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Troublesome Triple Green

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I can now really say that I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Comrades. I won it in 1993. I have run a silver time 10 times. I got put in the ambulance in 2013 and finished my race in St. Anne’s Hospital. Now in 2016, going for my 30th medal and Triple Green Number, I got cut off in Pinetown. The one thing I still have never done, however, is voluntarily got into a ‘bailer bus.’ – BY TILDA TEARLE

This year my training went well up until 1 May. Then I ran the Deloitte Marathon and at 39km I pulled up like a lame horse. If I had been a race horse, I would have been shot immediately… and probably made into meat pies. Luckily, I am not a horse.

I didn’t run a step for two weeks, and after much poking, prodding and ‘wheel alignments,’ I was able to limp 4 or 5km at a time. The week before Comrades, things were feeling a bit better, and my thoughts were “better to try and fail than not try at all,” so I decided to remain optimistic and confident. I knew that I would have to take painkillers on Comrades day, so discussed this with a doctor who reluctantly wrote a prescription for medication that would not cause nausea. He told me that he believed “my balls” were too big!

 

Stiff Upper Lip

Comrades’ morning dawned and off I went to Pietermaritzburg, with hope, but not the same feeling of joy I normally have. I knew I was in for a tough day, but Savages club mate Robbie Richie and I planned to run together if everything went according to plan. On a ‘Down Run’ I make arrangements to see husband Clive and my mom in Alexandra Road. This year I ran past them, gave them a hand tap and burst into tears, but Robbie gave me a pat on the back and I pulled myself together. There was no time for tears.

From there on the run was uneventful. The sun came up and I saw “the cow,” “the rhino,” and the lady being pushed in the adult pram. Our pace was slow, but on track, and before halfway I found Dave Williams, who said he was fine but slow. Suddenly I realised I needed to get moving to get through halfway before cut-off… I have never had to worry about cut-off times before! Thankfully, we skidded through halfway with about five minutes to spare, but by this time I was into “pain management.” After so many hours this tablet, then after so many hours that tablet.

 

Getting Harder

At Heidi’s I stopped at the Riverside tent for a chat and a bite of a sandwich. I was told that Dave Williams was a minute behind me, and I was happy he had got through halfway as well. Robbie and I soldiered on, but later I lost him when he went on ahead. I got to Hillcrest and met my sister, who had a sandwich for me, and I told her I would prefer a Rennies tablet, and that I really wished the day was over. I had now found a new friend from Boksburg, who attached himself to me, and we soldiered on. My legs were on fire and my kneecaps felt like nipple caps. I was hating the day.

When we got to Pinetown someone said that we had two minutes before cut-off, and suddenly we were sprinting (at least, I thought so) through Pinetown to get to the cut-off point in time. My watch said 9:33 and the cut-off was 9:30. The barriers were up and they were pulling up the timing mats, so I quickly jumped on a mat so that anyone tracking me could see I had gotten to Pinetown. The decision that I was not finishing Comrades 2016 had been made for me.

 

Home, James…

I gladly got into the ‘Greyhound’ that was waiting for the cut off runners. In fact, there were many buses, as there were many runners who didn’t get to Pinetown in time. The cut-off bus is actually a fine place: There are biscuits, potatoes, juice, and more, but on the bus I told those runners that were moaning to stop. I told them if they die tomorrow, it would never be written on their gravestone, “Here lies so and so… he failed to finish Comrades 2016.” I also told the novices to look at the number I was supposed to be running, and that I should be the sad one. Then a female novice with a cell phone came to sit next to me, and started taking selfies of herself with me. She wanted proof that we were on the same bus!

Meanwhile, I used her phone to call Clive and tell him I had missed cut-off and would see him at the finish, but there were no tears. And as our bus sped down to Kingsmead, I looked out the window at the suffering runners and thought to myself, “I’m actually glad I’m on the bus.” But when I tried to get off the bus, I needed two guys to lift me off and put me on the ground!

 

Once dropped at the finish, you have to go through a special entrance and over a timing mat – I suppose they track how many cut-off runners there are. There is coffee, tea, Coke, soup, etc., and there are tables and chairs for relaxing. I didn’t relax, instead going to wait for Clive, but he was taking a long time to get there, so I went to our plan B and dragged my body to the Savages tent. I then got Claire to phone him and tell him to meet me there. He duly arrived and said he was sad for me – in fact, he had been feeling sad the whole day, because he knew I was not happy – but I have to admit to not shedding one tear over a non-finish. In life, I have always taken the good with the bad. Comrades will always be there, and I would prefer to enjoy my 30th rather than hate every step. As they say in the classics, “I will be back.”

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].

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.

Respected Athletics Journo Mark Ouma Dies

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Modern Athlete is saddened by the news of the passing away of veteran Kenyan sports journalist, Mark Ouma on Sunday 10 July at the King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban after a short illness.

Mark was known throughout Africa for his work as the Sports Editor of Voice of America’s Day Break Africa News, and in particular for his extensive coverage of athletics and road running on the continent, including much time spent in South Africa. He was 56 years old.

Mark started his career as a lecture in philosophy at Makerere University and then Egerton University, both in Kenya, before pursuing his passion as an international journalist at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), later moving to Voice of America (VOA).

He was in Durban to cover the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Senior African Championships, but could only attend the first day of competition on 23 June before being taken ill and admitted to hospital.

Modern AthleteEditor Sean Falconer remembers meeting Mark for the first time in 2000 at the Old Mutual Om Die Dam ultra-marathon.

“I was new to the athletic journalism field, but Mark immediately made me feel welcome and was happy to discuss events, story leads and the like. He was often running a bit late and seemed a bit disorganised at times, but everybody forgave him that because of his incredible passion for the sport and energy in doing his job.”

Athletics South Africa President Aleck Skhosana, described Mark’s passing as tragic. “We are shattered. After our initial visits to check on him at hospital, we had been confident that he will pull through after he had been his bubbly self since he was admitted on Friday 24 June for tests.

Mark will always be remembered as an advocate of African athletics and a professional in his work. I met Mark all over the world doing what he loved best, promoting African athletics. We have lost a brother. Our deepest condolences go to his family, colleagues and his friends. May his soul rest in peace.”

A statement from the Ouma family in Kenya said, “While we mourn the death of an eloquent speaker with a strong character, we also celebrate his remarkable life as an ardent sports enthusiast with a decisive sense of fair play. This he brought into his diligent reporting and coverage of sporting events the world over.

For those who may ask what they can do to honour and put an eternal smile on Marks’ face, we have a simple request, that as you continue to savour the numerous moments of sporting joy, exercise discipline in sports and ensure a sense of fair play – always.”

Marais and Steyn Dominate the Momentun Health OatWell DualX

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The penultimate event of the BIG5 Sport Challenge, The Momentum Health OatWell DualX powered by PeptoPro, took place on Thursday, 7 July 2016 at the 33rd annual Pick N Pay Knysna Oyster Festival with Stuart Marais and Andrea Steyn clocking the fastest times.

By achieving the times, they did, Stuart and Andrea cemented their spots at the top of the overall standings of the BIG5 Sport Challenge men’s and ladies’ races. The popular, high endurance DualX challenge kicked off with a 5km run followed by a gruelling 30km off-road cycle and finished with another 2.5km run.

Stellenbosch-based professional triathlete, Stuart Marais, continued his dominance after winning both the 15km Featherbed Trail Run and The Momentum Weekend Argus Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Race and coming in third in a hotly contested Dragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim earlier in the week.

The four time BIG5 champ maintains his lead ahead of fellow triathlete Theo Blignaut.Stuart impressed everyone with a time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, finishing ahead of Theo Blignaut and Dean Hopf who came in second and third respectively after three gruelling off-road challenges.

“In a week long activity like this you have to time your efforts. Although the Featherbed is a really hard run, I felt like I held back nicely and the goal for this week was to be fresh for the Momentum Health OatWell Dual X,” said Stuart on his win.

After having a great day on the bike, Stuart gave everything he could possibly give on the run and in the end it proved to be more than enough!

Andrea Steyn went into the days’ challenge leading the pack in the ladies’ division and fifth on the overall BIG5 leader board. She has her sights set on claiming a 2nd consecutive BIG5 win, having already won the Momentum Weekend Argus Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Race and the Featherbed Trail Run (15km) and coming in third for the Dragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim.

Andrea finished in a time of 1 hour 53 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Fienie Barnard. Andrea had a tough race today, possibly the toughest of all the events so far. The mountain biking was really difficult, and Fienie showed her true mountain biking talent and caught Andrea with 10km to go.

“I am really glad to have been able to stay on her wheel for the rest of the bike, and then push it in the run again to finish first.The Momentum Health OatWell Dual X was a great event, we were really privileged to have it here and I am sure next year there will be a lot more people racing it,” said Andrea after a gruelling day out.

With the final Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon and Half Marathon race taking place on Saturday, 9 July 2016, Stuart and Andrea remain the two to watch!

It’s not too late to support charity by sponsoring a Big 5 Sport Challenge athlete, all you need to do is click here and pledge your amount.

For more details on the BIG5 Sports Challenge, click here.

Clash of the Trail Runners!

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The third event of the BIG5 Sport Challenge recently took place at the 33rd annual Pick N Pay Knysna Oyster Festival with the favourites Stuart Marais and Andrea Steyn comfortably winning the men’s and ladies races.

Defending BIG5 champion and the undisputed King of Knysna, Stuart Marais, continued to make good on his plan to clock a fourth consecutive BIG5 title, after winning The Momentum Weekend Argus Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Race and coming in third for theDragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim.

Stuart now remains the one to watch for the final two challenges. Stuart emerged victorious in a time of 0:54.48 which was the fastest time of the day, and the 2nd fastest time in race history for the 15 km route.

This was a remarkable eight minutes ahead of 2nd placed Theo Blignaut leaving him streaks ahead on the overall log. Stuart was elated after his win.

“Once again Featherbed lives up to expectations, its an incredible event. We were really blessed with a beautiful evening, the weather was cool with no wind, perfect running conditions,” said Stuart.

Stuart went out hard and was able to create a gap which he maintained throughout the race. Stuart put in a solid effort until the top of the climb which then allowed him to relax until you he hit the railway line.

“I knew that running under 4 minutes a kilometre would win me the race and that is what I did. I stuck to my plan and took in the beatiful scenery and enjoyed my run.”

World Duathlon championship runner-up and current BIG5 champion in the ladies division, Andrea Steyn, maintained her overall lead after winning the first BIG5 challenge, theMomentum Weekend Argus Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Raceafter a very tight finish.

With just over a minute separating the first three ladies in theDragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim, Steyn came in third, maintaining her overall lead, making her the current favourite to take a second consecutive BIG5 win.

Andrea commented briefly on her run, “I was really looking forward to it and it was a beautiful run, the weather was great! Last year I went out too quickly and struggled and ended up being really stiff the following day, so this year I started off more conservatively and it paid off.”

Andrea finished in a time of of 1:04.58 ahead of 2nd placed Vicky van der Merwe, which leaves her comfortably in the lead on the overall Big 5 Sport Challenge log. TheMomentum Health Oatwell DualX powered by PeptroPro is the second last challenge and will take place on Thursday 7 July.

Bevan Manson Surprise Winner in Dragon Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim

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The second event of the popular BIG5 Sport Challenge, the Dragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim took place today at the 33rd annual Pick N Pay Knysna Oyster Festival.There was an upset in the men’s field with ex South African Waterpolo player Bevan Manson taking the win in the men’s race and favourite Theo Blignaut finishing in second.

South African triathlete, Vicky van der Merwe won the ladies race.Bevan said “it was a little bit chilly, but a nice swim.” After his surprise win, Bevan also said that it was great to swim through the waterfront with lots of people watching us, and there was a great turn out of participants.

“I was worried as I hadn’t swum in cold water like this before, but it was fine, as the gun goes and the adrenaline kicks in you tend to forget about everything else.”Vicky commented before her race, saying that “today is a strong event for me and my aim is to try and stay upfront with the elite guys, but I have been sick so am hoping that won’t make a difference.”

After the race Vicky concluded, “I am so happy with my win, it is the one that I was really hoping to take. The water was really cold so I didn’t do a course scouting warm up which resulted in me making a mistake at the bridge and doing around 200m more than I should have, but I was lucky enough to still finish in first.

Next up is the Featherbed Trail Run. Most of the top athletes are really looking forward to this race. “I am currently happy with my running, although I am traditionally a road runner I have been spending time in Jonkershoek on the trails getting more off road experience.”

Stuart Marais finished in third place, but will maintain his number one spot on the leader board. “The swim is not my strongest discipline, but you have to make the most of every event. I thought that the water was really cold to start, but in the harbour it was even colder! Today was all about limiting the damage for me, and I actually really enjoyed the out and back swim and look forward to smashing a big burger now,” said Stuart after his swim.

The BIG5 multi-sport challenge is a highlight on the annual Pick N Pay Knysna Oyster Festival programme and includes The Momentum Weekend Argus Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Race (80km), Dragons Featherbed Lagoon Mile Swim(1.6km), The Featherbed Trail Run (15km), The Momentum Health OatWell DualX, powered by PeptoPro (5km Run | 30km MTB | 2.5km Run), and The Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon (21.1km).

With athletes having completed two sporting codes, the next challenge will be the impressive, Featherbed Trail Run (15km) which takes place on Tuesday 5 July in the Featherbed Nature Reserve.

Samuel “Speedy” Gathimba Dominates in Durban!

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Kenyan race walker Samuel “Speedy” Gathimba caught everyone off guard this past weekend when he won the 20km race walk at the African Championships in Durban. Samuel conquered the course in an impressive time of 1:19:24.

Samuel was followed by Tunisian race walker Hassanine Sebei. Hassanine was closely followed by South African record holder Lebogang Shange and his fellow countryman Wayne Snyman. Samuel’s performance was world class and his winning time is the 8th fastest time of the season.

If Samuel had walked a time of 1:19:24 at the World Championships in Beijing last year, he would have won the silver medal. The two South African walkers described Samuel’s performance as outstanding.

“As a race walker, you are lucky if you are able to perform like this once a year.” said Wayne, who is sponsored by HPC.

According to Lebogang, he did not think Samuel would be able to keep up such a fast pace. However, when Samuel completed his first kilometre in 3 minutes and 15 seconds and continued walking at the same speed over the second kilometre, Lebogang soon realized that it would be a mistake to try to keep up with him.

Lebogang settled down and walked at a pace with which he was more comfortable.

“Hats off to Samuel. He fully deserved to win,” Lebogang said after the race.

Old Mutual Wild Series Kruger2Canyon Wrap-Up!

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Muzi Madikwa recently won the rugged two-day Old Mutual Wild Series Kruger2Canyon Challenge. Although competition was strong, Muzi was able to see off a thrilling challenge from several top trail runners. Take a look at some of the highlights of the event!

The combined 72km course took runners through some of the most pristine areas around Kampersrus on the northernmost tip of the Drakensberg escarpment. Runners came across some of South Africa’s most prestigious wildlife and sightings of wild dog, giraffe as well as honey badgers were reported.

The women’s category was dominated by Carine Gagiano, who won by more than 30 minutes. The men’s category was highly competitive, with youngsters from the “Change A Life” Academy and the newly formed Old Mutual Development Team challenging the established stars.

Muzi Madikwa won the men’s category in an overall time of 06:53:57. He was followed home by Nomore Mandivengerei in a time of 07:01:07 and third spot went to Bennie Roux from the Nedbank running club in a time of 07:02:24.

Both Muzi and Bennie recently completed the Comrades Marathon. Quite a mean feat to be able to conquer both these races in such a short space of time!

The Old Mutual Wild Series Golden Gate Challenge winner Wandisile Nongodlwana won the second stage to finish fourth overall. “I took it easy on day one and the young blood awakened my competitive spirit for day two,” Wandisile said afterwards.

Carine won the women’s category in an overall time of 08:28:03. Second was Naomi Brand in 09:15:32 and Lawrette McFarlane rounded off the podium in a time of 09:36:23.

The opening 42km stage explored the Mariepskop Trails, through the picturesque Blyde River Canyon. The 28km second stage took place in the Blue Canyon Conservancy. This is a Big Four reserve which lies adjacent to the Kruger National Park.

Race director of this year’s race, Andrew Booth, said: “Don’t underestimate the challenge that this event poses. Each and every individual that crossed the finish line has achieved something great on a personal level while contributing to conservation.”

The Old Mutual Wild Series events take part in protected areas that runners would not be able to access normally. The funds raised through the staging of the events go towards the conservation of these unique landscapes and natural heritage.

For more information on the Old Mutual Wild Series events, click here or click here to become a fundraiser!

Go Get That ULTRA PB!

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The main ultra-marathon season is just about behind us, with thousands of runners building to peak fitness for the Comrades Marathon, but you may be plotting a personal best (PB) at another ultra distance event in the coming months. Here’s what you need to know now in order to go after that new PB. – BY RAY ORCHISON

In SA, the huge ultra-running community revolves around two main events: The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon. Of course, there are several other ultras on the calendar for the months to come, and this would be the ideal time to take your Comrades fitness to the next level by building up to an even longer event, or perhaps a PB attempt at another ultra (or even the marathon distance).

For example, you could try a 50km classic at the City2City in Gauteng in September, a 100km at the Hewat Festival of Running in Cape Town (also September), or a 100 Miler (161km) at the Washie in July in the Border area. If circuit racing sounds like fun, you could opt for the ORAK 12-hour in the Cape in July, or choose between the Jannas 9-hour/18-hour and the Gold Reef 100 mile/12-hour – both in Central Gauteng in October.

However, keep in mind that the ultra is there to challenge us, both mentally and physically, and anyone who thinks that an ultra is simply going to roll over and hand out PB’s is horribly mistaken! So here are some essential tips to follow when chasing that new best beyond the 42km mark.

 

1. Get going:

One of the biggest mistakes runners make is to go into hibernation for four or five months (and sometimes longer) after Comrades, and by the time you get back onto the road you have to rebuild from scratch. The better approach is to give yourself enough rest – anything from two to six weeks – and then get going again. The benefit is that you’re able to use that base that you’ve built as a stepping stone to become a stronger and faster ultra-runner, and that stronger base will push you to that PB.

2. Get your head in the game:

This doesn’t require hours on the couch talking to your shrink. Start by committing 100% to your goal. Make sure it’s realistic but challenging, and start believing that you can achieve it.

3. Planning is crucial:

The difficulty with an ultra is that because of the toll it places on the body and the amount of recovery required post-race, you only have one bite at the cherry. If you build up and train to run a fast 10km and things don’t work out on race day, picking another race the following week is not a problem, but if things don’t quite go according to plan in an ultra, you can’t simply choose to run another one soon thereafter. This makes planning a crucial part of success, and you’ll need to answer these questions when doing your planning:

•   What do I need to do to achieve my goal?

•   Do I have enough time to build up injury-free?

•   Which races am I going to do between now and then that will help me reach my goal?

•   What do I need to do differently this year?

4. Adapt:

Training is all about adapting the body physically, metabolically and biomechanically in order to achieve your goals. Make sure that you’re training for your goal race and nothing else. If you’re training for an ultra, then you need to be running at paces that will best prepare you for it, and not training at a pace that will prepare you for a marathon, or an even faster pace for shorter distances.