Author: Modern Athlete

2009 KwaZulu-Natal 10km/21.1km Champ
SA Colours: Cross-Country

Club: Boxer Superstores Athletic Club, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Age: 28
Achievements:  Winner of numerous KZN road races, fifth lady at the SPAR Grand Prix series and sixth lady at the Two Oceans Half Marathon. She also broke the course records at the 15km Illovo Christmas Race, the Yellowwood Park 15km and Kersney Striders Half Marathon.
PBs: 4km – 13:31, 10km – 34:59, 15km – 56:00, 21.1km – 76:43.

She has been running for as long as she can remember and over the years, won a couple of races in her home province, KZN. But it was only a year ago that Jenna Challenor decided to take running seriously and now, there is no stopping her! She was recently awarded SA Colours in Cross-Country and won two team medals at the 10km and 21.1km SA Champs in 2009. To top it all, she was also the sixth lady home at the Two Oceans Half Marathon last year and is hoping for an even better placing this year.

“It has been an awesome year. I have travelled all over the country to compete. I started training with my coach, Andrew Daly, about a year ago. He is passionate, dedicated and supportive,” says Jenna, a mother of two young girls. Until a year ago, Jenna tried to combine a full-time teaching job and part-time work as a photographer with motherhood and training. “It was a bit of a juggling act and I decided to give up teaching and concentrate on photography and my training.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
She runs between 130km and 140km a week. Her training before big events includes a morning run of 6km followed by a midday track session of about 12km. She finishes the day off with another 6km session and reserves weekends for long runs. “I specialise in 8km cross-country, and 10km and 21.1km races. I would love to run marathons and even Comrades, but I first want to enjoy the short, fast races.” Jenna mainly trains with her husband, Brett, a Springbok lifesaver. “Running is our special time together. Brett knows what it takes to get to the top and this helps me achieve.”

CHALLENGES AND GOALS
Jenna has had some disappointments. Last year she battled with tonsillitis eight times in one year. “Every time I raced or trained hard I got sick. I eventually had my tonsils removed. Getting back into competitive running was very hard,” says Jenna, whose mom has completed ten Comrades Marathons.

Jenna’s goal for this year includes being selected as part of the SA Cross-Country and 21.1km team for the World Champs. Her greatest competitors (and friends) are Ren? Kalmer, Annerien van Schalkwyk and Poppy Mlambo. “On the starting line we race but off the line we are good friends.”

R&R
When she doesn’t run, Jenna loves eating sushi, drinking cappuccinos and spending time on the beach with her family. “I believe in the following words: An important key to success is self-confidence and an important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

Her advice to novices is to not expect too much initially. “Everyone had to start somewhere, even the top runners. The first two weeks of training will be hard and you will want to give up, but persevere. Running gets addictive!”

He was the first South African to win the New York City Marathon. He has won several SA titles and has held records over most distances in KwaZulu-Natal. He has also clocked a 2:08:15 marathon and has, over the years, consistently achieved at the Comrades Marathon, winning three silver and eight gold medals. Two years ago, at the age of 44, he surprised most people when he finished in the top ten at Comrades. Willie Mtolo’s running career spans over nearly 25 years and it seems that even now, there is no stopping him. He is without doubt one of South Africa’s greatest ambassadors of ultra running.

Willie Mtolo believes in sticking to a plan before a big race, even if it means taking his own portable stove, pot and porridge all the way from South Africa to New York…
 
THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON EXPERIENCE
It was November 1992 and Willie was invited to run the prestigious New York City Marathon (NYCM). He is a man who believes in eating porridge the night before a race and he decided that the night before the NYCM would be no different. Willie and his wife travelled to New York and were booked into the top floor of the luxurious Hilton Hotel.

Two days before the race he asked the kitchen staff if they would cook his porridge on the evening before the race, but they had no idea how to cook porridge. When he volunteered to cook it himself, they declared that no guests were allowed in the kitchen. Willie decided that nothing was going to keep him from eating his porridge, and so he and his wife cooked the porridge in the hotel room on the portable stove he had brought from South Africa.

“Suddenly the fire alarm went off. The next thing we saw a fire engine stopping in front of the hotel! We hid the pot under the bed and were waiting for them to arrest us. Luckily they did not know where the heat came from. Later we covered the smoke detectors with towels and finished cooking the porridge.”

AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY
The next morning Willie became the first South African to win the New York City Marathon. He broke the tape in 2:09:29. “I was so nervous. I saw Mark Plaatjes. He was going to run but never started for some reason. His advice to me was, ‘Mtolo, be patient. Don’t worry if you see a Kenyan or an Ethiopian next to you. Run your own race. You can win this.’”

At the halfway mark Willie was amongst a bunch of six frontrunners, but at the 30km mark they broke away. “I was left behind but at the 35km mark I started catching them. The last 5km to Central Park was hilly and I knew I was strong on the hills. I ran as hard as I could and won! I could not believe it. My smile was so big. Nobody, not even my wife and friends, expected me to win. Only Mark had said I could do it.”

Willie, who turned 30 later that year, won prize money and a Mercedes Benz. It was too expensive to bring the car back to South Africa so he had to sell it in New York. The race will forever be etched in his mind. Though he had achieved results in South Africa before, his NYCM win made the world take notice of Willie Mtolo!

THE BIRTH OF A WORLD CLASS RUNNER
Willie is one of ten kids and grew up in the Underberg. Every day the Mtolo kids walked a total of 32km to school and back. “My dad was working for a farmer. He could not afford to buy us bikes. We woke up at 4:30 and started walking at 6:00. We got to school at 8:00 and in the afternoon, it was the same story. I believe this walking physically helped me in my later years.”

Willie did not run as a primary school boy. In Grade 8 he moved to Durban with his married sister and it was then that his talent started emerging at high school in Hillcrest. “I started running 3000m and 5000m and won the KZN School Champs before being selected for the KZN national team.”

A MEMORABLE TIME TRIAL
It was at the Hillcrest Villagers Time Trial in KZN that Willie was noticed as a young runner. One of his friends told him about the time trial and Willie was eager to test his skills over the 8km distance. “I broke the course record.” Willie, who ran in a pair of old squash shoes, finished in 25:08. He stunned not only the time keepers, but also himself. “Some people thought I cut short but the guy who ran behind me convinced them that I ran the whole route. Hillcrest Villagers bought me shoes and a tracksuit, and I joined their club. That night I thought I might have some talent.” From then onwards, Willie started competing in various road races, often winning or placing in the top five.

THE EARLY YEARS
In 1984, at the tender age of 19, Willie decided to compete in the Comrades Marathon, as Hillcrest Villagers had their eyes set on winning the team trophy. He finished 23rd in a time of 6:02:40, just missing the magical sub six-hour barrier. “Looking back I realise it was maybe not the best thing to run Comrades at such a young age. One should concentrate on shorter races when you are young.”

Barely three weeks after his first Comrades, he placed third at the Hillcrest Half Marathon, finishing in a time of 67:16. This race incorporated the Natal Champs and Willie was selected to run for KZN at the South African Championships in East London. He followed this with a win (43:16) at the 14km Daily News Big Run.

His first major race win came at the 50km JSE Marathon in odd circumstances. Willie describes this as one of the highlights of his career. He finished seconds behind the winner, who broke the tape in 2:47:37. The winner was then disqualified because he only wore one race number and Willie took his place.

Another highlight was in 1986 when he ran his best marathon time of 2:08:16 at the SA Champs in PE. Three years later in 1989, Willie’s second attempt at Comrades saw him finishing second (5:39:59) behind Sam Tshabalala, the first black athlete to win
the Comrades.

LIFE AFTER NEW YORK
After winning the NYCM in 1992, Willie returned home to a hero’s welcome. He took a break from the local road running scene and continued competing in international marathons, finishing second (2:10:17) at the Rotterdam Marathon in 1994 and fifth at the London Marathon in 1995. He returned to Comrades many years later, finishing second again in 2002, and in the top ten several times over the next couple of years.

Another major highlight was in 1990 when he won the Two Oceans Marathon. Twelve years later in 2002 he ran Two Oceans again, this time finishing third. Amazingly, his finishing time over this 12 year period only fluctuated by less than two minutes, which is a true indication of the quality of his running over time. “I prefer Comrades, especially now that I am getting older. Comrades is not about how much speed you have, but how strong you are.”

LIFE TODAY
Willie (46) is married to Sikile and they have four children. He has a farm in KZN, a house in Pinetown and a butchery in Pietermartizburg.

He is a gentleman who gives back to the sport that has given him so much. He is the proud owner of the Willie Mtolo Athletic Club in Pinetown and plays a big role in the development of sport in KZN. “We have about 67 members and I help some of the members with their training.” A few youngsters have achieved well at the KZN cross-country and road champs. “There is a lot of talent in the Underberg. We try to help with the development of this talent and get the youngsters to join a running club.” Willie also stages the annual Willie Mtolo Sports Day in his home village to encourage participation and development amongst the youth.

TRAINING
Willie mostly trains alone and runs between 160km and 180km a week. This is what his training programme looks like:

 Morning Evening
  
Monday 15km 20km
Tuesday 10km Speed/track session including 400m repeats (12 repeats at about 75 seconds per 400m) or 1000m repeats (six repeats at about 3:20min/km)
Wednesday 30-35km 
Thursday 15km Speed/track session including 400m repeats (12 repeats at about 75 seconds per 400m) or 1000m repeats (six repeats at about 3:20min/km)
Friday Rest 
Saturday Track (10km hard) 
Sunday Long run of 4-5 hours 

ADVICE FOR YOUNG ATHLETES
Young people should realise what sport can mean in their lives, says Willie. “Running has enabled me to travel and compete overseas. Most of the things I have are bought with money I have earned from running. One needs discipline in life and sport can help you to focus.”

He realises it is hard, especially for youngsters from rural areas, to get to races and to afford to run in big races. “One of the biggest challenges in my running career was often just to get to a race. Many times I did not have transport and I had to get up early to walk to the race. Sometimes I missed a race. It was not always easy. But it was worth it.”

COMRADES 2010
Training is going well for this year’s event. Willie recently finished seventh at the Peninsula Marathon (2:56) and plans to run the Two Oceans Marathon in his quest for a top five finish. Don’t be surprised if Willie is amongst the gold medallists on the day. We certainly won’t be!

We receive many great letters from our readers and enjoy sharing some of them with you. If you would like to send us a letter regarding any topic, go to www.modernathlete.co.za and click on the Become a Contributor link. (Note that some letters have been shortened due to space limitations.)

BDO Peninsula Marathon Disgrace
I have serious reservations about ever competing in an event organised by Top Events. On the half marathon course there were no water tables between the 7km and 16km mark! When I finished the run and was driving home, the table at 16km was being packed up, despite the fact that there were still many runners on the course. So these poor souls had no water from 7km to the end.

I personally thought that the organisation was a total disgrace and that Celtic Harriers cannot absolve themselves from the blame. They appointed Top Events to undertake the running of the event and should have taken measures to ensure that they live up to their ‘Top Events’ name.

In addition to the water points fiasco, the registration the day before was also totally disorganised. We had to stand outside in the blazing sun for more than 45 minutes (thank goodness it wasn’t raining). – SIMON SPECK

Top Events Replies: Top Events and Peninsula Beverages were responsible for the overall delivery of water and logistics at the BDO Peninsula Marathon. Celtic Harriers and BDO had no responsibility or involvement in this. Top Events and Peninsula Beverages who were responsible for delivering the water and Coca Cola on the route acknowledge that there was a shortage of water at a number of refreshment stations. We unreservedly apologize to the runners for this.

The various persons concerned regarding deliveries on the day have had a joint meeting post event in an attempt to ascertain what went wrong and to rectify this for future events. Adequate water was ordered pre-race, namely 100 000 sachets, that is, 3.3 sachets per runner per refreshment station. Despite this a number of stations still experienced water shortages.

We assure you that for future Peninsula Marathons, additional checks and balances will be implemented to ensure that this does not happen again. – Kevin Lodge for and on behalf of Top Events and Peninsula Beverages.

Team Garwood
Thank you for the excellent article that you wrote about us. The response that we have received has been wonderful, from those who have been able to contact us. I am sure that there are many more who would like to make contact with us.

They can contact me on the following email address: [email protected]. We also have a Facebook page, where we provide information on the events that we are taking part in. The following link will take you to our page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Garwood/187524370943.

Thank You Mrs L
I’ve a running buddy I’d like to salute.
Her running is extremely good.
Sub two and a half,
In comparison my time’s a laugh
But she chooses to stick by my side
Faithfully being my guide.

Don’t know if it’s the VO2 Max
But of patience she has stacks.
Gun Run, Freedom Run, whatever run,
Together we have loads of fun.
Red Hill, Black Mamba, PPC…
Her encouragement means the world to me.

I couldn’t have asked for a better motivator
She’s a real ‘In-Touch-Anator’.
A blessing absolutely,
To this I swear resolutely.
Accept my big ‘Thank you,’
For everything you do!
ANTHEA JACOBS

Running Buddies
My very first road race was in 1987. I still remember it as if it was yesterday. What would running be without running buddies? I have made a few of them over the years! They are the ones who get you out of bed at 4am on a Saturday morning in the middle of winter to go for a 20km training run. They are the ones you spend hundreds of hours and thousands of kilometres with on the road during the year.

A running buddy sticks with you for 100km over three days during your Easter training run. They are the ones who sms you before a big race wishing you good luck. When you stand in line at a porta-loo and there’s no more toilet paper, strangers start sharing their toilet paper; now that’s what real buddies would do. When you run and fall, there’ll be a dozen hands to pick you up, that’s what buddies do.

When running Comrades, everyone is equal. There’s no distinction between rich, poor or whatever colour. We are all running buddies. So next time someone gives you some words of encouragement or passes on a water sachet say, “Thank you Buddy,” because at the end of the day we are all running buddies. – Running Buddie – Via e-mail

Never be caught short again on a long run or race: get yourself a lightweight running utility belt and carry everything you might need.

During a long training run, you reach a point when you need an energy gel or a snack to keep you going, and some water to wash it down. You may also need lube for a chafe spot, or more sunscreen, or a tissue to clean your sunglasses… but you didn’t bring any of those items along because you had no way to carry them. The simple solution is to buy a running utility belt, with pockets for gels, snacks and other goodies, and holsters to carry water bottles. From simple designs to multi-pocket, multi-bottle versions, here are some of the best belts to choose from.

BUYING TIPS
1. Decide what you need. Buy the belt that best suits your needs. For example, water bottles may be necessary for training runs, but in races there are regular water tables.
2. Check the storage. Take what you intend carrying on the run to the store and check that it all fits and that you can close the pockets securely.
3. Try the belt on. Most have adjustable straps so you can set the length to fit your waist. Also check for padding for comfort, and make sure the belt feels right.
4. Do the arm tests. First check that the pouches and holsters are positioned so that your swinging arms don’t hit them. Secondly, check that you can reach all the pockets and holsters while running.
5. Check for bounce. A belt that bounces with every step is not only irritating and uncomfortable, but may result in chafing. To test this (and the arm swing test), jog around the store with the belt on.

1. Sportsmans Warehouse Long Distance Running Belt – R89.95 @ Sportsmans Warehouse
This relatively simple belt has three large zippered pouches that can be moved or removed. The adjustable strap with buckle has reflective strips on the front for visibility in dark conditions.

2. New Balance Performance Runner’s Pack – R149 @ The Sweat Shop
The one big zippered pocket is made from stretch fabric, so will expand to hold all your goodies, and has two sub-pockets inside, plus a hole on the flap for an MP3 player’s ear-plug cord. There is extra padding on the back of the pocket for comfort.

3. Sportsmans Warehouse Deluxe Running Belt – R149.95 @ Sportsmans Warehouse
The two smallish zippered mesh pockets towards the front of the this belt are easy to access while the two ringed holders on the back can be used for clothing or small water bottles. It has an adjustable strap with large reflective strips all-round.

4. GU Belt – R150 @ Runner Group
This belt has an angled mini-bottle holster with a small pocket on the outside. The adjustable strap is made from stretch material with reflective elements, and there is extra padding behind the pocket.

5. New Balance Performance Water bottle Waist Pack – R229 @ The Sweat Shop
An insulated holster for a 750ml bottle is this belt’s main feature, but there is also a smaller bottle for gels, and a zip pocket with earphone cord opening. The adjustable strap has padding behind the pouch area for added comfort, and reflective elements.

6. adidas Running Belt – R279 @ adidas Retail Stores
The three mini bottles hang upside down to prevent them falling out, but their nozzles are angled outwards so that they don’t dig into your leg. The elasticated belt has a velcro buckle for easy adjustment, and there is a zippered pocket with two compartments between two of the holsters.

7. GU Sports Pack – R295 @ Runner Group
This belt offers a good combination of angled water bottle holster, mini-bottle for gel or concentrate, and a zippered pocket with a handy rope toggle on the zip for easier handling on the run. There is extra padding behind the pouch and the adjustable belt has reflective strips.

8. GU Nathan Marathoner – R300 @ Tri Shop
A really handy feature is the trash pocket on the outside of the main pocket. The zippered main pocket also has a mesh bottom to allow for drainage, plus an inner sub-pocket.

9. Salomon Twin Belt – R429 @ CapeStorm
The main feature of this belt is its twin 600ml water bottles in their insulated, angled holsters, but it also has a sizable zippered pocket between the holsters. There is also a second, removable zippered pocket on the strap for extra storage.

10. Fuel Belt Profile Design Helium Hydration Belt – R490 @ Tri Shop
Most of this belt is made from ventilated foam pads, which make it more comfortable and breathable, and it has four holsters for mini-bottles and a removable zippered pocket. The velcro buckle makes it easy to fit, but except for two stretch material sections on the sides, the belt is non-adjustable.

Note: Prices may differ from store to store.

Runners in Gauteng jokingly refer to them as the ‘Cheese and Tomato Athletic Club’ because of their distinctive yellow and red club colours. Athletes from KwaZulu-Natal prefer to call them the ‘Superman Club’, referring to the Superman-like logo on their vests. Call them what you want, one thing is for sure: the members of Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) have an unbelievable spirit of camaraderie and are loads of fun on the road.

Running clubs in the East Rand are known for their good relationships and friendly rivalries. Back in their heydays it was no different. In the 80s, clubs such as Springs Striders, Germiston Callies and Boksburg Athletic Club were at the height of their popularity, and the friendly partnerships between them lead to the establishment of Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC). Because many of the runners who frequented these clubs lived in Benoni, they felt it was time for a club in their ‘hometown’. And so in 1981, Benoni Northerns Athletic Club was born as a sub-division of Benoni Northerns, the local sports club. “It was not a breakaway, just a logical decision to form a club in the area where residents lived. Even today BNAC and Brooks Springs Striders have a very good relationship,” says Paul M’Crystal, chairman of BNAC.
 
BENONI BEGINNINGS
The club started with about 60 members, with Martin Theron being selected as the first chairman. Other chairpersons included Les Dickensen, Danie Rossouw, Paul Godwin, Rian Van Wyk, Barry England, Dave Edwards, John Roux, Jan Jordaan, Norman Milne, Debbie Thornton, John Mitchell and Gerard Visser.

BNAC was a strong club right from the start; between 1981 and 1988 they had about 60 annual Comrades entrants with between 12 to 16 finishing with silver medals. Some of the well-known BNAC runners who excelled at Comrades include:

• Tex Cullen has 25 Comrades medals. Tex and Dennis Jones are the only local runners who have run every Springs Striders 32km race since its inception in 1969.


• Frith van der Merwe, 1989 Comrades winner, shattered the women’s record becoming the first woman to break the magical sub six-hour barrier.


• Valerie Bleazard was the fastest female novice to earn a gold medal (6:54).


• Gary Turner placed fifth overall.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU
BNAC is still a part of the Benoni Northerns Sports Club, which has different divisions including soccer and hockey. The club is based at the Northern Areas Sports Grounds (Albert Bekker Park) in Northmead and their current athletic membership stands at about 500. Almost 200 members, including about 80 novices, have entered for Comrades 2010. “This is the biggest number of entries we have ever had for Comrades. It is an exciting time for running. The majority of our members concentrate on road running and walking, but we also have interests in triathlons, track and cross-country events. The sections of BNAC are very supportive of each other. They train together and just before Comrades each year, the walkers host a social event for all Comrades runners,” says Paul.

TRAINING ON SCHEDULE
Most members train together six days a week and generally stick to the following schedule:

Tuesday and Friday
Runners and walkers meet at 5:15am at the club for a 10km run. “The faster guys keep on going back to fetch the slower bunch. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. When one starts running, you feel left behind when you are right at the back. If everybody has to wait for you, it feels even worse.
That’s why we implemented this system where the fast runners keep on turning back. It does wonders for club spirit,” says Paul.

Wednesday 
Members gather at 17:45pm at the clubhouse for a 12-14km run. As Comrades approaches, mileage increases to about 20km. Often members only finish at about 20:00. There are four schools: a fast group, a Bill Rowan medal school, a medium pace school and a group who prefer not to focus on Comrades or long races. “We all follow the same route. These runs are usually great fun and very festive.”

The club has implemented a new training session on a Wednesday morning in which runners train to walk, and not to run! “Some of our runners read an article saying walking can improve their running. They immediately tried it out. Runners slowly jog to a certain point, walk briskly up and down some hills before slowly jogging back. This has been received well by our members, from the walkers to the Comrades runners who know they walk a lot at Comrades.”

Thursday
Walkers and runners get together on the corner of Langenhoven and Wilge Street for a hill session which consists of 400m hill repeats.

Saturday
Athletes meet every Saturday at 6:00am at the Virgin Active gym in Bedfordview for an 18-36km long run, depending on the time of season. “These are well attended and sometimes we have up to 100 runners,” says Paul.

Sundays
Sundays are reserved for an easy ‘plot trot’ in the East Rand or a race. “Anybody can join in on our training. We encourage participation. Just because you don’t belong to our club does not mean you can’t run with us,” says Paul.

TAKING THEIR TIME
Time trials (4km/8km) are run every Tuesday night at 17:45pm on the corner of Kei and Wilge Road (close to the Homestead Dam) in Farrarmere. It is a fast and flat time trial with no major hills. “Our time trial attracts a lot of members from the East Rand kayaking community. There are also a few school kids from the neighbourhood who have joined in. It is wonderful when the community participates; that is what it is all about.”

On the last Tuesday of every month the time trial venue moves to the nearby Ebotse Golfing Estate to provide members with something different. The route is run through the beautiful and peaceful golfing estate.

THE SOCIAL SCENE
Wednesday evenings are reserved for social nights. After the Wednesday night run, members get together for some refreshments at the clubhouse, and once a month, they fire up the braai. Often experienced runners will use this time to advise on different subjects such as nutrition or training. “We have found these talks not only help novices, but also experienced runners who sometimes need to be reminded of basic principles.”

At most big races members are well looked after and a supply of refreshments is always on hand at the club gazebo. “This is another way we build camaraderie. Novices often feel more comfortable asking more experienced runners for advice in an environment like this. We all have fun. Our gazebo is often the very last one to come down after a race. Races have become like a family event. We encourage family involvement, healthy living and fun,” says Paul.

The club has a traditional Aches and Pains party after Comrades where various prizes are handed out. Before Comrades, runners pay R10 and predict their own, or someone else’s, finishing time. The one closest to their predicted time wins the money! Another fun and encouraging aspect to Comrades is when the runners are divided into different Comrades groups. “If you bail, your group is immediately disqualified. This usually means runners from the same group encourage and motivate each other. At the Aches and Pains party we hand out a prize for the group with the fastest average time.”

RACING BENONI
BNAC hosts the annual Slow-Mag Marathon (5/21.1/42.2km), which will be held on 11 April this year. This race usually attracts close to 3 000 athletes and is often very popular, as many runners see it as one of the last Comrades qualifiers. “We are very lucky to have such a great sponsor as Slow-Mag on board. This year will be the 18th year that they are sponsoring us,” says Paul.

BNAC also hosts the annual Rowlin National Brokers 5/10/15km night race, taking place on 17 November this year. “This race has become synonymous with rain! It rains nearly every year, but a fair amount of runners still support us.”

A HELPING HAND
The camaraderie and friendliness of its members is what makes BNAC stand out, Paul explains. “No matter if you are first or last at a training run or at a race, there will always be someone waiting for you and congratulating you, often with a cold beer in hand!”

CLUB CONTACT DETAILS
Phone: 011 849 8473
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bnac.co.za
Clubhouse: Northern Areas Sports Grounds (Albert Bekker Park), Northmead, Benoni

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 Trish Taylor (39), Chief Executive Officer of East Coast Radio (ECR).

What is your background and how did you get involved in broadcasting?
I studied sales and marketing before starting my career at the SABC. I spent five years there and two years at the Graduate School of Business. When the government privatised six radio stations, the shareholders of ECR approached me to head up their commercial division. Three years later I became sales marketing director and in 2003, CEO. I have been in the industry for close to 16 years.

What is the most exciting thing about your job?
I’m very passionate about radio particularly, because it’s a creative and immediate medium. Things are happening in the community every second and we are in a position to immediately report on it.

Who are the most interesting people you have met?
I have met musicians such as Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Michael Bubl? who have all been interviewed by ECR. One of the most memorable moments was when I had tea with former president, Thabo Mbeki. ECR is involved in many community programmes. The former president learnt about it and requested a meeting with me. So I flew to Cape Town and we sat in his office having tea and discussing projects. It was fascinating! I have also met local adventurer, Kingsley Holgate, and always find it interesting hearing about his next adventure.

How long have you been running?
About 18 years.

What motivated you to start running?
In Matric the entire school had to take part in a compulsory cross-country event. I ended up winning! After school I started running the odd 10km race and progressed to half marathons. I religiously watched Comrades on TV and it was always my goal to run at least one Comrades.

How many hours a week do you spend on the road?
I run about 60km a week and will probably peak at about 100km a week, closer to Comrades. I have changed my running routine and try to focus on quality sessions rather than quantity.

How do you fit running into your busy life?
I run in the mornings at about 5:00. That is my time and a great start to the day. It really sets the tone for the rest of my day. When I don’t run I feel like something is missing.

Who do you train with?
I run with Regent Harriers and also train with a friend, Michelle Hall-Jones.

Have you run any big races?
I have completed Comrades seven times and Two Oceans three times. My best time at Comrades is 8:40 and I have three Bill Rowan medals. Two Oceans last year was probably my best race ever. I finished in 4:38 and was the 27th lady.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
I travel a lot domestically and that sometimes interrupts my training. I am not a big fan of running on a treadmill in the gym, but if you don’t have any other choice, it has to do!

Has running influenced your career and work ethic?
Definitely! When training for something such as Comrades, discipline is key, especially when your social life comes to a bit of a stand still. Endurance events require mental discipline and that has helped me to exercise mental endurance in other spheres of life.

What is the best advice you have been given with regards to running?
Focus on quality training sessions as opposed to just spending hours plodding at a slow pace. I have become a much faster runner by not being pedantic about the amount of kilometres I run every week.

And the worst advice?
Run through an injury!

Proudest moment in running and in business?
In running it has to be my first Comrades in 2002. Just to have such a goal and to achieve it was wonderful and special to me. Another highlight was my finishing time at Two Oceans last year. In business it is being appointed as CEO at the age of 32 and increasing our revenue by 30%.

Most embarrassing moment in running?
When I ran my first marathon I went for a toilet break behind a bush and fell into a very deep hole… I had to be helped out. I came out of the bushes with blackjacks everywhere. I was shattered!

The thing I love most about running is…
The way I feel when I am fit and healthy. Also, there is nothing like running in the morning when half the world is asleep. I absolutely love starting the day with a good run, especially living on the coast where we get to see such beautiful sunrises. It motivates me for the rest of the day.

After a run the first thing I like to do is…
Take a shower or swim in the sea. And after a long race on weekends, it is nice to just go home and relax.

My greatest ambition is to complete…
A marathon on each continent.

I don’t enjoy being beaten by …
I compete against myself and try to better my own times. I get disappointed when I don’t reach my potential in a certain race.

Who are your running role models?
Bruce Fordyce. He has achieved some phenomenal heights and has really put road running on the map.

Where is your favourite place to run?
Anywhere coastal. I love running in KZN, but I also like running between Camps Bay and Clifton in Cape Town.

What do you think about when you run?
Running provides me with a great mental and emotional space as well as a huge amount of escapism. Sometimes I do think about work while running and I am able to refine a particular project.

I could not go running without my…
Garmin.

What is your favourite meal after a big race?
A big cup of tea and a Chelsea bun.

What would you say to someone who says they don’t have the time to start running?
They are doing their bodies a disservice by not making time to exercise. Running is so good for you mentally and emotionally. It is a necessity to exercise because it maintains health, which is linked to other areas of your life such as self-image and self-esteem.

Favourite quote?
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.’ – Nelson Mandela

Life motto?
To be distinct and to explore and exercise my God-given talents.

Comrades  

Two Oceans