Author: Modern Athlete

Think of any big name in running: Wally Hayward, Jackie Mekler, Johnny Halberstadt, Alan Robb, etc, and then ask yourself the question: What do these men have in common? Apart from their amazing running abilities, these elite athletes were all members of Callies at some stage of their running careers. And what makes Germiston Callies even more of a club rich in history is the fact that the club was founded in 1921, the same year the very first Comrades Marathon was run.

90 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG
Germiston Callies was founded by Johnnie Jackson, a former Scottish cross-country champion, and the club soon started producing good performances, especially in the Transvaal cross-country and track scenes. In those days, three clubs, Germiston Callies, Johannesburg Harriers and Pretoria Harriers were the three biggest rivals on the cross-country scene.

In 1932 a young man named Fred Morrison joined the club and became the driving force behind Callies for more than 40 years. The club excelled in track and field as well as cross-country, and in 1947 they broke into the long distance road running scene when they gained their first ever team victory at Comrades. Germiston Callies was the first ever club outside Natal to take the Gunga Din Trophy.

THE BIG NAMES
Over the next few years, several elite runners joined Callies, including Hayward and a very young Mekler, and the club’s Comrades glory grew hugely as Wally won four times in five years from 1950 to 1954. Then in 1953 the club undertook a new venture when three big Callies names, Morrison, Hayward and Mekler, went overseas to run in the London to Brighton Road Race. They crushed their opposition and victoriously returned home with the team trophy, and Wally went on to set new world records for 100 miles and the 24-hour endurance race while in the UK. In 1954 he went after the world 100-mile record again, running from Standerton to Germiston, but had to settle for ‘just’ setting a new South African 100-mile record of 13:08. Wally famously returned in 1988 and 1989 to run the Comrades again, aged 79 and 80, and finished both times as a proud Callies member.

Other big names who featured for Callies at the Comrades were Mercer Davies, who won in 1957 in 6:13, Jackie Mekler, who won in 1958 in 6:26 and went on to win the race five times in total, the 1961 winner George Claasen, who broke the tape in 6:07 to become the oldest winner of the race at 44, and Alan Robb who in 1976 won it the first time in 5:40 before going on to win another three times. Lettie Van Zyl also flew the flag for the Callies women when she won in 1976 in a time of 9:05, the first of three official wins after she had run the race several times unofficially when women were not yet allowed to enter the race.

These days the club has close to 200 members, many of whom have remained members for years even though they have moved away, says Andr? Berrange, club chairman.

RACES
In earlier days Callies was one of the few clubs that hosted as many as three races annually. Unfortunately, the Callies 25km night race was cancelled a few years ago due to traffic and safety concerns, while one of the better-known races, the Korkie 56km, was cancelled about 12 years ago. Ask many a seasoned runner and they will tell you this was one of the most gruelling races, run between Pretoria and Germiston. Even the legendary Bruce Fordyce often commented on this race, saying: “If you can finish the Korkie, you can finish Comrades!”

To replace this well-known race the club started a popular new event four years ago called the Callies Legends Series. This 32km and 15km event honoured one of the club’s Comrades winners each year – Hayward, Meckler, Robb, Davies and Claasen – and the fifth and last in the series was going to be held next year, but then the club recently discovered that Lettie Van Zyl was a sixth Comrades winner in Callies colours. “So we decided to add a sixth special legends race,” says Andr?.

Another popular annual club race is the Fred Morisson 15km in September each year. An exciting change this year is that the distance will be changed to a choice between a 10km and 21.1km when it is run on 3 September.

TRAINING AND COACHING
The clubhouse is located at the Germiston Stadium, where it has been for close to 20 years. A group of Callies runners meets there every morning, but because of the nature of the club and its widespread membership, there are no structured running schools in the mornings, says Andr?.

The club is very proud of its track and field section, and a group of at least 50 enthusiastic juniors train weekly at the Germiston Stadium under the watchful eye of coach Stephanie Kotze. “We have always been a strong track and field club, but over the last couple of years it has grown tremendously, especially amongst youngsters,” says Andr?. He invites anyone to join the track and field training sessions or to contact the club for more details.

COMRADES HERE WE COME
Comrades is definitely the club’s main focus annually. Last year, more than 70 members ran Comrades, while some 55 will take on the journey between Durban and Pietermaritzburg this year. “That’s not bad for a smallish club. We have a pre-Comrades breakfast as well as an aches and pains party in Durban the day after the race. We pride ourselves on being a multi-racial club in every way. We have a big contingent of black runners, many of them silver medallists, who are off to Comrades, and we try to assist wherever we can,” says Andr?.

“We are a great social club and pride ourselves on our traditions. We are all very proud to wear our colours and even more proud of the amount of Comrades winners who have crossed the finish line in the colours of Germiston Callies Harriers. That is something that will forever be part of our history.”

After an ultra-marathon, any athlete, from the novice to the elite, will experience a degree of muscle soreness for up to 10 days. This is not caused by lactate, as was until recently the popular belief, but by microscopic tears in the muscle fibres. We know that because blood tests a day after an ultra show high levels of the enzyme creatine kinase, which leaks from the damaged muscle fibres.

Furthermore, high levels of the enzyme hydroxyproline is an indication of connective tissue breakdown. This means that tendons, ligaments and the sheath around muscles are also damaged and will need time to rebuild. This damage is mainly due to the eccentric nature of running. This means that the leg muscles must elongate while under tension – in this case due to gravity and body weight – in order to decelerate and control the running action.

Many athletes will develop symptoms of infection or inflammation in the first two weeks, often in the form of sore throats, sinus, cough and fever. There is still some debate whether these symptoms are caused by a bacterial or viral infection, or whether it is an inflammatory or allergic response to the high rate of breathing for so many hours. Also, mental fatigue, or even mild depression might be experienced a day or two after the race, probably caused by the depletion of neurotransmitters in your brain – the same enzymes that give runners a ‘high’ are used up during such a long event and will need time to regenerate.

DO’S AND DON’TS
Here’s what you should or should not do straight after the event in order to recover faster:
• Keep walking for a few minutes or lie down with your legs up to prevent blood from pooling in your legs and the resulting drop in blood pressure.
• Drink sufficient fluid containing electrolytes to correct any dehydration. Be careful not to drink too much water, though, since it can lead to life-threatening water intoxication.
• Don’t consume alcohol. It dilates blood vessels, which will aggravate the muscle damage, increase scar tissue formation and prolong the recovery process.
• Eat or drink some high GI carbohydrates within 20 minutes. This will help to replenish your glycogen (energy) stores. Have a meal containing carbohydrates as well as protein within two to four hours.
• A gentle massage might make you feel better. Some studies suggest that massage within two to 10 minutes might help boost immune function and help your heart rate and blood pressure to return to normal faster. However, don’t have a deep, hard massage, as it will exacerbate the leaking of fluids and enzymes out of the already damaged muscle fibres.
• Icing down sore and injured muscles will cause blood vessels to constrict, which will prevent ‘bleeding’ from the microscopic tears and also help reduce inflammation.
• Stretching might make your muscles feel better temporarily, but will not prevent soreness. The damage to the muscles is already done. However, stretching might help the recovery process by improving circulation.

WHEN TO START AGAIN
How long one should rest depends on many factors, and will be different for each athlete – the amount of muscle damage, your age, fitness level, injuries or infections, etc, all play a role. Theoretically, you should rest from all training for a month, then concentrate on non-weight-bearing activities like cycling and swimming for another two months to keep up your cardiovascular fitness without damaging your muscles again.

Keep in mind that you also need to recover psychologically. Use the time to reflect on your race and your training and what you should have done differently, then put it aside and just enjoy other forms of training and activities that you didn’t have time for during your Comrades training.

DON’T START TOO SOON!
The microscopic damage and breakdown of tissue is also the mechanism by which your body gets stronger, since the muscle repairs itself to be stronger than before. If you don’t allow the body time to complete this cycle, the muscle and connective tissue will instead get weaker, leading to continuous injuries. The damaged cells can also die completely and form scar tissue, which is not as strong or elastic as muscle and connective tissue, making the muscle weak and prone to injury.

The most important thing is to listen to your body. If you are wondering whether you are ready to start training again, you are probably not! Take another week or two until the spring is back in your legs. When you cannot wait to get your shoes on and get back on the road, then you are ready.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia is a Sports Scientist and Biokineticist in private practice in Bedfordview, Johannesburg. She focuses on wellness, rehabilitation of injuries, injury prevention and sport performance. Patricia is a competitive runner, cyclist and triathlete.

What is your background and how did you get involved in the communication/marketing industry?
My background is a mix of journalism, advertising and marketing. Most of my career I spent in the advertising industry; I was one of the owners and shareholders of a Johannesburg-based advertising agency called HerdBuoys. We started in 1991 and sold the agency in 2005 before I joined Absa as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer in 2006.

Why are you so passionate about your career?
Although this industry can be quite stressful, it is the kind of thing I enjoy; it makes me tick and gets me out of bed every morning.

How did you get into running?
I only started running about five years ago. As a youngster I played soccer and as I got older, I went to gym. About five years ago a friend said I should try and run races. At first I thought ‘oh my goodness,’ but then I gave it a try. My first race was the Pick n Pay Half Marathon: I was so dizzy and disorientated at the finish, but the running bug had bitten. With running, other things come into play, such as the discipline that goes with it.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I’m usually out of bed between 4am and 4:45. I usually run for an hour or 90 minutes, depending on what I am training for. I belong to a running club in Diepkloof but live in Hyde Park, so I train on my own. After my run I drop my daughter at school and I’m usually in the office by 7:30. Some days can end at 7:30pm. As communications officer, I sometimes need to deal with media queries urgently at anytime of the day, so I need to be available evenings and on weekends. I work in a fast paced environment – in the banking industry anything can go wrong at anytime and one needs to react swiftly. One thing is for sure, it is not a boring job!

How do you fit running into your busy life?
The only way is to run first thing in the morning!

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
I travel quite a bit, which can take me out of my normal training regime, but whenever possible I take my running shoes with me and run wherever I am. I love to run in Cape Town.

What is your greatest moment in running?
I don’t think it is a specific race, rather a moment when you get into a rhythm and you get to 30km and still feel good and strong.

Do you regularly run road races?
I follow a training regime that requires I run certain races. I have done four marathons so far. This year was my second Two Oceans and it will be my first Comrades! Everything has been going well so far. I would love to finish Comrades in sub-11 hours.

Has running influenced your career and work ethic?
It certainly is a big contributor towards my discipline. Resilience comes in many forms and I believe if you can handle the mental challenges that you face when running, it surely has to prepare you to handle hurdles in the workplace.

Why do you enjoy running so much?
Running is a tough thing to do. Sometimes you suffer through a run, but when you have conquered it and look back at what you put your body through, you feel proud. I can also see the health benefits of running, especially as I have problems with cholesterol and blood pressure.

What is the best and worst advice you have been given with regards to running?
The best advice is to use Vaseline to prevent chafing and the worst advice is that you should just keep on training without too much rest.

What is the first thing you like to do after a morning run?
After training runs I don’t have much time, but after races I always take a sip of champagne with the guys at the club.

What could you not go running without?
Definitely my anti-cramp tablets!

What are your future running goals after Comrades?
I would love to do an international marathon such as New York, London or the Great Wall of China.

What would you say to someone who says that they don’t have time to exercise?
They should take another look at their waistline! You can make time for anything in the world if you really want to. Think about it, what do you do between 4am and 6am in the morning?

At 63, I am coaching adult marathon runners based on my 40 years of running experience. My best performance is a silver medal at the Harrismith Mountain Race. My runners have all shown stunning improvement and good times. The word has spread, and I have many good runners wanting me to make them run faster times, but I have no accreditation. I am keen to acquire something behind my name, and thus need to know if you can refer me to an institution where I can subscribe locally or by distance learning. – LEON LOUW

ANSWER
Unfortunately, Athletics South Africa’s (ASA) coaching structures have effectively collapsed. This was the situation we inherited when the new Board was elected last year. We have been working on a new dispensation and should hopefully have a new structure in place later this year. It is important that the plan is properly thought out, hence the delay. We will keep you updated as to when we are able to provide more detail. We are confident to have some great coaching structures in place soon.

Modern Athlete Expert
JAMES EVANS
Chairperson of the ASA Board

Broken Foot

I broke my foot recently and am starting to build up slowly in training. Can you help with any exercise tips for this injury? – @sampickard3 (Via Twitter)

ANSWER
Don’t start running straight away! Even a slight imbalance or limp can cause a variety of other injuries. A lot of what you should and should not do depends on the severity and site of the fracture, when it happened and your rehabilitation up to now. It is very important to get your foot’s mobility and range of motion back to normal, so do some stretching and mobilisation exercises on a daily base. Chances are good that, because you were less active for a period of time, all your muscles are tighter than they should be, so follow a good stretching routine.

Also, you need to strengthen the foot and leg muscles again. Exercises like picking up marbles and rolling up a towel with your toes, as well as calf raises, are very effective, and an elastic band is very handy to strengthen your ankle in the different ankle movements. Because you have probably been favouring the other leg for a period of time now, spend some extra time in the gym to strengthen the leg on the injured foot’s side until leg strengths are equal. Balancing exercises should be done daily. Progress to balancing on an unstable surface, or balance with your eyes closed.

While working on your foot’s rehabilitation, use this time to improve cardiovascular fitness with swimming, cycling and walking (if pain-free), and improve core and general strength in the gym. Only once range of motion and strength is normal again and you are completely pain-free, should you start incorporating plyometrics (jumps) into your programme. A general rule is that you should not be running if you can’t jump.

It would be a good idea to see a biokineticist to guide you through this process with an individualised training programme.

Modern Athlete Expert
PATRICIA GOUWS (Image in Issue 22 – body science)
Sports scientist and biokineticist in private practice in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, specialising in wellness, rehabilitation of injuries, injury prevention and sport performance.

Running on Painkillers

I am running my first Comrades this year and some runners have told me to take painkillers with me on race day and take some to keep going if I am in too much pain. Is this a good idea? – ANNEKE BOTHA

ANSWER
Running while consuming analgesic medication to manage pain (such as anti-inflammatories) has numerous potential complications and can be dangerous. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, often used by runners, reduce the production of prostaglandins, which are one of a number of hormone-like substances that participate in a wide range of body functions such as the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle, the dilation and constriction of blood vessels, control of blood pressure, and modulation of inflammation.

Because of a reduction of the concentration of prostaglandins, blood flow to the kidneys is decreased. Furthermore, when exercising at a high intensity or for a long duration, blood flow to the kidneys is also reduced, so the problem becomes even bigger. Add to this the fact that during endurance exercise you might not be taking enough fluid on board and may become somewhat dehydrated, and the end result could be damage to the kidneys. In some cases, it can even result in acute kidney failure.

Other products in analgesic medication are less harmful but can lead to drowsiness and impaired co-ordination. This means your biomechanics could be altered, which could lead to injury.

Pain is the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong so you need to let it speak to you and not try to block it out.

Modern Athlete Experts
DR JEROEN SWART, Sports Physician and Exercise Physiologist and KATHLEEN MCQUAIDE-LITTLE, Sport Scientist and Health Promotions Manager, both at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa.