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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!

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.

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.
 

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.

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.

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.”

All Aboard for Rio

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With the final names of Team SA for the Rio Olympics in August set to be announced in mid-July, SA’s top athletes are chasing qualifying marks at local and international meets and events. Here are a few who have recently put their hands up for inclusion in the team. – BY SEAN FALCONER

 

Triathlon Squad Taking Shape

Triathlon qualifying for Rio came to an end in Yokohama, Japan in mid-May and it was Henri Schoeman and Mari Rabie spearheading the South African challenge to secure a place on the team. Henri ended seventh in the WTS event in Japan, just 30 seconds off the winning pace after a fine all-round performance, to seal his position on the SA team along with Richard Murray. On the women’s side, Mari looks to have done enough to secure selection as she finished 15th in Yokohama, following on from a top eight finish in the previous week’s World Cup event in Huatulco, Mexico, to round off a hectic period of seven races in 10 weeks in six countries as she chased ITU points to secure her selection for Rio. Also in action in Japan was London-based Gillian Sanders, 49th on the day, who has already done enough to qualify.

 

Four-way Battle in 400 Hurdles

Tukkies student Le Roux Hamman became the latest 400m hurdler to put his hand up for the Rio Olympics on 11 June in Pretoria when he clocked a personal best 49.24 as the new Tukkies track saw its first action at the BestMed-Mondo Meeting. There are three spots available in the event, and thus far only LJ van Zyl is sure of going thanks to his 48.67 (see highglights, below), which is the combined second-fastest time in the word so far this season. At the time of writing, Lindsay Hanekom was the second ranked SA hurdler with 49.03, followed by Le Roux, but surprisingly, Commonwealth Games champion Cornel Fredericks (49.75) had yet ot qualify. However, athletes have until 11 July to qualify, so things may still change in this event, which has traditionally been one of SA’s strongest.

 

Couples Retreat in Rio

Speaking of LJ van Zyl, if he and wife Irvette van Zyl do both end up going to Rio, they will be only the third married couple ever to represent South Africa at the same Olympic Games, after Craig and Natalie Fulton (hockey, 2004) and Mike and Elvira Wood (fencing, 2008). Mathew Quinn (100m) and Heide Seyerling (200m and 400m) both represented South Africa at the 2000 Games in Sydney, but they only got married in 2002. Irvette is already confirmed as part of the women’s marathon team for Rio, and it looks highly likely that LJ will represent South Africa in the 400m hurdles. Both have already represented SA at the Olympics: LJ went to both Beijing (2008) and London (2012), while Irvette competed in the 2012 Olympic Marathon.

 

Other Olympian Hopeful Highlights

·         Nolene Conradovercame cold and windy conditions on 16 May in Rehlingen, Germany to take third place in the women’s 2000m steeplechase in 6:34.72, taking nearly 11 seconds off the SA record for this rarely run distance. She is gunning for a 9:45.00 in the 3000m steeplechase to qualify for Rio, and would have to take nine seconds off the SA record to do so, but is in good form, having also recently set a 5000m PB of 15:55.56 in Belgium.

·         Two-time Olympian LJ van Zyl blasted to a winning time of 48.67 in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic on 20 May. This is his fastest time since 2011, when he posted the current SA record of 47.66.

·         Caster Semenyalaid down another marker in the women’s 800m with a comprehensive victory at the Rome leg of the IAAF Diamond League on 2 June, equalling her world-leading time of 1:56.65 with her customary acceleration over the last 100m. After two years of relatively poor performances by her own lofty standards, she looks back to her best and a real contender for Rio, having now run three of the four best times in the world this year.

 

Alyssa Conleyran a personal best 23.00 seconds for the women’s 200m at the European Permit Meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland on 14 June. In spite of a 1.4m/sec headwind, she took 0.01 seconds off her previous best, set when she won the SA Champs title in Stellenbosch earlier this year.

Look out for more in-depth coverage of South Africa’s Rio qualifiers in coming months as we build up to the Rio Olympics in August.

No WINTER HIBERNATION for You!

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It can be difficult to stay motivated to run when the mornings and evenings are dark and the temperatures are low at this time of year, especially with a fair number of the SA running community in post-Comrades hibernation, but one effective way to keep your fitness up in preparation for spring is by introducing strength work and cross-training. – BY RAY ORCHISON

It's dark and cold, and as you grudgingly plod through your morning run in tracksuit, gloves, beanie and thermal underwear, one question remains: “Am I crazy?” Fortunately, our winters are not that bad – there are very few parts of our country that require us to run through snow and temperatures below freezing – but it's still a challenge to stay inspired to run instead of waiting for warmer days!

 

KEEP TICKING

The Comrades Marathon effectively marks the end of the main running season in this country, with the new season starting round about September/October. As runners, we all know that two to three weeks of no exercise will have a very small effect, if any, on our base fitness. We'll probably lose a bit of our racing 'sharpness,' but that comes back very quickly. The problem is missing two to three months of training. That's a long time to be doing nothing, and by the time we get started again, we basically have to start from scratch in order to build our fitness back to a reasonable level.

Now wouldn't it be nice to come out of winter ready to start hitting some quality training and with the possibility of going for a PB before the end of the year? It's possible if we simply keep our base fitness intact through winter, and tree or four runs a week with a weekly average of around 30 to 40km is more than enough to keep you ticking over.

 

BUILDING POWER

Having adequate upper body and especially core strength is a critical part of running, ensuring that we're able to take on high mileage injury-free, but one of the areas that most runners ignore – or don't find the time for once the running season is fully underway – is strength work. Now I'm not saying we need to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, because having strength does not mean having bulky muscles. Just look at the Kenyan and Ethiopian middle and long distance runners – they're very thin and light, but if you look at their muscle definition, you'll see that they're incredibly strong. As middle and long distance athletes we want to be light and strong, so we should aim for muscle strength as opposed to muscle bulk.

The dark winter months offer you a great opportunity to slip into the warmth of a local gym and to start building and developing your strength. If you're new to it, start light and concentrate on doing the exercise correctly, with proper form. Doing strength work incorrectly is not only a waste of time and energy, but can also lead to injury. Once you've mastered the exercise and you can feel it working the areas you are expecting to work, then gradually start increasing the weight while reducing the number of reps. For example, you might start with a light 5kgweight and do 12 to 15 reps per set. As you begin to master the exercise, you can increase the weight to 10kgand reduce the reps to 10. Eventually you might build up to 30 or 40kgwith only six reps.

Some cross-training is also a great way to keep your cardio fitness up and to work your muscles in a different way to running. Swimming, spinning and rowing are great cross-training sessions for a runner, both in and out of season. But most of all, enjoy the winter running, strength work and cross-training, and hang in there, because spring is not far off.

 

Treadmill Training

You can train for a road race mostly on a treadmill, but you’ll have to make a few tweaks. For starters, increase the incline and ‘run hills’ once or twice a week, for balanced fitness. The slower uphill workouts build strength and power, while faster flat workouts build stamina, endurance and foot speed. Better yet, keep adjusting both speed and incline during your workouts, to simulate the changing terrain of an outdoor run.

Also, because treadmill belts offer a relatively soft landing, prepare your body for racing on harder surfaces:

·         Strength-train twice a week (lunges, squats, hip extensions, planks, push-ups).

·         Run outdoors at least once each week during the last four weeks of training.

During your race, walk for a minute at every refreshment station, to ease the overall impact on your body and give you a chance to hydrate.

Ray Orchison is a Johannesburg-based USATF and NAASFP certified coach. Find him at www.runetics.comor [email protected].