Category: Features

Runners have a way of talking about their running passion that a non-runner will never quite understand, or appreciate, so I thought I would issue a little apology for our running obsession… – BY LIZETTE DU PLESSIS

If you’ve ever run a marathon, or a half marathon, oh heck, any sort of race, ever, you’ve totally done this before: Bored someone to tears with every intricate detail of every single second of your racing endeavour. On the one hand, you should be proud of your accomplishment. You did it, you’re awesome! But on the other hand, does the rest of the world really need to hear about the stitch you developed at 7.6km, or that nasty blister you developed around 14.5km, and how you had to stop for a minute at the next water station to pop it? No, they definitely do not.

We’ve all caught ourselves doing this from time to time, humble-bragging about our various running-related accomplishments, but let me show you how annoying it is… and I must warn you, this is going to be pretty unbearable.

Do I have a story for you!
Let me tell you about my race last Saturday. But first I simply have to go pretty in-depth about my months of preparation, talk about all the encouragement and support I received from friends and family, and give you a kilometre-by-kilometre assessment of my state of mind and physical condition during the training and build-up, and then the race itself.

I hate to say it, but this is going to take quite a bit of your time. Split times, cramping, hydration levels, chafing, you're about to hear all of that, plus I'll be dwelling on one point around 17km when I considered stopping, but then decided to keep going because I'd already come so far. There's a lot to cover, so make yourself comfortable.

I'll inevitably start with how I carbo-loaded the night before the race, which by itself will not be a particularly long or objectionable story, but let me assure you it will segue right into an excruciatingly detailed explanation of the diet I maintain to stay in peak physical shape. And that, in turn, will lead into my training regimen, my special lightweight marathon gear, and, unfortunately for you, a lengthy period during which I expound upon the health benefits of distance running.

Bear with me…
I know this isn't the kind of thing you want to listen to – hey, no one does, not even fellow runners – but the good news is I'm going to include several funny anecdotes about my running partner, Esna, a person you don't know and couldn't possibly be interested in hearing about. But including her adds so much more important detail to my story!

Believe me, if I could stop myself from talking about this, I would. But I can't… and so I'm going to tell you all about my personal best time, and out of politeness, you will have to pretend to be impressed by that number, even though to you it will seem completely arbitrary and hold no meaning at all.

You'll also be hearing quite a bit about the sense of accomplishment I felt upon finishing the race. You're really going to hate that part, trust me, because there will be detestable phrases like, “I never thought I could do it, but I made it,” and “It truly was a life-changing experience,” and “It's a huge commitment, but definitely worth it.” I can barely express how insufferable I'm going to be.

But wait, there’s more!
I'm so sorry, I know you've done nothing to deserve this, but right when you think I'm finished talking, just when you get your hopes up, I'll mention how this wasn't my first race, and then you're going to hear details of three other races of similar distance, just for comparison. I can't even imagine how horrible it will be for you to hear still more running stuff, and how I believe I've progressed as a runner, etc, etc, but by this point, there just won't be any getting around it.

And while it is at best tangentially related, I may at any moment during the conversation launch into an agonising digression on the merits of five-day juice cleanses. I beg your forgiveness. Again.

Worst of all, though, I'm definitely going to run more races in the future, so I'll have to tell you all about the various races I'm thinking about entering, and the pros and cons of each course, the start times and travelling distances and entry fees and qualifying requirements, and more. Please, accept my deepest apologies in advance, because as excruciating as today's discussion already is, it won't end here.

Just can’t help myself…
Here's the truly awful part: Every single day during my weeks of preparation leading up to the next race, I'm going to make you stop whatever you're doing to tell you the number of kilometres I ran the previous evening, and what my heart rate was. I'll also tell you that you should run one of these things, too, because if I can run, so can you. Yes, I will actually say that to you.

I honestly can't convey how intensely sorry I feel that all these words will soon be coming out of my mouth, but you have been warned. I'm really, really sorry.

With a frustrating injury lay-off now behind him, Lusapho April is determined to get back to the world class marathon performances that saw him win or podium at Big City Marathons in Europe and the USA, as well as run in two Olympic Marathons, and it starts with the Boston Marathon this month. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Boston is not only the oldest Big City Marathon in the world, having been run for the first time in 1897, it is also one of the most prestigious, but getting into the starting field is not easy. As an average Joe runner, you need to qualify by running another marathon, and the qualifying time standards are pretty steep. A male runner in the 18-34 age category needs to run 3:05 or faster just to be considered, and even then your entry goes into a ballot system if there are more entries than spots available – which there usually are.

Another way to get into Boston is to be invited to be part of the elite field – as an IAAF Gold Label race, the Boston organisers needs to invite a certain number of elite athletes capable of world class times, from a certain number of countries – so to get an invite, you need to consistently be amongst the best in the world. It is therefore a real feather in the cap that 35-year-old South African marathon star and two-time Olympian Lusapho April will be lining up for his third Boston Marathon on Monday 16 April.

His previous two Boston runs in 2014 and 2015 produced commendable 15th and 12th positions respectively, and having recently returned to action after a frustrating injury lay-off for the last few months of 2017, he says he is aiming to improve on those results. “The injury is a thing of the past and I am ready to race. Hopefully my body will respond on the day of the race and I will do well,” says Lusapho.

“I want to improve on my previous performances in Boston, so I’ll be going for at least a top 10. The downhill course hammers your quads, but I know what to expect, and the races in the USA tend not to be fast from the start, more like a champs race, which plays to my strengths. It just depends which way the wind is blowing… the guys have run 2:03 on that course, but they had a strong tailwind that year. Both times I went there, we had no tailwind; it was just very hot or very cold.”

Running Talent
Lusapho is one of the quietest elite runners in SA – in terms of speaking. In fact, the phrase “under the radar” seems appropriate in describing his character, and he prefers to let his feet do the talking. That began in primary school, in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, where early success saw him selected for the Eastern Province under-13 cross-country team. In 1996 he started training with long-time coach and mentor Karen Zimmerman, joining her Atalanta Athletics Club training group in Port Elizabeth. She later became head coach at the University of Fort Hare, where Lusapho enrolled for a B.A. in Human Movement Studies. While there, he won numerous SASSU Student Champs titles and represented SA at the World Student Games.

Now based in East London, having followed Karen there, Lusapho says they’ve developed not only an effective working relationship over the last 23 years, but also a strong bond. “We’ve got a good relationship and I think we make a good combination. We don’t worry about the competition, we just think about doing better for us. But she’s never happy – even when I win, she always says I can run faster!” says Lusapho with a naughty grin.

Amongst his many running accolades are multiple Eastern Province and Border titles at both junior and senior levels in track, road and cross-country, and he was South African Junior Half Marathon Champion in 2001. He also medalled at both the SA Track & Field and SA Half Marathon Champs, was crowned SA Marathon Champ in 2011, and still holds the SA record for 25km. Added to that, he has represented SA in numerous international competitions, including the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Marathons – he finished 43rd in London, after taking a fall mid-race, and 24th in Rio – as well as the World Cross Country Champs and World Half Marathon Champs.

Big City Pedigree
However, it’s in the Big City Marathons where Lusapho has really made his mark. Besides those two top 15 finishes in Boston, he is the only athlete to have won the Hannover Marathon in Germany three times (2011, 2013 and 2016), with a PB of 2:08:32 run on that course, and finished third in the New York Marathon in 2013, followed by 11th place in the Big Apple in 2014. Then in the second half of 2015, he wanted to qualify for the SA Marathon team for Rio, so he went to the Berlin Marathon aiming for a fast qualifier, but was unfortunately forced to bail late in the race.

“Three weeks before the race I developed a niggle in my leg, and it just got worse, so I ended up DNFing in Berlin. I eventually bailed at 38km because I just couldn’t carry on. That meant I was under pressure in early 2016, but I knew I could clock a good time for Rio, so I went back to Hannover and won my third title there.” He duly represented South Africa in the Olympic Marathon, but says the conditions knocked the stuffing out of him.

“Rio was good, except for the humidity. I don’t like running in the heat, which is why the marathons in Europe and the USA suit me so well. They are usually quite cold. The Big City Marathons have also been good for my career. Winning Hannover opened doors for me, leading to invites to run in New York, Boston and Berlin, and I love going back there, because I am always treated well. The people in Hannover even recognise me now. But Boston is the big goal now, because I have not ran as well there yet as I think I can, and then I plan to run another marathon before the end of the year. I would love to go back to New York in November, Besides the wonderful race, I also love sightseeing in the city, visiting places like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Times Square.”

Coming Back from Injury
Following his good performances in Hannover and Rio in 2016, Lusapho was also selected to run the marathon at the 2017 World Champs in London, but an eleventh hour technical problem with his paperwork prevented him from travelling to London, and then he picked up the injury that put him out of action for the rest of 2017 anyway. Now that the injury is behind him, he says he is ready to push on again, and wants to repay the faith shown in him not only by Karen, but also his sponsors, adidas and Volkswagen.

When not running, Lusapho likes to spend time with his two daughters, Avuzwa (8) and little Aluyolo (eight months), with reading and sleeping filling most of the rest of his ‘down time,’ but there has been little of that lately as he has rebuilt his fitness. “We’ve been doing altitude training in Hogsback, at between 1500m and 2000m above sea level, and I’ve been doing up to 220km a week in peak mileage weeks, with two sessions a day. Most of my training in East London is on the road or track, because the city doesn’t have much in off-road options, but in Hogsback it’s great to hit the trails.”

A notable aspect of Lusapho’s career thus far has been his sparse racing schedule. Not only has he resisted the lure of the high-paying ultra-marathons that dominate the SA road running scene, but he also limits the number of local races he does, preferring to focus on quality training and a steady build-up to big goal races overseas. In contrast, many a promising young athlete in this country has burnt out quickly from over-racing, or moved up to the ultras at a young age and lost much of their natural speed. “I’ve got a few more years left in my legs to do well in marathons, and with the approach my coach and I are using, we’re not going to change anything, we’re going to stick to what works for me. I know what I’m capable of, and I believe in what we’re doing.”

Many athletes dream of turning pro and making a career out of their favourite sport. They know it will take hard work and discipline, but the thought of getting paid to train and race is just so appealing. However, only a handful of endurance athletes actually achieve that level. One who has made the dream come true is Annah Watkinson. Well, almost… because she is still holding down a full-time job in the finance world on top of being a pro triathlete, so she has two demanding jobs! – BY SEAN FALCONER

The seed was planted in 2015, at supper the night before the Full Ironman in Port Elizabeth. Annah had finished fifth overall and first age grouper at the Ironman 70.3 in East London a few months earlier, and her coach, Raynard Tissink, mentioned that she should consider turning pro, since she was already the age grouper to beat in SA long distance triathlon. However, Annah says she wasn’t convinced. “I told him, let me just get through tomorrow, and then we can talk about it.”

She went on to win her age category again, coming home eighth overall and qualifying again for the Ironman World Champs at the end of the year in Kona, Hawaii, and so she decided to see how that went before deciding about the professional route. “I decided that if I won my age category in Kona, I would turn pro. I didn’t have a great race overall, finishing third in my category and 23rd overall, but as Raynard will attest after all his Ironman races, you can train hard, but the perfect day rarely comes, and you just have to push through. At the same time I was having to make hard decisions about work and life, and after a lot of talking, I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone and race in the pro division, but still keep the day job.”

Annah (36) grew up in Johannesburg, earning provincial colours in gymnastics while at school and went on study chartered accountancy, then became a CFA (certified financial analyst), and is currently Head of Global Finance for the Coastal Region at ABSA Investment Banking. She says investment banking is a demanding, high-pressure line of work, but she is managing the workload on top of the tri training. “Fortunately, my job requires deliverables, so I can adjust my working hours as long as I meet deadlines, and can invest time in both careers. Still, people sometimes think things are easy for me, but it’s hard to do both full-time, so the cracks are starting to show a bit. Sometimes things are unbearable, but at other times they bring me incredible joy.”

Starting Out
Annah was a relative latecomer to triathlon. She only took up running in 2008, aged 26, then tried her hand at triathlons in 2011, completing the Ironman 70.3 in East London. She went back in 2012 and won her age group with an overall top 10 finish, which earned her a slot for the 2012 70.3 World Champs in the USA. In 2013 she missed East London after breaking her wrist and collarbone in a crash near the end of the 947 Cycle Tour, so raced her first full Ironman in PE instead. There she won her age category and earned her first qualifying slot for Kona, but decided she wasn’t ready for that yet. She also raced for South Africa at the 2013 ITU Long Distance World Champs in France that year.

In 2014 she once again won her category at Ironman SA, then did the Ironman-distance Challenge Roth in Germany as build-up to Kona and finished eighth, giving her great confidence ahead of her Kona debut. However, another bike crash while training in the Cradle resulted in another broken collar bone, just three weeks before Kona! “The trip was booked, so I still went and watched my friends compete. It was horrible up to race day, but I actually enjoyed watching the race, and the trip really helped me a lot to find the best accommodation and location ahead of going back in 2015,” says Annah.

Highs and Lows
Having turned pro, Annah says she really enjoyed 2016, as she was never outside the top 10 in all her races. Besides smaller, local races, she finished third overall at 70.3 East London, placed second on her birthday at Ironman Lake Placid in the USA, was third at Ironman Barcelona, and also took eighth at Ironman SA. She qualified for Kona again, but decided to skip the World Champs that year. “I decided to wait, because I hadn’t been as competitive as I wanted at Ironman SA, even though I did well in very competitive races in Barcelona and Lake Placid, racing some top girls. Kona is so highly competitive, with the top 20 girls all capable of winning on the day, so I first wanted to prepare more.”

Ironically, while a lot of people tell her that 2017 was another successful year, Annah says she feels it was a terrible year. “I was fifth in East London, but didn’t finish the full in Port Elizabeth due to illness. I just couldn’t get any nutrition down and was vomiting on the bike, so I bailed after four hours. It was my first ever DNF, having never understood how people cannot finish a race, and I found the emotional pain of pulling out far outweighed the physical pain, so I questioned my decision. You sometimes see pro’s bailing a race in order to save themselves for another day, and I never wanted to fall into that category.”

With all that training done for Ironman SA, Annah decided to put it to good use and went to race Ironman Brazil. She had a much better day out, finishing seventh in a brilliant 9:04, just two minutes behind the fourth-placed woman, but she returned to a life turned upside down. “I moved to Cape Town to start my current job that same time, so my house was packed up and moved while I was in Brazil. I arrived back to a new life and new job, and had to re-establish myself. In Joburg, everything was close and familiar; now I had to go find everything.”

Meanwhile, she was doing a lot of travelling, racing five Half Ironmans around the world from July to September, and that made things still more challenging. “My bike was damaged twice in one month and all that travelling was emotionally draining, but what got to me most was not seeing the results of my hard work, which was a bit demotivating.” Then she went to Ironman Taiwan, arriving a week early to acclimatise, and felt a niggle in her calf, but decided to still race. “I felt in great shape, and typical athlete, I thought it was just in my head. I had a good swim, but running up the beach I heard a pop and felt my calf go. I couldn’t believe it, so just walked slowly to my bike. I had a great ride, climbing to third position, but 3km into the run I realised I was going to do huge damage and bailed. Nobody can believe I got through the bike leg with a torn calf!

Change of Attitude
The one good side to the injury was that it allowed Annah time to settle into her new job and home. “I had begun to feel like a mother who feels guilty for working and not spending enough time with her kids. I also realised that I have been lucky in life – what I put in has always been reflected by the results – but 2017 was the first year I didn’t see that. I think every athlete needs to go through that, and it was a period of emotional growth for me, so I came into 2018 feeling much more positive. I realised that four plus five equals nine, but so does six plus three. In other words, there are different ways of getting to the same result…”

Bolstered by her positive new outlook, Annah retained her title at the recent MiWayLife Durban Ultra, and looking ahead, her goals are to race Ironman South Africa and a few other 70.3 or full events in order to get enough points to qualify for Kona. “I’m thinking about heading to the USA for Ironman Texas, because it’s also the North American Champs, so it’s a high-scoring event,” she explains. Her other goal is to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Champs, which will take place in South Africa this year. “I tend to do better over longer distances than that, but I still want to give it a good go. I’ve noticed that there is a lot of excitement about the event building amongst the international pro’s, and everybody I know is taking up slots for the event. The added bonus will be how easy it will be to get to the race, instead of the usual long trek.”

Another factor counting in her favour for 2018 is that Annah is clearly in the form of her life. “People keep asking me what I’m doing differently, because my whole body has changed, but it’s thanks to consistency and progression over time. I do two sessions of training in the mornings, then put in a full day’s work, followed by a third session in the evening. It’s hard, but I always feel amazing afterwards, and I always remind myself of these words: If you choose to sit on the couch, remember it is your choice, so be OK with it. Or get off the couch.”

“My goals have steadily changed, from just finishing my first tri, to beating certain times, to beating others, to qualifying for Kona. When I turned pro, I asked Raynard, on my best day, do I have the ability to win an Ironman and finish top 10 in Kona. His answer was yes. I won’t be pro for the rest of my life, but I am willing to risk failure as well as open myself to great success. I want to walk away feeling I left my greatest race out on the course. I haven’t done that yet.”

IMAGES: Kevin Sawyer/Gameplan Media & Chris Hitchcock

After her father committed suicide in 2008 due to severe depression, Zanele Hlatshwayo turned to running to help her through the heartache and her own depression. Now this ultra-marathon runner is running 18 races in seven months to raise awareness of and funds for the treatment of this condition. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Depression is a silent killer in South Africa: Statistics show that 23 people commit suicide daily, mostly men, and there are hundreds of attempts on a daily basis. To make matters worse, depression and mental health issues are stigmatised in many South African communities, so many people do not speak about these issues, and this only adds to the distress of both the sufferers and those whose loved ones turn to suicide.

Having lost her father to this debilitating condition on 16 June 2008, and then suffering depression herself as a result, Joburg-based Zanele decided that 2018 would not only mark the 10th anniversary of his passing, but could also be her opportunity to do something to challenge the stigma around depression and suicide. This inspired the 33-year-old analytical specialist for Google SA to take on 18 races between January and July 2018 for her #Rise18 campaign, not only to raise awareness of the problem, but also to raise R180,000 for the non-profit South Africa Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Africa’s largest mental health and advocacy group.

“I was very close to my dad – he would take me to school, to restaurants, he even used to take me to the hair salon, and it was only later that I realised he did that for me to show me how a man should treat me. There is a lot of stigma in the black community around suicide, so I always felt it was an injustice that he was thought of in that way, as he was a good father to myself and my younger siblings, and he was a good person that was always helping people. This campaign is my way to demystify suicide and mental illness, and to redefine my father,” says Zanele.

“I want to help SADAG through raising funds so that they can maintain the costs of running the organisation, because depression and suicidal thoughts are personal struggles I had to face when my father took his life. And since running is a sacred experience for me, a mechanism that helped me deal with his death, what better way to help those who might be going through similar experiences than through the power of running?”

RUNNING CHALLENGE
Having found solace in her running and gymming, Zanele decided to take her running more seriously four years ago and began entering races. Having built up steadily through the distances, she ran her first Comrades Marathon in 2016, and a second the following year. She has also completed the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and Old Mutual Om Die Dam Ultra twice each, and has another 10-plus marathons under her belt. She is therefore more than capable of completing 18 races in seven months, but this year she will push herself to new limits when she takes on the Washie 100 Miler in July as the 18th race of the challenge.

“When I started planning this challenge, I decided I want to complete 18 races, so I have spread them out, including some 10km races, but also including the Kosmos 3-in-1, Two Oceans, Comrades and the Washie,” she says. “I’ve got my list of races pencilled in, but the list has to be flexible, due to the fact that I travel a fair amount for work, but the big races will stay. The Washie will be a big step up for me, and from a fundraising point of view, it will require some help, as you need your own support team, so I’m looking for support from a car brand, or accommodation, or a sports brand, to make the final push of my fundraising challenge possible.”

Having launched the campaign in January, with social media and YouTube elements, Zanele says she has been overwhelmed by the response, especially from people sending messages about their own experiences. “It made me realise how many more people are affected than we know, and I want to share their stories too, because this is so much bigger than me. I’m also getting more and more requests from runners who want to join me in various races, to help me rise and demystify depression and suicide, and lend a helping hand to those who need it.”

You can support Zanele in her journey to rise against depression and suicide by following her at www.facebook.com/Rise18Zanele or www.twitter.com/zanhlatshwayo, and you can make a donation via www.backabuddy.co.za/rise18.

IMAGES: Jetline Action Photo & courtesy Zanele Hlatshwayo

She was the victim of a brutal attack and shocking loss that would have left most people devastated, but instead it made Caroline Peters more determined to make a positive change in her own life, and in her Cape Town community, through running. – BY PJ MOSES

In 2014 Caroline Peters created a beacon of light when she started the Nantes Athletic Club. Not only did she give the community of Bridgetown in Cape Town an alternative way of becoming active, but she reclaimed a piece of herself by naming the club after an area in her neighbourhood that only had terrible memories for her. “There was never going to be any other name for me to choose other than naming it after the place where I was violated as a teenager and saw my friend brutally murdered,” she says. “Women don’t speak out about these things, and even though it makes me feel vulnerable, I feel that I must share to encourage other women to speak up against this ongoing evil in our society.”

In 1980, a then teenaged Caroline was out for a walk with two friends when they were attacked by a gang from a neighbouring township. The two young girls were gang-raped before all three young people were stabbed, beaten and left for dead. Caroline and the boy survived, but their friend died due to the severity of her injuries. “I wanted to do this in her memory, and in the memory of my father who always worked for this community, and believed that there was beauty and light here.”

Active Recovery
In spite of her shocking experience, Caroline recovered, and throughout her school years was an active sportswoman, earning provincial colours in netball, but as she became older and had three daughters, she gained weight and the stress of her work and personal life made hers an unhealthy life. “Years later, my daughter Zaida was pregnant, and I wanted to be an active grandma, not the fat grandma waiting in the easy chair for kisses from her grandchildren. So I went to Rondebosch Common in the evenings after work and would mostly walk at the beginning, before I started running from pole to pole,” she says.

“It took me four weeks to do my first 5km, starting from scratch. My eldest daughter Cindy says that I panted and sounded like somebody who was dying, but I was determined, and slowly built up my body to not only lose weight, but also become strong enough to run up to 5km without needing a walk break. Then, after much cajoling from my friend Fuad Adams, I decided to join Itheko Athletic Club and from there I fell in love with running and the fantastic vibe that existed between members of the running community.”

That saw Caroline build up her racing mileage, until eventually she was running marathons and ultras. “I have finished the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra in 6:54, and just missed the cut-off at the 80km mark during Comrades. I was in tears when that happened, because I went to Comrades with an injury and that was one of my biggest mistakes. Runners are always so desperate to run, and we do the silliest things while ignoring sound advice.”

Passing it on
Having come so far with her own running, and seen the benefits it brought to her life and family, Caroline decided she wanted to share the message with her community. “I was extremely proud of all I had achieved within 18 months of starting to run, so I decided I would pass on what I had learnt to others. This is one of the reasons that I first started a Nantes running group, and then a club. We also started a free weekly parkrun at Nantes Park, with the help of parkrun South Africa. The numbers are steadily increasing there as well, and whole families come together on Saturday mornings to up their heart rate the right way.”

Granted, Caroline has had to overcome a few injuries, as well as fight depression and serious health scares to continue her running journey, but none of that has deterred her, and she keeps on breaking new ground. “As a proud confident woman, I must keep breaking down those patriarchal walls put up to keep women from positions of power, not only in the sports that I love, but also in the broader society.” That attitude has seen Caroline rise to become a Community Liaison Officer in the Mayor’s Office, and she also serves on the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon Board.

As a result of her energy and commitment, Nantes AC has grown steadily, and according to Caroline answers a need in her community. Attitudes and mentalities are being changed, and the very fabric of township reality is changing with every new member who walks through their clubhouse door. “Now we can run right here in our area with no need to go far away to find someplace safe to run,” says Caroline. “This is what people need to know, and that is what I want my legacy to be: A constant, positive change that sweeps across the Cape Flats, to the sound of feet hitting tar!”

Images: Courtesy Caroline Peters

For the last 27 years, Tom Cottrell has written and published the Nedbank Runners’ Guide to Road and Off-Road Races in South Africa, which has become an invaluable aid to South African runners. No surprise then that Tom’s name has become synonymous with race fixtures. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Tom Cottrell is like that grizzled veteran in your running club, telling you about all the races he’s run over the last 30 years, describing the monster hills, the flat PB courses, and the best races for some traditional small-town hospitality. Only, he tells his stories in a book. And a website and app. Now 64, Tom lives in Johannesburg with wife and fellow runner Kay, and they have two daughters and one grandson. He ran the Comrades four consecutive times from 1986 to 1989, and had brought his time down to 8:04 in his last run – or 7:64, as he laughingly prefers to call it – but then a tragic accident took him off the roads for a number of years.

Early in 1990, he was involved in a car accident in which his brother-in-law was killed, and Tom was left with two broken ankles. One was so badly broken that the doctors said he would never run again. “At the time of the accident, Kay actually asked me if she should carry on running, so I said you can stay here and be miserable with me, or go run with my mates. She was out the door before I finished talking,” he laughs. “Not being able to join her, I kept myself busy writing route descriptions of the races she was planning to run, as a kind of therapy to stay involved. Then somebody said you could make this a book, and when somebody starts a sentence with ‘Why don’t you…,’ then you just have to do it! So when I was retrenched in 1991, I decided why not, and that’s how the Runner’s Guide started.”

New Developments
The first edition appeared in 1992, and Tom says he can see how the times have changed. “Those first books reflect the politics of the day, with old provinces that no longer exist, like Transvaal or Western Transvaal. I’ve also seen many races come and go, including iconic ones like the Korkie, but in its place came Om Die Dam. The big change in recent years has been the massive growth in trail runs, and it’s hard to keep track as they sometimes pop up and then disappear just as quickly.”

Having added the Cyclists’ Guide and Swimmers’ Guide to his fixture publishing repertoire, as well as several biographies, novels and coffee table books, Tom is now focusing on the websites and apps for his fixtures. “I still have a readership base for the printed books, but sales are declining, whereas the number of downloads on the apps have skyrocketed. I did the first app in 2011 after another of those ‘Why don’t you…’ conversations with Nedbank, and I will be the first to admit it was a really pokey experiment. Still, the original Cyclists’ Guide app reached number 12 in the sports app rankings, so we decided to invest in more sophisticated apps, and in year two the running app reached number 1 on the Apple apps store!”

“This past year I finally stopped thinking of the app as an extension of the book. I therefore made it free for download, and did deals with retailers that you can buy shoes through the app. Soon you’ll be able to book accommodation for races, enter races online, and find maps to drive to the start. I think the book will become less and less relevant, as I can add so much more to a runner’s life via digital platforms. I want to make the whole experience of running races easier and more enjoyable.”

Back to Running
In spite of what the doctors said, Tom did run again. “Typical runner, I didn’t listen to them and started my second running career, as I call it, just to prove them wrong. I did the Two Oceans and a few other ultras, and then in 2000 I did another Comrades, because that year they gave us 12 hours, so I decided to chance my arm, but more to say goodbye to the race. I finished with three minutes to spare.”

He hung up his running shoes again after tearing his ankle cartilage doing the Antarctic Marathon, but after a recent operation, this grizzled veteran has felt the running bug biting again. “I recently put a pic on Facebook of my new ankle – it looks like a jungle gym with all that steel and titanium! I’ve done a few 5km walks so far, and still have to be very careful, but I’m planning to launch my third athletic career. I want to get out there and walk a few races, and then hopefully build up to a few 10km races. As they say, why don’t you…”

Images: Courtesy Tom Cottrell

If LJ van Zyl can win a medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April in Australia, it will be a magic ending to an athletics career that has spanned more than 15 years and delivered many records, medals and memories. – BY SEAN FALCONER

At 32, LJ van Zyl is now one of the elder statesmen of the track. The SA Record Holder in the 400-metre hurdles (47.66 seconds) has represented South Africa at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games three times each, and been to the World Champs six times, but it’s his medal haul that really cements his place as one of the all-time greats. That includes a gold medal and world title at the 2002 World Junior Champs, gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, silver and bronze at the 2011 World Champs, and many more.

Now perhaps coming to the final years of his competitive career, LJ says these days he just looks forward to being on the track with the world’s best. “When I was young, everything was about winning. It was like full-out war out on the track, and if you lost, you felt like a failure. But you start to realise that athletics should not just be about winning. Yes, it will always be important, and making money is also essential, but being an athlete is part of a journey. Savouring moments on and off the track is just as important as winning, because no athletics career lasts forever, and the friends I have made while racing all over the world is like collecting firewood for later in life.”

EARLY SUCCESS
Having won the World Junior Champs title in 2002 in Jamaica, LJ made his breakthrough at senior level in 2005, finishing sixth at the World Champs in Finland and taking the bronze medal at the World Athletics Final in Monaco, aged just 20. The following year he won his Commonwealth gold in Australia, in a then PB 48.05, and added a silver medal as part of the 4x400m relay team. “That was the cherry on top, and I still refer to that 4x400m final when I talk at schools, because it proved that no race is won or lost until you have crossed the finish line.”

“If you look at a video of the race, you would think there was no way that we could have won a silver medal, because I was running in fifth place coming into the home straight. There was no way through, so the only option was to go wide, and I can honestly say that in those last 50 metres I ran as I had never done before. Looking back, those two races at the Commonwealth Games set up my international career.”

More success followed in 2006, with a gold at African Champs and silvers at the World Cup and World Athletics Final. In 2007 he won gold at the All Africa Games, then retained his African Champs title in 2008 on the way to finishing fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2010 LJ won his third Commonwealth medal, a silver in India, but 2011 was undoubtedly the pinnacle of his hurdling career. In the space of just 95 days, he managed to break through the magical 48-second barrier four times, clocking the four fastest times of the year in the world, and went on to win the bronze medal at the World Champs in South Korea, where he was also part of the SA 4x400m relay team that won a silver medal.

FIRE IN THE BELLY
In 2012 he married SA long distance star Irvette van Blerk, after both had been part of Team SA for the 2012 London Olympics, and in 2015 their son Louis was born. In recent years, he competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but missed out on selection for the 2017 World Champs, even though he was still regularly competing in top level Diamond League meets around the world. Now, with his selection for the team to go to Australia, he feels the younger athletes should not underestimate him, because he still has the hunger for competition.

“To be honest, I love to race. There is something special about dueling with other athletes on the track and fighting it out right to the end. That is what an adrenaline rush is all about. I think I got addicted while I was still a ‘laaitie’ racing the farm workers’ children over feeding troughs. The faster and more experienced I got, the more I started to crave the challenge of a good race, so I’m looking forward to these Commonwealth Games.”

LJ’s Incredible Medal Haul
BRONZE – 2001 World Youth Champs Medley Relay
GOLD – 2002 World Junior Champs 400m H
BRONZE – 2004 World Junior Champs 4x400m Relay
BRONZE – 2005 World Athletics Final 400m H
GOLD – 2006 Commonwealth Games 400m H
SILVER – 2006 Commonwealth Games 4x400m Relay
GOLD – 2006 African Champs 400m H
SILVER – 2006 World Athletics Final 400m H
SILVER – 2006 World Cup 400m H
GOLD – 2007 All-Africa Games 400m H
GOLD – 2008 African Champs 400m H
GOLD – 2008 African Champs 4x400m Relay
GOLD – 2010 African Champs 400m H
SILVER – 2010 Commonwealth Games 400m H
SILVER – 2011 World Champs 4x400m Relay
BRONZE – 2011 World Champs 400m H
BRONZE – 2016 African Champs 4x400m Relay

IMAGES: Roger Sedres/ImageSA

Take note of these common pre-race nutritional mistakes and fix them before they slow you down. – BY ESMÉ MARÉ, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

The week leading up to your big race can be overwhelming and the last thing you want to do is eat too much of the wrong foods, and too little of the right foods, or at the wrong times. Here’s what you need to know.

1 Improper carbo-loading
Many athletes eat large portions of carbohydrates, especially pasta, the night before a race, to top up their glycogen stores. However, this could lead to digestive problems on race day. Rather start a week prior to race day, gradually increasing carbohydrate and fluid intake each day. This will maximise glycogen storage.

2 Too much fibre
It’s important for athletes to consume a healthy, balanced diet with adequate amounts of fibre, which aids in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels, reduces risk of heart disease and reduces the risk of constipation. Consuming more high-fibre foods than you are used to prior to race day could cause uncomfortable bloating and flatulence. If you are more sensitive to foods high in fibre, then cut back on foods such as beans and bran cereals two to three days prior to race day. Remember that fruit and vegetables should still be consumed. If you are racing more often, reduce your fibre intake only on race day to make sure that you are not cutting too much fibre out of your diet.

3 Eating and drinking too late
It’s best to have your last dinner no less than 13 hours prior to your race, and do not over-eat. This will prevent gastric discomfort and a sleepless night, especially if you have pre-race jitters. A liquid breakfast can be eaten two hours prior to the race and a solid breakfast can be eaten three hours prior to the race. This will ensure that you begin your race with sufficient fuel. Practise what to eat at dinner and breakfast before long workouts – this way you’ll be able to determine what works best for you before race day.

4 Trying something new
Avoid eating unfamiliar foods in the week before race day. They could lead to gastric discomfort and diarrhoea, which could leave you dehydrated, slowing you down or causing you to pull out of the race.

5 Skipping breakfast
If you have difficulty eating breakfast before a race, wake up earlier to give yourself enough time to eat your breakfast. A smoothie works really well if you cannot stomach solid food.

6 Drinking too much water
Athletes should drink adequate amounts of fluids the week prior to the race. However, drinking too much water before the race could dilute your electrolytes, which may cause cramping, muscle weakness and hyponatraemia. Electrolytes play a big role in muscle contraction and an imbalance can lead to a decrease in performance.

These common pre-race nutritional mistakes may influence the performance of your race, but every runner is different, so this is a trial and error process. As an athlete you should listen to your body and learn what works best for you.

Having won six SA titles, represented her country more than 10 times, and become a regular on podiums throughout the country, Nolene Conrad has established herself as one of SA’s leading female long distance athletes, but running has brought her more than just success, it also saved her life. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Nolene Conrad is the picture of health and fitness as she bounds into the dining hall for our interview at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS), where she works as Athlete Manager for Elana Meyer’s Endurocad and interns on the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon organising team. The 32-year-old recently returned from a month of high altitude training in Kenya to prepare for the World Half Marathon Champs in Valencia, Spain on 24 March, clearly the trip paid off: She clocked a blistering 1:13:05 to finish first woman and ninth overall in the Peninsula Half Marathon in Cape Town on 18 February, just 17 seconds off her PB.

In that kind of form, 2018 looks set to be another great year for her after a brilliant 2017 season. That included finishing runner-up in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, ending third overall on the points table of the Spar Grand Prix Series, and taking 12 minutes off her marathon PB at the Valencia Marathon in November, clocking 2:35:21, the fastest time by a South African woman for the year. She also added still more podium positions and national champs medals to her collection at various SA Track and Field and Road Running Champs, so it’s hard to think that there was a stage when the doctors didn’t think she would make it past the age of 21.

OXYGEN STARVATION
While growing up in Cape Town, Nolene was diagnosed with asthma at age 13, and was constantly in and out of hospital. “My asthma pump became my lifeline, and I slept with one under my pillow, as I often woke up during the night unable to breathe. One night when I was 16 I had a really bad attack, and when I tried my pump, it gave two squirts and ran out. I went to find the spare, and it was also finished, so I woke my parents in a state of panic,” says Nolene. “We didn’t have a car back then, so they called an ambulance, which took some time to get there. I passed out and woke up in the ambulance on a nebuliser, then spent a week in hospital, where the doctor advised me to do some physical activity, like swimming or running, to grow the capacity of my lungs. He said my asthma was getting worse, so I would probably not make it to my 21st birthday if I didn’t start exercising!”

The very next week a determined Nolene went back to school and through a friend joined the Cross Country team, with her first 4km race coming soon after that. “That first season was a struggle, and I needed medical attention after every race. I would collapse and they would need to put me on a nebuliser. The teachers actually suggested I rethink being a runner, but I was adamant I was going to persevere, because of the doctor’s warning, and because I was scared of suffering the same fate as my uncle, who died of asthma.”

By the end of that season she managed to finish a 4km race for the first time, and says that gave her hope that she was on the right track. “I had just been pitching for races, but now I started training regularly and joined the training group at Pen Tech under Tobias Philander. I trained hard for six months, and while I still got attacks, sometimes induced by exercise, they were not as regular. And when the next school cross country season started, I began finishing in the top three regularly. That’s when people started noticing me, and my coach told me I had real talent. I was also part of the MacSteel Micro Development Programme with the Sport Science Institute, which also helped me greatly with my asthma.”

MAKING HER MARK
By the time Nolene finished school, she was receiving offers of scholarships from colleges in the USA, but she made the hard decision to turn them down and stay in SA, because she wanted to run for her country. She took a gap year to focus on her running, before starting her studies in sports management at UWC in 2005. That year she won her first senior SA title in the 3000m steeplechase, breaking the SA Record in the process, even though still a junior, and that paved the way for her selection for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

“I was young and inexperienced, but it went well, and it was a great opportunity to see what it was like on the world stage, so it was great for my running career,” says Nolene, who went on to run in the African Track and Field Champs in 2007, as well as the World Student Games in 2005 and 2009. After completing her studies, with a cum laude pass, Nolene was then recruited by the University of Johannesburg to run for them while doing her Honours degree, which she then followed up with a PGCE in education. While at UJ, she won the SA Cross Country Champs 8km title as well as a second SA 3000m steeplechase title, and represented SA at the World Half Marathon Champs and World Cross Country Champs.

After UJ, she began teaching at Vorentoe High School in 2014, where her then coach, Hans Saestad, was Principal and Head Coach, and she taught and coached there for three years. In those years, she added the SA 10km and 10,000m titles as well as third steeplechase title, and made the SA team for the World Half Marathon, World Cross Country and African Track Champs for the second time each. But even better news was that running in Gauteng really seemed to agree with Nolene. “I was getting less asthma attacks, and I think I finally outgrew it – the last time I had an attack was in 2015, and I no longer even keep a pump for emergencies.”

COMING HOME
In 2016 Nolene returned to the Cape when Elana offered her a job at Endurocad. She says she loves the work, even though it is quite a job to manage 50 athletes, which includes looking after their entries and kit, scheduling camps and travel arrangements, and making sure they are in an academic set-up with skills enhancement, so that they are prepared for life after sport. “Working alongside Elana is a dream come true, because I looked up to her as a junior, and I learn from her every day. She is an awesome boss, because she was an athlete and knows how hard it can be to balance work and training, so she gives me the freedom to do things in my own time, like a gym workout at 10 in the morning.”

She adds that working with young Endurocad athletes has led to her own dream of starting training camps for girls from disadvantaged communities. “I feel there is so much talent in those areas, and I want to show them the benefits of training and sport, and that they too can achieve what I have. We need more girls in the system, and my camps will eventually feed into the Enduroad system, but much as I would like to start this year, I have too much on my plate for now. I’m in the prime of my athletic career, so I want to focus on my own running and chase faster times.”

That’s why Nolene headed to Iten, Kenya in January, taking good friend Caroline Wöstmann along to continue her return from a long injury lay-off. “Training there is so amazing, because there are so many routes, including gravel surfaces that are easier on your legs, and it’s very safe, with lots of friendly faces. I felt like I needed to get away from work to focus on training and prepare properly for this season, and I did 160 to 170km in mileage for three weeks. I feel that I am in great shape now, and I’m really looking forward to the World Half Marathon Champs.”

“We’ll be running on part of the same route as the Valencia Marathon, where I ran my PB in November, so I already know the course, and now that I know from previous experience what to expect at the Champs, I am going into these Champs better prepared. I consider my previous two World Half Champs outings as highlights of my running career, first in Bulgaria in 2012 and then Wales in 2016. I finished 34th in Cardiff, and this year I’m not just going to make up the numbers, my aim is to at least make the top 20.”

COUNTING BLESSINGS
With a packed calendar ahead for 2018, including another big city marathon and an attempt to run a 2:30, Nolene says she never takes her success, or her health, for granted. “My career has paid off to the extent that I was able to buy my first car, and later I was able to build my parents a new house, and I have been lucky to have people who believed in my talent, like my parents and siblings, as well as friends like Vonney Dreyer who are like family, and of course my various clubs and sponsors,” she says.

“You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can change your attitude and how you approach life. If I had given up in those first cross country races, I don’t think I would be here today, and even if I had survived the asthma, I wouldn’t have received a free education, or travelled the world and seen incredible places. I genuinely believe I would not have made it to 21 without running.”

Images: Roger Sedres/ImageSA, Jetline Action Photo

One second he was a talented schoolboy athlete showing a lot of promise, the next he was a World Champion, and now 17-year-old high jumping prodigy Breyton Poole is about to jet off to Australia for the Commonwealth Games! – BY SEAN FALCONER

Being selected to represent your country at the Commonwealth Games is one of the highest honours a South African athlete can achieve, and this April the best of our athletes will be in action in Australia – and one of the most excited will undoubtedly be Breyton Poole. Having been crowned World Under-18 Champion last year in Kenya, he has been included in the senior SA team for an international meet for the first time, but he actually didn’t believe it at first when he heard he had made the team.

“The funny thing is I was actually in maths class when I got a phone call from my mom, and I thought this might be serious for her to phone me during school, so I answered ‘skelmpies’ under the desk, because I sit at the back of the class.” he recounts. “She told me I made the final team, and I thought no, she must be joking, but she said it was just on TV – she had taken a photo of the final team on the screen and sent it to me in class. I was just so shocked!”

Speed Jumper
That will see the youngster competing against top-level senior jumpers in Australia, and many will see his inclusion in the team as a good way to get top-level experience, given his age (he turns 18 in late March) and the fact that he is still growing. At 1.73 metres tall, he is actually quite short by high-jumping standards, and when he won his World Champs title last year, the second-placed jumper was some 20cm taller than him. When they stood on the podium for the medal ceremony, Breyton was still shorter than him, in spite of being on the higher step on the podium! However, he says the whole question of his height simply doesn’t bother him.

“It’s an age-old thing now for people to ask if I am not too short to be a high jumper, and I’m used to it now. My height doesn’t hold me back, because I’m a speed-jumper. When I started working with my coach, Bennie Schlechder, he immediately shortened my run-up to just nine steps, because the taller guys need a longer run-up, whereas I am quite ‘rats’ and do better with a short run. That’s why I do more speed work in training these days. And the fact is, being short has actually motivated me to jump even higher to prove those people wrong.”

And that he certainly can do! He went to Kenya with a personal best of 2.18 metres, and when he reached 2.14 he had already won the competition, but he wasn’t even close to being finished. “My coach told me the competition is not over just because your competitors are finished, and since I had worked to peak for that competition, he said I must go on and see if I can beat my PB. I was feeling elated at having won the World Title, and thought what the hell, let’s go for it.”

“I cleared 2.16, then skipped 2.18 and went for 2.20. Having set a new PB, I felt I still had more in the tank, so I jumped 2.22, and then cleared 2.24 on my third attempt! That was quite nerve-wracking. I’m not sure if they showed it on TV, but I went on to attempt 2.27, which would have put me at the top of the junior rankings for the year, but I didn’t clear that height. That didn’t matter, because I was just thrilled to have won, and achieve my goal of a new PB!”

Big Jump
Breyton, who started high jumping in primary school after initially doing gymnastics, went on to jump 2.25 in November last year, in a league meeting in Cape Town, and that meant he qualified for the Commonwealth Games, but the selectors still had to make the decision whether to send a youngster with no senior level international experience. “It’s a big thing for me, because I’m taking a massive jump straight from the under-18 youth ranks, past the under-20 juniors to the senior team, and I will actually miss the SA Under-20 Champs while I am in Australia, but hopefully I can compete with the seniors,” says Breyton.

Besides the Commonwealth team, Breyton has already qualified for the preliminary SA team for the World Under-20 Champs in July, but is quick to point out that he is not just focusing on athletics at the moment, as he needs to make sure he doesn’t neglect his schoolwork. He is busy with Matric at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, and is determined to study business or marketing at the University of Stellenbosch next year. “I will continue jumping, but I want to study before any thoughts of going full-time with athletics. That said, if I can perform well this year, I might get some invites to jump overseas. I have jumped the qualifying mark for the Diamond League, so let’s see what happens.”

Images: Roger Sedres/ImageSA