Category: Columns

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.

Day 1 saw us completing a circular route which involved some unbelievably steep climbs and descents along the rather technical 27km route. The views were absolutely awe-inspiring and the scenery spectacular.

Day 2 saw the athletes exploring parts of the park not accessible to the public and known fondly as ‘Little Serengeti.’ After cresting the first of many hills (okay, mountains!) to come, we were rewarded with wide expanses of open grassland teeming with herds of black wildebeest, red hartebeest, Burchell’s zebra, eland, baboons and other game. The well-stocked refreshment tables were a welcome relief for all the athletes as they wound their way along the 27km route.

Day 3 involved a 4am start in pitch darkness, requiring us all to run with headlamps. The lightening sky at dawn was surreal as we made our way up to the highest point on the route, just over halfway on the 17km route. The rising sun gave the whole area a warm glow and one felt extremely tiny in the vastness of it all. After admiring the impressive surroundings, the extreme descent back to the start for a celebratory champagne breakfast saw the end of what was a most incredible trail running experience for the whole group.

A race ‘village’ consisting of one-man tents was set up for athletes and a full catering service was provided as well, including a 24-hour snack and coffee bar. A team of physiotherapists was available after each day’s running, and after the rough beating our bodies took on the race course, almost every athlete made use of this superb service!

This trail run is one of the Wild Series events hosted by the Wildlands Conservation Trust, so part of the entry fee goes towards projects promoting the conservation of the endangered Bearded Vulture.

The Indian Ocean Triathlon has to be one of the most beautiful, yet accessible, triathlons in the world. The organisation is a tight collaboration between experienced French race organisers and the local knowledge provided by the Mauritian Triathlon Federation. At this race, the emphasis is not on the winners – there is no prize money – but on every athlete wishing to compete in a triathlon in the most exotic and breathtaking venue imaginable.

The race itself is a fraction longer than an Olympic distance triathlon (1.8km swim, 55km bike, 12km run). Family and partners are most certainly not forgotten, and a special race is held on the Saturday where they can experience, to a lesser degree, what their loved ones do on race day. The event has a holiday vibe, but still attracts the top pro athletes. With only pride at stake, the pros interact freely with all participants, and the organisers arrange group rides, runs and swims.

The swim takes place in the magnificently clear waters of the coral reef. The water is Jacuzzi-warm, and the strong current makes sure that your venture to the first buoys takes twice the time. However, more amusing is the rapid swim, with the current, back to T1. The bike course is considerably more challenging. Yes, Mauritius has hills, but once at the top you are treated to spectacular views of sugar cane fields, followed by a fairly technical descent. The run makes this an exceptional race. Three laps of a loop comprising mostly jeep track and a very ‘amusing’ passage on the beach – a photographer’s dream, but very challenging for tired legs!

The highlight of the race is most certainly the sublime finish line, on the beach, framed with local palms, and the turquoise sea as a backdrop, where you are certain to get one of the best finish line photos ever!

The Indian Ocean Triathlon is certainly a breath of fresh air. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.indianoceantriathlon.com.

I have been running for about two years and have entered the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra 2012. I’ve done about six marathons in two years and finished both in under five hours. Everyone is giving me conflicting advice on what I need to do regarding my training, the use of energy gel’s while running, etc. On marathons I eat jelly babies, drink water and usually have Coke at every second water table from 10km onwards, but this doesn’t always work. I am disciplined enough to run alone so long distance training is not a problem, but please give me some novice advice on training and nutrition to help me cross the finish line at Oceans. – KAREN ERVENS, CAPE TOWN

ANSWER
First off, Karen, congratulations on committing to Two Oceans next year. From the sounds of it, you are a motivated and dedicated individual and I have no doubt that you will cross that finish line. Now, when it comes to the longer distances, nutrition becomes very important and is something you need to work out according to your body and needs. I suggest you chat to a dietician about this. I can, however, suggest that you start eating before a long run (including races) and that you look for a low-GI, slow energy-release product for the races.

In terms of training for the race, there are three key components to training: Quality runs, long runs and rest and recovery (most important). Training breaks down our muscle fibres, whereas rest allows those fibres to repair and grow stronger.

Quality sessions allow us to push a little harder (not flat-out), which takes our minds and bodies to levels we’ve never been before. Sessions like speed work and hill repeats strengthen and build our muscles enabling us to go the distance. Long runs should be run at slower than Two Oceans race pace. This trains the body to use the energy stores efficiently at the pace you’re planning to run the race. It’s pointless running a long run at 21km pace when you’re going to be running Two Oceans at a much slower pace.

Norrie Williamson is the Two Oceans Virtual Coach, and an excellent coach at that. I recommend you follow one of his programmes found on the Two Oceans website.

Modern Athlete Expert
RAY ORCHISON
Ray has run five Comrades Marathons, with a PB of 7:18 last year. He was club captain at Bedfordview Running Club from 2009 to 2011, before he moved on to become captain of the Bedfordview Performance Squad.

Pain in the Back
I’ve recently started running. After training I have experienced slight pain in my upper back that lasts only for about 12 hours. Is this normal while my body adjusts to the impact of running, or am I doing something wrong? I have slight scoliosis and have been informed by my chiropractor that the natural curve of my back is too straight, which causes a build-up of tension over time. So I have to be aware of my posture to reduce the tension. Could this be a reason for my discomfort? – LIEZL MULDER, JOHANNESBURG

ANSWER
Upper back discomfort in new runners or during and after long runs is not uncommon. It is less common during and after shorter training runs, and should settle fairly quickly as you get fitter and stronger. As you say, it takes time for your body to adjust to the impact of running.

The discomfort you are experiencing could be due to weakness of your upper body, resulting in a build-up of tension in your upper back and shoulder region as the muscles fatigue. It could also be due to keeping your arms in the same position for long periods of time. Strengthening your upper body and making sure you drop your arms intermittently and relaxing your arms at your side could assist in reducing the build-up of tension.

Your scoliosis could have an impact on the discomfort, especially if you experience the problem even during shorter runs, and considering that the discomfort you experience can last for as long as 12 hours. The degree of scoliosis is also significant and the larger the curve angle, the more the body will have to compensate, potentially causing greater pain and discomfort.
 
The other two potential causes in your case could be functional or degenerative scoliosis. In a functional type of scoliosis, an abnormal curve develops in a normal spine because of a problem elsewhere in the body. This could be due to one leg being shorter than the other, or because of muscle spasms in the back. The muscle spasm could explain what you describe as your back being “too straight,” where there is a resultant loss of your natural lumbar lordosis. Over a period of time, this would definitely result in back pain. Degenerative scoliosis occurs in older adults caused by changes in the spine due to arthritis, affected by osteoporosis and disc degeneration.

Careful examination is required, followed by the appropriate treatment, including corrective exercises and postural training. 

Modern Athlete Expert
TONI HESP
Physiotherapist in Edenvale, Johannesburg. Has finished 20 Comrades, three Ironmans and two New York Marathons, plus various cycling and canoeing events.

The HD HERO2 was made with people like you and me as well as professional photographers in mind. The 11 megapixel, high-definition camera comes standard with a waterproof housing and a whole host of mounts, straps and arms so you can mount it almost anywhere you want on a run, bike or even swim.

Included in the standard package is a helmet and head strap, a three way pivot arm and several sticky mounts. These mounts give you the actual point-of-view you experience during your ride or run, and you’ll be amazed how many things you miss while out on the road. It makes you wonder how alert you really are when you’re on the road. In terms of comfort, the helmet mount makes your helmet a bit heavier and it feels like it might just slip over your eyes, but it never happened when we tested the unit. When you get used to the extra weight, it shouldn’t bother you any more.

GoPro also supplied me with an extremely comfortable chest mount, and though I enjoyed the change of view from this mount, I think the best view will be recorded from the handlebar/seat post mount. When cycling, the view from the chest mount is mostly limited to your front wheel and a few metres in front of your bike, while the handlebar mount gives you a broader view of your environment. You can also turn the camera on the handlebar to face you, and who doesn’t want to see their own facial expressions as they’re struggling up a hill? This mount is not part of the standard package, though.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
If you can insert a battery, press two buttons and know what a USB port is, Bob’s your uncle! Because the camera is so small, there isn’t space for any complicated buttons or displays. There are four different functions: One still picture at a time, continuous still pictures, delayed still shots and video. To switch between these functions, all you need to do is press the button on the front of the camera and look at the display, it’s all pretty self-explanatory.

You only need some technological know-how if you want to edit your video footage but it really isn’t rocket science. Whether you have the most basic of editing programmes like Windows Movie Maker or more advanced software, the camera is compatible with most editing programmes. It shoots in MP4 mode which gives you high definition footage every time so you can upload your video to the internet to show disbelieving colleagues what you got up to during the weekend.

DO I WANT ONE?
Yes! The GoPro HD HERO2 Camera is a nifty accessory. It’s easy to operate and has the potential to capture priceless moments for the rest of the world to see. It probably won’t improve your PB, but it can make workouts more fun, as you try to make that video just a little more interesting and maybe take the route less travelled. If not that, the motivation to play with it could just get you hitting the trails or the road more often.

The GoPro HD HERO 2 is available from most sport and outdoor shops.
RRP: R3999 – does not include chest or handlebar mount, or memory card.

THE CASE FOR NURTURE
A running environment includes things like having friends and family that are runners, or some type of exposure to running, as well as motivation to run. Men and women don’t show much variation in their motivation to run, but environmental factors play less of a role in men. The reason for this is that women perceive more benefits from running, like having a more toned body and a better mood, whereas if a mother is taking care of children all day and is scared to run at night, she’s likely not going to run.

When looking at different age groups, the 10 to 19-year-olds have the highest motivation to run, because they are still young, full of energy, and don’t have as many responsibilities. We find that 20 to 39-year-old individuals have a little less motivation to run due to a more demanding life in which family, career and time play a role. They are generally still fit and healthy, and recover from injury and illness fairly easily, but there is a decrease in motivation to run as their energy supplies become less. There is, however, a sudden increase in the 60 to 69 category, because this is the average age of retirement, when people find more time to pursue their interests.

An important part of studying the nature vs nurture effect is to look at families. Here we find that there is an extremely strong correlation between the running environment and the motivation to run: The more exposure to a running environment results in an increased motivation to become a runner.

THE CASE FOR NATURE
Looking at genetic factors, several ‘performance genes’ have been identified, notably ACE1 and ACTN3, which play a role in blood pressure and muscle contraction and are assumed to be responsible for elite athletes’ abilities. I took a different approach and rather looked at ‘feel good genes,’ because after a run you generally feel so much happier and less stressed. Many athletes – not just runners – experience a ‘runners high,’ a feeling of euphoria, as if you can go on forever, and this is controlled by dopamine.

When you experience a naturally rewarding feeling, your brain needs to tell your body what is happening. This message is transmitted along your neurons, which don’t physically touch each other, as they are separated by a small gap called a synapse. The dopamine is released from one neuron, travels across the synapse and binds to a receptor on the next neuron, and it is at this point that you feel good. If dopamine has bound to all the receptors and there are no more receptors available, the leftover dopamine is taken back up into storage for future use.

So, I focused on genes involved in these two processes: The first one is called DRD4 and controls the dopamine receptors. The second gene was SLC6A3, also referred to as DAT, which is responsible for the re-uptake of non-bound dopamine. I studied these genes in runners and non-runners alike, and found that both groups have these genes. Now it is highly unlikely that there is one specific gene responsible for a complex trait like running motivation. Instead, it is possibly influenced by a number of genes, each contributing a small amount to the bigger picture. The results could, however, be explained by a newer phenomenon called epigenetics. Rather than looking at whether a gene is inherited, epigenetics looks at whether a gene is turned on or turned off. So it could be that runners and non-runners carry the same genes, with the difference being that the runner’s genes have been turned on by some sort of environmental factor that triggers their motivation to run.

AND THE WINNER IS…
So we see that nurture has the upper hand in motivating us to become runners, but nature can’t be ruled out, and the two usually work together in the process. At the end of the day, the main thing we get from the study is that if you have been brought up in a running environment, then you are more likely to become a motivated runner yourself.

If you ask David Bellairs what is the biggest challenge he faces in his job, you’d expect him to answer something about the logistics involved in putting on the world’s biggest timed cycling race. After all, the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour puts some 35 000 riders onto the Mother City’s roads each year, and entries sell out within days. However, David says his biggest challenge is creating newness in the race.

“What makes the event so successful is that we’re constantly reinventing it to enhance the experience for the riders, so that their first thought when they finish must be ‘I have to come back next year.’ You constantly have to lift the bar – if you lose sight of that, then you start slipping backwards and eventually you can write your event off,” says David.

THE TRUST
The CTCTT is a 50-50 partnership between the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club, who co-present the Argus and two other major cycling races, the Coronation Double Century and the Burger Cycle Tour. The Trust is a non-profit Public Benefit Organisation, so at the end of each year, the two partners split the profits equally for redistribution: The PPA ploughs money back into the sport, while Rotary uses it share to support various charities and causes. The operation now includes an online entries division as well as an electronic timing company, which David says saves them much money and time.

ON THE RUN
David is understandably well known in cycling circles, and has done many races and tours through the years. He manages to fit regular 5am early morning rides into his busy schedule in summer, as well as long rides on the weekends, where he and his mates do traditional coffee stops along the way. However, he says it is running that is really exciting him at the moment.

“My girlfriend Nicki is an avid runner and has just finished the Racing the Planet expedition race in Nepal, so I’m really getting back into it again. I did two or three Knysna Half Marathons some years back, and my proudest moment was my 99:56 PB. Meeting Nicki reignited my passion for running. I find that what takes me three hours to do on the bike, I can do in 45 minutes on my feet, and running in the early morning in winter is so much safer than riding.”

“I rode my 14th Double Century the other day having only done three big training rides in three months, but I had been running three to four times a week, and that allowed me to finish pain-free and comfortable, without cramping. I’m aiming to do the AfricanX trail run event with Nicki next year, and hopefully one of the Racing the Planet roving races after that. I’m completely addicted to running – you get an endorphin rush from cycling, but it’s not the same as running. And I love that I can run a hard 5km and feel shattered but good, whereas I may as well not bother getting changed if I only have time for 20 minutes on the bike.”

FINDING TIME
“I believe that people who say they don’t have time to exercise, don’t want to make the time. There is always time. Life is about balance, and exercising gives me that balance. It allows me to keep fit and healthy and keep my weight down while providing a wonderful way to de-stress and catch up with mates.”

In November 1979, Deon Brummer was sitting on the border while doing his national service, listening to the sport news on a small radio, when he heard that South African middle distance athlete Johan Fourie had run a sub-four-minute ‘Dream Mile.’ It was then that he decided to give running a serious effort once he got back home. “I had run against Johan for the first time in 1977, finished third behind him in the 1500m and 3000m. I decided that if he could do it, so could I. It took me a few years to run 3:56 in PE in November 1984, and that first Dream Mile is one of the highlights of my career. I ended up running 20 sub-fours, which is the second-most by a South African behind Johan’s 53.”

Along with Henning Gericke, Deon and Johan were dubbed the ‘Middle Distance Firm’ in the eighties as they dominated the 1500m and mile events in South Africa. “We became close friends and really ran each other hard. For example, in 1987 I beat Johan in three consecutive mile races, and that spurred him on to set a new 1500m SA record at the SA Champs. He was my toughest opponent, and it felt good when I read here in Modern Athlete that he said I was the only athlete he was scared of.”

GOOD AND BAD
Deon’s competitive career lasted from 1980 to 1994 and included winning the SA 800m title in 1987 and the 1500m titles in 1988 and 1989. He is justifiably proud of the fact that he never finished lower than second in his many national champs races, and says another highlight of his career was earning Springbok colours for the first time. But it was the camaraderie and friendship that remain his favourite memory of those years. “The athletes were like a big, close family and many of us have stayed in touch, so when several of us had kids taking part in the SA Junior Champs three years back, I organised a mini-reunion. Next thing I knew we had 70 or 80 former athletes there – and more sent messages asking why they hadn’t been told about it. It really was a special group, and I’m going to organise another reunion soon.”
 
Deon says the only frustrating aspect of his career was not being allowed to compete internationally during his best years, due to the sporting isolation years, and then being past his best when the country was readmitted to world sport. “Even though I qualified for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, I was not selected, because they didn’t take the older athletes. I did still go run in Europe, but I always found I couldn’t wait to get back to Africa and the wide open spaces.”

It is this love of the wild that prompted Deon to study nature conservation after school, and today he operates a 4×4 safari business called Basecamp Africa Safaris, which specialises in tours to the Namib Desert, Okavango Delta and several other areas. Now 52 years old, he lives in Bloemhof in the North West Province and is also involved in alluvial diamond mining.

RUNNING GENES
These days the Brummer name still features on SA tracks thanks to Deon’s 23-year-old twins Dean and Jean, both of whom have inherited their father’s athletic genes. Dean is currently one of the top-ranked middle distance athletes in the country and aiming for selection for the 2012 London Olympics in the 3000m Steeplechase. Deon, meanwhile, is mountain-biking to keep fit, but says he’s not done with running yet.

After retiring in 1994, he took seven years off, but in 2000 decided to lace up his running shoes again. “One night in a bar, I was told by a Comrades runner that track athletes are ‘slapgat,’ and he challenged me to try run a Comrades silver. So from 2001 to 2003 I did three Comrades and got my silver in the third one, running 6:59:51. Then I picked up a few injuries and retired again. Just recently I have felt like running again. The problem is, soon as I get going, the competitive streak kicks in again…”

DEON’S PBS & RECORDS
1500m – 3:37.00
1 mile – 3:55.42
2000m – 5:04.25

Along with Johan Fourie, Henning Gericke and Matthews Temane, Deon still holds the SA record for the 4x1500m relay, 14:50.82 run in Port Elizabeth in 1984. He also holds the SA Masters records for the fastest 800m in the 30-34 and 35-39 age categories (1:49.60 and 1:49.40 respectively), as well as the 1500m for 35-39 (3:54.04, although he actually ran 3:42 when he was 35 and has been meaning to set that record straight).

Life is interesting, exciting and fulfilling, but short. It is in our own interest to pack as much as we possibly can into it. I realised this after fighting cancer for a number of years. In the fourth year of my fight I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and now in my sixth year, at age 68, I am going to run the Comrades Marathon. How exciting for me!

I’ve realised you can do whatever you truly want to do, but how many of us truly want to achieve and savour life to the full? Do not allow yourself to waste the precious gift of life. Toss the couch potato lifestyle and live! As your great mag clearly shows, whatever your age, whatever your circumstances, whatever your infirmity, anything you really want to do, you will!

Do it today if you truly want to experience what great things God has in store for you. – IAN

A gem in the Karoo

This year we finally made the long trip from Bothaville to the Karoo Ultra in Laingsburg. The great scenery and local support on the route really made it special. At times it felt like I was running into the future, surrounded by perfect scenery, open space and winding road in the oh so green Karoo this year.

On my way back to Laingsburg, three boys and their dog accompanied me, and did they run! I was feeling strong and really moved on, and they stuck with it. At some point the one smaller child started coughing and I suggested he rather walk, for fear of them getting sick. The bigger one kept running with me, and the dog was so obedient, I was impressed. Dog and owner finally succumbed to the long run, after almost 10km! Real local support.

My only regret is, why did I wait so long to come experience this gem? The trip and the race were great!

Thanks for your great magazine. – MARINDA LUDICK

Put it in the bin!

I love my running and really enjoy the races and getting a medal at the finish. I realise as a runner that during a race, water sachets, GU sachets, etc. get thrown down in the road near the refreshment stations to be picked up later. What really disturbed me was what I saw at the end of the Old Mutual 10km race I did recently.

All over the grass at the finish were discarded medal packets (and other assorted rubbish) from people who opened their medals and just threw the packet on the ground. Come on people, runners are not pigs… if I can throw my rubbish in a bin, or take it home when I can’t find a bin, then it’s not that difficult, why can’t everyone else do it, too? – CAROL WARD, BOTHASIG