Category: Columns

To prevent knee injuries, would you recommend the POSE running method? And if so, is it necessary to buy special ‘mid-strike’ shoes or can this running style still be practised in ‘regular heel-strike’ running shoes?

ANSWER
Not many athletes are familiar with the POSE running method, so let me start by explaining what it is. The POSE Method? of Running technique, in short known as POSE Running, was developed in the 70s in the former Soviet Union and is currently taught and practised all over the world. It is used by athletes of all levels and ages.

 The characteristics of this running method include:
    S-like body position with slightly bent knees.
    Lean forward from the ankles to employ gravity and work with it, not against it.
   Pulling or lifting feet up under the hip and not behind the buttocks.
    Ball of foot landing under your body (your general centre of mass).

According to Dr Nicholas Romanov, the creator of the POSE running method, and as explained in a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal (2004), this method reduces impact and eccentric work on the knees by 50% and may also prevent knee injuries! This is due to the POSE technique’s shorter stride length and vertical oscillation (up and down movement during running) of the sacrum and heel in comparison with normal heel-toe running.

However, in contrast with the above findings, there was a higher impact and eccentric muscle work at the ankle in the POSE method compared with heel-toe running which may well lead to ankle injuries. But, there are no clinical controlled trials to date showing that the POSE running method may be associated with, or have a role in the treatment and rehabilitation of the different types and frequencies of running injuries.

To get back to your question on which type of shoes to run with when using the POSE technique, I would recommend a neutral running shoe with good cushioning for the forefoot. Most running shops will stock these. Dr Romanov recommends wearing lightweight shoes with thinner soles. I would like to emphasize that if you pronate, a neutral shoe will not give your foot enough support and may lead to injuries. For further information on the types of running shoes available to complement the POSE method, visit www.posetech.com.

Modern Athlete Expert
DAVID VAN WYK
Sport physiotherapist with private sport and orthopaedic practices in Elarduspark and Faerie Glen, Pretoria. Member of AS Eagles Running Club, sub-45min 10km runner.

Help! I’m Not Improving!
I have run a total of seven 10km races this year. My PB is 44min. Since then it seems as if I have regressed! Lately I am running slower and am floating between 49min and 55min for a 10km race. Is there any way I can keep running faster or at least maintain the sub-45min I used to finish races in? I train four times a week; I do steps and run about three 6km distances a week. I also go to the gym where I train my shoulders, quads, calves, etc.

ANSWER
Well done on your 44 minute PB. It’s a good time and I’m glad that you want to get back there. To do this, you will have to tweak your training a little. I would suggest you turn your step session into a running session. You would then be running four times a week and your programme would look like this:

SESSION 1:  6km  (Easy)
SESSION 2:  6km  (Speedwork)
SESSION 3:  10km  (Easy)
SESSION 4:  6km  (Tempo run)

Your speedwork session should alternate between:
A.  
Fartlek running: Warm up for 2km followed by running 2min intervals. Do seven in total and end with a fast interval at about 4min/km i.e. four fast intervals in total with your three slower intervals at about 4:40min/km. You will cover about 3km. End off with a 1km cool down.
B. 
Circuits: Pick a  +/- 2km fast i.e. flat or slightly downhill circuit. The route must be circular. Mark the 1.5km point from the start. Run a 1km warm up and then do two circuits, running very hard to the 1.5km point and jogging slowly back to the start. Finish with a 1km cool down.

Your tempo run should be a 2km warm up followed by 4km at just under
5min/km pace.

Good luck and let me know when you reach that 44min milestone!

Modern Athlete Expert
BARRY HOLLAND
Running coach with 33 years’ experience and has run 37 consecutive Comrades Marathons. His PBs include 1:17:21 (21km), 2:39:30 (42km) and 6:29:22 (Comrades).

 

She ran thousands of kilometres between various cities in South Africa in the 70s and 80s and at the age of 53, Mavis Hutchison became the first woman to run across the United States, from Los Angeles to New York City. The journey took her 69 days and she covered about 5 000km, an average of 72km each day in a record that still stands. Not bad for someone who was a sickly child and only started running at the age of 37! Today this remarkable woman, better known as the Galloping Granny, is 86 years old and is a World Ranked Masters Track and Field athlete. She still trains two hours a day and believes that everything worthwhile is earned by the sweat of your brow, one step at a time. – BY MICHELLE PIETERS

Until the 70s it was uncommon for women to run very long distances, especially older women. Then in 1963, along came 47-year-old Mavis Hutchison. She was the first woman in the world to run a standard marathon and the first woman to run the Comrades Marathon. She also set a new world record when tackling 171.26km in 24 hours in Johannesburg. And that was just the beginning of ‘Marathon Mavis’ or the ‘Galloping Granny’ as she affectionately became known.
She continued to run thousands of kilometres in South Africa before becoming the first woman to run across America, a record that is held in the Guinness Book of Records.

Today Mavis has slowed down a little, but she is certainly not over the hill! Since 2005 she has set South African W80+ master records for 110m (18.84 sec), 200m (45.46 sec), 400m (1:52.88 min) and 800m (4:34.13 min). “Wherever
I compete I am just one of the athletes. I am not an old
woman who is an embarrassment. Age is irrelevant; it is just
a chronological process, which is with us from the time that we are born. Sport has opened my heart and my mind to realise there is more to life than a daily routine. Sport has enriched every aspect of my life.
I feel like a bird set free from a cage,” says Mavis, who today lives in Cape Town and who is still as passionate about sport as she was back in the good old days.

GROWING UP YEARS
Mavis, one of identical twins, was born in Kimberley. As a child she was sick, nervous and timid. She suffered three major nervous breakdowns and spent months in bed. Sadly this kept her from participating in sport as a child. During the war years she worked as a fitter and turner. Mavis found love and got married. It was not to last and when they got divorced Mavis moved to Johannesburg. She then met her second husband, Ernest, who sadly passed away 19 years ago.

SHOWING MOM THE WAY
Mavis has four children from her two marriages. Her two sons, Jesse and Allan, were both very sporty and belonged to Johannesburg Harriers Athletic Club. “Even as an adult I was not very healthy and strong, but the boys encouraged me to train with them. The Rand Daily Mail Big Walk became a very popular annual event. Jesse won this event and he became one of the top walkers in Southern Transvaal! The first time I did the Big Walk in 1964 I trained very hard; or so I thought. It rained most of the way and after about 20km I had enough and called it a day.”

During the following year Mavis entered many walking races. “I soon learnt what real training was all about and in 1963 I did the Big Walk 80km in a time of 9:35, which was a record.”

In 1963 she decided to tackle a standard marathon, becoming the first woman in the world to complete a marathon. “I pioneered women’s road running in this country. Official distances for women in those days were 800m according to the IAAF. I was considered a freak! People pitched up at road races just to see me.” Many firsts followed; Mavis was the first woman to run the Harrismith Mountain race and in 1975 she ran 1 500km in 22 days from Pretoria to Cape Town. Her talents were not limited to road running. In 1977 she competed in Sweden and won two silver medals in the discus and 100m events. She continued to compete in various disciplines at local track events where she often won gold or silver medals.

COMRADES MEMORIES
In 1965 Mavis recorded another first. She became the first woman after the war to run the Comrades Marathon. “I was looking for a new challenge and thought there is no bigger challenge than the Comrades Marathon. I had to compete unofficially.” Mavis, who weighed a mere 48kg, trained mostly on her own. “Running the highways and byways made me a stronger person. It allowed me to cope with what life had to offer. I grew mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

Her husband and son, Jesse, entered the Comrades Marathon in the same year Mavis did. “It was the wettest Comrades ever! I found the weather a major handicap. I caught Ernest just before Drummond where he decided to call it a day. That day I learnt the true meaning of mind over matter. A thousand times
I wanted to give up and a thousand times I knew I had to keep going. I almost gave up at Hillcrest where the rain was at its worst, the wind at its strongest and the cold more than I could endure. I finished cold, wet and triumphant. ”Mavis crossed the line in a time of 10:07 and went on to complete the Comrades seven more times.

FROM LA TO NEW YORK AND
ACROSS BRITAIN
In 1978 she undertook a run from Los Angeles to New York City. “I was very apprehensive at the start when I realised 5 000km lay ahead of me. I wished I was back home already and safe.” The whole trip from the first step to the very last step left a lasting impression on Mavis. “There were times that I was not sure I would get to the end of the day, let alone the end of the week! Sometimes even the next hour was not a certainty.”

On the 33rd day of her journey she was reduced to walking due to serious shin splints. “I was devastated. I remember the excruciating pain. It felt like I was on a suicide bid.” In spite of this Mavis continued running. She ran in intense heat, bitter cold and seven days of ceaseless rain. The physical pain outweighed the joy and sense of achievement she felt on fulfilling the ultimate dream. “I had been tried and tested to the absolute limit. I had run through 13 states and four time zones. I had run about six million footsteps – one agonising step at a time.” But the day after the run reality hit Mavis. “I thought surely this cannot be the end of the road? Surely there have to be more goals and challenges ahead!”

Mavis was sure to find new challenges; a year later in 1980 she completed the roughly 1 800km journey from John o’ Groats to Lands End across the length of the United Kingdom. “When
I saw the South African flag at the finish I burst into tears. When you are in a foreign country and you see the flag of your country, you feel your country is saluting you. At the same time you feel humble and grateful. This run taught me there are no limits to what one can achieve.”

STILL GOING STRONG
Over the years Mavis has kept fit and strong, competing in several provincial and South African Championships. Since 2005 she has also competed worldwide in various World Masters Games. In 2009 she competed in the World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia. “I competed in the 100m, 200m, 400m,
800m and the javelin. I won five medals: three silver and two gold.” Mavis also competed
 in the Africa Games in Mauritius where she was presented with a special trophy for many years of achievement in sport. She also won gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. Recently at the Vaal Triangle Championships this year, Mavis set a new SA record (11.33m) for javelin.

“Sport has opened so many doors. I am a very shy person, but sport has helped me to overcome that to some extent.” She still trains two to three hours a day four times a week on a track or sports field by first warming up, stretching and then doing the exercises specific to the discipline she is training for.

Since she started exercising all those years ago she has had no major health problems. “From the day I started exercising it took almost two years before I noticed the improvement in my health. My circulation improved and I had no more chillblains in winter. My nervousness also disappeared and I realised it was okay to fail as long as you keep trying and realise that sometimes you have to move the goal posts. I also learnt that attitude not circumstances creates events. I owe my quality of life to years of regular exercise. A healthy body is connected to a healthy mind and spirit.”

Mavis has now set her eyes on the World Masters Games in America next year. Listening to her speak she is sure to bring back gold. “We don’t grow old. When we stop growing we are old. It is vital to always keep on setting goals. I know everything worthwhile is earned by the sweat of your brow, one step at a time.”

 

True to club traditions, Durbanville is celebrating its 25th birthday in 2010 with lots of long distance mileage on the road, and plenty of post-run socialising in the clubhouse! – BY SEAN FALCONER

A first-time visitor to the Plexus Durbanville Athletics Club’s Member of the Month awards evenings would be in for quite an experience. The Durbac Captain’s Team calls the meeting to order and begins the presentation. But this is no ordinary presentation. The Club Captain describes what each runner has done to deserve their award, and then the winners are called up to get their awards. But first, they must adopt the Humble Pose…

They must bend forward and touch the insides of their knees with their opposite arms – right hand on inner left knee, left hand on inner right knee – and remain in that pose while the Captain’s Team ‘salutes’ them with a group war cry – and there are different versions for different awards. Without a doubt, the best one is the customised Haka, copied from the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, but with adapted words
that include “Run Fasta, Fasta” and “Run Furtha, Furtha.”  It’s priceless!

It’s also quite appropriate that the word ‘further’ appears so prominently… because Durbac is not just known for its great socials; the club is also known as a great long distance club. As chairman Lionel Klassen puts it, “We had 99 finishers at Comrades this year as well as big fields in the Two Oceans, Laingsburg and Bainskloof Ultras, and last year we had six women in the Western Province squad for the National Marathon Champs. Our club just seems to love the long runs.”

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The club was established in 1984 when the owner of Workout Gym, George Taylor, mentioned to his aerobics class that he had watched the Comrades on TV and that he wanted to run it. Several members of the class decided to join him and start training immediately to give themselves a full year to prepare, as none of them had done any running before. That Sunday, six runners ran 5km out to Fisantekraal Farm and back, and things grew from there – although poor Dave De Villiers took weeks to recover from the blisters he developed from running in Bata tekkies!

The Sunday runs soon saw the introduction of a seconding car, complete with water and sponges, and proved so popular that Tuesday time trials and Thursday pack runs were added. Amongst those pioneer Durbanvillers were Kathy and Martin Burr, who still speak fondly of those first pack runs: “Our best memory of the early years remains the camaraderie surrounding the seconding car – we were able to load our twin sons into the car and enjoy a carefree run. This camaraderie has endured and makes Durbac what it is today.”

Soon the group started talking about forming a club, but in order to meet the minimum requirements of Western Province Athletics, the full membership list of the gym was presented as the running club’s membership! Back then, the club colours were chocolate brown shorts and a brown-white vest, with the brown half on top. The rose was adopted as the club logo, inspired by the well-known Rose Garden in Durbanville, which is one of the leading areas in South Africa for rose cultivation. In 1988 the vests changed to an all-white design with the club name written on the front. This was partly due to the unavailability of the brown vests, but also because some members simply didn’t like the colour. When brown shorts also became difficult to find, yellow shorts were introduced. The acquisition of the first clubhouse in Langeberg Road (now demolished) played an important part in developing a healthy club culture… because legendary post-run parties became the norm. By 1989, the membership had passed the 100 mark, and by 1992 it had shot past 200. A bigger, more suitable clubhouse was needed, so the club arranged to use the Durbanville Squash Club’s facilities from 1993, and more recently moved next door to the Durbanville Hockey Club, which has great facilities including changing rooms, showers and a well-stocked bar! Today the club has some 350 members as well as 30-plus young development athletes, making Durbac one of the biggest clubs in the province.

AN AMAZING SPONSOR PARTNERSHIP
In 2005 Plexus Asset Management came on board to sponsor the club’s annual marathon (which has subsequently become a half marathon and 10km event, due to take place on 31 October this year). It was a happy marriage from the beginning, with Plexus Executive Chairman Dr Prieur du Plessis being an active runner, as are Managing Director, Paul Stewart and Marketing Manager, Gys Botha. The sponsorship was soon extended to a five-year full club sponsorship, which saw the club’s name officially changed to Plexus Durbanville AC. “We are very proud of our association with the club as well as of the athletes’ performances. It is an extremely well-managed institution that provides its members with a fantastic environment in which to train, compete and socialise. Our relationship with the club is more like being family,” says Gys.

A portion of the sponsorship is allocated to support underprivileged runners in the club’s Youth Development Programme, which was initiated four years ago, says Club President Dr Alan Nelson. “We adopted the Trevor Manuel Primary School in the Fisantekraal informal settlement, and over this period, between 25 and 40 young learners have participated as members of the club in cross-country events. They have done extremely well and in the past two years have often placed top of the log, particularly in the boys’ and girls’ under-nine and 11 age groups. With sponsor support from Plexus, we have been able to supply the kids with club kit, and club members actively support the learners by providing food packages during events.”

TRAINING TOGETHER
The club holds official training runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6pm as well as Sunday mornings at 6am (7am from April to August), with all runs starting from the clubhouse. On Tuesdays, the main group does a 12km run with water stops, with slower runners, beginners and walkers also catered for with the separate Penguins’ 9km run, beginners’ 4km run, and introductory level walking group, all led by experienced athletes. Some Tuesdays see the club doing a track workout on the field in front of the clubhouse. On Thursdays, the group does either a 12km or 16km pack run.

The superbly-organised and very popular Sunday morning runs are now considered a proud club tradition, says Lionel. “This is such a lovely area to run in. You only have to go 2km from the clubhouse and you’re in the vineyards, and we often have members of neighbouring clubs joining us.” The runs are usually about 20km long, with a different route every Sunday and with water and Coke stops every 4km. Each runner is asked to pay R7, to cover the costs of seconding, and there is a seconding duty list, with all members taking a turn. Luckily, with 350 members and just 47 Sunday runs in a year, nobody has to do seconding duties more than once a year and the long-distance junkies in the club can all get their regular fix.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE
Lionel is now in the third year of his second stint as Chairman of the club, and says that he particularly enjoys the way old and new members mix both on and off the road. “The Durbanville area is growing so fast and we have many new members coming in each year, but I love the fact older members stay with us, even when they no longer run. Many of them still come to club functions, and we have a great atmosphere at our socials.”

Other calendar highlights include the Beginning of Year Party, where new members are officially welcomed, the annual prize-giving, and the pre- and post-Comrades parties. Towards the end of the year the club also holds its annual pub run, which has now become so popular that it has earned the status of official club year-end party. “All members and their families are encouraged to participate in these socials because we believe that membership means much more than simply obtaining a licence to run races,” says Lionel.

Another thing the club is proud of is the several members based overseas who still proudly fly the Durbac flag. For example, Hilary Johnson says her brother Nigel Bennett recently relocated to New Zealand, but still runs in his Durbanville colours and came back for the special 2010 Comrades. “I had to purchase his new running kit from Somerset Sports Cape Gate in February and send it to New Zealand so that his wife could stitch on his running numbers for Comrades. Now how’s that for loving
your club?”

NOTABLE DURBAC PERFORMERS
 
Gert Meyer – SA Masters Athletics colours (1996) for 15km and 21.1km.
  
Elizabeth McCaul – seventh woman in 1997 Comrades; fourth in 1998 Two Oceans; twice represented SA at World 100km Champs in 1999 and 2000, winning the veteran category and part of the winning veteran
women’s team in 1999 to be crowned double World Champion.
 
Deon Velthuysen – Represented SA at the 2000 World Masters Pentathlon Games.
 
Cathy Taylor – SA Masters Athletics colours for 5000m
and 10 000m.
 
Marianne Nelson – SA Masters Athletics colours for 5000m walk and 10 000m walk.
  
Riel Hugo – 40 consecutive Comrades Marathon finishes from 1969 to 2008, running for Durbac from 2002 to present; one of only four runners to finish the race 40 times.
 
Nico Ras – Winner of the 80km Big Walk five times from 1996 to 2000.
 
Comrades: First in veteran women’s team competition
in 2001 and 2002 (Also overall runner-up women’s team in 2001).
 
Two Oceans: First in veteran women’s team competition in 2000, 2001 and 2002; first in master women’s team competition in 2010.

CLUB CONTACT DETAILS
Phone:  Lorraine Rogers (Club Secretary) 082 456 2192
E-mail:  [email protected]
Web:  www.durbac.org.za
Clubhouse:  
Durbanville Hockey Club, Durbanville Sports Grounds, Sport Road, Durbanville

 

Balancing stressful jobs and trying to spend quality time with the family, exercise is often the first thing that falls to the bottom of our list. Modern Athlete speaks to various high-powered professionals to find out how they manage to fit sport into their hectic schedules. This month we chat to Jodi-Ann Pearton, award winning celebrity chef who, at the age of 26, owns three businesses and has cooked for various Hollywood stars and other dignitaries. – BY MICHELLE PIETERS

How did you get involved in Culinary Art?
It was my dream to become a veterinarian so I enrolled for a course in veterinary science, only to realise a year later that it was not for me! I wrote a letter to my dad saying I could not pursue something that was no longer my dream. I then enrolled for a course in Culinary Art at Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town. After my first year I finished at the top of my class and started winning some competitions. I found my real passion.

How did your career progress from there?
I won the Junior World Champs and was South African Chef of the Year three consecutive years. I am the only person in the country to have ever won all three categories three years in a row! I also worked at The French Laundry in California, run by iconic chef Thomas Keller. Back in South Africa I cooked at a few restaurants to gain experience and developed menus for the Nando’s international market. I have cooked for various dignitaries, former president Nelson Mandela and even a couple of Hollywood movie stars!

About two and a half years ago I started the Food Design Agency. We write menus for restaurants, do food styling, cater and train. I also own the Cookie Design Emporium and I am the sole agent for Little Leaves, a range of microgreens in South Africa.

What does a day in your life look like?
I train from 5am to 6am. I run on the treadmill in the gym with two friends. Some days we run 30 minutes, other days longer. We also combine it with some weight and cardio workouts. If I miss a training session
I am a horrible person. I am at work at about 7am. The evenings are usually reserved for catering or functions where I am often a speaker. My day normally ends at about 9pm, but some evenings I finish after midnight.

How did you start running?
I was 16 when a friend invited me for a run. It was horrific! I was sore, I could not breathe and I swore to myself I would never put my running shoes on again. Then it became a challenge and the fitter I got, the more addicted I became. I eventually joined a running club.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
Definitely time! I know I am a strong runner and if I put more time and effort into running, I will run so much better!

Has running influenced your career and work ethic?
Yes! You need to be dedicated to run. When you start running after a lay off it is always difficult to get going. But after a couple of days it does get better. Running teaches you to push through the hard
times. It takes dedication, passion and energy; all the elements required in a successful career.

The thing I love most about running is…
It clears your mind like no other sport.

I don’t enjoy being beaten by…
Anybody! I am very competitive. Even when I run on the treadmill, I always make sure my treadmill is on exactly the same speed or just a bit faster than that of my training partners.

What is your favourite meal after a big race?
A smoothie with oats, banana, honey and berries.

What would you say to someone who says that they don’t have the time to start running?
You can always make time for something you love.

Proudest moment in running and business?
In running it was reaching the top group in my running club. In business it was hearing people talk about my business, not knowing that I own it.

Most embarrassing moment in running?
I am very clumsy. One day on a run with an American doctor
I was trying to keep up with the boys. Next thing I tripped and fell face down on the ground!

And in business?
I invited a lecturer for dinner and spent hours preparing the sauce for the beef. While eating I noticed a few funny looks. I don’t eat much when cooking so I wasn’t having a lot of food. When I got up to serve the dessert, I realised I served the butterscotch sauce with the beef!

What is the first thing you do after a run?
Sit in the sun with a fresh cup of green tea.

What are your future running goals?
To do more races and ultimately run the Comrades. Many of my family members have run Comrades and their senseof achievement and camaraderie is wonderful. I want to be a part of that.

What would you still like to achieve in your career?
I want to establish my business as a bigger international brand.

Favourite quote?
Believe in your dreams for you are the only one who can make them come true.

REWIND
Let’s rewind quickly; most athletes train their core stabilisers inadequately compared to other muscles. Running alone doesn’t strengthen the core sufficiently and therefore weaknesses or lack of sufficient coordination in the core can lead to less efficient movements, strain, overuse and injury. Add the exercises below to those you have been doing in Part 1 for the ultimate core workout!

Do the exercises three times a week and keep the following in mind:
 Begin with two sets of 15 repetitions and progress to three sets of 15-20 repetitions.
  Progress to more functional exercises as control is developed. Don’t tilt the pelvis or flatten
the spine.
 This first stage of core stability training begins with learning to stabilise the abdominal wall. Proper activation of these muscles is considered crucial before progressing to more
dynamic workouts.

PRONE PLANK
This is a fundamental, static core stability exercise.
Support yourself with forearms resting on the mat, elbows bent
at 90? and toes on the mat.
  Maintain the spine in a neutral position. Recruit the gluteal muscles and keep your head level with the floor. Keep a slight bend in the knees, while maintaining the abdominal brace. Start by holding the position for 30 seconds, working up to one minute for two to three repetitions. If your lower back sags and you feel discomfort, either adjust your position or release the position and rest.
 
Progression: One leg can be lifted off the mat, held for five seconds, and then repeated on the opposite side.

SIDE PLANK
This exercise is designed to challenge your body against gravity, and is an ideal exercise to train the back, side stomach muscles and gluteus.
 Start by lying on your right side resting on your elbow and forearm, which should be directly underneath your shoulder.
 Lift the pelvis from the floor and hold it in a straight line ‘plank’ position. The hips should not be allowed to sag toward the floor. Start by holding the position for 20 seconds, working up to one minute holds for two to three repetitions.
 
Progression: Raise the top foot to increasingly challenge the core and gluteus.

FOUR POINT SQUAT
This stability exercise strengthens all the lower leg stabilisers, quadriceps as well as the gluteus. 
 Stand on your right leg. Bend the right leg into a squat position while extending your left leg in front of you.
 Reach as far as you can with your left foot, keeping it just above the floor.
  Ensure you maintain hip alignment and that your knee is in line with the big toe of the foot on the floor. Return your left leg to the middle without touching the floor and repeat the above movement to the side, behind you and to the other side, taking your left leg behind your right leg, thus performing the movement in the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’ clock positions. 
 Repeat on the left leg.
 
Progression: The above movement can be performed on a balance mat.

LUNGE
  Stand with feet shoulder width apart. 
 Take a big step forward with the right leg. 
  Lower your body straight down by bending your left hip and knee until your right thigh is parallel
to the floor.
 Ensure that the right knee is not pushing forward beyond the toes of the right foot.
  Contract the gluteus of the left leg and push yourself back into the starting position being careful not to arch or use the back. 
 Perform the same movement with the left leg.
 Progression: Once in the lunge position, lift the heel of the front foot slightly off the ground and hold position for five seconds maintaining hip alignment.
The value of core exercises cannot be over emphasised. Remember, by neglecting your core, you are neglecting your running!
Richard is a former South African and African Elite Men’s Triathlon Champion. He has an honours degree in biokinetics and is highly regarded in the field of conditioning, strength and flexibility for endurance athletes.

 

Sweet Pea’s longing for a Comrades journey

 

Congratulations on your first year in print. Your magazine is truly a great read. May there be many more years for your great magazine!

 

I would like to share a photograph with you of one of our Comrades 2010 orphans. My wife Rene and I both took part in the Big C this year. Rene completed her first and this was my second voyage.

 

We left for Durban on Friday morning and had a hanger-on to one of my tog bags! Her name is Sweet Pea and we adopted her from the SPCA three years ago. She very seldom leaves our side and is forever trying to climb into our bags when we leave the house.

 

She is one of three daschunds we own. While we were away my mom looked after Sweet Pea, Olivia Rose and Johnny Cash. Sweet Pea stopped eating while we were away and when we returned her appetite went back to normal!

 

I would especially like to thank every single spectator /supporter this year on the road between Pietermaritzburg and Durban as well as those at home. You guys were awesome. Congratulations to all who completed the run 
and for those who did not, don’t give up! – DONOVAN AND 
RENE GOULD (AND SWEET PEA), EDGEMEAD RUNNERS

 

Drop the Two Oceans Half Marathon!

I would like to suggest something controversial: drop the Two Oceans Half Marathon. The full ‘Oceans’ is special. It’s a bigger challenge and achievement than an ordinary marathon and the route has some special sections.

 

Unfortunately the Two Oceans Half Marathon just doesn’t measure up. Granted it has Southern Cross Drive, but it doesn’t nearly compare with the challenge of climbing Constantia Nek. There really is nothing else about the route that makes it special in its own right. The race has grown in popularity because it’s associated with the main event.

 

My suggestion is to introduce a Half Oceans. Start at the halfway mark of the main race and do the final 28km. This should hold an extra challenge in that, just like the main race, it’s that little bit further than the usual half marathon. You also get to run up Chapmans Peak and Constantia Nek.

 

From an administrative point of view, the roads are already closed off for the main race. The start area would only need to accommodate one race. There is the issue of starting in a completely different place to the finish, but that was an issue with the Peninsula Marathon and everyone seemed to handle it.  

 

Realistically the organisers have a very successful, if somewhat crowded, half marathon and I’m sure their view will be ‘don’t fix what is not broken’. Maybe keeping the current half marathon and adding the option of a half Oceans would allow them to gauge interest. – MICHAEL ZABOW

 

Running with Ghosts

Each year, on Comrades, I run with dead people. As if keeping an annual appointment, they will arrive. In the last few minutes before the start my ghosts are quite clear: “When you get lonely later, we will be right next to you. Don’t worry – you’ll be ok.” I feel my scalp prickle and I bend down to unnecessarily retie my shoes, slightly embarrassed about my tears.

 

Comrades is not a race. It’s a journey. An average person, with an average amount of training, can finish Comrades. But to merely put one foot in front of the other, oblivious to everything outside and to everything within, is to miss a priceless opportunity to get to know yourself.

 

The Comrades route is a beast and there are no secrets to this journey. The route will systematically attempt to dismantle you. Despite your best efforts, somewhere between 55 and 65km, you will be stripped down to fundamental components.

 

For the remainder of the journey, you will attempt to reassemble yourself and I promise you this: you will be a better version. Even if it is for a few days, you will be more at peace, you will be more tolerant, and that random act of kindness will come a little easier.

 

It’s between 55 and 65km that my scalp prickles and I know they’ve rejoined me. My mother: the ravages of her cancer are not evident; my grandmother: the woman who sacrificed everything to raise me; my father: a man I hardly knew. 
We talk about grief, love, kindness and hope. My ghosts know when to arrive and how long to stay and when they see the resolve with which I run past the runner’s rescue van, they drift off again to allow the crowd back in.

 

I eventually enter the stadium. Left and right I see happy and relieved faces searching for that special person. Eventually I round the last turn to see one final straight. I feel my scalp prickle and 
I know my ghosts have come to say goodbye. I look up at the clock and under the digits I read in my mind the immortal words from Ulysses: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” – BRUCE CLARK

 

Well Done!

I have just received your July issue. What a pleasure to read, you are really producing an amazing magazine. Well done! It also gives us pleasure to see our photographs in your magazine. 
– Johanna Ginsberg, ACTION PHOTO

Cross-training is a great way for runners to supplement their running training with other activities or workouts that will improve their running or help with recovery from injuries. The benefits of cross-training include:
  It helps strengthen your non-running muscles and rests your running muscles, while also building upper body strength, which will help you when running up hills.
  It improves your cardiovascular fitness.
  You’ll avoid getting bored with running by adding variety to your training.
  It reduces your chance of injury by balancing your weaker muscles with your stronger ones, reducing stress on your joints and strengthening the soft connective tissue between muscle groups.
  It can help injured runners maintain fitness and deal better with the frustration of being sidelined from running.

So, we popped into Sportsmans Warehouse and found these great cross-training gear choices.

Aquatrainer Belt
Water running is a great alternative for injured runners or as a substitute for an easy running day, because there is no shock from foot-strike and added resistance from the water. Just remember that the correct technique is to pump your legs up and down, not windmill them like a cycling action.
R199.95

Speedo Future Biofuse Swimming goggles

Swimming really works your upper body while giving your leg muscles and joints a breather, builds strength and endurance, and improves flexibility. Swimming goggles are a must-have, like these quick-adjustable, anti-fog, wide panoramic Speedo goggles.
R279.95

                      L.A. Sports Inline Skates
Inline skating is another no-impact sport – provided you don’t fall – and it’s a great activity if you’re recovering from shin splints, Achilles tendonitis or knee injuries. You’ll really work your quadriceps, buttocks and lower-back muscles. These skates feature a padded mesh lining that is both comfortable and well ventilated.
R599.95

 Carnegie Fitness Body Balance

Runners need strong healthy ankles and a good sense of balance, especially if they intend heading off-road. A foam balance block allows you to do balancing exercises as well as work on your core stabilising muscles both in rehab after an injury and for general strengthening.
R449.95

Body Sculpture Exercise Mat
Get yourself a mat for some yoga or Pilates training. Yoga uses your own body weight as resistance and improves flexibility, and Pilates strengthens the diaphragm, stretches tight muscles and improves posture – all of which helps you run longer with less effort.
R199.95

Body Sculpture 20kg Dumbbell set
Strength training allows runners to improve the strength in their running muscles, create balance between unbalanced muscle groups, and focus on keeping their legs strong during injury recovery. Dumbbells allow you to work specifically on your arms, but also on legs and the rest of the upper body – and these great dumbbells can be adjusted with different combinations of weights. R499.95

Body Sculpture Exercise ball
You can cross-train even while sitting at your desk if you replace your chair with an exercise ball, because you’ll be using your core stabilising muscles to sit upright, still and balanced – and these same muscles will then help you run more efficiently.
R179.95

Body Sculpture Pilates Band

With comfortable handgrips and easy to use instructions printed on the band, you can’t go wrong with this exercise band. Tone, firm and shape your stomach, buttocks, hips, thighs, arms and back while giving yourself a whole-body cross-training workout.
R149.95

Bigger Options
We’ve looked at a few smaller, over-the-counter cross-training items here, but you also have some bigger options, either to buy for your home or use at your local gym:

 Spinning bike: Spinning exercises running-related muscle groups such as the quadriceps and shins, strengthens the connective tissue of the knee, hip, and ankle regions, and provides a great cardiovascular workout.
 Elliptical trainer: These machines provide a great total body cardiovascular workout, especially if you use the handles as well, and going both forwards and backwards works all the major muscles in your legs.
 Rowing machine: An excellent cardiovascular, low-impact activity, rowing strengthens the quads, hips, buttocks and upper body, while sparing the legs from heavy pounding.

 

When Zithulele ‘Zet’ Sinqe lined up for the 1986 South African Marathon Champs in Port Elizabeth, he was not expected to win. Yes, he was wearing Springbok colours, awarded after he finished tied in a dead-heat SA record 62:19 with Matthews Temane in the previous year’s SA Half Marathon Champs in Durban, but he had just one marathon to his name, clocking ‘only’ 2:15:08. So imagine the shock it caused when he won in PE in a blisteringly fast 2:08:04, shattering Mark Plaatjies’ SA record by 54 seconds, setting the then fourth-fastest time ever, and coming within a minute of beating the then 2:07:12 world record!

It was no straightforward win though, as Zet had to dig deep to beat Willie Mtolo in a massive tussle that saw Willie also beat the old SA record convincingly in 2:08:15. Willie had reached halfway in 64:19 and was 71 seconds ahead of Sinqe. Zet launched an astonishing 2:52min/km onslaught and managed to catch him at the 40km mark, then surge clear for the win. “I had let Willie and Gibeon Moshaba go in the first half, but when I caught Gibeon, there was no sign of Willie, and no leading car. I asked him how he knew where he was going and he told me Willie was ahead of us, so I pushed on, using the lights of the lead car to measure the distance between us. I knew that if I caught him, I would be able to pull away.”

His superb victory saw him win the SA Sportsman of the Year Award later that year, although this did cause him some discomfort in what was then still Apartheid-era South Africa. “I think I was one of the first black men to shake hands with President PW Botha,” he jokes, “And when I came home from Cape Town some people said I should not have shaken his hand.”

TOUGH BEGINNING
Born in 1963, Zet is now 47 and lives in Krugersdorp with wife Phindile, son Siyabulele (21) and daughter Zintle (19). He works for the Nedbank Running Club as Development CEO, overseeing clinics and initiatives to bring the next generation of South African running greats to the fore – opportunities that he would have dearly loved to have when he was growing up near Umtata in the old Transkei homeland.

With his father away most of the time for work, he was largely raised by his mother, but later went to live with family in Nqobo so that he could attend school – although he could only go three days a week because he had to help tend the cattle. Being away from his parents played a big role in motivating him to start running, though. “The school selected touring teams and that gave me the opportunity to see my parents,” he explains. And he never lacked for training: “I had to walk 1.5 hours to get to school every day, and I would jog there to be on time. I was also the best wire car driver, and we would race them for many miles.”

He left school in Standard 8 (1980), as there was no more money to pay for further schooling, and moved to Prieska to find work, where he had little time for running. Then in 1983 he headed back to the Transkei, restarted school and started training himself, and soon he was regularly clocking world-class times. In 1984, he moved up to Transvaal to find work at the Goldfields West Driefontein mine, where he was employed as a recreation officer and recruited for the mine’s running team. Provincial colours soon followed, and then came his breakthrough national champs performances.

AN INCREDIBLE DOUBLE DEAD-HEAT DUEL
Incredibly, after dead-heating with Matthews in the 1985 Half Marathon Champs, the two repeated the feat in the 1987 Champs in East London! Once again, both were given the same finishing time in a new SA record of 60:11, taking more than two minutes off their previous joint record. Unfortunately for Zet, Matthews was once again ruled the winner. “I think he won because his nose is bigger than mine,” jokes Zet.

He retained his national marathon title later that year in Stellenbosch, winning in 2:10:51 after once again surging away from Willie (2:11:01) in the last kay. This saw him selected for a national squad to compete in an international meet in Rome, but he was to be denied by the international sporting boycott enforced on South Africa due to its Apartheid policy. “When we got there, we were not allowed to race, and I found it demotivating to come home to races where there was little competition, so I quit running.”

Zet soon returned to training, though, as South Africa began its return to the sporting world, and when he finished second in the 1991 SA Marathon Champs, he was selected for the 1992 Olympic Games. “I thought I could beat the best in the world, but a back problem affected my hamstrings and I had to bail just before halfway. When I came back from Barcelona, I realised I could not run as well as I had before, and I thought my racing days were over.”

UP TO ULTRAS
A few years later, Zet decided to give ultra-marathons a try, even though he didn’t think too highly of them. “I used to think of Oceans and Comrades as races for retired marathoners,” he now jokes. “I thought it would be easy to win them, because I could easily go under 3min/km in a 21, while the guys were only running 3:30s in Oceans or Comrades.”

Semi-retired or not, he won the 1996 Two Oceans in 3:09:45, then came back a year later to defend his title with an even faster 3:07:17. He followed that up with a gutsy fourth in the 1997 Comrades, clocking 5:33:18 after a huge battle with Nick Bester and Charl Mattheus – but he says his lack of experience cost him that day. “I ate too much before the race, then couldn’t drink enough water during the race because my stomach was too full, which led to cramping and three trips to the bushes. Later in the race, I sensed that Charl and Nick were laughing at me. After the race I asked them what they were saying, and they told me I was lifting my legs too much, like I was running a 10km.”
Zet was second in the 1998 Two Oceans (3:13:11), then returned to Comrades in 1998, determined to go for the win, but with 10km to go and lying ninth, he bailed due to ongoing problems with his legs. “I don’t regret bailing. I had always been a winner in all the distances I had raced, but Comrades was just too long for me. After that race I quit running.”

NEXT CHAPTER
Comrades may have killed Zet’s competitiveness, but it ignited a desire to help with the development of running – and gave him the ‘foot in the door’ to achieve that. “I got more recognition for finishing fourth in Comrades than I did for my 2:08 or 60:11, and the work offers I got from Harmony and Nedbank are due to that result.”

This work initially saw Zet operating as Central Gauteng Development Coach for the now defunct Harmony Athletics Club, and in 2008, when Nedbank took over the Harmony Club, Zet was appointed National Development Manager. It’s a role that has seen him do much valuable work to promote the sport at grassroots level, but he still wants to do more. “We are doing well in the cities and townships, but look at guys like Ramaala, Sepeng and Thugwane – they come from deep rural areas. If we can go out there and give as much support to those promising youngsters, we can change running in this country.”

He also serves as Vice Chair of the Central Gauteng Cross-Country Commission, and is a Director of the Sport Heroes Walk Against Aids initiative, which takes sports stars from town to town to help educate the youth about the dangers of HIV/Aids. “We’re working closely with the departments of Health, Education, Sport and Correctional Services, so I believe we’re making a big difference.”

Zet still runs 10km a day, but doesn’t race anymore. “I just want to be in shape to motivate my athletes – and to keep up with my daughter! She is a good runner and often asks me to go with her for training runs, and I don’t want to get beaten by too much!”

When asked what running means to him now, Zet thinks for a moment before answering. “My schooling was limited, but through running I have managed many things, and hope to achieve many more. Running has made my life.”

ZET’S BEST TIMES
  10km:    28:30
   15km:    44:10
   21.1km:    60:11
   42.2km:    3:08:04
  Two Oceans:    3:07:17
   Comrades:    5:33:18

SOUTH AFRICA’S FASTEST HALF MARATHONERS
1 Hendrick Ramaala 59:20
2 Matthews Temane 60:11*
3 Zithulele Sinqe 60:11*
4 Gert Thys 60:23
5 Xolile Yawa 60:56
*
Joint 5th fastest overall time ever by a South African, as Ramaala has gone faster on four occasions.

SOUTH AFRICA’S FASTEST MARATHONERS
1  Gert Thys 2:06:33
2  Hendrick Ramaala 2:06:55
3  Ian Syster 2:07:06
4  Josiah Thugwane 2:07:28
5  Zithulele Sinqe 2:08:04*

*
11th fastest overall time ever by a South African, as Thys (4), Ramaala (3) and Syster (2) have gone faster on more than one occasion.

FIND THE STRENGTH
Because of muscle and postural imbalances, some muscles in our bodies have become abnormally tight and others have become very weak. This is a problem because the musculoskeletal system is the foundation of running, and any imbalances negatively affect your body and could lead to injury. Because you spend most of your time running in a straight line, the same muscles are used all the time, that is, the quads, hamstrings and calves, and others are used less frequently, such as the gluteus and core stabilisers. This can create imbalances and lead to injury and decreased running performance.

Functional strength training refers to exercises that teach the body to reduce or produce force, and dynamically stabilise the entire body during functional movements in a smooth and coordinated way. Weaknesses or lack of sufficient coordination in the core can lead to less efficient movements, strain, overuse and injury. A dynamic core stabilisation training programme is essential as a base, before commencing a functional strength training programme.

A core stabilisation programme will:
 Improve your ability to maintain good postural control during movement.
  Ensure appropriate muscular balance and joint control around the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex.

The core musculature is composed of 29 pairs of muscles that support the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. These muscles help to stabilise the spine and pelvis during functional movements. When the system works efficiently, the result is appropriate distribution of forces, optimal control and efficiency of movement as well as adequate absorption of ground impact forces.

CORE CONCENTRATION
Most athletes train their core stabilisers inadequately compared to other muscles. Running alone doesn’t strength the core sufficiently, therefore runners in particular can benefit from a core stabilisation programme. The concept of quality rather than quantity is stressed. Neural adaptations become the focus of the programme instead of striving for absolute strength, which is a typical mistake a lot of athletes make. If they are not breathing heavily, sweating or feeling a particular muscle group burning then they believe they are wasting their time.

A core stabilisation programme should ideally be undertaken only after a thorough evaluation of the muscular system done by experts. This will help in assessing and identifying any imbalances.

Try performing the following exercises three times a week to maximise results, but keep the following in mind:
 Begin with two sets of 15 repetitions and progress to three sets of 15-20 repetitions.
  Progress to more functional exercises as control is developed. Don’t tilt the pelvis or flatten the spine.
 This first stage of core stability training begins with learning to stabilise the abdominal wall. Proper activation of these muscles is considered crucial in the first stages of a core stability programme, before progressing to more dynamic workouts.

SUPERMAN WITH ALTERNATE ARM/LEG RAISES
 Position yourself on all fours. Brace the abdominal wall as described above. While maintaining a mid range/neutral curve of the lumbar spine, raise the right arm and the left leg (opposite upper and lower limbs) until they are in line with the trunk, while preventing any rocking of the pelvis or spine. 
 The leg should be raised only to the height at which you can control any excessive motion of the lumbo-pelvic region. Then perform the exercise raising the left arm with the right leg.
Progression: A physioball underneath the trunk can provide a significantly more proprioceptive challenge.

SEGMENTAL BRIDGING
  Bridging is a fundamental core stability and gluteal-strengthening exercise.
 Begin the exercise on your back, with arms resting at the sides.
  Activate the abdominals and squeeze the gluteal cheeks prior to initiating the movement.
 Lift the pelvis and hips off the ground by gently curling or imagining that you are lifting one vertebra at a time off the floor until the hips are aligned with the knees and shoulders in a straight line.
 Hold the position for ten seconds and then slowly lower the pelvis by curling the pelvis back down to the floor.
Progression: In the lifted-bridge position, while maintaining neutral lumbar and pelvic alignment, lift one foot off the ground and extend the leg still keeping both knees in line. By placing your arms across the chest, you can increase the challenge.