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Six Steps To Health

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When you’re training for your next athletic goal, having the right fuel can go a long way to ensuring success, and your optimal nutritional status can be easily achieved by following these easy steps. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

 

1. Focus on lowering your body fat percentage, instead of losing weight.

This will improve your power to weight ratio when climbing hills, but note that this should not be achieved by drastically reducing your energy intake, as this may negatively affect your training and recovery, and ultimately your performance on race day. Meeting daily protein requirements helps improve body composition, while trying to lose body fat and gain muscle mass during training.

2. Keep a daily fluid, food and symptom diary.

Logging your intake will help you get to grips with when, what and how much you are consuming, as well as how it affects your performance. This makes it easier to identify the necessary dietary changes that need to be made in order to improve. This makes it easier to identify the necessary dietary changes that need to be made in order to improve performance.

3. Establish a routine.

Meal regularity is extremely important, as missing meals can result in over-indulgence at the next meal, or choosing convenience meals and snacks which are generally high in fat and sugar, and low in nutritional value. Keep that balance going!

4. Keep an eye on your alcohol intake.

Alcohol is loaded with empty calories and can promote fat storage, and can negatively affect motor skills, strength and performance. So, switch to a light beer or spritzer (white wine and soda), or a single tot of spirits with a low-calorie mixer, e.g. a diet cold drink or soda water. (e.g. a diet cold drink, water or soda water). Note that drinking light beers or single tots of spirits does not mean that you can drink more!

5. Enjoy a variety of foods.

There is no single magic food. Each food offers its own specific nutrients and eating a variety of foods helps ensure a well-rounded nutritional intake. Don’t cut out any foods just because it’s the latest fad to do so.

6. Focus on natural foods.

Don’t get manipulated by clever marketing that you need special sports supplements and aids in order to perform optimally. Remember, your diet is your biggest insurance for health and performance, and natural food has been proven to have as good an affect on performance as ergogenic aids, if not better. For example, try the humble raisin instead of a sport’s chew, as studies have found that raisins perform just as well as a carb supplement. Recent studies found that raisins perform just as well as a carb supplement, including zero gastrointestinal side-effects for endurance sport.

 

The Bottom Line…

The overall thing you have to keep in mind is to keep it natural and balanced: Fruit, veggies (and leave those peels on!), whole grains and lean meats. Eat more seeds and nuts as a snack alternative, and remember to keep hydrated throughout the day. These simple rules will make you feel energised and will help improve your running performance. These simple rules will make you feel energised and will help your performance in training and chasing that PB!

While good old water is most runners’ tried and trusted go-to, a sports drink with added electrolytes will rehydrate you while also adding a combination of sodium and carbohydrates, which in turn also help more water to be absorbed, but some sports drinks are packed with concentrate and sugar, so try these healthy and effective alternatives:

•   Coconut water contains essential electrolytes, punching more potassium than a banana! There is no added sugar or fat, and it’s one of the healthiest options to replenish lost nutrients. It contains easily digestible carbs from natural sugars, which makes it a great alternative to sports drinks.

•   Green tea gives you a natural caffeine kick, while the antioxidants increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, which improves muscle endurance. For endurance junkies, drinking green tea can help your blood-flow, because flavonoids relax blood vessels, so blood can flow more easily.

• ‘Wild’ water: Choose sparkling water with soaked strawberries and mint, or still water with ice, lime and apple slices. These drinks provide something different with the bubble, kick and flavour, but won’t overpower with sweetness, so you will cut calories.

Rio, Here We Come!

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On 14 July SASCOC announced the final Team South Africa squad for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held from 5-21 August in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, with 137 competitors set to travel to Rio, and once again the individual sporting code with the biggest presence in Team SA, other than team sports such as football, is athletics, with 39 athletes going to the Games. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The SA athletics team for Rio features an exciting mix of highly experienced athletes with Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Champs experience, such as Caster Semenya, LJ van Zyl, Wayde van Niekerk, Sunette Viljoen and Khotso Mokoena, alongside up-and-coming athletes hungry to prove themselves on the biggest athletics stage, including high school sprinting prodigies Tlotliso Leotlela and Clarence Munyai.

Four other athletes in the team – Caster, Wayde, Wenda Nel and Stephen Mokoka –all qualified for more than one event, but will only concentrate on their speciality event. In terms of strong medal contenders, all eyes will be on Caster in the women’s 800m, as she broke the SA record and ran the fastest time in the world for the year in mid-July, while Wayde is reigning World Champ over 400m and looks to be in scintillating form, having run world class times (and Olympic qualifiers) from 100m to 400m in recent months.

In the field events, Sunette Viljoen is always in contention for a podium finish in the women’s javelin, and there are high hopes of a medal in triathlon from Richard Murray, who appears to have returned strongly from a recently broken shoulder bone.

Other events where South Africa traditionally does well include the men’s 400m hurdles and long jump, but all of our athletes have the potential to medal if they perform well in Rio.

The full teams for athletics and triathlon are:

ATHLETICS

Women:Carina Horn, Alyssa Conley, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan, Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Lynique Prinsloo, Sunette Viljoen, Anel Oosthuizen

Women’s marathon:Irvette Van Zyl, Christine Kalmer, Lebo Phalula

Men:Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Tlotliso Leotlela, Clarence Munyai, Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk, Jacob Rozani, Rynhardt van Rensburg, Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Lindsay Hanekom, Louis (LJ) van Zyl, Le Roux Hamman, Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga, Stefan Brits, Khotso Mokoena, Rocco van Rooyen, Willem Coertzen, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Marc Mundell

Men’s marathon:Lusapho April, Sibusiso Mzima, Lungile Gongqa

Managers/Coaches:Irma Reyneke, Paul Gorries, Terseus Liebenberg, Maryna van Niekerk, Pieter Lourens and James Moloi

TRIATHLON

Women:Gillian Sanders, Mari Rabie

Men:Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman

Manager/Coach:Kate Roberts, Lindsey Parry

In good news for the athletes and coaches going to Rio, SASCOC announced an incentive programme for the Games that will see medallists and their coaches receive a healthy pay-out as reward for their efforts, with 80% of the money going to the athlete and 20% to the coach.

So, an individual gold medallist will pocket R400,000 and the coach R100,000, a silver medallist will take home R200,000 and the coach R50,000, while a bronze medallist will earn R80,000 and the coach R20,000. The same amounts will be paid to any teams that earn medals at the Games, including relay teams, with 80% to be split equally amongst all team members, and 20% to be paid out to the head coach of that sport or event.

After the team announcement, SASCOC refuted the erroneous reports in some media that athletes travelling to Rio would have to pay their own way, or at least pay much of their own travelling costs. A SASCOC statement said that all athletes travelling with Team SA would depart on 23 July on a SAA flight to Brazil, and that no athletes would be paying for their flights.

Athletes could still choose to fly at another time, in which case their flights would be paid for by their sporting federation, which in turn would be reimbursed by SASCOC. After that, any athletes who booked their own flights would be reimbursed R12,000, up from the R10,000 paid out for the 2012 London Olympics.

“The reports in the media implying that all athletes have to pay for their flights are a complete distortion of the facts, and athletes have been fully briefed on this matter by their respective Federations,” said SASCOC Chief Executive Tubby Reddy in the statement.

Modern Athlete would like to wish all of our South African athletes the best for the Rio Olympics. We will be watching your progress and cheering you on from across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping you bring back the medals that your efforts deserve!

SLEEP Better to RUN Better

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Take note of these five reasons why catching more quality Z's can make you a stronger, better runner. Now go sleep on it… – BY SEAN FALCONER
 
In the modern, ever-busy world surrounded by technology and distractions, getting a full night’s sleep is a rarity for many people, due to the demands of ever-busier lifestyles, but go ask top runners about sleep and most will tell you they try to get a solid nine to 10 hours a night whenever possible. This is because they know that it’s during sleep that your body recovers from hard training and builds you into a better runner. Now, sleep needs vary from one person to the next, but here’s why you should try to get more sleep if you want to perform better on the run.
 
1 IN FOR REPAIRS:
Sleep is when your body repairs and regenerates damaged tissue from a workout, and builds bone and muscle to be ready for the next workout. Therefore, distance runners especially need sleep and repair time to recover from training.
 
Research has proven that increased sleeping time can improve athletic performance, and subjects who slept more saw their speed improve significantly, and said they felt their training improved after six weeks of lengthened sleep. Also, research suggests that reducing an accumulated sleep-debt can be beneficial for athletes at all levels, and sleep should be a high priority in an athlete’s daily planning and training programmes.
 
2 GROWTH TIME:
During the deeper stages of sleep, human growth hormone (HGH) is released by the pituitary gland and released into the bloodstream to rebuild damaged tissue and build stronger muscles. It also helps convert fat to fuel, and keeps our bones strong.
 
If you don’t get enough sleep, you produce less HGH, and it becomes harder for your body to recover from workouts. Too little sleep also leads to an increase in cortisol, which contributes to slower recovery times.
 
3 TAKING ON WATER:
During sleep, the kidneys balance water, sodium and electrolytes, so if you are already dehydrated from sweating, especially in the hotter months, sleep provides vital time for water re-absorption.
 
So not only do you need to drink enough water to replenish lost liquids, you also need to get enough sleep so that your body can absorb it properly, or you may suffer muscle pain and poor performance when running.
 
4 KEEPING TRIM:
When you don’t get enough sleep, your appetite-related hormones can be thrown out of sync. Less sleep leads to more ghrelin, which makes you hungry, and less leptin, which tells you that you’re full, so regularly sleeping a full night helps keep your hunger signals in check.
 
Added to this, if you’re not sleeping enough, your body won’t store carbs properly, leading to less glycogen stores, and you may hit the wall sooner in your next race.
 
5 IMPROVED FOCUS:
It takes a few hours after you fall asleep to reach deep, quality sleep, usually into the seventh hour, so getting enough sleep helps you tune into your body and improve your concentration, which can help you greatly not only in work or studies, but also when strategising your race.
 
GET THE ESSENTIALS:
•   Determine your sleep needs and meet that quota every night.
•   Establish a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. With an ever-changing sleep-wake schedule, your body never knows when it’s time to shut down.
•   Get one long block of continuous sleep at night. Power naps are a last resort if you have to make up lost sleep – snooze for 10 to 15 minutes, no longer, or you might become groggy.
 

Winter Warmers

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The mornings are now colder and darker, and you’re wrapping up a little more when out on your run, so try these great recipes to keep you fueled and ready for your winter running, all while warming you up on the inside. – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN
 
1 SALSA JACKET SWEET POTATO
High in fibre and iron, and low in fat, but go easy on the cream cheese. Sweet potato is also a great source of vitamin A and magnesium – the relaxation mineral! If you’re adamant about cutting down on the carbs, then sweet potato is the answer.
 
It gives you high levels of potassium, evening out blood pressure, but is low in fat. Serves: 1 Time to make: 10 minutes. (Note: You can also make it meat-free: Omit bacon and add 1/4 red capsicum, chopped.)
 
Ingredients
1 cooked baked sweet potato
1 rasher rindless eye bacon
1/2 x 400g can of mixed beans, drained, rinsed
1 spring onion, chopped
3 tablespoons salsa sauce
2 tablespoons extra-light Philadelphia cream cheese
 
Step 1: Cook bacon until crispy. Cut in pieces and mix with beans, spring onion and salsa sauce. Use to top jacket potato.
Step 2: Top with cream cheese and serve.
 
2 SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SALMON
High in iron and protein, great to get you going in the morning! Also, salmon contains bioactive protein molecules that provide support for joint cartilage and insulin effectiveness. To mix it up, try using smoked salmon, smoked chicken, spring onions and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper or paprika. Serves: 2 Time to make: 10 minutes.
 
Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 red capsicum, diced
Slices of lemon
6 tablespoons skimmed milk
115-150g cooked salmon
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 whole wheat Pita, toasted
 
Step 1: Place capsicum in a small microwave dish and cook on high for 30-40 seconds. Set to one side. Break salmon into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Beat eggs together with milk. Heat on high for a minute, beat with a fork and cook for another 30 seconds. Beat again and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add diced capsicum and salmon. Mix together and cook for a final 30 seconds – the eggs should still look a little wet. Season with pepper and parsley.
Step 3: Meanwhile, heat pita for 30 seconds and slice in half. Place on a serving plate and fill with scrambled eggs. Serve with a slice of lemon.
 
3 MOROCCAN CHICKPEA SOUP
Dairy-free, high in fibre and low in fat. Chickpeas curb hunger cravings and are also great for cholesterol. Garlic is also well-known for its antiviral properties, keeping you healthy in your winter training months. Serves: 4 Time to make: 25 minutes.
 
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
2 sticks celery, trimmed, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes, no added salt
2 cups salt-reduced vegetable stock (or chicken stock) and 1 cup water
Black pepper, to season
Low-fat yoghurt, to serve (optional)
Coriander leaves, to garnish
 
Step 1: Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 6 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and seasoning.
Step 2: Add chickpeas, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3: Place half the soup in a blender. Blend until smooth. Return to pan with remaining soup. Place over medium heat, season with pepper and warm through. Ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of yoghurt (if using) and garnish with coriander.
 
Winter Nutrition Tip: Eat More Oranges
We all know that oranges contain a healthy amount of vitamin C, so they’re recommended in the winter months to help us avoid colds and flu, but eat enough oranges and you may experience less muscle soreness after hard workouts as well.
 
That’s because oranges supply over 100 percent of the daily requirement for the antioxidant vitamin C, and studies have shown that taking vitamin C supplements for two weeks prior to challenging exercise helps alleviate muscle soreness.
 
This fruit's antioxidant powers also come from the compound herperidin, found in the thin orange-coloured outer layer of the fruit's skin (the zest). Herperidin has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels and high blood pressure as well.
 
So, add orange sections to fruit and green salads, or use the orange juice and pulp for sauces to top chicken, pork or fish. And to benefit from the herperidin, use the orange zest in baking and cooking. Select firm, heavy oranges, and store them in the fridge for up to three weeks.
 
Orange zest can be stored dried in a glass jar for about a week if kept in a cool place.

City2City Ultra-Marathon Cancelled

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The City 2 City Marathon 2016 that was due to take place on the Sunday, 4 September 2016 has been cancelled! The cancellation of the race was announced this morning when it was announced that the prestigious race was not able to secure a sponsor/s for this year's race.

The City 2 City Ultra Marathon has a great heritage among the people of Gauteng and runners from all corners of South Africa. “It is sad that the event will not be taking place this year,” said Mbalenhle Ngema of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA).

Central Gauteng Athletics hopes that next year's race will be revived and will come back with a bang.

Health Tips for You to Consider

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Jogging or running is a popular form of physical activity. Running is an appealing exercise to most due to the fact that it doesn't cost a lot to take part and you can run at any time you feel necessary.Some runners choose to participate in fun runs, while others tend to be more serious and take part in track events or marathons.

Regular running or jogging offers various health benefits. Running tends to build strong bones due to the fact that it is a weight bearing exercise. While running, muscle strength is increased along with cardiovascular fitness. On the lighter side, running burns calories and helps maintain a healthy weight.

The difference between running and jogging is the intensity at which the activity is done. Running is much faster than jogging, uses more kilojoules and demands a whole lot more effort from the heart, lungs and muscles. Running also requires a higher level of overall fitness.

However, having said that. Both running and jogging are forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic meaning ‘with oxygen’ – the term ‘aerobic exercise’ means any physical activity that produces energy by combining oxygen with blood glucose or body fat.

 

Goal Setting for Running or Jogging:

1.     Think about what you want to achieve from running or jogging.

2.     If you are a beginner, you should start with brisk walking, progress to jogging and then eventually running.

3.     Mix your running with other forms of exercise such as swimming or team sports. This will maximise your overall fitness.

4.     Adjust your diet to include plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats, wholegrain cereals and low fat dairy products. Cut back on the takeaway foods and soft drinks and sugar.

5.     Run with a friend. If you don’t have any friends, join a running club!

 

Start with brisk walking. Aim for 30 minutes per session. Allow a minimum of six weeks to build up to regular running. Aim to increase your jogging time each session, and alternate between walking and jogging.

Make sure you warm up and stretch thoroughly before you head out. Cool your body down with light stretches when you return and make sure you have plenty of fluids. Take a water bottle with you on your run and try to drink lots of water before, during and after any activity.

Allow at least two complete rest days per week to avoid overtraining, which may cause injury. Consider other low impact activities, such as swimming, at least once each week. Plan your route and if possible, choose flat, grassy areas rather than hard or loose surfaces to reduce the risk of injury.

Avoid running near roads. This is especially important if you have a pre-existing condition such as asthma. Vehicle exhaust fumes can increase your risk of various cardiovascular and respiratory complaints or illnesses. Avoid the 'peak hour' periods to reduce your risk of inhaling air pollution from motor vehicles.

Wear loose cotton clothing. Dress your upper body in layers of clothing so that you can take off layers as required. Apply sunscreen to exposed skin areas and ensure that you have bought an appropriate pair of shoes.

Don't wear your old sneakers. Poorly fitted shoes are a common cause of injuries and your running shoe should bend easily, feel comfortable and have a wedge of shock-absorbing material in the heel. The fit should not be too snug otherwise your foot will splay as it impacts with the ground.

When buying the shoes, wear the socks you intend to wear while running. Have your shoes professionally fitted.

Akani Simbine Sets New South African 100m Record!

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South African athlete Akani Simbine has set a South African record in the 100m sprint at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Budapest, Hungary. Akani clocked 9.89 seconds, beating Jamaica’s Asafa Powell by 0.03 seconds. In March this year, Akani achieved a record breaking performance when he won in 9.96 seconds at the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Night Series Meeting in Pilditch, Pretoria. Akani’s time was 0.01 seconds faster than the South African record of 9.97 seconds.

According to IOL, Akani’s time is the fifth fastest time in the world this year, with American athlete Justin Gatlin heading the list with a blistering fast 9.80 seconds that he produced at the USA Olympic Trials early in July. Akani has been threatening to run really quick times all year long, but a hamstring injury at the South African Championships slowed his progress.

Former South African record holder Henricho Bruintjies clocked the same time of 9.89 seconds in Italy on Sunday, 29 May 2016, but it did not count as the wind reading was well beyond the legal limit of +2.0m/s. The “Blitz from Klapmuts” made his return to the track on Sunday, 17 July 2016 after a hamstring injury and finished fifth in a time of 10.37 seconds.

For Akani, the 9.89 second run will be the new standard as the wind was +1.9m/s, which is just inside the legal limit. Akani made a big statement in the build up to the upcoming Olympic Games as he beat a world class field that included athletes such as Asafa Powell and American speedster Michael Rodgers. Asafa Powell finished in second, with Michael Rodgers finishing third.

Just to prove that his 100m time was no fluke, Akani followed his time up with a new personal best in the 200m of 20.16 seconds, beating his previous time of 20.23 seconds. This is a strong message from Akani to the Athletics South Africa (ASA) selectors. Akani was only chosen for the 100m for the Rio Olympics, despite having the quickest time this year of 20.29 in the longer sprint.

World Championship bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana and teenagers Clarence Munyai and Gift Leotlela were chosen in the 200m group ahead of Akani. With performances like this becoming the norm, we are sure Akani will fly the South African flag high at the upcoming Rio Olympic Games.

Strong Athletics Contingent in Team SA for Rio

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On Thursday SASCOC announced the final Team South Africa squad for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held from 5-21 August in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, with 137 competitors set to travel to Rio, and once again the individual sporting code with the biggest presence in Team SA, other than team sports such as football, is athletics, with 39 athletes going to the Games.
 
This includes athletes such as Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Wayde van Niekerk and Stephen Mokoka who all qualified for more than one event, but will only concentrate on their speciality event. South Africa should also be able to field teams in the men’s and women’s relay events, if everything goes to plan. The athletics team also features an exciting mix of highly experienced athletes with Olympic and Commonwealth Games experience, alongside up-and-coming youngsters hungry to prove themselves on the world stage, so big things are expected of the athletics team. Similarly, there are high hopes of medals in triathlon and cycling, with both teams featuring world class international experience.
 
ATHLETICS
Women: Carina Horn, Alyssa Conley, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan, Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Lynique Prinsloo, Sunette Viljoen, Anel Oosthuizen
Women’s marathon: Irvette Van Zyl, Christine Kalmer, Lebo Phalula
Men: Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Tlotliso Leotlela, Clarence Munyai, Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk, Jacob Rozani, Rynhardt van Rensburg, Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Lindsay Hanekom, Louis van Zyl, Le Roux Hamman, Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga, Stefan Brits, Khotso Mokoena, Rocco van Rooyen, Willem Coertzen, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Marc Mundell
Men’s marathon: Lusapho April, Sibusiso Mzima, Lungile Gongqa
Managers/Coaches: Irma Reyneke, Paul Gorries, Terseus Liebenberg, Maryna van Niekerk, Pieter Lourens and James Moloi
 
CYCLING
Women: An-Li Kachelhoffer, Ashleigh Moolman- Pasio
Men: Daryl Impey, Louis Meintjes, Kyle Dodd, Alan Hatherly, James Reid
Manager/Coach/Mechanics: Brett Coates, Jonnathan Chislett, Carl Pasio, Douglas Ryder, JP Jacobs, Gary Blem
 
TRIATHLON
Women: Gillian Sanders, Mari Rabie
Men: Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman
Manager/Coach: Kate Roberts, Lindsey Parry
 
In good news for the athletes and coaches going to Rio, SASCOC announced an incentive programme for the Games that will see medallists and their coaches receive a healthy pay-out as reward for their efforts, with 80% of the money going to the athlete and 20% to the coach. So, an individual gold medallist will pocket R400,000 and the coach R100,000, a silver medallist will take home R200,000 and the coach R50,000, while a bronze medallist will earn R80,000 and the coach R20,000. The same amounts will be paid to any teams that earn medals at the Games, including relay teams, with 80% to be split equally amongst all team members, and 20% to be paid out to the head coach of that sport or event.
 
 
False Reports About Athletes Paying Travelling Costs
 
SASCOC has refuted the erroneous reports in some media that athletes travelling to the Rio Olympics next month will have to pay their own way, or pay much of their own travelling costs. In a statement after the launch of the team, SASCOC said that all athletes travelling with Team SA will depart on 23 July on a SAA flight to Brazil, and that no athletes will be paying for their flights. Any athletes who choose to fly at another time may do so, and their flights will be paid for by their sporting federation, which in turn will be reimbursed by SASCOC. Any athlete who books their own flights will be reimbursed R12,000, up from the R10,000 paid out for the 2012 London Olympics.
 
“The reports in the media implying that all athletes have to pay for their flights are a complete distortion of the facts”, said SASCOC Chief Executive Tubby Reddy. “We expect the majority of athletes to travel on 23 July and those few athletes choosing to travel to the Games independently of the Team will have their flights paid for by their Federation, which will then be refunded. Athletes have been fully briefed on this matter by their respective Federations.”

The Quiet Champ

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He may still have been able to fly under the proverbial radar before the 2016 Comrades Marathon, but newly crowned Comrades champion and Down Run record holder David Gatebe’s life will never be the same after his scintillating win in Durban at the end of May. – BY SEAN FALCONER

 

When the top contenders for the 2016 Comrades Marathon were introduced to the media at the pre-race athletes’ press conference, David Gatebe joined his TomTom Athletic Club mates and coach John Hamlett on the stage, but he was not asked any questions by the media. That’s partly because 2015 champion Gift Kelehe was next to him and fielded most of the questions, and partly because David simply was not rated as one of the top contenders for the win, given that he ‘only’ finished 24th, 32nd and 21st in the three previous editions of the race.

Granted, he was still recognised by the journalists, thanks to having won the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in 2013, as well as having won the SA Marathon title in 2008 and the City to City Ultra in Gauteng, but his Comrades record didn’t hold up to that of several other runners at the press conference, and he thus flew under the radar – which probably suited the quietly spoken, somewhat shy athlete from Rustenburg.

Well, all that has changed now, thanks to his blisteringly fast run in the 2016 Comrades. Not only did he surprise the pundits by coming through for the win, improving his best Down Run time from 6:05:12 (32nd in 2014) to 5:18:19, but he also smashed the 5:20:41 Down Run record held by Leonid Shvetsov since 2007! That meant he earned himself the biggest ever prize purse in SA athletic history – R400,000 for first place, R400,000 incentive for breaking the record, R190,000 for being first South African, a bonus R100,000 from the Ministry of Sport, and a hot spot prize of R20,000, for a total of R1.11 million. He also made sure that he will never be overlooked again at an athletes’ press conference in South Africa!

 

Dashed Hopes

David (35) hails from Maokeng township in Kroonstad, in the Free State, the third of five siblings, and he came to Rustenburg after completing school in 2004 to look for work. “I did not have money to pay for studies, so I decided to go to Rustenburg looking for a job, and I ended up working at a filling station as a pump attendant,” he says, adding that he found solace in his running to offset his disappointment, taking up marathons and ultras in 2005, leading to his SA national title in 2008.

David believes that his fortune started improving in 2012, when he met sports manager Blackie Swart, who worked at Impala Platinum Mines (Implats) in Rustenburg. He had just won a local 10km race in Rustenburg, breaking the course record, and Blackie was impressed: “We chatted and, after a while we agreed that I would organise for him to come and work with me, so I could train him and expose him to what he loved to do most, athletics. That is how he joined Implats as a sports clerk. He never looked back, training hard every day, and went on to win the Two Oceans Marathon in 2013, and then ran the Comrades that same year. He was only beginning, and I think he always knew what he was working towards – winning the Comrades.”

While he appreciates his mentor’s words, David says his early attempts at Comrades showed that he was not yet quite ready for the 90km ultra.”My first Comrades was in 2013, after winning Two Oceans, and I was trying to win both in the same year, but I realised that winning Comrades is something that takes serious work. I improved a bit the next two years, but I knew I still needed to do more work. The Comrades is a different race to the Two Oceans. It is a long race!” he chuckles.

That saw him join the newly formed TomTom Athletics Club and head to Dullstroom in Mpumalanga for two months of altitude training with Gift and the rest of the squad. The training went very well, and David says he came back from the mountains knowing he was in peak shape. “I was fit for the race and knew that I could win it. I could not wait any longer; I was well prepared mentally and physically. I even told my teammates that I was going for the record, that I wanted to finish the race in five hours 19, while the record was five hours 20,” he says.

 

Target Achieved!

And so race day arrived, the so-called ‘TV runners’ dominated the early stages before eventually dropping off the pace, and then the serious contenders came through, with David amongst the leaders. Coming through Kloof, David took the lead with the clock showing 3:47, flew down Fields Hill, stretched his lead still further going up Cowies Hill, and it was then that his thoughts really became focused on the record. “When I smelt the sea with 10km to go and I saw the time, I knew nobody would catch me. Then my coach yelled at me that I could beat the Russian’s record and that seemed a good thing to do.”

He crossed the line in 5:18:19, still looking strong, then dropped to the ground to pump out six push-ups. “I wanted to show that I could still go for another 5km or 10km. I was probably overly prepared for the race, and after achieving my goal of winning it, I felt an overwhelming energy rush at the finish line. And now the record is back in South Africa. I am very, very happy,” he says.

 

Return to Normal Life

With just over a million in cash coming his way soon – once doping control tests have been completed and the race results are officially accepted – David could be forgiven for saying that it’s time to enjoy life a bit, but the humble champion remains as focused as ever on his running, and is already talking about next year’s racing. “I am looking forward to next year’s Comrades, which is an Up Run, my favourite. My aim is to take the bar even higher in terms of my record,” he says.

When not working or running, David relaxes at home with his wife and two young daughters, and he attributes much of his success to their support. “My wife understands that everything about me revolves around athletics, but that’s not the be-all and end-all of what I do. At some point, my family does take charge, but one of the reasons why I love running is because they encourage me and they’re my biggest supporters. With this win, I know they are proud of me, and they’ve encouraged me not to change my lifestyle, but to keep running.”

As for the money, David says he is not going to be spending it when it arrives, but rather safekeeping it for his children’s education. “I struggled when I grew up in Kroonstad and I never had the chance of following my passion for management and advertising, so I’m going to invest in the education for my two little ones, because I don’t want them to go through what I went through. I want to ensure that my children get a better future with the best education that I never got,” he says, adding that he also has no intention of leaving Implats. “If there’s one thing I’m not going to do, that’s to quit my job. It’s very important to me.”

 

Doubling Up at the Ultras

Thanks to his win in the 2016 Comrades Marathon, David Gatebe now joins a very select group of athletes who have won both premier ultra-marathons in South Africa, the Comrades and the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. More women have managed the feat over the years, but amongst the men it is a rare achievement! (To date, only four of these athletes have won both races in the same year.)

According to well known athletics statistician, David’s win also gives him another record: “Gatebe now has the unique distinction of being the only male runner who has won the SA marathon title, the Two Oceans and the Comrades. The only other athlete who has managed this feat is Frith van der Merwe, who won all three races in a single year in 1989.”

 

Welcome to the Fabulous 40s

This year’s Comrades saw three more athletes complete their 40th run to join the exclusive but expanding Quadruple Green Number Club. Vic Boston, Tommy Neitski and Zwelitsha Tiger Gono not only brought the club membership up to 12, but Tommy and Zwelitsha also became the first runners of colour to achieve 40 Comrades finishes. Between them, these 12 remarkable runners now have a combined total of 500 Comrades Marathons:

Dave Rogers             45

Barry Holland           44

Louis Massyn           44

Alan Robb                 42

Dave Lowe                42

Clive Crawley           42

David Williams         41

Kenny Craig              40

Riel Hugo                  40

Zwelitsha Gono        40

Tommy Neitski         40

Vic Boston                 40

Clive and Kenny were the first runners to hit 40 medals in 1998, but it would only be in 2005 that Dave Rogers joined the club, followed by Riel in 2008, and that’s how it stayed until 2012. Since then, however, a steady stream of runners have joined the 40 club – two in 2012 (Barry and Louis), two in 2013 (Alan and Dave Lowe), one in 2014 (David), and now three in 2016. Of the still active runners in the club, this year saw Barry and Louis climb to 44 medals, just one behind Dave Rogers, but sadly, Alan, Dave Lowe and David all failed to finish the 2016 race.

 

Hero Status for Pacesetters

One of the highlights of the 2016 Comrades Marathon was once again the Modern Athlete Pacesetting Buses, expertly led home by our volunteer Pacesetters, some of whom have been doing this job for many years and have built up a dedicated following. These are the only official pacesetting buses at Comrades, and runners can ‘climb on the bus’ of their choice and rely on the ‘bus driver’ to guided them home within their target times.

Once again we offered the standard sub-9:00 (Bill Rowan cut-off), sub-11:00 (Bronze cut-off) and sub-12:00 (Vic Clapham cut-off) buses, and this year we added a sub-10:00 bus, which proved just as popular as the more established buses. Just take a look at the photos of the various buses and you will see the size of the groups that congregated around the bus drivers.

 

Sub-9:00: Johan van Tonder

Finished: 8:54:32

 

Sub-10:00: Linda ‘The Coach’ Hlophe

Finished: 9:57:22

 

Sub-11:00: Arnold Nkosi

Finished: 10:46:20

 

Sub-11:00: Chris Kubeka

Finished: 10:51:09

 

Sub-11:00: Jeff Ramokoka

Finished: 10:51:49

 

Sub-11:00: Jackie Campher

Finished: 10:53:42

 

Sub-12:00: Buks van Heerden

Finished: 11:45:24

 

Modern Athlete would like to thank all of our Comrades Pacesetters for your incredible effort and performance at Comrades 2016. You guys once again did a terrific job and helped thousands of your fellow runners achieve their Comrades goals – and you deserve the hero status those runners now give you!

Women in Blue Excel

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The KPMG running club has had much to celebrate in recent weeks, including the news of Christine Kalmer being selected for the Olympics and Kerry-Ann Marshall winning her first gold medal at the Comrades Marathon.

 

Christine to Fly the SA Flag

On 25 May, SA’s Olympic governing body, SASCOC, announced the first names of Team South Africa for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the Champagne corks popped as Team KPMG heard the news we had been waiting for, that our very own Christine Kalmer was selected as one of three to represent South Africa in the Women’s Marathon!

We asked Christine how she felt about being selected and even a few weeks later she was still trying to take it all in. “I don't think the fact that I have made the Olympic team has completely sunk in yet. After the 1992 Olympic Games, where Elana Meyer won the silver medal in the 10,000m, I knew that was something I would like to be part of. I was six years old at the time, and I have been dreaming about it for 24 years now, so having that dream become a reality is quite surreal.”

Understandably, training for the Olympics has been Christine’s focus since she qualified late last year in Valencia with a time of 2:33:43. “I am building up to the Olympics, and most important is to build my base right so I will peak on race day,” she says. She adds that training through the cold winter months in Johannesburg is a challenge, but she still won’t turn to the treadmill. “It’s too boring, you count every passing second, and have to look out in front of you all the time to make sure you don’t fall off! My sister Rene and I still get up at 5am to go out for our runs, and with the right gear the cold doesn’t really bother us… but it does make it more difficult to get out of bed!”

Travelling to the Olympics in a far-off country will mean leaving most of her support base back at home, but Christine will have her family with her in Rio, so she is far more relaxed about the trip. “I am very fortunate to have my support crew going with me, as Rene, my parents and my fiancé Aiden are all planning to make the trip to Rio as well. So I can’t wait for the Games in August!”

 

Kerry Reaching for the Stars

It seems that Kerry-Ann Marshall was running even before she started walking. “My mum used to say that I could run before I could crawl,” says Kerry, who grew up with running in her blood as the whole family went along with mom to all the races to second her dad. Her own athletic journey started early and at the age of seven she ran her first 8km race.

Her family’s love affair with running also led to Kerry’s passion for the Comrades Marathon. “As a little girl I would wake up early to watch the Comrades start, and I would be glued to the TV until the final gun. I remember seeing the top runners receive a rose as they entered the stadium, and since then I have dreamed of one day receiving a Comrades Rose, too,” she says. Well, this year her dream came true as she was presented with a rose as she took sixth position in the women’s race, having earned two silvers in 2014 and 2015.

Kerry says her love for running goes to the depths of who she is as a person. “Through running I feel like I have gained a richer understanding of life and who I am as a person. Running is my happy place, where I feel complete and where I can just be. I feel running and doing ultra’s like Comrades can translate into our lives as we overcome everyday challenges and realise that with the right mindset and commitment, anything is possible. In a race, negative thoughts rarely cross my mind – I like to leave all my doubts at the start line. However, if things start to go awry, rather than dwell on the problems, I usually adjust my expectations and focus on positive thoughts. I try to draw energy from the supporters, or chat to other runners and think about the hard work that got me to the start line in the first place.”

“I feel really fortunate to have been given the opportunity to live my dream, and I am blessed to have so many amazing people involved in the background, like coaches, physios, my husband, my family, training partners, KPMG, Salomon and friends. Without their love, support and guidance, I would never have gotten to this point.”