Category: Columns

Between 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. In a series of features on how to balance a busy career with running, 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 Trish Taylor (39), Chief Executive Officer of East Coast Radio (ECR).

What is your background and how did you get involved in broadcasting?
I studied sales and marketing before starting my career at the SABC. I spent five years there and two years at the Graduate School of Business. When the government privatised six radio stations, the shareholders of ECR approached me to head up their commercial division. Three years later I became sales marketing director and in 2003, CEO. I have been in the industry for close to 16 years.

What is the most exciting thing about your job?
I’m very passionate about radio particularly, because it’s a creative and immediate medium. Things are happening in the community every second and we are in a position to immediately report on it.

Who are the most interesting people you have met?
I have met musicians such as Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Michael Bubl? who have all been interviewed by ECR. One of the most memorable moments was when I had tea with former president, Thabo Mbeki. ECR is involved in many community programmes. The former president learnt about it and requested a meeting with me. So I flew to Cape Town and we sat in his office having tea and discussing projects. It was fascinating! I have also met local adventurer, Kingsley Holgate, and always find it interesting hearing about his next adventure.

How long have you been running?
About 18 years.

What motivated you to start running?
In Matric the entire school had to take part in a compulsory cross-country event. I ended up winning! After school I started running the odd 10km race and progressed to half marathons. I religiously watched Comrades on TV and it was always my goal to run at least one Comrades.

How many hours a week do you spend on the road?
I run about 60km a week and will probably peak at about 100km a week, closer to Comrades. I have changed my running routine and try to focus on quality sessions rather than quantity.

How do you fit running into your busy life?
I run in the mornings at about 5:00. That is my time and a great start to the day. It really sets the tone for the rest of my day. When I don’t run I feel like something is missing.

Who do you train with?
I run with Regent Harriers and also train with a friend, Michelle Hall-Jones.

Have you run any big races?
I have completed Comrades seven times and Two Oceans three times. My best time at Comrades is 8:40 and I have three Bill Rowan medals. Two Oceans last year was probably my best race ever. I finished in 4:38 and was the 27th lady.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
I travel a lot domestically and that sometimes interrupts my training. I am not a big fan of running on a treadmill in the gym, but if you don’t have any other choice, it has to do!

Has running influenced your career and work ethic?
Definitely! When training for something such as Comrades, discipline is key, especially when your social life comes to a bit of a stand still. Endurance events require mental discipline and that has helped me to exercise mental endurance in other spheres of life.

What is the best advice you have been given with regards to running?
Focus on quality training sessions as opposed to just spending hours plodding at a slow pace. I have become a much faster runner by not being pedantic about the amount of kilometres I run every week.

And the worst advice?
Run through an injury!

Proudest moment in running and in business?
In running it has to be my first Comrades in 2002. Just to have such a goal and to achieve it was wonderful and special to me. Another highlight was my finishing time at Two Oceans last year. In business it is being appointed as CEO at the age of 32 and increasing our revenue by 30%.

Most embarrassing moment in running?
When I ran my first marathon I went for a toilet break behind a bush and fell into a very deep hole… I had to be helped out. I came out of the bushes with blackjacks everywhere. I was shattered!

The thing I love most about running is…
The way I feel when I am fit and healthy. Also, there is nothing like running in the morning when half the world is asleep. I absolutely love starting the day with a good run, especially living on the coast where we get to see such beautiful sunrises. It motivates me for the rest of the day.

After a run the first thing I like to do is…
Take a shower or swim in the sea. And after a long race on weekends, it is nice to just go home and relax.

My greatest ambition is to complete…
A marathon on each continent.

I don’t enjoy being beaten by …
I compete against myself and try to better my own times. I get disappointed when I don’t reach my potential in a certain race.

Who are your running role models?
Bruce Fordyce. He has achieved some phenomenal heights and has really put road running on the map.

Where is your favourite place to run?
Anywhere coastal. I love running in KZN, but I also like running between Camps Bay and Clifton in Cape Town.

What do you think about when you run?
Running provides me with a great mental and emotional space as well as a huge amount of escapism. Sometimes I do think about work while running and I am able to refine a particular project.

I could not go running without my…
Garmin.

What is your favourite meal after a big race?
A big cup of tea and a Chelsea bun.

What would you say to someone who says they don’t have the time to start running?
They are doing their bodies a disservice by not making time to exercise. Running is so good for you mentally and emotionally. It is a necessity to exercise because it maintains health, which is linked to other areas of your life such as self-image and self-esteem.

Favourite quote?
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.’ – Nelson Mandela

Life motto?
To be distinct and to explore and exercise my God-given talents.

Comrades  

Two Oceans   

I love sport and have participated in various sporting activities for as long as I can remember. For the last couple of months, I have been exercising more than usual. After a workout I feel so good, but I get depressed if I miss a morning run when, for example, it rains. It plays on my mind all day and after work, I hit the gym to make up for lost training time. Many of my friends say I am overtraining. My mom has mentioned that I might be suffering from exercise addiction. What is the difference between overtraining and exercise addiction? – CINDY KRUGER

ANSWER
Overtraining and exercise addiction are two totally different things. Nevertheless they could be considered to be related in the sense that, if someone is ‘exercise addicted’, it is highly likely that they are training so much that they have a good chance of becoming physiologically overtrained, especially if they are not following an appropriate training programme.

Exercise addiction is difficult to define precisely, and there has been much debate in scientific literature as to its nature, and whether or not the condition even exists as a true addiction. It may well be that some runners have another psychological condition, such as obsessive compulsive behaviour, and that this is taken by others to be an addiction to running. It could well be that there are elements of both true addiction and obsessive compulsive behaviour in some runners.

A feature of an addictive state is that there are withdrawal symptoms if the addiction cannot be indulged in. In the case of runners, psychologist William Morgan listed this, in 1979, as depression and anxiety accompanied by restlessness, insomnia and generalised fatigue, tics, muscle tension, soreness and decreased appetite.

I have dealt with many runners over the years who have had to stop running temporarily due to injury, and they tend to display symptoms of depression, but not the other withdrawal symptoms listed. Although not a psychologist, my observation is that runners who find themselves in a position where they cannot run for some reason become somewhat depressed, because they see their hard-earned fitness from hours of training disappearing.

Obsessive compulsive behaviour, on the other hand, is characterised, amongst other signs, by a rigid, intensely-focused attitude, preoccupation with technical detail, and a constant need for routine activity. Running is attractive to the obsessive compulsive because it ’provides‘ all of these characteristic features, such as training with a specific goal in mind, having a rigid training schedule to follow, and it allows for attention to detail, such as improving the training schedule, paying attention to diet to improve performance, and noting what to drink during races, etc. Thus when unable to run, the runner is deprived of all of these.

It has been argued that running is addictive because it stimulates the release of endorphins, which cause the so-called ’runner’s high‘. When we can’t run, we do not get this effect. Indeed, some research has shown that blocking the release of endorphins reduces some of the euphoric feelings experienced after running. However, many runners have never experienced a ‘runner’s high’. Also, it is now known that any stress causes endorphin levels to increase, not just running, and there are many stresses to which we are exposed that we certainly would not become ’addicted‘ to. Thus the effect of endorphins on the ‘runner’s high’ is not entirely clear.

Adding more and more running, harder running, or both, to the training schedule brings with it the danger of over-reaching or overtraining. This happens when runners push their bodies beyond their individual breaking points, that is, the point at which the physiology of the runner can no longer keep pace with the training-induced physiological damage, such as damage to the muscles. At this point, instead of running performance improving, it actually starts to get worse. Eventually this presents as poor race performance, and a variety of other symptoms including excessive fatigue. While it is normal to have somewhat tired legs when training hard, there comes a point when this tiredness is excessive and the legs constantly feel ‘heavy’. If a day or two of reduced training is implemented at this point, then the runner should recover; however, if the athlete continues to train hard, the overtraining syndrome will establish itself to the point that weeks or even months of rest are needed to recover.

It is not clear exactly what may constitute a running addiction, but certainly, if one becomes obsessed with training more and more, the potential exists to eventually be training so much that rather than improving your running, you develop over-training syndrome.

Modern Athlete Expert –
ANDREW N. BOSCH, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Cape Town/MCR Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine
Sports Science Institute of South Africa

I’ve been battling with various knee issues for a while and performing self diagnosis, which has led to me taking some time off to rest. However I want to get the issues sorted. Should I visit a physiotherapist or biokineticist first? – GREG MCDAVID, WEST COAST RUNNING CLUB

ANSWER
The first step would be to visit a physio to assess whether there is an injury that may require treatment other than rest and/or strengthening. A programme of exercises may be required either in addition to treatment, or as the only form of treatment in the case of muscle weakness or muscle imbalances. This could be determined by the physiotherapist, who could then provide the necessary exercises or refer you to a biokineticist if required.

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

I usually struggle with cramps in ultra distance events. Research has shown that hydration and mineral salt levels play an important role in cramp prevention. I recently weighed myself before a controlled workout on a treadmill and lost 1kg after a moderate 30 minute workout. This really scares me because it means I lost a litre of fluid in half an hour. This equates to two litres an hour. I guess this won’t be the case for every hour of an endurance event, but I dare not drink too much fluid as this will dilute my mineral salt levels. What advice do you have for individuals like me who lose a lot of fluid on the run? – ROY McGREGOR

ANSWER
This is one of those questions that requires more information in order to provide an answer, but it also highlights some misconceptions that should be corrected. It is not correct that ’inadequate‘ hydration (as may be experienced by a marathon runner) plays a role in the development of muscle cramps. Although both fluid loss and lowered mineral salt levels are popularly believed to be the cause of cramping in races, there is a large body of research evidence that shows that these factors are not the cause.

Unfortunately, while we know what does not the cause cramps, exercise physiologists are yet to establish exactly what the cause actually is. What we do know is that some runners are more prone to cramping than others, no matter how hard they train; we also know that there is a much higher incidence of cramping amongst those runners who have not trained adequately for the distance that they are racing, or if runners are racing at a higher intensity than they should, based on the training done.

One litre of fluid lost in 30 minutes sounds quite excessive, but fluid loss measured after treadmill running does not represent fluid loss outdoors. Specifically, because of the lack of the cooling effect caused by the evaporation of sweat from the skin surface when running indoors, the sweat rate is much higher for a runner training indoors than when running at the same speed outdoors. I therefore suggest that the experiment is repeated with a run outside to establish more realistic fluid losses, so that a more appropriate recommendation for fluid and carbohydrate replacement can be given.

I am a 55-year-old woman who has been running for many years. Lately I find that I cannot run in the afternoon, as I feel faint, shaky and weak. I have run without eating or drinking sugar-loaded foods and drinks. I have also tried eating before, to no avail. I run in the morning with no problems. – LES BRUYNS

ANSWER
What I would be concerned about is your blood pressure, sugar levels and iron levels. I presume your gynaecologist or general practitioner has checked your iron levels so let’s rule that out. They have probably also checked your sugar and blood pressure. However, from my experience, eating to help control blood pressure and sugar levels has really helped my clients who suffer from similar symptoms.

Remember that it’s not just the meal before a run that determines your sugar levels on the run, but actually the last 24-48 hours’ food intake, which will determine how you feel in the afternoon. I would strongly suggest you follow a low GI meal plan, eating small amounts throughout the day and in the rights amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats at each meal/snack.

This will help control your blood sugar levels as well as your blood pressure throughout the day and help avoid those afternoon dips. If you still have no luck then I would suggest you seek further testing from your GP.

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.

It seems that stretching has always been part of sport, a routine that many of us probably do without even thinking about it because we’ve been doing it for years, and everyone does it… But most of us do it all wrong, and this often leads to injury.

Go on, admit it, you’ve done it as well. You’ve stood there before a run, stretching every leg muscle you can find, trying to touch your toes, pulling your feet towards your head like a contortionist, all in the vain hope of warming up for the run – when in fact, you’re doing exactly the opposite!

So says Benita De Witt, renowned physiotherapist and sports therapist from Somerset West in the Cape. “For years nobody questioned the theory and told sportspeople to stretch as part of their warm-up, but I found through experience that stretching was to blame for many injuries.” “You’d be amazed how many people are against stretching these days. A lot of physio’s are now telling their patients not to stretch, or only to do a limited amount after their run or sporting activity.”

Tight Spot
Benita likens the muscles to an elastic band when she explains to her patients why their stretching is causing them to pick up injuries. “If you have a piece of elastic that should be 15cm long but is only 10cm long because there is a knot in it, and you then stretch it up to 15cm, you still have the knot – and two pieces of overstretched, strained elastic on either side. That is what happens when you have a tight spot in your muscle: you end up overstretching the muscle on either side of the tight spot, whereas the area that actually needs stretching remains tight.”

She adds that at least 80% of injuries occur in muscles that are too long and overstretched, nearly always in the overstretched parts and in the areas where the overstretched parts connect to the tightness. So, Benita says the safest thing to do is to find a massage therapist to release the tightness, or use a foam roller to release it yourself, and then use active dynamic short stretches after training to maintain the correct length of the muscle and prevent it from tightening up again.

The Right Stretches
Benita says that the main stretches that one should do must be on the power muscles on the outer side of the leg, which do most of the work and which tend to shorten. The stabilising muscles on the inner side tend to be much weaker, tend to lengthen and overstretch, and therefore should not be stretched – but that’s what most runners stretch all the time. “Nothing on the inside of leg should be stretched. No groin, inner quad, inner calf – you should only be stretching the outside of the leg,” she says.

That’s why most of the stretches that athletes do in general are actually bad for them. “First there is the good old calf stretch – pushing over the wall – which overstretches the inside of the calf, a stabiliser. Another is the straight leg hammie stretch – touching your toes – which stretches the inside hamstring, another stabiliser. A third one is the groin stretch, working the adductors on the inside of the leg, which are normally the weakest muscles in athletes I test. All this overstretching of the inner leg leads to you losing stability in your knee, and that leads to injury,” warns Benita.

The Right Timing
Another thing that people misunderstand is that they think stretching is a warm-up, or should be done as part of a warm-up routine. It’s actually the opposite, say Benita. “To warm-up means moving the muscles quickly to activate them, whereas stretching opens the muscles and allows them to cool down. If you want to start running, you need to activate your muscles. Stretching actually de-activates the muscles, so it should be done only after running and a cool-down.”

Also, one shouldn’t stretch a muscle for 20 seconds, just two seconds, because 20 will overstretch it. “You’ll lose the tone of the muscle by hanging on it for that long. All you want to do in a stretch is maintain length.”

Coming next month:

Get the April edition of Modern Athlete for our definitive guide to stretching, including the best stretches for runners, and the right way and wrong way to stretch.

Between 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. In a series of features on how to balance a busy career with running, 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 Gidon Novick, Joint Chief Executive Officer of Comair.

What is your background and how did you become involved in the airline business?
I have been at Comair most of my career (11 years). I got in through a family connection: my dad! Before I joined Comair I studied as a chartered accountant in South Africa and then completed an MBA in America.

What is the most exciting thing about your job?
Problem solving. The airline business is complex and there is a constant need for creative solutions to problems. I also get really excited seeing so many members of our team excelling.

Who are the most interesting people you have met?
I actually find most people I meet interesting; everyone has an interesting story to tell.

Why are you so passionate about your job?
It is an exciting and challenging industry and I get to work with amazing people every day.

Proudest moment in business?
When Kulula Airlines was born eight years ago.

How long have you been running?
Most of my life. I started running with my dad as a kid.

What motivated you to start running?
I can’t remember my first run, but I love getting up early, breathing in the fresh air and getting my heart rate up. I know my body really appreciates it!

How do you fit running into your busy life?
I run in the early morning when most people are asleep. I only run twice a week, as I also swim and cycle.

Who do you train with?
Either my wife, Lindie (she is a great runner), or ‘Benjy’s running group’, a really lekker group of guys who meet at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg in the morning.

What races have you done?
Quite a few. I ran Comrades in 2001 – what an unbelievable experience, but once was enough! I have also run some interesting marathons (London and Chicago), and I did Two Oceans once. Right now I am running half marathons, my favourite distance. I absolutely love the Two Oceans Half Marathon.

How many hours a week do you spend on the road and in the gym?
I train every day. A typical training week includes two runs per week (one 10km and one 18km) as well as one gym session with my personal trainer, Alain Sakang, who kills me! Twice a week I am on my bike for a 20km cycle up and down hills. I also swim 1-2km twice a week.

What do you see as the biggest obstacle to your running?
Nothing really. The beauty of running is that I can run anywhere, so no excuses when I travel!

How has running helped your career?
It is my form of daily meditation; it really helps me relax and keep things in perspective.

What is the best advice you have been given with regards to running?
Don’t try to do too much too soon. Think of your running career as a marathon, not a sprint.

What was your proudest moment in running?
It has to be finishing the Comrades.

Most embarrassing moment in running?
I was once given the number ‘001’ in a 21.1km race because I knew the sponsor. The spectators were all expecting me to win! They must have been so disappointed…

The thing I love most about running is…
The feeling I get after a run – ready to take on the world!

After a run the first thing I like to do is…
Have a shower… for the sake of my family.

My greatest ambition is to…
Run 10km in a time under my age… I am 40 now, so I have work to do!

I don’t enjoy being beaten by…
My friend, Eric Meniere, who trains half as much as I do but always beats me.

I enjoy training most with…
My friend, Rowan Williams. He is an outstanding athlete and we always have a good chat on our runs.

Who are your running role models?
Bruce Fordyce. You just have to try and run 1km as fast as he used to run 87km and you realise what an incredible athlete he is.

What is your favourite place to run?
In the Knysna Forest.

What is your favourite meal after a run or big race?
A big bowl of muesli, fresh fruit, nuts, honey and Greek yoghurt.

I could not go running without my…
Shoes! I have not gotten into all the gadgets yet; I don’t even run with a watch!

What would you say to someone who says that they don’t have time to start running?
You need to devote half an hour a day.

Best times in various distances
5km  19min
10km  43min
21.1km 97min
42.2km Sub-4 hours
Comrades Sub-11 hours (just!) What’s the rush?

Favourite quote
Successful people fail more often.

What inspires you?
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Life motto?
I try my best to focus on the destination but to enjoy the scenery along the way.

We receive many great letters from our readers and love sharing them with you. To send us a letter, 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.)

Races and Dates
I’m in the North West Province and would like to know where I could get info (dates) for races here and in Gauteng for the next few months. We are trying to get our kids fit and we got a 5km run programme on SuperSport’s Let’s Play website. Now I’m all excited. I’ve never run before! I would love to hear from you. I really like and enjoy your publication. Good fuel for me. – JOANNE, VIA E-MAIL

Ed’s Reply: We love hearing about new converts to running, because it is hands down the best way to get fit and maintain good health. Even better is hearing about parents and teachers motivating kids to exercise, because child obesity is a major concern in these times. What with junk food, video games, cell phones and the general lack of safety at sports and recreational areas, kids just aren’t as sporty and active as in previous years, so getting them active is important to address the obesity problem.

As for race dates, you will find a listing of race dates according to province in every edition of this mag, plus you can visit our website at www.modernathlete.co.za for more details on each of these events.

Another Golden Oldie
I picked up a copy of your October magazine and read with interest your cover article on the Timeless Warriors. Seems to me you could follow this article up with another timeless warrior who was a very popular figure at Gauteng road races. My dad, Vic Keeling, ran for the Golden Reef Road Running Club from its inception in 1978 until March this year, when he moved to a retirement village in the Cape, and he has now joined the Fish Hoek Athletic Club. Coincidentally, you have a picture of him on page 40 of that edition, with the club review article on RAC.

He started running at age 47 in 1975 and is still going at the age of 81, albeit he has slowed down. During his years of running he meticulously kept a handwritten running race diary. During this 33-year period he ran and officially finished 1 018 road races, which included 241 races of a marathon distance and more. He ran and finished 17 hundred-milers – seven Washies and ten Golden Reefs – together with 17 Comrades. His record does not include races he could not finish within the time limit, which included five Comrades. His last race in Gauteng was his 32nd RAC 32km in November 2008, which he ran at 80 years old.

Looking through the spreadsheet table and graphs of his races makes for fascinating reading for anybody who enjoys numbers. For example, in 1994, aged 66, he ran 52 races. The 1 018 races amounted to 29 097km. He also finished well over 1 000 time trials with the club, after which he stopped counting. – BRIAN KEELING, JOHANNESBURG

Ed’s Reply: We’re always looking for stories about great South African runners, be they elites or back of the pack runners, so please send us your article and pics. All readers are invited to send us stories or ideas for features or interviews – go to www.modernathlete.co.za and click on the Become a Contributor link.

Fresh Air
Thanks for the great mag. It brings a breath of fresh air to the running community. I hope it goes from strength to strength (and a great editor too). – SIKHUMBUZO MADI, DIEPKLOOF ATHLETIC CLUB, SOWETO

Ed’s Reply: Thanks for the kind words, makes putting this mag together all the more enjoyable! (And no, I didn’t pay Sikhumbuzo for the last part of that message… but the cheque’s in the mail anyway.)

Slowly Does It
I must commend you on your outstanding magazine. I would like to tell you how much I enjoy all your articles – they are truly motivating! I always read about the great athletes that you write about and take inspiration from them as a beginner runner, but I am so slow that the walkers overtake me at the Run/Walk for Life club! – ISABEL BEKKER, JOHANNESBURG

Ed’s Reply: Isabel was featured in our January edition, in the My 2010 Dream feature, and we just want to tell her that it doesn’t matter who overtakes her or who goes faster than her; what matters is that she is still getting out there and running. Each of us has our own goals and targets as a modern athlete, and getting there is what counts, not how fast we get there.

Quick Praise
I must say your magazine really adds value to running in general – it is awesome. – STEPHEN LIGHT, REGENT HARRIERS CO-ORDINATOR, DURBAN

I’m currently reading your latest magazine. It is excellent! – KAREN ERVENS, CAPE TOWN

I am a huge fan of your magazine, so it’s a big honour to be interviewed for it. – LIEZEL VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, TV AND RADIO PRESENTER, JOHANNESBURG

Ed’s Reply: We love the positive energy that our mag is generating in the running community, so keep the feedback coming, folks. But also let us know if you have ideas for making the mag even better – we’re always open to requests and suggestions.

Under-23 All Africa and under-23 SA Triathlon Champion

Club:            BSG
Age:            20
Achievements:        2009: U23 Elite All Africa Champion, U23 Elite SA Champion; 2008: Junior Elite All  Africa Champion

“He is one of South Africa’s most talented triathletes.” Those were the words of Triathlon SA High Performance Manager Emma Swanwick after having watched Wikus Weber in a few races towards the end of 2009 and after a battery of tests at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria in January.

Known as Fluffy in triathlon circles, Wikus grew up in Boksburg and is now studying Sport Science at the University of Pretoria. He lives and trains at the High Performance Centre with the aim of becoming a full-time professional and Olympic triathlete. “My main sports at school were cross-country and swimming. I was always up for a challenge and decided to combine my sports. My first taste of triathlon was at the age of 13 when I won the Central & Northern Gauteng Triathlon. From that day on I was hooked,” says Wikus.

Like most top triathletes in the country, Wikus has set his sights on the South African Championships on 21 March. “The South African Championships are important as they are part of the selection criteria for the High Performance Group.” He is also looking to book his place on the team going to the World Student Games in Valencia, Spain in May.

Wikus says his other big goal for 2010 is to build up his International Triathlon Union (ITU) points. “I want to do a number of World Cup races so I can amass points to build up my ITU ranking and then in 2011 hit the World Championship Series.” In June and July he will also be racing in the French League. “I would have loved to have raced the whole French League, but it is so difficult to get a spot that for me to be able to race in two races is a huge achievement.”

Wikus says his favourite discipline is running, even though he finds it the hardest. “My main focus now is to improve my swimming and running; swimming because I need to stay with the front bunch, and running because I need to cut down at least four minutes on my 10km time. But I am young and there is still a lot of time ahead of me. My most important focus now is to enjoy the sport.”

It was 1959 when a bunch of restless soccer players from Savages Soccer Club in Durban got together and decided to exchange their soccer boots for running shoes to stay fit in the off-season. One year later and one Comrades Marathon wiser they were hooked on running and Savages Athletic Club was born. Over the years the club has not only produced top runners, but also left its mark on running in KwaZulu-Natal, and this year Savages celebrates its 50th Golden Jubilee.

It was 1959 when a bunch of restless soccer players from Savages Soccer Club in Durban got together and decided to exchange their soccer boots for running shoes to stay fit in the off-season. One year later and one Comrades Marathon wiser they were hooked on running and Savages Athletic Club was born. Over the years the club has not only produced top runners, but also left its mark on running in KwaZulu-Natal, and this year Savages celebrates its 50th Golden Jubilee.

There are not many of our country’s ‘older’ running clubs around in which the founding members are still actively involved after 50 years, running weekly time trials and having drinks in the clubhouse pub. Kenny Craig, who is one of only two runners with 40 consecutive Comrades Marathons to their name, is one such member. For half a century his loyalty has stayed with Savages, and he has a real passion for the club.

“It was 1959. We were all playing soccer when, at the close of the season, I said to the blokes, ‘I have lived in Durban all my life and I always had this ambition to run Comrades.’ We were soon on our way to our first Comrades. It turned out to be the longest in the history of the race, about 91km! I finished in 8:46. And so we decided to start our own club. We went to Durban Athletic Club for advice on a constitution. They urged us to join their club because they felt Durban was not big enough for too many running clubs. But we were adamant to form our own club. And look where we are today,” says Kenny.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Kenny’s three co-founders were Joe Knowles, J Finlay and Arthur Simpson. In 1960, the year the club was born, the member count was a modest 11. The numbers steadily grew and within 25 years of starting the club, the membership reached 1 000. At one stage Savages was the biggest club in South Africa, says Kevin Bradfield, a current committee member.

Over the years the club has produced its fair share of top runners. Within two years of its establishment the club achieved its first Comrades success, winning the Arthur Newton Shield for the second placed team, and in 1965 won the Gunga Din Trophy for the first placed team. The winning quartet was made up of Manie Kuhn, Fritz Madel, Clive Crawley and Kenny. Savages went on to win the Gunga Din a further eight times, and the Arthur Newton Shield a further three times. The club’s first individual gold medals arrived in 1963, earned by Fritz, Manie, Clive and Ted Craig. (Clive and Kenny are two of only four runners to complete the Comrades 40 or more times, with Clive second on the list with 42 medals and Kenny joint third on 40.)

HISTORIC MOMENTS
One of the most memorable Savages moments came in 1967 when Manie Kuhn beat Tommy Malone by one second, which remains the closest Comrades finish in the history of the race. No one will ever forget the drama at the finishing line when 1966 winner, Tommy, stumbled and fell inches from the tape. He struggled to rise and as he got to his knees, Manie broke the tape! Manie and Savages Athletic Club will forever be remembered for this historic moment.

Manie’s victory was followed by another by Dave Bagshaw, who claimed a hat trick of Comrades wins in 1969, 1970 and 1971. By then Savages runners proudly had their names on numerous Comrades trophies and shields. In 1969 Dave, Roland Davey and Dave Box also became the London to Brighton winning team.

In 1969 a women’s section was started, and Meryl Hancock, South African cross-country champion in 1968 and 1969 and a member of the women’s European touring cross-country team, brought honour to the club in her short period as a member.

FAMOUS SAVAGES FACES
•    Tilda Tearle won the Comrades Marathon in 1993.
•    Blanche Moila made history when she became the first black female athlete to win Springbok Colours.
•    Grace de Oliveira and her husband Eloi were both Savages members for many years. Grace is a seven-time top ten Comrades finisher and often wins team prizes with her husband. Both now belong to Boxer Superstores Athletic Club but are still often seen at the Savages time trials.
•    The club has produced its fair share of golden oldies with bags full of Comrades medals: besides Clive (42 medals) and Kenny (40), Dave Williams has run 36 and is aiming for his 37th this year. Dave is also the runner who dramatically helped a Fit 2000 member over the line seconds before the cut-off at Comrades 2007, finishing in 11:59:36.
•    Another well-known member is Boysie van Staden, the first runner to obtain all the Comrades medals from bronze to gold.

SOCIAL SCENE
When you go to Savages club, it’s like visiting family, but don’t think the members are not competitive! Club members often finish on the podium at different KZN races.

After time trials on Tuesday nights, members gather around the pub for a few cold ones and a braai. Members bring their own meat and whatever else they want to eat. One constant on the menu is a very special bread, baked by one of the club members who chooses to keep the recipe secret! On Thursday nights runners gather at the clubhouse for a 10-13km run before they share running stories at the pub.

One of the social highlights takes place in December when members participate in the annual Pub to Pub run. They start at the clubhouse and run a circular route through Morningside, stopping at various pubs to enjoy the finest lagers. Also, an annual Christmas dinner is held. Then in January it’s back to serious training and the club provides an extensive Comrades training programme to its members. They also focus on cross-country and track running where possible, Kevin adds.

TEAM SPIRIT
When it comes to team spirit it seems Savages leads the way. Their neighbouring club, Westville Athletics Club, hosts a popular annual 15km Christmas run, sponsored by Illovo Sugar. For this ‘race’ the Savages members throw all their hopes of PBs out the window and join in on a day of fun and festivities. Each year a specific theme is chosen, normally in the form of some sort of vehicle that needs to be pushed or pulled with Santa Claus as the driver. Savages has won the trophy for the best club bus on ten occasions.

TIME TRIALS
The Savages Five-Miler, the first to be run in Durban, was started early in 1965 by Gerry Treloar, Dick Morton and Manie Kuhn. These stalwarts were soon joined by other enthusiasts and for the next 13 or 14 years, a group of up to 50 runners met every Tuesday at King’s Park. Over the years the Five-Miler changed to a 4km and 8km time trial route run every Tuesday at 17:30 from the Savages clubhouse.

Over and above the traditional time trials, Savages is also a member of the Time Trial League. This is a competition amongst eight clubs, and members are encouraged to participate as scoring works on a system where it is participation, not only placing, that counts.

50th GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
Savages has always been big on celebrations; some club members still remember the club’s tenth anniversary many years ago; a five-course dinner was served at a dinner/dance at the old Harcourt Hotel at Brighton Beach. The charge per person was a mere R2.50!

The year 2010 is no different and the members of Savages plan to celebrate in style:
•    6 March 2010 @ 18:00
This is the actual founding day of the club. A cocktail evening at the club will be held where old friends can meet to share stories of the past and tell the young ones how it was done. There will be a cash bar and snacks will be provided.
•    16 May 2010
    Savages host their annual 10/21.1km race under the brand of The Savages Golden Jubilee Challenge. The race will start at the Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium and the route makes its way through the scenic beachfront and surrounding suburbs.
•    15 June @ 19:00
        A black tie evening will be held at the Royal Durban Golf Club. Tickets go on sale from 6 March. Some interesting club historians will share their stories on how Savages has excelled over the years.

CLUB CONTACT DETAILS
Clubhouse: Cyril Geoghegan Cycle Stadium, Goble Road, Durban
Contact person: Kevin Bradfield  |  Tel: 078 281 6981  
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.savagesac.co.za