Author: Modern Athlete

DON’T TAKE MOM FOR GRANTED
The impact of a mother’s health on the household diet cannot be overstated, according to research. The main caregiver in a family (usually the mother) needs to be energetic and organised to make healthy eating happen consistently within the family. When the main caregiver is sick, tired or unmotivated, the household diet tends to slide.

BYE-BYE JUICE, HELLO FAT-FREE MILK!
Research has found if you replace your morning juice with a glass of fat-free milk, you will manage your weight better. The study found that a glass of skim milk with your toast or breakfast cereal reduces mid-morning munchies more than a glass of juice does. In fact, milk drinkers ate 10% less food four hours after breakfast than those who drank juice for breakfast. According to the researchers, such a change in appetite could potentially help with weight management.

AVOID TAKE-AWAY TRAPS
If you are a convenience connoisseur, try keeping these three easy tips in mind:
• Sauces are dangerous: A single squirt from a tartar sauce bottle contains about 500kJ. You would need to run at full pace for about 15 minutes to burn this off. On top of this, a take-away burger and chips will often have two or more sauces. You do the maths!
• Portion size: One large portion of chips is too much food for any one person. Half this amount is much more reasonable and half the fat and calories.
• Preparation is important: Sweet and sour pork is prepared by coating high-fat pork in batter, then deep frying it in oil and finally boiling it in sugar (the ‘sweet’ bit). That’s why it’s so energy-dense. Always ask how your food is cooked so you know where the hidden energy is.

BEWARE OF THE ‘HEALTHY HALO’ EFFECT
If a food product says ‘low-fat’, do you eat more? Probably! In a US study, adults were directed to one of two bowls of unusually coloured M&Ms (gold, teal, purple and white) and invited to help themselves. The bowls were labelled either ‘New colours of regular M&Ms’ or ‘New low-fat M&Ms’. On average, people ate 28% more of the supposedly low-fat variety.

In another study, researchers asked participants to estimate suitable serving sizes for M&Ms and muesli. Half the participants were told these were low-fat versions of the food, the others were told they were regular versions. When people saw a food labelled ‘low-fat’, they estimated an appropriate serving size to be 25% bigger.

These studies found that we often assume the energy (kilojoules) content of a food is much less in foods labelled ‘low-fat.’

GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Older people who sleep for less than five hours each night, or for eight to nine hours, are more likely to gain 5kg or more over a two-year period, and more likely to be obese, according to a study in Spain. The researchers analysed the sleeping patterns and body measurements of over 3 500 people aged 60 and older, and found the optimal sleep duration for weight maintenance in this group appeared to be seven hours. So don’t compromise your sleep!

I was born and bred in Zimbabwe and am a Zimbo at heart, but have spent much of my short life on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. During my school and varsity years I was a jack of all trades, but there was never really any mastery. I participated in swimming, canoeing, cross-country (now known as trail running), triathlon, squash, hockey and cricket. I didn’t always know what I wanted to do with my life, but I was fortunate enough to have the time and freedom to discover what it was.

I love being outdoors, I love adventure and I love people. So I needed to find a job that ticked all those boxes. I ploughed through a four-year natural sciences degree, thinking science would be my ticket to bush adventures, foreign languages and starry skies. But it wasn’t. In need of a holiday and some perspective, I went yacht racing around the world for four years. The ocean, it turns out, is just about the best place for anyone to get big world perspective. There was plenty time to get introspective, and I soon learnt what my real strengths and passions were. Photography, which had long been a hobby, stood out. I conjured up a plan, focused on exploiting my strengths and put my head down.

A STEEP LEARNING CURVE
Without much guidance or planning, I started taking photos at adventure sports events. I did it simply because it was a subject I knew. I got to take photographs almost every weekend, honed newfound skills, rapidly built my portfolio, and met and learnt from fellow sport creatives. Everything snowballed and evolved from there. This is not to say it was easy. I can clearly remember the first adventure event I covered, mainly because it also doubled as the first marathon I’d ever done. The event is known as the Mweni Marathon and takes place in probably the least visited, but most spectacular part of the Drakensberg. When I pitched the idea of photographing the event to the organisers, they said the route is completely inaccessible and the only way to cover the race would be to run it myself. I was stoked. I love running and now someone just made it part of my job!

Undaunted, and blissfully unaware of the rigours of trail running with a camera bag, I set off on the 42km high altitude, mountain run with everything I thought I needed. By kilometre 10, it was clear I had brought too much equipment. I was battling to keep up with the majority of the field, let alone finding the time or energy to take pics of the race. I ditched all my food to lighten my backpack, but it didn’t help. At halfway I was close to last. I eventually latched on to a couple runners going my pace, and on the way back to the finish I had to make peace with the fact that most of my photos were only going to feature two people. After eight hours, my loyal subjects and I crossed the finished line – exhausted. I later jotted down the lessons I learnt from the race, and reading them now, it’s amazing how insightful they proved to be in terms of what the future held.

One of my fondest photographic memories has to be the TransAlps Run 2010. It was my first overseas assignment and I remember sitting on the train with my pelican case, camera bag and running shoes, staring out the window, watching the big German Alps whiz by, and thinking: “Somebody is actually paying me to do something to be here.” Everything about the event was world class and we were a crack team of photographers consisting of two Germans and myself. I had the enviable job of running, camera in tow, for two thirds of each race day. Each of us had to present a photographic slideshow every night and it turned out to be a full-on photographic war. Each photographer tried to outdo the other, the slideshow winner being the one with the most oooohh’s and aaaahh’s from the audience. It was great. The working environment was super-charged and pressure-filled, and I learnt stacks because of it.

PART OF THE ACTION
I maintain that the best way to capture what is in front of your camera, is to be a part of it. I hate sitting on the sidelines documenting an event. If people are running, I like to be running with them. I always try to put myself in my subjects’ shoes. Understanding what your subject is feeling really helps you portray the emotions and sights. It’s this participatory style of photography that I think separates my images from the rest, but really it’s an excuse to justify doing the sports I love whilst working!

All events are different, and all need a specific strategy or pre-planning. The more you know about your subject and surroundings, the better your photos. I come from a multi-sport background, and those early experiences taught me that capturing and documenting the essence of multi-sports, requires not only a technical appreciation for film, but also a unique blend of creative agility and sporting knowledge, and of course, the ability to combat an often unforgiving shooting environment.

LIVING THE DREAM
It’s now been three-and-a-half years of professional photography, and I’ve been on more bush adventures, listened to more foreign languages and seen more starry skies than I could have ever dreamed of. But like anything in life, it’s all about finding a balance.

For the first two years of my professional camera-wielding career, I was so set on growing the business that I’d go from one job to the next, always rushing, always looking for the next best assignment. It was only until recently that I found some sort of inner peace. It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment, especially when you see everything from a photo or creative perspective. The world kind of passes you by at face value only, nothing deeper. It’s only when you stop and reflect that you begin to appreciate all the places you’ve seen and people you’ve met. You are continually forced to engage and interact and learn, and the more you do that, the better the pics are. It’s a win-win situation. And I love it.

On many an afternoon and weekend in the township of Lamontville just outside Durban, you will find Mahlasela Nhlengetwa and Lloyd Miya surrounded by a bunch of kids, all eagerly hanging on to their lips and listening to advice on all things swimming, running and cycling. All present have one thing in common, their passion for sport and their eagerness and willingness to become involved in triathlons – and who knows, to even one day compete internationally and take a podium position.

Mahlasela and Lloyd are the driving force behind this youth development programme in KwaZulu-Natal and are doing so without any funding or big sponsors to back them. On top of that, they are also starting their very own triathlon club called BlacksDoTri. They might not have funding, but one soon realises both have a lot of passion for life, and triathlon in particular.

SPREADING THE LOVE
Lloyd grew up in Lamontville playing soccer, like most township boys, but was soon drawn to swimming and cycling. About 12 years ago, a friend who was a lifeguard introduced Lloyd to triathlons. “By then I was already swimming, cycling and playing soccer.” Today he is a passionate triathlete who has completed Ironman 70.3, several BSG Energade races and other sprint distances. In between, Lloyd also finds time to work as a spinning instructor at Virgin Active Gym and a seasonal swimming coach for the Ethekwini Municipality in Durban.

His friend and business partner, Mahlasela, grew up in KwaMashu outside Durban and did not share Lloyd’s childhood love for soccer. “From an early stage, I discovered that I didn’t have a flair for soccer and I was drawn to sports that were seen as unconventional in the township. I am creative by nature, and during my varsity days, the entrepreneurial bug bit. This allowed me extra time to pursue triathlons.”

He admits watching Ironman on TV scared him at first. “While watching I thought to myself, ‘That’s total madness, but I like it!’ After completing the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, he was in search of a new challenge and found it in triathlons. Up to now he has completed the Joburg City Tri and a couple of sprint distance triathlons, but plans to tackle bigger races soon. “I love triathlon simply because it keeps both your body and mind fit. No other sport works your body quite like triathlon. It teaches you endurance, commitment and discipline.”

FACING CHALLENGES
Lloyd and Mahlasela both agree their biggest regret is that they did not get involved in triathlons earlier. They also both experienced challenges when they got involved and realised that if they as adults faced these challenges, how difficult it is for the youth to get involved. “I realised that without a mentor it was difficult for me to stay in the sport. I would like more black kids to be part of the sport and to not encounter the same challenges that I faced.”

There is no shortage of eagerness amongst the youth to learn more about all things triathlons, says Lloyd. Kids between six and 18 and young adults up to 26 have shown up at the training sessions. “When they arrive for training, we start by just chatting, then we warm up. Depending on what we are doing that day, we start with the swim, run or bike session. We train for about three hours,” says Lloyd.

The training is fun and invaluable, but comes with loads of challenges. Lloyd and Mahlasela have no funding and battle with a lack of resources such as bikes and transport for the kids. “Thus far we’ve managed to make it happen. This is as much a journey for the youth as it is for us,” says Mahlasela. Other challenges include parents who don’t really understand what triathlon is, kids who don’t have resources and therefore drop out of training and sometimes don’t show up consistently for training sessions. “We try to get the kids to understand that whatever they put in, they will get out.

TRIATHLETES IN THE MAKING
There is a lot of talent amongst the township kids and the earlier these kids can be developed, the better, says Lloyd. “We are hoping to over time develop elite black triathletes that will take podium positions at races and compete globally. Even if we just produce two medal-winning triathletes (one female and one male), that would be a great achievement. This is definitely quite possible. Just look at Melton Rasimphi, who got gold at the South African Long Distance Duathlon Champs, making him the first black person to win this competition. With the right resources, equipment and support, the same can be achieved in triathlon.”

BLACKS DO TRI
So, Lloyd and Mahlasela are now in the process of establishing their very own multisport club. “BlacksDoTri is a triathlon club in its infancy stages, and its goal is to introduce blacks (but not exclusively) of all ages to the sport of triathlon. Most of all, through the club I would like to support guys like Lloyd who are in the forefront of developing these kids and have an undying passion for the sport and the youth. Sometimes it’s hard to understand development when you don’t live in the same area and have not grown up in the same circumstances as these kids,” says Mahlasela.

The club’s name BlacksDoTri might raise a few eyebrows, admits Mahlasela. “The name is more tongue in cheek than anything else, but it does look good on a T-Shirt! With the name we are simply trying to say that blacks are interested and love the sport of triathlon, and that one should always keep trying in life, whatever you do. The name may seem excluding, but we are open to anyone who wants to be part of it,” says Mahlasela.

In the next year they want to encourage especially more black people to become involved in triathlons. “It’s a great sport and there are only a handful of us at races, at times as few as three in 600 athletes. I believe triathlons are not something you do, it is part of who you are and will motivate you to get up to train on those cold days.”

It all came about when an e-mail popped into Tim Noakes’ inbox late in 2010, advertising a book called the New Atkins Diet for You, which promised to help you lose 6kg in six weeks. This immediately piqued his scientific interest. “We all know that losing that much weight that quickly is impossible, but the book was written by a serious scientist, so I ordered a copy, and it said replace all carbohydrate in your diet with protein and fat,” says Tim. “I said to myself, they wouldn’t say this without reason, so I decided to experiment on myself. I cut all carbs out and started eating just biltong, cheese and fish, and in one week I lost three quarters of a kilogram. By the next week it was 1.5kg, and it was so easy. I had no hunger pangs. In the past I had tried to lose weight, but was always hit by hunger from the first day.”

Tim has now lost 15kg, and says just as easily as the weight came off, so his running improved. “The more I lost, the more I wanted to run. Before, I had only been able to run 30 to 45 minutes at 7min/km, but now I am running at 5:30/km, sometimes even under 5min/km. One particular run on the mountain used to take me 140 minutes – I got it down 92 minutes after just five months. Then I ran the Two Oceans Half Marathon in 2:06, 40 minutes faster than the previous year. In my view, it’s not just weight-loss, but also something in my energy levels. I feel like I’m 22 again, with endless energy, and I just want to burn it by running.”

FACING OPPOSITION
Naturally, Tim has been raving about his anti-carb diet, and unsurprisingly, he has received quite a lot of opposition to his new way of thinking. “I know that The Lore of Running is all about carbohydrate-intake, but think about it, I must have a reason to say this now. Using a normal ‘cut the calories’ diet, most of us will probably lose 1kg over a year, but by cutting carbs, people are losing 40 to 80kg – just imagine how that changes their lives. And they all say that the further they go, the stronger they get.”

“What I’ve learnt is that there are those who can metabolise carbohydrate and those who can’t, and your body becomes slightly more carb-resistant as you age. If you start putting on weight in middle age and your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25 or higher, then you’re probably one of those who can’t. You can eat all the carb you like if you can process it, but if do and see gentle, persistent weight-gain, that is a problem.”

Tim explains that most athletes eat carbs, which contain glucose, to generate glycogen, the fuel for the muscles, but in the BMI 25+ group, chances are that the muscles and liver can’t take up the glucose normally due to this carb-resistance, and so the body over-secretes insulin to break down the extra glucose. However, there is too much to be broken down, because our diets contain so much carb and sugar, and so it ends up in our fat cells, thus resulting in weight-gain, and on top of that, we experience constant insulin and glucose spikes, which are damaging to our health. He adds that if we cut the current consumption of sugar in SA from an average 60kg per person per year to 5kg, which is about three teaspoons per day, we would get rid of most cases of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers and certain cancers.

PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
“Ironically, the more fat I eat now, the thinner I get – I’ve replaced the carbs that make me fat with the fat that makes me thin! Nobody believes this until they try it. When you cut carb, you tend to replace it with fat, because you can’t eat that much protein, so you have to increase your intake of yoghurt and nuts to compensate. Essentially, I eat six food groups now: Nuts, full-cream dairy, leafy vegetables, meat, fish and eggs.”

“You have to understand that fat is actually a brilliant energy source, including for exercise and sport, but your body simply isn’t used to using it. It’s like putting diesel fuel into a petrol engine – you need to change the engine first. By cutting the carbs, you bring about this gradual engine change, and your body learns to burn more fat, which will result in both increased energy levels and weight reduction. It won’t work for the average 20-year-old, but if you’re older, have a BMI of 25 or higher and are gaining weight, you should give this a try.”

Dan Hugo took his first XTERRA steps in Stellenbosch and with guidance from one of the all-time great triathletes, Conrad ‘The Caveman’ Stolz, it was only a matter of time before he stepped up to play with the big boys. “Conrad had a big influence on me because we spent a lot of time together when I was younger. He exposed me to many other top triathletes and introduced me to the possibility of an alternate life, but also made me aware of the restrictions that come with leading an athlete’s life. It’s not all romance, and I learnt a lot from him.”

Dan did his first local XTERRA in 2004 before heading to Brazil for his first international event in 2006. “I’m pretty driven and did my first triathlon when I was nine years old, but I stumbled around during university for a while, trying to decide where to next. What really swung me was Conrad telling me of a race he did in Brazil. The pictures he showed me seemed idyllic and I organised to compete there in 2006. I knew if I came fourth, the prize money would make me break even, so I went for two weeks, combining the race with a holiday. That race is still one of my favourites thanks to that experience!”

He did manage that fourth place and subsequently turned professional. In 2007 and 2008 a host of first and second places at local multi-sport races followed, as well as quality performances around the world. He became a regular top five finisher at several XTERRA races across the USA in 2009 before he swept away all local competition and kept delivering promising performances in the USA in 2010. But 2011 proved to be Dan’s best year thus far and he finally delivered on the promise he had shown for the previous four years. In a year filled with highlights he secured the South African XTERRA title in January and beat Lance Armstrong twice in November to finish second at both the US Championships and the World Championships in Hawaii.

GOING FOR GOLD
However, being as competitive as Dan is means second will never be good enough. “Finishing second in the last two races, you get addicted to that hunger of wondering what could have been. I knew beforehand I was in great shape and just the wrong puncture and the wrong crash changed things, but I’m still very grateful for what I achieved. You can see the cup half empty, but I’m seeing it more than full at the moment. I have that hunger now more than ever, having come that close and felt what it was like. There were times where I didn’t know if I could get here, but the belief I have now is way higher than it used to be. I want to be the best, whether it’s possible or not.”

“I have an increasing ambition and know things can change. Like a compass that’s always attracted to north, I’m addicted to want to get better, to that hunger to improve. I very much believe there is room for improvement and that’s what drives me. On the experience side, I have to keep racing again and again until I start making the right decisions, not only consciously but sub-consciously, too. I’ve been working hard to think more when I’m racing, and the input has been giving exponential output.”

LOCAL SUPPORT
On his return to South Africa, Dan was overwhelmed by the support. “The support back home has grown immensely and I’ve been in a bubble, having so much fun since getting back. So many people have told me they stayed up and followed the World Champs online, and with that my appreciation has also grown!”

Of course, the Lance Armstrong factor contributed immensely to the increased awareness of a sport that usually doesn’t get that much attention, and for Dan the opportunity to race against the Tour de France legend was “exceptionally special.” Lance competed at the US Champs and the World Champs and both times Dan got the better of him. “I’m really grateful for what he’s added to the sport I love. He can choose to do what he wants and I think it really says a lot about XTERRA that he chose it as a hobby. People who had probably never heard of XTERRA came to watch because of him, and the support was remarkable. On some single tracks, in the middle of nowhere, the noise was incredible. I really tried to step up because of this.”

LOVING XTERRA
Dan’s first priority this year is the defence of his national title in Grabouw. “I’ll be in South Africa until April and will do some local racing and local projects. There’s exceptional support here and I want to spend as much time here as possible!” Though he has been seen competing on road on rare occasions, Dan says anything outside of XTERRA will have to wait. “My focus is very much on XTERRA at the moment, but I’ll keep experimenting with 70.3 and road triathlons. I think they’re complimentary to XTERRA, as you’re forced to address a few weaknesses that you can hide away off-road, but I’ll see how it develops and take it from there.”

For now he’s hooked on XTERRA and all it entails. “XTERRA people are a different type of people. They’re very authentic and don’t care about the latest gear, but it’s also about the essence of the race. It’s very dynamic and you have to think all the time. It’s a combination of fitness, skill and finesse, and I’m more of a strength and endurance guy than pure speed, so it fits me. And then of course you get to compete in pretty beautiful spots.”

Life is great for Dan right now, and with motivation not a problem, we are sure to see much more of him in future. “I’m very privileged to finally be at a point where I’ve always hoped to be, and the motivation is not external any more, rather the hunger to see how far I can push the envelope. I swim, bike and run. I get to eat great food and drink great coffee. That’s motivation.”