No Pain

Zoo-ming Along

More
than 3500 runners dusted off the winter cobwebs to take on the annual RAM
Rockies Avis Van Rental Gerald Fox Memorial Half Marathon & 10km, which
started and finished at the Johannesburg Zoo, while the 5km fun run was held
within the world famous zoo grounds. The weather played along and a great time
was had by all!

 

21KM MEN

1
Sipho Ncube (Nedbank) 1:09:16

2
Isaac Mahlake (Gallopers) 1:16:53

3
Elias Mabane (Nedbank) 1:18:03

21KM WOMEN

1
Kim Laxton (Sunninghill) 1:21:57

2
Jodi Moss (Discovery) 1:31:53

3
Caery Lee Fournier (Temp) 1:34:22

10KM MEN

1
Vincent (Temp) 31:43

10KM WOMEN

1
Caroline Wostmann (Breakthru Midrand) 39:32

 

Race
Previews

Dis-Chem Sun City Swim, 20 October

October
heralds the start of the open water swimming season – and what better way to
kick off the season than with the Dis-Chem Sun City Swim. Held amongst the swaying
palms of the magnificent Sun City Resort, this event has a distance and event
to suit swimmers of all ages and levels. The day kicks off with a 3km swim (two
laps of the dam), followed by four 1.5km age group events, culminating in the 600m
fun swim. All entrants get free access to the resort as well as The Valley of
the Waves. More information at www.suncityswim.co.za – entries close 30
September, but late entries will be available on the day.

 

Dis-Chem Half Marathon, Bedfordview, 13 January

Preparations
are underway for the 12th annual Dis-Chem Half Marathon, one of the most
popular races in Gauteng, so be sure to diarise the date now, because entries
will open in November and you will want to get yours early! Modern Athlete will once again be
teaming up with the race to bring you in-depth previews, training programmes
and giveaways.

Peak
Timing is a Gauteng-based company using ChampionChip Timing technology to
manage and time events. For more information on having your event timed, please
contact Craig van der Westhuizen on 082 551 1487.

The Iron Lady

644 Kicks off in Style

There are six events in the 644 Series and each event
is run over 6.44km. Runners start at timed intervals, depending on their
predicted finishing time, so while you are running you are being ‘hunted’ by
the faster runners and at the same time you are ‘hunting’ the slower runners,
with all entrants racing to get to the finish line first. The first event was
held at the Waterfall Country Village in Midrand in early September, and it
proved an exceptional venue. The run was within the safe environment of the
estate, with excellent marshalling and no traffic to contend with, but it was a
bit dark in some spots and I recommend you wear a headlight.

 

My handicap was 14, which meant that I was expected to
finish 14 minutes behind an Olympic runner, and my start leg was 31. At exactly
7pm the slowest runners started. Thereafter, the “hunters” left the starting
blocks in minute increments until the last runner, Leon Baker of Breakthru
Midrand, set off at 7:41. I started at 7:31pm in a group with three other
runners, and this was a great speed incentive from the start, as I pushed to
stay with the group. It was a great feeling catching up to slower runners – and
admittedly not such a great feeling when faster runners caught up to me! But
this in itself was also great incentive as I tried to stick to the faster
runners for a while. In the last kilometre my lungs were burning, but I crossed
the line in exactly the time that was predicted for me, which was a great
feeling! I would love to go back, though, and push myself even harder to beat
my predicted time. In a rush for the finish, it was Brandon Doyle of team Convergence
and Wanda Vogel of Team Meerkat who took line honours.

 

The 644 Series is for everyone, from walkers to
runners, from slow athletes to the elite. There is also an innovative team
system that allows runners to pit their skills against club mates, work
colleagues or friends, to earn the right to wear the coveted yellow polyshorts.
Come and join the Modern Athlete team at the next events in the series:

?        
27 September 2012:
Modderfontein Sports Complex @ 7pm

?        
11 October: Waterfall
Country Village @ 7pm

?        
25 October: Zoo Lake
@ 7pm

?        
8 November: Italian
Club, Bedfordview @ 7pm

?        
22 November:
Waterfall Country Village @ 7pm

Entries are available at www.644.co.za, and timing
will be done by Peak Timing using ChampionChip.

Paralympic Heroes!

Jacaranda City Blitz

Spar Women’s
Challenge 10km & 5km, Pretoria, 25 August

As Pretoria’s temperature hiked up to 32 degrees and I
began melting, still being used to the Highveld freeze, it dawned on me: I
should’ve trained more! I was hoping to get in under 1:30, but along with my
mother Debi and aunt Janeen, I would be happy just to finish. Meanwhile, my
brother Brent and cousin Devon decided to man up and don bikini tops, but other
men went the whole nine yards and dazzled in tutus.

 

THE HEAT IS ON

The busy start meant it took us five minutes to get
going. I started well, allowing my legs to warm up on a flat 2km stretch before
the first sharp incline. I had lost my mother and aunt in the orange traffic,
but around the 3km point, as the route climbed, I found them again, now looking
decidedly pink in the cheeks – the heat was incredible and we used water
sachets to cool down.

 

With a sharp downhill for the next 2km, I gave myself
a breather, and when we passed the halfway point in Centurion’s quiet suburbs,
we all enjoyed ourselves as the locals cooled the pack down with their garden
hoses. Then, with about 3km to go and the stadium light pylons visible in the
distance, I powered up to a steady run, and with my mother and aunt by my side,
we finished hand in hand in 1:32. After a scorcher of a day, it was better than
I expected! The boys finished in 52 minutes in their first ever 10km event and
we rewarded ourselves with a cold beer.

 

CHASING RECORDS

In the elite race up front, Ren? Kalmer took top honours
in a time of 34:50, followed by Rutendo Nyahora (35:28) and Nolene Conrad
(36:43). I remember my mother saying “That’s three times faster than us!” With
her fourth win in the 2012 Spar series, Ren? has already secured the Grand Prix
Series title, but will be chasing a fifth win in Johannesburg on October 14th.
No one has won all five legs before in a single year, so here’s hoping Ren? can
make history!

King of the Mountains

Girls Meets Boy…

THE SINGLE GIRL – DRIEKIE MYBURGH

 

Did other club members make an
effort to mingle with you?
Yes, from the very first time
trial I took part in. Since my running club is not all that large, it made it
very easy to mingle and meet new people.

 

From a single girl’s perspective,
do you get advances from the single guys in the club?
Most
are married or involved, but there are one or two that I have noticed giving me
‘the look,’ and one has actually made the effort to come and chat to me. It really
motivates me to go to time trials in the hope that I see my new ‘friend.’

 

Have you ever dated anyone in
your club?
Yes, but sadly it did not work out.

 

How easy is it to be sociable in
your running club?
Everyone is very friendly and
helpful. They also have a hamburger evening every last Thursday night after
time trial, which is a great way to get to know healthy, fit people instead of going
out to bars and night clubs.

 

THE MARRIED WOMAN – FERNE MURABITO

 

Does being married affect your
social life in your running and cycling clubs?
I am very
social with all my club mates, both male and female alike.

 

Knowing that you are married, do
single male members pay any interest in you?
I have
not attended that many ‘meets’ at my running club, and I belong to my cycling
club with my husband, so no, I would not say the male members pay any extra
interest in me, but some other ladies might have a different experience.

 

Have you ever thought a guy in
the club is too flirtatious?
Not at the cycling or running
clubs, whereas the gym tends to be more of a pick-up joint. Running and cycling
take a whole lot more effort and for a man looking for a girl it is way easier
to lift a couple of weights instead of running 21km or cycling 100km.

 

Which is more social, your
running or cycling club?
I would probably say cycling, as
I know more people there, but I have heard that the runners are a rowdy, social
bunch too.

 

So can you see a difference
between the runners and the cyclists?
The one
group is more focused, painfully aware of what they eat and weigh, and the other
is more social and not afraid to have a huge party the night before a race… I
will leave it up to you to decide which is which.

 

THE MATCH MADE IN A RUNNING CLUB – ANONYMOUS

 

Is being part of a club conducive to meeting
someone special?
Being part of a sports club does enable you to meet
like-minded people who understand your lifestyle and share your passions.

 

How long did you belong to the club before
going on a date?
One year.

 

Do you know of other couples that met like
you guys did?
Yes, there are actually a few that I know who met this
way.

 

Did either of you go to the club to meet
people or were you purely focused on running?
We both went mainly
for the purpose of running, but making friends was definitely a big aspect of
joining a club. I had not really thought of meeting a partner there.

 

Would you suggest to other singles to try meeting
people through a club?
Yes, definitely. Having a partner who shares
your passion for a healthy lifestyle is very important. It also helps having
someone who understands why you want to get up at five o’clock on a Saturday or
Sunday morning, and supports you in all your crazy goals and ideas. Being able
to run and train together is a great way to share quality time together.

 

 The Social Side of Things… from the Social Media

 

We asked
our readers on Facebook and Twitter if they have met their partner through a running
club, and to comment on the social side of being part of a club. Here are a few
of the responses.

 

Sally Hollick: We’ve been together
for more than six years now!

Liezel vd Westhuizen: Running is
the best way to meet people, everyone greets when you run past.

Debbie Osborne: Lol, no,
but I’d love too! It would be awesome to have someone to run with!

Maritza Hartkopf: Still trying to get
my loved one to start running…

SA’s Hurdling Hero

Durban Stars

Back in 1902, the Stella Sport Club was established as
a soccer club, but over the years its members began looking for different ways
to keep fit. That saw the founding of the club’s athletic section in 1970, and
from a small initial membership it has grown into the 350-strong running club
of today. And Stella is for every type of runner, says Grant Matkovich, the
club committee member responsible for fundraising and entertainment. “Stella AC
has a hectic weekly diary, so no matter what your ability of running, you will always
find a run to suit you.”

 

Based in the heart of Glenwood, Durban, Stella runners
take off on early morning training runs from the club every Monday, Wednesday
and Friday. Afternoon runs start from 5:15pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with
four groups taking part: walkers, beginners, intermediate and fast. “The route
is called and water points along the way allow everyone to regroup to make sure
no one is left behind!” explains Grant. “A Wednesday ‘quality’ session has also
been introduced, to help those members who want to up their speed, so no matter
what age, body shape or running ability, all are welcome at Stella!”

 

Saturdays at Stella is ‘Gillies Day,’ a regular 6am run
which always draws an enthusiastic crowd. This social run started back in 1970
with six soccer players who’d all finished their competitive soccer careers and
didn’t know what to do next, but knew they wanted to keep fit. The run was led by
Gilbert ‘Gillie’ Patterson and followed a dedicated route from the clubhouse to
the beachfront and back, covering 13km. No matter what the weather, there will
always be someone running ‘Gillies’, says Grant. Also, the last Thursday of
every month is time trial night, with a 5km or 8km option. Once the time trial
is completed, the charcoal is lit and the music is turned up for club night,
giving members a chance to socialise.

 

COMRADES FEVER

As with any KwaZulu-Natal club, Comrades is a huge
event on the club calendar, and Stella had the largest contingent of Comrades entries this year for a KZN club (and
the seventh-largest amongst all SA clubs)
. “Our afternoon running groups
help to develop a novice runner under the guidance of fellow members, who are
always more than willing to offer advice when it comes to Comrades.” says
Grant. “Possibly the best advantage of running Comrades for Stella AC is the
fact that you are running for one of the biggest and most recognisable local
running clubs.”

 

Six weeks before Comrades, Stella organises a 60km
club long run along the Comrades route, either up or down, depending on which
direction the race is due to be run that year. The run allows club members to
familiarise themselves with the route, eliminate any nasty surprises and
hopefully gain some confidence before the big day. On the day, the route is
manned with six Stella tables where runners are able to drop off any goodies
they want on the route. The club’s own Thulani Zwane successfully also led a sub-12
hour bus home in this year’s race, and he dubbed it the ‘People’s Bus’.

 

While Comrades is a huge focal event, the club also
hosts other events each year, the Stella Royal 25km run and 10 km that is held
in March, and the Stella Tribute – NO to Violence 15km, which is held in
November. Both races are long-standing events on the KZN
race calendar, taking runners through the Glenwood, Glenmore and Umbilo areas, and
are well supported by other KZN clubs. Stella’s annual Pub Run happens in
December and is a training run with a difference: Refreshment stations are all inside
local pubs as runners make their way around the neighbourhood.

 

HELPING OUT

Stella is also focussed on giving back, by helping
with development athletes in sponsoring licence numbers, running kit, race
entries and lifts to races. Money for this is covered by a lot of the club’s
fundraising activities. There is also plenty of support within the club for all
members, says Grant. “Running is often described as an individual and lonely
sport, but Stella AC helps remove the loneliness from the sport. If a member is
seeking advice on an injury, what training to do, or which race to enter,
someone will be able to help them out, whether it’s at the club, on a run, or
on Facebook!”

 

Visit www.stellasports.co.za or call 031 2014842 for more info.

The Wonderful Wines2Whales

Deep Breaths!

We all know that we need to train our muscles in order
to be able to do sport, so we work on our leg muscles, throw in core work for
stability, and add upper body work if we’re into multi-sports. But how often do
we specifically target some of the most important muscles in all sporting
activity, the breathing muscles? In most cases, never, because we just rely on
hard running or cycling to automatically also train these muscles.

 

However, published research findings show that
specific
breathing muscle training
can improve your sport performance in as little as four weeks, a
nd one of the best ways to increase the strength, power and endurance of
these breathing muscles is to give them some resistance training, which is
exactly what the POWERBreathe range of products offer: Resistance. You could
describe them as dumbbells for the lungs, and the good news is that your
breathing muscles will respond to this training easily and quickly – just 30
deep breaths at moderate resistance twice a day can help you improve your
performance markedly.

 

The basic underlying mechanism here is that
impaired oxygen uptake activates a reflex in your body that restricts blood
flow to the limbs and muscles, reserving the blood for the lungs that now need
more support to function properly. Therefore, by training the breathing muscles
to become stronger, you can slow this reflex down to the extent that your legs
and arms will receive more blood, which contains energising oxygen and clears
out muscle metabolite build-up. In other words, you can run harder thanks to
your breathing muscles being fitter and better able to cope with the stress
being placed on them.

 

POWERbreathe has two inspiratory muscle
training products available in South Africa, the POWERbreathe K-series with
digital display (from R4100 to R7200), and the simpler but no less effective
POWERbreathe Plus (approximately R800). Both ranges offer models with different
features and levels of adjustable resistance, so check them out online and
order them there as well.

 

The bottom line is that just a few minutes of ‘work’
on your breathing muscles each day can improve your strength and endurance,
delay limb fatigue, improve recovery time, and help you maintain a higher
exercise intensity for longer. It’s as simple as breathing, really.

 

More
info at www.powerbreathe-sa.co.za, or contact
[email protected]
or 011 440
2119.

Jozi Walked the Talk

Running Model to Model Runner

After
years of running up to 5km for general fitness, on top of yoga, gym, boxing and
other fitness activities, Nicolene Mostert recently began training for her
first 21km race at next year’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, and it’s
all thanks to her work as a photographic sports model for adidas. The
well-known sporting brand was recently announced as the new technical supplier
to the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, and that saw adidas launch its Journey
to Two Oceans campaign – which they needed a ‘face’ for. And they chose Nicolene.

 

“I’ve
worked with adidas six or seven times over the last two to three years, and
have sort of become part of the adidas family, so they asked me to run the race
as part of their campaign due to me being the model in their shoots,” explains
Nicolene. “They offered to take me under their wing and train me for it,
because it will be my first half marathon, and it’s going well – I did my first
10km run the other day. My goal is to run a 1:50 at Two Oceans next year. The
big mental challenge for me is to learn to slow down and pace myself, because I
was always a sprinter at school.”

 

Originally
from Namibia and having gown up in Pretoria, Nicolene has lived in Sea Point,
Cape Town for the past seven years, where she works part-time as a model and
also does sports therapy massage at the Kranking Fitness Studio in the V&A
Waterfront. On top of that, that she is a single parent to daughter Belle (4),
so fitting in training is a challenge, but one she is enjoying. “Moving up to
21km as a 28-year-old single mom is not easy, but I am inspired by top South
African ultra-marathoner Adinda Kruger. I remember watching her train in the
gym when I still lived in Pretoria, and she only began running at 28 or 29, but
is now a top runner.”

 

“I’m
looking forward to seeing my running improve. There is a bit of pressure on me
now, but in an exciting, healthy way. I feel this is a massive honour to be
involved with a brand that I have enjoyed working for, as well as such a
magnificent race.”

White Snow and the Polar Bear

Core and Water

Essential Core

I’ve heard that runners need a strong core, but am not
entirely sure how one goes about doing core strengthening, because I’ve also
heard that it’s not just about the six-pack muscles. – Sue, Bellville

 

ANSWER

Your core muscles provide stability, even in static
positions such as standing or sitting, and as a runner they are even more
important, providing posture, stability and balance. Therefore, lack of core
development often leads to a predisposition to slouch when sitting, and leaves
you susceptible to lower back pain and muscle injuries. Examples of good core
exercises include bridging, planks and exercises involving balance and
coordination. You can increase the intensity level by using gym balls or
resistance bands.

 

Modern
Athlete Expert

TONI
HESP

Toni is a
physiotherapist in Edenvale, Johannesburg. Has finished 21 Comrades, four
Ironmans and two New York Marathons, plus various cycling and canoeing events.

As a beginner runner, I am bit overwhelmed by all the fancy products on
the market when it comes to good old water. Is it OK to just drink tap water
before, during and after a run?”  – John,
Durban

 

ANSWER

Health
professionals recommend that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day,
because water that contains natural minerals and trace elements plays a vital
role in our health, helping to:

?        
flush our system of toxins,

?        
reduce heart attack risk,

?        
reduce risk of disease and infection,

?        
keep us regular,

?        
promote healthy skin,

?        
regulate body temperature,

?        
cushion and lubricate joints and muscles,

?        
improve recovery time,

?        
and keep the body energised and alert.

 

Unfortunately,
the reality is that tap water quality often leaves a lot to be desired, as much
of the essential goodness has been removed due to chemical treatment or reverse
osmosis (filtration with carbon filters) to remove harmful substances. Thus tap
water is often a chemical concoction that looks and tastes refreshing, and
promises good health, but in fact is the complete opposite. Therefore, I
recommend that you look for purified water products that contain the essential
trace elements that your body needs, notably sodium, potassium, calcium and
magnesium.

 

Modern
Athlete Expert

ROBYN
MACLENNAN

Robyn is a
biokineticist and entrepreneur, and has been the owner of Body & Soul
Wellness since 1994. Her goal in life is to return water to its original state
of purity and nourishment.

 

Start with a Spring in Your Step

Take the Eat out of Sweat

We all know
that aerobic exercise, particularly running, delivers many health benefits,
including cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance and increased bone density.
For those people looking to lose a few kilograms, exercise is also an effective
method of weight control, with excess energy and fat being burnt up and more
muscle being formed. Even better news for weight-watchers is that a new study
has found that exercise may reduce appetite as well, for anything from two
hours up to a couple of days.

 

Now this may
not quite tally for everybody, as we all know at least one athlete who is
always hungry and eats like a proverbial horse in order to generate the energy
they need for their running. The logic there is that the athlete is burning so
much energy and must replace it by eating, but researchers are now saying that
exercise can reduce appetite instead of sending it sprinting for the fridge.

 

MEASURING UP

A group of
scientists at the University of Loughborough in the UK, led by Dr David
Stensel, investigated what effect vigorous exercise has on the levels of the
two important appetite hormones, acylated ghrelin and peptide YY. They did this
by asking a group of male university students to do 60-minute sessions on a treadmill
and 90-minute weight training sessions in the gym, then measured the levels of
these hormones in the athletes’ blood during and after the sessions, as well as
asking the athletes about their hunger pangs.

 

Ghrelin is
released by the stomach and pancreas to increase appetite, while peptide YY is
released from the stomach after eating to reduce appetite. Several previous
studies of the effect of exercise on ghrelin have come up with mixed results,
however, and Dr Stensel says that this is because there are actually two forms
of the hormone – active or acylated ghrelin can pass from the blood into the
brain and affect appetite, while non-acylated ghrelin cannot get into the brain
and does not affect appetite. Thus total ghrelin levels may be misleading in
the case of appetite suppression.

 

PROOF IN THE PUDDING

The study
found that vigorous treadmill running caused acylated ghrelin levels to drop
and peptide YY levels to increase, which both suppressed the athletes’ hunger. On
the other hand, the weight-lifting sessions led to lower ghrelin levels but
didn’t affect peptide YY levels, which explains why the athletes reported less
reduction in appetite. In both cases, these effects usually lasted for about
two hours, but in some cases longer.

 

Dr Stensel’s group
admitted that they don’t know why weight training affects acylated ghrelin
levels and not Peptide YY levels, but speculate that it may be because lifting
weights does not cause enough energy expenditure to affect this hormone. They
also say it may be because the disturbance of the gut caused by running is
responsible for changing gut hormone levels. Therefore, while they conclude
that more research is needed to ascertain the ideal intensity and type of
exercise for appetite control, they can still confidently say that working up a
sweat with a hard run is a great way to exercise while not boosting your
appetite to the extent of packing in more than you sweated out. And that’s
great news for all those people who are looking to control or reduce their weight.

Beating Brittle Bones

Salads for Summer

Salads are part of our South African culture, but how
do we make them suitable to our own nutritional requirements as athletes while
also meeting our taste requirements? To make a meal balanced we should take the
following into consideration:

?        
It should contain all
3 macronutrients: Carbohydrates to
provide energy and fibre, protein to provide building blocks for tissue
maintenance and repair, and fat to provide essential fatty acids.

?        
It must contain
vegetables and fruit to ensure variety of vitamins and minerals and fibre.

?        
It should be low in
salt.

?        
It should contain
some dairy for healthy bones.

 

When designing your own salad for a main meal, think
of the traditional Food Plate Model to achieve a balance in nutrients. Half
your plate should always be vegetables, or one quarter vegetables and one
quarter fruit. Another quarter of your plate should be carbohydrates and the
remaining quarter should be protein. A small dairy portion should be made part
of the meal, either as part of the protein portion (e.g. cheese) or as a salad
dressing (using low-fat plain yoghurt).

 

Now that summer has arrived, fresh salads can be a
light, refreshing meal that can energise your day but still leave you feeling
light before a run, and you could start with these two delicious, recommended
salad recipes, which are perfect to fuel your running.

 

Asparagus, green
bean, chickpea and feta salad

Serves: 8 Time to make: 15 minutes

 

Main Ingredients:

2 large bunches of asparagus, trimmed and halved

400g green beans

1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas

1 small red onion, finely sliced

75g reduced-fat feta cheese

 

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1? tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1? tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

A pinch of castor sugar

 

Step 1 To make dressing, place balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dill and sugar into
a small bowl and stir well to combine.

Step 2 Blanch beans and asparagus in boiling water for about three minutes until
bright green and slightly tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Step 3 Place asparagus, beans, rinsed chickpeas and onion into a large bowl and
toss with dill dressing. Transfer to a serving platter and crumble feta on top.

 

Ham, cheese and
potato salad with honey-mustard dressing

Serves: 4 Time to make: 45 minutes

 

Main Ingredients:

500g baby/sweet potatoes, boiled, drained and halved

400g can artichokes in brine, boiled, drained and
halved

1 yellow or red capsicum, diced

3 green onions, sliced

150g snow peas, trimmed and shredded

2 eggs, hard boiled, quartered

200g shaved ham, cut into bite-size pieces

100g low-fat cheese, grated or cubed

 

Dressing Ingredients:

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Step 1 Combine all salad ingredients in
a large serving bowl.

Step 2 Make dressing: Whisk together all
dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad.

Step 3: Place this delicious salad on a
bed of mixed lettuce leaves instead of adding a fruit, to increase the
nutritional value.