Category: Features

On many an afternoon and weekend in the township of Lamontville just outside Durban, you will find Mahlasela Nhlengetwa and Lloyd Miya surrounded by a bunch of kids, all eagerly hanging on to their lips and listening to advice on all things swimming, running and cycling. All present have one thing in common, their passion for sport and their eagerness and willingness to become involved in triathlons – and who knows, to even one day compete internationally and take a podium position.

Mahlasela and Lloyd are the driving force behind this youth development programme in KwaZulu-Natal and are doing so without any funding or big sponsors to back them. On top of that, they are also starting their very own triathlon club called BlacksDoTri. They might not have funding, but one soon realises both have a lot of passion for life, and triathlon in particular.

SPREADING THE LOVE
Lloyd grew up in Lamontville playing soccer, like most township boys, but was soon drawn to swimming and cycling. About 12 years ago, a friend who was a lifeguard introduced Lloyd to triathlons. “By then I was already swimming, cycling and playing soccer.” Today he is a passionate triathlete who has completed Ironman 70.3, several BSG Energade races and other sprint distances. In between, Lloyd also finds time to work as a spinning instructor at Virgin Active Gym and a seasonal swimming coach for the Ethekwini Municipality in Durban.

His friend and business partner, Mahlasela, grew up in KwaMashu outside Durban and did not share Lloyd’s childhood love for soccer. “From an early stage, I discovered that I didn’t have a flair for soccer and I was drawn to sports that were seen as unconventional in the township. I am creative by nature, and during my varsity days, the entrepreneurial bug bit. This allowed me extra time to pursue triathlons.”

He admits watching Ironman on TV scared him at first. “While watching I thought to myself, ‘That’s total madness, but I like it!’ After completing the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, he was in search of a new challenge and found it in triathlons. Up to now he has completed the Joburg City Tri and a couple of sprint distance triathlons, but plans to tackle bigger races soon. “I love triathlon simply because it keeps both your body and mind fit. No other sport works your body quite like triathlon. It teaches you endurance, commitment and discipline.”

FACING CHALLENGES
Lloyd and Mahlasela both agree their biggest regret is that they did not get involved in triathlons earlier. They also both experienced challenges when they got involved and realised that if they as adults faced these challenges, how difficult it is for the youth to get involved. “I realised that without a mentor it was difficult for me to stay in the sport. I would like more black kids to be part of the sport and to not encounter the same challenges that I faced.”

There is no shortage of eagerness amongst the youth to learn more about all things triathlons, says Lloyd. Kids between six and 18 and young adults up to 26 have shown up at the training sessions. “When they arrive for training, we start by just chatting, then we warm up. Depending on what we are doing that day, we start with the swim, run or bike session. We train for about three hours,” says Lloyd.

The training is fun and invaluable, but comes with loads of challenges. Lloyd and Mahlasela have no funding and battle with a lack of resources such as bikes and transport for the kids. “Thus far we’ve managed to make it happen. This is as much a journey for the youth as it is for us,” says Mahlasela. Other challenges include parents who don’t really understand what triathlon is, kids who don’t have resources and therefore drop out of training and sometimes don’t show up consistently for training sessions. “We try to get the kids to understand that whatever they put in, they will get out.

TRIATHLETES IN THE MAKING
There is a lot of talent amongst the township kids and the earlier these kids can be developed, the better, says Lloyd. “We are hoping to over time develop elite black triathletes that will take podium positions at races and compete globally. Even if we just produce two medal-winning triathletes (one female and one male), that would be a great achievement. This is definitely quite possible. Just look at Melton Rasimphi, who got gold at the South African Long Distance Duathlon Champs, making him the first black person to win this competition. With the right resources, equipment and support, the same can be achieved in triathlon.”

BLACKS DO TRI
So, Lloyd and Mahlasela are now in the process of establishing their very own multisport club. “BlacksDoTri is a triathlon club in its infancy stages, and its goal is to introduce blacks (but not exclusively) of all ages to the sport of triathlon. Most of all, through the club I would like to support guys like Lloyd who are in the forefront of developing these kids and have an undying passion for the sport and the youth. Sometimes it’s hard to understand development when you don’t live in the same area and have not grown up in the same circumstances as these kids,” says Mahlasela.

The club’s name BlacksDoTri might raise a few eyebrows, admits Mahlasela. “The name is more tongue in cheek than anything else, but it does look good on a T-Shirt! With the name we are simply trying to say that blacks are interested and love the sport of triathlon, and that one should always keep trying in life, whatever you do. The name may seem excluding, but we are open to anyone who wants to be part of it,” says Mahlasela.

In the next year they want to encourage especially more black people to become involved in triathlons. “It’s a great sport and there are only a handful of us at races, at times as few as three in 600 athletes. I believe triathlons are not something you do, it is part of who you are and will motivate you to get up to train on those cold days.”

It all came about when an e-mail popped into Tim Noakes’ inbox late in 2010, advertising a book called the New Atkins Diet for You, which promised to help you lose 6kg in six weeks. This immediately piqued his scientific interest. “We all know that losing that much weight that quickly is impossible, but the book was written by a serious scientist, so I ordered a copy, and it said replace all carbohydrate in your diet with protein and fat,” says Tim. “I said to myself, they wouldn’t say this without reason, so I decided to experiment on myself. I cut all carbs out and started eating just biltong, cheese and fish, and in one week I lost three quarters of a kilogram. By the next week it was 1.5kg, and it was so easy. I had no hunger pangs. In the past I had tried to lose weight, but was always hit by hunger from the first day.”

Tim has now lost 15kg, and says just as easily as the weight came off, so his running improved. “The more I lost, the more I wanted to run. Before, I had only been able to run 30 to 45 minutes at 7min/km, but now I am running at 5:30/km, sometimes even under 5min/km. One particular run on the mountain used to take me 140 minutes – I got it down 92 minutes after just five months. Then I ran the Two Oceans Half Marathon in 2:06, 40 minutes faster than the previous year. In my view, it’s not just weight-loss, but also something in my energy levels. I feel like I’m 22 again, with endless energy, and I just want to burn it by running.”

FACING OPPOSITION
Naturally, Tim has been raving about his anti-carb diet, and unsurprisingly, he has received quite a lot of opposition to his new way of thinking. “I know that The Lore of Running is all about carbohydrate-intake, but think about it, I must have a reason to say this now. Using a normal ‘cut the calories’ diet, most of us will probably lose 1kg over a year, but by cutting carbs, people are losing 40 to 80kg – just imagine how that changes their lives. And they all say that the further they go, the stronger they get.”

“What I’ve learnt is that there are those who can metabolise carbohydrate and those who can’t, and your body becomes slightly more carb-resistant as you age. If you start putting on weight in middle age and your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 25 or higher, then you’re probably one of those who can’t. You can eat all the carb you like if you can process it, but if do and see gentle, persistent weight-gain, that is a problem.”

Tim explains that most athletes eat carbs, which contain glucose, to generate glycogen, the fuel for the muscles, but in the BMI 25+ group, chances are that the muscles and liver can’t take up the glucose normally due to this carb-resistance, and so the body over-secretes insulin to break down the extra glucose. However, there is too much to be broken down, because our diets contain so much carb and sugar, and so it ends up in our fat cells, thus resulting in weight-gain, and on top of that, we experience constant insulin and glucose spikes, which are damaging to our health. He adds that if we cut the current consumption of sugar in SA from an average 60kg per person per year to 5kg, which is about three teaspoons per day, we would get rid of most cases of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimers and certain cancers.

PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
“Ironically, the more fat I eat now, the thinner I get – I’ve replaced the carbs that make me fat with the fat that makes me thin! Nobody believes this until they try it. When you cut carb, you tend to replace it with fat, because you can’t eat that much protein, so you have to increase your intake of yoghurt and nuts to compensate. Essentially, I eat six food groups now: Nuts, full-cream dairy, leafy vegetables, meat, fish and eggs.”

“You have to understand that fat is actually a brilliant energy source, including for exercise and sport, but your body simply isn’t used to using it. It’s like putting diesel fuel into a petrol engine – you need to change the engine first. By cutting the carbs, you bring about this gradual engine change, and your body learns to burn more fat, which will result in both increased energy levels and weight reduction. It won’t work for the average 20-year-old, but if you’re older, have a BMI of 25 or higher and are gaining weight, you should give this a try.”

Dan Hugo took his first XTERRA steps in Stellenbosch and with guidance from one of the all-time great triathletes, Conrad ‘The Caveman’ Stolz, it was only a matter of time before he stepped up to play with the big boys. “Conrad had a big influence on me because we spent a lot of time together when I was younger. He exposed me to many other top triathletes and introduced me to the possibility of an alternate life, but also made me aware of the restrictions that come with leading an athlete’s life. It’s not all romance, and I learnt a lot from him.”

Dan did his first local XTERRA in 2004 before heading to Brazil for his first international event in 2006. “I’m pretty driven and did my first triathlon when I was nine years old, but I stumbled around during university for a while, trying to decide where to next. What really swung me was Conrad telling me of a race he did in Brazil. The pictures he showed me seemed idyllic and I organised to compete there in 2006. I knew if I came fourth, the prize money would make me break even, so I went for two weeks, combining the race with a holiday. That race is still one of my favourites thanks to that experience!”

He did manage that fourth place and subsequently turned professional. In 2007 and 2008 a host of first and second places at local multi-sport races followed, as well as quality performances around the world. He became a regular top five finisher at several XTERRA races across the USA in 2009 before he swept away all local competition and kept delivering promising performances in the USA in 2010. But 2011 proved to be Dan’s best year thus far and he finally delivered on the promise he had shown for the previous four years. In a year filled with highlights he secured the South African XTERRA title in January and beat Lance Armstrong twice in November to finish second at both the US Championships and the World Championships in Hawaii.

GOING FOR GOLD
However, being as competitive as Dan is means second will never be good enough. “Finishing second in the last two races, you get addicted to that hunger of wondering what could have been. I knew beforehand I was in great shape and just the wrong puncture and the wrong crash changed things, but I’m still very grateful for what I achieved. You can see the cup half empty, but I’m seeing it more than full at the moment. I have that hunger now more than ever, having come that close and felt what it was like. There were times where I didn’t know if I could get here, but the belief I have now is way higher than it used to be. I want to be the best, whether it’s possible or not.”

“I have an increasing ambition and know things can change. Like a compass that’s always attracted to north, I’m addicted to want to get better, to that hunger to improve. I very much believe there is room for improvement and that’s what drives me. On the experience side, I have to keep racing again and again until I start making the right decisions, not only consciously but sub-consciously, too. I’ve been working hard to think more when I’m racing, and the input has been giving exponential output.”

LOCAL SUPPORT
On his return to South Africa, Dan was overwhelmed by the support. “The support back home has grown immensely and I’ve been in a bubble, having so much fun since getting back. So many people have told me they stayed up and followed the World Champs online, and with that my appreciation has also grown!”

Of course, the Lance Armstrong factor contributed immensely to the increased awareness of a sport that usually doesn’t get that much attention, and for Dan the opportunity to race against the Tour de France legend was “exceptionally special.” Lance competed at the US Champs and the World Champs and both times Dan got the better of him. “I’m really grateful for what he’s added to the sport I love. He can choose to do what he wants and I think it really says a lot about XTERRA that he chose it as a hobby. People who had probably never heard of XTERRA came to watch because of him, and the support was remarkable. On some single tracks, in the middle of nowhere, the noise was incredible. I really tried to step up because of this.”

LOVING XTERRA
Dan’s first priority this year is the defence of his national title in Grabouw. “I’ll be in South Africa until April and will do some local racing and local projects. There’s exceptional support here and I want to spend as much time here as possible!” Though he has been seen competing on road on rare occasions, Dan says anything outside of XTERRA will have to wait. “My focus is very much on XTERRA at the moment, but I’ll keep experimenting with 70.3 and road triathlons. I think they’re complimentary to XTERRA, as you’re forced to address a few weaknesses that you can hide away off-road, but I’ll see how it develops and take it from there.”

For now he’s hooked on XTERRA and all it entails. “XTERRA people are a different type of people. They’re very authentic and don’t care about the latest gear, but it’s also about the essence of the race. It’s very dynamic and you have to think all the time. It’s a combination of fitness, skill and finesse, and I’m more of a strength and endurance guy than pure speed, so it fits me. And then of course you get to compete in pretty beautiful spots.”

Life is great for Dan right now, and with motivation not a problem, we are sure to see much more of him in future. “I’m very privileged to finally be at a point where I’ve always hoped to be, and the motivation is not external any more, rather the hunger to see how far I can push the envelope. I swim, bike and run. I get to eat great food and drink great coffee. That’s motivation.”

I remember from a very young age wanting to be a professional netball player. I really enjoyed playing all sorts of sport and being active. However, when I reached high school I was not selected for the first team. This was extremely frustrating to me, but I kept my feelings, anger and frustration to myself. My weight started increasing from around Grade 11.

Luckily, in my final year in 2003, my dream finally came true and I was selected to play for Western Province. However, in my first match I injured my knee and could not play for almost a year. That is when my weight really started becoming a problem. I was used to training four days a week and playing netball matches every weekend, and all I could do was watch from the sidelines.

EMOTIONAL EATING
Again I felt frustrated, angry, and what I now see and understand as emotional eating is exactly what I started doing. I could not put any impact on my knee. I really did not see myself swimming, so I did no exercise and thought the world was against me.

I hardly played any netball at college because of my injury and was always afraid I would hurt myself again. I then started working, where almost eight hours of my day involved sitting at my desk. Deep inside me I still had this passion and drive to want to play netball again, get fit and healthy. But as the months went by, I just started picking up more weight. Family members kept telling me I should watch my weight. I would burst into tears and out of anger I would go buy an ice cream, chocolate or pizza and ‘deal with it.’

TRIED AND FAILED
In July 2008 my husband proposed. At this point I was almost 20kg heavier than when I started working in an office environment. I tried and failed at many diets, so I did not lose the weight, look as pretty or wear the wedding dress I wanted on my big day. I was unhappy, I could not fit into clothes, I started feeling shy around my own husband and I kept asking how did I let myself go. I needed help but was too afraid to ask.

Then in May 2010 my netball coach from primary school was coaching the Western Province Women’s team and asked me if I wanted to tour with them as the team manager and help out on Saturdays. It was while flying back with the team that I noticed the Adventure Boot Camp for Women advert in a magazine on the plane and decided to join for the winter special for June and July 2010.

MY WORLD CHANGED
My world changed and I was looking forward to each and every session. I noticed that I started feeling fitter and lost about 3kg. I then had an appointment with my gynaecologist as my husband was keen to start a family. To my shock she told me I was obese and an extremely high risk. Pregnancy at this stage could cause many complications for me, such as Type 2 Diabetes, still birth and hypertension. She wanted me to lose at least 30kg first. It felt impossible and I was even embarrassed to tell my husband how much she wanted me to lose.

At this point I knew I could not continue with the lifestyle I was following. Being selected as one of the Nutren Activ Adventure Boot Camp finalists changed my world. I now know that following a healthy eating plan combined with regular exercise is the only way to find balanced happiness and sustainable life changes. and look after myself. Most importantly, I have realised that at some point we will all feel we are not accepted or we won’t get what we want. However, this does not mean your world has to end, or that you need to punish yourself, as I was doing. I dealt with stress by eating comfort food. There is help out there and people will be supportive, so reach out to speak to someone. Don’t make the same mistake as I did.

BABY TIME
I have spoken to my gynaecologist and she is extremely happy with my progress. Not only because of the weight I have lost, but with how my BMI has dropped, including my body fat, which is most important because this means I’m becoming healthier. I have the go ahead to start trying for a baby in January, provided I’m down to 80kg. My goal weight is 70kg and I have no doubt that I will achieve this.

As the challenge winner, I have won a year’s subscription to Adventure Boot Camp and I will be training five days a week. I think even if I did not win the challenge, that I would have definitely continued attending Boot Camp. I enjoy being outdoors, working in a team and in small groups. I feel encouraged, motivated and inspired after attending class, which is not something you can easily say after walking out of the gym on your own.

In the near future I will be following my dream to educate, support, train and motivate women. Then, finally, I will achieve my most important goal, of being a healthy weight to conceive and start a family, and I know that my child or children will learn healthy habits. What an amazing gift!

For more about Adventure Boot Camp, call 021 447 2746 or go to www.adventurebootcamp.co.za

Ever since I can remember, running has been my passion and I live, eat and sleep it. The year I was born, my dad finished the Comrades in 8:31. The following year I attended my first Comrades at the tender age of one year and two days. My presence must have inspired my dad, because he said that he had the inspiration to keep on going. He finished in a time of 7:25:20 to achieve a silver medal, so I guess running was bound to shape my future!

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
I firmly believe that over the years, running has gotten me where I am today. I have made friends with some of the best athletes in the world, from Comrades winners to 2:06 marathon runners to the back of the pack runners. I have built the best friendships, and some I even consider as family.

My passion and knowledge of running also helped me to get a job opportunity at Mr Price, where Gwen Van Lingen took me under her wing as her assistant at the Mr Price running club. I was privileged to work and build friendships with some of the best local and international runners. Today I still work at Mr Price, but have moved over to the Sport Division, where I work in marketing with an awesome team led by a great boss. I am still involved with the Mr Price club as a club manager, again working with a great team, and I believe this is one of the reasons why Mr Price is the only elite team that has carried on going since its inception way back in 1995.

In November 2007 a dream came true when a short 10-minute commentary stint on TV during the Soweto Marathon led to me being contracted to commentate for SABC on all live road running shown on TV, which I still do and love with a passion!

HOW THE RUNNING BUG BIT
I can’t recall the exact day I started running, but I do remember running in the school cross-country team and doing the odd fun run. My first proper race was when I was 12 years old and I ran the Merewent 10km. It was the longest I had ever run and I felt like I was going to die, but I finished in 52:07. The feeling of achievement was the best in the world. I was just an average Joe runner, not fast at all, and never really trained properly.

I finished my first half marathon in 2002 in 1:47, but it was in 2003 that my running changed drastically when I was invited to do a ‘speed session’ with Gwen and her group. It was my first time ever doing that kind of training, but I found it fun. As I continued training with Gwen, my times dropped drastically. My 10km best was 46:55 and my half marathon 1:39, but fast-forward seven months and I had broken 37min for 10km and run a half in 81min, taking 18min off my previous best!

RUNNING MISTAKES
One race that will always stand out was the 2004 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, where I was running so well that I broke all my PB’s at the 5km, 8km, 10km and 15km marks along the way, but then blew up so badly with 5km to go that I was reduced to a shuffling walk. I was on target to break 80min, but really struggled and finished in 83:36. Another mistake I made shortly after that was to run Comrades in 2005, when I was too young. I followed this up with another run in 2007, where I was so injured that the day before I had to take painkillers and anti-inflammatories. I managed to finish in 8:57, but then got booked into ICU for seven days with acute renal kidney failure.

To add to all this, my Dad, who I was extremely close to, passed away in November 2008. I took it very badly. I didn’t run, I started going out to nightclubs, I was doing things I shouldn’t have been doing and I was going downhill. Mourning him was a hard time and in the process I lost that passion to get out there and train, until recently. Thanks to very special friends in my life, I have started training again and am slowly making a comeback.

A special memory I have is when some of the Mr Price runners, including the Russian Nurgalieva twins, ran with a blue ribbon on their racing kit in memory of my dad at Comrades 2009. Many athletes got to meet my dad and also became good friends with him.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
One such special friend is Prodigal Khumalo, a pro-athlete with a 2:16 marathon best. He was also the 2010 City to City Marathon winner and 11th finisher at the 2010 Comrades. He is like a brother to me and has really helped me get back on track. It was in September, after talking to Prodigal about wanting to run Comrades again, that we got in my car and drove to the soccer fields nearby to go and ‘jog’ for 30 minutes. Let me tell you, I probably felt better after finishing Comrades than I did after that! Even though I was so stiff the next day, Prodigal kept on taking me to the fields to train and that’s where I discovered my passion again. At the same time, an awesome training group of guys from different backgrounds and different goals started developing.

We are six guys in the group roup consists of myself, Prodigal, Reece Allard, Adam Lipschitz, Five Mthembu and Derrick Dimba. We have just gelled together and become best of friends. With me being the slowest of the group, it does at times feel like a mission just to keep up, but it is a mission that I look forward to.

TRAINING DAYS
Our training grounds in KZN is our secret and all our training is done off-road, on grass fields, cross-country trails, through forests and a grass track that we use for speed work. Training normally consists of easy jogging on Mondays, speed sessions on Tuesday and Thursdays, a mid-week long run on a Wednesday, easy jogging on Fridays, do as you please on Saturdays and a long run on a Sunday. I have not started the speed sessions yet, as I’ve just come back into training, but watching the guys fly around the track certainly has given me the urge to start speed. But I realise Rome wasn’t built in a day!

Apart from Prodigal, who is going for gold in Comrades 2012, our group has other speedy athletes, like Adam, who is still a junior but already has a PB of 32min for 10km at the age of 17. Reece’s passion for running knows no limits and after only starting last year, he has taken his 10km from 45min to 33min and his half marathon PB is 1:14. His main goal for now is the 2012 Two Oceans Half , and I believe that by then he will be capable of breaking 70min. Derrick is the newest member of our group and is also making a comeback after a long layoff. With a 6:07 Comrades best, his main aim is to break six hours at Comrades next year. Five is a local athlete who always places top 10 in local races and has a 69min half marathon PB. He is also looking at Comrades next year, where he will make his debut.

You could say we have a Comrades squad consisting of Prodigal, Derrick, Five and myself and then the short distance speed merchants Adam and Reece, but all of our training is done together, only the duration is different.

MOTIVATION TO TRAIN
When you have the days where you don’t feel like training, it’s the awesome motivation from the group that gets those running shoes onto your feet. I know that if it wasn’t for this bunch of awesome guys, I would still be trying to find the motivation to train. They have made training fun again, the way it should be!

Our group does not have a coach, but on speed sessions there is a coach at the track, Bernie van Blerk, who assists with split times and who gives us guidance .Meanwhile, Prodigal and I have registered a company called Khumalo Walker Sports Solutions, offering personalised training and coaching. With Prodigal’s running experience and my experience managing athletes and training camps, we have a wealth of knowledge to share with others and help them achieve their dreams.

THE ORIGINAL SIX
Many athletes ask about joining our group, but we like to keep it small, although we do have some guys that join us on some long Sunday runs. That’s when our runs almost become the ‘Who’s Who’ of KZN road running, with Shepherd Chitake (fifth at the South Coast Marathon), Edwin Manyokole (2:24 marathoner) and Hlomayi Macheza just some of the elites who join in. We will soon be joined by an athlete from Pretoria who has a top five finish at the Loskop 50km and was eighth in the City to City this year. With runners like that joining, who knows what heights this group could reach, and when one of us tastes victory, it is a victory for the whole group!

I expect two Comrades gold medals coming from our stable next year. Will I be one of them? Not a chance! My aim is just to be at Comrades, fit enough and happy to be back. I think I can take at least an hour off my 2007 time and from there the sky is the limit!

In mountaineering circles they talk about the Death Zone, when climbers go above 8000m and their bodies start to shut down due to a lack of oxygen in their blood. Even with oxygen tanks, the climbers struggle to move and it can take hours to move a few hundred metres. Well, I was nowhere near that high at just 3600m, but I sure looked like I was in the death zone! It was a struggle to put one foot in front of the other – and that was partly because of the altitude, partly due to my legs being exhausted after doing about 35 kays, but mostly because the road was so damned steep!

I was in the last few kays of the first day of the five-day Himalayan 100 Miler stage race, and I was shattered. I stopped, sat down on one of the vicious switchback corners, took an energy bar out of my backpack and contemplated my situation while I chewed. It was getting colder by the minute, as the sun was now hidden by cloud, so once again I looked upwards and mentally psyched myself up to take on those last few switchbacks. One by one, I criss-crossed upwards, and next thing I knew I was crossing the finish line. I had done it: Day one in the bag, 38km out of 160 done, and that hot tomato soup went down singing hymns as I sat staring at Mount Kanchenjunga, thinking how lucky I was to once again be enjoying this glorious sight.

BACK FOR MORE
I made my first visit to the Himalayan 100 Miler in 2004, when I was invited to go to India, all expenses covered by Tourism India, to not only cover the race, but also to see some of the sights of India in Delhi and Agra, including the Taj Mahal. I loved the Qutab Mina tower and Humayan’s Tomb in Delhi, and the Taj simply blew me away, but the Himalayan Mountains made all those man-made structures pale into insignificance. I remember staring at those mountains, absolutely mesmerised by their size and beauty, and when I left, I promised myself I would return someday to see them again.

In the following years I maintained contact with Mr C.S. Pandey, the race organiser of the event, and in 2011 I was invited to return. In 2004 I had opted to just do the Everest Challenge Marathon on day three – the marathon is one of the stages of the 100 miler, but also serves as a ‘race within the race’ – and rode the media jeep the other four days in order to get pics. This time, I was determined to do the whole event, as one of 40 runners from all around the world who entered. It was once again like the United Nations of running, with runners from England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong in the field, as well as three South Africans.

SWITCHBACKS AND COBBLE-BOULDERS
The race starts at a small town called Maneybhanjang at 2 130m above sea level, near Darjeeling in the West Bengal province of India, between Nepal and Bhutan. On day one you run into the Singhalila National Park, along a road that forms the border between India and Nepal, and climb to the mountain trekkers’ huts at Sandakphu, 3 650m above sea level. It isn’t a straight climb, though, because you constantly reverse course on switchbacks that are so steep that you simply can’t run. Added to that, much of the roads are made from rocks, but not those nice little round stones we think of when somebody speaks of cobblestones – here it is more like running on rough cobble-boulders! It’s just another element of a very tough race.

Singhalila National Park is one of 14 protected areas in the Kangchenjunga transboundary area shared by India, Nepal, China (Tibet) and Bhutan. These parks and reserves are home to many globally significant plant species and endangered species such as snow leopard, Asiatic black bear, red panda and Himalayan musk deer. The area is also said to be home to the Kangchenjunga Demon, a type of yeti. Luckily, we didn’t spot any mountain monsters, but Mr Pandey told us he had found a group of people watching a tiger bathing itself in a lake near the route on day one. Apparently, this was the first tiger spotted in this area since the early 1980s, but thankfully the big cat never came near any of us runners. We probably would have run a lot faster if we’d known about it…

I started conservatively, walking near the back of the pack, but I felt stronger the more the kays passed, a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the race, much to my delight. I was power-walking up the climbs, only stopping now and again to take a photo or to sign in at the regularly spaced refreshment stops. But then the steep roads became really steep with about eight kays to go, and I was reduced to a slow shuffle. Finishing day one was probably the sweetest feeling I have ever felt in a race!

DON’T BE SUCH A WUSS!
That first night at Sandakphu the temperature was below freezing, making sleep just about impossible due to the combination of cold and altitude. I woke up panting for breath around 10:30pm and that was the end of my sleep. By the time I dragged myself out of my thermal sleeping bag for breakfast, it felt like I had full-blown flu, and my head hurt every time I moved. I was contemplating not running the day’s stage… but then Helen, one of the Brits, said to me, “Don’t be such a wuss!” That did the trick, and I went to put on my running kit.

The second stage is an out-and-back 32km, running 16km from Sandakphu to the turn point at Molley. Basically, the out leg is mostly downhill, with a bit of climbing near the turn, and the return leg therefore starts with some great downhill, but then climbs remorselessly back to Sandaphu. I felt lousy all the way to the turn, just managing a slow, steady walk, but I was kept going by the incredible views: Around every corner awaited a stunning Himalayan vista, with Kanchenjunga some 50km to the north-east, and the Everest Massif to the north-west, about 150km away.

Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world at 8 586m and sits on the India-Nepal border. Its name means “The Five Treasures of the Snows,” as it has five distinctive peaks, four of them over 8 450m. The Everest group is known as the Mahalangur Himal section of the Himalaya and contains four of the world’s 14 8 000m peaks as well as some 30 peaks over 7 000 and more than 60 others over 6 000m. Looking out from Sandakphu, you see Makalu (8 462m) as the tallest peak, but that is because it is closest. Just to the left of it is Everest (8 848m), with Lhotse (8 516m) next in line to the left, while to the right of Makalu is Chomo Lonzo (7 818m). Further to the left are two more distinctive peaks: Gyachung Kang (7 952m), the world’s tallest non-8 000m peak and 15th tallest overall, with Cho Oyu (8 201m), the world’s sixth tallest, to the left of that. Also amongst all those peaks is Nuptse (7 861m), but it is considered part of the Everest massif and is therefore not listed as a stand-alone peak.

Looking at those lofty peaks, including five of the world’s six highest mountains, is an awe-inspiring sight, and the mountains have a way of lifting your spirits, no matter how tired or sore you are. So by the time we turned at Molley, I felt great and put my foot down. I even managed a few kays of running, then power-walked the rest… but there was a worrying little pain at the bottom of my left shin which seemed to get worse as the kays went by. All I could do was hope it wasn’t serious.

ENFORCED REST DAY
By the next morning my shin was so sore that I could barely move my foot up and down, and walking was really painful, so I had no choice but to skip day three, the marathon stage. Believe me, I really didn’t want to do so, because that meant I had to do a six-hour round trip in the jeep back down to Maneybhanjang and take the long way round to the town of Rimbik, where day three ends, because there is no ‘jeepable road’ from Molley to Rimbik.

Meanwhile, the rest of the field repeated the 16km out to Molley, then did a 7km dog-leg uphill to Phalut and 7km back down to Molley, and then came the plunge down to Sirikhola, where the course plummets from 3 400m to 1 900m in just six kays, followed by a relatively gentle (by Himalayan standards) but seemingly never-ending 6km climb to Rimbik at 2 300m. I remembered how hard this stage was in 2004, so part of me was relieved to have a rest day, but I can’t even begin to describe how lousy it felt being stuck in the jeep. With every bump and jolt of that long, frustrating drive, I cursed my damned shin!

BACK ON THE ROAD
Day four dawned and I gingerly got out of bed. The leg felt better, the foot more mobile, so I decided to give the 21km stage a try. For the first time in my 17-year running career, I took a painkiller before a run, then I put my head down and ran. In pouring rain, we plummeted downhill from Rimbik to the river valley below, losing 600m in elevation in about three kays that included five or six separate sets of switchbacks. Once we had crossed the bridge at Linsebong, it was uphill again to Palmajua, where the buses waited to take us back to Rimbik. Those last few kays were steep, but again, the further I went, the stronger I felt.

After finishing and drying off, my shin felt fine, but I was waiting to see how it would feel the next morning – and after the dancing that I knew was coming that evening at the cultural exchange. For this, runners from each country represented in the field are asked to present something that portrays their country, so the three South African boys stood up and taught everybody our traditional folksong, Shosholoza. We must have made an impression, because there were a few Americans singing it while running the next day! The local Nepali musicians and the race organising team also did a few songs and traditional dances for us, which all the runners were invited to join in with. Tired legs, sore shins and gammy ankles be damned, most of the runners got into the spirit of things and had a good time.

HOME STRAIGHT
So the fifth and final day of the race dawned, thankfully sunny again, and we were taken back to Palmajua to start the last 27km back to Maneybhanjang. That comprised 11km of climbing to Dhodrey, then 16km of mostly downhill to the finish. Happily for me, I woke with my shin feeling a wee bit better, so I popped another painkiller and lined up, but as soon as we started, both my shins started screaming in protest. I had to slow down and watch most of the field disappear up the road, but again, the longer I went on, the better I felt, and after a few kays I was once again powering up the hill. Once through Dhodrey I even began to run, and from there it was low flying all the way Maneybhanjang. I felt so strong at the finish that I even wished the race was longer! Must have been the altitude getting to me…

At the prize-giving that evening, Mr Pandey gave a number of runners an opportunity to say a few words, and many spoke of the emotional effect the mountains had on them. I told of how I had promised myself in 2004 that I would return someday to see those mountains again, then added that now I have two reasons for going back a third time – not just for the mountains, but also to try to finish the full 100 miles. Watch this space, as they say.

Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman may think they did something special by travelling from Cairo to Cape Town on motorbikes, but they ain’t seen nothing yet! Next year I will be joining approximately 50 cyclists and 10 staff members when we set off on our bicycles from the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt with the soul aim of arriving in Cape Town four months later. Why? The question really should be why not, shouldn’t it?

It’s called the Tour d’Afrique and in its 10-year existence it has helped approximately 400 people to complete the cross-continental journey on their bikes. That’s less than the number of people who’ve summitted Mount Everest, in case you were wondering… The tour lasts approximately 120 days, of which almost 100 are spent cycling. During this time, participants travel through 10 countries and cover an average of 120km per day, depending on the terrain.

TO RACE OR NOT TO RACE
Though there aren’t any yellow or polka dot jerseys to be won, the expedition is in actual fact the longest timed stage race in the world. You don’t have to race every stage, or any of the stages for that matter, but there are those who want to cross the finish line in Cape Town as overall winner. There are also those who want to achieve EFI status (Every Fabulous Inch, or your choice of F-word), but usually only about 12 people manage to finish the race with their EFI status in tact. The rest have to give up and catch a lift with one of the support vehicles to camp at some stage during their trip, either because of injury, illness, bad weather conditions or any range of factors you can come to expect on a 12 000km journey through Africa. But for most of the participants, the Tour d’Afrique is about enjoying the ride and experiencing Africa from the best seat in the house.

JUST KEEP PEDDALING
Though cycling through Africa sounds like a daunting task, the Tour d’Afrique makes it possible for anyone to do it and takes a lot of the logistics that surround an epic trip such as this out of your hands. They provide support vehicles, all meals and accommodation, and sort out border crossings for you. All you have to do is keep on peddaling, pitch your tent and keep yourself healthy.

Anyone can take part, whether you’ve just finished school and are looking for an awesome gap year, if you’re retired and looking for a challenge, or whether you need to get away from it all. What this experience does is strip you of all your worldly possessions and worries – you forget about paying rent, the rising price of petrol and what you’re going to get back from the taxman. It makes you focus on only one goal, getting to the finish line, and life seems simple again as everything goes back to basics. All you need is a good dose of determination, a thirst for adventure and a strong bum.

WHAT WILL I DO?
Joining the tour as communications officer and photographer means I will jet off to Egypt in January, meet the team and cycle south until we reach Cape Town, all the time taking photos and videos and writing press releases and blogs.

I will get to experience the craziness that is four million people living in one city in Cairo, the friendliness of the desert people in Sudan, Ethiopian children pelting me with rocks, cycle past Mount Kilimanjaro and through the safari capital Arusha in Tanzania, peddle my way through the Serengeti plain, experience the Victoria Falls, cross the Zambezi on a unique ferry, make my way down the Elephant highway in Botswana and finally head down the west coast of Namibia and South Africa towards that first, glorious sight of Table Mountain and the Mother City.

I will have to make do with no showers for days on end, as there will only be fresh water at one or two overnight stops per week (depending on where we are in Africa). I will have to learn to use a satellite phone and upload stories and photos with an internet connection slower than in the Northwest Province in the nineties. I will have to learn how to deal with the inevitable saddle sores. And I will have to get a load of vaccinations and injections, although unfortunately none exist for diarrhoea. It’s going to be long, hard, dusty, muddy and dirty. It’s going to be excruciatingly hot, freezing cold and extremely uncomfortable, and it’s probably going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s hopefully going to change my life. And I can’t wait.

For more information on the Tour d’Afrique and the other tours they offer, visit their website at www.tourdafrique.com.

WIN the Tour d’Afrique history book
As part of their 10-year celebration, the Tour d’Afrique has published a beautiful coffee table book, Celebrating Ten Years of the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race and Expedition. The book documents the history of the Tour through a collection of stunning photographs and riders’ anecdotes, and provides insight into this incredible journey.

One lucky reader can win a copy of the book by sending an SMS to 34110 with the word RUN and their name. (Each SMS is charged at R2. Competition open from 24 November 2011 to 13 January 2012. The publisher’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.)

The 2011 ING New York City Marathon (NYCM) weekend was a record-breaking weekend in many aspects. Not only did about 47 000 runners from all over the world take to the streets of New York, but race winner Geoffrey Mutai’s time of 2:05:05 is now the fastest performance on a record-certified course in the United States. In fact, the top three men as well as the women’s wheelchair champion beat the course records. And just to top that off, more than US$34 million was raised for charity. I could not have asked to be part of anything better than that!

THE CALL THAT CHANGED IT ALL
I absolutely love my job. Sometimes when I’m in the middle of an interview with another inspirational athlete, or just on the sporting field, I need to remind myself that this is actually work. As my friends often chuckle, “Tough job, hey!” Admittedly, on deadline weeks it definitely feels like a high-pressure job, but for the most part, it really is so much fun, part of my life and who I am. So when Modern Athlete’s publisher and my boss, Mike Bray, phoned me on 4 August, I did not think much of it at first when he asked me how much I loved my job. “Well, you are going to love it even more, because I’m sending you to the New York Marathon,” he said.

To say that I was over the moon is an understatement! It took a day or so to actually sink in that I was actually going to the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, and that I was going to run my first international marathon. One of the first calls was to my dad, of course, with whom I’ve shared this dream for so long. And though this wasn’t the year that we would run together, it was definitely a shared joy.

GETTING THERE
I had loads going on in the three months leading up to the NYCM, which made the time fly by. My training went well, though I never put any pressure on myself, as I knew it was definitely not a marathon where I was going to try and run a PB. In fact, I was going to take it very slow! This was one marathon where I was truly going to do what everyone advised: Take in all the sights, take loads of pictures, and savour the experience. Time is of no consequence.

Before I knew it I was packing my bags and on 3 November I landed at JFK Airport. Well, New York is definitely the place to be if you want to be part of something big. The shuttle drive from the airport to my hotel was like a scene from a movie, and everything I saw was exactly as on the big screen. My trip was booked through Penthouse Travel, which specialises in sporting tours, and I saw Marie Howarth from Penthouse Travel and the rest of the SA group the next day, as we were all on our way to the marathon expo. As an avid Comrades and Two Oceans runner, I’ve been to a lot of sporting expo’s over the years, and though I expected a lot of people at the NYCM Expo, I was still stunned by the exact amount of people and the variety of sporting goods available… which meant I made a considerable dent in my credit card balance!

OPENING CEREMONY
Marathon weekend kicked off on Friday night with the Marathon Opening Ceremony. To celebrate the global running community, a Parade of Nations was held for the first time this year. Runners from around the world marched in a parade across the marathon finish line before legends such as former NYCM organiser Fred Lebow and Grete Weitz, nine-time winner of the NYCM, were inducted into the New York Road Runners Hall of Fame.

I met the rest of the SA group in our hotel foyer and we all walked proudly in South African colours to the parade. It was a long and cold wait, though. We had to arrive at 4pm and the parade only kicked off past 6pm, but what fun we had. It was awesome seeing everyone from the different countries around the world dressed up in their cultural outfits.

After the ceremony it was back to the hotel because the next morning it was time for the 5KM Dash, which I had entered at the expo. I made sure I was part of everything and did not want to miss out on one single thing. Yes, I knew I was going to have to run 42km on race day, but what was another 5km? After all, I was in New York!

5KM DASH
The 5km NYRR Dash to the Finish Line was another inaugural event this year and was open to all runners who wanted to join in the marathon festivities. It gave everyone the chance to run through the streets of Manhatten and finish at the famed marathon finish line in Central Park.

It was absolutely awesome lining up with a strong field led by Olympic hopefuls and other top runners. More than 5 000 runners started at the United Nations building and we all headed uptown into Central Park. I ran with friends from Breakthru Midrand Striders and we had so much fun,  and before I knew it we were running into Central Park. This was definitely one of my highlights, as it was the first time I’ve experienced Central Park, and doing it while running was a privilege. After the race, I met up with Chris, who was on a later flight than me, and we explored New York for a while before it was back to the hotel to get ready for race day.

RACE MORNING
The whole South African group of about 60 runners met in the hotel lobby and by 6am sharp we were off to Staten Island and the start of the race. The atmosphere in the bus was electric. Road works on one of the motorway’s caused a bit of a delay and at one stage it felt as if were in rush hour traffic in Sandton! Two hours later, the bus dropped us on Staten Island. A short walk up to the race village was an experience in itself. As all runners start at different times and the wait is quite long for most of them, some brought sleeping bags and blankets to keep them warm and comfortable for the long wait. It looked like a camping site.

I was fortunate that my starting time was 9:40 and that I had to be in my starting pen at 8:55. So I didn’t have to wait long. The weather was close to perfect, cool and sunny, the best start to race day. I checked my runner’s bag into the huge trucks transporting it to the finish and hurried to my starting pen. Before I knew it, we started moving towards one of the bridges where the race started. Because of the masses of people, runners start on different bridges and it was amazing to see the mass of people on the road leading to the bridge above us.

This year’s race was dedicated to the beloved Grete Waitz, the great Norwegian runner who died earlier this year and who won the NYCM nine times. One of my most memorable moments was minutes before the start, when Frank Sinatra’s New York New York started playing. This was followed by the United States National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. Afterwards, runners erupted in a spontaneous cheer and within seconds all of our different journeys would start.

THE COURSE
The NYCM allows you to see some of the sights of New York that most visitors won’t see. The course passes through all five boroughs and shows off some fabulous skyline views along the way. The first bridge we crossed was the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (the highest point on the course), making our way into Brooklyn and Queens, where I realised why the first Sunday of November in New York is always ‘Marathon Sunday.’ Close to two million New Yorkers drop everything to cheer and welcome the runners. Crowds literally lined the whole course!

The route goes over the Queensboro Bridge for a roundtrip in Manhattan and a short stop in the Bronx. Running through the five distinct boroughs was an amazing experience. I got to see so much of the different communities and their cultural diversity. The highlight, of course, was running across five New York bridges. It was as if I was on a sightseeing tour in my running shoes. There was never a single moment that I was not surrounded by runners or where I did not see crowds. I packed my Ipod for those ‘quiet’ moments one sometimes experience at races such as Comrades. Well, I can honestly say I never used it once. The roar of the crowds was too loud, while live bands and musicians lined the streets.

The whole course is pretty flat and the hardest work to be done is probably getting onto the bridges, but the awesome views are worth it. The Queensboro Bridge after 24km is probably the steepest climb. The run itself was awesome and I took it very easy, took loads of pictures, chatted to my fellow runners and shared some jokes. Before I knew it, we were starting to head towards the finish line in Central Park.

REACHING THE FINISH LINE
As with most marathons, no matter how easy one takes it, the last 5km are always long, probably because your mind is tuned into that finish line. And what a finish line this was going to be! It really is hard to describe what I felt running into Central Park, it was such a bag of mixed emotions and everything seemed a bit of a blur. I was in awe of the thousands of people lining the finish, and I felt like a champion being cheered on, but most of all I felt grateful for the ability to run and that sport could bring such a huge amount of like-minded people together to share their passion.

As I ran in the final straight towards the finish line, I heard my name being shouted and saw Chris. What a memorable moment. Because of the sheer amount of spectators and athletes, and the wide road towards the finish line, the chance of seeing loved ones is usually very small, but somehow we managed it. I stopped and it was great to share my joy with him before running the last 100m to cross the finish line of the 2011 New York City Marathon.

As they say with Comrades or Ironman, your first one will always be the most memorable. My first international marathon in New York will forever be my most memorable. And as Frank Sinatra sang, I felt like ‘King of the Hill, Top of the Heap’ as I raised my arms crossing the finish line.

EXPLORING NEW YORK
After the marathon we were typical tourists and explored everything New York had to offer. We were at the top of the Empire State Building, saw the Statue of Liberty on Statue Island, enjoyed a show on Broadway, watched an ice hockey game at Madison Square Garden, hopped on and off the subway, visited the 911 Memorial Preview Site, ate hot dogs in Central Park, tried a Big Nick’s burger and fries, tasted some greasy doughnuts, and of course, did loads of shopping!

To me New York will always be synonymous with Central Park; I absolutely fell in love with this spot and went for morning jogs there every morning.

A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
So after 12 days in New York, what stood out the most? Simply answered, it has to be the incredible feeling of knowing that running allows me to don my running shoes any place in the whole wide world to trot around a city for 42km!

I am already starting to think about my next international marathon. So Dad, we meet in London 2013, because the next one is definitely with YOU!

To my publisher and boss, Mike Bray, THANK YOU so much for this opportunity and for making a dream come true!

SOME INTERESTING NEW YORK STATS

STARTERS
Men: 30 166
Women: 17 272
Total: 47 438
FINISHERS
Men: 29 867
Women: 16 928
Total: 46 795
SOUTH AFRICAN FINISHERS
Men: 100
Women: 82
Total: 182

FEBRUARY
A marathon a day
Stefaan Engels, a 49-year-old Belgian who was told when he was little he should not do any sports because of asthma, completes his 365th marathon in as many days. Why? “I wanted to inspire people by showing them that if I could run a marathon a day for an entire year, anyone could run or bike a little each day or do something about their weight problem.” Running in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, Mexico and the USA, he finished every marathon in an average time of four hours, with his fastest being done in 2:56.

25 Medals for Paralympians
The South African Paralympic team collects a massive 25 medals at the IPC World Championships in New Zeeland, the most a SA Paralympic team has ever collected in one outing.

APRIL
Records at Ironman SA
After months of training, almost 1 500 athletes invade the Friendly City for the fifth Ironman SA in Port Elizabeth. Fantastic performances by local stalwart Raynard Tissink as well as Britain’s Chrissie Wellington make this year’s event truly memorable. Raynard betters the course record by more than 10 minutes as he claims victory in a time of 8:05, while Chrissie smashes the previous course record by almost 45 minutes to win the race in 8:33 and maintain her unbeaten record over this distance.

MAY
Olympic champion killed
Troubled Olympic marathon champion, Sammy Wanjiru – one of the most talented long-distance runners ever – falls to his death from his balcony in his home in Nyaharuru, Kenya, during a domestic dispute. It is still unclear whether his death was suicide, homicide or accidental. He was just 24.

Hat-trick for Stephen
Zimbabwean, Stephen Muzhingi becomes only the fifth male runner to win three consecutive Comrades Marathons after a thrilling match-up with South Africa’s Fanie Matshipa. It takes all of Steven’s experience to claim the victory and he only manages to leave Fanie in his wake at Polly Shortts as he writes his name in the history books with greats such as Arthur Newton, Dave Bagshaw, Alan Robb and Bruce Fordyce.

SEPTEMBER
Oscar rewrites history
Oscar Pistorius makes history when he becomes the first disabled athlete to qualify for, compete and medal at the IAAF World Championships, in Daegu, South Korea. He reaches the semi-finals of the 400m, where he is unfortunately eliminated, but then goes on to help the South African 4x400m relay team reach the final and set a new South African record in the process. The team goes on to finish second and claim the silver medal position, but Oscar is dropped from the final team in favour of 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl, who has a faster 2011 time for 400m. Oscar still receives a silver medal as part of the team making him the first ever athlete with a disability to receive a World Championship medal. In total, Team SA brings home four medals.

Sandman dominates
Ryan Sandes continues to dominate the trail running scene both locally and internationally as he wins one of the toughest and most prestigious off-road events in the world, the Leadville 100-miler in the USA, and then shatters the course record in South Africa’s grail of trail, the marathon-length Otter African Trail Run.

New Marathon World Record
Patrick Makau of Kenya takes a massive 21 seconds off Haile Gebrselassie’s marathon world record at the Berlin Marathon, on the same course where the Ethiopian set the previous record of 2:03:59 in 2008. With the new record standing at 2:03:38, a sub-2:03 marathon seems to be getting closer.

OCTOBER
Centurion runs marathon
100-year-old Fauja Singh becomes the first centurion ever to complete a marathon as he runs the Toronto Marathon (his eighth marathon) in a time of 8:25. He ran his first when he was 89 in a PB of 5:40. The Indian-born Fauja’s achievements were supposed to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records, but they refuse to recognise him as the oldest marathoner because he does not have a birth certificate, only a passport – when Fauja was born in 1911 in India, no birth certificates were issued.

The Queen of Kona
Briton Chrissie Wellington shows her class as she takes top honours at the Ironman World Champs in Kona for the fourth time, only two weeks after falling off her bike and sustaining serious road burns as well as hip and chest injuries. In the men’s race, Australian Craig Alexander dominates and sets a new Ironman World Champs course record as he becomes World Champion for the third time.

Dan impresses at XTERRA
South Africa’s Dan Hugo shows he has the mettle to take over from countryman Conrad ‘Caveman’ Stolz as the world’s top XTERRA triathlete when he takes second place in both the XTERRA US Champs and the World Champs in Hawaii. At the young age of 26, we can’t help but think his best is yet to come and the XTERRA world had better watch out.

A tragic loss
Five Gauteng runners are killed and one critically injured while training in Midrand for the Soweto Marathon when an allegedly drunk driver ploughs into them during their early morning run. Moroese Mokoatsi (34), Reneilwe Lesenyeho (31), Given Mills (30), Isaac Tlale (37), and Nomvula Dumako (35) are killed, with Khanyiswa Stengile being the only survivor.

GENERAL
Though some progress was made in the administration of athletics in South Africa it remains to be seen whether the positive developments will continue in future. According to James Evans, newly elected President of ASA, 10 new national senior, junior and youth records set during 2011 is proof that the focus in local athletics has shifted back to where it should be, the athletics track, and not the corridors of the office.

You could say that the day Erhard and Rozi met spelt the end of her running career… but definitely not in a bad way! Rozi, a pure runner who was introduced to triathlon by Erhard shortly after they met, recently made a breakthrough on the local triathlon scene by finishing second at the BSG Energade race held at Harbeespoort. Her transition from running to triathlon was inevitable. After all, her boyfriend and now coach Erhard is one of the best on the local triathlon scene.

Erhard has three BSG series wins to his name and has won more than 25 BSG races during his career. To top that off, he recently won the South African Triathlon Champs as well as the Africa Games Triathlon in Maputo. Nobody could ask for a better coach than that! And judging by Rozi’s recent performances, her switch from running to triathlon was probably one of the best sporting moves she has made.

AN ALL-ROUNDER
Erhard is one of the few elite triathletes who is strong over all three disciplines. He started swimming at the age of five and winning medals fuelled his motivation in the pool. It was in high school that the running bug bit, after he won a school race without any training, and then came triathlon. The rest is history. Erhard went from strength to strength, and in 2006 he finished fourth junior at the World Champs and was crowned Africa Elite Triathlon Champion, Africa u/23 Triathlon Champion and South African u/23 Triathlon Champion.

After school he completed a Bachelors degree in Sport Science from the University of the Free State, but decided shortly after graduating to move to Potchefstroom to pursue his love of triathlon. “I’ve always been a good swimmer and runner, so triathlon always seemed the obvious choice for me. It’s a great sport and I loved it from the first moment. But I had to get out of Bloem to pursue my triathlon career. I needed to find people to train with, and Potch was perfect at the time.”

Even though Erhard is strong in all three disciplines, he believes it is more through hard work than natural ability. “It took a lot of hard work to get to where I am today. I do have a natural ability for all three sports, but I’m constantly striving to get better in the different areas. I don’t necessarily train harder than anyone else, I just know what works for me and what makes me a better athlete.”

His preference for the different disciplines changes every now and again. “At the moment the run is my favourite. I love running when I am in good shape, it feels effortless. Running is the final discipline, so it often determines the winner. A lot of athletes can run, but it’s different when you need to run off the bike. I am a strength runner, which generally makes it a bit easier for me.”

LESSONS LEARNT
As with most elites Erhard had to go through some hard times and ‘grow up’ in order to become the athlete he is today. His hardest lesson was in 2005, after finishing varsity. He went to race for a team in Germany, but quickly realised that he still had a lot to learn. Though it was a tough time, it definitely helped shape his future. “Going from the luxury of home to a foreign country where I had to fend for myself was a challenge, but I had to grow up and deal with the situation. I learnt a great deal about triathlon and what it takes to be a better athlete. Experience is key in this sport, and you have to put it to use in every race.”

Erhard says being good at triathlon requires a great deal of mental toughness, something he still needs to work on today. “This is an area I can use some work at. To be ‘on’ all the time is not easy.” He adds that the lessons he has learnt over the years have led to him training smarter. “I think I found a balance of things that work for me and stuck to it. Triathlon is filled with injuries, bad luck and poor performances, but I took all of that and minimised it by training and being smarter in my approach.”

TRAINING
Erhard, whose main sponsor is Mr Price Sporting Heroes, is self-coached and says he has learnt a great deal from others over the years. A typical training week depends on the time of season, but generally it would consist of 80km running, 250km cycling and 20km swimming. “I would typically do sessions to improve certain aspects of my game at specific moments.”

His training methods obviously work, as Erhard has won more than 25 of the traditionally hotly contested BSG Energade events over the last couple of years. “Nothing beats winning a race. I’ve done it plenty of times and they are all special to me. The short faster, style racing is something I love, and I tend to be very good at it. It is a big part of the sport in this country and BSG/Energade have put in a tremendous effort to promote triathlon and hopefully create future stars of the sport.”

LOOKING AHEAD
Though he has managed to excel, the past year has been one of his toughest as far as injuries, sickness and technical problems go. “I seem to be out of that now and my focus is firmly set on 2012. I have a few years left in the sport and a big year ahead of me in 2012, as I want to focus on the international non-drafting 5150 series. I have to step it up a notch and hopefully secure a sponsor to assist with my costs of getting to these races.” He adds that he would love to compete at the Olympics, but right now he is specifically looking to qualify for the 5150 Hyvee final next year and get a top 10.

Erhard is very thankful to his family and friends who have always supported him through good and bad times. “I have travelled almost everywhere, but for me there is no place like home. South Africa’s beauty, culture, diversity, people and my family makes it the best place to live.”

As a seasoned triathlete, he advises weekend warriors and novices to always remember that if you want something bad enough and you work for it, it will come your way. “Learn as much as you can from your heroes and ask as many questions as you can. Weekend warriors make up the numbers and are essential to the growth of our sport, so keep training and enter as many races as you can. Triathlon has got a great vibe that you won’t find anywhere else.” And of course, through triathlon one can also find love, as Erhard knows all too well…

FINDING LOVE
Shortly after meeting Rozi, he started coaching her in triathlon. They admit they they’re both pretty competitive. “Let’s put it this way, we shouldn’t stop side by side at a traffic light,” says Rozi, who has an Honours degree in Physiology and is currently studying towards her Masters in Occupational Hygiene.

Having been a pure runner from the age of 10, Rozi does not regret switching from running to triathlon after meeting Erhard. “Triathlon keeps you positive. For example, when your swimming is bad, your running or cycling might still be good, so it’s not as demotivating as going through a bad patch with just the one discipline. It’s also not monotonous, and when you are injured you can still improve an aspect of triathlon.”

Her strongest discipline is obviously the run and her weakest at this stage is open water swimming. “My pool swimming is quite strong, but open water is a different story!” Rozi’s biggest achievement up to now has been her latest performances at the BSG Energade series, where she has placed second and third respectively in two of the races. “It’s a big improvement for me in my second year as a triathlete. I would love to race elite internationally and just become the best ‘me’ I can be.”

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT SPORT
Though both of them absolutely love sport and do all their training together, they do find time to relax. A typical date involves a lot of good food, dessert, red wine and a movie. “We are not party animals at all, so we love a relaxed evening and quality time. We would usually spend time with our friends, visit our families or simply go have a milkshake somewhere,” says Erhard.

Both agree that it is ‘easier’ to date a fellow triathlete, as they understand each others training and moods. “We are often both tired and grumpy, but we understand each other and support each other in everything. Training often comes first, with the exception being Rozi’s Masters degree, so neither of us makes unnecessary demands on each other that would affect our sport or relationship negatively. In short, triathlon has only made us a stronger couple.”