Category: Features

Mthandazo Qhina and Joel
Mmone will both remember the 2013 Old mutual Two Oceans with bittersweet
memories. Mthandazo thought he had won the ultra, as he never saw the front
runner, but then found he had in fact finished second, while Joel started his
sprint too early in the half marathon after mistaking the wrong banner for the
finish line.

ULTRA GLORY

When eventual ultra winner David
Gatebe broke away after 32km, Coolboy Ngamole followed. Mthandazo was in the
chasing pack that managed to catch Coolboy, but he did not realise that David
was still out in front! So, at the top of Constantia Nek, David had a lead of
four minutes, but eventually only beat Mthandazo by 1 minute 8 seconds, 3:08:54
to 3:10:02.

Mthandazo says he felt strong
throughout the race – even that Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek felt flat! –
and his mentor, Henning Ludeke, adds that his athlete really looked good in the
closing stages. “Mthandazo was substantially stronger over the last 10km, and
if he had realised earlier that their bus was in second place, he might have
caught David.” As it turned out, Mthandazo surged at Kirstenbosch, with four
kays to go, expecting to cross the line in first place. When he realised he was
second, he says he felt a bit confused and disappointed at first, but
considering his achievement, Henning says has been smiling since.

TOUGH START

Mthandazo (35) grew up in a rural
area near Qunu in the Eastern Cape. He ran middle distances in primary school,
but his father had him shepherding cows and sheep instead of attending high
school. He left for Cape Town, where he sold snacks on the Cape Metro trains
before finding work in the mines in Jo’burg. However, he became afraid that
working underground might affect his respiratory system and did some casual
work instead.

At this stage (2007) he became
homeless, but Elias Sello, a friend and runner, gave him accommodation.
Mthandazo entered a few races and was immediately hooked, going on to finish his
first marathon in a time of 2:46:47. Since 2008 he has done
most of his training and racing in Cape Town and has won numerous races. His
PBs include 30:01 for 10km and a 6:21 at Comrades. Mthandazo is the current Western
Province half marathon champion and has run four Two Oceans Marathons. He has improved
from a 78th position (3:40) in 2010 to a 6th position (3:11) last year and a
second placing this year.

GUIDING HAND

Henning has played a supportive role
in Mthandazo’s career since November 2011. “He is a very strong-willed character, disciplined and a hard worker, and
had made a lot of natural progress on his own before we met. We are
close friends that share a passion for running. My main role is to find ways of
introducing small but incremental improvements in his training, as well as help
him navigate career decisions. Being part of the Nedbank Green Dream Team has
also helped Mthandazo focus more on his running and less on making a living
from running,” says Henning.

The next big step is Comrades. “As a novice he stood a good chance for a gold medal in
2012. Unfortunately, he cramped up just before Sherwood, where he was then attacked
by a deranged man on the side of the road!” says Henning. “He is currently in
peak shape and we have enough time to recover and prepare properly for a spot
on the podium. His dream is to win Comrades and then race overseas.”

HALF
MARATHON GLORY

In the half, Joel Mmone believed he
had a chance at a second place, but mistimed his final sprint. “When I realised
it wasn’t the finish line, my legs were done and the actual finish seemed very
far,” he Joel, who crossed the line third in 1:03:45, just five seconds behind
second-placed Lusapho April. Apart from this, Joel says he had a great race,
adding that the pace was relaxed until Lusapho took the lead at the 12km mark.
“After that the pace was hard, 2:55 minutes per kilometre, and at 19km my legs
started tiring.”

Although he was a bit disappointed that
he sprinted too early, Joel is still happy with his performance, and will
continue to stick to the shorter distances under the watchful eye of coach Pio
Mpolokeng. With a half marathon PB of 1:03:05 and a second place finish at last
year’s Two Oceans, Joel is hoping to claim top spot on the podium next year.
“Winning Two Oceans is my big dream,” says Joel, who has
been part of the Nedbank Running Club since the age of 16.

AJ SPIERINGSHOEK

Nickname: SeaBiscuit

Age: 26

Self-given Unogwaja Title: Coach

About me: I am a Maths
and IT teacher from Cape Town. My chosen sport is running because I have long
legs and it’s an amazing characteristic given to me by God! I love running and
am a RedSocker for life. The treatiest thing about me is that I talk a lot and
I am very sociable. The words I live by are “Your life is your message to the
world. Make it inspiring.” (Lorrin L. Lee) and “It’s hard to beat someone that
never gives up.”

Goals:

?        
To complete the Unogwaja Challenge in 2013.

?        
To obtain a 100% pass for my Grade 9 register class.

?        
To inspire and motivate people to pursue their dreams.

Charity I support: Wildlands –
SMS race 678 to 42030 to donate R30
to AJ’s cause.

GRANT MATKOVICH

Nickname: Grant
(Creative, I know)

Age: 33

Self-given Unogwaja Title: A ‘mere’
Unogwaja

About me: I am a
chiropractor in private practice from Durban. My main sports are running,
cycling and swimming because endurance sport allows me to eat anything I want!
I have learnt to take life in my stride with a smile, and I try to have a balanced
life. The words I live by are “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do
small things with great love.” (Mother Teresa) and “Is what you’re doing today
getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?”

Goals:

?        
To complete the Hillcrest Marathon in a time of sub-3:20.

?        
To survive, enjoy and get inspired by finishing the
Unogwaja Challenge 2013.

?        
To finish Comrades and get my green number!

?        
To complete Ironman in 2014.

Charity I support: The
Community Chest – SMS race 655 to
42030 to donate R30 to Grant’s cause.

ANDREW KING

Nickname: GI (Gee Eye)

Age: 34

Self-given Unogwaja Title: Vice
Captain

About me: I am a
documentary filmmaker from Durban. My main sport is adventure racing because I
take comfort in knowing my body and how far I can push it. I am an ordinary
person determined to make an extraordinary difference in my own life, and
thereby hopefully inspire others. The treatiest thing about me is I am
stubborn! I will not pack it in until I achieve the goal I set out for myself.
The words I live by are “Life is too short to do something you don’t enjoy” and
“Health, mobility and vitality are not gifts to be squandered on the couch.”

Goals:

?        
To inspire.

?        
To maximise.

?        
To push boundaries.

?        
To tear down society’s preconceived limitations.

?        
To laugh.

Charity I support: The Community Chest – SMS race 680 to 42030 to donate R30 to
David’s cause.

MICHELLE VAN ZYL

Nickname: MichI

Age: 31

Self-given Unogwaja Title: NewBee

About me: I work at
my family’s business in Johannesburg. My main sports are swimming, cycling,
running and water-skiing, because they makes me feel so alive and that
anything’s possible. I love laughing, sport and holidays at the sea, and I
can’t go a day without tea and chocolate. The treatiest thing about me is that
I am always keen for a new adventure. Thewords I live by are “There is no
passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are
capable of living.” (Nelson Mandela) and “There is always time to drink
champagne and dance on the table!”

Goals:

?        
Unogwaja Challenge 2013.

?        
Comrades Marathon.

Charity I support: Starfish –
SMS race 718 to 42020 to donate R30
to Michelle’s cause.

It is
isn’t often that an athlete finishes first in an SA Champs event to claim a
first national title, and then feels guilty for winning, but that is what
happened to 400m hurdles champ Annerie Ebersohn at the 2013 SA Track and Field
Champs in Stellenbosch last April. She was drawn in a lane outside of her
friend, clubmate and training partner, Wenda Nel, the defending champion, and
expected her big rival to come up on her inside during the final, but was
surprised to see no sign of Wenda at the finish line.

“It was a
bittersweet race for me, because once I crossed the finish line I realised
Wenda had fallen. Yes, I was happy I had won, but at the same time I had taken
the title from my great friend. Also, the question in my mind was, would I have
won if she didn’t fall?” says Annerie. “Later that night Wenda sent me a long
message saying that I must never feel bad for doing well, even if it meant
beating her. Since then we keep the jokes flowing about who is going to beat
who! We have reached a similar level now, and despite Wenda being my biggest
rival, she is also one of my biggest supporters, alongside my family and
training group.”

When the
going gets tough, Annerie also turns to her family for moral support,
specifically her two brothers, Robert and Sias, who both play Super 15 rugby
for the Cheetahs. “There are tough days where I feel like giving up, but then I
just pick up the phone and call one of my brothers, and they give me the best
advice! They always tell me, we are not the type of people that quit!” says
Annerie.

TRAINING DAYS

Annerie
only started athletics in grade one because it was something to pass the time
with, but by the time she was 10 years old, she was competing at SA
Championships at primary school and youth levels. “It took me a good five years
to win at the age of 15 for the first time, though,” she says. In those years
she was based in Bloemfontein and coached by DB Prinsloo, but after school the
opportunity arose to go to Tukkies to further her athletics career and study
law. However, it didn’t quite go to plan, at first…

“I never
realised how tough it would be, and in my first year in Pretoria, my athletics
went backwards. I asked my new coach, Hennie Kotzer, why the training programme
was not working for me, and he told me he had a lot of faith in his programme
and that I must just keep going. It honestly felt as if I was in a ‘hell camp.’
Also, I had no friends or family there at first, which made it more tough, and
I am very grateful to the friends I made, as they were a great help with my
studies. Juggling athletics and a law degree is no joke!”

By the
time Annerie reached her second year at varsity, Hennie’s sometimes offbeat
methods began to prove successful, and her athletics began to flourish. “My
coach is a little bit crazy!” laughs Annerie. “Some days, when the weather is
bad, he will still make us train, whether it be stair-work or running in the
rain. We usually rest on Sundays, but if the coach says we’re training, then we
don’t rest. One specific time we trained for 21 days in a row!”

HITTING THE BIG TIME

But it
worked, and in the same season that she claimed the national title, Annerie was
also selected for the SA World Champs squad that went to Moscow in August, where
she says she saw a different side to the sport. “Most of those athletes run for
a living, it is their profession. Athletes in South Africa need to have a back-up
plan, as most of us won’t be able to afford to ‘just’ run. This is unfortunate
for me, as I would love to keep running until I can no longer run anymore,”
says Annerie. Nevertheless, her future goals include competing at the 2014 Commonwealth
Games in Scotland, and she has high hopes that ASA and SASCOC will sort out
their differences to make this possible. She is also aiming to get a medal at
the World Student Champs in Korea in 2015. “Then of course I would love to go
to the Olympics in 2016!”

ANNERIE’S PB’S

200m                24:24

400m                53:25

400m
Hurdles    55:87

The 35km Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge race in May
2013 showed exactly why Thabang Madiba is now such a respected trail runner in
SA. With 5km to go he was three minutes behind the leaders, but using his natural speed, technique on steep downhills and ability to
pick it up in the latter part of a race, he chased down trail star AJ
Calitz, Ian Don-Wauchope and Michael Bailey to grab gold in 2:59:56. With it came the title of SA Long
Distance Trail Running Champion, and a spot in the SA team for the World Long
Distance Trail Running Champs in Poland.

“I’ve become a technical runner and I love
taking the hills with speed,” says Thabang, “I’ve found the downhills the best
thing when I need to catch up in the last few kays of a race. I also remember
taking on AJ at the Red Bull LionHeart in November as well, where I was lying
third for a while but managed to close the gap and then pull about a minute
ahead of the third man, but AJ still just took the title.”

HITTING THE HILLS

Given the success that the man from
Ga-Rankuwa has enjoyed on the trails, it’s hard to believe that he only did his
first trail race in 2009, with little knowledge of the technicality of the
sport. “I was always an athlete, and I remember being quite good in the 1500m
in high school, but I started mainly on the road,” says Thabang. “But at home
there was a small mountain I could run on and I enjoyed it so much. Now I am driven
by the uniqueness of the trails I race. It’s great to get into it – you get to
view nature for free and there is always something new. Every trail is
different and that’s why it keeps me motivated!”

In the last few years, Thabang’s talent on
the bike as well as his feet gave him the opportunity to represent SA at the
ITU Duathlon World Champs in Spain in 2011, where he placed 21^st
overall. But it was after joining forces with coach Nico Sterk early in 2012
that Thabang showed he was destined for great things on the trails. He collected
wins at Hedianga Ridge, the Cradle Mayhem, Diamond Dash V and the Roodepoort
Ramble events, and also finished third in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Trail Run. In
2013 he secured another third place at the Two Oceans Trail Race, won in
Jonkershoek and also grabbed eighth at the Otter Trail Marathon.

“I always had my running, but it wasn’t
until I met my coach that things came my way. Nico showed me a little more
control in training and right now I’m training two hours a day each in the
mornings and afternoons, while cycling in-between for fitness and doing long
rides of three hours on the weekends,” says Thabang, who also does sessions on
the track to work on his speed. “I needed a programme I could follow properly,
and I’ve definitely grown from that. Now I’m used to six days of intensity a
week.”

SUPPORTING CAST

Thabang says the thing he is most thankful
for is the support he gets from family, friends and Nico. “It’s been hard,
because I have a three-year-old son, so there needs to be a balance always, but
my family supports my running, and I also have an amazing neighbour who drives
me to races, while the community always has a good word to say.” Fatherhood is
never far from Thabang’s mind, and after a hard training session he goes
straight home to play with his son. “It’s about commitment for me,” he says, “I
manage to do it all and make sure I support my family as well.”

He also says he finds it encouraging to
see how quickly trail running is growing in this country. A few years back, he
saw very little competition for the elites, but now there are athletes putting
their stamp on races all over. “In the last three years it’s changed a lot! Now
there’s more competition out there, which is great motivation for me!” And so,
looking ahead to 2014, Thabang will be chasing more wins: “I want to go back to
the Two Oceans Trail Run because for me it beats any race for scenery and the
atmosphere from the crowd. There are also the XTERRA competitions in the coming
months, and qualifying for the XTERRA World Champs. That’s my ultimate goal!”

Having finished second in Ironman Austria and sixth in
Ironman SA in 2009, James Cunnama qualified for the Ironman World Champs in
Kona for the first time, but he knew he was not experienced enough to race hard
in Hawaii. Instead he treated it as a recce and test his strengths on the course.
“It turns out I was weak everywhere! So I promised myself I wouldn’t go back
until I was properly prepared.” After a few near misses, he returned in 2013
and finished fourth, the highest ever placing by a South African in Kona.
However, his great showing caught the media totally unaware, despite the fact
that he set only the 19^th ever sub-8:00 Ironman time when he won the
Challenge Roth in 2012.

“I was barely on the media radar, despite my sub-eight
and winning a few races in the lead-up to Kona. I was the lowest qualifier, but
I had planned it that way, by cherry-picking races and doing just enough to get
in – the top 50 in the world get selected, but the World Champ goes
automatically, so I knew 51^st place was enough. I was considered a
dark horse, because I had not raced well in Kona before.” Well, after a solid
swim and leading the bike leg for a while, James overcame stomach cramps late
in the run leg to overtake two runners in the last few kays to clinch fourth in
8:21:46. “It’s
a little frustrating being one off the podium, but just four years ago I got
absolutely annihilated, finishing 82nd behind most of the girls, so I think I
proved something to myself!”

EARLY STARTER

Born in Pietermaritzburg to parents
who regularly competed in the Comrades and Dusi, James was waking early for
training runs from a young age, often running with his mother’s ‘Pukers’
training group, and at 16 he was regularly wining the junior category in local
races up to the half marathon distance. In 2002 he moved to Port Elizabeth to
study Human Movement Science, and at the same time turned his attention to
middle-distance track in order to improve his speed over all distances. Then in
2004 James worked as a race volunteer at the first Spec-Savers Half Ironman, which
allowed him to drive around the route and get a great perspective of the race.

The
following year the full Ironman came to town and the triathlon bug bit still
deeper. James did his first Ironman SA in 2007, finishing 21^st, and
the following year he finished 10^th and sixth in the Ironman 70.3
SA, then took a chance and wrote what he describes as a cocky e-mail to Team TBB-Tri-Cozumel, telling them he planned to win the
Ironman World Champs someday. “Six hours later I got an
invite to their Philippines training camp, so I scraped together a few pennies
and went. I did enough to earn a small contract for 2009, which meant I could
live the dream and turn fulltime pro.” That year he was sixth at Ironman SA and
second at Ironman Austria, and since then he has featured regularly on the
podium at Ironman SA and Ironman 70.3 SA, as well as various Ironman events and
other triathlons around the world.

IMPRESSIVE PARTNERSHIP

These days James
lives half the year in Stellenbosch and spends the rest of the year between
Europe and the USA. He is one half of the unofficial fastest triathlon couple
in the world with Brit Jody Swallow, a 2004 Olympian and current Ironman 70.3
World Champion. They have been together for two years and travel and race
together as much as possible. “We train at different speeds and intensities, so
often train separately – she actually trains harder than me – but we do about
50% of our races together,” says James. “It would be ideal to travel the world together, like a permanent
honeymoon, but we both treat events as our job, and we cherry-pick our races to
get the best results and maximum WTC points. As hard as it is being apart, we
have a pretty good set-up and see a lot of each other.”

Unsurprisingly, given his terrific fourth place at
Kona, James is now focused on winning the Ironman World Championship title, and
he reckons he has a good chance of claiming that coveted title. “I think 15 of
the last 16 winners finished in the top four the year before they won it… but most
previous winners have been at least 34, so at 30 I’m not putting too much
pressure on myself yet. I learnt a lot at Kona this year and know what I need to
work on. But I feel I can win it.”

It’s a combination of things that
motivate me to push as hard as I do – from an illness that changed my life
forever, to the people, past and present, who have influenced me in numerous
ways. When I was much younger, I looked up to my sister who was a Springbok
swimmer. At school, I took up gymnastics and swimming, which I think was the
beginning of my drive in sport, and it definitely instilled the discipline
required to achieve all the things I have!

OVERCOMING HARDSHIP

I remember getting into running
after I met Monika Kraushaar when I signed up for my first Adventure Boot Camp
class. We ran our first 10km at the RAC 10km and inspired each other to take
our running a step further. Monika went onto Comrades and climbing Kilimanjaro,
after overcoming some serious injuries along the way, and it motivated me to be
better. I don’t think I have ever met such a strong-willed individual.

It was a harder path for me. In
2010, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in my wrist, which
forced me to look at my life differently and make some radical changes in order
to manage the condition. The chronic disease causes swelling, severe pain and
changes in the skin. It took a while to be diagnosed properly and there were
little things I couldn’t do – like a job in an office with a computer! That was
a real low point in my life, but after a while, after getting out on the road
again, I figured that I needed to be strong. There was nothing wrong with my
legs, and I was motivated to do the rehab for my wrist, and at that point my
mind took over. I ran, ate healthily and meditated, and I knew that this
illness could give me the opportunity to give back to others in the fitness
lifestyle I adored.

FOLLOWING A PASSION

So I took the brave leap from the
corporate world to start my own Adventure Boot Camp franchise. I remember going
through the training as a franchisee and I couldn’t even manage a push-up! But
I had a strong mind and I remain grateful for the opportunity that was given to
me. I was always scared to do personal training, but I knew that I could
motivate people and myself. After all, exercise was my number one passion.
Despite having a hand that stuck out like a claw, leaving me unable to do
anything that meant using my left arm and wrist, I remained positive.

I believe that being a great
motivator is a gift that some people are born with, but it is a quality that
can also be honed if one is doing something that you are truly passionate
about. That’s me! I followed what I wanted to in life and after three-and-a-half
years, I’ve established two camps in Norwood and Illovo in Johannesburg. The
real challenge now is to change it up for the current members, keeping classes
fun and fresh. A lot of people come to class after a long day, so I like
motivating them to better themselves.

As for me? I’m planning to run my
first marathon soon, and want to take some Boot Camp members through with me. I
suffered a split cartilage in my knee at the Old Ed’s 21km, so I’ve been out
for a bit, but I’m ready to come back fighting again!

For more info about
Adventure Boot Camp franchises, call 021 447 2746 / 082 567 2267, visit www.adventurebootcamp.co.za
or e-mail [email protected].

1. Make oats your
best friend! Eating a cup of oatmeal (no instant) in the morning will
prevent you from gorging in the afternoon. Try to add a few drops of vanilla
essence instead of sugar or honey.

2. Make a list: Do your
grocery shopping with a list and a time limit – that way, you’re less likely to
stray into the processed foods section.

3. Don’t confuse
thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry
to see if that’s what you’re really craving.

4. Take a brisk walk
before lunch or dinner. Not only will you get in some exercise,
you’re less likely to choose something unhealthy after a little exercise.

5. Add red pepper
flakes to your pantry. When eaten early in the day, red pepper
lowers the amount of food you’ll eat later. Try adding it to some scrambled egg
or an omelette filled with vegetables.

6. Use a dash of
cinnamon: It
gives fruits such as apples and melons a richer dessert feel without having to
add sugar.

7. Small changes work
wonders:
If you’re having trouble getting started, make a small change such as starting
a food diary or buying new running shoes. You’re three times more likely to
follow through if you start with small gestures.

8. Beware
“fat-free” or “zero trans-fats” foods, as you
could be trading fats for large amounts of sugar or sodium.

9. Chew
gum:
Sugarless chewing gum can suppress your appetite in a pinch.

10. Dump
the junk food. If you want to avoid temptation, make sure you clean
out the fridge and the pantry.

11. Eat a
snack before a party. Arriving with an empty stomach is a recipe
for disaster!

12. Have a
Plan B:
Create a shorter training route for days when you’re busy and pressed for time.
It’s far better than doing nothing at all.

13. Read
first!
Make sure you check food labels and avoid anything with more than 4g of sugar,
especially high-fructose corn syrup, per serving.

14. Team
up:
If you’re trying to lose weight with your significant other, pack each other’s
lunches. The lunchbox surprises will keep the both of you motivated.

15. Start
healthy:
If you’re eating out, make salad the appetizer. Most starters are fried and
come with unhealthy dips or sauces.

16. Round
up support: Share your weight-loss goals with your friends and
family, make it a positive life change and ask for their encouragement.

17. Dress
sense:
Store-bought or restaurant salad dressings can be packed with calories. Make
your own vinaigrette and store it in a small spray bottle to coat your greens
without over-dressing them.

18. Wrap
it up:
Before you sit down to a meal, wrap up any extra food so you’re not tempted to
get seconds.

19.
Schedule your treats. Establish regular times when you get to indulge
in your favourite food. Once you’re conditioned to eat your treat at those
times – and those times only – you’ll stop obsessing about them.

20. Do it
yourself:
Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes into
the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium,
fat and calories, plus the portion sizes tend to be larger.

(Sidebar)

(Header) Healthy Recipes to Try

CAULIFLOWER RICE

Ingredients (serves 4)

?        
500g cauliflower (1
medium head)

?        
1 tablespoon olive
oil

?        
1 clove garlic,
crushed

?        
2 shallots (or yellow
onion), thinly sliced

?        
1 tablespoon soy
sauce (optional)

?        
Salt and pepper

?        
1 small bunch of flat
leaf parsley

Method

1.     Process the cauliflower, including the core in a food processor (or
grate) until crumbly.

2.     Heat oil in a large frying pan until hot, saut? garlic and shallots
until tender. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring until golden brown.

3.     Chop the parsley and mix it in with the cauliflower.

4.     Add soy sauce (optional) and salt and pepper (to taste), then serve.

EASY HERB VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

9 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 ? tablespoons wildflower honey

? teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preparation

Combine the first three ingredients in a medium bowl.
Slowly whisk in oil until combined. Stir in basil and chives. Store it in an
airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

With five full Ironman SA medals to
his name, as well as another four from around the world, plus 11 half Ironmans,
Kyle Buckingham says he can’t wait to show what he can do on the pro triathlon
circuit in 2014, but he is also keeping his feet on the ground. “January’s 70.3
in South Africa will be my first race as a pro, but I don’t want to put pressure
on myself, because I want to race and stick to my own plans. It’s very
exciting, though! I’m also getting married in Durban after the Ironman SA in
April, so there’s so much to look forward to – especially the short break from
training after the wedding! I don’t get a lot of those!”

ROAD TO TRI

Kyle only took up triathlon at the
age of 25, having never participated in endurance sports. “I surfed a lot
growing up in Port Elizabeth, but that never flourished professionally. Then when
I moved to London to work as an electrician, I got into triathlon. I had watched
Raynard at the 2008 Ironman South Africa, and when my housemate started
triathlon training, I thought why not?”

So Kyle bought a bike and began his
triathlon journey, but he had to contend with cold weather on top of long
working hours. “I started by training four to five hours inside my flat, mostly
on my treadmill and bike. Being in the UK was hard because the weather was
really cold, dark and snowy. Also, I’d only start training in the evenings from
about 6 o’clock, after eight hours of manual labour, but I knew that I wanted
to pursue it!”

Thanks to natural talent, he made
good progress, and so in 2009 he took on his first full Ironman in SA and
finished 66^th overall in 10:29. A year later he improved his time on
local soil to 9:24 after starting a training programme with SA Ironman legend Raynard
Tissink. Kyle then went back to Europe to compete in several Half Ironmans, and
in 2011 he was back, chasing a top-10 finish at Ironman SA. Unfortunately, that
race didn’t go to plan, largely due to flat tyres on the bike leg, but he
bounced back in 2012 to finish 13th (one position in front of Raynard). His
next outing at Las Vegas 70.3 saw him bail due to illness, but a month later he
grabbed seventh in his age-group in Kona after taking a month off work to live
and train in Hawaii’s hot, humid conditions.

BREAKING RECORDS

Having moved back to SA at the end of
2012, Kyle entered his first 70.3 in South Africa and says things just clicked
for him. Always a competitor on the hills, he put everything into his bike leg
before running to a seventh overall finish, and first South African, in 4:17. He
also broke his age-group course record by 12 minutes and was the first amateur home
in a strong field! He then focused on fitting in six sessions each per week of
running, cycling and swimming, while also working on core strength in the gym,
to prepare for Ironman SA, and he did his fine-tuning by finishing ninth
overall in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.

Then it was back to PE for Ironman
SA, and in Kyle’s own words, “Everything went according to plan, despite a hard
last 4km on the run where I had to remind myself how much I wanted a good
finish,” He came home in an amazing seventh overall, the first South African
and first amateur over the line, and qualified for Kona in his age group, and
Hawaii would prove to be yet another highlight on his journey to turning pro.

Unsurprisingly, Kyle’s choice of
favourite event is not hard to guess. “I put down Ironman South African as my
favourite, because of the crowd support and vibe,” he says. “My family, my
sister and brother as well as my fianc? Lauren also make a plan to be there, so
it’s very special for me. Doing so well in 2013 was a great feeling and having
the family and Raynard at the finish was even better. I went from that to Kona
with a new confidence! Now I want to push on in 2014.”

As Lusapho April crossed the finish line of
the 2013 ING New York City Marathon, he threw his head back with a grimace of
pain and exhaustion, hands clasped on his forehead as he fought to get more air
into his lungs. He had just run 2:09:45 to finish third in one of the world’s
biggest races, despite suffering cramps in the last few kays, and he had done
it in the company of some of the world’s best marathoners, including defending
champion Geoffrey Mutai, London Marathon champion Tsegaye Kebede, Olympic and World
Champion Stephen Kiprotich, and 2012 Boston Marathon winner Wesley Korir.

Even though he had won the Hannover Marathon
in Germany earlier in 2013 in a PB and course record 2:08:32 – his second win
here after also winning in 2011 – Lusapho was only considered an outside bet for
the podium in New York, but he ran with the lead group right from the start,
hitting halfway in 1:05:07 and finishing behind Mutai (2:08:24) and Kebede
(2:09:16) in difficult running conditions. His third place was the highest
placing by a South African in any of the big city World Marathon Majors since
Hendrick Ramaala finished third in New
York in 2007.

HUMBLE
MAN

Third in New York capped what can be
considered Lusapho’s breakthrough year, not only in terms of race results, but
also for his career, although the softly-spoken 31-year-old from the Eastern Cape is just
taking it all in his stride in his unassuming way. “The year started on a high.
I came to Cape Town
for the Two Oceans Half and I got a sponsorship from adidas. That boosted my
confidence and I was feeling like a professional runner for the first time,” he
says. “Then I headed off to Germany,
where I won the Hannover Marathon in a PB 2:08 and course record. That opened
the door for me to go run in New York
– we contacted the person who deals with elite athletes and he was keen and
said I can come.”

Lusapho
is now very much on the international marathoning radar, and his next big race
will be the oldest and most prestigious of the big city races, the Boston
Marathon in April. “I want to be the first South
African male to dip under 2:06, but now my focus is on trying to win the big
city races. I’ve got nine 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.”

Lusapho has been coached by Karen Zimmerman
since 2001 and they have developed a very 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 even faster!”
says Lusapho with a naughty little laugh. Karen responds with a motherly nudge,
then says, “He’s a dream to train, never complains about what he has to do. He’s
very injury-prone, though, and we’ve learnt over the years what to do, to
change certain things, so he doesn’t get injured.”

COLLECTING ACCOLADES

Lusapho started running in primary school and was soon selected for the Eastern Province under-13 cross-country team.
Two years later he started training with Karen and joined 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, but he did not finish the course due to his running career taking off.
He became a multiple Eastern Province and Border champion at junior and senior
levels in track, road and cross-country, was South African Junior Half Marathon
champion in 1997, has won multiple national SASSU student champs titles, has
medalled at the SA Junior and Senior Track & Field and Half Marathon
Champs, and was crowned SA Marathon Champ in 2011. Lusapho also holds the SA
record for 25km.

He has also represented South
Africa in numerous international competitions,
including the 2012 Olympic Marathon – he finished 43^rd after falling
mid-race – as well as the World Cross Country Champs, World Road Running Champs
and World Student Games, where he was often the top-placed South African. Now
he is working towards selection for the SA team for the World Half Marathon
Champs in Copenhagen, Denmark
later this year, but his big goal is the 2016 Olympics in Rio,
where he hopes to emulate Josiah Thugwane’s gold medal-winning effort from the
1996 Atlanta Games. “I wanted to try for the Olympic Marathon in 2008, but I
tore my Achilles tendon in training. If I can just stay healthy and
injury-free, then the medal is definitely on in Rio.
That’s the dream. I know what I’m capable of and I believe in what we’re doing,
my coach and I.”

It is his
patience and dedication, along with Karen’s guidance and astute management,
that are now paying dividends in Lusapho’s career. He has resisted the lure of
the high-paying ultra-marathons that dominate the SA road running scene, and
only does a select number of races per year, whereas most of his peers are
either racing everything in order to make some money, or moving up to the
ultra’s at a young age and losing much of their natural speed in the process. “Soon as my international marathon career is done, I will stop running
and spend more time with my family. I have no plans yet for when I am finished
with running, but I hope to make enough money to start my own business.”

LUSAPHO’S PB’S

There are now six runners who have achieved the
magnificent feat of running 40 Comrades Marathons, and three more should do it
this year, including Alan Robb, revered both locally and internationally as one
of the most loved South African runners of all time. He is the leading Comrades
gold medallist with 12 golds, and known as
much for his four Comrades wins as his famous red socks to show his support for
Liverpool Football Club. Though he emphasises that he takes it one year at a
time, many believe that Alan could become the first person to achieve 50
Comrades medals.

Come Comrades day on 2 June, Alan will once again be
running in the colours of his first athletics club, Germiston Callies Harriers
(GCH). He his first Comrades in 1976 in Callies colours, having already
finished third in 1974, and went on to win the next two years as well. In 1978 he also became the first person to break the
sub-5:30 barrier, winning in 5:29:14, and he added a fourth win in 1980, as
well as a second place in 1982. Today at the age of 58 he still runs remarkable
times, finishing the Comrades last year in 8:34.

“I joined Callies in
1974 and left the club in 1992, mainly because all the guys I trained with had
stopped running. I lived in Woodmead and started running with a group of guys
from Rocky Road Runners, but I always kept in touch with Callies, attending
many of their functions and runs,” says Alan, who in recent years also participated
in the colours of the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club. “In January I decided to rejoin
the club permanently and have already run a couple of races in my new colours.
I am really looking forward to running Comrades in Callies colours, as I feel
that’s where I belong and that’s where I was taught to run.”

HOMECOMING

The change of club came
about when Andre Berrange, vice-chairman of GCH, approached Alan last year to
ask if he would run his 40^th Comrades in Callies colours. Andre says
Alan may not have run in their colours since 1992, but he has always been
associated with the club, so much so that he was awarded honorary life
membership in the late 1980s. “Over the years he has remained in touch with his
contemporary Callies clubmates and was a regular attendee at all our races, as
well as our annual Comrades breakfast and other club functions.”

When Alan announced he was returning to the club, he
was welcomed with open arms by all at Callies. “We saw it as a homecoming for
one of Callies’ favourite sons. It is with great pride that we will once again
see the humble, modest running legend in the familiar blue and white colours
along the Comrades route in 2013 and beyond,” says Andre.

MIXED EMOTIONS

While Alan says this
year’s run will be a milestone in his running career, it will also be a very
sad day. “A lot of people will remember that my wife Merle passed away a week
before last year’s run, and it was only because of my daughter Staci that I
actually ran. My whole world has been turned upside down. Merle and I were
planning to do something special together after this run, but sadly that will
not happen. My motivation to run has been at an all-time low and I have done
very little running. It will be a very emotional run dedicated entirely to
Merle, who attended 35 Comrades with me and was always at the end in the finish
area as a guest of the Comrades Marathon Association. I miss her terribly.”

HONOURING
THE LEGEND

GCH has been planning a series of events leading up to
Alan’s 40^th Comrades. “We felt it was high time that our club’s race
was dedicated to Alan, as a token of appreciation for the honour that he has
brought to the club. This year the timing was perfect to rename our race on 7
April to the Alan Robb 32km and 15km,” says Andre. Typically, Alan acknowledged
this honour in his understated way: “I feel
very honoured to have this year’s Callies race named after me.”

Furthermore, the members of GCH plan to run their own race
and Comrades in red socks to honour Alan, and encourage all other members of
the running community to do the same at both races. Another highlight in the
build-up to Alan’s 40^th Comrades will be a pre-race breakfast where
all his old training mates and legends of road running will celebrate with
Alan, who says this should be a great reunion and good fun.