Category: Columns

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 carolinekoll1@gmail.com 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

Head down to the Edgemead Sports Fields on a Tuesday evening for the Edgemead Runners time trial and you’ll see anything from 50 to over 100 runners and walkers lining up for either the 3km or 5km routes. Come back two days later and many weekends and you’ll see another horde of athletes heading out for a club pack run, and on both days you’ll be able to find at least a few first-timers in the mix. That’s because this club is growing at a proverbial rate of knots! “We have grown from about 180 members to just over 300 in the last year,” says club chairman Francois Gouws, “and we put it down to our FIGLERS group. Every week we see more new faces at the training runs and time trials, and it is all thanks to word of mouth spreading about the group.”

FIGLERS stands for ‘Fast Improving Gents and Ladies Edgemead Runners,’ and this is the club’s beginner training group. It is led by experienced runners from the club, members are supplied with training programmes and advice, and the group splits into two for its training sessions so that walkers can also join. The concept has proven a hit with the Edgemead community a well as the club, says Francois. “The FIGLERS bring a lot of enthusiasm to our sessions and it’s exciting to see some of them now serving on the club committee. Also, these days we have much higher number of members participating at most races, about 30 to 50 per race on average. That never used to happen in the past.”

With all these new members and the general enthusiasm in the club at the moment, he adds that it is the perfect time for them to finally get their own clubhouse. “We’ve shared with the Edgemead Cricket Clubhouse since the club was founded in 1992, but in January we will start building our own clubhouse next to the tennis courts at the Edgemead Sports Fields, and we hope to be done by April. These are exciting times for the club.”

EARLY DAYS
It all started in December 1991 when Patrick Fear, newly arrived in the Cape from Midrand Striders in the then Transvaal, put a notice in the Edgemead News calling for runners in the area to join a new running club in the area, offering local time trials and training runs. He compiled a list of interested people, then invited them to a meeting in March 1992. Thirty-six prospective members turned up and a volunteer steering committee was formed to go ahead with establishing a running club in Edgemead.

It was unanimously decided that the club would be called Edgemead Runners and would link with the soccer club in restricting the club colours to red, white and black. It was also decided that a weekly time trial would be held, commencing the following Tuesday, 18 March. Regular Sunday pack runs soon followed. The first club newsletter appeared in May 1992 and went out to 65 members, and the first race to see the new club vest in action was the Rainbow Chickens Half Marathon in Worcester on 1 August of that year.

One of the standout performances by a club member came in 1997 when Michelle Stewart broke the SA women’s record for 100 miles at the Hewat 100 Miler in Cape Town, clocking 17:42:08. In 1996 she had won the women’s title at the Washie 100 Miler in 18:45:34 to become the first Edgemead race winner, and her national record saw her awarded Western province colours – another first for the club.

NOWADAYS
These days the club has over 300 members and offers it members not only a weekly time trial and regular training runs, but also speed work and hill sessions, and even free Pilates classes on Monday nights. The time trial takes place at 6:15pm on Tuesday evenings (6pm in winter), starting and finishing at the sports grounds and offering flat, fast 3km and 5km routes. An 8km is also offered twice a month.

Two races are presented by Edgemead each year, the Womens Day Challenge 10km and 5km on National Women’s Day, 9 August, and the Runners Memorial Race 8km on New Year’s Eve, 31 December. At the Memorial Race, tribute is paid to all runners from all Western Province clubs who have passed away or been killed, with names read out club by club. Unfortunately, due to logistical difficulties, one of the club’s races no longer on the calendar is the Robben Island 15km, which was first run in 1992 when access to the island was still strictly controlled. It was a very popular event, with runners scrambling to secure one of the 250 limited entries and then predicting their finishing time and trying to get as close to that as possible without wearing a watch, with the winners being the closest finishers to their predicted times.

The club website is something they’re very proud of, although at the time of writing it was being upgraded. Not only does it contain all the club info, but also offers training programmes for every distance from beginner jogger to the Comrades – and members can e-mail the club’s virtual coaches for free advice as well. Most impressive, though, is that in 2009 the site became the first club site in South Africa to contain every single race result by every single member since the club’s inception. Weekly e-mail newsletters also keep the members up to speed on club matters and upcoming fixtures.

On the social front, the first Tuesday of each month is Club Night, after the time trial, with awards given for the previous month’s performances, and other social events include two annual pasta parties prior to Two Oceans and Comrades, and the family weekend away, which the club subsidises. The club gazebo is up at most of the big races as well as league races, and drinks and snacks are supplied to all members. As Francois puts it, “We have a great vibe in the club and love to welcome new runners and walkers to our group, so everybody is welcome.”

CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone: Club Secretary Shaun Martheze 083 652 7951
E-mail: committee@edgemeadrunners.org.za
Website: www.edgemeadrunners.org.za

I’m training for my first Ironman 70.3 and have recently developed a painful Achilles when swimming. The pain starts with a burning sensation in my lower calf and moves down towards my Achilles during the session. It only happens when I’m swimming and is usually worse after I’ve had a hard bike session. What causes this and how can I treat and prevent it? – SANDRI HOUGH, SUNNINGHILL

ANSWER
We all welcome you and commend you for starting this journey. Let’s get the medical jargon out of the way. The Achilles tendons connect the calf muscle to the heel and are used extensively during all three disciplines. Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of the Achilles tendons) is a chronic injury that occurs primarily from overuse. It tends to come on gradually over time until pain is constant and exercise too painful to continue.

Your problem probably originates from cycling more than swimming because the pain is worse after a hard bike session. Pain in the Achilles usually indicates a problem in pedalling technique, where the saddle is set too high and forces the cyclist to point the toes excessively to reach the bottom of the pedal swing. Having your cleats set too far forward, or otherwise pedalling with your toes can also cause it. The farther forward the contact between the foot and the pedal, the greater the stress on the Achilles tendons.

The main reason why you’re feeling it mostly during swimming is because your feet are plantar flexed (toes pointed down) during swimming, causing the calf muscles to be under constant contraction and under tension the whole time.

As a guideline, more information or an assessment is needed, as many contributing factors still need to be taken into account for a more accurate diagnosis, but these are my recommendations.
• The body needs to work together in equilibrium, instead of through imbalances and overcompensations. Get your calves checked out to eliminate chances of muscle tears or any other damage – if there isn’t any damage you should follow a conditioning programme to strengthen weaker muscles, like your calves, to help take strain off your Achilles tendons.
• Instead of focusing on stretching your calves after cycling, stretch your quadriceps.
• Do a proper bike set-up and get a professional to analyse your pedalling stroke. Also focus on lighter gears and cycle at a higher cadence.
• Make sure you haven’t started training too much, too soon, and that you’re properly hydrated during training and events.

 

Modern Athlete Expert
ANDRIES LODDER
Biokineticist at the Technogym Wellness Centre in Fourways, Johannesburg, lecturer in exercise science and Ironman finisher. Andries specialises in sport and orthopaedic rehabilitation and sport-specific testing and conditioning. (www.topbio.co.za)

 

Running on Empty
I find myself completely exhausted by the end of a training week and have to force myself to go running most Thursday afternoons. How can I improve my energy levels throughout the week? I take all the prescribed rest days and usually train in the afternoon after work. – JANINE THOMAS, DURBAN

ANSWER
Most of my clients who suffer with low energy levels or exhaustion are either over-trained or depriving themselves of carbohydrates. Since you say you are taking the required rest, it’s more than likely your diet is the culprit for your fatigue.

Carbohydrates are the main fuel for the human body. Without them you cannot exercise and about 50% of your diet should be coming from carbs. This is especially true for active people. Your body cannot exercise at high intensity without glycogen, the storage form of carbs in your liver and muscles. Between your liver and your muscles, you have enough storage space for about 500g to 1kg of glycogen, only about 30 to 90 minutes of fuel depending on your intensity of exercise. Once your glycogen levels run out, you begin to feel tired and ‘hit the wall.’ So it is vital to make sure you refuel your muscles and liver as optimally as possible.

The best way to do this is by consuming carbs (and a small amount of protein) within an hour after exercise, as this is when your body is geared to replenish those lost glycogen stores. If you don’t consume carbs immediately, it generally takes much longer for glycogen restoration to occur.

Your training programme probably kicks off after a day’s rest, meaning your glycogen stores have had time to top up, so running on day one feels great. However, if you don’t replenish your muscles with carbs sufficiently after training, as well as during the next 24 hours, you are more than likely starting the next day’s run with sub-optimal glycogen stores. You may be able to cope with this lower fuel level for day two, but every day you’re further depleting your glycogen stores and never properly topping them up. This means that by day four (Thursday afternoon), your glycogen stores could be less than half full, leaving you feeling exhausted.

I would suggest you follow a healthy balanced eating plan throughout the day, making sure you eat enough low GI (slow energy-releasing) carbs spread out in three meals and three small snacks. Then make sure you eat within 40 minutes after your run in the afternoon.

Modern Athlete Expert
CHRISTINE PETERS
Registered Dietician at Sunninghill Medical Centre, Johannesburg. Member of Morningside Country Club with eight years’ running experience, including one Comrades finish and three ultra and two half marathon finishes at the Two Oceans Marathon.