Category: Columns

Charné Bosman of the Nedbank Athletics Club, the 2016 Comrades Marathon women’s champion, believes that ‘what goes around comes around’. This is why she immediately agreed to become involved with the Spar Women’s Challenge Mentorship Program.

For the next year, Charné will act as a running coach to 17-year-old Lungile Ngomane, a grade 10 pupil at the Hans Kekana High School in Hammanskraal. “It is an honour for me to be involved in the Spar project. I think every person deserves a chance to succeed in life and if I am able to help in some small way to bring about a positive change in Lungile’s life, it would be something I would cherish forever.”

Things have not been easy for Lungile and her family. Her mom is a single parent whose only source of income is to recycle tin cans and plastic. The family stays in a shack, and on Saturdays, Lungile walks about 10 kilometres to attend extra classes to help her pass her Grade 10 exams.

Lungile’s passion is to run and running is the only way for her to escape from real life and to live her dreams. Unfortunately, the circumstances of her life are forcing her to forget this passion. Lungile represented Gauteng-North’s cross country team in 2014 but since then, the opportunities for her to run have become fewer.

“The first thing I want to teach Lungile is that she should not use her circumstances as an excuse to cop out of life. It should in fact be the driving force for her to want to succeed. I think the best way for me to explain this to her will be to tell her about what I experienced when I broke my toe in April, just a few weeks before the Comrades race. The easy option for me would have been to feel sorry for myself and simply give up. But this is not what I am about. I had to find a way to deal with the setback and to work around it.”

In a way, breaking my toe could be seen as something positive because it made Charné realize how much she really wanted to win Comrades. “Life is not only about winning. It is the way you deal with the setbacks that makes you a true winner. It is important for Lungile to understand this and it will be my challenge to help her to develop a positive outlook on life.”

Another thing that Charné want’s Lungile to understand is that she should find a balance in life. To succeed in her studies should be just as important as winning races. It can never be one or the other.

“As far as running is concerned, I am a firm believer in ‘baby steps’. Lungile first needs to master the art of running a good race on the track and in cross country. Then she can move on to running 5km and 10km races. As she gets stronger, her focus should then shift to half-marathons and eventually – in quite a few years from now – she can consider running the Comrades Marathon.

As far as the Spar Mentorship Program is concerned, Lungile should realize that it is not merely about receiving things. She should also see it as an opportunity to make a success of her life. We do not merely want to give her a fishing rod; we want to teach her to fish as well. If you give somebody the proverbial ‘fish’ he will never learn to fend for himself.

After a major crash, extensive surgery and a seriously quick recovery that seemed almost impossible, no one thought that Richard Murray would be in contention for the podium at the recent ITU World Duathlon Champs held in Aviles, Spain.

Just eight weeks (to the day) after breaking his collarbone, Richard claimed top spot at the World Duathlon Champs. “I could not be happier not only with the title, but with the way my body responded. I am really stoked with my performance,” said Richard after finishing the event.

See below for the Q&A on Richard and a little bit of an insight on what makes him the great athlete that he is.

1.     Having excelled by becoming the ITU World Duathlon Champion in Spain, what is your goal for Rio and how realistic is a medal?

I do believe my chance of winning a medal is pretty good.

2.     What was your reaction when your qualification for Rio Olympics was confirmed and who was the first person you told?

I was pleased when I qualified by finishing third in the Rio Qualification Race, but I also knew that I would qualify with my ranking points. I shared it on Twitter first, so my followers knew first about my qualifying!

3.     You are active on Twitter and Instagram and have a YouTube channel as well. What does @RD_Murrayoffer to his followers in terms of content such as images, inspirational thoughts, and training or racing tips etc?

I share a different kind of content. Not only do I share the usual run of the mill stuff, but also believe that some of my posts – like core exercises and swimming routines – are something my followers can use. I also reply pretty quickly, so anyone is welcome to send me a message with questions if they are looking for advice.

4.     Besides competing, what else makes a major championship experience so special for an athlete like you?

Being in the Athletes Village is a very special experience. Sharing facilities with Olympic and World champions from various sporting codes is something unique. Not to mention representing my country. That is and always will be an honour and privilege.

5.     You live in Durbanville – does the Cape offer all you need for training purposes or do you have to move around during the year to find the right climatic and other conditions?

I spend only three months at home during the year and the rest of the time I travel the world following the good weather! But when I am at home I love training in and around Durbanville.

6.     Where you always an athlete – even in junior school?

I think the best way to describe it is that I was a “wild child” athlete before and now I am a fulltime professional athlete.

7.     When did you know you had the ability to be a world-class athlete and make that your number one focus?

I think it was when I realised that cycling and running wise, I could compete with the best in the world. I also knew that if I worked on my swimming I could be a contender. It was when I was about 17 years old.

8.     How come you are able to perform each year – what do you do to make this happen – tell us a bit about your daily/weekly training routine?

I do my planning for the coming season when I get home in December (my off time). It will be strategic planning and it also helps me to know what my focus areas are for the coming season. During the year I stay on top of the planning to make sure we make adjustments if needed.

9.     What are your strengths, besides natural talent?

I think the fact that I can just keep going. Setbacks don’t get me down. Maybe also my South African background. As South Africans, we are fighters and hard workers because we know if we want to stand out in the world we need to be special.

10.   Do any current athletes in any field inspire you – if so why?

I admire Ironman athletes a lot – maybe because it is something I look to do myself one day. I always look at what top athletes in various disciplines do and get ideas and inspiration from that.

11.   What does being part of the PUMA family mean to you?

I have been part of the PUMA family for the past 6 years. I have grown with the brand as a person as well as an athlete. I appreciate the relaxed lifestyle and the vibe that the brand promotes. I have always had a good connection with PUMA and I work well with everyone involved.

12.   Which running shoes do you train in?

The PUMA Faas 500.

13.   Which shoes do you race in – what do you like about the Disc closure?

I race in the PUMA Speed 300S Disc. The disc interface is pretty cool. The ease with which you can put on the shoes and make adjustments is amazing, making it even more perfect for the transition areas!

Since he underwent surgery, had a plate put in his arm, as well as screws to fix the breaks in his shoulder, Richard has been working extremely hard at getting back to top racing form. He has been running and cycling without any problems which is why he decided to take part in his first duathlon event since 2010!

Well done Richard! You have flown the South African flag high!

Hendrick Ramaala, a former Olympian athlete says that the honour of representing their country at the Olympic Games is the downfall of South African marathon athletes.

“Everything changed the day Josiah Thugwane won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. His performance made us believe that we ‘owned’ the marathon and that because we are South African marathoners, anything can happen on any given day. We soon got a rude awakening,” said Ramaala.

Now, as the head coach at Nedbank Running Club. Two of his protégés, Sibusiso Nzima and Lungile Gongq, will represent South Africa in the marathon at the Olympic Games in Rio.

Since Josiah’s’ success, no South African marathon runner has ever been in contention to win the Olympic Marathon. To be brutally honest, the performances of the marathon runners have been rather disappointing. Ramaala’s 12^th place finish in a time of 2:16:19 at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was one of the better performances.

The question is. Why does an athlete like Hendrick Ramaala, who was able to win the New York Marathon in 2004 in a time of 2:09:28 as well as a best time of 2:06:55 in the 2006 London Marathon, never able to duplicate these performances at the Olympic Games level?

“It was certainly not for lack of trying. I really did everything I could to ensure that I would be at my best at the Games. What got to me, was the pressure of representing my country at what is certainly the most prestigious sports event in the world.

“When I competed in New York and London I was running for myself. But, when you compete at the Olympic Games you run to make your country proud. That was what got to me. Suddenly I was part of a team. I could not deal with all the expectations, especially because I never considered myself a good team player.

“I was not the only top South African marathon runner who battled to run a good race at the Olympic Games. Gert Thys finished in a time of 2:06:33 and Ian Syster in a closely contested time of 2:07:06 were also never at their best,” said the Nedbank Marathon Running coach.

“Another factor that plays a definite role in the Olympic Games is the weather. In most instances, the athletes run in hot and very humid conditions. This means that it is not the fastest runner who wins but the runner who runs the smartest.”

In view of what he has learned from the four Olympic Games in which he competed, Hendrick is quite realistic about what to expect from Sibusiso and Lungile.

“They are still novices when it comes to marathon running and it is the first time that they will be competing at the Olympic Games. My advice to them is not to go out there and expect to win. I just want both of them to run to the best of their abilities. Then whatever happens, happens. What will help them is the fact that there will be no real expectations for them to perform. Who knows, one of them might just be able to get a top ten finish. But as their coach I would be happy with a top twenty finish.”

Meet Sonja Viljoen and Leonie Stander, the two doctors from Kroonstad who recently became the first South African female runners to join the exclusive Grand Slam Club of world marathon running. – BY SEAN FALCONER

In running circles, it is considered a huge achievement to run a marathon on each of the seven continents and become a member of the Seven Continents Marathon Club. However, there is another, even more exclusive club, known as the Grand Slam Marathon Club, reserved for Seven Continents runners who add a marathon at the North Pole to their list, and earlier this year Sonja and Leoni gained membership when they ran their seventh continental marathon in Antarctica, followed shortly by the North Pole Marathon.

It all started when long-time friends and regular marathoners Leonie and Sonja began running together in 2012 and completed the Two Oceans and Comrades together. “After Comrades I wanted to run the City2City ultra, but when I was online looking for details, up popped the New York Marathon web site, and when I next saw Leonie, we decided to enter,” says Sonja. “We booked flights on Turkish Airlines, but that was the year the race was cancelled due to the hurricane, so we decided to change our flights to go run somewhere else.” So, early in 2013 they ran the Ocean View Marathon in New Jersey in the USA, and 10 days later, as part of the same trip, they ran the Dead Sea Marathon in Amman, Jordan, which meant they had run a marathon in North America and in Asia, to go with their numerous African marathons.

Globetrotting Runners

The following year they ran the Inca Trail Marathon in Peru and the Athens Marathon in Greece, thus adding South America and Europe to their list, and in 2015 they ran the Sydney Marathon in Australia. “Then earlier this year Leonie was due to go run the Antarctic Marathon on King George Island on 12 March as part of her 50th birthday celebrations, having put her name on the waiting list in 2012 already, but her original running partner for the trip had to withdraw, so I went with and together we finished the Seven Continents Challenge,” says Sonja.

Just after getting back, the two met for a coffee after church one Sunday and Leonie mentioned the North Pole Marathon, and within a few weeks the intrepid doctors were on their way to Norway, from where they caught a flight to one of the Russian research bases at the North Pole – after a delay because of a crack in the ice runway! “We would have run on 9 April, but on the seventh they found the crack and began constructing a new runway. The race was delayed to the 18th, so some people had to abandon and go home without running, but then on the 12^th organiser Richard Donovan said we could go ahead, so the first group of runners flew out,” says Sonja. While we took a helicopter flight over the North Pole, the plane went back for the rest of the runners, but when it returned they spotted another crack, so they had to go back to Norway again.”

“Luckily, on the 16th we finally ran the race, which was really hard at times because running on the ice and snow felt like running on sand, and that meant we had finished the Grand Slam, although Richard is quite strict about the rules, and because the Antarctic race we did was on King George Island, not the actual continent, we have been given Associate Membership of the Grand Slam Club.

So What Next?

In June Sonja is going to run in Madagascar, while Leonie will be running the Iceland Marathon in August, and next year they will be doing the Boston Marathon together, with the Great Wall of China Marathon hopefully part of the same trip. “We try to do two marathons per trip, and we make every trip a real adventure, including not only sight-seeing, but also other fun activities,” says Sonja. “So, we mountain biked in Bolivia, visited the Moulin Rouge in Paris, dived the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, swam in the Dead Sea, went for a balloon ride in Turkey, and did white water rafting in the Grand Canyon in the USA, so these trips are not just about running. We’re both in our fifties and believe in stopping to smell the roses, so we don’t want to just fly in, run and fly out, but before the next trip in 2017, we first need to do some work and raise some more money, plus give our families some attention!”

Runners don't like to skip training sessions or miss a race when they’re ill, but at this time of year, colds and flu are par for the course. Here's how to decide when you should take a day off from running.– BY SEAN FALCONER

Picking up a head cold is usually not enough to deter an avid runner from heading out the front door, but there are times when going for a run can do more harm than good. The general rule of thumb applied by many runners is called the ‘Neck Rule:’ Symptoms below the neck (chest cold, bronchial infection, body ache) require time off, while symptoms above the neck (runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing) usually don't pose a risk, as long as you don’t push yourself too hard.

However, the doctors say that you should still err on the side of caution, as training with anything worse than a minor cold can escalate into more serious conditions affecting the lower respiratory tract and lungs. For example, sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinus cavity, with symptoms that include a runny nose, cough, headache and facial pressure. With a full-blown sinus infection, you rarely feel like running, but if you do want to continue training, the experts recommend a 72-hour waiting period. “No running for three days,” advises allergist/immunologist Dr Jeffrey Dobken. “Even without the presence of a fever, some sinus infections, when stressed by exercise, can lead to pneumonia or, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.”

THERMOMETER TEST

If you're still in doubt whether to run or not, take your temperature. If it's above 37 degrees Celsius, rather skip the run. “Some people think that they can ‘sweat out’ a fever by running,” says medical researcher Dr David Nieman. “That's wrong. Running won't help your immune system fight the fever. In fact, running with a fever makes the symptoms worse, and it can lead to other complications.” For starters, during exercise, your heart pumps a large amount of blood from your muscles to your skin, dissipating the heat your body generates. If you have a fever, your temperature will rise even higher, and your heart will be put under greater strain to keep your temperature from soaring, and in some cases, this can cause an irregular heartbeat. Also, a virus can cause your muscles to feel sore, so exercising when your muscles are already compromised could lead to injury.

“I recommend that runners with a fever or the flu hold off until the day after the symptoms disappear – and then only go for a short, easy run,” says Dr Nieman. “You should wait one to two weeks before resuming your pre-illness intensity and mileage, and most importantly, obey your body and the thermometer, not your training programme!”

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has issued a powerful warning to potential cheats at this year’s race. CMA General Manager, Chris Fisher says, ‘We will take drastic action against any unsportsmanlike behaviour this year.’

Running clubs across the country have this year raised their concerns and alerted the CMA to be on the lookout for potential transgressors. Some have gone as far as submitting names of potential cheats to be watched.

Chris reminded all runners in this year’s race that additional technologies to highlight irregularities would be utilised to expose cheats. Fishers says officials will be on the lookout for the so-called ‘park & ride’ gang who drive part of the route and run the rest.

He says, ‘If you don’t cross all the timing mats we will want to know why. Transgressions vary from not running the full route distance, running with another entrant’s race number, as well as supplying false information. All of which are considered unethical and unsportsmanlike behaviour by the CMA.’

Chris adds, ‘This year, thanks to tip-offs, we have names which we will watch carefully. Suspicious split times will also be investigated.’If suspected of cheating, KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) will issue those runners with a notice to attend disciplinary hearings.

From there, bans of up to two years can be handed down.Chris believes the above measures to be in the best interest of both runners and the sport of road running. He concludes, ‘The integrity of runners who honourably complete the Comrades Marathon needs to be safeguarded.’

On Friday, at the Great City Games in Manchester, Clarence Munayi of TuksSport High School, will live his dream when he will race against Trayon Bromell of the USA over 150 metres. Bromell, who is just 21 years old, burst onto the senior scene in 2015 with a third-place finish in the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. With a time of 9.92, he was left just behind Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin. His time of 9.84, achieved in the USA team trials, made him the joint tenth fastest man in history.

In 2014, when Bromell ran 9.97 at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he became the first junior to break the ten-second barrier. Bromell got off to a flying start earlier this season again when he won the 60m in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon.

“As far as I am concerned, Trayon has the ability to become the next real deal in international sprinting. He is a definite role model for me and it still seems unrealistic that I will be racing against him. I hope it will be an awesome race,” said the 18 year old Clarence Munayi. Clarence has shown signs that he himself could develop into a world class sprinter!

Under the guidance of Hennie Kriel, Head Coach at the Tuks High Performance Centre, Clarence has won the South African junior as well as senior titles in the 200 metre discipline. He has qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio on two occasions by running times of 20.36. He has also improved his best time in the 100 metres to 10.28. In spite of Clarences' success, Kriel is realistic about the challenges that await them.

“A study of the IAAF’s all-time list of fastest junior sprinters (under-20) does not make for good reading. Most of the athletes never had any impact as senior sprinters. They disappeared from the scene without ever fulfilling their potential. Our main challenge at the moment is to give Clarence the necessary guidance and support to help him bridge the gap between excelling at junior level and being equally successful at senior level,” the Tuks/HPC coach said.

His advice for Munayi for Friday’s ‘big race’ is to enjoy the moment and to learn as much as he can from racing against the best. Munyai said he is grateful that his coach had the vision to let him run against senior athletes this season. “It has toughened me up mentally. I am no longer intimidated when I compete against older athletes because I now realize that they are also just human and have the same anxieties and expectations that I have as a youngster. I know I cannot beat Trayon or athletes like Kim Collins, but that does not mean that I am not going to race flat-out. It will be strange to race over 150 metres.”

Thando Roto of Tuks finished jointly first yesterday in the 100 metres in a time of 10.41, at a meeting in Rehlingen, Germany. Lesotho’s Mosito Lehata also ran 10.41. Gift Leotlela of TuksSport High School was third in 10.48.

According to Kriel the athletes had to contend with cold and windy conditions.