Author: Modern Athlete

The
Morningside Running Club was established in 2005 by Angus Hudson and in seven
years has grown to some 150 members. Angus is now the Honorary Life President
of the club and no longer serves on the committee, but he is still extremely
active in club matters, particularly when it comes to major events like the Old
Mutual Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon. He remains an inspirational figure in
the club, in particular to people starting out as runners, and his big,
friendly personality really did set the tone for the club right from the start.

COLOURFUL CHARACTERS

This
club has never been one for the ‘big names’ in the sense of elite or famous
runners, but it boasts quite a few big personalities, like Angus, that make
club life that much more fun and interesting. Another that deserves a mention
is Club Captain Roland van der Merwe, who would never be described as a quiet
person. He’s always laughing and joking, and is often the life of the party at
Morningside social gatherings, but he is also greatly appreciated by his
clubmates for his hard work and dedication. For example, he often volunteers to
be the tail sweep runner in extreme trail runs such as the Wild Coast Wild Run
and Lesotho Wild Run.

Other
colourful characters and social members include Richard McEvoy, who can lay
claim to 22 consecutive silver medals at Comrades (20 of them under seven
hours), John Woodnut, who has run a marathon on all seven continents and has
some interesting stories to tell, and former chairman ‘Bobby Buck,’ now
residing in ‘Slaapstad,’ who has 20 Two Oceans ultras and 12 Two Oceans 21s to
his name. They are always willing to assist any runner by sharing their experience
and advice.

FRIENDLY AND SOCIAL

Current
Chairman Gerry Comninos says that leading the club is more pleasure than hard
work, thanks to the great spirit in the club. “I’m blessed to be working with
an efficient committee who handle the administrative task of issuing licences,
the club finances and of course the coordination of both our social and race
events. We often participate in running water and support points at prominent
races, which typically end up more as having fun rather than work. Morningside
road runners are known for their friendliness and socialising.”

That
sees Saturday morning runs often end up with breakfast at one of the local
cafes, and long social get-togethers in the clubhouse after Wednesday night
time trials. The actual clubhouse is a small hut in the grounds of the
Morningside Country Club, so members usually end up in the neighbouring hockey
pub, which is a hive of activity every Wednesday night. Morningside Country
Club is a great facility and being associated with it is very beneficial to the
running club, with many other sporting facilities available, which encourages a
healthy, fit and friendly atmosphere.

BUT STILL SERIOUS RUNNERS

A
large portion of the club participates in the Wednesday time trial, which is reputed
to be one of the hardest in Gauteng. It offers 8km and 5km routes, both with a
lot of climbs, which are quite a challenge for those who want to work on their
speed. Many of the members are regulars at the weekend races, where the club’s
blue chequered gazebo is also often seen. Morningside has about 50 participants
entered for Comrades 2012, and they have all the support and motivation of the
rest of the club behind them, although all the non-Comrades runners are just as
important to the club.

GIVING BACK AS WELL

The
clubs hosts the News to News Run twice a year, a fun club run from News Cafe
Rivonia to News Cafe Woodmead, to raise funds in aid of breast cancer awareness.
Gerry explains that it is neither a sanctioned CGA event, nor a prominent item
on the running calendar, “but it is beginning to enjoy somewhat of a cult following,
and we hope to keep this going every year.” Other notable charitable drives by
Morningside members include that of the club’s first registered member, Tracy
Bamber, who has raised over R800 000 for various charities, including Children
in the Wilderness and The Wilderness Trust, while Raoul Jacquand is the top donor in
the Comrades Marathon’s 2012 Race4Charity, having raised R66
124.27 for World Vision SA, all through running!

The Ambit offers a
full suite of running tools, including GPS, sports computer, three-dimensional
compass, barometric altimeter, plus optional heart rate belt, and data
can be uploaded to www.movescount.com, Suunto’s online training
community and support base, for analysis,
discussion and planning. Ambit owners can also upgrade their watches with
downloadable software updates and new features through the site, and still
better, you are able to personalise the displays of your watch.

TECHNOLOGICALLY PACKED

The Ambit uses an integrated accelerometer along
with the GPS to track your performance in terms of speed and distance – the accelerometer
helps to improve accuracy – and you can programme in waypoints for navigation as well as
check your location. Thanks to the barometric
altimeter, the watch provides data on your altitude and climbing speed, and the
barometer can even give you insight into changing weather conditions.

When using the (optional extra) heart rate belt,
Suunto’s Peak Training Effect programmable heart rate-based training tool helps
to keep you within your optimal training rates, while the Recovery Time
function tells you when you’ve fully recovered and are ready for your next
interval.

LOOKS
GOOD TOO

Like most GPS watches with built in
antennae, the Ambit is a fairly big unit, but it is one of the more attractive
offerings on the market, thanks to its round face and dress watch-like
appearance. It is remarkably lightweight in spite of its size. Great news is
that it offers 50 hours of battery life
in full GPS mode, which makes it a pleasure to work with – even though it is
easy to charge with a USB cable plugged into your PC, it is great that you only
have to do so now and again! The watch is also built robustly, with water
resistance up to 100m, so it can really be put it through its outdoor paces.

Recommended Retail Price: R5 299 without heart
rate belt; R5 799 with heart rate belt.

Available: In black and silver, at
selected outdoor and sporting retailers, including Cape Union Mart, Sportsmans
Warehouse, Due South and various independents.

More info: Tel 011 796 8960,
[email protected], www.suunto.com

The
Comrades Marathon is a challenging race, and your body will give you signs all
day what it can or can’t do, and what it needs. These signs include looking for
water or something to eat, or a warning to slow down, or even stop entirely. “The
aim is to enjoy the race and finish in a reasonably healthy state. It is your
body, and your responsibility to care for it!” says Dr Jeremy Boulter, convenor of the Comrades Medical Panel.
“Be sensible, take note of what is happening to yourself and make responsible
decisions. If you start running into trouble, rather pull out before it is too
late. It has become apparent over many years that people feel it is more
important to finish the race than to be concerned about their health.”

Further to
that, Dr Boulter says no runner who cannot continue on their own should be
carried. “Runners who collapse after they have finished, even if they require
urgent medical attention, will almost certainly recover fully, but those who
collapse during the race are most probably suffering from a very serious and
potentially fatal condition. So while the support and encouragement of fellow
runners is an intimate part of the race, this has led to runners being helped
and carried when they should have stopped running and sought medical help. Any
runner who is unable to move forward under their own power will be prevented
from continuing and medical attention will be called for.”

SIMPLE CHECKLIST

After many years of involvement in the race, Dr Boulter has compiled a
simple but effective list of medical do’s and don’ts for runner to stick to:

?        
DO drink enough: Hydration is refreshing and
prevents heat-related illnesses; dehydration can cause headaches, nausea and
cramping.

?        
DO eat: You need sugar in your blood and
liver glycogen, so having a snack on route is essential, but take small
portions to avoid cramping or indigestion.

?        
DO listen to your body: If you’re cramping up, readjust and
slow down. If you are experiencing something worse, like chest pains or extreme
nausea, seek medical attention immediately.

?        
DON’T run if you are not properly
prepared: If you
don’t feel you can finish the race, rather don’t start. There’s always another
year.

?        
DON’T run if you have been sick or
on antibiotics in the three weeks prior to the race: Running while drugged up on flu
meds is a danger to your health!

?        
DON’T take ANY medication during the
race: Painkillers or
anti-inflammatories will not cure pain or an injury, they will only mask the
pain temporarily. Worse still, they may cause kidney failure after the race!

?        
DON’T be afraid to bale: You will only make it worse by
continuing when your body says it really can’t go on.

AFTER THE BIG FINISH

Dr Boulter
adds that it is important to start the post-race recovery process immediately.
“Make sure that you take in adequate
fluid to correct any minor level of dehydration, and monitor your urine output.
If you have not been passing much urine during the race, it may be due to the
presence of a hormone called ADH, which can be caused by physical stress. If
so, you will start passing large amounts of urine very soon after finishing. If
you continue to pass very little, or none at all, by late that day or night, it
may be indicative of a kidney problem. You should then seek medical attention.”

The
men’s marathon at the 1993 IAAF World Champs in athletics in Stuttgart,
Germany, was quite a memorable race from a southern African perspective. Hopes
in South Africa were pinned on Willie Mtolo – who later that year would win the
New York Marathon – but it was Namibia’s Luketz Swartbooi who led for much of
the race and looked set to win. However, with just over 1km to go he was slowing
considerably and had nothing left to give. Then a tall, slightly gangly-looking
South African called Mark Plaatjes came breezing past him and pulled away to
take the win in 2:13:57, 13 seconds ahead of his Namibian friend.

“I caught second-placed Jae-Ryong Kim from
South Korea at 35km, but it was only when I got to 40km and saw the lead van that
I realised I could win it,” says Mark. “I felt absolutely horrible passing Luketz,
because he did so much work and was so brave, but I had waited 12 years to
compete against the best in the world, due to South Africa being banned from
international sport due to Apartheid, and I was the most motivated person out
there. I fully expected to get a medal in Stuttgart. I didn’t know what colour,
but I knew I’d get one!”

GREENER
GRASSES

However, the record books do not list Mark’s gold
medal performance as South African, even though the country had been allowed
back into international sport the previous year. Instead, he was running for
his adopted country, the USA, where he and his family had sought political
asylum in 1988 while vacationing in Chicago, even though it meant sacrificing
his assets in SA, including his cars, home and investments.

“People think I came here to run, but it was
all about not wanting my two daughters growing up as second-class citizens.
Gene was three at the time and starting to ask questions… we’d pass by Water
World and she would want to go in, but could not understand that we weren’t
allowed in because it was Whites only. I couldn’t vote or live anywhere I wanted
to, or send my children to any school I wanted, and I didn’t want them growing
up always feeling inferior to someone.”

TREMENDOUS
POTENTIAL

Mark was born in Johannesburg in 1961, one of 10
children of a seamstress and a shoemaker. His athletic talent shone through
from an early age and from 1981 to 1983 he attended the University of Georgia
in the USA on a track scholarship. “What really opened my eyes was coming
to America,” Plaatjes said. “I was treated wonderfully and never felt
any racism for the two-and-a-half years I was there.”

In 1985, Mark broke the SA marathon record with a scintillating
2:08:58 in Port Elizabeth to not only take the SA Marathon title for the second
time – he had won it in 1981, as a teenager! – but also became the first SA
runner to break 2:09. (And he won the SA Cross Country title twice, in 1984 and
1985.) But in 1985 he was also denied entry into the Boston Marathon at the
last minute, when he was already in Boston, due to the international ban on SA
athletes, even though he himself had suffered discrimination and disappointment
in Apartheid South Africa.

Moving to America in 1988 did not automatically
open the door to Mark competing on the world stage, however. At first he was
still denied entry to the top races like Boston, even though he had been
cleared to run, but he did get into the 1988 Los Angeles Marathon, where he ran 2:10:49 and
finished third. What he remembers most is
going to the starting line, tears streaming down his face. “I had only trained
for about four weeks and I just ran the race on emotion.” He was fourth in
LA in 1990 and won the race in 1991 in 2:10:29.

FINALLY
THERE!

However, he still missed out on the 1992 Olympics –
ironically, that was the year SA made its triumphant return to Olympic stage –
because the rules required a five-year waiting period to gain US citizenship. So
the following year, Mark was determined to get to the World Champs in August,
but he only just made it! His American citizenship was finally issued in July,
just three weeks before the Champs, and he had been selected on the proviso
that his Green Card came through in time.

He went to the 1993 Houston Marathon to try to
qualify for the US team, but his 2:16 in windy conditions was not good enough.
“Then I went to Boston and it was great, because I had to run 2:12:45 to
get onto the team, and I ran 2:12:39 with lots of energy to spare. I didn’t kill myself, as I knew I only had 14 weeks
between Boston and the World Championships. I just wanted to get on the
team.” He placed sixth overall and first American, and the rest, as they
say, is history.

NEW ROOTS

Mark has made his home in
Boulder, Colorado, where he runs his physiotherapy practice, is part-owner of
the Boulder Running Company chain of running retail stores in partnership with
fellow SA expatriate and elite runner Johnny Halberstadt, and coaches a local
running club called Gijima. His knowledge of runners’ needs has seen his businesses
flourish in one of the pre-eminent running cities in the world, and his wife
Shirley has been practicing massage for over 10 years and is also part of the
practice.

Stuttgart proved to be the high
point of Mark’s career, which included wins in 20 major marathons around the
world, and he still speaks fondly of that day. “Everything… becoming a
citizen, making the World Championships team, and the race turning out the way
it did… the whole saga was just so special. I couldn’t explain it then, and I
still can’t explain it, the way I felt on the podium, getting the medal and
hearing the national anthem.”