Author: Modern Athlete

When I started running, you would often get a T-shirt as part of your entry fee at bigger races, and these shirts were all made from cotton. Typically, after a year or two of running, you had a pile of cotton race T-shirts, and you did most of your training runs in them. Those shirts were a kind of status symbol, especially the marathon and ultra shirts, because they quietly but effectively confirmed your running credentials. Unfortunately, those same cotton shorts were rather prone to absorbing sweat and becoming sopping wet, heavy and clingy, which was uncomfortable while running and damned cold when you stopped. And you began chafing, usually under the arms, which you would know all about when you hit the shower later, and even more so when you put on deodorant!

Things changed for the better in the mid-90s, though, as the various sporting apparel manufacturers started introducing moisture-management materials into the market. Suddenly we had clothing that didn’t just stay dry when we ran, but actually removed the sweat from our skin by transferring it to the outer side of the garment, where it could easily evaporate. Suddenly running was a whole lot more comfortable.

How does it work?
Modern sport clothing fabrics use a capillary action to wick sweat away from the skin. This is the ability of liquid to flow against gravity, where it spontaneously rises in a narrow space such as a thin tube, or in porous materials such as paper or clothing. This occurs because of inter-molecular attractive forces between the liquid and solid surrounding surfaces. Paper towels and sponges absorb liquid through capillary action, and clothing fabrics do the same. When this occurs in fabric, it is called wicking, because it mimics the capillary properties of an oil lamp’s wick, hence the term ‘moisture-wicking clothing’.

A shirt’s ability to wick is determined mainly by the type of fibre used to make the fabric. Natural fibres, such as cotton, have excellent moisture absorption and retention properties. They are considered hydrophilic, or water-loving. The problem with hydrophilic fibres is that they tend to dry slowly. Then you get hydrophobic, or water-hating, fibres. These are great at shedding moisture and drying quickly, but not at absorbing it. This means that sweat simply becomes trapped between your skin and your garment, still making you uncomfortable. The solution lies in combining hydrophilic and hydrophobic fibres and create what is called an ‘intimate blend’ fabric that brings users the best of both worlds.

Is there a downside?
Sweat naturally cools your body when it evaporates from the surface of your skin. Therefore, there is a school of thought that moisture-wicking materials may be dangerous for athletes in extreme conditions, because they will prevent sweat from pooling on the skin and thus cooling the athlete down, leading to a rise in core body temperature, which in extreme cases is potentially fatal. However, this theory has been denied by some scientists, who say that sports clothing simply will not have such a large effect on core temperature.

A more realistic complaint is that moisture-management clothing does such a great job of absorbing sweat that sooner or later your clothing takes on a permanent sweaty odour, no matter how many times you wash it. Point taken, said the manufacturers, and so they introduced various things to counter this. Nowadays, clothing comes out laced with antimicrobial agents like silver filaments, coconut particles, or other chemical treatments designed to kill any bacteria lingering in the fabric. There are also several detergent products now on the market that will restore the moisture-management properties of your clothing.

The bottom line is that moisture-management clothing won’t keep you 100% dry – you will still sweat and feel damp – but it will make feeling damp more comfortable!

Get Sweaty in These Tees!
There are many moisture-management clothing items on the market today – way too many to review here – but these three running Tees caught our eye nevertheless. So go get them and start getting sweaty while staying comfy in these great moisture-management shirts.

Adidas Men’s Supernova Short Sleeve Tee
When the road heats up, this adidas Supernova Short Sleeve Tee is CLIMACOOL? ventilated to keep you dry and comfortable. Features breathable mesh inserts, FORMOTION™ muscle support, and miCoach compatibility for training. Also available in a women’s version that features a flattering gender-specific cut and large back mesh panel for ventilation.
Suggested Retail Price: R349

Cape Storm 42.2 Men’s Moisture-management Tee.
Made from Cape Storm’s Wick Dry moisture-management fabric that combines non-absorbent micro-fibre yarns and special finishing processes, the 42.2 Tee will keep your body climate dry and comfortable so that nothing can stand between you and your running goals. Also features mesh underarm panels for extra ventilation and reflective detailing to make sure you’re visible to motorists when out running in the dark.
Suggested Retail Price: R245

Puma Sport Lifestyle Tee
Featuring Puma’s U.S.P. moisture-management fabric that wicks away moisture so it can quickly evaporate, keeping you dry and comfortable during and after your run. Also has anatomically-positioned mesh sections across the upper back and down the sides for extra ventilation and air circulation, and reflective detailing for visibility in low light conditions.
Suggested Retail Price: R269.00

If you happened to be in Kwazulu-Natal 33 years ago and you happened to stumble into the sleepy village of Hillcrest, you would have found approximately 20 sweaty runners enjoying a braai after a 10-mile (16km) run. Little did anyone know that on that spring day a tradition was started, because today when you arrive in Hillcrest on any given Thursday, you will still find a group of about 80 runners gathered around a braai. They are all proud members of the Hillcrest Villagers Athletics Club.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
In 1977 the club started out with only 20 members, 2 women and 18 men, and not all of them were runners! Since then things have changed and as Hillcrest has grown from a sleepy village to a thriving suburb of the sprawling municipality of eThekwini, the club has grown in numbers; today they have more than 300 members.

From the start, the club wanted to be different: they deliberately chose brown and white vertical stripes for their running vests. Not only did these colours stand out, but club members liked the fact that they were one of the only clubs with vertical stripes, as most other clubs chose to go horizontal in the seventies. Since then the ‘brown and white’ has become a well-known sight at most local races, but come Comrades day the number of brown and white vests on the road increases exponentially! In 2010 Villagers was the KZN club with the second most entrants at Comrades: 128 Villagers finished and this year promises to be another repeat as more than 100 Villagers have entered.

COMRADES BOND
Because of the club’s location, slap-bang in the middle of the Comrades route, Villagers has had a long and fruitful partnership with this historic race. It only took three years after the club’s launch before they won their first Comrades silverware, the Gunga Din Trophy, which is awarded to the club team with the fastest combined time for its top four finishers. They went on to win the trophy in three consecutive years, a feat that has never been achieved by another club. One of the members of the team was Tony Abbott, who managed third overall at the 1981 Comrades, being beaten only by the legendary Bruce Fordyce and Johnny Halberstadt.

After not featuring in the prizes at Comrades for a number of years, the club’s drought was broken in 2010 with Julie Shadwell finishing 18th in the women’s open category and second in the 40-49 age category. The club’s women’s team, consisting of Julie, Nelisiwe Dlamini, Karen Bishop and Vauneen Douthwaite, were placed third in the 40-49 age category.

As with many clubs in South Africa, Comrades takes priority during the first half of every year, and those who have entered this year’s race are sure to receive quality support during their training, whether they’re going for a silver medal or just aiming to finish. Workshops on issues such as diet and injury treatment are held regularly, and then add well-organised weekend training runs and different training programmes and you have a club with Comrades success in its sights. But activity at the club certainly doesn’t come to a standstill once the cut-off gun has been fired on Comrades day.

The Rhodes Marathon, cross-country races, time trial challenges, 100 milers and other endurance and multi-sport events in the area remain popular pastimes for the Hillcrest members during the rest of the year. They host their own Triple Challenge, consisting of the Comrades, the Longest Day track event in Durban and the Midlands 100 miler. This challenge was won by Barry Trevor-Roberts last year after he won the Longest Day, came second in the Midlands 100 miler and received a silver medal at Comrades. (This Triple Challenge should not be confused with the Triple Challenge multi-sport event that takes place in November at the Inanda dam, an event that, together with the Duzi canoe race, receives considerable support from the more adventurous Villagers.)

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
“The majority of the club’s members come from the Highway area surrounding Kloof, Hillcrest, Winston Park and Gillitts, and quite a number of them have been involved with Villagers for almost three decades,” says club chairman Ant Kenny.

Roy and Kay Uren, Fred and Barbara Medlock, Rob and Gail White, Frank Clarke, Alf Burgess, John Wasserfall and Graham and Julyette Lewis are some of the current members who’ve seen the club grow from a mere handful of members to more than 300. The Comrades Green Number club has quite a few Villagers members, but special mention has to be made of Frank Clarke and Rob Collins, who have run 30 and 34 Comrades respectively.

One of the club’s proudest exports is one of South Africa’s true running legends, Willie Mtolo, who claimed the first of his two second places at Comrades in the colours of Hillcrest Villagers in 1989. Besides becoming the first of only two South Africans to win the New York Marathon, he’s had a marathon named after him and established his own running club, and many of the local records are still his today.

The women were never far behind either, with Paddy Williams, one of the fastest female runners in the 90s, and the late Jenny Allebone also taking to the road in the brown and white. Jenny was world-renowned as one of the fastest grandmaster runners in the world. Although only starting her running career late she represented South Africa numerous times whilst running for Villagers and still holds the record for her age group for several distances in South Africa.

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
Club runs take place almost every morning and start at various venues in and around Hillcrest. A weekly time trial takes place every Thursday at 6pm, with a 4km and an 8km option available. Though club members enjoy a braai as often as the weather permits, Ant says “it has an uncanny habit of being sunny every day of the week except Thursdays!”

Weekend long runs are followed by a social at the clubhouse, a building that was inherited from the Hillcrest Rugby Club a few years ago. “After some renovations, Villagers now boasts some of the best clubhouse facilities in KZN,” says Ant.

RACES
The club’s annual Nimas Challenge in February was chosen as one of the top 20 marathons in the country last year. “We have been very fortunate to be sponsored by Nimas for the last eight years and this has assisted us greatly to position ourselves as one of the top marathons in the province. We receive great support from the club members and their families and probably have in excess of 200 helpers on the day,” says Ant. This year a wheelchair event was added to the marathon and half marathon.

The club is especially proud of its development programme and Ant says a number of their junior members come from the surrounding schools. “During the 10 years this programme has been running, more than 100 runners have been aided with their running expenses and given training and advice by experienced athletes.” The club assists up-and-coming runners with travel costs to races, refunds their entry fees if they place in the races, and subsidises their club membership fees as well as those of the Hillcrest Sports club.

“People often ask us what is so special about the club and the answer is very easy, who else has the opportunity to run, train and live along the most picturesque portion of the Comrades route, with all its history and tradition?” says Ant. “It is difficult to explain to other runners what it feels like to run through Hillcrest on Comrades day. The noise and support for our club members from the crowds along the way is huge!”

Most people know the following basic facts about diabetes: there are two types of diabetes and people with diabetes should avoid sugar. But this doesn’t mean you truly understand what this disease is! Very simply, diabetes is the inability of a person’s body to convert glucose that enters your body in the form of food, to energy that can be stored and used at a later stage. Where a healthy person’s body will release insulin to do this and automatically regulate glucose levels to stay anywhere between 3.6 and 5.8 millimoles per litre, someone with diabetes can either not produce their own insulin, or not produce enough efficient insulin.

And that is also the difference between type 1 and 2 diabetes. People with type 1 cannot produce any insulin, while people with type 2 produce insulin but it is not as effective as it used to be. This may be caused by insulin resistance, which in most cases is due to excessive body fat around the abdominal area.

Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented and its exact causes are unknown. It is usually diagnosed during childhood, adolescence or in your twenties and thirties. Type 2 diabetes is generally caused by a poor lifestyle and is preventable to a certain extent. Almost 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 and it presents generally in adults. However, it is becoming more prevalent in children and adolescents as the incidence of obesity is increasing due to bad eating habits and a lack of exercise. Both types of diabetes can improve significantly by taking up regular exercise and eating healthier.

CORNERSTONES OF TREATMENT
There are three cornerstones of treatment that are prescribed to diabetics to manage their disease:
• Blood glucose-lowering tablets or insulin.
• A healthy eating plan.
• Exercise.

Eating a balanced meal, including low GI foods, will help someone with diabetes to maintain a steady flow of glucose into his blood, instead of a spike and a crash, and therefore contribute to the regulation of his blood glucose levels. Exercise increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin and enhances the use of blood glucose, thereby lowering it naturally. This means a person with type 1 diabetes who exercises will need less insulin than without exercise.

YOU CAN STILL RUN
So just how much exercise can a person with diabetes cope with? Are they capable of running the Comrades or becoming an Ironman? The answer is a resounding yes! Although it is risky for a diabetic to run anything longer than a standard marathon, it is possible, says Andrew Heilbrunn, head biokineticist at the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE) in Houghton, Johannesburg. Andrew specialises in the treatment and management of active diabetics.

Runners with diabetes have to put more effort into their preparation, says Andrew, because diabetics choosing to run long distances stand the chance of developing hypoglycaemia or ketoacidosis:
• Hypoglycaemia will occur if the diabetic runner takes in too much insulin before the race and has not eaten enough carbohydrates before and during the race. The result is very low blood glucose levels and even a hypoglycaemic coma, which has to be corrected with a glucose drip or a glucagon injection by a paramedic.
• Ketoacidosis occurs when the diabetic runner takes in too little insulin and the blood glucose levels go too high during the race. The runner can then become nauseous and dehydrated with severe stomach cramps.

Both hypoglycaemia and ketoacidosis are extremely dangerous and can be life-threatening. However, with the correct management they are both avoidable.

MANAGING DIABETES
Diabetes and exercise is not an exact science and the diabetic athlete has to carefully and consistently monitor his blood glucose levels, insulin, meals, snacks and type of exercise. Runners with diabetes also need to be in tune with how they feel and stop if they are not feeling good. Furthermore they need to take less insulin before the race and decrease their normal dosage of insulin for 24 hours after the race. This will ensure that they do not have a hypoglycaemic episode after the race, because their metabolism will remain higher after the race for at least 12-24 hours.

If you have any queries regarding diabetes and training contact the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE) on (011) 712 6000.

WATCH THIS SPACE
Andr? Grobler, a long distance runner from Pretoria, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 14 years old, the same time he started running. Although he says it was the diabetes that initially got him started, the reason why he is still running today is because he simply loves every minute of it!

Andr? is adamant that his diabetes is not going to hold him back from his love for running. In fact, his illness only motivates him to do better. “I don’t see diabetes as an obstacle, but rather a challenge. If you manage it correctly, it doesn’t have to hold you back in any aspect of life.”

He has tried three times before to finish the Comrades Marathon, but still doesn’t have a medal, as his condition has prevented him from finishing each year. Last year he came as close as 7km from the finish line before he ran out of fuel. This year, he hopes he has the right recipe of insulin and carbs so he can make it across the finish line.

“Every year I learn a little more about what to do and what not to do. It’s a science, with lots of trial and error, and immense preparation, but I work closely with my biokineticist and doctor, and with their advice I think I’ll finish it this year. And then, once I have the recipe for success, I want to go for my green number. Why should I sit on the fence and not compete?”

Ultra-Diabetics
Andrew has the following tips for people with diabetes who want to attempt an ultra-marathon:
• Consult your doctor and biokineticist before you start a new training regime.
• Always wear a Medic Alert bracelet that indicates you have diabetes, whether you’re training or racing.
• Mimic your race day in your training sessions in order to determine the correct insulin dosage and snacks that you will need on race day.
• Keep your blood glucose levels between 6-8 millimoles per litre for two weeks before the race. In this time also avoid any incidents where your blood sugar drops.
• Don’t take too much insulin on race morning if your sugar is high; take the excitement (adrenaline factor) into account.
• When you are racing force yourself to eat something every half hour and drink 400-800ml of water every hour, even if you’re not hungry or thirsty.
• Most importantly, monitor yourself and listen to your body!

I’m a recreational cyclist who likes to run, too. I cycle 44km to work each weekday. On the weekends I do one or two long rides. I would like to incorporate two or three runs a week to improve my overall fitness, operate at ‘higher revs’ when cycling and be fit enough to run 10km-plus on a trail fairly comfortably.

Some mornings my legs feel a bit sore after I’ve run the previous evening, so I ‘rest’ by only cycling and skipping the next run. This inconsistency kills my routine and I sometimes skip a week of running. Ideally, I’d like to ride to work during the week, run two days a week, fit in a cycling interval session during the week and do a long ride and a long run over the weekend. I’m looking for a sustainable routine, to ensure that I keep at it and improve all round. – JULIAN VAN NIEKERK

ANSWER
You are combining commuting and training, which makes taking a day off or a shorter ride difficult. With your weekday commute of 44km and longer rides on the weekend, you are already doing high weekly cycling mileage. Therefore, I suggest that you do only one long ride on the weekend, on a Sunday, and a medium-length run at a good pace on a Saturday. This will keep you ‘fresh’ for the run and ensure you do not overdo the cycling kilometres.

You can do another one or two runs during the week, preferably on a Tuesday and/or Thursday. Perhaps you can alternate one weekday run in one week with two the next week. Keep the commute rides directly before and after the runs at a very easy pace, spinning the legs rather than pushing higher gears. All runs should be fairly short, as you are getting plenty of endurance from the riding. As you do not have a weekly complete rest day, I would suggest taking one weekend per month off to rest, with no training at all.

Modern Athlete Expert
DERICK MARCISZ
Derick has 41 years’ experience as a runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is the current 2010 SA Triathlon Champ in the Olympic distance for the age group 55-59 years.

Question 2
Help me Finish Comrades!
My goal is to finish Comrades this year. As I live in Pietermaritzburg, the number of marathons in our area is a bit limited. In the run-up to Comrades, would it be okay to run one marathon and three ultras, including Loskop? – LAUREN CORCORAN, PIETERMARITZBURG

ANSWER
Your plan is fine, but it is essential to include some additional slow club runs of around 40km as the core of your Comrades training programme. They are extremely beneficial because they’re slow and you stop frequently. Races are great, but no matter how hard we try, runners will always go a bit harder in races, even when we set out to use them as training runs.

A word of caution regarding Loskop: while it is a magnificent race, which I’ve done a number of times, it is always uncomfortably close to Comrades, and you must run it very easily. It’s a beautiful but leg-damaging course, so be careful. Lastly, you need to add one long run to your programme. This is normally a 64km club run. Good luck and I hope you have a fantastic Comrades.

Modern Athlete Expert
BARRY HOLLAND
Running coach with 34 years’ experience, and has run 37 consecutive Comrades Marathons. His PBs include 1:17 (21.1km), 2:39:30 (42.2km) and 6:29:22 (Comrades).

QUESTION 3
Burning Foot
I have been running with Asics since 2007. I use to run in Cumulus and then changed to Nimbus. Every time I buy a new pair of running shoes my left foot burns and I was told to ‘run my shoes in’ or put in my old inner soles. I did this and it seemed to work for a while, but last year I injured my right calf and was told by my physio that my arch is ‘falling’ to the inside. I got orthotics, but the ball of my foot still burns and my calf is getting sore again. I am considering changing shoes, but they’re expensive and I don’t want to make a mistake.

ANSWER
When changing your footwear it is important to get your biomechanics assessed by a podiatrist. If your arches are collapsing, an anti-pronation running shoe would possibly be more effective. You are currently wearing neutral shoes. You need to take the width and size of your feet into account, as shoes that are too big and too wide cause friction and thus burning feet. .Also, good socks are just as important as good shoes.

If you are still experiencing burning feet after changing your footwear, go back to your podiatrist, who may adjust the innersole by adding a cushion under the balls of your feet or by adding a metatarsal pad.

Modern Athlete Expert
NATASHA GALLOWAY
Podiatrist in private practice at Dunvegan Medical Centre in Edenvale, Johannesburg.

Speak about running to Joy Khaole of Old Mutual and you immediately pick up on one thing: She is one determined woman! Because this year she’s going to give the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon a real run for its money, having trained harder than ever for it in spite of a hectic work and travel schedule that makes her one of the busiest women you’re likely to meet.

As Head of Group Sponsorships, she leads a team that is responsible for managing Old Mutual’s relationships with partners on different sponsored projects, to get the maximum business value out of the group’s investment in these properties. That means this 51-year-old mother of three from Johannesburg regularly wracks up frequent flyer miles between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and has to fit in her training around a hectically busy schedule of travelling, meetings, launches media briefings, events and post-event functions. Yet she still finds a way to fit in her running.

“I try to go running as much as I can when meetings and travel arrangements allow. When they don’t, I try to make it up when I get back home, but I will always take my running shoes along and at least try to run on the treadmill in the hotel gym,” says Joy.

“Once you’ve made a commitment to run, you just have to make time to train. I do find it hard to follow a set programme, though, so I make my own programme around my schedule. I just make sure I get in at least one 10km run each week, plus two shorter runs of about 6km. Running has become a hobby and a passion. It gives me time to think and talk to myself, while getting some fresh air. I started running for me, to enjoy it, and it’s just me out there on the road, doing it my way.”

FROM INSPIRED TO INSPIRING
Joy took up running after riding in the lead vehicle at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon, which is one of the high-profile running events sponsored by Old Mutual. “Watching the leaders made me think that I would like to experience what they’re doing, not just watch. It looked so easy and gratifying, and I said to myself it would be fabulous to join them, so I made the Two Oceans Half Marathon my goal. I was never an athlete at school, but I started with a 5km fun run, then moved up to a 10km, then 21km. I wanted to prove to myself that I can do this.”

She has now run a number of 10km races and five half marathons, and her determination has rubbed off on others. She began running with Old Mutual colleagues in Cape Town, and then challenged new colleagues in Johannesburg to start running when she moved there in 2008. “Soon we had 10 to 12 people running and even doing races. I got them excited about running and team-building, and about supporting the races that Old Mutual sponsors, like the Two Oceans and Om Die Dam. The more people see that there are people committed to doing it, the more they want to do it, too.”

Closer to home, she has been joined on the road by her 28-year-old daughter, Khumo, who has also been inspired to take up running by her mother’s determination. “Khumo was a sprinter at school and found it hard to do long distances, but she did the Two Oceans Half with me with me in 2009. We often run weekend 10km races together now. She didn’t train enough to run Two Oceans in 2010, but this year she’s training hard to run with me again, despite telling me in 2009 that she’s never going to do it again!”

OCEANS MISSION
Unfortunately, after four attempts at the Two Oceans Half, Joy has no medals to show for her efforts after missing the official three-hour cut-off, despite improving her finishing time year on year from 3:12 to 3:03. So come 23 April, she’ll be back to try again, and this time she’s determined to get that finisher’s medal!

“In 2010 I was fitter than ever, but I ran the Om Die Dam Half just two weeks before Two Oceans. It had a four-hour cut-off and I finished comfortably in 3:15, but perhaps the races were too close together and that cost me at Two Oceans. This year they are more than a month apart, so it should be fine. I’m also doing more hills this year to make up the time I lost on Southern Cross Drive in previous years. I used to hate hills, but I’m learning how to run them now. I’ve trained harder than ever this year, because I want to finish what I started!”

Southern Storm Duathlon, 26 September – 1 October 2010

I always wondered exactly what this ‘Southern Storm’ was that everyone was raving about – and what did one need to survive it? Well, I quickly realised you need a strong pair of legs, a heart for the outdoors, and most importantly, a head for a six-day race where you cycle a total of 190km and run 84km, with the real challenge being the 8500m of accumulated climbing! Held each year in September, the race follows a new path every year, and participants are accommodated in tented camps which are moved daily. Each day comprises one or more legs of 4km to 42km of running and/or 10km to 100km of riding.

A PICTURESQUE START
Day 1 kicked off with a 5km prologue run in the picturesque village of Nature’s Valley. The idea was to mimic what you would experience on the Otter Trail the next day, so we were running over hills, rocks, rivers and beach sand. Depending on your finishing time, entrants were then grouped into starting batches of four, with 30-second delays in between, to avoid congestion at the start of the next day’s 42km run.

Day 2 arrived with soft rain and cool temperatures. There was only one refreshment point at the 30km mark, which meant entrants had to be self-sufficient. The profile of the Otter resembles that of a comb: You are either going steep up or steep down, unless you’re crossing a river. It is relentless! We climbed 2500m in those 42km! The big obstacle of the day was crossing the Bloukraans River. The chilly water was waist-high with some waves pushing in, but there was a rope to guide us. It took me six hours to get to this point and with only 12km to go, I was optimistic that I might break eight hours. But the hills were never-ending and it took me another 2:19 to finish. While most of us were happy with any time under 12 hours, the winner and four other ‘mountain goats’ finished in sub-five hours!

PUSHING ON
After a hearty breakfast and briefing, we set off on Day 3 with a 50km ride that started with a steep 3km climb out of Nature’s Valley. The forest tracks were hard work, but the scenery was breathtaking. Naturally, ‘strategically placed’ roots and rocks really tested our sense of humour, and there were compulsory ‘hike a bike’ sections where we had to carry or push our bikes through ravines.

We ended the stage on the stunning private resort of Forest Hall, where a tent and thin mattress were such a welcome sight. We enjoyed lunch around the pool, allowing the legs to recover a bit before the afternoon 8km run. This sounded quite simple, so imagine my shock when within the first 1km my legs did not want to do what my mind was telling them to. Somehow I forced them into motion as we made our way along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. What an amazing view! Unfortunately, reality struck when we had to wind our way down to the beach and slog through a tough 2km section before heading back to Forest Hall.

By now most of us were realising the true difficulty of this race, and to quote a fellow competitor, “This makes Ironman look like a gym session!” My legs didn’t feel like they belonged to my body, and we had three more days to go and the toughest was still to come!

TOUGH, TOUGHER, TOUGHEST
Day 4 was special in that it involved a boat trip up the pretty Keurbooms River before we were dropped off on a small beach. We negotiated our way up the stunning Whiskey Creek before exiting up what felt like the steepest climb yet! Next, the 40km bike stage took us around Keurboom’s plantations for some exhilarating riding back to Forest Hall. Thank goodness for another great meal and massage before the biggest day yet!

This next day’s 11km ride, 6km run, another 60km ride and finally a 8km run was arduous on its own, let alone with the 2110m of climbing! Much of the day’s route included the well-known Knysna Forest mountain bike route as well as stunning riding in the Harkerville Forest. One would be hard-pressed to find more awesome riding and running trails.

With 25km of cycling to go, I worked out that I had an hour to make the cut-off. Time was against me and I arrived 45 minutes after cut-off, so imagine my surprise when I was asked at the transition area if I wanted to continue on the run! The cut-off had been extended, and I had to quickly tell my body it wasn’t over yet! I was the last athlete on the course and was accompanied by the ‘sweeper’ runner who removed the direction arrow boards as we progressed. This run was the most scenic for me, especially when we ran alongside a waterfall down to the coast. Not even the horridly steep climb to the end could dampen my elation. I felt like a true champion.

WHAT AN AMAZING FINISH!
The final day saw us making our way back to Keurboom River where we enjoyed the easiest of our rides (25km) before heading to the pretty town of Plettenberg Bay and the final run leg around the magnificent Robberg. Finishing this awesome challenge was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of my life. I have done many other multi-day races, but this one is a notch above the rest!

Sani Stagger Marathon, 27 November 2010

I took on this expedition with my good friend Lissa Parsons and our primary objectives for this race were to have fun, enjoy the scenery, to finish and to be able to walk without too much residual ‘staggering’ the next day. Wow, I can honestly say that we were fortunate to achieve all but one of these…

RACE MORNING
The heavy rains from the previous night had fortunately ceased and a blanket of cloud covered the mountains in the distance. Leaving the start at the Sani Pass Hotel, I had a sombre moment or two, where I realised that this was going to be tough. Luckily the moment passed quickly and I realised this was actually going to be truly memorable.

The first 14km to the border post were relatively easy going, water points were well stocked with water, coke, Energade, bananas, sweets and chocolates, and all the helpers were friendly and exuberant. In a couple of places, rivers flooded over the road and we needed to cautiously navigate our way across on precarious rocks. Arriving on foot at the border point between Lesotho and South Africa was an enormous milestone; firstly as we were stepping outside of South Africa, without a passport, and because this is the point that the meandering pass comes into sight and looms above you. The border post is at 1968m above sea level and marks the start of the real climb.

THE REAL CLIMB STARTS
Usually, seeing runners far up a hill (the steepest you’ve ever seen) in the distance is never a huge motivator but looking at the beauty embracing them revitalised our legs and added a new bounce. About 2km up the road was another of the fantastic Sani Stagger water points. In order to arrive there, however, we did need to cross another river where it was almost impossible to avoid getting wet. A couple of runners took the opportunity to remove their shoes and refresh their feet before continuing; others ran straight through with their shoes on.

Although forced to walk for most of the way to the top after the water point, the slow and steady pace allowed us to appreciate some of the most breathtaking scenery in South Africa. At the 3km to go mark before the turnaround at the top, our ‘slow and steady’ pace became… um, slower and less steady, as the road became incredibly steep and rocky. As we ‘summitted’ the pass, with great relief, it was astounding to see the half moon still so clear against the morning sky.

RECEIVING OUR BRACELETS
Then, with our coveted bracelets firmly on our wrists, proving that we had indeed painstakingly reached the top, our downhill journey back to the Sani Pass Hotel began. Running past those still on their way to the top provided an odd sense of relief that we were on our way ‘home,’ that the worst was over… but this was still a marathon, and there were still 21km to go.

With the sun higher in the sky it started to get hot, but the kilometres kept ticking slowly over. While keeping a careful watch on the placement of our feet, it was amazing to see water oozing out of the rocks in the distance and reflecting the warm sunlight. Waterfalls are in abundance here and it was very tempting to veer off for a quick dip, just to cool down.

The cooling rivers felt fantastic on our feet and this time, little caution was taken in keeping feet dry. Huge thanks and appreciation must go to helpers at the water table about 10km from the end. They were set up next to a river and were pouring cups, no buckets, of water on any runner requiring a cool-down. Definitely one of the highlights!

It was down to the last 5km to go, and those who have run marathons before will know that this is never a pleasant stage, but with so much beauty surrounding us, our pain was all but forgotten. The finish line was a bitter-sweet moment as our journey (for 2010) had ended, but wow, the relief to complete this run was immeasurable.

Our final objective of being able to walk the next day without too much residual ‘staggering’ was impossible to meet, but the secret smile shared with those walking in the same manner was definitely