Author: Modern Athlete

Thanks to a number of high profile race wins over the last few years, medical student Annamart Laubscher has made a name for herself in SA trail running, and yet she still sees herself as an amateur runner lucky enough to share the trails with the best in SA. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Take a look through the 2016 and 2017 results of some of the high profile trail races in the Cape and you’ll see the name Annamart Laubscher pop up regularly. Having already won a number of races in the previous few years, in 2016 she won the Sanlam Cape Town Peace Trail Run as well as the Jonkershoek and Marloth races in the Mountain Challenge series, and the Bastille Day Trail Run, and she added a second place in the Redbull Lion Heart Challenge. Then in 2017 she retained her Peace Trail, Jonkershoek, Marloth and Bastille titles, added the Old Mutual Two Oceans 24km Trail Run and Lion Heart Challenge titles, and in December rounded off a great year with first place in the Ultra Trail Cape Town 35km.

Along the way, she beat some of the leading names in women’s trail running in SA, but Annamart remains incredibly humble about her achievements, even showing surprise at being asked for an interview. “Those women have a lot more kays on their track record and a lot more racing experience, and I am just a junior compared to them, just a plain Jane runner, so I still look up to them,” she says.

FITTING IT ALL IN
The other really impressive part of 23-year-old Annamart’s racing success is that she only runs when her hectic medical studies allows. She is currently in her sixth and final year at Stellenbosch University, and this year is based at the Worcester Provincial Hospital. “Tygerberg Tertiary Hospital is over-staffed with students, so I applied to do my sixth year externally, and I chose Worcester. Being here means a lot more self-studying, which is more taxing time-wise, but practically you learn more, which I think will better prepare me for my two internship years and community service year. It’s the harder route, but I think it will pay off.”

One of the bonuses of working in a provincial hospital is that Annamart will not only rotate through the different departments, but can also volunteer to work extra hours so as to gain experience, which should help her decide if there is a specialist field she would like to pursue. “I don’t see myself being just a GP for the rest of my career, but I’m still deciding about a speciality direction. They say you only really know during your internship years,” she says.

However, those extra hours can put a dent in her training time, as does the often hot weather in Worcester, but she says she has adapted her running plans. “Time is a challenge these days, but it’s cooler in the mornings and evenings anyway, so not such a problem being so busy during the day. I just try to run most days and stay active, because I have always found that running augments my studies. It’s a good balancer to get outdoors after working and studying indoors.”

MULTI-TALENTED JUNIOR
Born and raised in Somerset West, near Cape Town, Annamart’s sporting career began in 2008, when she was in Grade 7, with mountain biking, road cycling, and both track and cross country running, which led to multisport as well. As a junior she earned Boland and Western Cape colours on track and in cross country, was runner-up at the SA Triathlon Champs in 2009 and 2010, won her age group at the WP and SA Duathlon Champs in 2011, and went on to represent SA and finish 16th at the World Duathlon Champs.

However, she had to cut back on her sport when she began studying in 2013. “It was hard to fit in swimming, and dangerous to cycle in the Parow/Bellville area, so I turned my focus to trail running. When it came to racing, I started with 10 to 12km, then upped it to the middle distances around 20 to 25km, but I was scared of going further until last year at Ultra Trail Cape Town, when I did the 35km. I think I paced myself well, and actually enjoyed it a lot, because you can relax a bit more over the longer distance, as you go at a slower pace than 10km.”

Looking ahead, Annmart says her 2018 racing plans are very similar to 2017, but it will depend on her studies. “The last year of medicine is very demanding, and I want to finish my degree well, so I don’t want to be over-ambitious with my racing goals. Of course, it would be amazing to take a gap year in 2019 to travel the world and see where my running takes me, but we have to do our three years working for the government straight after studies, so a running gap year is just not possible. Still, even though I have no idea where I will be placed next year, I will carry on running.”

Images: Jetline Action Photo, Wildrunner Events & courtesy Annamart Laubscher

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.”

The race slogan for the GORE-TEX Transalpine-Run in Europe sounded stunning: “Three countries, two runners, one week – the dream.” And for two obsessive runners, a seven-day trail run in a team with your spouse, from one Alpine town to the next, sounded as close to a romantic getaway as it gets! – BY BEN SAMWELL

Amanda and I got into the GORE-TEX Transalpine-Run in much the same way as many other races, including the Comrades, 4 Peaks and Hobbit: Totally naïve and ill-informed. I thus had my doubts whether we would be able to complete this 265km race with more than 15,000m of vertical ascent as a team – although we had completed a significant amount of road running events together, we had a less than convincing trail running history as a team.

However, we did train hard, completing many on-road hill repeats of up to 120 metres in the dark of the Gauteng winter, with some more technical training through Kloofendal Nature Reserve, and we also tried and tested new winter gear through the cold months. In June we went for a recce to Switzerland to get a feel for the Alpine trails and in a week completed the 100km Eiger Trail over three days, with Grindelwald as a base, as well as a couple of day trails with Zermatt as a base. Trails to Gornergrat and Hornli Hut on the Matterhorn were true highlights, and we got the first sense of what an Alpine climb of 1 500m over 10km was all about – maybe not as technical as we are used to in South Africa, but much steeper and more relentless than what we could imagine.

We decided to name our team Attitude at Altitude, to remind us to keep going when the going gets tough. Back in South Africa we managed to increase our mileage to 100km per week, which included around 3500m of climbing per week for a four-week period in July, our best effort given our long working hours. Then in August we rounded our training off with the SOX Trail Run in Wilderness and the 35km Magaliesberg Challenge. We were not fast, and knew we were up against the odds to finish, but decided to fall back on our biggest strength, our ability to pace ourselves cautiously and maintain our pace for as long as possible.

Nervous, but Excited
The event started with registration and a pasta party in Fischen, a small town in Germany where the residents entertained us with a traditional street festival including a bierfest and a flag parade for all 40-odd countries represented in the event. Things got a bit more serious during the race briefing, which included a warning that every water table over the next seven days would also be a checkpoint, and in true German style, if you were even one second late in arriving at a checkpoint, you would be disqualified as an official finisher.

We started stage one in a light drizzle, nervous but excited, knowing the first day should be manageable, as we were well rested and the 42km route only had a total ascent of 2200m – just 250m more than the Comrades marathon. The first half was on good paths and we could manage our time well within the time limits, despite some nervous stomach issues. We crossed the border to Austria on a beautiful climb via a narrow ridgeline that left us breathless and in awe, especially when we saw two mountain bikers carrying their bikes down the same path! We finished stage one in Lech, a beautiful town nestled in the Alps, very relieved that the first leg was done and we were still in reasonable shape.

Stage two seemed to be a bit easier, just 24km with a total ascent of 2000m, but it proved one of our toughest days to manage within the time limit. The first climb of more than 1000m started after only a small trot through town, and soon became a tough, technical single path through the forest, with the last couple of kilometres through snow to the top of the mountain. I realised that we were in some trouble, with no experience of snow, and for the first time really having to get to grips with running poles. The views were spectacular, but the pressure high on the difficult terrain. We managed to make the first water table with around five minutes to spare, but made up time on a pleasant snow-covered downhill. After a spectacular traverse, we climbed another tough hill to reach the last water table surrounded by snow-covered peaks, and then a gentle downhill brought us to the end of a longer-than-expected day in St Anton.

Stage three to Landeck (40km with 2000m of climbing) was a muddy affair through misty mountains, with the previous week’s rain making the steep single tracks quite slippery. It was another tough day of climbing and our bodies started to take strain, and knowing that stage four was the longest stage was a taxing thought even as we celebrated the completion of stage three.

The Longest Day
Stage four took us across the border to Samnaun in Switzerland, with 47km of running and nearly 3000m of ascent. I could sense the strain of the previous three days as it took more effort to get out of bed, and sensed the doubt in my wife’s face as we waited for the start. This was really going to be a deciding day, given that we constantly ended close to the back of the field, and the risk of this being our last official stage was high. We decided to approach it the same as all the other stages: Start conservatively, take each section on its merit, and run where possible to reduce our average time.

The day started with a pleasant run along a river for a few kilometres. A 1600m climb followed, initially meandering through a forest and then ending with a monster of a climb up a ski slope to the first water table. Following a well-deserved downhill, another long, steep 1000m climb followed, which took us to an 8km pass at the top of snow-covered mountains with beautiful lakes. Again, our lack of experience on snow was evident, but the scenery was so spectacular that we enjoyed every moment.

The last climb over a snow-covered mountain top with icy winds, wet clothes and short pants made us realise the need for really specialised gear when it really counts. Needless to say, we expanded our frame of reference of cold weather and inadequate clothing, but enjoyed the run downhill to a warmer finish area in the valley, delighted to have completed this brutal stage.

Hanging Tough
Having survived stage four, we did not expect the fifth stage of 37km with 2100m of ascent to Scuol in Italy to be that difficult. We were wrong! The first climb reminded us of Sani pass, while the second was another typical Alpine snow-covered mountain top, and the third was a killer of a climb – like The Wall at Sky Marathon – on a moon landscape that ended with teammates pushing their partners to the top. Following a long and knee-breaking downhill, we finished in the most beautiful Alpine town on a pedestrian bridge over a large river in Scuol. Having survived another day that was longer and tougher than expected, we were finally thinking it may just be possible for us to complete this race, and we were determined to survive the last two days.

We studied stage six of 44km and total ascent of 1700m well, and realised there was a nice gentle downhill over the first 7km that we could make up a lot of time in. The route then turned up an impressive mountain pass that is very popular among mountain biking enthusiasts, carved out of the cliffs with sheer drops into the valley. This was a spectacular run that took us to Prad in Italy, probably our most enjoyable stage, and we celebrated the fact that we were actually going to start the last stage.

We were determined to give everything on the last day to make sure we finished. After all, it was only 31km, with 2700m of climbing. The first technical climb of just over 1300m took us through a misty forest, and

after a pleasant downhill, the second climb started. This was a massive climb of 1400m over 6.5km that climbed through the forest to reach an impressive moon landscape on the higher slopes of Ortler Mountain. We traversed the top of one of the peaks on a short trail, assisted by chains, to reach the final downhill that zig-zagged down the mountain, surrounded by very high cliffs. It was as exhilarating as it was frightening!

The thought of finishing kept us going and we completed the last stage filled with awe and gratitude. Of the 281 teams that started, only 189 finished, and given that we ended in the last 10% of the field on stage one, we were very thankful to have made it! I recall one tough stretch, where a fellow struggling runner told us, “You only have one chance!” This race once again made me realise how spectacular trail running is, and how awesome the people from around the world are that share our passion. So, what lessons can I share after this incredible experience? Don’t let past performance limit your future potential, and never underestimate your spouse!

For more information on the race, go to www.transalpine-run.com/en.

Images: Courtesy Ben Samwell

Since breaking the magical 10-second barrier in the 100m for the first time on 1 July 2015, Akani Simbine has dipped under 10 seconds on a further 14 occasions. No other athlete in the history of South African sprinting can lay claim to that, and this year the 24-year-old sprint sensation is looking to add some titles to his name. – BY MANFRED SEIDLER

Akani Simbini has one thing on the mind: He just wants to race. “That’s what we are here for. I don’t want to see a situation where the top athletes avoid each other until a big championship. I remember the days of Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson and Linford Christie. Those guys raced each other time and again, and people came out to watch and were excited about the sport then,” he says. “We must do the same now, and I want to line up with Trayvon Brommel, Christian Coleman and Julian Forte as well as our own sprinters.”

Disappointing Year
When you meet Akani, you are immediately impressed with his quiet, yet confident demeanour. At 174cm, he cuts a figure that you immediately notice, whether he has just stepped off the track or is relaxing in casual clothes. There is an aura around him, and he oozes confidence, knowing full well that he is one of the best sprinters in the world… and that’s why 2017 was a bit of a disappointment, in his books. “After 2016, when I got to the final of the Olympic 100m and finished fifth, for me 2017 was about the start of my medal and title campaign.”

The year definitely started with a statement of note as Akani clocked 9.93 in his opening race in Pretoria in March, something the South African public was not used to seeing. Traditionally, sprinters open a season with a low 10 and then try and bring that time down as the season progresses, but not Akani – he believed he could go under 10 from race one. However, shortly after that race he picked up a niggle in his hip flexor that would just not go away.

“At World Champs in August it was really bad. I would take my second step out of the blocks and I would feel intense pain, and for the rest of the race in round one I was thinking about the pain. Normally we don’t think about anything in a 100m race. We execute. So for me to be thinking about the pain, that was bad.” Akani clocked 10.15, his worst race of the season, but still progressed to the semi-finals. “Even in the semi I felt that pain, but was able to control it better.” He duly ran 10.05 in lane one to secure a berth in the 100m final, where he again finished fifth. “That final was so weird. Bolt getting beaten, Gatlin getting booed, and none of us seeing Gatlin come flying through on the outside… That was not how I saw my World’s going down.”

Long Season Ahead
As a result, 2017 was a bit of a letdown for Akani, but he feels that it has prepared him well for 2018. “It would have been nice if the hip flexor had given me grief in a Diamond League instead of at World’s, because I am convinced I would have come back with a medal, but the experience has made me so much stronger, and now I just want to race.” That said, he admits 2018 is going to be a long campaign, but he says he’s ready. “I start in March and race all the way through to September, and this year I want titles. The first is the Commonwealth 100m Gold in Australia, then I want the African title in August. I am the fastest man in Africa, but want the title to go with it, then a few Diamond Leagues, but the big focus at the end of the year is the Continental Cup in Ostrava. I want those titles.”

The Continental Cup is the old World Cup, a competition held over two days that sees continent take on continent, which means that Simbine will need to win the African title, as the continental champion will represent at the meet. In the meantime, he will race on the 8th and 22nd of March in Pretoria and Paarl at the new Athletix Grand Prix meets, and defend his title at Nationals in Pilditch on the weekend of 15-17 March. He adds that we can expect a replication of 2017’s ‘FillUpPotch’ campaign for the Nationals in Pretoria. “Most definitely! It worked. I have never raced in front of such a big crowd in South Africa, and we want to do it again. We want South Africans to see we have world class athletes competing here at home.”

Akani Fact File
• 100m PB – 9.89sec
• 200m PB – 19.95sec
• 15 sub-10sec in the 100m – most by any South African
• Only South African to go sub-10 (100m) and sub-20 (200m) on the same day
• First South African since readmission to reach both the Olympic and World Championship 100m finals

Images: Roger Sedres/ImageSA

Here are a few things I would highly recommend if you would like to make a substantial improvement to your running in the quickest possible time, whether you’re a newbie or have been running for a few years. – BY TRAD CRUIKSHANK

I’ve been running for seven years. I started running because I wanted to run the Comrades Marathon, a bucket list thing, but then the proverbial bug bit and after a few months of building a basic fitness, running became more enjoyable. From that point there were small personal bests here or there, but after four years I realised I had reached a plateau. My times were not improving, I didn’t feel any fitter, and my body composition was kind of fit but flabby. So what do I think were the main changes that helped me break that plateau and get to the “next level?” I’m no super-athlete, but considering my first marathon time was 4:45 and my most recent time was 2:43, I think I can make a few suggestions.

1. Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity, both with exercise and diet.
It’s what you do most of the time that is important and not what you do some of the time. Consistency is doing what we set out to accomplish long after the mood has left and staying committed to build ourselves over a long-term period. This theory applies to long-term training, over years, just as much as it does to our day-to-day training. The correct training needs to be applied consistently and evenly. The alternative is the weekend warrior who doesn’t train for five days and on the weekend tries to make up for it by running too many kilometres, a prime example of how to get injured and never improve your running times.

2. Run solo to improve or social to enjoy.
The South African race calendar is set up for athletes to fail, with races every Saturday and Sunday in many areas. Going to a race implies that there is an expectation of a time, or challenge to beat someone, but consistently running harder that ideal means you never give your body a chance to peak for a performance. You may gradually improve your results using this method, but in reality there are much faster and better training methods to achieve your goals.

The same goes for running too easy. Big social morning runs are great for a chat and coffee, but often these groups accommodate all types of runners and incorporate more walks and water breaks than may be necessary for you. There is, of course, a place for social running groups with motivation and structure, but if you really want to improve, the best thing you can do is run to your own effort and requirements every run.

3. Listen to those with experience.
If they look like a runner, talk like a runner and smell like a runner, they may still know nothing about running… Many runners share advice and what works for them, but you should look for runners in your club or running circles who have improved over a period of time, or have consistently great results, and ask them what they’ve been doing. These runners are not always naturally talented, but most have just worked out the system, worked hard and are a great wealth of knowledge.

For example, I had maxed out on my marathon PB at 3:25 before I asked a good friend with over 20 years’ running experience, Drew Fisher, to help me out. It took some time, but at a target race a few months later I ran a 2:56 just doing the ‘right things.’ Find a mentor or coach to assist you and your improvements will far outpace your expectations.

4. Do you run to eat or eat to run?
Everyone running a marathon burns between 2000 and 3500 calories, which is about the average recommended daily intake, so why is it that some people never seem able to lose weight. The answer is partially due to understanding diet properly, which I believe a sports-specific dietician could assist with, or a mental misperception that “because I run so much, I can afford to eat more.” For weight-loss, or running that personal best, diet is simply as important as training. You cannot afford to have a burger, chips and milkshake after every run. Your body requires protein, and glucose for muscles to recover, but pure sugar and oily fatty food will just clog your system while providing no benefit for the body to recuperate from the hard effort of running. In other words, your diet is the most important factor for recovery.

Final Word
Some people assume they are born fast, or that running is easy for them, but in reality they have to work hard all the time to maintain that level. I truly believe everyone can run well, but if you want to be the best runner you can be, it takes the effort to understand and work at it.

Regularly eating fish as part of your diet can benefit your running, because it’s great for your heart and can improve your physical performance. – BY ESMÉ MARÉ, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

You may already know this, but it’s worth repeating that fish is high in protein, low in fat and offers a wide range of health benefits. White-fleshed fish are generally lower in fat, while oily fish such as salmon, pilchards, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout and fresh tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are considered essential, as the human body cannot make significant amounts of these nutrients, and they can also provide a variety of performance-enhancing effects for athletes of all levels.

1 Great for heart and lungs
Fish is low in saturated fat and high in omega-3, which can lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood and protect against heart disease. Eating fish regularly could also make the lungs stronger and healthier with age, while omega-3 can relieve asthma-related symptoms and improve lung functioning during and following exercise, by reducing various inflammatory mediators.

2 Clearing blood vessels
Eating fish can significantly lower blood pressure through the vasodilation of blood vessels, improving blood circulation and preventing blood clots. This will ensure that hard working muscles have a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood and nutrients needed for performance and recovery.

3 Improves protein synthesis
Omega-3 fatty acids combined with an anabolic stimulus such as running can improve protein synthesis and lean body mass function and quality.

4 Contains essential nutrients
Fish provide us with iodine needed for optimal thyroid functioning, selenium that aids in the production of enzymes to prevent cancer, plus zinc, potassium and vitamins A and D.

5 Increases muscle strength and performance
Omega-3 fatty acids help to improve muscular strength, physical performance and functional capacity.

6 Reduces muscle damage and soreness
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage, delayed-onset muscle soreness and loss of physical function, which otherwise can have a significant effect on adaptation to training.

7 Strengthens the immune system
Moderate exercise boosts the immune system, but excessive exercise may place stress on the body and weaken the immune system. Omega-3 fatty acids help improve the body’s reaction to exercise-induced stress, with potential benefits for the immune system.

8 Strengthens bones and joint functioning
Research reveals that omega-3 fatty acids and exercise may work synergistically to improve bone health, reduce the risk of hip fractures and promote a higher bone mineral density. A regular intake of fish can relieve the symptoms experienced with rheumatoid arthritis and could also prevent osteoarthritis.

EXPERT TIP
It’s important to obtain omega-3 fatty acids from natural food such as oily fish. Dietary supplements such as fish oil capsules might be an option if your diet is low in food sources containing omega-3 fatty acids, but should not replace a healthy diet. If you eat fish to gain the heart-healthy benefits of its omega-3 fatty acids, baked or boiled fish is better than fried, salted or dried.

Image: Fotolia

Born near Berlin in then East Germany, Katrina Muller escaped an oppressive communist regime and eventually ended up in South Africa, where she later took up running. Today, she is often seen at races in the Cape wearing her distinctive Running for Luca kit, named in honour of her daughter, and several running friends also race regularly in the distinctive shirts, to raise awareness of Children with Down Syndrome. – BY PJ MOSES

Born into a loving family home near Berlin, life was fairly good for Katrina until she got to high school and started to see the oppression that she and her fellow East Germans were living under. “The eighties were a turbulent time and I was becoming more and more active in showing dissent, along with many young East Germans. We were tired of being oppressed. Because of my activism, by the time I was 22 years old, when I was a young mother and my son Ivo was three, I knew I had to get out of the country, because they had threatened to take my son away if I tried to defect,” she says.

“In 1989, just a few months before the Wall came down, I took Ivo and escaped, with nothing to my name and only the clothes we had on. We travelled via Hungary to Hamburg, where we lived for 10 years, and then I decided to see what the rest of the world had to offer. We visited South Africa and I fell in love with this amazing country, and two years later in 2001, I returned to SA, over the Easter weekend, and I have stayed here since.”

BLESSED CHALLENGE
Katrina later married a South African and in 2008 her daughter Luca was born. As she says, life blessed her with a beautiful child, but also the tough challenge of raising a child with Down syndrome. “I was chosen to have Luca as my daughter. I think it has helped me become a better person, because I am more understanding, more compassionate, and just a little more patient than I used to be. She has been my blessing, and I appreciate what she has given me. I asked Luca one day what she wants to be when she grows up, and without hesitation she replied, ‘I want to be Luca.’ That melted my heart, because that is exactly what I want for her, as well as her younger sister Charly and my eldest Ivo. I want them to be the best version of themselves that they can be.”

Katrina says that taking up running was one of the things that helped her with the worries she had over Luca’s future, as well as helping her get into better physical shape to care properly for little Luca. It started in 2014, when she was helping the Down Syndrome Association of South Africa raise funds at the Cape Town Cycle Tour, and decided to enter the Spar Women’s 10km Challenge to raise further awareness of Down syndrome.

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into, because I had never run longer than 3km before, and back then even that felt like I was running a marathon! At the Spar race, I started right in front, where the elites are, which was a terrible mistake, because by the time we got to 500 metres I was already exhausted. It was tough, but I finished in one hour 14 minutes and was captivated by the whole vibe and the amazing feeling running gave me.”

BITTEN BY THE RUNNING BUG
She followed that up with her first 21km at the Slave Route Half Marathon, and did her first 42km at the 2015 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. That race is her favourite running memory, because Luca and Charly were in the crowd next to the finishing straight. “When I saw them, I got very emotional. I took them from their Dad and held their hands as they joined me on the run to the finish. The crowd cheered loudly for them and I felt so proud! They both received medals, too, and it is a cherished memory for me. Marathon running is never easy, but these moments make it all worth it.”

Katrina’s goal now is to run more marathons, including the Berlin Marathon, which is obviously close to her heart because that’s where her roots are. “I want to run through the Brandenburg Gate on race day, with crowds cheering my every step, because in the years before I escaped East Germany, armed soldiers would have shot you down if you even tried running there. Just imagining it now gives me goosebumps.”

Images: Jetline Action Photo & Courtesy Katrina Muller