Author: Modern Athlete

I have a problem with burning soles (on the balls of my feet). This only happens after about 45km on the road. I have tried cotton socks, thick socks, thin socks and different inner soles. I ran the Two Oceans Ultra recently and after about 45km, my feet burned intensely. I didn’t get blisters, but my feet felt very sensitive. I run in ASICS (model GT2150) and don’t know what to do anymore. I have been trying to find the root of the problem since Comrades last year. I am 36 years old and weigh 52kg. – ANNELIE VAN DER MERWE (CENTURION)

ANSWER
As you have tried all the conventional ways of reducing the burning of the metatarsal area of the feet, I would suggest an ultrasound to investigate the possible presence of a digital neuroma. A neuroma is a swelling that occurs in the substance of the nerve.

The fact that the burning only starts after 45km, could indicate a small neuroma. Another possibility is that this nerve is being compressed by pressure from dropped metatarsal heads (when one or more of the joints on the ball of the foot becomes inflamed).

The burning of the feet is not a simple issue to resolve and further investigation is necessary to ascertain the actual cause of the problem. I would recommend that you consult a foot orthopaedic surgeon in this regard.

Modern Athlete Expert – Franklin Dubowitz
Medical Orthotist and Podiatrist at the Centre for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with 28 years experience in diagnosing and treating runners and other sportspeople, including many top cricketers.

They like to think they’re the most sociable running club in the country with the best clubhouse as well, and you’ll see why if you pay a visit to West Coast AC in Blouberg, Cape Town, on a Tuesday evening. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Read through West Coast AC’s welcome letter for new members and you’ll come across a paragraph marked in bold red letters: “Seeing that we have the reputation of being a drinking club with a running problem, we encourage you to uphold this reputation fiercely at every opportunity, locally and internationally!” And that’s exactly what the West Coasters do. The clubhouse bar often stays open till the early hours, and the club tent is a fixture at races. “We have a great rivalry with Fish Hoek to see who has the last tent standing,” says club chairman Terry Ireland, “and I’m proud to say we usually win.”

But don’t let this fool you into thinking that the West Coasters don’t take their running just as seriously. “Yes, we are a club that likes to socialise, but even when the guys have a late night in the bar, they’re still
out running the next day,” says club captain Brett King. “Each year we have a number of athletes earning provincial colours, and there’s a healthy rivalry between the seniors and the masters too.”

One of the club’s top performers is Tilda Krugmann, who earned national colours in 2001 when she was selected for the World 100km Champs after a great Comrades, in which she finished 15th in the women’s race. West Coast also has ten runners who have done 20 Two Oceans ultras, with Nick Miles and Sheila Colbeth the latest to join the double laurel club this year. But spare a thought for Craig Hartmann, says Brett. “He’s been stuck on 19 Comrades since 2006, trying to do his 20th, but always gets injured just before the race.”

DOWN BY THE BEACH
Based in Big Bay, Blouberg, as you drive north out of Cape Town, much of the West Coasters’ socialising is done at the clubhouse they share with the Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Club. The club was originally based at Theo Marais Park, where they shared facilities with the Milnerton rugby and hockey clubs, but in 1994 they moved a few kays up the road to their current beachfront position. “We reckon we’ve got the best clubhouse in the country. Okay, maybe somebody in Durban has a similar set-up, but we still think ours is best,” says Terry.

The club actually started as a satellite branch of Spartan Harriers in 1984. One of the founding members, Philip Marais, explains, “We were mostly ex-rugby and soccer players who wanted to keep fit. We wanted to start a running club, but not knowing where to go from there, we decided to affiliate to an existing club. The nearest available one was Spartans, because their club secretary was based in Maitland, so we became the ‘Table View Chapter’ of Spartans.”

Two years later they were ready for independence and the Milnerton West Coast Athletic Club was born, with the new red, blue and white club colours unveiled in October 1986 when Gary Thomson ran the Voet of Africa Marathon. The club steadily grew in size and today has about 300 members, but has dropped Milnerton from its name – the records don’t say why, but it was probably just to shorten a somewhat long-winded name, says Terry.

FIRST WE RUN…
While the club is known for its sociable bar, the members make a point of ‘earning’ their drinks. Official weekly club runs start from the clubhouse every Tuesday evening (6pm in summer, 5:30pm in winter), with marked 5km, 8km and 10km routes on offer. Showers are available at the clubhouse, with plenty of hot water, and then the bar is opened.

The club holds its monthly 5km time trial on the first Tuesday of each month. It starts in front of Doodles Restaurant in Beach Road and runs 2.5km along the beachfront to the Dolphin Beach Hotel and back. “It’s a nice flat course, with each kay marked, but it’s hell when the south-easter blows. Then you struggle all the way out and fly back!” says Brett.

West Coast currently presents two races, although one is only officially in an assisting capacity, at the Century City 10km and 2.5km in March. “We were asked to be involved because the presenting club, Century City, is very small and needed help. It started as an 8km fun run last year, but it was very successful, and had crazy prize money and loads of lucky draws,” says Terry. “This year it became an official 10km and now it’s part of a big sport festival at Century City.”

The club’s own race is the Realtors International West Coast Half Marathon in November, which has been on the calendar for many years and offers a fast and flat route. One section runs through the scenic Atlantic Beach Golf Estate and most of the route offers terrific views of the ocean.

…THEN WE PARTY!
True to the club’s reputation, West Coast has a full social calendar. The pub is open after every Tuesday run, but the first Tuesday of the month is official Club Night, which starts with the time trial, follow by the handing out of the monthly awards. There is also a lucky draw for a Sportsmans Warehouse voucher. Some Tuesday runs and socials are extra special: the nearest Tuesday to 17 March is the St Patrick’s Day Run, where everybody wears green and drinks Guinness, and there is a Midmas Run (Christmas in July) where everybody wears Christmas clothing or decorations.

The club’s annual dinner dance awards evening is held in April, while the Sunday after Two Oceans is reserved for the Aches and Pains Braai at the club, followed by the Two Oceans Club Night. The club is open all day for the Comrades, and then comes the big Comrades Club Night party. The AGM is held in August, followed by the Hat Party in November, the Charity Pub Run in the first week of December, the Family Day end-of-year braai, and the Christmas Day Run.

The West Coasters love welcoming visitors to their club, which is why three-time Comrades winner Vladimir Kotov is now considered an honorary member. “We have a great relationship with Vlad, because he upholds our drinking ethos with gusto!” says Terry. “For example, at the Aches and Pains Braai
he pitches up with a bottle of vodka and pours it down
everybody’s throats.”

Another highlight is the club’s water table at the Puffer 80km trail race from Cape Point to the V&A Waterfront. West Coast mans the last water table, on Signal Hill, and usually wins the Most Festive Water Table Award. “We have a red carpet and cheerleaders to welcome the runners, and running escorts to shout out orders so snacks are ready by the time they reach us. They love it,” says Terry. “It’s crazy to see how many West  Coasters come out for this. One year we went back up the hill at 22:30pm to make sure everything was cleared up, and the guys were still partying! You really couldn’t wish to belong to a better club.”

THE CHARITY PUB RUN
The highlight of the West Coast calendar is the annual Charity Pub Run in the first week of December.
A horde of runners in brightly coloured Pub Run T-shirts runs/walks a few kays up the road for a drink at five local pubs, then it’s back to the clubhouse for a huge party. And it’s all for a great cause, says Terry.
“It started as an informal pub run with about 15 of us. I decided to print t-shirts for the next one and suddenly 72 people signed up in advance. We ended up with over 100 people participating in that second one, and that made me think that it’s too big a vehicle to waste, so we should give it a charity angle.”

Brett adds, “We feel it is important to contribute to the community, and what we do that night brings in more money than most golf days. Last year we had 465 runners, the biggest field yet, and raised R35 000, which we gave to the Emmanuel Day Care Centre.”

Terry explains that part of the entry fee pays for the drinks and the t-shirts, while the rest goes to the designated charity. Runners can also carry shaking tins for donations from passersby, motorists or
other patrons of the bars. Each participating pub also contributes money to the fundraising drive.
“We choose five pubs who will donate the most to us and in return, we bring them 450 clients.
They probably won’t sell that much beer the whole night, so they’re happy to support us.”

The Famous Bum Run Photo
Pride of place in the West Coast clubhouse – sometimes – belongs to a framed photograph of
nine men running starkers down the Blouberg Beach. All they’re wearing are caps and running shoes,
and somebody wrote the name of the club on their backs, one letter per runner, with a marker pen.
Terry says they usually hang the photo in the bar, but it rarely stays there for long. “We leave it up until the lifesavers object, and then it gets moved into our trophy cabinet, but sooner or later it’s back in the
bar again!”

CLUB CONTACT DETAILS:
Phone: Terry Ireland 083 26 888 66
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.westcoastathleticclub.co.za
Clubhouse: 
Big Bay Lifesaving Club, Big Bay complex, Blouberg (off second circle in Sir David Baird Drive)

They are rapidly becoming the ‘In Thing’ in running, but there is still much confusion in the running community as to exactly what compression socks do – or how and when to use them. Modern Athlete delved into the sock drawer to find out more. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Go watch a road race these days and you’ll see a fair number of athletes wearing knee-length, tight-fitting socks. They admittedly look a bit strange amongst all the short socks that the majority of runners use, but wearing these compression socks can really benefit your running. That’s why women’s world marathon
record holder Paula Radcliffe wears them when she trains and competes, as does South Africa’s Olympic silver medal long-jumper Khotso Mokoena.

The first studies on compression gear were done as far back as 1987, but most of the early studies focused on performance enhancement. Since the compression gear was found to have a minimal effect on performance, if any, the use of the gear never really took off. However, research found that compression gear improves blood flow, reduces muscle fatigue and damage, and promotes quicker recovery.

This recovery angle is now the focus of the groundbreaking doctoral research being done at Stellenbosch University by sport scientist Karen Welman. She is the first researcher to investigate the effects of compression socks in distance running further than 10km, and this included outfitting a large test group of runners with socks in the recent Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. “Nobody has done compression research in events before,” she says. “Also, most previous studies focused on sprinting and team sports, and the test subjects were often younger athletes that generally recover quicker. Since I’m focusing on recovery, I’m looking closely at results in the 40-plus age group.”

YOUR SECOND HEART
To fully understand how compression socks work, you need to understand that your calves are, in effect, your second heart, as they are the ‘engine’ of the body’s venus system. The heart pumps oxygenated blood that is rich in nutrients (including carbohydrates) to the muscles, which use the nutrients as an energy supply, in turn producing lactate, an acid that contributes to muscle fatigue. The venus system, which is automatically activated when the calf muscles work, then pumps the deoxygenated blood back to the heart to be reoxygenated and cleaned of the lactate, and it normally takes about an hour for all the lactate to be cleared from a muscle.

The faster the lactate can be cleared, the faster the muscles will recover, and that’s why compression socks work so well. They are graded in compression, with the tightest fit around the lower calf and ankle, and easing in tightness as the sock moves up the leg, to stimulate the blood flow back to the heart by squeezing the blood upwards. The added bonus of the socks is that they provide great support for the calves, thus greatly reducing the vibration that causes micro-tears that contribute to muscle soreness and fatigue.

Besides the immediate benefits of reduced muscle damage and faster recovery time, there are also long-term benefits: Years of running result in wear and tear on our muscles, so every bit of extra protection now, has the potential to reduce the overall accumulated wear and tear on muscles.

WHEN TO USE THEM
Karen says that her research project is trying to ascertain the best way to use the socks. “Just look at some of the elites that use them: Paula Radcliffe runs in them, but Lance Armstrong only wears them after his workouts.”

“We did a study on competitive elite runners and found that those who ran in and wore the socks for three days, only taking them off when sleeping, benefitted in terms of faster recovery time.”

Although she is still collating the Two Oceans study data, she says she can see the same pattern forming as in the controlled lab tests, despite the longer distances run and other factors such as heat and a harder running surface.
However, Karen warns that there are a few do’s and don’ts athletes should be aware of before using compression socks.
 
If you have any circulatory or vascular problems, speak to a physician before using them. “These socks are usually tested on healthy athletes, so first check how much compression you can handle.”
 
The length of the sock is important; it should end just below the knee. “Some runners fold the top of the sock over because it is too long, and this doubles the compression on the area under the fold, which is normally on the widest part of the calf. That can turn the top end of the sock into a tourniquet and restrict the blood flow to and from your calf.”
 
You shouldn’t sleep with anything higher than a CCL1 or 18mm compression (see Making the Grade, below). “When lying flat, there is no gravity working on the calves or the venus system, so blood flow can be restricted by the socks because the smaller blood vessels get squashed.”
 
You should not have a red line on your legs when you take them off. If you do, the socks are too tight.

MAKING THE GRADE
Compression socks are graded according to the level of compression they provide, from CCL1 to CCL5. “The compression is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), with CCL1 usually in the 6-18mmHg range, and CCL2 from 20-30mmHg. Many of the compression products now available in sports stores fall into the lowest grading, and they are often labelled as either CCL1 or 18mmHg. CCL2 and higher gradings are more commonly found in medical prescription and emergency gear.”

COMING NEXT MONTH
Get the June edition of Modern Athlete for our exclusive review of compression socks available on the South African market, PLUS a handy guide to getting the right fit.

Between stressful jobs and trying to spend quality time with the family, exercise is often the first thing that falls to the bottom of our list. In a series of features on how to balance a busy career with running, Modern Athlete speaks to various high-powered professionals to find out how they manage to fit sport into their hectic schedules. This month we chat to Anton Kruger, Managing Director of the Rand Airports Management Company. – By MICHELLE PIETERS

What is your background and how did you get involved in your industry?
I was the Town Clerk of Bedfordview for ten years. I then became Chief Executive Officer of Greater Germiston, a position I held for nine years. In that time I assisted the operators at Rand Airport in purchasing Rand Airport from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. Greater Germiston City Council purchased a 20% share in Rand Airport Holdings (Pty) Ltd, the company that purchased the airport. I became the director on the Board of Rand Airport Holdings (Pty) Ltd representing the Greater Germiston Council. In May 2003 I became the Managing Director of the Rand Airports Management Company.

What is the most exciting thing about your job?
It is a very interesting and exciting industry with many facets. The most exciting thing is watching aircrafts and jets flying, especially when they perform aerobatic flying manoeuvres.

Who are the most interesting people you have met?
In local government it was Willem Cruywagen, the former Administrator of Transvaal. In my current position I get to meet many passionate pilots. If I had to single out one it would be Captain Scully Levin, an ex-captain of the South African Airways.

How long have you been running?
21 years. I started at the age of 40.

What motivated you to start running?
When I was Town Clerk of Bedfordview, the Council approached me to sponsor them to run the Liberty Life Relay. I agreed and they asked me to run the last leg, which was about 2km. I only had two weeks to train, but today I am still running!

How many hours a week do you spend on the road?
Approximately 12-14 hours a week.

How do you fit running into your busy life?
I get up at 4:15 five mornings a week.

Who do you train with?
With runners from the Bedfordview Country Club.

Have you run any big races?
Yes. I have done two Comrades Marathons, one Two Oceans Ultra and many other marathons and ultras.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
I started too late in life. I could have achieved much more if I’d started earlier.

Has running influenced your career and work ethic?
Yes. I believe it has made me more committed, disciplined and goal driven in my career.

What is the best advice you have been given with regards to running?
There is a direct relation between the time you spend training and the result you achieve.

And the worst advice?
To eat steak the night before a big race!

Proudest moment in running and in business?
In running it was when I completed my first Comrades. In business it was when I was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Greater Germiston Council, the then fifth-biggest city in South Africa.

Most embarrassing moment in running? And in business?
In running it happened one morning when I tripped on a paving brick and fell. I got up very quickly and carried on running. All the runners around me had something to say! I don’t recall embarrassing moments
in business, but it is embarrassing to phone a director of a company to ask him to pay his overdue accounts!

The thing I love most about running is…
You compete only with yourself and every time you achieve a goal you set for yourself, it leaves you with a great feeling of achievement.

After a run the first thing I like to do is…
Take a shower!

My greatest ambition is to complete…
Another Two Oceans Ultra before I retire from running races.

I don’t enjoy being beaten by …
People who I know are training less than me.

Who are your running role models?
Bruce Fordyce and Nick Bester.

What is your favourite place to run?
On the boardwalk on the beachfront at Ballito.

What do you think about when you run?
I think about all the issues in business that I need to address and resolve.

I could not go running without my…
Running watch.

What is your favourite meal after a big race?
A well-prepared fillet or rump steak with chips.

What would you say to someone who says that they don’t have the time to start running?
It is a bad excuse! Start organising your life and commit.

Favourite Quote
“If you believe in yourself, have dedication and pride and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards.” (Paul Bryant).

Life motto?
Always give your best and enjoy the rewards.

 

I’m running an average of about 30km a week and am trying to run a sub-90 minute half marathon. My current PB is 102 minutes. I only started running two months ago and am 17 years old. What should my ideal training consist of? – EITAN RAPPOPORT

ANSWER
Running a 102 min half marathon means you are no slouch – and that on only 30km per week! I have no information reference with regard to the type of training your 30km consists of, but looking at the 21.1km distance, I would recommend the following additions:
 
Start your week with no less than 8km runs per day and add at least two speed/muscle endurance sessions into your programme. These could be either fartlek (play with speed) or track work.

  Fartlek can consist of running four lamp poles fast and three slow for a duration of typically 20-30 minutes, ensuring you maintain the quality.

  Track work can consist of six 300m runs with about a 3min rest/recovery in between. Add in about four 600m
for muscle endurance. Recovery between these should be about 1:30.

Remember to always warm up before each session by doing a few run-throughs (this means running 100m slow, and speeding up until you are going flat out. Repeat approximately seven times).

Your weekly time trial should alternate between 4km and 8km. Ensure you have a recovery day between quality sessions, but not a rest day.

I recommend a long run of +/- 20-25 km on the weekend, slow and gentle but continuous. An additional longer session of about 16km can be added on Wednesdays.

When you are planning to race remember that every eight weeks the body conditions to what you are doing. It becomes the norm. So changes in programmes and/or races should occur sometime after eight weeks or close to the end of eight weeks. Schedule your races to fit in those times. It is not smart to race in the first two weeks of a new programme because your body is still adapting.
 
Tapering for races is very individual. Some people prefer longer tapers while others apply the 72 hour recovery principal. An option for an athlete of your calibre might be to approach a coach because programmes should be designed for your specific strengths and weaknesses. However in the beginning it is okay to flounder around a
little. Watch your motivation and drive. Keep competitive but ensure that you don’t lose the passion for the sport.

Modern Athlete Expert – John Hamlett
John is one of the country’s top running coaches and has been involved in running for more than 33 years. He has trained Andrew Kelehe, the 2001 Comrades winner and Fusi Ntlapo, the 2003 Comrades winner.