Category: Columns

Nowadays the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is one of
the biggest and most popular ultra-marathons in South Africa, but back in the
early 1970s, it was still just a fledgling event that had begun life as a
training run for Cape Town runners ahead of the Comrades Marathon. But there
were no runners of colour, thanks to the then Apartheid laws governing the
country, and no women took part either, because women were generally considered
too frail to run marathons, let alone ultra’s.

 

But attitudes soon began to change, and in 1974
Theresa Stadler of Spartan Harriers became the first female Two Oceans entrant.
She finished in 7:33, missing the six-hour cut-off by a wide margin, but her
participation inspired other women to follow her example, including her
clubmate Ulla Paul, who had seconded her on the day. “I was allowed to enter in
1975, but we all had to run a qualifying marathon under three hours 45 minutes.
I ran 3:47 in the Durbanville Marathon, but then the following Saturday UCT
arranged another marathon, and I decided nothing ventured, nothing gained, and
finished in 3:40,” says Ulla.

 

ONLY WOMAN

That saw the petite housewife and mother of three, as
she was eloquently referred to in several newspaper articles, line up in 1975
and become the first official female finisher and first women’s winner of the
Two Oceans as she came home in 5:14:51. “I finished 161st out of 212 finishers
and was the only woman in the field. That race just flew by – I can remember
running up Chapman’s Peak Drive with a guy from Rockies Road Runners, singing She’ll be coming round the mountain when she
comes, and I was flying when I hit the finish at Brookside!”

 

That same year she was the only woman in the field at
the Peninsula Marathon, Middelpos Marathon and the inaugural Beaufort West
52km, and then she became the first woman ever to enter the Paarl Rock 16km
race, which according to the newspaper reports, had the ultra-conservative
organising committee pulling their hair out! “No woman had ever dared enter
their event before, but just for the record, I came stone last,” laughs Ulla,
who went on to run a second Two Oceans in 1976, finishing third out of three
women in the field, with a time of 5:58:53.

 

TIME OFF

Ulla’s running career then took an 18-year break
following her divorce, which meant she had to go work fulltime to make money
for her family, working at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. She was in
another relationship after that, but when her partner died of lung cancer in
1994, she decided to rejoin Spartan Harriers. “I felt the time was right to go
back to the road, because I had always been active. I felt like I was in a
different body, and of course the people had all changed, but I quickly got
back into it.”

 

By 1999 she felt ready to take on the Two Oceans
again, 23 years after her last one. “I was nervous about qualifying, but at
least I knew the route, and I finished in 5:49:45. The funniest moment was when
I passed a much younger man going up Constantia Nek and he said, ‘Bloody
walker! Bloody master! Bloody woman! Bloody hell!’ ”

 

She ran the ultra the next five years as well to
finish with eight medals, and gave the Comrades a try twice, but narrowly
missed the halfway cut-off in 2000 and in 2003 had to bail because she was not
feeling well. She also did four 100km races, with a best time of 14:16, four
Toyota 50km ultra’s, and several 80km Big Walks, with a best of 11:34

 

STILL
CRUISING

These days, at a sprightly 69, Ulla is still to be
seen out on the roads just about every weekend, doing races up to 21km, and
even lining up for 5km fun runs if the official race distance is too long for
her or the cut-off is too tight. “I mostly do power walking, with a bit of
running, although some days I feel like I’ve done a marathon when I do a half!
I also love the cross-country races, and I just like to be part of races every
weekend.”

I have heard so much about Backward Running, but I’m not even sure what
it is and if it is fact or fiction? JOSHUA, MIDRAND

ANSWER

Backward Running has
numerous benefits, which include burning one third more calories than forward
running. It also develops better balance and stamina, works the quadriceps
muscles more than forward running, improves flexibility and reduces the risk of
injuries to the patello-femoral joint. Other benefits include improved leg
speed and better performance, improved posture, as well as your enhanced senses.
Also, you can still run while you are injured. It’s also stated that the volume
of muscle active per unit of force applied to the ground is 10% greater when
running backwards than forwards.

 

Normal forward running
contracts your quadricep and hamstring muscles mainly concentrically (muscles
shorten during the contraction for force-production phase of running) and
eccentrically (muscles elongate for muscle recovery phase) at specific points
in your stride. In contrast, backward running works your muscles concentrically
in the recovery phase and mainly eccentrically in the force-production phase at
opposite points of your strides. Eccentric contractions cause more muscle
damage and need a longer time period for recovery, but increase the muscle mass
and strength. The benefit of training eccentrically is that when you go back to
the conventional forward running, your stability will be improved because of
the muscles being trained in the opposite way.

 

A study at the University of Stellenbosch showed that backward running
actually improves your cardiovascular fitness. Backward runners were found to
have significantly decreased their oxygen consumption, therefore improving
aerobically and losing 2.5% body fat.

 

However, be warned, there
are also some dangers involved in backward running, the most obvious being that
you can’t see anything in your path. Turning your head around will reduce the
chances of falling or losing your balance, but could lead to running much
slower as well as risk neck strains. But taking all things into consideration,
my final verdict is that it is more fact than fiction!

–

 

70.3 is done. What now?

I’ve
just completed my very first Half Ironman 70.3. It was such a great event, but
what now? Do I keep on training, and if so, what should I focus on? And when is
it advisable to make the transition to full Ironman? – JESSICA, ESTCOURT

 

ANSWER

Congratulations on finishing a very tough event! If
you are new to triathlon, then I would certainly wait until next year before
tackling the full Ironman. It can and has been done, but is not advisable.
Rather become a more accomplished triathlete at the shorter distances before
moving up. The triathlon calendar for the next few months includes a number of
Standard Olympic as well as Half Ironman distance events. Go to www.triathlonsa.co.za for
details of upcoming events.

 

I would resume training after about a week to 10 days
of rest or easy training, and aim to do a standard triathlon in February and
perhaps then a Half Ironman race in March. I am not sure what training you did
for 70.3, but my suggestions would be to do six to nine sessions per week (two to
three of each sport):

?        
Run: One long run, one medium run
and one faster run.

?        
Bike: One long ride, one tempo/time
trial session and one easy spin.

?        
Swim: One or two pool sessions, plus
an open water swim.

?        
Don’t forget to include a ‘brick’
bike/run session every 10 to 14 days!

?        
Lastly, have fun!

 

Excel-lence in
a Shoe

Asics Gel Excel
33

 

Asics has chosen not to follow the
currently popular minimalist trend. Instead producing a barefoot-like shoe with
no height difference between the heel and forefoot, Asics has introduced the Excel
33, which is recommended for runners
with neutral feet looking for a lightweight, flexible shoe that’s
protective enough for high-mileage training and races.

 

The midsole is thinner than usual on
Asics shoes, but there is still a slight drop from heel to forefoot, which
Asics believes is the best biomechanical position for your foot to reduce the
load on the Achilles, calf and hamstring. The midsole cushioning is supplied by
two different foam materials and visible Gel cushioning units in the heel and
forefoot, while another key feature is the Propulsion Trusstic plastic bridge that
extends from the arch into the forefoot.

 

On the road, the first impression
was of a soft, smooth ride, but even better, the shoes feel like they want you
to get up on your toes and go faster, which is what minimalist shoes claim to
do. This is largely due to the bridge – you can clearly feel its bouncy snap-back
strength when you flex the shoe – so you’re getting the overall forefoot
workout (and benefits) of the minimalist approach, but with a bit more
cushioning and support. Which means you can run further in the Excels than you
would in a minimalist shoe, if your feet are used to a bit more cushioning and
support.

 

Weight: 283 grams RRP: R1299 Available from: Sportsmans Warehouse, Totalsports, Runner Group,
Sweat Shop and other independent stores.

 

From Footie to
Flyer

Adidas
adizero F50.2

 

The F50 is a popular football boot worn by big names like three-time World
Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi of Argentina, so when adidas brought out a
running shoe with the same name, it naturally led to some confusion. The reason
for the same name is that the new running shoe is developed from the footie
boot.

 

One of the key design features is
the Sprint Frame, where the midsole rubber has been moulded to wrap up around
the heel and increase stability and power transfer from toe to heel. But it’s
the superb cushioning and smooth ride of the shoe that you notice when you run
in them, and the roomy feel of the shoe. They just feel so right when you’re
going at a fast pace, and even at a slower pace, they offer a comfortable and
responsive ride. Also, while the upper may look solid and ‘hot’, it is
ultra-breathable – a quick peak inside will show you how ventilated it really
is.

 

During wear-testing, the shoe’s snap-back
propulsion in the midfoot was really impressive, thus really giving you a
spring in your stride. Lets just say these babies were built to go fast! So we
recommend the F50 for faster-paced normal to mild pronators looking for fast
training shoes or racing shoes. It’s a lightweight racing shoe, so don’t buy it
for long distance training and running ultras.

 

Weight: 238 grams RRP: R1199 Available from: adidas Concept Stores, Sweat Shop and select other
retailers.

When
Harmony Gold announced towards the end of 2007 that it would be withdrawing
from road running, it left hundreds of Harmony club runners around the country
unsure of the future, leading to many moving to other clubs – and not only the
elite athletes in the Harmony stable, but also many of the weekend warriors. Soon,
however, a new sponsor arrived on the scene to breathe life into the old
Harmony clubs, as the new Nedbank Running Clubs were established countrywide –
and this happened just in time for the Cape Town branch, which had dwindled to
just 21 members.

 

“Only a handful of the old Harmony club members remained.
Slowly but surely more competitive athletes joined the club and the current 156
members reflects not only diversity in terms of race, but also a wide
geographical spread across the Cape
Peninsula,” says Nedbank
Cape Town club chairman Wilby Steenkamp. “There is also a healthy balance
between top athletes, regular age group podium finishers and a solid, social
group who run 20 or more races per year. It took some hard work in hosting
regular functions and being with the gazebo at bigger races to attract new
members, but we are still growing.”

 

Today there are 11 Nedbank road running clubs and three development clubs
around the country, and many of the country’s top runners are part of the
national Nedbank Green Dream Team, including Zintle Xiniwe and Nkosinathi Madyo
of the Cape Town branch, while Bulelwa Simae is part of the Green Dream Team Development
Squad. Zintle, in particular, has been flying the club’s flag high in the last few
years, finishing runner-up in the past two SA Half Marathon Champs races, representing
South Africa several times, and doing well in the Spar Women’s 10km Grand Prix.
All regular podium finishers in the club are assisted with kit, race entries,
transport, and more.

 

CATERING FOR ALL

While
the elite runners have brought the Nedbank clubs many accolades since 2008, the
focus is just as much on the weekend warriors, so the Cape Town branch offers hill
sessions and track training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at
Bellville High School, led by club member Danie Nienaber, who has more than 25
years’ running experience. A 5km time trial is held every second and fourth
Thursday of the month from February to December, also at the high school.

 

On the social front, the club holds Member of the Month functions every
last Thursday of the month, including the end-of-year ‘Kom en Kry Braai’ for
the annual club awards function, and the club gazebo with refreshments is taken
to the 12 races that form part of the Club Challenge, in which members must
participate to qualify for an incentive award of free club clothing or a
togbag. The gazebo also goes to the big women’s races, while a marquee tent
serving hot meals is provided for Nedbank members at Two Oceans and Comrades.
Speaking of the Big C, the Cape Town branch holds a pre-Comrades pasta party
the Tuesday before the race.

 

TEAM SPIRIT

Another highlight on the calendar is when the club enters teams in local
relay events such as the ATC Sunset and Maties 1-Hour events, with both
competitive and social teams entered. At the most recent ATC Sunset Relay,
Nedbank Cape Town took line honours in both the men’s and women’s categories.
The club also puts on one race a year, the Cape Gate 10km in October, starting
and finishing at the Cape Gate Mall and offering a relatively fast and flat
course.

 

“One
of the best parts of the Nedbank club set-up is the national website, where
members of all branches can get their results. We submit the weekend’s results
by 10am each Monday so that they can be uploaded, and a weekly mailer is sent
out with results as well,” says Wilby. “We also use SMS messages to communicate
with members, because it is much easier to reach everybody. But it takes about
two years to get some members not to reply to a bulk SMS sent from our website,
as we cannot see replies. Then we hear people saying ‘But I responded to your
SMS the same day!’ ” he laughs.

Contact:

Wilby
Steenkamp (Chairman) 084 200 4588

E-mail:
[email protected]

Website: www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za

Facebook: Nedbank
Running Club Cape Town

One of the most common afflictions to affect
endurance athletes is cramping of the muscles in the thoracic (ribcage) and
abdominal regions. This is particularly true for runners, due to the excessive
jarring in this area. Not only are the causes misunderstood, but there are no
effective short-term ‘treatments’ other than some debatable (although often
effective) methods.

 

Cramping, which is muscular in origin, can affect
both skeletal muscle, particularly the stitch that occurs in the chest region,
as well as smooth muscle, such as in the large intestine (causing bloating,
pain and so-called ‘runners gut’).

 

CRAMPING IN THE RIBCAGE

In the chest, the cause of cramping is normally
fatigue or poor conditioning of the intercostal muscles between the ribs.
During the run, these muscles have two important jobs:

?        
Allow full and effective
respiration.

?        
Assist with postural and
movement control of the chest and thorax.

 

This is why stitches are so common at the beginning
of a training programme, or after a lengthy lay-off. The intercostals have
become de-conditioned and fatigue sets in early – the muscles react to the
overload by causing a painful cramp as they run out of energy, normally on the outer
sides, where these muscles are most active.

 

The cramping will subside when you stop or slow
down, and oxygen and fuel reserves within the muscle return to normal.
Stretching can help, if you need to keep going, but is not a permanent fix. In
the long term, development of correct core stability, postural control and
breathing mechanics during the run are required to prevent this affliction.

 

CRAMPING ELSEWHERE

Cramping elsewhere is likely due to another reason.
Discomfort and pain in the centre of the chest can often be due to heartburn. If
it occurs on the upper left side of the chest and spreads to the left arm or
neck, and you have a history of cardiovascular issues and poor physical
condition, this may be a form of angina or a cardiac event. Seek medical
assistance before continuing!

 

Cramping in the lower abdominal region is normally
associated with disturbances of the gastro-intestinal tract. The major causes
are:

?        
Poor diet: Cramping is mainly a response to protect the large intestine from
damage due to jarring and excessive movement, particularly if there is a large
amount of heavy food and fluid in the colon prior to the run. The solution is
to eat appropriately prior to training and racing.

?        
Poor physical
condition: Correct core stability and
abdominal strength reduce the jarring and vibration of the abdominal contents.
Correct posture whilst running, as well as all-round function of the joint
stabilisers and a running style that reduces the up-and-down movement of the
body will also help.

 

WHO IS MOST AFFECTED?

It occurs with increased incidence in older
runners, as the abdominal membranes that keep everything together get more
relaxed as you age. The colon responds to this extra movement by trying to
remove the ‘offending’ items. Peristalsis (the rhythmical contraction of the
smooth muscle around the intestines) goes into overdrive, which manifests as
painful cramping. In addition, the body also increases the amount of fluid in
the colon to assist with the removal of the irritation, which can increase the
risk of dehydration in hot conditions.

 

In many cases the result of cramping is a
diarrhoea-like condition, and the cramping can continue for long after the
session or race. In many cases you can try to soldier on in immense discomfort,
but may have to end or modify the training session, or pull out of the race.

 

UNSTITCHING THE STITCH

?        
Eat and drink wisely in the
four to six hours prior to your run.

?        
Reduce acidity levels in
your diet, and improve the microbial flora in the system.

?        
Maintain normal fluid
intake during the run (don’t over-hydrate).

?        
Improve your all-round
strength and core stability.

?        
Reduce body mass and body
fat levels if they are excessive.

?        
Work on correct running
posture and style.

?        
Don’t go out too hard, as
this will likely start off the disturbances.

?        
Reduce the frequency of
hard runs, and make use of alternative exercise (such as cycling) to allow the
system to recover in between.

?        
If the above solutions
don’t improve the condition, seek medical advice.

 

Zac holds a Bachelor of
Physical Education degree as well as a Master of Science degree in Medicine
(Exercise Physiology). He has worked extensively with both local and
international athletes and teams, and is the founder and co-owner of Exercise
Solutions at the Morningside Centre for Sports Medicine in Johannesburg.

Dr Sibongiseni
Dhlomo is a man of action. This is clear from the word go when requesting an
interview with the man who runs the state of health affairs in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Not an easy task for
anyone, as KZN is the province with the highest HIV prevalence in the country. But
in spite of the busyness that inevitably goes with the job, Dr Dhlomo responds
the same day to a request for an interview and within days the interview is
done and dusted!

 

GETTING IT DONE

The budget
for health in KZN could be reduced by far and the money rather used elsewhere
if he could convince everyone in KZN about the the value of exercise, says Dr
Dhlomo, a passionate athlete and advocate for raising the quality of lives of
ordinary people in KZN. In the past, he has continually
referred to a study done in United
States which claims that for every R1 spent
on the promotion of physical activity, there is a saving of R100 in medical
expenditure on non-communicable diseases.

 

Health and
sport have been a way of life for him throughout his life and career. He
excelled in the field of medicine at the University of Natal before pursuing
further studies in psychology and sociology, as well as attaining post-graduate
accolades in public health and strategic and project management. He has practised
as a medical practitioner, owned his own medical practice, served as an
academic at the University
of KwaZulu-Natal and
implemented various successful health projects.

 

“My
proudest moments in the field of medicine were seeing patients that had lost
hope, recovering, and seeing relatives of patients appreciate the help we gave
them. As MEC some of my proudest moments include running a successful male
medical circumcision campaign and seeing the KZN Department of Health reducing the
mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 21% to less than 3% in 2011.”

 

PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH

He is a
firm believer in the important of exercise, not only to reach individual
sporting goals, but most importantly because of the health benefits it brings.
“Not only does one delay the onset of non-communicable disease such as
hypertension, diabetes, cancers and arthritis, but if you already have these
diseases, you can reduce the treatment thereof because your body starts
rejuvenating itself through exercise.”

 

Dr Dhlomo is a man who likes a challenge and last year he
took on his very first Comrades Marathon after a businessman
in Newcastle dared him, saying that if he did so
he would donate a science laboratory to Sekusile
High School in Newcastle. Dr Dhlomo took on the challenge,
and also decided that he would run his very first Comrades in aid of charity. He
finished in 12:20 and did not make the cut-off, but the science laboratory was still
donated to the school and all four chosen charity projects received moneys
raised.

 

Dr Dhlomo
is a proud member of Phuma Nathi Athletic Club and is up at 5am every morning
to fit his run in. “I only train once a day, in the morning, but I make sure I
do it regularly. It keeps me stress- and disease-free, fit, and very
importantly, helps me to concentrate on my work. I am determined to go back to
Comrades this year and am hoping to make it!”

Nearly 20 years have passed since
she won the Comrades Marathon in 1993, but not much has changed for Tilda
Tearle. With her slight figure and trademark ponytail blonde hair, Tilda is
still a regular face at road running events in KwaZulu-Natal, her home province. Most
noticeable in all of Tilda’s achievements over the last 20 years was her attitude
towards running long distances, and this was her supreme asset. Today she still
runs for the pure love of it. Running is her daily prescription, and hers
remains a face that inspires young runners to keep going.

 

RUNNING HABITS

In every
photograph of Tilda Tearle through the decades, she has been pictured running
with her iconic blonde ponytails or plaits – a big-race routine. “It is such a
habit that I feel uncomfortable if I tie my hair up any other way,” she
explains. She has other habits, too, like running with her trusted hankie –
without it, she feels completely lost. On a training run before a competitive
race, she wears her intended race socks and if it’s not a good run, she won’t
run in them come race day. She’ll keep trying out different pairs of socks to
find the perfect match. Everything has to be tried and tested! And before a big
race, Tilda has a cup of filter coffee, saying that she would feel distressed
without it.

 

Clearly it’s
worked for her. Running the Comrades 26 times, Tilda has captured three gold
medals, but it should be pointed out that only the top three or five women got
gold in those days, and she actually finished in the top 10 for 10 consecutive
years from 1986 to 1995. Her progress up the Comrades rankings in the
90s was highlighted by her cautious pacing, leaving her legs strong for the
last stretch. That saw her place fourth in 1990, followed by
third in 1991 and second in 1992, and she started the 1993 race as the
favourite.

 

“I just had
to come first in 1993. I remember the day quite well. I had a virtually
problem-free run. I didn’t take the lead until Cowies Hill, with 16km to go. Up
to there I had been coming second, but had paced myself conservatively so had
what I needed to run hard from there,” Tilda explains. Clutching a rose in her hand,
Tilda crossed the finish line in a time of 6:55:07, more than five minutes
ahead of Rae Bisschoff.

 

Tilda remembers Durban’s local support and feels that
spectator support is crucial to keep you going. She also remembers her husband
Clive, who was also running the Comrades in 1993, stopping in Kloof just to
watch her cross the finish line on a roadside television before he carried on to
finish later on.

 

CELEBRATING
IN BUBBLES

A day after the Comrades win, a photograph
of Tilda and Clive appeared on the front page of the Daily News. But it was no ordinary running photograph showing Tilda’s
ponytails, nor her elation at the finish line. “The photographer had phoned and
asked if he could come and take a few pictures at our home. He decided to do
the picture as something a bit different,” she explains. So Tilda and Clive
were pictured together in a bubble bath – a memory that still sticks with many.
“To this day, people say ‘I remember you in the bubble bath’.”

 

STARTING OUT

Tilda started
running in 1983 and ran her first Comrades a year later. “There
was a guy in the office where I worked who was running Comrades in 1983. He was
always on about it! I then said to him that I would start running and run it
the following year. He was quite sceptical about it, but after a few months he
realised that he had competition,” says Tilda. He took her to join Savages Athletic
Club in Durban,
and she has been a member ever since. A year later, Tilda beat her office colleague
by a full hour-and-a-half in the 1984 Comrades.

 

Since then, Tilda has had an
enduring love-affair with the world’s biggest ultra-marathon and enjoys the solidarity
and friendships formed through the sport. ”I believe it is a privilege to run
Comrades. The race is also a great leveller. It can make grown men cry!” she
says. Tilda will be running her 27^th Comrades this year and wants to
make it to 30.

 

THE
RUNNING DRUG

Due to injury in 1997 and 1998,
Tilda couldn’t compete in any running events, which was problematic for her
lifestyle, “It was difficult. I enjoy running and can honestly say that I enjoy
training for Comrades. I run many races leading up to Comrades and love the
camaraderie amongst runners. I run nearly every day of my life. It is my daily
drug.”

 

In her heyday, Tilda was running
5000km a year. Now, she runs around 3000km a year and takes races as they come.
“I have probably run once around the world! I am not really competitive
anymore. There are a few runners I like to beat, but just for the fun of it.
Luckily I have been blessed with a pair of legs that are still going well after
all these years,” she says.

 

While the Comrades has been her main
focus, Tilda also came second in the Two Oceans Marathon in 1993, ran her best
marathon time of 2:48 at the old Ford Marathon in Durban, has always enjoyed
the Hillcrest Marathon, as recently discovered a new love for trail races,
notably at the Umhlanga Festival. She says she started running trail runs
organised by Buzz Bolton last year and loves the ‘toughness’ they give a runner.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed crossing rivers, running in the bush and on the
beach. It is challenging but makes a nice change from tar roads,” she says.

 

TILDA’S
TOUCH

To run marathon after marathon,
you need an expert’s advice and the will of a champion. For Tilda, fitness
throughout the years was never an issue training-wise. It was all about
preparation to get used to the distance. “Before, I will run a few 21km races
to give me a bit of speed. I may run a 32km training run and then on the day of
the 42km, I try and run two even halves,” she says.

 

And to all those who want to
compete year
in and year out? “Treat Comrades with respect. Train properly. Do lots
of long runs and on the day start slowly. If you don’t have a health problem or
are not too overweight, then you can run. Maybe not Comrades at first, aim for
something shorter. You may surprise yourself.”

 

Tilda and Clive live in Berea, Durban,
and will celebrate their 33^rd anniversary this year. They enjoy
travelling, running together and going out for dinners. For the past 11 years,
Tilda has worked as a personal assistant for an advocate and has never been a
full-time athlete. Aside from her passion for running, Tilda is focusing on her
fitness in swimming her 15^th Midmar Mile this year.. She also enjoys
reading, watching foreign films and oil painting.

 

“I always say ‘running is an
adult playground.’ I am not really competitive anymore and was happy to sew the
‘50’ age tags onto my running vest. I now have an excuse to run slower, no
questions asked. And the group I run with at Regent Harriers in Durban North call
ourselves the TAFTA Express” she explains, jokingly named after the welfare
organisation The Association For The Aged. Despite Tilda’s age, her love of
running has not wilted and her enthusiasm for the sport remains.

Ever since I started running some eight years ago, I’ve enjoyed the sport so much and always will. But in order to get more out of the sport, you need to set yourself reasonable goals, and to achieve them, you need a training programme that will work for you.

I asked running friends which programme to use and every time one sentence popped up: “Try Dave Spence’s programme”. So I did, and from day one I knew that apart from hard work, perseverance and self-belief, you have to trust the programme you use.

After a silver at my very first Two Oceans Ultra in 2006, I thanked the late Dave, who was so grateful for the feedback that his programme worked for me. Every year I still set myself goals, and when I achieve them, the memory of Dave lives on. Thank you, Dave, for leaving us with so much of your knowledge to help us achieve our goals. – PAUL CONRADIE

Hooked on Running
I ran my first ever race last night! Bit miffed, ‘cause I didn’t win, but hey, I didn’t come last either. At first I was a bit nervous, as I only made the decision to run in the afternoon after Linda from Boksburg Athletic Club suggested I run. (Thank you, Linda, I am so glad I took your advice.) Just before leaving for the race, my son-in-law, Mark, said he would run with me, and that made everything a tad more exciting and enjoyable. Thank you, Mark.

When we got to Benoni Northerns, the atmosphere was electric. All the officials were friendly and so were the athletes, especially the Boksburg athletes who made me feel like one of the ‘family’. At the start we ended up somewhere in the middle of the group. If I had known there were so many good-looking chicks that run, I would have started 50 years ago!

The start was slow and I walked for a few minutes before I embarked on my jog, walk, stumble style of what I euphemistically call running. I was drawn along by the crowd and ran longer than I normally do before entering the stumbling stage. I was enjoying everything so much that I even forgot to breathe heavily.

Mark had gone ahead – I don’t think he can run as slowly as I do, it is a real art! Coming onto the field at the finish was just as exciting, with all the lights, people shouting and knowing that I was participating and not just a spectator.

Well, I am more than hooked on running now. I just wish I had much bigger lungs and stronger legs, but they will come! – IAN, a 68-year-old cancer survivor who climbed Kilimanjaro two years ago, after 3? years of cancer treatment.

Roll on Two Oceans!
I started running at the beginning of this year. At first it was a minute running and  five minutes of walking until I finished my ‘block.’ Gradually I improved and then started a 10km running programme.

When my hubby ran the 2011 Two Oceans Half Marathon, I did the 5km Fun Run and made it my goal to run the Two Oceans Half in 2012. I have since done twelve 10km races. Two weeks ago I started a 21km training programme and today I entered the Two Oceans Half Marathon.

I’m seeded in group E, but who cares, I’m actually going to be doing it, and of course, I just had to order the T-shirt so I can say “been there, done that, got the T-shirt.” However, this won’t be my last Two Oceans Half, although I’m pretty sure I will never do the Ultra. (Note the ‘pretty sure.’) – CAROL WARD, BOTHASIG

When you find yourself in the middle of a conversation between a group of paddlers and runners, you soon realise that bantering between these two disciplines is almost part and parcel of both sports. After all, runners believe paddling is a downhill sport, while running requires a far more superior fitness level than paddling. Either way, at FLCC paddlers and runners have found the best of both disciplines.

PADDLES AND RUNNING SHOES
FLCC has about 80 canoeing members and also has a running section with a further 70-odd members. It often happens that runners join FLCC just to belong to a nearby running club, but after hearing about all the big adventures on big waters, they soon join their paddling brothers and sisters.

Similarly paddlers have in many cases given in to the ease of running and the fitness level it brings, and started swapping their paddles for running shoes as a means of cross-training, says Jennie Dallas, club captain of FLCC.

HOW THE CLUB STARTED
When the late Mike Wilmot, a well-known West Rand athlete, multiple Comrades runner and Dusi canoeist, arrived in Johannesburg from Durban in the late seventies, he formed the canoeing club. In 1995, Glen Tippett founded the running section of the club, having been a member of both the canoe club and a local nearby running club, to enable runners who were also canoeists to join one club for both activities and avoid paying for two club memberships as well as buying two different sets of club clothing.

The running club therefore started with only one member, until Steve Buck joined. Today the club has close to 70 running members, and a third of them have entered for this year’s Comrades Marathon, including seven novices.

CLUB COLOURS
The Canoe Club’s Running Section has its own colours, its own club runs, breakfast runs as well as social gatherings, although there are many intertwined activities available. And of course, the club’s runners are frequently teased by other runners or bystanders at races with chirps indicating they have forgotten their paddles or their boats!

The Canoe Club colours are turquoise and navy with a touch of cerise pink to tie in the independent relationship with its sister club, Florida Running Club. Although the two clubs are totally separate entities, they support each other’s activities, time trials and socials, and assist at each other’s races when required.

TIME TRIALS
Canoe time trials start on Wednesdays at 17:45 at Florida Lake. It is not uncommon to see a number of paddlers, especially those training for the Dusi, running with their boats on their shoulders, then hopping back into the lake for a paddle leg, says Jennie.

The running section does not have its own specific time trial, because with three running clubs in the West Rand area as well as numerous other time trials available near to members’ work areas throughout Gauteng, there has been no need to establish another one.

FITNESS LEVELS
Though runners have generally superior fitness levels to most social paddlers, elite paddlers don’t have to stand a single pace back for their running brethren. Top paddlers need to be super fit and push their cardiovascular systems to the max when portaging.

Many runners at the club have found that paddling gives them a break from the everyday jarring on their bodies and provides a terrific cross-training workout, while paddlers have found running builds their cardio systems, says Jennie.

GETTING THE YOUTH INVOLVED
FLCC consists of a youth section where kids as young as under-8 can participate. On top of that, novices and kids from the community are encouraged to become involved in paddling through Jennie’s youth programme held on Sundays. She teaches them basic paddling skills and hopes to instill in them a love of water and paddling through these lessons.

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS
The Running Section of Florida Lake Canoe Club has not yet had its first prize-giving, as the numbers in previous years have been too small to warrant such a function, but with the increasing growth in the club (and large number of entries in this year’s Comrades), this is bound to change soon. The club’s Comrades achievers have in the past been recognised at the FLCC prize-giving with awards for the best combined times achieved for the Dusi and Comrades as well as the Fish River and Comrades .

So, whether you’re a runner or a paddler, FLCC is definitely worth a visit when you’re in the area. Who knows, you might just fall in love with a new discipline.

CONTACT DETAILS
Address: Western Shore, Florida Lake Boat club, Eisteddford Lane, off Hamburg Road, Florida Lake, Johannesburg, Gauteng
More info:
• Lauren Tippett (Running Club Coordinator) 082 550 8794
• Jennie Dallas (Club Captain) 082 857 8571
• Dennis Carlse (Chairman) 072 417 1471

Yokohama Women’s Marathon, Yokohama, Japan, 20 November

I was very excited when I received a late invitation to compete in the third Yokohama Women’s Marathon. For the first time, I was really looking forward to run this distance. At my previous two marathons, in Prague and at the World Championships in Daegu, I was very scared, as I did not know what to expect.

GETTING THERE
After 17 hours of travelling from Johannesburg, I arrived at Tokyo airport, where I was met by a chauffeur with white gloves and a suit. He drove me to my hotel in Yokohama where the organisers gave me a very warm welcome. I went straight for a massage to get the long flight out of my body and was treated to a 90-minute full body massage. Definitely my best sports massage ever!

That afternoon I went for a shake-out run to explore Yokohama and was very surprised to see how much the Japanese like their dogs – as pets, of course. Everybody walks around with a highly pedigreed dog wearing a jersey.

PRE-RACE PR
The next day, the organisers helped me overcome my jetlag by keeping me busy all day. I joined Salina Kosgei from Kenya and Alevtina Ivanova from Russia for a primary school visit. This was really one of the highlights of the trip, with 600 kids waving Kenyan, Russian and South African flags to welcome us. They sang a friendship song and wished us good luck for the race, and then we ended the day with an exercise session, and in the end I think I enjoyed the day more than the kids!

My agent Brendan Reilly arrived from the USA on Thursday evening and we had dinner at an Italian restaurant, as I was not brave enough to try any Japanese food as yet. Saturday I was under ‘hotel-arrest’ for the whole day because of severe rain, but in the afternoon, after our technical meeting, I faced the storm outside for another shake-out run to calm the nerves. I had dinner, mixed my energy drinks in my own designer water bottles and went to bed.

THE BIG DAY
Race day arrived and I had to force myself out of bed at 8am. I was very relieved when I looked through the window to see clear blue skies. The weather forecast for the day was 24?C and 66% humidity, not ideal for a marathon starting at 12:10 in the afternoon, but better than the severe rain we experienced the day before. I knew it was in my favour, as I had been training in 30?C temperatures in October, and my bad experience in the severe heat and humidity at the World Champs was also counting for me. That made me realise that a bad run only makes you stronger.

I was one of seven invited athletes from abroad, but only ranked 18th in the race, so I didn’t feel any pressure. My coach, Gerrie Coetzee and I decided that I would run a conservative race and stick to my own race plan of running 3:30 to 3:35min/km. It took a lot of self discipline, especially when a Japanese runner running in a skirt passed me after one kilometre! The course was pretty flat and we went out for 13km and back, passed the start for a 6km loop, before we passed the start again for the last 10km, which was 5km out and back.

The 25km mark haunted me, as this was where I lost contact with the leaders in Daegu. I clocked the fastest 5km split (17:27) of all the runners from 20-25km, and my 5km split from 25-30km was only three seconds slower than that of the leaders. I also feared the 32km mark, as long distance runners know a marathon actually consists of two marathons, the first 32km and the last 10km after hitting the wall, but my last 10km went well. With 8km to go I passed Alevtina and Ethiopian Robe Guta to move into fifth position and I managed to close the gap on the fourth runner from 1:35 with 7km to go, to only 16 seconds at the finish!

I AM A MARATHONER
This was my first pleasant marathon experience and I only had a bad patch after 35km, when I missed my special drink because my bottle slipped out of my hand. The last kilometre was pretty tough, as I got very nauseous, but I won’t go into more details for the sensitive readers. It is only by grace that I broke the 2:30 barrier by a second – and that half a second made a significant difference on my pay cheque!

I have been overwhelmed by everybody’s response and all the messages I have received for running a sub-2:30 marathon. I must confess, this was the last shot I gave myself at the marathon, as I was seriously considering returning to the track, but today I am proud to say I’m a 1 500m Olympian turned marathoner!

Ren?’s 2:29:59 was not only a PB by almost five minutes, but also makes her the fourth-fastest South African woman ever, with only Elana Meyer, Colleen De Reuck and Frith van der Merwe having run faster. It’s also the first time a South African woman has ducked under 2:30 since Elana and Colleen both ran 2:27s in the 1999 Chicago Marathon.