Category: Columns

With the clock just having ticked over two hours, Spanny Hidalgo Souto from Witbank crossed the finishline at the Dis-Chem Half Marathon in January. Forty-five minutes later he was on his way to hospital, having had a heart attack inside the medical tent at the finish. He told us that he’s thankful it happened when it did, and that running is proving his saviour. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

Unsurprisingly, Spanny’s memory of the day is somewhat disjointed. “Having taken the race easy, I felt slightly nauseous at the finish when I crossed with my CoalDust club mate Neels Vermeulen and was waiting for my girlfriend Riekie to finish. I had no chest pains, just felt queasy, but I decided to go to the medical tent anyway, because it wasn’t something I usually encountered,” says Spanny. “They told me to sit down. A day later I woke up, confused, pulling cords out of me when I saw the bruising down my arm.”

He had suffered a heart attack in the medical tent and the doctors stationed there had to defibrillate him – in other words, arrest the heart muscle with electric shocks across the chest – before sending him to hospital, where doctors had to apply two stents to unblock a clogged artery. According to the doctors, it was a genetic disposition to store bad cholesterol that had built up over the years. “I woke up and wondered why and what I could have done to avoid it, but I couldn’t have. I was living at my healthiest. I guess I have a healthy heart, but not enough blood pumping towards it,” says Spanny.

He describes the timing of the heart attack as a blessing in disguise. “It’s a relief it happened when it did, and not 300m before the finish, where I wouldn’t have had time. You never really think of medics at a race, but without them, maybe I wouldn’t be here today…”

RUNNING PLANS
Spanny’s running journey began in late 1999 and to date he has finished 13 Comrades Marathons and 12 Loskop ultras, having only missed 2010’s ‘Big C’ due to a football injury. In other words, he was the picture of health and fitness! “I was running every day, cycling, kayaking, working out at the gym and maintaining my weight. I’m at every time trial at CoalDust in Witbank, also being the Club Treasurer, and I’m always prepared for a race. So everyone was surprised that it happened to me, because of my lifestyle. I thought I was bullet-proof, because I’ve always taken up any challenge.”

He met Riekie three and a half years ago and also introduced her to running. They regularly attend time trials together, and she seconded him on the Comrades route, so she understands the frustration of a runner who can’t run, and is by his side on check-up days. Meanwhile, after years of only taking a multi-vitamin every morning, Spanny now has five different prescribed tablets, and he is slowly finding his feet again. “I started walking again two weeks after the incident, and I’m now doing 5km with my father and at time trials, but I lack energy and it’s frustrating, because I don’t work up a sweat. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to run the big ones again… I wanted to run Comrades with my son and do the Great Wall of China Marathon, but that’s on hold.”

RUNNING THE HERO
The main thing Spanny wants people to realise is that running is not at fault for his heart attack. In fact, it was probably running that prevented the heart attack happening earlier. “I believe that running saved my life, because sport makes you make healthy choices. I wouldn’t be here without it,” he says. “I think I’ll miss running like I did, because it teaches you about yourself. I sort out the world’s problems on the run, and I found that running was my go-to and I always learnt something new. The only thing I can hope for now is a 10-kay one day, and I hope I can just keep improving.”

DOCTOR’S DIAGNOSIS
Dr Jonathan Witt of St John EMS in Bedfordview was on duty at the Dis-Chem finish and tells us about the incident.

“Spanny’s ECG readings were normal at first before showing some warning signs. We had to defibrillate him for two minutes before sending him to hospital. He was definitely an abnormal case, because we usually just get muscle-related cases after races. I’ve been posted at Dis-Chem for eight years now and the advice I can give to runners is that you need to seek medical attention if you’re not feeling like you normally do after a run. If you have chest pain or shortness of breath, then get checked. It will take five minutes of your time and it will allow doctors to react.”

For more info, call 082 463 8732 or e-mail
[email protected]

Sprinter Justine Palframan holds two SA records for the 400m and has been representing South Africa on the world stage since 2009, including the World Champs in Moscow last year, so keep an eye out for her this year at the Commonwealth Games. – BY SEAN FALCONER

They say the 400m sprint is one of the toughest events on the track. For the first 300m it is all about speed, but in the last 100m the body starts shutting down and the winner will be the athlete who can hold on the longest before collapsing. According to Justine Palframan, this is so true. “You can hit the wall and it feels like you’re walking, just hoping to get to the end. It’s surprising that 400m athletes don’t just lie around on the track when they finish – we still have to try walk off and go die somewhere else!” she laughs.

One thing that is certainly not dying is Justine’s budding athletic career. Now studying B.Sc. Sports Science in Stellenbosch, the 20-year-old sprinter from Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal has steadily been establishing herself on the international stage. She was selected for the 2009 World Youth Champs in Italy, finishing fourth in the 400m and ninth in the 200m, and brought home a silver in the 400m from the African Junior Champs. The following year she went to the World Junior Champs in Canada, even though still a youth athlete, and made the semi-finals of the 200m. Then in 2012 she was back at the World Juniors and finished fifth in the 400m, breaking the SA Junior record to go with her SA Youth record set in Swaziland.

RUSSIAN DOUBLE
In 2013 Justine enjoyed her biggest year yet, with two trips for global championship meets in Russia within a few months of each other. First she went to Kazan for the World Student Games, where she helped the SA 4x400m relay team bring home bronze, and then she was sent to the senior World Champs in Moscow. “Kazan was a great experience, with an amazing athlete village, great food, friendly people, an awesome track and everything nicely organised. Moscow was horrible, by comparison, because our hotel smelt of sewerage, the bed springs were sticking out and the hotel food was not great. We ate the same plain pasta and meat every day – until the last day, when suddenly they brought out pizza and wraps!”

In contrast, Justine really enjoyed competing in Moscow, even though she only appeared in the first round of heats. “I was really nervous at first, but as I stepped onto the track, I decided I’m here now, so I may as well enjoy myself and just try to do my best. I did my warm-up right next to multiple Olympic and World Champion Allyson Felix of the USA, and I found that the top girls are not that much taller than me. On TV they look huge! And when I looked at the times, I realised it is possible for me to get into the later rounds at that level, now that I have more experience. It’s not just a mad dream.”

SPEEDY FAMILY
Justine’s speed on the track is very much a family trait. Dad Stephen was a 400m and 800m athlete in his younger days, while Mom Trevlyn was also a sprinter – and they actually met on the track. Older sister Catlyn does the 100m and 200m sprint combination, while younger brother David is specialising in the 400m. Stephen is an accountant by trade, but doubled up as Justine’s coach for most of her high school years, with occasional help from then Durban-based coach Mohamed Allie, who subsequently moved to the Cape to head up the Maties Athletics Club at Stellenbosch University. Hence Justine decided to go study at Maties in 2013, so that she could be coached by him. And now that long-time boyfriend Cameron has returned from a Rotary Exchange year in France and moved down to Stellenbosch to study as well, she has even more support at hand.

Looking ahead, Justine has her plans for 2014 laid out already. “I’ve got the African Senior Champs coming up, then the Commonwealth Games, and in between I’ll also go run a few meets in Europe. Then next year it will be the World Champs again.” This means she has to juggle her studies a bit, but she says her lecturers are very understanding and helpful. “I managed okay last year, despite all the training and travelling, and only failed one subject, so I just have to work hard and maybe get some extra lessons this year. The lecturers don’t mind moving a test date or giving extra lessons here and there, which means I can focus on my athletics.”

Just as
illness breaks down the immune system, so can extensive amounts of exercise.
About 21 hours after athletes have competed in an endurance event, there is a decrease in the amount
of white blood cells circulating through the body, which means an athlete is
much more susceptible to becoming sick. But a new immunity-boosting spray
called Immutides Spray is now available in South Africa, and might be a
solution for athletes who want to stay healthy and boost their immunity before
and after strenuous endurance events.

 

The spray
was created by Australian Dr Andrew Keech, who has a PHD in Biochemistry and
Biotechnology and says he has a personal mission to save lives. He was born and
raised on a dairy farm in New Zealand, where he learned about the immune
factors in colostrum (the first milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals). He
pioneered the concept of an ‘easy to use’ spray rich in proline-rich polypeptides
(PRPs), a powerful immune modulator derived from colostrum.

 

Three South African partners, Mike
Xego, Guy Saulez
and Gary Karlson, recently decided to import the product from the USA. Since
then the SA Health Department has issued it to a test group of AIDS patients,
some of which are bedridden, and the outcome has been promising, with patients gaining
strength and being able to participate in their normal daily activities again.
“Immutides Spray has also been known to supply great support to patients suffering
from other immune-deteriorating illnesses, such as diabetes and leaky gut
syndrome,” says Guy.

 

Having seen
the product deliver positive results in the health sector, ultra-distance
athletes are now trying the product out as well, as it promises to act as an
immunity-boosting supplement and reduce an athlete’s susceptibility to
infectious disease. “Four sprays in the morning and four sprays before bedtime
will do the trick,” says Guy, who claims that within two to three days you will
notice a difference in your energy levels. The product contains all natural
ingredients and consists of a simple string of amino acids, which means that it
is easily passed through the mucous membranes in the body and therefore easily
absorbed.

 

“For athletes about to take on an
event such as the Comrades Marathon, this spray is a great way to nourish your
immune system and keep flu viruses away before the big race day. Also, your
immune system will be run down after the race, and therefore it is important to
keep ‘boosting’ the immune system post-race,” says Guy.

Immutides
Spray has been passed by the Medical Control Council of South Africa, has a
NAPPI code and is available for sale in South Africa. For more info, contact
[email protected] or 082 450 3401.

TRIED & TESTED

Comrades runner, triathlete and
personal trainer, Angela Bott has used Immutides Spray on a regular basis for
over a year and says she has not once contracted flu or a cold in this time. “I
cannot afford to get colds and flu, so I started taking Immutides Spray as a
supplement to boost my immune system. When the body is too acidic, it is a
breeding ground for bacteria and virus. Immutides Spray lowers the PH levels in
the body and boosts the immune system, so you are less prone to contracting flu
viruses.”

Every
morning, Sam gets up at 4:30am to co-host 94.7 Highveld Stereo’s ‘The Breakfast
Xpress’ as well as filling in on 702 Talk Radio. After her busy mornings, which
include being mom to Christopher (9) and Genevieve (6), she fits in ‘Sam time’
while juggling afternoon meetings, swims and yoga classes. For the past 17
years she’s been a part of the Highveld breakfast show and feels blessed to be
where she is in her career. “I’ve always wanted to be in radio and I will until
I can’t breathe!” she says.

 

THE ENDURANCE DJ

While Sam’s
schedule is full of school projects for her kids or writing her next book, she
makes sure to find time for herself. “If I don’t get in my six hours of
exercise a week, I get edgy!” says Sam, who makes sure she carries her yoga
mat, swim gear and change of clothes everywhere she goes. “I will find minutes
in my day, but it is hard to find that balance.”

 

A few years
ago she weighed in at 102kg, but she lost a lot of weight after the arrival of
her daughter, having decided that she couldn’t get into the right mindset to do
it if she didn’t have a goal to aim for. “I knew I had to start training for
something, and while I had completed a tandem 94.7 cycle at that stage, I
marked the Midmar Mile as my goal. So I started training and eating properly,
and now I have more energy and I’ve become a better role-model for my
children.” Since then she has completed several solo 94.7 cycles, and ran her
first half marathon at the Old Mutual Two Oceans last year. She also swims three
times a week, and attends three yoga classes a week.

 

Sam is now planning
to run her first marathon by the end of this year. “Its empowering knowing you
can complete a challenge,” says Sam, who has also vowed to run the Berlin and Florence Marathon one day, as well as compete
in a 76km swim over a few days in Arizona.
“It’s a fantasy for me – just like the one girls have about being a princess –
to travel and do these races. I love the bullet-proof feeling after a challenge,
and I want to make it about travelling and experiencing.”

Follow Sam on Twitter:
@samcowen, or visit her website: www.samcowen.com

In 2000 the
unheralded Belarus Vladimir Kotov, aged 42, took the South African
ultra-marathon scene by storm as he claimed second in the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon, then won the Comrades Marathon in a course record 5:25:33. Back then
he did not speak a word of English, but he fell in love with this country and
its races, and after a few years of regular visits, he eventually made the move
permanent. Today Vladimir lives in Cape Town, where he manages his Kotov Sport
running store in Century City. He still runs competitively, usually winning the
master (50-59) age category in races from 10km to Comrades and beating many a
younger runner – and he now speaks fluent English, even if his Eastern European
accent is still very prominent!

 

ULTRA STAR

Vladimir’s record in the two
premier SA ultras is incredible: 12 medals at Comrades, with 7 gold medals that
included three wins, two thirds and a fourth position finish, and 10 medals at
Two Oceans, including three golds – and that all in his 40s and 50s! In 2010,
his first year in the master category, he not only set a Two Oceans course
record in his age group, but also set a world record for 50km along the way.
Which should come as no surprise, given his marathon pedigree: He finished
fourth in the Olympic Marathon in 1980, won several international marathons,
and has a PB of 2:10:58!

 

Incredibly,
even at 55, Vladimir reckons he has another Comrades top 10 performance left in
him before he bows out of elite racing. “I am getting older and slowing down,
but this year I have still been training 200 to 210km per week, and if I can run
5:48 again, same as last year, I think it will be enough for a top 10.” He also
wants to go after the master’s marathon world record of 2:19:29, which was set
by South African Titus Mamabola in 1991. “I was in good shape for the New York
Marathon last year, but then the race was cancelled because of the weather.”

 

SHIFTING FOCUS

While still
pounding out the mileage, Vladimir says he has been putting more emphasis on
his post-running career for the past few years. “I think I have one or two more
years at the top, and then I will focus more on my business. I have been
running for 46 years and I understand shoes and training advice, so I can help people.
My shop has been going for nearly four years, and each month the business gets
better and better. My dream is to open a shop in Johannesburg as well, because
I am well known in Joburg, and there are a lot of people who run up there.”

 

These days,
he still regularly runs 22km from home in Melkbosstrand to work and back again
in the evening, with an eight-hour work day sandwiched between runs. He also regularly
swims at the gym, but says fitting in elite-level training is now very hard. “I
don’t have a tough job, but I still have to be in the shop all day. If you run
professionally, it’s not possible to also have a full-time work career. But I
still think of myself as young, and that I can compete with top runners. And maybe
I will go after the grandmaster records in a few years. Never say never!”

 

In 1993, Linford became the first man
to hold the Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European 100m titles at the same
time, and in 1994, the Jamaican-born sprinter successfully defended his
European and Commonwealth titles to extend his reign as the world’s dominant
sprinter to a second year. He had also won gold in the 60m and 200m at the
European Indoor Champs in earlier years, and the only major championship gold to
elude him was the World Indoor Champs, where he had to settle for two silvers. He
was the first European to break the 10-second barrier and still holds the
British record of 9.87s, he formerly held the world indoor record over 200m, he
was the oldest Olympic 100m champ aged 32 when he won in Barcelona, and he
finished his career with 24 major championship medals, including 10 golds, making
him one of the world’s most decorated athletes of all time.

 

LET
ME ENTERTAIN YOU

Today, aged 53, Linford remains a
popular figure in athletic circles all over the world and is often seen signing
autographs or posing for photos with fans. Naturally, he is often asked about
his career, and says he looks back fondly on his competitive years. “I enjoyed
many highlights in my career, made terrific friends and visited incredible
places, and I loved what I did for a living. And the more you enjoy what you
do, the harder you work and the better you do.”

 

He adds that he was driven by
competition and his ambition to always be the best. “If you believe that
anybody else is better than you, then go do something else. That’s why I never
walked onto the track in the correct following order for the lane draws. I was
already overtaking the other guys, to show them I was faster, and ready to take
them on. They must have thought Linford is mad, but that was just part of who I
am. Athletes are entertainers, like actors on a stage, and I always wanted to
put on a good show for the audience, but what I really loved was when they
played the national anthem for me. I lived for that.”

 

CONTROVERSIAL
FIGURE

Unfortunately, Linford was competing
in an age rife with drug-use, and he had close shaves with positive testing for
banned substances at the 1988 Olympics and the 1994 European Champs, but
escaped sanction. However, in 1999, having all but retired and just running
occasional invitational meets, he tested positive for the performance enhancing
drug nandrolone at an indoor meet in Germany and was given a two-year ban by
the IAAF, even though UK Athletics controversially ruled that there was
reasonable doubt whether the drug had been taken deliberately. Christie continues
to deny any wrongdoing. “If I took drugs there had to be a reason to take
drugs… I had pretty much retired from the sport by then!”

 

This did not mean the end of Linford’s
athletic career, however, as he turned his hand to coaching, and he helped
Katharine Merry to win bronze in the women’s 400m in the 2000 Olympics, and
Darren Campbell won gold in the 4x100m in 2004 and silver in the 200m in 2000.
Darren also added golds at the Commonwealth Games and European Champs, for a
final haul of 12 major champs medals.

 

Linford’s take on coaching is very
much like his personality, laid back on the surface and deeply intense if you
delve deeper. “You’ve got to love training, or you won’t make it in athletics,”
he says. “I trained on Christmas and other holidays, no matter what the weather
was doing, and I remember once doing 800m intervals in the snow. It was so
cold, I curled up on the track and went to sleep until the next rep! And I
believed that opponents must suffer to make up for my suffering in training,
and I think that gave me an advantage over them.”

 

“Today I use 90% of what I did with my
coach, because he had athletes winning medals in all the major championships,
and I believe if it aint broke, don’t fix it! I’ve never done any coaching
courses, but my athletes are running personal bests and medalling, and I
believe that tried and tested methods work best. Some may not agree with me,
but it worked for me, and is working for my athletes. I also use the same
motivational talk my coach used on me: The quicker you finish, the quicker you
can go home!”

Just like being behind the mic, running is a habit
that will always follow Phindi. “I remember finishing my first Comrades and I
had lost three toenails. I said I’ll never go back, but I was on the road again
two weeks later! I think the thing about running is that you absorb the environment
and connect with runners,” she says. So it’s a little like radio then…

 

MANNING THE MIC

Initially, being on air wasn’t on the cards for
Phindi. After school, she studied chemical engineering in Cape Town before
working for SAA as an analyst programmer. “Then I discovered radio and called
Metro FM. I got the job and started reading the news,” says Phindi, who knew
that this was her calling, despite still being at SAA. “I went through training
and Voice of Soweto then asked me to host a show from nine to 12 in the
evenings.” However, Phindi chose to stick to SAA, which provided more security,
but fate had its way when YFM came calling. “I became part of the new station’s
original crew,” she says, “I was there for five years before moving to East
Coast Radio in 2003.”

 

For six months, Phindi flew from Jo’burg to Durban to
host weekend shows before she got a weekday slot and made the permanent move to
the coast. She spent five years at East Coast, then took a year off to form her
own marketing company, but it wasn’t long before radio came calling again and
Phindi was asked to host the 9am to midday show on Gagasi FM. After another
successful five-year stint, newly-formed Vuma 103 FM approached the radio veteran
to become station manager at the end of 2012. “After two years, Vuma has gained
120 000 listeners and my goal is to take it to 1 million in 2015,” she says. “We
started from scratch and we look out for the community. We’re committed to give
local presenters a shot and we inspire on air.”

 

GUNNING FOR COMRADES

As much as Vuma FM keeps Phindi busy, overseeing the news,
the sales teams as well as the presenters, keeping active is another top
priority. “I was never into running – I was a yoga and Pilates girl! I was
lucky enough to grow up in a household where eating healthy and exercising was
important, but my running was all due to my husband Kevin.” In 2012, having run
four Comrades Marathons, he dared Phindi to take it on herself after she been
his race-day supporter through the years. “After going to races, giving Kevin
water or food and seeing him afterwards, I figured I should join,” she says, “and
one day after going on a run, he dared me to take on the Big One.”

 

“I had about eight months to get to the start in
Pietermaritzburg, and while some said ‘go for it,’ others thought I was crazy!
Luckily, Kevin helped me through and I progressed from 10km to 21km to my first
marathon in Soweto, my hometown.” In her debut Comrades, Phindi says she was
humbled by the togetherness, getting to the finish in 11 hours 59 minutes and 3
seconds. “Comrades runners have a common goal: To get to the finish! It doesn’t
matter if you’re a CEO or a security guard, it is touching that every runner
helps those in need. I was near the Hilton Hotel and I remember hearing that we
have four minutes till the cut-off. I made it and felt like I could do
anything!”

 

Phindi is already setting her sights on this year’s
Comrades and running for the PinkDrive, dedicating early mornings for a run
before work. “I also spend some evenings running with the New Balance team, as
I’m a brand ambassador, and Kevin joins me. We’re also in for this year’s
Brighton Marathon and my goal is to run one international marathon a year.” In
between her running, Kevin, who is a chef by profession, also makes sure they
eat healthily.

 

She is also involved in the Comrades Marathon Women
Seminars and being a race ambassador means it’s important that she shares her
story, encouraging other women to run, especially first-timers, and sending out
the message that Comrades can be
done. “I guess I’ll rest when my heart stops beating!” she laughs. “People make
excuses. Do yourself a favour and set a goal for yourself instead of trying to please
others.”

Follow Phindi on Twitter: @PhindiGule

Many endurance athletes know the painful sensation of
shin splints: A localised, sharp pain on the front of the shin bone, which can
either strike in the middle of a training run, making you limp back home and
spend the rest of your evening with an ice pack applied to your leg, or can
stay with you long after the run and reduce your walk to a painful shuffle. The
first step in dealing with this condition is a reduction in distance and intensity,
or complete rest, because if you do not reduce the stress on the connective tissue surrounding the
tibia (shin bone), a stress fracture may eventually occur!

 

TOO MUCH TO HANDLE

Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), can be caused by a number of factors, says Johannesburg-based
physiotherapist Toni Hesp, a multiple Comrades and Ironman finisher. These include taking on longer distances too
quickly, using shoes that do not offer enough cushioning, or overloading your
training programme with intense days without allowing enough rest or ‘easy’
days in between.

 

“Anterior shin splints is a condition that presents
with pain on the inside of the shin bone and there is often exquisite
tenderness if pressure is applied along the edge of the shin bone,” she says. “Increased
strain on the bone causes an increase in the bone remodelling process that
occurs naturally and strengthens the bone. However, demineralization of bone
occurs in the first three months of training, while fitness improves after 10
weeks, so runners often increase their intensity just when the bone is at its
weakest.” At this point, increased stress on a weakened bone over a period of
time can ultimately cause a point of weakness that eventually cracks, resulting
in a stress fracture. It is therefore important to allow the bone to adapt to
the stress by following a conservative build-up, with regular rest days, so
that the bone can get stronger without being overstressed.

 

PRONATION PLAYS ITS PART

Increasing your intensity and duration of training can
also put a lot of stress on tendons that aren’t used to absorbing the impact of
the shock of landing so soon. For example, you wouldn’t take on a 10km if you
haven’t done any training whatsoever. Similarly, you may love running hills so
much that you want to tackle hill sessions four times a week, but that’s
putting added strain on those muscles. Excessive pronation and taking on
high-impact, irregular terrain can also be a factor.

 

“Consider the biomechanics of your feet and ensure
that you are wearing the correct running shoes – and if necessary ask a
podiatrist,” says Toni. “High levels of ankle pronation could cause localised
traction on the bone, or the twisting force as the foot rolls inwards could
lead to increased bone stress. Inadequate core muscle strength can also add to
stress on the skeleton and exacerbate the pronation, and core strengthening may
be required.” Toni also suggests that runners can try reducing their stride
length, as a greater stride results in the foot striking the ground with
greater force. The muscles in the front of the leg then have to work harder to
prevent the foot from slapping the ground, and eventually this results in pain
from the increased strain.

 

The bottom line is that you need to assess your
training carefully for any changes in mileage, speed, surfaces or shoes prior
to the onset of the injury. And then it’s all about recovery, with a week or
two to rest, assessing one’s programme to cut intensity or distance, all while
stretching the tibialis anterior (the muscle two-thirds up the shin bone). The following
tips should also help you to overcome your shin splints pain:

?        
Don’t run through the pain. It might come and go, but
it’ll be no help if you keep training like you do. Stress fractures might occur
and you’ll be out longer than you think.

?        
TLC for shins: Massaging and icing your shins can reduce the
inflammation.

?        
Check your shoes! Shoes with worn insoles are a no-no, so try
out a pair with supportive
material on the inside heel-edge of the sole.

?        
Mix it up: If your shins are burning on the run, rather focus on
creating some fitness off the road. Swimming or cycling doesn’t tax your shins
as much as going for a run every day.

?        
Build it up: If you have a goal distance in mind, then work up to
that distance slowly and efficiently.

 

Wintergreen Ice Spray

As
a commentator on several trail running stage races, I have seen plenty of
tired, sore runners stop for a spray and rub at the Wintergreen Ice station,
because this product is that good. We all know that icing of muscles and joints
has long been advised to help reduce swelling and joint inflammation, so what
better to spray onto sore legs when you’re taking strain in a hard run up a
mountain? Added to that, the minty smell really makes runners perk up. So, the
other day when I was struggling with my calf, I whipped out the Ice Spray,
rubbed the offending muscle a wee bit, and soon I felt good to go again. Another
great idea is to spray it on after a run, to give your muscles an instant
soothing cool-down. – Sean Falconer

 

GET IT: at selected
Alpha Pharmacies, Cycle Labs & sports stores. More info: www.wintergreen.co.za or
[email protected].

 

 

Rush Endurance Bar or
Training Bar

Ancient
Ican warriors ate the maca root for stamina. In Born to Run, chia seeds are hailed as the food of choice if
stranded on a desert island. And the Amazonian camu camu fruit is
extraordinarily high in vitamin C. RUSH endurance bars contain all three, added
to Spirulina and Quinoa and other high-fibre, low GI ingredients for a natural
boost that will help you perform better in your chosen sport. The bars make an ideal
snack on the go – easy to chew, but the dates, almonds and gluten-free oats
also provide a satisfying crunch! It’s not sickly sweet, and it’s free of eggs,
dairy, wheat, gluten, preservatives and refined sugar, thus giving your body
and mind an extremely healthy option to fuel your sport. Also available in a
Training Bar that is slightly higher in fibre and protein. – Lauren van der Vyver

 

GET IT: R150 for a
box of 10 bars at www.in2sports.co.za. (See page 31 for more details about
limited offer sprint deals with a superb discount.)

 

 

K-Way Kamit Moistre-Manager Tee

All right, I will admit it, I was first drawn to the Kamit by its colour
– just love this blue! But once I had it on and was running in it, I saw
exactly why K-Way-sponsored trail running star AJ Calitz raves about this
shirt, both for training and racing. The moisture-wicking properties are very
effective in keeping you dry and comfy, but then you add the Cool Touch
microfibre technology that actually slows the speed at which the fabric heats
up, thus keeping you cooler for longer. Yes, you will still get hot, but I
definitely feel cooler for longer in this shirt. Also, since I am not exactly
the tallest, most visible runner, I always appreciate reflective logo
detailing, so that I feel more visible and safer when it gets darker and I am
still out running. – Sean Falconer

 

GET IT: R199 from all
Cape Union Mart stores. More info at www.capeunionmart.co.za.

 

 

Tom Cottrell’s Cyclists’ Guide 2014

As a keen cyclist, I love
paging through the Cyclists’ Guide, because it shows you all the route
profiles, so that you know what to expect on your races, which allows you to
plan ahead, not only in terms of racing strategy, but also feeding strategy. It
really is a very informative book, and one that I simply cannot do without each
year – I now have the latest one on my desk and the previous five on the
bookshelf! Also, as somebody who been mostly a roadie up till now, I appreciate
that the road and mountain biking races are split per province, making the
guide easier to use… but that said, I have just started mountain-biking, so
being able to find the beginner-friendly courses is a real bonus for me. – Nicole De Villiers

 

GET IT: R180 at www.in2sports.co.za,
the exclusive online retail partner to Tom Cottrell’s Guide Book Publications.