Author: Modern Athlete

After her father committed suicide in 2008 due to severe depression, Zanele Hlatshwayo turned to running to help her through the heartache and her own depression. Now this ultra-marathon runner is running 18 races in seven months to raise awareness of and funds for the treatment of this condition. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Depression is a silent killer in South Africa: Statistics show that 23 people commit suicide daily, mostly men, and there are hundreds of attempts on a daily basis. To make matters worse, depression and mental health issues are stigmatised in many South African communities, so many people do not speak about these issues, and this only adds to the distress of both the sufferers and those whose loved ones turn to suicide.

Having lost her father to this debilitating condition on 16 June 2008, and then suffering depression herself as a result, Joburg-based Zanele decided that 2018 would not only mark the 10th anniversary of his passing, but could also be her opportunity to do something to challenge the stigma around depression and suicide. This inspired the 33-year-old analytical specialist for Google SA to take on 18 races between January and July 2018 for her #Rise18 campaign, not only to raise awareness of the problem, but also to raise R180,000 for the non-profit South Africa Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Africa’s largest mental health and advocacy group.

“I was very close to my dad – he would take me to school, to restaurants, he even used to take me to the hair salon, and it was only later that I realised he did that for me to show me how a man should treat me. There is a lot of stigma in the black community around suicide, so I always felt it was an injustice that he was thought of in that way, as he was a good father to myself and my younger siblings, and he was a good person that was always helping people. This campaign is my way to demystify suicide and mental illness, and to redefine my father,” says Zanele.

“I want to help SADAG through raising funds so that they can maintain the costs of running the organisation, because depression and suicidal thoughts are personal struggles I had to face when my father took his life. And since running is a sacred experience for me, a mechanism that helped me deal with his death, what better way to help those who might be going through similar experiences than through the power of running?”

RUNNING CHALLENGE
Having found solace in her running and gymming, Zanele decided to take her running more seriously four years ago and began entering races. Having built up steadily through the distances, she ran her first Comrades Marathon in 2016, and a second the following year. She has also completed the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and Old Mutual Om Die Dam Ultra twice each, and has another 10-plus marathons under her belt. She is therefore more than capable of completing 18 races in seven months, but this year she will push herself to new limits when she takes on the Washie 100 Miler in July as the 18th race of the challenge.

“When I started planning this challenge, I decided I want to complete 18 races, so I have spread them out, including some 10km races, but also including the Kosmos 3-in-1, Two Oceans, Comrades and the Washie,” she says. “I’ve got my list of races pencilled in, but the list has to be flexible, due to the fact that I travel a fair amount for work, but the big races will stay. The Washie will be a big step up for me, and from a fundraising point of view, it will require some help, as you need your own support team, so I’m looking for support from a car brand, or accommodation, or a sports brand, to make the final push of my fundraising challenge possible.”

Having launched the campaign in January, with social media and YouTube elements, Zanele says she has been overwhelmed by the response, especially from people sending messages about their own experiences. “It made me realise how many more people are affected than we know, and I want to share their stories too, because this is so much bigger than me. I’m also getting more and more requests from runners who want to join me in various races, to help me rise and demystify depression and suicide, and lend a helping hand to those who need it.”

You can support Zanele in her journey to rise against depression and suicide by following her at www.facebook.com/Rise18Zanele or www.twitter.com/zanhlatshwayo, and you can make a donation via www.backabuddy.co.za/rise18.

IMAGES: Jetline Action Photo & courtesy Zanele Hlatshwayo

Take note of these common pre-race nutritional mistakes and fix them before they slow you down. – BY ESMÉ MARÉ, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

The week leading up to your big race can be overwhelming and the last thing you want to do is eat too much of the wrong foods, and too little of the right foods, or at the wrong times. Here’s what you need to know.

1 Improper carbo-loading
Many athletes eat large portions of carbohydrates, especially pasta, the night before a race, to top up their glycogen stores. However, this could lead to digestive problems on race day. Rather start a week prior to race day, gradually increasing carbohydrate and fluid intake each day. This will maximise glycogen storage.

2 Too much fibre
It’s important for athletes to consume a healthy, balanced diet with adequate amounts of fibre, which aids in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels, reduces risk of heart disease and reduces the risk of constipation. Consuming more high-fibre foods than you are used to prior to race day could cause uncomfortable bloating and flatulence. If you are more sensitive to foods high in fibre, then cut back on foods such as beans and bran cereals two to three days prior to race day. Remember that fruit and vegetables should still be consumed. If you are racing more often, reduce your fibre intake only on race day to make sure that you are not cutting too much fibre out of your diet.

3 Eating and drinking too late
It’s best to have your last dinner no less than 13 hours prior to your race, and do not over-eat. This will prevent gastric discomfort and a sleepless night, especially if you have pre-race jitters. A liquid breakfast can be eaten two hours prior to the race and a solid breakfast can be eaten three hours prior to the race. This will ensure that you begin your race with sufficient fuel. Practise what to eat at dinner and breakfast before long workouts – this way you’ll be able to determine what works best for you before race day.

4 Trying something new
Avoid eating unfamiliar foods in the week before race day. They could lead to gastric discomfort and diarrhoea, which could leave you dehydrated, slowing you down or causing you to pull out of the race.

5 Skipping breakfast
If you have difficulty eating breakfast before a race, wake up earlier to give yourself enough time to eat your breakfast. A smoothie works really well if you cannot stomach solid food.

6 Drinking too much water
Athletes should drink adequate amounts of fluids the week prior to the race. However, drinking too much water before the race could dilute your electrolytes, which may cause cramping, muscle weakness and hyponatraemia. Electrolytes play a big role in muscle contraction and an imbalance can lead to a decrease in performance.

These common pre-race nutritional mistakes may influence the performance of your race, but every runner is different, so this is a trial and error process. As an athlete you should listen to your body and learn what works best for you.

If LJ van Zyl can win a medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April in Australia, it will be a magic ending to an athletics career that has spanned more than 15 years and delivered many records, medals and memories. – BY SEAN FALCONER

At 32, LJ van Zyl is now one of the elder statesmen of the track. The SA Record Holder in the 400-metre hurdles (47.66 seconds) has represented South Africa at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games three times each, and been to the World Champs six times, but it’s his medal haul that really cements his place as one of the all-time greats. That includes a gold medal and world title at the 2002 World Junior Champs, gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, silver and bronze at the 2011 World Champs, and many more.

Now perhaps coming to the final years of his competitive career, LJ says these days he just looks forward to being on the track with the world’s best. “When I was young, everything was about winning. It was like full-out war out on the track, and if you lost, you felt like a failure. But you start to realise that athletics should not just be about winning. Yes, it will always be important, and making money is also essential, but being an athlete is part of a journey. Savouring moments on and off the track is just as important as winning, because no athletics career lasts forever, and the friends I have made while racing all over the world is like collecting firewood for later in life.”

EARLY SUCCESS
Having won the World Junior Champs title in 2002 in Jamaica, LJ made his breakthrough at senior level in 2005, finishing sixth at the World Champs in Finland and taking the bronze medal at the World Athletics Final in Monaco, aged just 20. The following year he won his Commonwealth gold in Australia, in a then PB 48.05, and added a silver medal as part of the 4x400m relay team. “That was the cherry on top, and I still refer to that 4x400m final when I talk at schools, because it proved that no race is won or lost until you have crossed the finish line.”

“If you look at a video of the race, you would think there was no way that we could have won a silver medal, because I was running in fifth place coming into the home straight. There was no way through, so the only option was to go wide, and I can honestly say that in those last 50 metres I ran as I had never done before. Looking back, those two races at the Commonwealth Games set up my international career.”

More success followed in 2006, with a gold at African Champs and silvers at the World Cup and World Athletics Final. In 2007 he won gold at the All Africa Games, then retained his African Champs title in 2008 on the way to finishing fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2010 LJ won his third Commonwealth medal, a silver in India, but 2011 was undoubtedly the pinnacle of his hurdling career. In the space of just 95 days, he managed to break through the magical 48-second barrier four times, clocking the four fastest times of the year in the world, and went on to win the bronze medal at the World Champs in South Korea, where he was also part of the SA 4x400m relay team that won a silver medal.

FIRE IN THE BELLY
In 2012 he married SA long distance star Irvette van Blerk, after both had been part of Team SA for the 2012 London Olympics, and in 2015 their son Louis was born. In recent years, he competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but missed out on selection for the 2017 World Champs, even though he was still regularly competing in top level Diamond League meets around the world. Now, with his selection for the team to go to Australia, he feels the younger athletes should not underestimate him, because he still has the hunger for competition.

“To be honest, I love to race. There is something special about dueling with other athletes on the track and fighting it out right to the end. That is what an adrenaline rush is all about. I think I got addicted while I was still a ‘laaitie’ racing the farm workers’ children over feeding troughs. The faster and more experienced I got, the more I started to crave the challenge of a good race, so I’m looking forward to these Commonwealth Games.”

LJ’s Incredible Medal Haul
BRONZE – 2001 World Youth Champs Medley Relay
GOLD – 2002 World Junior Champs 400m H
BRONZE – 2004 World Junior Champs 4x400m Relay
BRONZE – 2005 World Athletics Final 400m H
GOLD – 2006 Commonwealth Games 400m H
SILVER – 2006 Commonwealth Games 4x400m Relay
GOLD – 2006 African Champs 400m H
SILVER – 2006 World Athletics Final 400m H
SILVER – 2006 World Cup 400m H
GOLD – 2007 All-Africa Games 400m H
GOLD – 2008 African Champs 400m H
GOLD – 2008 African Champs 4x400m Relay
GOLD – 2010 African Champs 400m H
SILVER – 2010 Commonwealth Games 400m H
SILVER – 2011 World Champs 4x400m Relay
BRONZE – 2011 World Champs 400m H
BRONZE – 2016 African Champs 4x400m Relay

IMAGES: Roger Sedres/ImageSA

For the last 27 years, Tom Cottrell has written and published the Nedbank Runners’ Guide to Road and Off-Road Races in South Africa, which has become an invaluable aid to South African runners. No surprise then that Tom’s name has become synonymous with race fixtures. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Tom Cottrell is like that grizzled veteran in your running club, telling you about all the races he’s run over the last 30 years, describing the monster hills, the flat PB courses, and the best races for some traditional small-town hospitality. Only, he tells his stories in a book. And a website and app. Now 64, Tom lives in Johannesburg with wife and fellow runner Kay, and they have two daughters and one grandson. He ran the Comrades four consecutive times from 1986 to 1989, and had brought his time down to 8:04 in his last run – or 7:64, as he laughingly prefers to call it – but then a tragic accident took him off the roads for a number of years.

Early in 1990, he was involved in a car accident in which his brother-in-law was killed, and Tom was left with two broken ankles. One was so badly broken that the doctors said he would never run again. “At the time of the accident, Kay actually asked me if she should carry on running, so I said you can stay here and be miserable with me, or go run with my mates. She was out the door before I finished talking,” he laughs. “Not being able to join her, I kept myself busy writing route descriptions of the races she was planning to run, as a kind of therapy to stay involved. Then somebody said you could make this a book, and when somebody starts a sentence with ‘Why don’t you…,’ then you just have to do it! So when I was retrenched in 1991, I decided why not, and that’s how the Runner’s Guide started.”

New Developments
The first edition appeared in 1992, and Tom says he can see how the times have changed. “Those first books reflect the politics of the day, with old provinces that no longer exist, like Transvaal or Western Transvaal. I’ve also seen many races come and go, including iconic ones like the Korkie, but in its place came Om Die Dam. The big change in recent years has been the massive growth in trail runs, and it’s hard to keep track as they sometimes pop up and then disappear just as quickly.”

Having added the Cyclists’ Guide and Swimmers’ Guide to his fixture publishing repertoire, as well as several biographies, novels and coffee table books, Tom is now focusing on the websites and apps for his fixtures. “I still have a readership base for the printed books, but sales are declining, whereas the number of downloads on the apps have skyrocketed. I did the first app in 2011 after another of those ‘Why don’t you…’ conversations with Nedbank, and I will be the first to admit it was a really pokey experiment. Still, the original Cyclists’ Guide app reached number 12 in the sports app rankings, so we decided to invest in more sophisticated apps, and in year two the running app reached number 1 on the Apple apps store!”

“This past year I finally stopped thinking of the app as an extension of the book. I therefore made it free for download, and did deals with retailers that you can buy shoes through the app. Soon you’ll be able to book accommodation for races, enter races online, and find maps to drive to the start. I think the book will become less and less relevant, as I can add so much more to a runner’s life via digital platforms. I want to make the whole experience of running races easier and more enjoyable.”

Back to Running
In spite of what the doctors said, Tom did run again. “Typical runner, I didn’t listen to them and started my second running career, as I call it, just to prove them wrong. I did the Two Oceans and a few other ultras, and then in 2000 I did another Comrades, because that year they gave us 12 hours, so I decided to chance my arm, but more to say goodbye to the race. I finished with three minutes to spare.”

He hung up his running shoes again after tearing his ankle cartilage doing the Antarctic Marathon, but after a recent operation, this grizzled veteran has felt the running bug biting again. “I recently put a pic on Facebook of my new ankle – it looks like a jungle gym with all that steel and titanium! I’ve done a few 5km walks so far, and still have to be very careful, but I’m planning to launch my third athletic career. I want to get out there and walk a few races, and then hopefully build up to a few 10km races. As they say, why don’t you…”

Images: Courtesy Tom Cottrell

She was the victim of a brutal attack and shocking loss that would have left most people devastated, but instead it made Caroline Peters more determined to make a positive change in her own life, and in her Cape Town community, through running. – BY PJ MOSES

In 2014 Caroline Peters created a beacon of light when she started the Nantes Athletic Club. Not only did she give the community of Bridgetown in Cape Town an alternative way of becoming active, but she reclaimed a piece of herself by naming the club after an area in her neighbourhood that only had terrible memories for her. “There was never going to be any other name for me to choose other than naming it after the place where I was violated as a teenager and saw my friend brutally murdered,” she says. “Women don’t speak out about these things, and even though it makes me feel vulnerable, I feel that I must share to encourage other women to speak up against this ongoing evil in our society.”

In 1980, a then teenaged Caroline was out for a walk with two friends when they were attacked by a gang from a neighbouring township. The two young girls were gang-raped before all three young people were stabbed, beaten and left for dead. Caroline and the boy survived, but their friend died due to the severity of her injuries. “I wanted to do this in her memory, and in the memory of my father who always worked for this community, and believed that there was beauty and light here.”

Active Recovery
In spite of her shocking experience, Caroline recovered, and throughout her school years was an active sportswoman, earning provincial colours in netball, but as she became older and had three daughters, she gained weight and the stress of her work and personal life made hers an unhealthy life. “Years later, my daughter Zaida was pregnant, and I wanted to be an active grandma, not the fat grandma waiting in the easy chair for kisses from her grandchildren. So I went to Rondebosch Common in the evenings after work and would mostly walk at the beginning, before I started running from pole to pole,” she says.

“It took me four weeks to do my first 5km, starting from scratch. My eldest daughter Cindy says that I panted and sounded like somebody who was dying, but I was determined, and slowly built up my body to not only lose weight, but also become strong enough to run up to 5km without needing a walk break. Then, after much cajoling from my friend Fuad Adams, I decided to join Itheko Athletic Club and from there I fell in love with running and the fantastic vibe that existed between members of the running community.”

That saw Caroline build up her racing mileage, until eventually she was running marathons and ultras. “I have finished the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra in 6:54, and just missed the cut-off at the 80km mark during Comrades. I was in tears when that happened, because I went to Comrades with an injury and that was one of my biggest mistakes. Runners are always so desperate to run, and we do the silliest things while ignoring sound advice.”

Passing it on
Having come so far with her own running, and seen the benefits it brought to her life and family, Caroline decided she wanted to share the message with her community. “I was extremely proud of all I had achieved within 18 months of starting to run, so I decided I would pass on what I had learnt to others. This is one of the reasons that I first started a Nantes running group, and then a club. We also started a free weekly parkrun at Nantes Park, with the help of parkrun South Africa. The numbers are steadily increasing there as well, and whole families come together on Saturday mornings to up their heart rate the right way.”

Granted, Caroline has had to overcome a few injuries, as well as fight depression and serious health scares to continue her running journey, but none of that has deterred her, and she keeps on breaking new ground. “As a proud confident woman, I must keep breaking down those patriarchal walls put up to keep women from positions of power, not only in the sports that I love, but also in the broader society.” That attitude has seen Caroline rise to become a Community Liaison Officer in the Mayor’s Office, and she also serves on the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Board.

As a result of her energy and commitment, Nantes AC has grown steadily, and according to Caroline answers a need in her community. Attitudes and mentalities are being changed, and the very fabric of township reality is changing with every new member who walks through their clubhouse door. “Now we can run right here in our area with no need to go far away to find someplace safe to run,” says Caroline. “This is what people need to know, and that is what I want my legacy to be: A constant, positive change that sweeps across the Cape Flats, to the sound of feet hitting tar!”

Images: Courtesy Caroline Peters

Having recently finished her first Ironman 70.3 race in East London, Rogeema Kenny has not just done something she once thought she couldn’t do, she’s done something that many people said she shouldn’t do. Fortunately, she didn’t listen to either opinion! – BY PJ MOSES

Rogeema Kenny does not like to be told that she can’t do something just because she is a woman. “I hate that society has put limits on what is acceptable for women and girls to do, or what to strive for. There should be no limitations for anyone, men or women, we should all be able to do what we feel we are able to, as long as it does not negatively impact anyone else’s life,” she says.

A qualified electrical engineer, she spent 10 years in the energy industry before changing to management consulting, because it felt more in line with her personal ideology about being a game-changer and a societal boundary shifter. And that is what she has become since taking up running, and later triathlon, but it initially just started as a way to stay fit. “Early on in my working life I started running with my sister, Fadeelah, to keep fit. However, I did not feel any love toward running as a hobby. In fact, I found it tough going and extremely uncomfortable, but what kept me going was this incredible sense of achievement after every run. I pushed at the imaginary boundaries that surrounded me. This was the same drive I felt when I achieved my Second Dan black belt in karate years before.”

As is the case with many runners who step up to the longer distances, Rogeema struggled during her first marathon. “At my first marathon, the Peninsula, I wanted to do well, and even though it felt great getting to the finish, I couldn’t break that magical five-hour mark. I made myself a promise that I will train harder and return stronger.” Clearly the promise worked, because later that same year she ran her second marathon and took more than an hour off her previous time!

“With a qualification for the Two Oceans 56km in the bag, I jumped into my next challenge of doing an ultra. I trained hard and successfully completed the Two Oceans, but still I needed something more… and found something that was not expected as the logical next step. My friend Jacques suggested I try my hand at triathlons, and I was intrigued, but also very sceptical. This would be a major stepping stone into the unknown, because I could not swim, and I definitely was not a cyclist!” Nevertheless, in May 2014, four years after starting to run, Rogeema lined up with Jacques at the start of her first triathlon, an off-road event in Durbanville.

DOUBLE CHALLENGE
Being a triathlon newcomer was hard enough, but being a devout Muslim woman made things all the more challenging for Rogeema. “I spent over twenty minutes in transition each time because I had to stay covered the best I could while readying myself for the next stage of the race. I knew after the race that I was going to have to do a lot of research if I wanted to make things easier for myself. There was nobody that I could ask for advice or for guidance, because there were very few Muslim women doing triathlon back then, if any. I especially needed to sort out the clothing, because you need something practical that won’t hinder your progress. You can’t swim in a doekie!”

Rogeema says that event organisers have been very understanding and she’s never had a problem with officials regarding her religion. The tri community has also been wonderfully supportive, and she now sees them as an extension of her family, especially the Atlantic Triathlon Club and the Embark triathlon training group that she is a part of. However, she has received some push-back from members of the Muslim community who feel that triathlons are not a sport Muslim woman should be taking part in…

“It is a question of balance, in my opinion, between my spiritual life and my physical pursuits. I don’t think I could do one without the other. People may judge me, but I am not doing it for them, and I am not harming anyone in any way, but I am building myself into a stronger and healthier human being. I don’t always handle the negativity as well as I should, but I try to steer clear of those who judge without understanding. I want to educate people that sport is important and that it helps you in all aspects of your life. It changes you as a person and helps you to find the courage within yourself that you didn’t even know existed.”

STEPPING IT UP
Just as had happened in her running, Rogeema found that first taste of triathlon just made her want more. “I knew that I would want to step up a level one day and go on to do the Ironman race, but initially I kept putting my Ironman entry off, until last year I eventually decided to just go for it, and I put in the work needed to be successful at it. It took me a while to get to the Half Ironman 70.3 distance, but it was all worth the effort in the end.”

“The feeling of standing on that beach in January, looking out at the ocean, was indescribable, and I felt very excited about the challenge that lay ahead. I think that is one of the reasons I love the structure and intensity of the training programmes that triathletes put themselves through. It takes away most of the butterflies and doubt on race day. It leaves you with an excited anticipation of the adventure that lies ahead of you.”

“Today I look at my medal and I know that I have finished one of the toughest things I could ever try and do. Months of preparation and sacrifice went into that event, and the emotion of those last few kilometres of my run were so heavy that I wanted to choke up with each step that I took closer to the finish line. This achievement, for me, is up there with finishing the Two Oceans Ultra. It is an empowering moment that I savour.”

GIVING BACK
The journey from Karateka to runner to Ironman triathlete has been an eventful one for Rogeema, and at times a lonely one. Today, she sees herself as an example to women, especially young women, who want to follow a more active lifestyle, and thus she has become active in the Dreamgirls mentorship programmes. “Young women need positive role models and people who can identify and nurture their potential. It took me a while to talk about my sport in public, but since I have done so, many girls have come up to me and said that they feel empowered by my story.”

“All women should use their experiences to help other people, especially young girls. They shouldn’t believe that they can’t do things just because other people can’t do it. There must be a first person to do things, and if what I do can benefit somebody else in their lives, then that is a good reason to keep on doing it. I believe that you must know what you want, have a clear idea of what it will take to get there, and be prepared to do whatever it takes, because nothing worth it is easy. At the end of it, when you achieve that goal, all the sacrifice will have been worth it. The person that starts is not the same person that finishes the race. It transforms you and will make you stronger and better than you were before.”