Category: Features

One second Landie
Greyling will be speeding along the trails, the next she will come to a sudden
stop… because she spotted a dassie! “I just love furry animals, because I often
saw dassies on our farm when I grew up, and I just light up whenever I see a dassie,
or an otter.” Little surprise then that she is affectionately known as ‘Dassie’
to her husband Christiaan and close friends. “Christiaan started it, because
besides stopping to look at dassies, he says I always look so happy running on
rocks, just like a rock-rabbit, or dassie. He even jokes that he was happy to
move down to the Cape, where there are more dassies, which makes training with
me easier… because I will never stop if he has a cramp, but just let me see a
dassie and I stop right there!”

Landie and Christiaan are quite the trail
super-couple: Both were selected for the SA team that went to the World Ultra
Trail Champs in Wales in July, where Christiaan finished first amongst the SA
men, in 32^ndposition, while Landie finished ninth in the women’s
race. The previous year she went to the World Long Distance Mountain Running
Champs in Switzerland as well as the World Short Distance Mountain Running
Champs in Italy. “In 2012 I went to World Champs at very short notice and
wasn’t properly prepared, so I feel that Wales was my first real World Champs.
It was very special to finish in the top 10, but even more special to have
Christiaan there. Very few couples can do that together.”

On home soil, her list of wins and podium
finishes in the last few years includes first at the Salomon Skyrun, Old Mutual
Two Oceans Trail Run and Hobbit 100km Trail Run, and second at the 2013 Otter
Trail Run, after finishing third the two previous years. “The Otter 2013 was a
real highlight, because of how I executed my race, staying up there with one of
the best trail runners in the world, Ruby Muir. Another highlight was winning
the mixed category with Christiaan at the ProNutro AfricanX Trail Run this
year.”

Landie
(29) grew up near Pretoria, where she ran her first 10km fun run aged nine,
then competed in cross-country for her school and ran the 800m and 1500m in
athletics. Having finished school in 2001, she did not know what career path to
follow, so her parents encouraged her to go work overseas and travel while
deciding. “I went to England and worked and travelled for two years, then came
back to study in 2004 at the University of Pretoria. I had always been a
numbers person, so I enrolled for a B.Com Accounting
degree, then completed my Honours in 2007, following which I started working
for Pricewaterhousecoopers to complete my articles.”

While at university, Landie got back into
running in 2007, initially focusing on road running, but in May 2008 she
ventured off-road at an adventure racing event in the Magaliesberg, and not
only discovered a talent for trail running, but also found romance. “I was in a team with
two friends, while Christiaan was in another team. After the race, one of my
teammates knew them, so we hung out for a while, but I had to leave early, so
only spoke to him for about three minutes. A week later I saw him again at a
trail race. I actually drove the wrong way up a one-way road and suddenly there
was a bakkie in front of me, hooting and flashing its lights, so I pulled over to
let it go past. When I parked, the same bakkie pulled up next to me, so I
pretended to scratch around in my car, because I was so embarrassed, but then
there was a knock on my window and the bakkie driver was Christiaan!”

“After that trail run, he asked me out for
an ice-cream, but I was seeing somebody at the time, so I said let’s rather go
for a run, because I told him I was looking for somebody to train with. The
next day he phoned me to invite me to join his training group, but I later
found out he actually just got a bunch of friends from his ‘koshuis’ to join
him for a few early morning runs. One by one they disappeared until it was just
us two!”

SUB-HEADER HERE

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant
at the end of 2010, Landie was seconded by Pricewaterhousecoopers to go work in
the USA for four months, where she competed in numerous trail runs, winning the
women’s category in nearly every one! Upon her return, she and Christiaan lived
in the Garden Route area for a year before moving to Stellenbosch and getting
married in early 2012. She subsequently did her Masters degree, specialising in
tax, while lecturing part-time at a college in Bellville, but recently left
that behind to join a Stellenbosch-based company as a tax consultant. Her new job
requires two hours a day in the office, which allows her enough time for
training twice a day.

“I appreciate the time I have for
training, but I am also laying the
groundwork for a career after running. I’ve got a five-year plan and want to
work full-time for this company, as they are investing in me by helping to
sponsor me. Fortunately I have several product sponsors, like Salomon for
apparel and shoes, and supplements from PeptoPro, and thanks to my part-time
work and sponsors, I don’t have to run everything to make ends meet, so while
trail running doesn’t pay that well as yet, I don’t need to turn to road
running for small pay-outs.”

FRIENDLY RIVALRY

Despite work commitments, Landie and
Christiaan still manage to do their early morning and weekend runs together,
and she says it is terrific to have a partner who shares her passion for
running. “Our quality time together is often spent running, which means we
don’t feel that we’re putting our training before our partner.”

When asked who is the faster runner,
Landie laughs and says he is usually five minutes ahead of her these days, but
she has beaten him in a few races. “We did a half marathon a month before our
wedding and at 5km he told me he’s going now, then at 18km I tapped him on his
shoulder and said hello. He was not pleased! But he is such a natural runner –
he works full-time, and if he could train more, I reckon a lot of the top guys
would have to watch out for him!”

Looking
ahead, Landie says she hopes to race the Mont Blanc Marathon,
Grand Raid Pyrenees and Trans-Alps events in Europe in the next two years, then
move on to the longer trail events in the USA. “I want to run the San Francisco
50-miler, which is one of the highest paid trail runs, then do the Western States
and Leadville races as well. Meanwhile, she will continue to race most of the
local events, and says she is really excited about the direction trail running
is taking in SA: “Trail running has grown
tremendously over the past couple of years, and I believe it will continue to
grow as more and more people discover the trails and how much fun it is.”

In 1976 the
late Lionel Whitfield, a prominent member of the Buffalo Club in East London
and staunch supporter of Buffalo Road Runners, expressed to fellow-Buff and
close friend, the late Viv Rex, his desire to start a race to honour his
father, George Washington ‘Washie’ Whitfield. There must have been drinks
involved in the conversation, because somehow they came up with the idea for a
100-mile (161km) race from East London to Port Alfred, to be run at full moon
so that the runners could se where they were going during the night!

Fast
forward to 2013 and Grant Whitfield of Cape Town has set his sights on running
the race named after his great grandfather. “As far as we know, nobody in our
direct family has ever run the race, so when I ran my first Comrades four years
ago, as did my cousin Vaughn Kelly, we began talking about doing the Washie,”
says Grant. “We have no idea why Lionel decided on a 100 miler, since my dad
says he never did any running… except maybe to the pub. He was killed in a car
crash when I was three, so I don’t remember him, but I’ve heard a lot of
stories about him. He was a big chap at six foot five, could drink a beer in
three seconds, and my other grandfather, a small Scotsman, said he could never
keep up with him in that regard.”

FAMILY PLANNING

Having
played rugby throughout his studies in graphic design at UCT, Grant took on his
first half marathon as part of the Men’s Health Challenge. “Then I ran the Two Oceans
Marathon with my two brothers-in-law after being challenged one evening around
the braai by my father-in-law, who was a big runner in Celtics in his day. I
think he must have caught us after a few brandy and Cokes!”

Grant will
be running his fifth Two Oceans and fourth Comrades this year, but says the
Washie has to wait a bit longer. “I must be honest, the thought of running a Comrades
and then doing it all over again immediately is a bit daunting, and I want two
or three more Comrades on my legs before I go for Washie. Also, I’ve got two small
kids at the moment and Comrades already takes a lot of time. So Vaughn and I haven’t
put a date on it yet, but we will get there. And we told my dad he has to come
as our second, because he is a doctor – and we’re going to need him!

The average fast food burger contributes a whopping 2 500kJ and that’s
without the fries, Coke, extra patty or cheese! By simply making healthier choices,
you can easily reduce the unhealthy calories by half and improve the nutrient
quality.

AT FAST FOOD
JOINTS

To lower the
fat percentage:

?        
Patty: Opt for leaner meat options, e.g. ask for pure
chicken breast, grilled venison, tuna, salmon or turkey, or go vegetarian.

?        
Sauces: Swap fatty mayonnaise for tomato sauce/BBQ
sauce.

?        
Extras: Don’t add cheese, avoid butter and margarine.

To
lower the sugar content:

?        
Patty: Make sure patties are 100% pure – processed
meats often contain sugar.

?        
Sauces: Reduce the amount of sauces and increase fresh
tomato, lettuce and onion. Add mustard or avocado for more flavour.

?        
Bread roll: Opt for a whole grain bun or whole meal
pita.

To reduce
total calories:

?        
Don’t supersize! Opt for a smaller burger and add a
side salad. Double the size, double the calories!

?        
Cut cheese and mayonnaise out and replace with more
fresh produce with colour, e.g. pineapple, salad, mushroom or beetroot relish.

To
increase fibre content:

?        
Opt for lentil or chickpea patties.

?        
Choose whole grain rolls.

?        
Add onion, tomato, lettuce, rocket or grated carrot to
your burger.

MAKE
YOUR OWN BURGERS

Venison
burgers

Serves: 4, Time
to make: 20 minutes

Full ingredient list: 500g venison
mince, ? onion finely chopped, orange zest, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon
meat seasoning, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 4 whole meal pita breads,
4 cups lettuce, 4 teaspoons relish.

?        
Place mince in a bowl with onion, orange zest,
breadcrumbs, seasoning and parsley. Use hands to mix ingredients, then shape
into four patties.

?        
Grill or braai burgers for about six minutes each
side. Slice pita breads horizontally. To assemble, add lettuce, then burger,
and top with relish.

Tip: To make
beetroot relish, mix one cooked beetroot (diced) with 1 finely chopped red
onion, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon
wholegrain mustard.

Lentil
Burgers

Serves: 4, Time to make: 40 minutes

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
1 onion finely chopped, 2 fat garlic cloves crushed, 2 tablespoons nomu Egyptian
dukkah, 1 can large lentils, 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, 125ml fresh
breadcrumbs, 1 disc feta cheese – crumbled, 1 pinch salt and milled pepper, 1
extra large egg – lightly beaten, 1 dash vegetable oil for frying.

?        
Heat olive oil in a pan and saut? onion and garlic
until soft.

?        
Add dukkah spice and fry for two minutes or until
golden.

?        
Remove from heat and place into a bowl with lentils,
parsley, breadcrumbs and feta.

?        
Mix lightly to combine and season.

?        
Cool mixture, then add egg and stir until mixture is
combined.

?        
Shape into four large patties and refrigerate for an
hour to firm slightly.

?        
Heat a glug of vegetable oil and fry lentil patties
for about two to three minutes on each side until golden brown.

As I sit down to put my experience on paper, I struggle to find the
words to describe my six-day-journey at the Wild Coast Ultra, a 250km race that
starts at the Umgazi River mouth and finishes on Nahoon Beach in East London.
After waiting to do this event for three years, and after all the planning and
all the dreaming, it was finally here.

The truth is, I was nervous as hell. The furthest I had ever run in a
week was 160km, and that was primarily on tar. Now I was planning on running
250km on terrain that in Jo’burg you simply can’t train for. In preparation for
this race, I had taken part in the three-day Umgeni Trail Race in August 2012 –
not only my first trail race, but my first multi-day trail race at that, and winning
the event overall! I also ran a 21km trail race in Buffelspoort in December,
finishing in third place despite being diagnosed as anaemic.

Apart from that, I had tried to do all my weekend runs on trail, and I
hoped I could challenge for first place at Wild Coast, which I figured was
probably a little ambitious given my recently diagnosed anaemia, and the fact
that I most certainly could not call myself a trail runner.

The day before the race we all introduced ourselves and I found myself
amongst both newbies and those who had taken on some serious challenges. My
greatest achievement? Finishing Comrades, which in the light of what we were
facing and what the others had done in the past, seemed somewhat insignificant…

DAY 1: 55km

The air had a mix of excitement, nerves and fear of the unknown. We were
about to run along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, with no
checkpoints, no water tables, no marked routes. Then a simple gong of a cattle
bell sounded the start of the Wild Coast Ultra. The appeal of this race for me
was the adventure of being out there on your own, figuring out your way to the
day’s finish.

For a large part of day one we ran quite far inland, through thick white
beach sand, over narrow grass single track, down steep rocky forest areas,
through thick grass paths and along rocky dirt roads. I ran with a sense of
freedom. I was out here in the middle of nowhere, I was running wild, I was
running free, and for the most part it was simply me and my creator. The
feeling was exhilarating.

Day one saw me finish at the Ocean View Hotel in second place after
running further then necessary due to little detours. I was tired and my legs
were sore. Had I gone out too hard? I had finished the day in 7:09, but I
really felt a time closer to six hours would be more reasonable if you knew
where you were going.

DAY 2: 45km

I woke up feeling a little tired, but not too bad. Day one had felt
tougher than my last two Comrades runs, but I was ready for more running, and
with a slight ‘old man shuffle’ I was underway. We set out past White Clay and
along the cliffs, which has to be some of the most amazing and stunning
scenery. We reached Hole in the Wall and it was beautiful! Then after taking a
few wrong turns, I set off for the day’s finish at The Haven, feeling certain
that this delay would have left me in second place again. But it hadn’t, and I
finished first in 5:24.

DAY 3: 42km

I woke up feeling like I had been dragged through a bush backwards. I
felt broken. I tried not to think about it, I simply got ready, filled my pack,
ate some breakfast and headed to the starting point. I managed to open a decent
lead, which was a good thing, as once again I made some bad navigation errors.
I ran along the beach for 20 to 30km and never saw a single human being. There
were no other footprints in the sand.

Suddenly the strangest thing happened: I began to miss people. I had
been taking people for granted and for the first time in my life I began to
realise that we have been created to be part of a community. So I was very glad
when I saw people as I finally arrived at Kob Inn in first place in a time of
4:47

DAY 4: 32KM

I felt surprisingly good and was eager to get underway, but it was tough
going into a strong headwind. This was a short, predominantly beach run, with
lots of thick sand and rocks, but on the hard flat sand sections I was able to
get into a fairly decent rhythm. I finished the day in 3:21, and it felt far
too short as the sad realisation dawned on me that we only had two days left.

DAY 5: 29KM

I love running in the rain and I couldn’t have felt more blessed to be
running this stunning coastline with God pouring out his blessings upon me. I
felt a lightness in spirit. The Morgan Bay cliffs were amazing! Once around the
cliffs, it was a hop, skip and a jump to Haga Haga and our final sleepover. I
finished the fifth day in 3:09 and it was nice to get warm, get the legs up and
sip on a warm cup of coffee.

DAY 6: 45KM

The final day dawned. Where had this week gone? I didn’t want this
adventure to end… The day’s run was broken into two sections. The first was a
run from Haga Haga to the start of the Surfers Challenge event, approximately
27km, and the second was the Surfers Challenge itself, a popular 18km race.
Before I knew it I was at the starting point of the race.

The idea of hammering out a tough 18km after having already run 232km in
a week was an intriguing challenge, and on the run I hit the wall. One of the
female spectators shouted, “Come on, run! You’ve been passed by a woman,” but my
body was screaming for the finish line and I simply had to settle for being
‘chicked.’ It was certainly the toughest 18km I have ever run!

I was finished. I had won the 250.5km Wild Coast Ultra in a combined
time of 27:54:08. A quick interview, a shower, then prize-giving and it was all
over.

AFTER ALL
WAS RUN AND DONE

I woke up the next morning and felt like I could run back to the start
over the next week. My mind struggled to process the last six days. It had been
a blessing, a gift, a wonderful experience and a journey. You don’t race the
Wild Coast, you experience it!

What more can I say? The organisation was superb, the goodie-bags were
the best, the accommodation was top class, the food was fantastic, and the
competitors were all a great bunch. But above all, our creator had kept us all
safe, provided us with superb weather and poured out his blessings on us each
and every day.

Words simply can’t describe this event. Make sure you put this one on
your bucket list!

With the clock stopped on 49:25, Anel fell to her
knees in the road, holding back tears of happiness as it sank in that she had
not only achieved her goal of beating the 11-year-old SA Junior Girls’ Record
for 10km, but she had taken more than a minute off the previous mark of 50:37!
“I trained for the record, and I believe in myself, but I didn’t think I would
break it by that much. My 10,000m PB on the track is only 50:04, so I didn’t
expect to go under 50 minutes, and yes, I was very happy!” says the youngster
from George after dominating the women’s 10km at the SA Road Race Walking
Champs.

What made it even more special was that her parents,
Chris and Ria, were there to see her break the record. “They’re my biggest
supporters and are at every practice and race. My Dad even gets up at 5am to
ride his bike alongside me!” Also watching was her coach, Carl Meyer, on hand
to see her shatter the record set by another of his athletes, Lee-Anne Watts in
2002, just before he was himself due to start the men’s 10km. Despite warming
up for his own race, he was keeping an eye on Anel’s splits and updating the
commentator on Anel’s record chances. “Carl started coaching me this year and he
is a great race walker himself, with an amazing knowledge of the sport,” says
Anel.

NATURAL WALKER

Anel’s talent for race walking was first spotted by
Jurgens Kriegelaar in 2006. “I did athletics in primary school and one day in
grade five I was running the 1200m at the local grass school field when he saw
me doing something funny when my legs got tired. He asked me to stay a bit
longer after practice so his wife, Marie, could watch me too, and she
immediately said I really have talent for race walking.” The Kriegelaars were
spot on about Anel being a natural race walker, and with the help of their
coaching, she was soon making a name for herself.

She won her first race, the 3km development race for
juniors at the 2006 SA Race Walking Champs. In 2007 she won a bronze medal at
the SA Primary School Champs, then took home gold at the 2008 Champs in he last
year in primary school, plus added gold medals from the South Western District
as well as Western Cape Champs. That saw her decide to give up netball and
focus exclusively on race walking in high school, and in March 2009 Anel set an
SA Record for the under-17 5000m, then bettered it in April, and again in July,
and again in March 2010. In February 2011 she set a new national mark for
under-16 3000m, followed in March by an under-17 SA Record for the 5000m, then
an SA Junior Record for 20,000m (1:44:42) in April 2013, and most recently the
SA Junior Record for 10km on the road. And in the process she wracked up more
provincial and national titles than space allows to be listed here.

AIMING HIGH

Having just finished high school, Anel will be
studying teaching at the University of Johannesburg. Her choice of tertiary
institution was very much swayed by the fact that her coach is based in
Johannesburg, as she has great hopes of making still more progress in walking.
“Next year I will be preparing for the World Junior Champs in the USA, and I
have also qualified for the Walking World Cup in China, but my biggest dream is
to go to the Olympics. Rio 2016 may still be a bit too early for me, but I’m
still going to try to qualify. The Olympics has always been one of my main
goals, right from when I started walking.”

Despite having come from a running start, Anel is now
completely dedicated to walking. “I feel most comfortable when walking, in my
zone. I can’t run anymore, because it just doesn’t feel right! Walking is my
passion, and I can’t imagine not doing it. If I have a rest day, I just want to
train. Like during exams, I just want to get out there and walk!”

In 1993, Argentina discovered an itchy, swollen rash
on her right leg, and experienced bouts of fever, nausea and pain that kept her
from walking, or sleeping more than two hours at a time. This condition persisted
for five years and had the doctors stumped, until eventually they suggested
amputation as the last resort. “For me, amputation seemed a relief. After years
not being able to walk by myself, it would be freedom,” says Argentina. “All I
had to do was wait for my mother to travel from Mozambique to Joburg to sign
the operation papers.”

However, by a fortunate turn of fate, her mother was
delayed due to problems with her visa, and while Argentina lay in the
Johannesburg General Hospital, waiting for her operation, two sisters from the Universal
Church of the Kingdom of God paid her a visit. “I was having a crisis of faith,
but then Fiona and Margaret came to pray for some patients. At first I felt
like they were showing off their faith, but they told me that I needed to
believe. I let them pray and there was a sense of peace afterwards. After years
of not being able to sleep through a night, I did. Something had changed…”

The next morning, she was confident enough to attempt
to walk to the bathroom by herself. Fiona and Margaret returned later to take
Argentina to visit their church, where members prayed for her. “I told the
hospital to book me out, despite my serious pending op, and four weeks later I
was walking comfortably. The swelling had gone down and only scar tissue
remained!”

WALKER TO RUNNER

Many sceptics told Argentina that the pain would
return, but instead of listening to them, she took up running! “I noticed a
neighbour running every morning and I asked him to teach me to run. I thought
that if I’m healed, I’d be able to catch onto running. It was my new dream.” So
she joined Rand Athletic Club (RAC) and decided to take on a 5km walk, which
she did wearing socks and sandals because her foot was still swollen. She was
tired when she eventually finished, but with a new sense of strength that saw
her build up to alternate between walking and running and after three months,
she finished her first 10km in 55 minutes.

In 1995 she ran her first 42km at the Soweto Marathon
– the first ever black woman from RAC to compete in the race, with an
impressive time of 3:45. Next Argentina pushed on to the City to City 50km in
1996, where she finished in 4:45, and after that, it was a natural step to Comrades
1997, but Argentina admits she had no idea what she was getting herself into. “I
remember reaching halfway and figured we were finished, so I asked someone
where I could get my medal. They laughed because I was only halfway!” She
pushed on, though, and finished in 10:30. Today she has 16 Comrades medals, with
a PB of 8:30:17, and has also conquered the Two Oceans 15 times, with a best of
4:53. She set her marathon PB of 2:54 in 1998, and also conquered the New York
Marathon in 2010 in a time of 3:18.

PODIUMS AND MEDALS

In 2002 Argentina finished third at the SA Cross
Country Champs in Bloemfontein and was selected for the SA team, and today has
five gold medals in various age categories at SA Champs in her collection. She
also gave Masters Athletics a try and is a regular on the podium in events from
1500m up to 10 000m, including the 2000m steeplechase. This year, she
travelled to Brazil for the World Masters Athletics Champs and finished the
marathon in sixth position in the 40-45 age category, with a time of 3:50.
(Today, she puts her running experience to good use as ASA development coach to
young athletes from the age of 10 in cross-country and track.)

On top of her comeback from nearly losing her leg,
Argentina says her results in the past two years are even more special, since
she had to overcome yet another setback after being involved in a car accident
late in 2011. “I had head and spine injuries, and I suffered from blackouts, but
after months of pain and treatment, I was back in 2012 and finished Comrades in
10:20. I don’t know how I get back so quickly, I just know I have had the
strength and support to keep coming back!”

I thought you might be interested in a runner’s story,
to give you an idea of my journey through weight-loss and how running has
helped me get there. I am not sure if running fixed my spirit, or whether I saw
the damage my spirit had sustained, and that made me run. What I know is that I
feel better because I run.

I have learnt so much about myself through running. I
have a mental toughness I didn’t have before. There is a physical benefit, too:
The weight lost and the increase in physical strength. After years of
physically battling the weight, my spirit was weak and defeated. Repeated
failures had left me demoralised and embarrassed.

The strangest thing about running
was that it wasn’t a physical thing for me. Through life circumstances and
various catalysts, I was able to connect with myself, someone I had buried deep
inside, the young girl I once was, with hopes and dreams. It was the mental/spiritual
connection that got me running again, so for me it was never just physical, although
I do enjoy the physical side of running, now.

I had run at school – under duress
– and then again some in 2008/9, but that is when I had an aneurysm, which literally
stopped me in my tracks. That, combined with a number of other setbacks, left
me emotionally battered.

Running might well have been a ‘poor
man’s’ expression of a mid-life crisis for me, because at 40 I started to run
seriously. I do have to qualify ‘seriously’ here, because I am no great athlete
– I am not going to break any winner’s tape – but every day that I get out
there and run is a personal victory for me. I like myself better when I run,
and apparently I am easier to live with too!

Running is a solo sport, so they
say, but I have met the most amazing people on the run, and through this
running journey I have become richer. My son once asked me if I am sorry I
didn’t do this earlier, and whilst part of me wishes I had, I also know I
wasn’t ready.

Just more than three years later
I still get goose-bumps on runs, when it all comes together and I am filled by
the wonder of running, and a deep sense of gratitude to my body for forgiving
me the many past transgressions and allowing me to run.

You cannot fake running, you have
to do the work, and it keeps you honest. And that’s why these words by an
unknown author also speak to the runner in me: “Be confident. Too many days are
wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing to be something we aren’t.
Everybody has their own strengths and weakness; it is only when you accept
everything you are, and aren’t, that you will truly succeed.”

 Share Your Story

In the past few years, energy gels have become the
preferred choice for most long distance athletes because of the consistent
texture and the fact that they are easy to consume. They are digested and
absorbed quickly, resulting in a quick and easy surge of energy during a race,
plus they’re easy to carry on you on the road!

Energy gels are essentially concentrated sports drinks
which contain about 80 to 100 calories each, and all energy gels need to be
taken with water to ensure that they’re digested properly. There is a huge
variety of tastes and textures on the market today, so it is worth testing a
range of gels during your long training runs in order to find a product that
works for you. Here’s what to look for in a gel:

?        
Carbohydrate: 80-100 calories in
the form of 70-80% maltodextrin and 30-20% fructose. This combination creates a
complex carbohydrate, which has been shown to digest very quickly. Maltodextrin
has little or no flavour, even at high concentrations, which helps energy gels
to not be overly sweet.

?        
Amino Acid Blend: Helps to combat
muscle fatigue, assimilate the conversion of carbohydrates into energy, and
helps with mental focus.

?        
Electrolytes: Sodium and potassium
are important to balance the electrolyte levels in your body. Potassium also
reduces cramping and improves overall fluid movement in the body’s cells. Both
of these electrolytes are lost through sweat during exercise and should be
replaced throughout your run or race.

?        
Caffeine (optional): Caffeine is great for
improving performance and speeding the absorption of carbohydrate, but too much
can upset the stomach. Play around with energy gels that contain caffeine and
ones which do not, to determine which option is best suited for you.

WHEN TO TAKE THEM

The timing of when you should take your gels is an
individual choice. Each athlete processes carbohydrate at a different rate.
This variation in absorption rate has to do with how well your stomach reacts
to the energy gel. When running at high intensity for a long duration, your
body often diverts blood away from the digestive tract to the legs to help your
legs continue to move. Sometimes your body may shut the gut down completely, or
it may just slow down the digestion and absorption process.

By taking the energy gels early in your race, when your
body is unlikely to be under great stress, you have a better chance of
processing the sugars faster. It would be best advised to take your first
energy gel somewhere between the first 30-45 minutes of the race. Because the
digestion process will be slowed or halted the further you get into the race,
you need to be careful not to overload your stomach. I would suggest waiting
about 45-60 minutes between gels before taking another one.

It is important to consume approximately 250ml of
water with every energy gel sachet, but if you are consuming some form of
energy drink in combination with energy gels, it is important to reduce your energy
gel intake. You should then consume one energy gel sachet only every 90-120
minutes.

Your digestive system is trainable, so if you consume
energy gels during training, particularly if you do it at set intervals that
correlate to when you will take them during your big race, your body will learn
to keep the digestive process running and you will digest them more readily.
This is why it’s critical to practise your exact fuelling strategy as often as
possible! Also, energy gels may be a little sweet for you, and your stomach
rebel from consuming large quantities, so you should be testing your stomach’s
tolerance to different makes and flavours in training. Then, when the big race
comes, you won’t be trying something new, and you’ll know you can race hard!

WHY GO

Red Barn has it all if
you’re keen to run trail or mountain bike in the Jozi area: Safe venue (electric fencing and extra security on weekends), varying terrain and 25km of world-class trails and single-track designed for
the USN Mountain Bike Cup, no less. There is also an Acrobranch aerial cable
setup for kids and various other outdoor options.

WHAT YOU GET

Situated upon the edge of an extensive stand of
eucalyptus trees, the well-maintained, multi-use trail meanders in and out of
the plantation and through agricultural fields and grasslands spreading onto
the wooded Kaal River course. Keep in mind that you’ll be sharing the venue
with riders, but folks are doing this all around the world without getting
grumpy. You can plan to run at least two to three hours, so it’s well worth a
visit.

WHERE TO RUN

Start at the Big
Red Barn, where you can check out a large-scale map showing the full network of
trail options. Signage is based on IMBA (International Mountain Biking
Organisation) code: Green circles denote casual riding, blue circles denote intermediate,
while black diamonds denote advanced. If you’re looking for an easy route, head
out of the gate and to your right along the entrance road, looking out for the green
circle signs onto the single-track to your right after 500m. Once you’re on the
single-track, you will start winding your way through the eucalyptus stands, moving
closer to the Kaal River. Keep right until you reach the banks (2km) and then
follow the course left, occasionally dipping off onto a quick little
‘jakkalsdraai’ into the surrounding grasslands. Watch out for riders,
especially along the wooden stiles and bridges spanning the dongas here and
there.

Approximately
4km into your run, keep left to traverse along some ploughed fields. This takes
you up towards the opposite fence, and you’ll cross the main entrance gravel
road. Follow the fence line through a few straggly cypress trees, then drop
back down towards the river at around 7.2km. You cannot really get lost, as you
have the fence lines, access road and river course to use as navigational
handrails. For this very reason, I did not stick to a specific route, and ended
up doing an enjoyable run just shy of 12km.

RED BARN FAST FACTS:

TERRAIN: Single-track,
gravel road

MAP: www.thebigredbarn.co.za
or at venue

ACCESS REQUIREMENTS: Permits for sale at venue

FACILITIES: Shop, ablutions, etc. on site

CELL RECEPTION: Full signal

BEWARE: Speeding
mountain bikers

TIME OF YEAR: Year round, thunderstorms in summer

GETTING THERE

The ‘Big Red
Barn’ is an antique hay barn which has been salvaged and restored on Sunlawns
Estate, a 200ha farm just on 15min from Centurion. Look for the turn-off onto
the M18 off either the N1 or R21; the ‘Big Red Barn’ is located equidistant
between these two highways – look out for the signage after around 15min. GPS
COORDINATES: 25 55 52.10″ S / 28 14 02.18″ E LOCAL INFO:
www.thebigredbarn.co.za

STAY HERE

Check out www.lekkeslaap.co.za for literally
thousands of B&Bs, self-catering and other accommodation options in the
immediate area.

Many athletes defy their age, happily accepting compliments like, “Wow,
you don’t look your age,” and I believe that how we choose to celebrate birthdays
is key to how we will ‘age.’ With birthdays, I place myself in the same
position as I do when I am competing as an athlete: I want to be better than
the previous year (or race), stronger than before, changed in a way I will only
know through exhaustion. So, come the 1^st of October each year, I
require two things of myself, each for 31 days or more. The first is a physical
change (permanent or not), and the second, a mental challenge.

This year, turning 29, I felt I was peaking physically as an individual
and athlete, and as a businessman, so it needed to be a significant birthday.
The physical change (non-permanent) was a full beard – keeping in mind that I
cannot stand facial hair in the slightest. It’s itchy, looks untidy, and gives
me the creeps when I look in the mirror. The mental challenge: 31 days of climbing
Table Mountain every morning at sunrise.

Admittedly, I hadn’t quite thought the second part through that
thoroughly, but the prospect was motivating. Needless to say, however, that when
I worked it out, I realised I would have to be up every weekday morning at 4am
to be on the mountain by 5am, which is about 22km from where I live in Blouberg,
then have just over an hour for hiking to be back in the car by 6:20, in Blouberg
by 6:45 to get ready for work, take my daughter to school and be at work by
7:50. Weekends I would have to be up at 4:30, on the mountain by 5:30 and down
by 7:30 to take my Fit Friend class at 8am on Saturdays and sailing on Sundays.

The first 10 days, I was all over that mountain like a dassie on drugs,
trail running like a king, taking photos of everything, rock-hopping till my
quads and calves burnt like the 4^th of July fireworks. Days 11 to
20, I was not quite so optimistic. Fun ran ahead of me… far ahead! Miserable
fatigue and exhaustion were setting in for the long haul.

Days 20 to 25…I had never felt so deeply drained before, almost
regretting the sheer stupidity it took committing to such a challenge without
thinking it through. I talked my way out of it several times when my alarm went
off, but then talked myself back into it at the five-minute snooze buzzer. Most
mornings I faced a stubborn tug-of-war with myself. Thankfully, on days 26 to
29 I felt at ease with the fact that I only had a few days left. I had come
into a rhythm I appreciated.

The mornings of 30 and 31 October, and Friday 1 November (when I hiked
Lions Head for a change of view), were some of the most epic mornings I have
experienced, in so many unexplainable ways. My expectation of the days had
changed forever. I felt so intrinsically connected with the world, with myself,
with everything I came into contact with.

I wrote in a diary every day to map my thoughts, and the amount of
self-coaching I went through during the month was impressive. It’s fair to say
I am very hard on myself, but extremely effective. The beard was with me throughout,
and having the world around me on board with my double challenge, the
exhaustion in my face was always a conversation-starter. But shaving on the 1^st
of November was, well, bliss.

As difficult as this challenge may have seemed, once it was over I knew
I could do 100 days if I really wanted or needed to. Like many athletes, I have
the mental capacity to persevere and push myself where many don’t, or can’t go,
and through sharing my madness I saw friends, family and people in my fitness
classes change their perspective and expectations of themselves.

I feel strongly that at some stage during the month this became bigger
than me, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I completed the challenge. It
was not so much about finishing it, but having started it in the first place. There
are adventures in our lives that we sometimes forget we have had, but building ourselves
from those blocks, I think, is the foundation by which athletes define
themselves – personal experiences all put together to make up this person that
achieves, that strives for more from themselves.