?        
There is a family history of raised Cholesterol or
Diabetes at a young age.

If
the individual has heart problems, raised cholesterol or diabetes, or any other
chronic ailments, then they should probably have an annual check-up at some
stage prior to an event like Comrades, or even shorter races as well. In short,
if you are worried or not sure, rather get checked.

BASIC RULES

Despite
this, I must emphasise that physical activity is healthy and generally safe –
but only if runners apply the basic rules.

?        
Make sure they are fit enough for the event that you
are going to attempt.

?        
Never take part in an event if you are ill, have flu,
or have only just recovered.

?        
Do not take painkillers, anti-inflams or any other
medication during a race.

?        
Also make sure you are adequately hydrated.