Category: Features

Thirteen years ago, in 2000, East Coast Radio (ECR) presenter Makhosi
Khoza tackled his first Comrades Marathon when he decided to enter the race on
the spur of the moment. But on race day, things did not go as he had hoped. “My
ITB got worse at Drummond and I was literally walking my way to the finish,
until I got stopped at the cut-off at Lion’s Park.” That was Makhosi’s Comrades
dream gone – and he never went back. But this year he vows to be back AND to
cross the finish line!

 

Makhosi, who has been in the radio industry for the last 21 years and
says there is no job like it, started running at university, because it seemed
fun, and a great way to brave a cold shower afterwards. Since then he has continued
running on and off. In preparation for the Comrades in 2000, he entered his
first race, the Hillcrest Marathon, and describes the whole event as a bit of a
blur. “It was relatively easy, notwithstanding the sharp pain in my knee, which
was later diagnosed as ITB. It still plagues me to this day!”

 

Running coach and mentor Norrie Williamson helped Makhosi prepare for that
first Comrades and Makhosi describes this process as Norrie having to ‘hold his
hand’ throughout his race preparation! It was therefore even more disappointing
that he never made it to the finish. Still, over the years Makhosi kept on
running, but only decided now to go back to the race that beat him 13 years
ago. He is still battling with ITB and is currently being treated for it, but
hopes to resume training with some beach runs along Durban’s Golden Mile soon.

 

FITTING IT
IN

Though he has demanding working hours, Makhosi says he doesn’t find it
hard to fit in time for training and usually trains after work, as he says he is
not much of a morning person. He prefers training alone and is still looking
around for a club to join, but is really looking forward to the Big C. “I am
more excited about Comrades than you can imagine!” And I realise that the
biggest hurdle to success at Comrades is not a physical one, but a mental
battle.” He adds that his passion for running stems from the fact that it is a
sport for everyone, does not require any fancy facilities or great expenses,
and that one can run anywhere.

 

For now, Makhosi just hopes to finish the race, but if all goes well, he
would like to finish within 10 hours, and his inspiration is simple: “I did not
complete my first Comrades, so I’m hoping to do it now 13 years later!”

WHITE VS WHOLEGRAIN BREAD

Whole wheat bread in
general is a richer source of protein than white bread – a slice of 100% wholegrain
bread provides about 3.6g of protein, compared to 1.9g for a slice of
commercially-prepared white bread. The wholegrain is also substantially higher
in dietary fibre, 1.9g compared to 0 to 0.6g, and it will make you feel fuller
for longer because the fibre takes longer to digest. Furthermore, wholegrain
bread is a rich source of selenium, a trace mineral that provides antioxidant
benefits.

 

FAT-FREE VS FULL-CREAM MILK AND YOGHURT

There is a significant
difference between fat-free and full-cream dairy products:

 

Nutritional summary	Fat-free milk (1 cup)	Full-cream milk (1 cup)	Fat-free yoghurt (175ml)	Full-cream yoghurt (175ml)
Calories	86	146	77	104.3
Fat (g)	0.44	7.83	0	5.6
Saturated fat (g)	0	5	0	6

 

Also, people are often
under the impression that fat-free dairy products are lower in the important
mineral calcium, but they’re actually equivalent, if not higher, than their
full-fat versions. One cup of whole milk generally contains 276 milligrams of
calcium, while one cup of fat-free milk contains 299 milligrams.

 

OSTRICH MEAT VS REGULAR BEEF

Ostrich meat low in
fat and lower in cholesterol than regular lean beef. However, both are a great
source of iron, as the high iron content in regular beef is only slightly higher
than that of ostrich meat:

 

Nutritional summary	Ostrich (100g)	Lean beef (100g)
Calories	116	150
Fat (g)	2.4	7.3
Protein (g)	22	21
Cholesterol (mg)	46	60
Iron (mg)	3.2	3.25

 

DARK VS MILK CHOCOLATE

Everyone
loves to hear that their favourite indulgence is “good for you.” Not so fast!
Cocoa and dark chocolate are rich in a group of antioxidants known as flavanols,
which emerging research shows promote blood-flow to the brain, keep arteries
elastic, lower inflammation and ‘top up’ your levels of antioxidants. But while dark chocolate may have
more health benefits than milk chocolate due to the antioxidants it contains,
it’s still just as high in calories, fat and sugar.

 

DECAFFEINATED VS CAFFEINATED COFFEE

Decaffeinated coffee
still contains caffeine (about 4mg per cup versus 130mg in a cup of regular)
and has been shown to have similar health benefits to caffeinated coffee. Caffeine
is a central nervous system stimulant that can have some positive effects on
the human body, such as it may help reduce the risk
of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, Parkinson’s disease and maybe even
Alzheimer’s disease. Caffeine in low doses is also thought to be
associated with an improvement in sporting performance, increased alertness and
reduction in fatigue.

 

However, there are
some definite drawbacks to too much caffeine, including anxiousness and
irritability, headache, irregular heartbeat, muscle twitches, and sleeplessness.
Caffeine can cause temporarily high blood pressure, nervousness and increased
production of urine and gastric acid, and may trigger arrhythmia in people with
heart conditions.

 

MARGARINE VS BUTTER (UNSALTED)

Butter is an animal
product, high in both saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, so increases our
risk of heart disease and stroke. On the plus side, butter is a good source of
fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Margarine is made from vegetable oils and
contains no cholesterol, but it the controversy with margarine lies with its
level of artery-clogging trans-fat, a largely man-made fat formed when hydrogen
is added to vegetable oils, making the oil more solid and less likely to spoil.
In general, the more solid the margarine, the more trans-fat it contains. Fortunately,
there are a number of margarines on the market that are trans-fat-free.

Ten
years ago I was living the regular life of a 20-something. I enjoyed going out
with friends, late nights, clubbing, drinking, and eating rich foods. Then I
started noticing blood every time I went to the toilet, and the trips to the
bathroom became more frequent. After numerous blood tests and a colonoscopy, I
was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, a disease with no known cause or cure.
Symptoms include swollen, inflamed and ulcerated intestines. I was told I would
have to be on medication for the rest of my life.

 

I
just wanted it to go away, so that I could carry on with my lifestyle, so I
took the medication and carried on as normal. For a while things were fine, but
then the disease would flare up and I would be struck with terrible abdominal
pain and bloody diarrhoea. Sometimes I would have to rush to the toilet 35
times in a day! For a number of years, that was how things were… I would have
times when everything was relatively normal, and then all of a sudden I would
be struck with a flare-up and life would become hell.

 

CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE

About
five years ago, after a very bad flare-up that saw my weight drop from 90kg to
62kg, I decided that I needed to make a change in my life. I changed my diet, I
became conscious about what I was putting into my body, I stopped the late
nights and I gave up alcohol. I then started running, initially a few 5km races
and then moved onto 10km, and before long I was hooked. I joined a running club
and soon was tackling half marathons.

 

Running
became my party place, so while friends were coming home from clubs in the
early hours of the morning, I was getting up to run. It was so amazing to feel
the life force in my body again. It was amazing to go from being so ill that I
had to be helped in and out of the bath, to being able to go on 30km training
runs. Then in 2012 I managed to complete the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in a
time of 5:26, and I plan to be back in 2013 to try to better that time.
Hopefully 2014 will be the year that I tackle the Comrades Marathon.

 

There
are still numerous challenges I face with my illness and running, and also
everyday life. A big factor is nutrition, as my diet is so limited. At first it
was a nightmare to get used to, but your body soon adjusts and after some time
you find you no longer miss those things. My advice to anyone living with a
disease such as this is acceptance. Once you accept things are the way they are,
then all the sadness, anger and questions disappear. Once you accept life the
way that it is, then you can decide to be happy.

 

RUNNING LESSONS

Running
has had an amazing effect on my life, and has taught me so much about life. It
has taught me to be disciplined, it has taught me about sacrifice, it has
taught me about dedication, and it has taught me how to be strong. Running has
made me into a better person. I have learned to appreciate every single moment
of good health in my life that I have, and to make every single day count.
Running is my meditation time, my time to be with myself and to really connect
with my body. Sometimes when I am out running, I am so overcome with joy, it
feels like my body could explode into a million pieces.

 

There
is no known cure yet for Ulcerative Colitis, and for now it seems I will be on
chronic medication for the rest of my life, but I have amazing support from my
wife and family, as well as my friends. My plan for the future is to take it
one day at a time, as I never know when I could be hit with a flare-up and be
crippled with pain and bloody diarrhoea again. For now, I just want to rise to
meet each morning with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart. Having
good health at the moment is a blessing and being able to get out there and run
is an added bonus.

Many
people consider triathlon to be the flagship of multisport, but for some
endurance junkies, three disciplines apparently just isn’t a big enough
challenge… and so it was that the Stellenbosch-based team at Stillwater Sport
& Entertainment dreamt up an even bigger challenge, with seven disciplines!
Held in the second week of January each year, the Totalsports Challenge comprises a 12km surf ski paddle, 1.5km swim,
50km road bike, 13km road run, 13km canoe paddle, 25km mountain bike and 9km
beach run, with separate categories for individual athletes and teams of two,
three or seven. In recent years the organising team added the Terra Firma race
to the event, comprising the four biking and running ‘land’ legs only.

 

DING-DONG
BATTLE

Going into the race, a big battle was expected between
defending champ Dan Hugo and last year’s runner-up Stuart Marais, and what a
race it turned out to be. Unfortunately, due to windy early morning conditions
in Gordon’s Bay, the surf ski leg had to be cancelled, and the swim was
shortened to 1km, which possibly had quite an effect on the final results. Dan exited
the swim with a narrow lead and held it through the road bike, but then Stuart made
his move on the road run, going into the canoe leg in first place. Dan caught
and passed Stuart near the end of the paddle and led through the mountain bike
leg to take a lead of just under two minutes into the beach run, but Stuart
then dug deep into his reserves and passed Dan shortly after the halfway mark, going
on to win in 5:13:30, just under three minutes ahead.

 

After the race, Stuart admitted that the
cancellation of the surf ski leg had probably been to his advantage, as Dan is
stronger in this leg and he had expected Dan to have a bigger lead early in the
race. Nevertheless, he was still over the moon at winning: “I didn’t know
whether I should laugh or cry. It was rough going, with Dan going out super
hard. He is by far the toughest oke I’ve ever had to race against and this is
definitely my biggest career win.”

 

Jeannie Bomford marked her return to the Totalsports
Challenge after becoming a mother with a well-deserved win in the women’s individual
race, crossing the line in 6:33:54 and describing making a comeback as tough. “The
last time that I competed here was in 2009, and since them I’ve had two
children. The event has definitely grown, with loads of new faces now
competing, and the Totalsports Challenge is just that, a real challenge. I love
all the disciplines – it just makes life so much more exciting.” Bradley Weiss
took gold in the individual men’s category of the Terra Firma in 4:02:26, while
Colleen De Oliveira was victorious in the individual women’s category in 5:27:27.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After
coming stone-last at a compulsory school cross-country event when she was in
grade four, Robyn-Leigh’s father gave her some valuable advice: Never stop
trying, and never stop improving. He was a runner himself, while her mom was a
swimmer back in the day, and soon Robyn-Leigh’s obvious sporting genes came to
the fore. “I started getting better as a runner, then started getting into
biathle two years after that, and in my grade seven year I got into the
provincial and national team,” she says. (Biathle consists of run, swim and run
legs.)

 

Robyn-Leigh says her first taste of
international competition was hard. “Getting into international competition was
more about experience at the beginning. It was definitely scary! The athletes
were bigger and there was a huge gap between us South Africans and Europe.” But she says she learnt everything she could and
trained harder, and so, having come first in the Central Gauteng Biathle Champs
last year and first in the SA Champs, she was selected to represent South Africa at the Biathle World Championships
in Dubai in
2012, where she placed second in her age category.

 

ESTABLISHED STAR

Today
Robyn-Leigh is an accomplished star in both biathle and duathlon (run,bike,
run), and recently moved into triathlon (swim, bike, run) as well. While she says
she has no outright favourite discipline, she is really enjoying her running
more as she is improving on her speed. And this year, that speed helped her finish
second in the Potchefstroom ATU Duathlon African Championships, which saw her selected
for the SA team in August’s Ottawa ITU Duathlon World Championships in Canada. She
also finished fifth overall in the 2013 ATU Triathlon Championships held in
East London in March, and was chosen to compete in the ATU Triathlon African
Champs held in Agadir, Morocco, where she won the bronze medal in the women’s
junior race. Then in June, she placed fourth overall at the SA Biathle Champs
after just recovering from flu she picked up in Morocco.

 

At
the time of going to print, Robyn-Leigh was travelling to Istanbul for the ETU
Triathlon Junior European Cup, followed by the Tiszaujvaros ETU Triathlon
Junior European Cup in Hungary, which are races traditionally used by athletes
from all around the world to prepare for the ITU World Championships, which
will be held in September in London. Robyn-Leigh has thus foregone the
opportunity to race in the Duathlon World Champs in favour of getting better
exposure in the European triathlon races and possible inclusion in the SA World
Cup squad, while getting a good indication of where she ranks amongst the
world’s best in her age group. “I want to get the results and the exposure, I
want to get my name out there,” she says, “While Rio 2016 is a huge ask, I’ll
be prepared for anything that comes my way.”

 

DOING
THE HARD YARDS

For
a young pro athlete like Robyn-Leigh, there isn’t much opportunity for normal
teenage ‘chill time.’ In the week, she tackles an hour-long run in the
afternoon after school – a steady 5km to 7km – and then spends a further two
hours after that in the pool, depending on the season, which also sees her
doing specific sessions for endurance on cross-country routes as well as 200m,
600m and 800m track sessions to up her speed. “On weekends my dad and I go out
for a more relaxed cycle session and I do have some breaks to recover, because I think that’s very important!” She
does have most Sundays off for family time and her coach makes sure she has
down-time with friends. “I do the normal stuff I should do, like homework,
friends and catching up on TV. You can’t burn out.”

 

Before
leaving for Istanbul,
Robyn-Leigh was focusing more on her cycling, which is the one discipline she
feels she can still improve. Over the past seasons she has also learnt to plan
her carbs and protein intake before a competition and to hydrate properly during
race day. “I remain very positive and have always had amazing support from my
parents, two sisters, coaches as well as my school, St. Dunstan’s College. My
parents are there at the finish line and that’s always a massive relief for me.
At home, there are medals and newspaper clippings of me from competitions, and I
keep telling my mom ‘No more! My room is full!’” she jokes.

 

For
this young athlete, discipline and passion are the two factors that any
promising talent needs, but she rates fun just as highly, and has made a point
of making new friends on the international circuit, many of whom have become
regular opponents in subsequent meets. “What’s the point if you don’t love what
you do? You have to have fun, too! You have to stay positive and motivated, no
matter what, and the results will come.”

WHAT THEY
SAY ABOUT ROBYN-LEIGH

 

Zinto Sports
(sponsor):
“She’s an up-and-coming star in the sport and she’s readying herself for future
Olympic competition. It’s a pleasure to sponsor her entries, trips and
equipment, and hopefully more of her results will catch the attention of more
sponsors!”

 

Darryl Jones (father):
“The
sport is obviously a very expensive one to get into, so we do everything we can
for Robyn-Leigh. You need a backing in this sport to grow and develop, besides
the hard work and belief.”

 

Cass Jones (mother): “We
support every decision Robyn-Leigh makes and we’re very proud of her
achievements. We believe in her and in turn she believes in herself and her
ability. We push her to do her best in life.”

The SA team headed to Russia with several athletes considered
medal contenders, such as Lehann Fourie in the men’s 110m hurdles, Khotso
Mokoena in the men’s long jump and Sunette Viljoen in the women’s javelin,
amongst others. While Lehann unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, the
SA team still had six athletes qualifying for their finals after preliminary
qualifying rounds, with another seven athletes automatically appearing in final
rounds. That saw Victor Hogan end fifth in the men’s discus, Sunette claim sixth
in the javelin, and Khotso finish seventh in the long jump, while Willem
Coertzen set a new SA and African record in the men’s decathlon as he took
ninth position, and Elroy Gelant was 12^th in the men’s 5000m. But it
was Johan Cronje and sprinter Anaso Jobodwana that stole the show.

 

TOP PERFORMERS

In the men’s 1500m final, Johan looked to have gotten
his race tactics wrong, as he was tightly boxed in for much of the race. With
just 250m to go and the pack winding up the pace, the SA record holder was
still down in eighth position and looking out of contention, but then things
opened up for him at just the right time and he surged up the inside lane to
claim a podium position in 3:36.83, the first ever by a South African in the
1500m at the World Champs. “I believed in myself, but I wouldn’t have
put money on myself,” says Johan. “I had a terrible tactical race – I couldn’t
go fast as everyone was on my right, and it was only the last 60 metres I had
to go past, as that’s when it opened up on the inside.”

 

In the sprints, Jamaican Usain Bolt further cemented
his status as the greatest of all time, but all of SA’s eyes were on Anaso
Jobodwana in the 200m final. In July he won the 100/200 ‘double’ at the World
Student Games in Russia, and after making the semi-final round in the World
Champs 100m, he then clocked 20.14 in the 200m final to finish sixth, improving
on his eighth position the 2012 London Olympics. “I was happy about how I ran in Moscow – I didn’t
lag this time, like I did in London – but when I got to the straight I tried to
kick and I started to tire up,” says Anaso. “The up is that I ran three
consistent races of a high standard and I made it to the final, but I didn’t
run a personal best and I didn’t medal. That disappointment will help me going
into next season, and I’m going to be ready for next season!”

 

HUNTING MEDALS

Over the past five years, South Africa’s performance
at World Champs and Olympics has fluctuated somewhat. With the team having
returned from the 2007 World Champs in Osaka, Japan with no medals, an
immediate improvement came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics thanks to a silver
medal won by Khotso Mokoena in the long jump. Then at the 2009 World Champs in
Berlin, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Caster Semenya both won gold in the 800m races, while
Khotso claimed another long jump silver. In 2011 the twin highlights of the
World Champs in Daegu, South Korea were the silver medals won by Caster in the
800m and the men’s 4x400m relay team, while LJ Van Zyl took
bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles and Sunette Viljoen also won bronze in the
women’s javelin.

 

Then
at the 2012 London Games, Caster’s silver in the women’s 800m was undoubtedly
the highlight of the Games, while Sunette narrowly missed a medal with fourth
in the javelin and Khotso once again made the long jump final, but a big
talking point was youngsters Anaso Jobodwana making the final of the 200m, Lehann
Fourie running in the final of the 110m hurdles, and Marc Mundell setting an
African Record in the men’s 50km walk. Meanwhile, Willem Coertzen finished a
solid ninth in the decathlon. Thus South Africa went to Moscow hoping to build
on the success of London, and while a single bronze medal may look like a poor
return, the number of athletes in finals is still something to brag about!

 

 

WALKING
WONDER

 

Race
walker Marc Mundell was in action in the 50km walk in Moscow, hoping to build
on his terrific SA record performance in the London Olympics, and he was
ecstatic about finishing 31^st in 3:57:55. “This was my first 50km race since London, my second-best ever time, and
one position better than London, so I am delighted. The conditions in Moscow
were challenging – the weather was all over the place, with rain, sunshine and
humidity – so I think I paced myself really well and I was on PB pace until
35km.”

 

“I made a tactical call at 36km to chase my PB, but
I think I underestimated the conditions and overestimated my conditioning. I
made it to 40km and then the wheels fell off. I struggled through until 45km
and gradually picked myself up for the final 5km, where I caught several
positions. I think that my recovery from surgery has gone well, but the five months
of training that I lost affected my conditioning and the base just wasn’t there
in the final 10km, which was my strength in London.”

Running
an ultra-marathon is already a big undertaking for the average athlete, but
running an ultra twice in a row, back-to-back without stopping, is a whole
different ballgame. And yet, it has been done at the Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon (56km), at Comrades (89km) and even as the 160km Tuffer Puffer in the
Puffer 80km trail run on the Cape
Peninsula. But up until
this year nobody had ever tried it at the Washie 100 Miler between Port Alfred
and East London, one of the toughest events on
the SA race calendar.

 

Incredibly,
three runners took on the Double Washie 320km challenge, and while Eric Wright
and Tobie Reyneke didn’t quite make it all the way through their ‘second lap,’
Hazel Moller did make it home to rewrite the history books. While Eric was forced
to bail 44km into the second leg, Tobie made it all the way to 293km – just
27km short of his goal – when he decided to call it a day. Although
disappointed, he was still pleased to have raised R36 000 in sponsorship for
Stop Rhino Poaching, a charitable organisation that sponsors tracker dogs for
anti-poaching units in game reserves.

 

“I
have always been concerned with the issue of rhino poaching, and so far they
have deployed 22 rhino dogs across SA,” explains Tobie. “Some people say ‘Oh,
but the dinosaurs died out eventually, so why do you care about the rhinos?’ I
say we should protect all the beauty around us. Today it’s rhinos; next year we
could do something different. Starting with charity, however small, can make a
difference.”

 

WASHIE GOAL

Tobie
got into running five years ago when he entered the Lantern Race 5km in Pretoria with his wife
Elaine. The running bug had bitten and he progressed up through the distances, until
later, flipping through Tom Cottrell’s Nedbank
Runner’s Guide to Races in South Africa, the Washie caught his eye.
However, his first attempt in 2011 didn’t quite go to plan: Tobie got lost in
the opening 14km loop around Port Alfred and eventually came home last to be
awarded the infamous Washie Tortoise Trophy.

 

Feeling
a bit disillusioned, he was convinced to come back and try run Washie ‘the
right way’ by Eric Wright, a seasoned Washie specialist with 24 consecutive
Washie finishes, but in 2012 Tobie’s plans once again went off course. “I had
an operation on my eye about six weeks before Comrades and I walked Comrades
still recovering from my op.” With his vision limited to a “mostly yellow
blur,” Tobie only just finished Comrades in 11:58:29 and didn’t even consider
doing Washie, which was just eight weeks later. However, in the months that
followed, his biggest wish was to go back to Washie, and this time he wanted to
do it with a double challenge.

 

TEAM DYNAMICS

With
Elaine and his fairly newbie seconding team of Morne Nel, Jacques Vlaming,
Jacques Burger and Gerhard and Hettie Fourie in tow, Tobie says the first 160km
went smoothly enough, but the second lap proved much more challenging as the
team struggled with the heat and running out of patience. “My seconds were exhausted
after the first leg, so here and there we had 15-minute naps – but I slept with
the car keys in case my wife had any idea of leaving!” Then with about 45km to
go, Tobie says his wife put her foot down. “I got my first ultimatum from Elaine,
who needed to catch a plane back to work on Monday morning. I was to be on that
plane or face her wrath!”

 

And
so, with the pace getting ever slower, Tobie decided to call it a day with 27km
to go. “I could’ve gone on for my ego, but I didn’t want to risk it. I was
grumpy, but figured there’s always next year,” he explains. “More training will
be in order, as well as more sleep in the weeks before, but for now the fundraising
will continue and we’ll see what we’re capable of in 2014. Washie is all about
going beyond your limits. Plus, Eric and I will have to kick Hazel’s butt this
time!”

To
support Tobie’s running, contact him on 083 968 5088, or go to www.stoprhinopoaching.com
to find out more about the anti-poaching organisation and what you can do to
get involved.

Welsh Wonders

4^th IAU
World Trail Running Championships (77km), Llanrwst, Wales, 6 July

 

More than 150
runners from 20 countries took on a course of five 15km laps set in the Gwydyr
Forest. Soaring UK temperatures and extreme conditions saw a high drop-out rate
amongst runners, but the SA team was one of the few with a full complement to
complete the race. The team did South Africa proud by claiming an overall seventh
position out of 18 countries.

 

“It was a great day for us, and we all fought our
battles in one way or another. We had amazing support along the route – our
team manager Altus Schreuder with Marcus Nienaber stationed at the 9km table; my
brother Graham and sister-in-law Marie, along with Marinda Cloete, manning the
table at the start/end of each lap; and Tracy’s mum Pauline and friend Christa
on the course, cheering us on. The vibe was fantastic and the energy amongst
the team extremely positive. South African trail running was represented in
full force, and on every count we held our heads high and did our country
proud.” – Linda Doke

 

“What an experience
to compete against such phenomenal athletes, and I can honestly say I gave it
all I had. Very proud of team SA, we were one of the few who had a 100% finish
rate, even though we had our share of injuries or stomachs running faster than
the athlete, and I even took a hard tumble at 60km. Many people simply gave up.
Not the Saffas! We were gonna finish and we all did. Absolutely great support
team of Altus Schreuder, Markus (Chantel’s husband), Marinda Cloete and Linda
Doke’s family.” – Dirk Cloete

 

“The course was quite
demanding, with two big climbs right at the beginning of each lap as well as
some technical muddy sections and log jumps which became quite unwanted
obstacles on the fourth and fifth laps!

In a pre-race interview, I
said that I wanted to be in the top 10, so it felt amazing not only to be the
top SA woman, but to also achieve that goal. Now to get onto that podium next
time! And it was such a unique, blessed experience and privilege to share my dream
of representing my country with my life partner!” – Landie Greyling

 

“I am 32^nd
in the world and Landie 9^th. Well done to my wife! Thanks for the
support SA… We raced our hearts out for Sunny SA!” – Christiaan Greyling

 

“I think that
most SA athletes aspire to being able to step up to the starter’s line in the
green and gold to represent their country. I felt honoured to be able to do
just that. As Altus said, ‘It comes down to National pride.’ At the seconding
station, my husband saw grown men cry, with athletes withdrawing due to various
ailments and injuries. I am thrilled that all of our team managed to ‘vasbyt,’
no matter what was thrown at them. We went out as true ambassadors for our
country; bringing back invaluable experience of racing on International soil.” – Chantel Nienaber

 

 

 

Polish Pride

10^th World
Long Distance Mountain Running Championships (41km), Szklarska Poreba, Poland,
3 August

 

A really tough course,
with a start reached by ski-lifts, was made more difficult by temperatures of
up to 35?C, but once again the SA contingent pushed through to the finish
regardless – Kane Reilly and Katya Soggot in particular had a proverbial bad
day at the office, but were able to help each other home in the end. On the up
side, our women’s team came 7th and the men 10^th, a
great result for SA.

 

Thank you, Altus
Schreuder, all team members, and all our supporters there on the day. I am so
delighted all our team members managed to hit the finish line, which is the
most important thing. Being 20th at my first Long Distance World Champs is really a big
achievement to me, and I’ve learnt a lot today, so now my coach and I will go
back to our drawing board and prepare for next year’s race. Viva, Team SA,
Viva! – Thabang Madiba

 

World champs done! Amazing
race, really happy with how it went. But gee, these Europeans can run, and they
have MOUNTAINS! Not like the little mole hills back home. The whole team did
really well and made SA proud. Thanks for all the support from everyone at
home. We really appreciate it! – Ronel
Nattrass

 

Terrible day for me
in the mountains. Really struggled to get to the finish line, heartbroken at
how things didn’t work for me, but the Saffa’s definitely made waves up here!
Thanks everyone for all the kind words – really helped me rise above a very
disappointing day. Still learnt a lot and made some new friends. Experience,
experience, experience! – Kane Reilly

 

Tough day in the
mountains of Poland. My first ride on a ski-lift, then 22km of running on the
route in over 30-degree heat to get water bottles to athletes and help
everybody get home. What an unbelievable privilege and brilliant experience. – Altus Schreuder, Team Manager

 

I was 10th at 13km, but the heat and altitude started
taking its toll and I had to really dig deep. The water at the water tables was
quite warm, but we crossed two small streams and the water there was ice, ice
cold. It was like an oasis – unbelievably refreshing! Eventually getting to the
last waterpoint, Altus was standing there encouraging us on. It was so awesome
to hear a familiar voice! Stoked with my result and
overall team effort today, considering the conditions! Hope to make it to World
Champs next year in the USA. –
Michael Bailey

 

It all started at the beginning of 2011, when I
relocated from Richards Bay to start a new and challenging career in Johannesburg. I soon found
it very lonely, despite being in such a big city, and after months of pouring
myself into my work, I realised that the city had become too much for me and
that my work had become my closest friend. So I moved to the outskirts of
Delmas, close enough to commute to Johannesburg
but far enough from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was here where I
could get on a bicycle and ride for hours through the mealie fields and dirt
roads, reminding me of my childhood and just how much I missed being so free.

 

COMRADES RUNNER IN THE MAKING

A friend of mine from Pietermaritzburg needed help
with the handing out of medals at the finish line of Comrades 2012, and it was
the first time ever that I attended such a huge running event. After the last competitor finished, I set my
sights on running Comrades 2013. I also wanted to be an athlete, a competitor, and
a part of something good and beautiful, though I weighed 127kg at that stage!

 

But as the winter of 2012 arrived my excitement for
Comrades had disappeared. That which I desired so much had disappeared along
with the summer sun. Luckily for me, Juan Van Dyk, a friend I met on Facebook,
and his wonderful wife, Pierretta, invited me to participate in numerous winter
trail events and it was in the freezing cold bushveld where I rediscovered my
love for running.

 

Juan and Pierretta became more like family and I let
my good friends know that my biggest dream was to run Comrades. Shortly
afterwards, I received an e-mail from Juan with a training programme attached and
I suddenly realised that true friendship was the belief in the abilities of our
friends. I started losing weight and getting fit. It was not always easy, but I
was focused on the end result.

 

Kilometre after kilometre of travelling to races,
early mornings and late nights kept me on track. My running partner truly stood
by me, advised me, taught me and believed in me, and made me the runner I am
today. There were good days and there were bad days, but it was only one more
piece of the puzzle in gaining the experience I desperately needed to complete The
Ultimate Human Race. And so, on 2 June this year, I achieved my dream and
completed Comrades in a time of 10:33.

 

GIVING BACK

I want to give back that which I had received in the
past 11 months, and therefore today I run for Sudan
for Jesus (S4J), an organisation that helps to collect money for Sudan. Our
entire club also runs for ex-Springbok Joost Van der Westhuizen, and his J9
Foundation. We are trying to raise funds for the foundation and make athletes
aware of the illness Joost is battling with.

 

I have learnt many lessons along the way:

?        
Never say never again.

?        
Cherish and love the
people in your life who are there to help you.

?        
If you are not
capable of doing something, assist those who are.

?        
Give back as much as
possible.

?        
Remember: People are
in your life for a reason, or a season – or for always.

Don’t worry! Peanut butter offers a nutrient-rich
addition to all snacks, meals and desserts. In this day and age of energy bars,
protein powders and other quick fixes, many athletes forget about real foods
such as peanut butter. It’s tasty, inexpensive, satisfying and nourishing!

 

The rule is to consume an average of two tablespoons
of peanut butter if you want to stay on the healthy end of the peanut butter
consumption scale. That will supply you with an average of 9g of protein. This
is why peanut butter on wholegrain toast, for example, makes for a great
breakfast or pre-workout snack. You can also incorporate two tablespoons in a
smoothie with ice, low-fat milk, a banana and a dollop of honey.

 

HEALTHY FATS

Peanut butter contains both good unsaturated fats and
bad saturated fats. Fortunately, the majority of fat in peanut butter is
unsaturated. The recommended two tablespoons of peanut butter provides about
190 calories in total, of which 140 is considered to be fat calories, or about
16g of total fat. Of these 16g of fat, about 13g are from unsaturated fats and
3g are from saturated fats. This means that it is actually a great source of
healthy fats. A healthy body needs a good supply of healthy fats consumed in
moderation, and like olive oil and avocado, peanut butter is a good source.

 

A two-tablespoon serving of peanut butter will also
supply you with 3g of fibre. The fibre in food contributes to a feeling of
fullness that can help with maintaining a healthy body weight, and also
promotes regular bowel movements by maintaining a healthy gut environment. By
enjoying peanut butter on one slice of wholegrain bread, you can contribute 6g
to 8g of fibre towards the recommended target of 20g to 35g per day.

 

CHOOSING RIGHT

?        
All natural (organic)
peanut butter is a good choice if you want to minimise your intake of unhealthy
fats and preservatives. Organic peanut butter usually has peanuts as the main
ingredient, while others (non-organic) can sometimes contain other artificial
ingredients to enhance the taste.

?        
The sugar content on
the peanut butter should be one of the decisive factors. Commercial peanut
butter brands can sometimes contain a lot of added sugar to enhance flavour.

?        
Look out for the
sodium content on the ingredients list. Again, natural brands usually have less
sodium, and too much sodium can also mask the nutty flavour.

 

So, don’t be shy to use the power of peanut butter! It’s
one of the easiest ingredients you can use and it can definitely give you a
little push just before a run. Just make sure you stick to the two tablespoon ‘rule’
and your body will benefit.