Category: Columns

Vladimir Kotov
Record-breaking 50-59 age category runner

Club:   Century City Athletic Club, Cape Town, Western Province
Age:   52
Achievements:  Three-time Comrades Marathon winner (2000, 2002, 2004), Olympic marathoner (fourth in 1980 Moscow Games), multiple race winner and record-holder in SA, and recently set a new world best time for 50km for the 50-59 years age category.
PBs     Lifetime 50-59
  10km   28:28  31:47
  15km   43:31  48:59
  21.1km  1:01:07 1:11:34
  30km   1:30:09 1:47:30
  42.2km  2:10:58 2:31:13
  Two Oceans  3:13:21 3:19:48
  Comrades  5:25:33 (up) 5:27:21 (down)

The past few months have been good for Belorussian Vladimir Kotov, who lives in Cape Town. Having finally recovered in October from two years of knee and Achilles problems, he returned to full training, and has since set Western Province 50-59 years age category records for every distance from 8km to the marathon. He capped that in April with a new 50-59 world best for 50km on his way to finishing 17th overall and shattering the 50-59 course record in the Two Oceans 56km ultra-marathon.

Record-Breakers Time WP Records Time
Avbob 15km 49:40 Lion of Africa Half Marathon 1:11:34
Sundowner 10km 31:52 Men’s Health 10km 31:48
Runner’s Memorial 8km 25:26 West Coast Marathon 2:31:13
Bay to Bay 30km 1:47:30 Constantia 15km 48:59
  Century City 10km 31:47
  Two Oceans 3:19:48

SETTING UP SHOP
Somehow, in between all these record-breaking runs, Vladimir still found the time in March to open his new running store in Cape Town. Called Kotov’s Korner Sport Store, in the Colosseum Building in Century City, it stocks running shoes and clothing, and Vladimir also offers personalised training plans.

“I am getting slower each year, no matter how much or what type of training I do. That is life, so with my career going down now, I am looking for a business for my future. My training is actually as an animal doctor, but I have forgotten most of what I learnt, so I think it is much better I stay in sport. Runners need specialist advice, and I have run for a long time, so I can give people the benefit of my experience.”

AIMING HIGH
Despite his age, Vladimir will still be going for a top ten Comrades finish this year. “If I can beat the Western Province records at 52, then I think I can still get gold at Comrades. I will be even happier with top three. I think this year will be an easier race, because a lot of people have retired, like Shvetsov and Kharitonov, and the South African entries are not too strong this year if you look at results.”

When asked about retiring from top-level racing, Vladimir says that his future plans all depend on the next few months. “Business and hard training don’t go together. First I will see how Comrades goes and second I will see how the business goes before deciding. I need to spend time every day in the store, so it impacts on my training and important rest time.”

I have been power walking for 4 years and completed the Comrades last year. In December I decided to start running and have since completed a few half marathons. I now have this pain below my left knee when I stand up. I can barely walk. When I start running I hobble the first few hundred metres. It usually then warms up and I run with no problems. But when I stop running the pain sets in again. I have been to a physio who told me that it is not Runner’s knee as I initially suspected. I am now in pain whenever I stand, even though I have backed off training. I have iced the area and covered it with medicated patches, but nothing seems to work.

ANSWER
Knee injuries can be very difficult to manage and treat and seldom resolve on their own. A correct diagnosis is always needed before a treatment and management program is started for any injury. I suggest seeing a sports physician or knee orthopaedic specialist so a full clinical history and examination may be performed to establish the actual cause the pain.

Runner’s knee or anterior knee pain or patella-femoral pain, is only one possibility that could be causing the pain that you are feeling. Runners and walkers by virtue of their chosen sport will have some degree of cartilage damage to the patella-femoral joint, which can present in many differing pain patterns. Typically pain presents when walking up and down stairs or when rising from a seated position.
Meniscal injury should also be considered. Chronic degeneration of the menisci may present in any endurance athlete as pain and swelling of the knee, or locking or catching of the knee through extension and flexion of the knee.

Tendinopathy pain is due to chronic degeneration of the involved tendon, which is typically stiff or painful when immobile and resolves with movement. This is due to chronic overloading of those structures leading to micro-trauma, poor healing and degenerative scar tissue build up.

Having established the correct diagnosis, the management program should then include:
• Offloading and rest of the affected area
•  Stabilization and protection of the knee joint
• Symptomatic relief
• Promotion of healing
• Intervention where needed (conservative vs. surgical)
• Correction of any bio-mechanical issues
• Education of the patient in preventative measures
• Gradual return to sport

Modern Athlete Expert
Gavin Shang
Sports Physician at the Rosebank Centre for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Johannesburg. Holds a Masters degree in Sports Medicine and has worked with numerous top local and international sports people over the years.

I am a 61-year-old runner. I eat healthy, I am slim and train six days a week. I keep bees and therefore love honey. I eat about three dessert spoons full a day! As I am sure you are aware honey contains 1.5% sucrose, 38% fructose, 31% glucose and 7.5% maltose. My last check up was in June 2007 and my cholesterol level was 4.6. However I was not eating honey at that time! My question to you is will the consumption of so much honey effect my blood sugar and insulin levels and subsequently my cholesterol? Would you recommend honey in place of corn syrup during races? – Richard Acheson, Hout Bay

ANSWER
Honey is an interesting carbohydrate food. Honey, like sugar, is a simple carbohydrate. The final composition of mature honey varies but a typical analysis is given as glucose 34%, fructose 41%, sucrose 2.4% and water 18.3%. The unique feature of honey is however that it is high in fructose. Fructose, unlike glucose, in the blood is converted primarily to glycogen in the liver, a process that does not require insulin. Corn syrup has similar levels of fructose as honey.

Studies using high-fructose corn syrup have shown that although fructose does not cause a raise in blood glucose levels it causes an increase in undesirable triglyceride levels in the blood, and therefore increased cardiovascular risk.

Chronic fructose consumption has also been shown to substantially increases lipogenesis (fat molecule formation), resulting in increases in triglycerides compared to consumption of equal amounts of glucose. These studies have however been done using corn syrup and not honey.

Honey also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are not available in refined sugar. It used to be thought that the amounts of vitamins and minerals were inconsequential in terms of any protective benefits, but recent studies have shown that there may be mildly cardio-protective benefits to consuming honey over sugar.

In terms of your cholesterol I think it is more important to focus on an overall balanced healthy cholesterol-lowering/maintaining diet, and use your 3 table spoons honey as 3 servings of your total carbs per day. You would however then need to avoid any other refined carbs, especially high-fructose corn syrup products, throughout the day. These 3 servings of honey should be ideally spread throughout the day (in small quantities) to avoid a high glycemic load at one time in your blood and thereby avoid any potential spikes in blood sugar levels.

Modern Athlete Expert
Christine Peters
Dietician at Sunninghill Medical Centre, Johannesburg. Member of Morningside Country Club with eight years running experience, including two finishes in the Two Oceans Marathon.

I recently ran a half marathon. Subsequently, my right knee took a bit of a knock all around, particularly on the outside. It has been two weeks, and it is not getting any better. Could you please give me an advice on this? – SAMSON XULU, SANDTON

Answer
Knee pain in runner’s can have many causes and the main aims of management should be based around attaining a proper diagnosis from the proper specialist such as a sports physician or orthopaedic surgeon.
Some relief will be found in simple treatment principles of PRICE (protection/rest/ice/compression/elevation) where implemented appropriately and as necessary. However, if the exact cause is not determined and corrected, the underlying issues will remain and symptomatic treatment will only provide relief for a period of time before the condition becomes problematic again.

Pain on the outside of the knee could be from various structures in or around the knee. Joint surface cartilage, menisci or ligaments may be involved but the most common disorder in runner’s causing pain on the outside of the knee is iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome.

The ITB is a thickened fascia, which extends from the pelvis and passes over the lateral femoral condyle on its way to attaching to the proximal aspect of the tibia.

ITB syndrome is a common overuse injury especially in runners and cyclists, presenting with pain over the lateral aspect of the knee. It is thought to be a friction-based condition, where the ITB tendon runs anterior to posterior across the lateral femoral condyle, causing inflammation to the underlying bursa.

However, recent research has challenged these traditional views and re-studied the functional anatomy and biomechanics. Anatomically they have shown that the ITB is fixed to the distal femoral shaft and thus back and forth movements are unlikely to occur. Biomechanically, an unfortunate narrow vector is created with poor pelvic and gluteal instability, which when combined excessive internal tibial rotation, a lateral to medial compression of a highly innervated fat pad occurs between the ITB and the femoral condyle.

Management of the ITB syndrome is either conservative or surgical. Conservative measures include correction of any underlying biomechanical disorders, to correct the instability of the pelvis and core as well as any internal tibial rotation that exists. This would be achieved with the help of a biokineticist and a podiatrist. ITB stretches before and after exercise are useful and can be incorporated into any warm up and cool down regimen. Physiotherapists can help to relieve the pain in the area and surrounding structures.

The use of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS), analgesics or infiltrating the affected area with cortisone will be at the discretion of the attending sports physician or orthopaedic surgeon. If these conservative measures do not improve the condition with rehabilitation after an 8-12 week period, surgical intervention is then the decision of the orthopaedic surgeon.

Modern Athlete Expert
Gavin Shang: Sports Physician at the Rosebank Centre for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics in Johannesburg. Holds a Masters degree in Sports Medicine and has worked with numerous top local and international sports people over the years.

Runners know they’re supposed to stretch their leg muscles on a regular basis, but most either don’t do it at all, or they do it all wrong, often leading to instability and injury. Here are some of the stretches that all runners should do – and a few to avoid at all costs! – By Sean Falconer

In part one (A Stretch Too Far in our March edition), we took an in-depth look at stretching with physiotherapist Benita De Witt, and she explained that the only muscles runners should stretch are the power muscles on the outer sides of the legs. These mobilisers do most of the work when you run and thus tend to shorten. The stabilising muscles on the inner sides of the legs tend to be weaker and thus lengthen, and therefore should not be stretched further, as this can lead to knee, calf or foot injuries.

Benita explains that there are certain ‘correct’ stretches for runners. “I recommend just three stretches that cover all the bases. 
The first is for the quads, which stretches everything on the front of the leg, and you can choose between two ways of doing this stretch. 
Then there are the two bum stretches: one sitting against the wall, which stretches the full length of the back of the legs, and the standing bum stretch, which targets the back and bum. You need to do both bum stretches, as they are complimentary. All these stretches should be held for just two seconds, then released and repeated five times.”

Benita, who developed the Lyno Method to determine where treatment should be focused to restore balance and eliminate chronic recurring injuries, says that it is important to compare the sides of the body. “If one side is tighter than the other – and by that I mean it actually has less range of movement, not just that it feels tighter – then you need to stretch the short side only. Once both sides are equal, you can work towards full range of movement.”

The Sitting Bum Stretch
Sit with your back against a wall and your legs straight in front of you. Lift one knee up to your chest, then bend the knee 90 degrees and move your foot towards the wall. Use your arms to pull the knee and foot towards your chest, keeping the foot and knee in line with each other.

The Standing Bum Stretch
Stand in front of a table that is the height of your hanging fist. Place one knee on the table in line with the hip and bend the knee 90 degrees. Your standing foot should be straight and in line with the other hip and shoulder. Hold the knee down on the table, keep your back straight and bend from the hips, trying to touch the table with your nose.

The Kneeling Quad Stretch
Kneel in front of a wall with one foot against the wall and the other knee two foot-lengths away from the wall. Make sure your bottom knee, hip and shoulder are in line, and keep your body straight. Hold the back foot with both hands and pull it towards the buttocks.

The Standing Quad Stretch
Stand against a table and bend one knee to lift the foot to the buttocks. Keeping the body straight and knees together, use both hands to pull the foot towards the buttocks. Then move the knee backwards as far as you can.

Leave Those Calves
Benita has strong sentiments about stretching the calf muscles: just don’t do it! “I never tell any of my athletes to stretch their calf muscles, because most of the time they are too long already. I can quickly check this with the calf length test, and if they do need to stretch their calves, I make them to do the two bum stretches, as that also stretches the calves.”

To test your calf length, stand barefoot, feet slightly apart, and raise the front of one foot as high as you can while keeping the heel on the ground. Ask a friend to see if they can put two fingers under the ball of the foot behind both the big and small toes. If you are able to lift the foot higher than two fingers, your calf is over-stretched. If you cannot fit two fingers under the foot, your muscle is too tight.

The Wrong Way!

Benita says that many common stretching techniques target the inner side of the leg, often leading to instability and injury. Therefore, she strongly recommends that you replace these wrong stretches with the right stretches described above.

Groin adductor Stretch

Lying Bum Stretch

One handed standing quad stretch

Leaning Inner Leg Stretch

Straight Leg Hamstring Stretch

‘Push it over’ Calf Stretch

Hanging Achilles Stretch

Missed part one?
You can read the first part of this article at www.modernathlete.co.za – you’ll find it in Body Science under the In the Magazine section.

2009 KwaZulu-Natal 10km/21.1km Champ
SA Colours: Cross-Country

Club: Boxer Superstores Athletic Club, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Age: 28
Achievements:  Winner of numerous KZN road races, fifth lady at the SPAR Grand Prix series and sixth lady at the Two Oceans Half Marathon. She also broke the course records at the 15km Illovo Christmas Race, the Yellowwood Park 15km and Kersney Striders Half Marathon.
PBs: 4km – 13:31, 10km – 34:59, 15km – 56:00, 21.1km – 76:43.

She has been running for as long as she can remember and over the years, won a couple of races in her home province, KZN. But it was only a year ago that Jenna Challenor decided to take running seriously and now, there is no stopping her! She was recently awarded SA Colours in Cross-Country and won two team medals at the 10km and 21.1km SA Champs in 2009. To top it all, she was also the sixth lady home at the Two Oceans Half Marathon last year and is hoping for an even better placing this year.

“It has been an awesome year. I have travelled all over the country to compete. I started training with my coach, Andrew Daly, about a year ago. He is passionate, dedicated and supportive,” says Jenna, a mother of two young girls. Until a year ago, Jenna tried to combine a full-time teaching job and part-time work as a photographer with motherhood and training. “It was a bit of a juggling act and I decided to give up teaching and concentrate on photography and my training.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
She runs between 130km and 140km a week. Her training before big events includes a morning run of 6km followed by a midday track session of about 12km. She finishes the day off with another 6km session and reserves weekends for long runs. “I specialise in 8km cross-country, and 10km and 21.1km races. I would love to run marathons and even Comrades, but I first want to enjoy the short, fast races.” Jenna mainly trains with her husband, Brett, a Springbok lifesaver. “Running is our special time together. Brett knows what it takes to get to the top and this helps me achieve.”

CHALLENGES AND GOALS
Jenna has had some disappointments. Last year she battled with tonsillitis eight times in one year. “Every time I raced or trained hard I got sick. I eventually had my tonsils removed. Getting back into competitive running was very hard,” says Jenna, whose mom has completed ten Comrades Marathons.

Jenna’s goal for this year includes being selected as part of the SA Cross-Country and 21.1km team for the World Champs. Her greatest competitors (and friends) are Ren? Kalmer, Annerien van Schalkwyk and Poppy Mlambo. “On the starting line we race but off the line we are good friends.”

R&R
When she doesn’t run, Jenna loves eating sushi, drinking cappuccinos and spending time on the beach with her family. “I believe in the following words: An important key to success is self-confidence and an important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

Her advice to novices is to not expect too much initially. “Everyone had to start somewhere, even the top runners. The first two weeks of training will be hard and you will want to give up, but persevere. Running gets addictive!”

He was the first South African to win the New York City Marathon. He has won several SA titles and has held records over most distances in KwaZulu-Natal. He has also clocked a 2:08:15 marathon and has, over the years, consistently achieved at the Comrades Marathon, winning three silver and eight gold medals. Two years ago, at the age of 44, he surprised most people when he finished in the top ten at Comrades. Willie Mtolo’s running career spans over nearly 25 years and it seems that even now, there is no stopping him. He is without doubt one of South Africa’s greatest ambassadors of ultra running.

Willie Mtolo believes in sticking to a plan before a big race, even if it means taking his own portable stove, pot and porridge all the way from South Africa to New York…
 
THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON EXPERIENCE
It was November 1992 and Willie was invited to run the prestigious New York City Marathon (NYCM). He is a man who believes in eating porridge the night before a race and he decided that the night before the NYCM would be no different. Willie and his wife travelled to New York and were booked into the top floor of the luxurious Hilton Hotel.

Two days before the race he asked the kitchen staff if they would cook his porridge on the evening before the race, but they had no idea how to cook porridge. When he volunteered to cook it himself, they declared that no guests were allowed in the kitchen. Willie decided that nothing was going to keep him from eating his porridge, and so he and his wife cooked the porridge in the hotel room on the portable stove he had brought from South Africa.

“Suddenly the fire alarm went off. The next thing we saw a fire engine stopping in front of the hotel! We hid the pot under the bed and were waiting for them to arrest us. Luckily they did not know where the heat came from. Later we covered the smoke detectors with towels and finished cooking the porridge.”

AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY
The next morning Willie became the first South African to win the New York City Marathon. He broke the tape in 2:09:29. “I was so nervous. I saw Mark Plaatjes. He was going to run but never started for some reason. His advice to me was, ‘Mtolo, be patient. Don’t worry if you see a Kenyan or an Ethiopian next to you. Run your own race. You can win this.’”

At the halfway mark Willie was amongst a bunch of six frontrunners, but at the 30km mark they broke away. “I was left behind but at the 35km mark I started catching them. The last 5km to Central Park was hilly and I knew I was strong on the hills. I ran as hard as I could and won! I could not believe it. My smile was so big. Nobody, not even my wife and friends, expected me to win. Only Mark had said I could do it.”

Willie, who turned 30 later that year, won prize money and a Mercedes Benz. It was too expensive to bring the car back to South Africa so he had to sell it in New York. The race will forever be etched in his mind. Though he had achieved results in South Africa before, his NYCM win made the world take notice of Willie Mtolo!

THE BIRTH OF A WORLD CLASS RUNNER
Willie is one of ten kids and grew up in the Underberg. Every day the Mtolo kids walked a total of 32km to school and back. “My dad was working for a farmer. He could not afford to buy us bikes. We woke up at 4:30 and started walking at 6:00. We got to school at 8:00 and in the afternoon, it was the same story. I believe this walking physically helped me in my later years.”

Willie did not run as a primary school boy. In Grade 8 he moved to Durban with his married sister and it was then that his talent started emerging at high school in Hillcrest. “I started running 3000m and 5000m and won the KZN School Champs before being selected for the KZN national team.”

A MEMORABLE TIME TRIAL
It was at the Hillcrest Villagers Time Trial in KZN that Willie was noticed as a young runner. One of his friends told him about the time trial and Willie was eager to test his skills over the 8km distance. “I broke the course record.” Willie, who ran in a pair of old squash shoes, finished in 25:08. He stunned not only the time keepers, but also himself. “Some people thought I cut short but the guy who ran behind me convinced them that I ran the whole route. Hillcrest Villagers bought me shoes and a tracksuit, and I joined their club. That night I thought I might have some talent.” From then onwards, Willie started competing in various road races, often winning or placing in the top five.

THE EARLY YEARS
In 1984, at the tender age of 19, Willie decided to compete in the Comrades Marathon, as Hillcrest Villagers had their eyes set on winning the team trophy. He finished 23rd in a time of 6:02:40, just missing the magical sub six-hour barrier. “Looking back I realise it was maybe not the best thing to run Comrades at such a young age. One should concentrate on shorter races when you are young.”

Barely three weeks after his first Comrades, he placed third at the Hillcrest Half Marathon, finishing in a time of 67:16. This race incorporated the Natal Champs and Willie was selected to run for KZN at the South African Championships in East London. He followed this with a win (43:16) at the 14km Daily News Big Run.

His first major race win came at the 50km JSE Marathon in odd circumstances. Willie describes this as one of the highlights of his career. He finished seconds behind the winner, who broke the tape in 2:47:37. The winner was then disqualified because he only wore one race number and Willie took his place.

Another highlight was in 1986 when he ran his best marathon time of 2:08:16 at the SA Champs in PE. Three years later in 1989, Willie’s second attempt at Comrades saw him finishing second (5:39:59) behind Sam Tshabalala, the first black athlete to win
the Comrades.

LIFE AFTER NEW YORK
After winning the NYCM in 1992, Willie returned home to a hero’s welcome. He took a break from the local road running scene and continued competing in international marathons, finishing second (2:10:17) at the Rotterdam Marathon in 1994 and fifth at the London Marathon in 1995. He returned to Comrades many years later, finishing second again in 2002, and in the top ten several times over the next couple of years.

Another major highlight was in 1990 when he won the Two Oceans Marathon. Twelve years later in 2002 he ran Two Oceans again, this time finishing third. Amazingly, his finishing time over this 12 year period only fluctuated by less than two minutes, which is a true indication of the quality of his running over time. “I prefer Comrades, especially now that I am getting older. Comrades is not about how much speed you have, but how strong you are.”

LIFE TODAY
Willie (46) is married to Sikile and they have four children. He has a farm in KZN, a house in Pinetown and a butchery in Pietermartizburg.

He is a gentleman who gives back to the sport that has given him so much. He is the proud owner of the Willie Mtolo Athletic Club in Pinetown and plays a big role in the development of sport in KZN. “We have about 67 members and I help some of the members with their training.” A few youngsters have achieved well at the KZN cross-country and road champs. “There is a lot of talent in the Underberg. We try to help with the development of this talent and get the youngsters to join a running club.” Willie also stages the annual Willie Mtolo Sports Day in his home village to encourage participation and development amongst the youth.

TRAINING
Willie mostly trains alone and runs between 160km and 180km a week. This is what his training programme looks like:

 Morning Evening
  
Monday 15km 20km
Tuesday 10km Speed/track session including 400m repeats (12 repeats at about 75 seconds per 400m) or 1000m repeats (six repeats at about 3:20min/km)
Wednesday 30-35km 
Thursday 15km Speed/track session including 400m repeats (12 repeats at about 75 seconds per 400m) or 1000m repeats (six repeats at about 3:20min/km)
Friday Rest 
Saturday Track (10km hard) 
Sunday Long run of 4-5 hours 

ADVICE FOR YOUNG ATHLETES
Young people should realise what sport can mean in their lives, says Willie. “Running has enabled me to travel and compete overseas. Most of the things I have are bought with money I have earned from running. One needs discipline in life and sport can help you to focus.”

He realises it is hard, especially for youngsters from rural areas, to get to races and to afford to run in big races. “One of the biggest challenges in my running career was often just to get to a race. Many times I did not have transport and I had to get up early to walk to the race. Sometimes I missed a race. It was not always easy. But it was worth it.”

COMRADES 2010
Training is going well for this year’s event. Willie recently finished seventh at the Peninsula Marathon (2:56) and plans to run the Two Oceans Marathon in his quest for a top five finish. Don’t be surprised if Willie is amongst the gold medallists on the day. We certainly won’t be!

We receive many great letters from our readers and enjoy sharing some of them with you. If you would like to send us a letter regarding any topic, go to www.modernathlete.co.za and click on the Become a Contributor link. (Note that some letters have been shortened due to space limitations.)

BDO Peninsula Marathon Disgrace
I have serious reservations about ever competing in an event organised by Top Events. On the half marathon course there were no water tables between the 7km and 16km mark! When I finished the run and was driving home, the table at 16km was being packed up, despite the fact that there were still many runners on the course. So these poor souls had no water from 7km to the end.

I personally thought that the organisation was a total disgrace and that Celtic Harriers cannot absolve themselves from the blame. They appointed Top Events to undertake the running of the event and should have taken measures to ensure that they live up to their ‘Top Events’ name.

In addition to the water points fiasco, the registration the day before was also totally disorganised. We had to stand outside in the blazing sun for more than 45 minutes (thank goodness it wasn’t raining). – SIMON SPECK

Top Events Replies: Top Events and Peninsula Beverages were responsible for the overall delivery of water and logistics at the BDO Peninsula Marathon. Celtic Harriers and BDO had no responsibility or involvement in this. Top Events and Peninsula Beverages who were responsible for delivering the water and Coca Cola on the route acknowledge that there was a shortage of water at a number of refreshment stations. We unreservedly apologize to the runners for this.

The various persons concerned regarding deliveries on the day have had a joint meeting post event in an attempt to ascertain what went wrong and to rectify this for future events. Adequate water was ordered pre-race, namely 100 000 sachets, that is, 3.3 sachets per runner per refreshment station. Despite this a number of stations still experienced water shortages.

We assure you that for future Peninsula Marathons, additional checks and balances will be implemented to ensure that this does not happen again. – Kevin Lodge for and on behalf of Top Events and Peninsula Beverages.

Team Garwood
Thank you for the excellent article that you wrote about us. The response that we have received has been wonderful, from those who have been able to contact us. I am sure that there are many more who would like to make contact with us.

They can contact me on the following email address: [email protected]. We also have a Facebook page, where we provide information on the events that we are taking part in. The following link will take you to our page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Garwood/187524370943.

Thank You Mrs L
I’ve a running buddy I’d like to salute.
Her running is extremely good.
Sub two and a half,
In comparison my time’s a laugh
But she chooses to stick by my side
Faithfully being my guide.

Don’t know if it’s the VO2 Max
But of patience she has stacks.
Gun Run, Freedom Run, whatever run,
Together we have loads of fun.
Red Hill, Black Mamba, PPC…
Her encouragement means the world to me.

I couldn’t have asked for a better motivator
She’s a real ‘In-Touch-Anator’.
A blessing absolutely,
To this I swear resolutely.
Accept my big ‘Thank you,’
For everything you do!
ANTHEA JACOBS

Running Buddies
My very first road race was in 1987. I still remember it as if it was yesterday. What would running be without running buddies? I have made a few of them over the years! They are the ones who get you out of bed at 4am on a Saturday morning in the middle of winter to go for a 20km training run. They are the ones you spend hundreds of hours and thousands of kilometres with on the road during the year.

A running buddy sticks with you for 100km over three days during your Easter training run. They are the ones who sms you before a big race wishing you good luck. When you stand in line at a porta-loo and there’s no more toilet paper, strangers start sharing their toilet paper; now that’s what real buddies would do. When you run and fall, there’ll be a dozen hands to pick you up, that’s what buddies do.

When running Comrades, everyone is equal. There’s no distinction between rich, poor or whatever colour. We are all running buddies. So next time someone gives you some words of encouragement or passes on a water sachet say, “Thank you Buddy,” because at the end of the day we are all running buddies. – Running Buddie – Via e-mail

Never be caught short again on a long run or race: get yourself a lightweight running utility belt and carry everything you might need.

During a long training run, you reach a point when you need an energy gel or a snack to keep you going, and some water to wash it down. You may also need lube for a chafe spot, or more sunscreen, or a tissue to clean your sunglasses… but you didn’t bring any of those items along because you had no way to carry them. The simple solution is to buy a running utility belt, with pockets for gels, snacks and other goodies, and holsters to carry water bottles. From simple designs to multi-pocket, multi-bottle versions, here are some of the best belts to choose from.

BUYING TIPS
1. Decide what you need. Buy the belt that best suits your needs. For example, water bottles may be necessary for training runs, but in races there are regular water tables.
2. Check the storage. Take what you intend carrying on the run to the store and check that it all fits and that you can close the pockets securely.
3. Try the belt on. Most have adjustable straps so you can set the length to fit your waist. Also check for padding for comfort, and make sure the belt feels right.
4. Do the arm tests. First check that the pouches and holsters are positioned so that your swinging arms don’t hit them. Secondly, check that you can reach all the pockets and holsters while running.
5. Check for bounce. A belt that bounces with every step is not only irritating and uncomfortable, but may result in chafing. To test this (and the arm swing test), jog around the store with the belt on.

1. Sportsmans Warehouse Long Distance Running Belt – R89.95 @ Sportsmans Warehouse
This relatively simple belt has three large zippered pouches that can be moved or removed. The adjustable strap with buckle has reflective strips on the front for visibility in dark conditions.

2. New Balance Performance Runner’s Pack – R149 @ The Sweat Shop
The one big zippered pocket is made from stretch fabric, so will expand to hold all your goodies, and has two sub-pockets inside, plus a hole on the flap for an MP3 player’s ear-plug cord. There is extra padding on the back of the pocket for comfort.

3. Sportsmans Warehouse Deluxe Running Belt – R149.95 @ Sportsmans Warehouse
The two smallish zippered mesh pockets towards the front of the this belt are easy to access while the two ringed holders on the back can be used for clothing or small water bottles. It has an adjustable strap with large reflective strips all-round.

4. GU Belt – R150 @ Runner Group
This belt has an angled mini-bottle holster with a small pocket on the outside. The adjustable strap is made from stretch material with reflective elements, and there is extra padding behind the pocket.

5. New Balance Performance Water bottle Waist Pack – R229 @ The Sweat Shop
An insulated holster for a 750ml bottle is this belt’s main feature, but there is also a smaller bottle for gels, and a zip pocket with earphone cord opening. The adjustable strap has padding behind the pouch area for added comfort, and reflective elements.

6. adidas Running Belt – R279 @ adidas Retail Stores
The three mini bottles hang upside down to prevent them falling out, but their nozzles are angled outwards so that they don’t dig into your leg. The elasticated belt has a velcro buckle for easy adjustment, and there is a zippered pocket with two compartments between two of the holsters.

7. GU Sports Pack – R295 @ Runner Group
This belt offers a good combination of angled water bottle holster, mini-bottle for gel or concentrate, and a zippered pocket with a handy rope toggle on the zip for easier handling on the run. There is extra padding behind the pouch and the adjustable belt has reflective strips.

8. GU Nathan Marathoner – R300 @ Tri Shop
A really handy feature is the trash pocket on the outside of the main pocket. The zippered main pocket also has a mesh bottom to allow for drainage, plus an inner sub-pocket.

9. Salomon Twin Belt – R429 @ CapeStorm
The main feature of this belt is its twin 600ml water bottles in their insulated, angled holsters, but it also has a sizable zippered pocket between the holsters. There is also a second, removable zippered pocket on the strap for extra storage.

10. Fuel Belt Profile Design Helium Hydration Belt – R490 @ Tri Shop
Most of this belt is made from ventilated foam pads, which make it more comfortable and breathable, and it has four holsters for mini-bottles and a removable zippered pocket. The velcro buckle makes it easy to fit, but except for two stretch material sections on the sides, the belt is non-adjustable.

Note: Prices may differ from store to store.

Runners in Gauteng jokingly refer to them as the ‘Cheese and Tomato Athletic Club’ because of their distinctive yellow and red club colours. Athletes from KwaZulu-Natal prefer to call them the ‘Superman Club’, referring to the Superman-like logo on their vests. Call them what you want, one thing is for sure: the members of Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) have an unbelievable spirit of camaraderie and are loads of fun on the road.

Running clubs in the East Rand are known for their good relationships and friendly rivalries. Back in their heydays it was no different. In the 80s, clubs such as Springs Striders, Germiston Callies and Boksburg Athletic Club were at the height of their popularity, and the friendly partnerships between them lead to the establishment of Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC). Because many of the runners who frequented these clubs lived in Benoni, they felt it was time for a club in their ‘hometown’. And so in 1981, Benoni Northerns Athletic Club was born as a sub-division of Benoni Northerns, the local sports club. “It was not a breakaway, just a logical decision to form a club in the area where residents lived. Even today BNAC and Brooks Springs Striders have a very good relationship,” says Paul M’Crystal, chairman of BNAC.
 
BENONI BEGINNINGS
The club started with about 60 members, with Martin Theron being selected as the first chairman. Other chairpersons included Les Dickensen, Danie Rossouw, Paul Godwin, Rian Van Wyk, Barry England, Dave Edwards, John Roux, Jan Jordaan, Norman Milne, Debbie Thornton, John Mitchell and Gerard Visser.

BNAC was a strong club right from the start; between 1981 and 1988 they had about 60 annual Comrades entrants with between 12 to 16 finishing with silver medals. Some of the well-known BNAC runners who excelled at Comrades include:

• Tex Cullen has 25 Comrades medals. Tex and Dennis Jones are the only local runners who have run every Springs Striders 32km race since its inception in 1969.


• Frith van der Merwe, 1989 Comrades winner, shattered the women’s record becoming the first woman to break the magical sub six-hour barrier.


• Valerie Bleazard was the fastest female novice to earn a gold medal (6:54).


• Gary Turner placed fifth overall.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU
BNAC is still a part of the Benoni Northerns Sports Club, which has different divisions including soccer and hockey. The club is based at the Northern Areas Sports Grounds (Albert Bekker Park) in Northmead and their current athletic membership stands at about 500. Almost 200 members, including about 80 novices, have entered for Comrades 2010. “This is the biggest number of entries we have ever had for Comrades. It is an exciting time for running. The majority of our members concentrate on road running and walking, but we also have interests in triathlons, track and cross-country events. The sections of BNAC are very supportive of each other. They train together and just before Comrades each year, the walkers host a social event for all Comrades runners,” says Paul.

TRAINING ON SCHEDULE
Most members train together six days a week and generally stick to the following schedule:

Tuesday and Friday
Runners and walkers meet at 5:15am at the club for a 10km run. “The faster guys keep on going back to fetch the slower bunch. We don’t want to leave anyone behind. When one starts running, you feel left behind when you are right at the back. If everybody has to wait for you, it feels even worse.
That’s why we implemented this system where the fast runners keep on turning back. It does wonders for club spirit,” says Paul.

Wednesday 
Members gather at 17:45pm at the clubhouse for a 12-14km run. As Comrades approaches, mileage increases to about 20km. Often members only finish at about 20:00. There are four schools: a fast group, a Bill Rowan medal school, a medium pace school and a group who prefer not to focus on Comrades or long races. “We all follow the same route. These runs are usually great fun and very festive.”

The club has implemented a new training session on a Wednesday morning in which runners train to walk, and not to run! “Some of our runners read an article saying walking can improve their running. They immediately tried it out. Runners slowly jog to a certain point, walk briskly up and down some hills before slowly jogging back. This has been received well by our members, from the walkers to the Comrades runners who know they walk a lot at Comrades.”

Thursday
Walkers and runners get together on the corner of Langenhoven and Wilge Street for a hill session which consists of 400m hill repeats.

Saturday
Athletes meet every Saturday at 6:00am at the Virgin Active gym in Bedfordview for an 18-36km long run, depending on the time of season. “These are well attended and sometimes we have up to 100 runners,” says Paul.

Sundays
Sundays are reserved for an easy ‘plot trot’ in the East Rand or a race. “Anybody can join in on our training. We encourage participation. Just because you don’t belong to our club does not mean you can’t run with us,” says Paul.

TAKING THEIR TIME
Time trials (4km/8km) are run every Tuesday night at 17:45pm on the corner of Kei and Wilge Road (close to the Homestead Dam) in Farrarmere. It is a fast and flat time trial with no major hills. “Our time trial attracts a lot of members from the East Rand kayaking community. There are also a few school kids from the neighbourhood who have joined in. It is wonderful when the community participates; that is what it is all about.”

On the last Tuesday of every month the time trial venue moves to the nearby Ebotse Golfing Estate to provide members with something different. The route is run through the beautiful and peaceful golfing estate.

THE SOCIAL SCENE
Wednesday evenings are reserved for social nights. After the Wednesday night run, members get together for some refreshments at the clubhouse, and once a month, they fire up the braai. Often experienced runners will use this time to advise on different subjects such as nutrition or training. “We have found these talks not only help novices, but also experienced runners who sometimes need to be reminded of basic principles.”

At most big races members are well looked after and a supply of refreshments is always on hand at the club gazebo. “This is another way we build camaraderie. Novices often feel more comfortable asking more experienced runners for advice in an environment like this. We all have fun. Our gazebo is often the very last one to come down after a race. Races have become like a family event. We encourage family involvement, healthy living and fun,” says Paul.

The club has a traditional Aches and Pains party after Comrades where various prizes are handed out. Before Comrades, runners pay R10 and predict their own, or someone else’s, finishing time. The one closest to their predicted time wins the money! Another fun and encouraging aspect to Comrades is when the runners are divided into different Comrades groups. “If you bail, your group is immediately disqualified. This usually means runners from the same group encourage and motivate each other. At the Aches and Pains party we hand out a prize for the group with the fastest average time.”

RACING BENONI
BNAC hosts the annual Slow-Mag Marathon (5/21.1/42.2km), which will be held on 11 April this year. This race usually attracts close to 3 000 athletes and is often very popular, as many runners see it as one of the last Comrades qualifiers. “We are very lucky to have such a great sponsor as Slow-Mag on board. This year will be the 18th year that they are sponsoring us,” says Paul.

BNAC also hosts the annual Rowlin National Brokers 5/10/15km night race, taking place on 17 November this year. “This race has become synonymous with rain! It rains nearly every year, but a fair amount of runners still support us.”

A HELPING HAND
The camaraderie and friendliness of its members is what makes BNAC stand out, Paul explains. “No matter if you are first or last at a training run or at a race, there will always be someone waiting for you and congratulating you, often with a cold beer in hand!”

CLUB CONTACT DETAILS
Phone: 011 849 8473
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bnac.co.za
Clubhouse: Northern Areas Sports Grounds (Albert Bekker Park), Northmead, Benoni