Category: Features

ELROY
GELANT, 5 000M

It’s been a busy start to the year for Elroy. In
mid-February he won the South African Cross-country Trials, then jetted off to
Istanbul, Turkey for the IAAF World Indoor Champs in early March, where, he
made it to the final of the 3000m, finishing in 7:48.64 to break the SA Indoor record. A week
later he was second-best SA finisher at the CAA Africa Cross-country
Championships in Cape Town. Just two days later, he was back on the track at
the Stellenbosch leg of the Yellow Pages series, going after the 13:20 IAAF A
standard qualifying time for the 5000m for London.

Admittedly, Elroy’s personal best is only 13:25.09, so
he has some serious work to do if he wants to get to London, but the way he is
going after that mark is what makes people think he can do it, even if he did –
quite understandably – fade a bit in the middle of the race in Stellenbosch.

“I maybe started a bit fast and my hamstrings
really felt it after a while. I’m still feeling the cross-country in my legs
and haven’t got my rhythm back yet,” said Elroy, having just run 13:25.50, less
than a second off his PB, and finishing second to Gladwin Mzazi. “Still, I
think I can go faster if I rest up now, then work on getting my pace and
endurance right to go for 64 seconds per lap. I was close today, and I know I
can do it.”

GLADWIN MZAZI, 5 000M

Much is expected from Gladwin Mzazi after his
recent performances in the 5000m. In Stellenbosch, he initially looked a bit
off the pace, then joined Elroy Gelant up front to chase that 13:20 qualifier,
and eventually outsprinted his tiring countryman to win the race in 13:24.50,
the sixth-fastest ever by a South African, and take nearly six seconds off his PB!

Gladwin and training partner Steven Mokoka, who missed
the race while recovering from a minor injury, have made it known that they are
chasing the 5000m qualifying mark. In the Yellow Pages Interprovincial in
Bellville on 3 March, he and Steven really went for it, but a strong south-easter
blew away their chances. Still, the two gave the crowd a huge thrill with a
sprint finish that Gladwin won.

After his PB in Stellenbosch, Gladwin said, “I
really wanted to go for the qualifier, but my body just did not respond in the
first 2km. I’m very happy with my PB, but I need to go faster if I want to get
to London. I think if Steven had been here today, all three of us would have
done it.”

LJ VAN ZYL, 400M HURDLES

Having been to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and four
IAAF World Champs meets, LJ van Zyl has both the ability and the experience to
bring back a medal from London.
He took bronze in his specialist event at the World Champs in South Korea last
year, then anchored the 4x400m relay team to silver, and also finished fifth in
Beijing and first in Melbourne. And what’s more, he says he owes it to himself
to be on the podium in London.

“I’ve won medals at the World
Championships, Commonwealth Games and African Championships, so what I really
want now is an Olympic medal. I was fifth last time and want to do well again,
but first I must qualify, then get to the final, and to do that I need to be
running consistently under 48 seconds.”

To qualify for London, LJ has to run
49.50 seconds, and with a PB of 47.66, the SA record he ran twice last year, he
feels the qualifying mark is within his grasp. However, he has still changed
his approach this year. “Last year I was in top shape in April and May, but
this year I want to shift those six weeks to reach top shape at the Olympics.”
LJ says he will also be running a few 400m races, having run 44.86 second in
Germiston last year, a mere 0.28 seconds off the national record. “If I can go
a little faster in the 400m, I know I can bring my time down even more over the
hurdles.”

With a loud crack, the huge tree began to fall,
but to the horror of the men cutting it down, it was falling the wrong way,
straight down on the Grade R classroom of the Carter Primary School in
Alexandra, Gauteng. The heavy branches crashed through the roof and severed the
lower legs of five-year-old Lewis Wynne, an energetic little boy who loved
running around and dreamed of becoming a policeman. Later that same day, Friday
14 October 2011, 38-year-old Carien Helberg of Somerset West in the Cape
watched the news on television and was moved to tears when Lewis’ mother told
how he had woken up and asked when he would be able to run again.

Having started running in 1996 and with a Comrades and
a couple of Two Oceans ultras as well as the AfricanX three-day trail event to
her name, Carien had decided that she wanted to dedicate her running in 2012 to
a good cause after watching disabled children taking part in the Pritt IronKids
race at the 2011 Ironman. “When I saw this one little blonde girl shuffling in
with a walking frame, I knew I had to run for a purpose, and not just run because
I can. So when I saw the news bulletin that night, the Wynne For Lewis Campaign
was born.”

LOOKING FOR LEWIS

With the help of Dezroy Poole and Jacky Maclean of Stillwater
Sports & Entertainment, organisers of the AfricanX, Carien made contact
with E.TV News reporter Michelle Craig, who had covered the story. Michelle put
her in touch with Eugene Makhene of the Assault Riderz Bikers club, who had sponsored
Lewis a wheelchair and who continue to support the Wynne family with groceries. Eugene has developed a
close bond with Lewis and got him into the Hope School in Parklands, which
specialises in the needs of disabled children.

When Carien went to Johannesburg a short while later for a sales
conference, Eugene took her to meet Lewis and translated for her, as Lewis’
family speaks only Zulu. “It was a very emotional meeting. I
could see that Lewis’ parents, Kenneth and Ntswaki, were devastated, but Lewis was
smiling. The
wheelchair had given him some mobility, but the factory turned-house the family
of six live in is not wheelchair-friendly at all, and Lewis has to be carried
around.”

“In the meantime, Europecar and Centauri Medical have come on board to
sponsor Lewis new prosthetic legs, and these two companies will also cover the
maintenance costs for the next few years, until the State hopefully settles the
lawsuit for negligence that led to the accident. The law firm handling Lewis’
case is also sponsoring Lewis’ school and boarding fees as well as transport
costs to his new school for the first year, but he will need long-term funding
for medical needs, counselling, care and schooling, so I decided to establish a
trust fund and get sponsorships for my running to raise funds for Lewis.”

Kays for the
Cause

Carien, who has a degree in nursing and currently works as a
medical rep for an orthopaedic company selling hip and knee implants, is aiming to run at least
600km in official races from 14 October 2011 to 14 October 2012, including the
Two Oceans, Comrades and Washie ultras, as well as the 3 Cranes and AfricanX
multi-day trail events. She will be running most of these races with long-time
running partner Elize Kruger of Kimberley, with fianc? Gary and
Elize’s husband, Frikkie, as their seconding team.

The AfricanX in March is set to be a highlight of the
campaign, with Eugene and his fellow bikers planning a road trip around the
country, in conjunction with Biker’s Life
magazine, to raise funds for Lewis, including a stop-over in Kleinmond during
the race to support Carien. Dudley of Biker’s
Life says they’re going to make a huge bike procession into Kleinmond, so AfricanX
is going to be a very special race for us all,” says Carien.

“I call Lewis Little Brave Heart, because nothing gets
him under. I think he will show everybody that life is what you make of it, and
will reach out to others who have suffered, to tell them to go on with life. He’s an incredible little
boy, and I want to do what I can to help get him back on his feet.”

To support Carien’s campaign to help Lewis, go to www.wynneforlewis.org.

A
popular goal amongst runners is to complete a marathon on each of the seven
continents, but most take some time to achieve this due to family, work,
financial and recovery constraints. However, a new challenge was born in November 2003 when British adventurers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr
Mike Stroud managed the feat in just seven days in the Land Rover 7x7x7
Challenge. Six years year
later, Irish ultra-runner and event organiser Richard Donovan decided to
attempt the challenge in under six days, and after running in Antarctica, Cape
Town, Dubai, London, Toronto, Santiago and Sydney, he had brought the record
down to five days, 10 hours and eight minutes.

Not content with that, in mid-January of this year
he decided to try doing it in less than five days (120 hours), since he was
going to Antarctica soon to recce the route for the upcoming Antarctic Ice
Marathon that he organises. Thus, within two weeks, The World Marathon
Challenge 2012 was set-up, which saw Richard return to Cape Town for a most
unusual midnight marathon.

“The Russians stage their Antarctic
flights out of Cape Town, so that makes it a logical point for the African leg
of the challenge,” explained Richard just before starting his Cape Town run. “I
prefer to run the Antarctic leg first because it is probably the hardest due to
the extreme temperatures and weather, but the rest are just as hard when you only
have eight or nine hours between each run. But I’m running to raise funds for
GOAL, an international aid agency that works to
alleviate the suffering of people affected by famine and drought in the Horn of
Africa, and that keeps me going.”

MIDNIGHT
MADNESS

So, having just run a 4:21:11 marathon in
Antarctica in temperatures as low as minus-10 degrees Celsius, Richard immediately
flew 4200km back to Cape Town, landed around 11pm on 1 February, and was driven
straight to the start point of the Aca Joe Cape Town Marathon by James Evans,
President of Athletics South Africa. As event director of the race, James had
guided Richard along the course during his 2009 run, and was on hand to do so
again.

Waiting at the start were
local runners Paul
Britain, David Fox and Cole Stanton, who had volunteered to keep Richard
company, and after a brief chat, the four set off, accompanied by a mini convoy
of seconding cars. With quick refreshment stops every five kays, they finished
at the Cape Town Stadium in 4:23:51, and after a quick shower at Paul’s
house, Richard was whisked back to the airport to catch his flight to Brazil,
just eight hours after landing in the Mother City!

GLOBETROTTER

Next up Richard ran a 4:19:00 marathon on the Sao Paulo
Air Force Base, then flew to Orlando in the USA and ran a 4:44:27. From there
it was off to London for a 4:32:45 run in temperatures as low as minus-6 degrees,
but he was warmed up by a surprise visit from his three sisters and his niece. However,
by this stage he was taking serious strain, as can be seen from this tweet
while waiting for his flight to Hong Kong: “Not able to keep food or
liquids down, which is a result of a combination of fatigue and travel. This is
a ‘marathon’ challenge of a different nature!”

That made the remaining legs very tough, but he
finished Hong Kong in 5:03:05 and Sydney in 5:21:40, crossing the finish line
in 4 days, 22 hours and three minutes! He had run 295km, flown 43 500km in just
under 56 hours in the air, and spent 10 hours waiting in airports and 18 hours
disembarking, going through customs and travelling to and from marathon
locations. His average finishing time for the seven marathons was 4:40:51.

After finishing, Richard wanted to
say thank you to everybody that followed and supported him, and who made
contributions to GOAL. “I am also extremely grateful to the measurers and
support crews in each location for their hospitality and for making the effort
possible. Finally, apologies to the Australian Border Control agent for causing
alarm when answering what countries I visited in the previous six days!”

Go to www.worldmarathonchallenge.com to find out more about
Richard’s run.

White
bread, brown bread, in fact any bread… more often than not it is blamed for
many health problems, including weight-gain and gastrointestinal discomfort. Although
bread can be a contributing culprit, it is not the only food item that can be
blamed, and I strongly believe that bread in moderation – and the right type –
can be part of a healthy balanced diet.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS

The
human body is designed to run on carbohydrate and naturally has a ‘sweet
tooth’. However, humans have found a way to cheat nature and isolate the
sweetness of foods, but these foods are too sweet for our bodies to handle. All
forms of concentrated sugar – white sugar, brown sugar, malt, glucose, honey
and syrup – are fast-releasing, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar levels.
This sugar is not required by the body and eventually the excess sugar is
stored as fat. Most concentrated sugar is also devoid of vitamins and minerals,
which can lead to altered metabolism, low energy and weight problems. Refined
carbs such as white bread, white rice and refined cereals have a similar effect,
releasing sugar into the blood rapidly and causing your blood sugar balance to
soar and drop.

Balancing
your blood sugar is probably the most important factor in maintaining even
energy levels and weight. If your blood sugar level (glucose) is too high, the
body converts excess energy to glycogen (short-term glucose storage) or fat
(long-term glucose storage). When levels are too low we experience symptoms of
fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, nervousness, depression, sweating,
headaches, digestive problems and hunger. If you control your blood sugar, you
have more stable energy levels and can control your appetite and weight.

FOOD INTOLERANCE/SENSITIVITY

One
of the most common ways we now eat carbs is in the form of grains, especially
wheat. We eat cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner,
which all contain wheat. The most common protein in wheat is gluten, and gliadin,
a sub-set of gluten, is found to be a common intestinal irritant and can cause
allergic reactions. So that is one of the reasons people feel so much
‘lighter’, less flatulent, and higher in energy, when they reduce their bread
intake.

ARE ALL BREADS EQUAL?

Some
bread is made from more refined white flours versus whole grain, more complex
starches that result in a slower release of glucose into the blood and thus
don’t surge blood sugar levels. Also, different types of grains contain
different amounts of gliadin. For example, the flour made from the grain of
oats does not contain gliadin and thus is less irritating on the gut. In
general, the more whole grain and less refined the bread, the better.

HOW MUCH BREAD IS OK?

Everyone
has a personal tolerance of how much gluten/wheat they can digest without
getting symptomatic. The same goes with maintaining blood sugar levels: If you
eat too much (even if it’s slow releasing carbs) at one setting, the load of
sugar is going to be too much, resulting in too much glucose in the blood,
causing rollercoaster blood sugar levels.

Generally,
a good rule of thumb is never eat more than two slices of bread per day, and try
not to do so every day. If you are going to eat bread, choose more
complex, unrefined sorts like bread made of whole grain rye and oats. Remember,
balance is key!

Growing up in Natal,
it was a yearly ritual to support the Comrades runners, with everyone in the
house getting up early to watch the start and spending the day in front of the
television waiting to cheer on the final runners before that gun went off.
Also, my mother came from runners and my dad was a runner, so I knew about
Comrades before I even knew what a marathon was, but I was a swimmer until 2009,
when I thought it would be a fantastic idea to run Comrades in 2010 and stay
for the Soccer World Cup.

However,
living in Australia
and training for Comrades is honestly one of the most mentally challenging
quests I have ever done. One of the main reasons for that was the lack of major
running clubs like you get in South
Africa, and being so far away from the
build-up to Comrades, so it was hard to find that drive that has to be the
core, I think, for every runner wanting to be involved in Comrades.

So when I
crossed that finish line in Durban,
in a time of 10:32, the first thought that entered my head was that I needed to
do it again. A sub-9:00 Bill Rowan medal had been my goal, and being the
stubborn person I am, when it comes to achieving personal goals it becomes my
number one priority. Therefore, my goal for 2011 was a sub-9:00. I thought
about it a million times a day and talked to my girlfriend (now fianc?) and my
friends about it daily!

DOING IT RIGHT

My training
started a lot earlier this time round and mental preparation was a main goal. I
started running 10km three times a week in August, with the intention to qualify
at the Sydney Marathon in mid-September. However, it happened to be the
Oktoberfest in Sydney
on the Saturday, so we decided to have one cheeky beer… and I ended up being
very sick in the hotel room until the early hours of the morning! I managed to
finish in 4:28, but will never again go to Oktoberfest the day before a
marathon!

By the start
of January I had only about 300km under the belt, partly due to laziness, but
also because it was difficult to get motivated with no running clubs in my area
who train for marathons, never mind double marathons! And trying to find a
training partner for a Sunday 40km long run in the hot and humid Australian
summer was a joke. I was finding it a lot tougher than the previous year, it
was more mentally challenging with the boredom and time spent alone – and it
was going to get a lot worse with what was in store for me.

I got to
March and was having niggling problems with my shins, calves and hamstrings, but
deep tissue massage seemed to help and I finally ran got another qualifying
marathon under the belt, running 3:48 at the Caboolture Marathon. A very
interesting marathon, running loops of 500m around an old village and then
every hour they would alternate the direction. Good group of people that made
the night memorable and having such a short course was great for spectators.

Then, early
one Sunday morning, I was up at 4am for a 60km long run, but I only got to 3km.
I wanted to do 60km because I had missed a few long runs and my confidence was
down, so I needed to finish a massive run to believe I can do it. But the pain in
my left shin was just too sore to keep running and it was the longest, hardest
walk home. Shin splints was my initial thought, so I saw a sports
physiotherapist, who referred me to a sports doctor with a note saying “possible
fractures in left tibia.” I had an MRI and they found a bad hairline fracture
about three-quarters the length of my tibia. The doctor said it looked like I
had been “running on a broken leg” for quite a while, and I must stop running
for at least six weeks, but this was just nine weeks till Comrades, and I did
not take it well…

NOT BEATEN YET!

Where there
is a will, there is a way! So I found a podiatrist after my stubborn side
kicked in and he asked me, “Do you want to do Comrades?” and I said “I’m
finishing Comrades!” He agreed to help me and told me about water running and
low-resistance cycling to keep the cardio training up while I couldn’t run. He
also needled my legs to introduce more bloodflow for increased healing. I researched
water running, found myself a floating belt, and a week after I had seen the
doctor and stopped running, I was water running.

WOW, water
running is not a sport to get inspired by or think it will move you mentally,
but if this is what it would take, then I was doing it. It was a 25m pool with
a clock at one end. The first couple of laps were not too bad and I felt like I
was getting a workout, but by the tenth lap time stood still and my mind
wondered… From then on, I don’t know what people passing by would have thought,
but I hit the pool with a running hat on and my ipod tucked under the hat, with
my running shoes, going for gold in the pool! If this training did not work
that great for actual Comrades training, then at least it made me mentally
stronger. Or insane.

BIG DAY ARRIVES

About a week
before I left for South Africa, I managed to smash out 5km on grass, which
really felt good and gave me that boost of confidence that I needed, but in the
back of my mind I knew there was still another 80km on top of that to go. I got
to South Africa
a week before Comrades and stayed with family in Westville, where I managed
another 5km, this time on tar. The night before the race, I prepared everything,
slept well, and in the morning my mother drove me down to the start in Durban. I was feeling a
little nervous, but good. Then, watching other runners getting out of their
cars, I noticed their running chips on their shoes… My language was not for
any mother to hear, let alone my own, but somehow we got to Westville and back in
time for the start!

I felt great
for about 25km, but then came a twinge in the right hamstring that would never
go away. When I got to Pinetown it dawned on me that the sub-9 was unfortunately
going to remain a dream. Every marker I would try work out what my finishing
time would be if I kept at that pace and the whole day then became about
running, maths and urination. I think I must have the smallest bladder in the
world when it comes to Comrades! By the time I got to halfway I was knackered,
mentally and physically, but knowing that I had my family and friends there on
the day and my fianc? in Australia
watching on the Comrades website and texting me, kept me going.

Polly Shorts
just never ended, and at the top my time was really tight to get to the end
under 11 hours and get another bronze – I would have to run the last 7.5km to
make it. As if I had not had enough stress for the day – or the past nine weeks
– here I was worrying about the medal I got… but that’s what happens at
Comrades, and I made it in 10:54.

I am now taking
a break from Comrades, but find it hard thinking that I am not doing Comrades 2012.
I will try reach my Green Number, because I think that is the pinnacle of the
sport. Comrades is a bug and you just have to keep doing it until you are
cured!

With catchy
songs like Push me to the Floor and Life Design, The Parlotones have made a
name for themselves on the world stage. The band, made up of lead singer Kahn
Morbee, drummer Neil Pauw, guitarist Paul Hodgson and bassist Glenn Hodgson,
have won several South African Music Awards (SAMA’s), MTV Africa and MK music
awards for Best Video, Best Group and Best Rock Band. However, their popularity
and iconic status have not gone to their heads – they are giving back and as
part of their social responsibility have decided to climb Kilimanjaro in March
to raise awareness of the abuse of women and children.

“This is
special for us to be a part of,” says Paul. “Kilimanjaro will be a unique
experience and we will be bringing awareness to the injustice of abuse against
women. It’s a social issue that’s still in our culture today.”

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The band
will be joining a host of other celebrities and media personalities to climb
from 5-9 March. The climb, organised by the UN, will highlight the
“Africa-UNiTE ‘Speak out Climb up to end Violence against Women and Girls’
campaign. This initiative was started to rally society in eradicating violence
and abuse against women. “The issue won’t just go away by climbing a mountain,”
explains Paul, “but if we can’t solve everything, some change will be
significant in the long run. We can’t just do nothing about the issue. We’ll
look back 10 years on and see how things have changed – even if it’s small.”

The band
has already been involved in numerous charities and awareness campaigns, such
as Earth Hour, Carbon Free, a Japan Earthquake Relief Fundraiser, United
Against Malaria and The Starfish Foundation (a charity for orphaned children).
Paul explains that with a public image comes a public responsibility: “You have
to give back. We don’t go along to our shows and preach to our fans about
social causes. People see what we’re doing and follow on. When you give back in
any way, you grow as a human being.”

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

The
Parlotones have recently been on a US
tour before coming back to Africa in March for
the climb. While their training guide recommends eight weeks of training, Paul
says they have not had much time for training. “We probably have a good two to
three weeks,” he laughs. “We don’t know what to expect at all. We’ve done
adventure stuff like sky-diving and bungee jumping, but climbing is different.”

The band
has fit in several hikes and are taking time out on as many outdoor trails as
they can. “We’ve learnt to hike regularly, going up and down to get used to the
impact on the legs. We have learnt to keep our endurance up, because soon we’ll
be climbing and walking five to six hours at a time. Neil, the drummer, is
probably in the best shape out of us all, because he runs and walks regularly.”

Mount Kilimanjaro is 5 895m above sea level, so Paul is weary about
altitude factors. “We have to be fit, but also we don’t know what to expect
from being at such a high altitude. It’s a weird thing, because some people get
affected and some don’t. Your mind can just switch off and some can’t go
further, so we’ll have to prepare for anything.” The UN has also sent the band
various checklists and recommendations for the climb. Apart from a training
schedule, there is a list of things to bring along like proper hiking boots,
weather-proof jackets for inconsistent weather, thick, breathable socks, and
walking sticks.

LOOKING TO 2012

While the
band sees the climb as a big adventure and important part of their social
responsibility, their new album, Journey Through
the Shadows, to be released by beginning April, also pays tribute to social
causes, because certain issues need to come out from the shadows in order to
move forward. “The new album has The Parlotones vibe, but we go in different
directions. It’s exciting and it’s definitely our best work yet,” says Paul,
who adds that the band is planning to tour the US again, but will also travel
South Africa to promote their new material while making sure their public
persona continues to make people aware of social issues.

The opening ceremony of the
Games will take place on 27 July and the Games will run for two weeks, ending
on 12 August. It promises to be a spectacular event, with 26 sports broken down
into a total of 39 disciplines that will be contested by the world’s best. From
all corners of the globe, the race for spots on the various countries’ Olympic
teams is hotting up as athletes try to make the qualifying standards.

In South Africa, according to
SASCOC, the final date for Games qualification is 31 May, but various codes
have other qualification cut-offs. “We have spent many hours investing in our
sports stars and hopefully we will reap some of those rewards in London. Many
of the codes are busy with their final qualifying preparations right now,” says
SASCOC Chief Executive Officer Mr Tubby Reddy.

Amongst our
hopeful Olympians are some of the best long distance runners in the country,
and Modern Athlete caught up with
three of them: Coolboy Ngamole and Ren? Kalmer, who have both already qualified
for the Olympic marathon, as well as Irvette van Blerk, who is hoping to
qualify next month.

IRVETTE VAN BLERK

One of our
country’s top half marathon athletes, Irvette decided last year to take on the
marathon distance in order to make the Olympic team. Though she has been
training for this distance, she has not yet completed a marathon – her first
marathon was going to be the Soweto Marathon in November, but after an
unfortunate fall in the early stages, she had to withdraw later in the race.
She now has her eyes set on qualifying for the Games at the upcoming London
Marathon in April, where she hopes to run the required sub-2:37 qualifying
time.

“I am
nervous with it being my first marathon. Soweto was not the best of
experiences, but luckily I have recovered from all injuries and I am ready for
this new challenge. I believe in myself and would like to enjoy every minute of
the experience in London.” She will be accompanied to the London Marathon by
fianc? and Olympic 400m hurdles hopeful LJ van Zyl. “LJ is also a big
motivation to qualify. It will be very special for both of us to share an
experience such as the Olympic Games.”

Irvette will
be jetting off to New York to run the New York Half Marathon on 18 March. “That
is where I set my PB of 70:56 last year!” And just like most athletes, she is
dreaming of an Olympic medal, but at the same time she is realistic and says if
she does qualify, she will aim for a PB at the Games.

REN? KALMER

She is one
of our country’s best known and most loved female athletes. After a career of some
15 years mainly focussing on the 1 500m on the track as well as shorter road
distances, she decided to shift focus to the marathon last year. Her biggest
breakthrough yet was recently when she ran a 2:29 marathon in Yokohama, Japan,
and qualified for the Games.

“I am very
happy that I made the switch to the marathon distance last year already,
because I underestimated the distance! With my performance in Yokohama I proved
that I can compete internationally. I am convinced that I can still run much
faster.”

Marathon
athletes have until 30 April to qualify for the Games, whereafter a team of three
athletes will be chosen. “Till now I am the only SA women who has qualified,
but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be a full women’s team
representing South Africa. I don’t think a full SA women’s team has ever been
chosen, so it will be fantastic if another two women can qualify.”

Ren? will
soon be in action in London and Japan as a pacemaker. The first race is the
Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan. “I need to run at 3:25min/km pace and have to
pace between the 15km and 25km mark.” In April she is off to London to help
those trying to qualify in under 2:28. “This is going to be such great
experience in the build-up to the Games.”

Having been
part of the Olympic team in 2008 in Beijing, Ren? says this time around she
knows what to expect. She does not plan to run another full marathon before the
Games, as it takes too much out of one. “I am concentrating 100% on the Games.
I will be running a few local races, such as the Two Oceans Half Marathon and
the Spar Women’s series.” As for the Games, she says she is hoping to be
competitive. “I am hoping for a PB, everything thereafter is a bonus.”

COOLBOY NGAMOLE

The reigning SA Marathon Champ took much of the pressure off
himself this year by already qualifying for the Games last year, when he flew
home in a personal best time of 2:10:43 in Valencia, Spain, in November. Another
four of our male marathon runners have already run sub-2:15 qualifying times
for the Olympics: Lusapho April (2:11:09), Stephen Mokoka (2:10:29), Hendrick
Ramaala (2:12:22) and Othaniel Phahlane (2:14:55). It is up to SASCOC to decide
who makes the team.

Coolboy seems a certain pick and
says he is very excited about the prospect. “I am very happy with my training
up to now. I have no injuries and am feeling good.” He plans to run some track
and field events leading up to the Games. “I also want to focus on some 10km
and 21km races to build up some speed,” he says.

Unsurprisingly, he admits that
he dreams of winning an Olympic medal, but right now his biggest goal is just
making the team and representing South Africa in London on the world’s biggest
sporting stage.

Gary Player, or the
golfing legend better known as The Black Knight, has travelled 25 million
kilometres in 58 years, playing the sport he so passionately loves. Hard to
believe, but Gary initially did not think much of golf. “My father took me out
to a golf course when I was a young man to introduce me to the true gentlemen’s
game. The first thing that came to mind was: ‘This game is for sissies!’ But
once the bug bit, that was it for me. I have lived most of my life in hotels
and motels. It has been an exciting life, but a difficult life too… how I
longed for my family.” Today Gary makes up for all that lost time by spending
as much quality time with his wife, Vivienne, six children and 21 grandchildren,
all of whom he adores.

Gary’s father was a
great inspiration and big influence in his life. He was the one who motivated Gary to create a brand for himself, while Gary’s son Marc also helped improve his brand
dramatically. His nickname Black Knight was inspired by a television programme
called Have Gun Will Travel. Gary was intrigued with the show, which was
about a man dressed in black who helped a lot of people. This inspired Gary to
wear black at most of his tournaments. Soon enough the media named him The
Black Knight and the name stuck. Today his son Marc keeps Black Knight
International running, with Gary Player
Design, Player Real Estate and Black Knight Enterprises all part of a company
that does licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia
throughout the world.

EARLY YEARS

Gary won his first
golf tournament in Benoni in 1953, at the age of 18. “My father was waiting for
me at the 18^th green to see my victory. Here was a 6 foot 2 inch man
crying like a puppy! My father was not a wealthy man, and to see his son
winning and becoming a possible champion was an emotional moment in his life.”

Gary is one of only
five golfers, and the only non-American, to have completed a Career Grand Slam by
winning all four Majors tournaments, the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship
in the USA, and the Open Championship (British Open) in the UK. He is also the
only golfer to complete a Career Grand Slam on the regular and Senior tours. “The
Senior Tour was way harder as I took part in it after the age of 50 and needed
to be highly disciplined with my training and nutrition regime to be at the top
of my game. One thing is for sure, I was the fittest senior,” chuckles Gary,
who has nine Majors to
his name and has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades. He was
inducted into the World Golf Hall of
Fame in 1974.

Golf is a tough
sport and Gary says it has taught him many lessons over the years. For example,
if you arrive late for a game you get a two-shot penalty. “But golf has also
taught me a lot about life, to respect people as I respect my opponents, and
most of all to have patience. I had school colours in rugby, cricket and
athletics, so I know what sport is about, but no other game has taught me as
much about life as golf has. It’s a true test of dedication, hard work and
patience.”

LIFE TODAY

Gary is not only an excellent golfer,
but also a successful businessman. He believes it is important to surround
himself with capable people to assist him. He is especially passionate about
his racehorse farm in the Karoo, and is not afraid to get his hands dirty while
spending time there. He has built an amazing set-up for his thoroughbred breeding
operation and takes pride in his well-bred stock and beautiful stud farm. He
says the Karoo remains his favourite place in the world.

He is also famous for designing
world renowned golf courses and the most recent course he completed is the
captivating Saadiyat Beach course on the beachfront in Abu Dhabi. This course
was recognised as the “Best Golf Course” in the Middle
East & Africa at the 2010 CNBC Property Awards. Gary’s favourite designs
are the Gary Player
Country Club, The Links, Leopard Creek and Blair Athol. Another favourite to
play is Augusta in the USA, where the Masters takes place.

Gary also does a lot of work amongst
the underprivileged youth and has raised vast amounts of money around the world
that has been used to improve the lives of thousands of people. His lifestyle
and commitment has been an inspiration to many young sportsmen, and he still
travels all over the world working on his charities, but admits that at the age
of 76 it is starting to tell on him.

FITNESS AND NUTRITION

Gary says the recipe to his success
and being at the top of his game for so long was a mixture of his exercise
regime, hard work, belief in himself, having good faith, a great wife, family
and friends, sleeping well and having a good sense of humour. “Above all, I
never gave up!”

“Before my brother went to war at
the age of 17, he told me to never stop exercising, and that’s basically what I
did, and am planning to do the rest of my life. I will never stop working. You
don’t retire, you simply work less.” Today, Gary still believes in healthy
living. He does 1 000 sit-ups four times a week and spends his time running on
a treadmill, alternating his running speed. On top of this, he does stretching
and weight training almost every day of the week and says he will beat 80% of
20-year-olds in a fitness competition.

He believes that the key to a
healthy mind and body lies in the way you eat and the amount of exercise you do,
and says that diabetes, cancer and heart attacks are some of the world’s
biggest threats. “Only one out of 5 000 people will do anything about their
health and lifestyle to avoid these fatal diseases. They spend more on their
cars than they do on their bodies!”

WISE WORDS

“Stay away from high-sugar and fatty
foods. Remember, once you are 10 pounds overweight, you are in deep trouble.
What you consume contributes enormously to diseases like diabetes, heart
attacks and cancer. About 80% of athletes today use performance-enhancing
medicines and most of them will be sorry when they get older. When you eat a
well-balanced diet consisting of all the nutrients you need, you do not need to
use any performance enhancers. Unfortunately, we can’t stop this, as the
rewards for excelling are so big.”

Gary rarely eats meat, doesn’t drink
milk, avoids dairy and does not eat bacon. He eats a small amount of butter and
he likes to fill up on carbohydrates. “My only weakness is eating sweets. I eat
sweets four days a week, but I am trying to cut down!” He also feels people eat
far too much protein, and says it would be far better to eat a plant-based diet
as far as possible. Depending on his travelling schedule, he tries to have
juiced green vegetables every day as he believes that this is one of the great
secrets of good health and that the next big advances in athletic performance will
be dietary.

LOOKING AHEAD

When asked if he had one wish for
South Africa his response is: “A crime-free country, employment and a good
education for all, mutual respect and tolerance for each other, and unity
amongst us all. And we need to work together to eradicate AIDS in our wonderful
country.”

In 1982,
Ann Margolin and her husband Issy ran an 8km training run, and along the way they
met a man who went on and on about marathons. On that day, Ann ‘beat’ the
marathon enthusiast and thought that she could continue her newfound love by
running longer races. “I love the open air and I love the feeling of being so
free.” says Ann, still just as excited about her running as she was nearly 30
years ago.

She
embraced the Two Oceans and Comrades ultras, and and
singles the Comrades out as her greatest feat till now. She says she thrives on
the self-discipline this gruelling race requires. “I’ve never shown up
unprepared. You have to do your homework at Comrades,” says Ann, who describes
the atmosphere at the race as “infectious”. Last year, when she could not run due
to injury and attended Comrades as a VIP guest instead, she was amazed at the
continuous anticipation created. “I can sense the build-up even on the
sidelines. Some finish and it’s like they haven’t been affected at all,” she
laughs, “they just smile and wave. But I think it infects all walks of life.”

RESCUED BY COMRADES

Ann says
that Comrades has been her saviour after being diagnosed with cancer in
late 2008 and undergoing unsuccessful surgery in early 2009. She was determined
to run the Comrades again just a few months later, even though she couldn’t
train properly. She says her mental attitude was not right for surgery, but she
was still plotting her running times, and was determined to finish the race
after having to overcome her diagnosis. “I needed to finish it to put life into
perspective for me,” explains Ann. “I finished three minutes earlier than I
planned. A calm came over me. At that moment, I knew I needed to accept what
had happened and carry on.” Acoording to Ann, that Comrades was her turning
point, ab she calls it her “leveller’, because that day everything “just
clicked.”

Her tremendous courage was recognised when she was
presented with a Goldfields
Spirit of Comrades Award in 2009 and was made to feel like a celebrity. “It was
like I was floating on a cloud. I told my family that all I wanted to do was bottle this
feeling forever,” says Ann.

DEALING WITH INJURY

Over the
past year or so, Cape Town-based Ann has been dealing with an injury that’s
kept her out of running. “I’ve been banging my head against the wall over this.
After a run, my back is in agony and no one can really pinpoint the cause,” she
explains. In 2010, Ann hurt her back while doing strength training and tried to
ignore it, but after that year’s Comrades, she had done further damage. “If I
run now I get sore, but I am not going to give up on this,” says Ann, who
remains positive and still hopes to complete her 30^th Two Oceans in
April.

Most
frustratingly, Ann says her injury has kept her from training with Issy, who
like her also runs for Celtic Harriers these days after they both moved across
from Acsis VOB a few years back. She remembers one year running the whole
Comrades with Issy, from start to finish, and crossing the finish line hand in
hand – a rare feat for couples running the Big C together. “It’s a huge
motivation when you’re with the other, and you forget about your tiredness,” says
Ann.

Although
sad about not being able to run Comrades this year, Ann is still happy to lend
her wisdom to other runners, particularly when it comes to telling them to look
after their bodies, “Don’t do too much too soon,” she says, “think about what lies
ahead, and that you need to leave some of yourself in the kitty to run further
on in life. Don’t use all your power at once.”

Through the
years of running, Ann has overcome hardship, showing that nothing is impossible
if you keep on believing. And she says she is not going anywhere – running is
in her blood and she is prepared to rise above her injury. Hopefully we’ll see
her and Issy finish hand in hand at many a future finish line.

The parkrun
idea was born from misery. When South African expat Paul Sinton-Hewitt was
training for the London Marathon in 2004, he over-cooked the training and ended
up with a serious injury. But once a runner, always a runner, and Paul decided
to do something that would keep him involved in running – and something that
had not been done before in England.

“I
remembered the Rocky Road Runners Time Trial that takes place every Saturday
morning. The simplicity of turning up without pre-registering, taking part and
then recording your own name in the results when you finished was the starting
point for parkrun. I wanted a weekly event over a short distance that didn’t
need much in the way of volunteers, and where the results would be universally
available so that runners could compare their performances,” says Paul.

Paul
organised his first parkrun in October 2004 in Bushy
Park, London, with 13 runners and the first two
years were used to learn what worked. In January 2007 the second event was
introduced, and by then Paul knew there would be more. “Since then I have been
overjoyed by the uptake from the communities across the world.”

PARK WHAT?

?        
The
distance is 5km as this is a manageable distance for most, yet it is a distance
that even elites can use to work on their speed.

?        
No
traffic cops are required as the runs take place inside parks or nature
reserves, in open fields or on seaside promenades.

?        
People
of all ages and abilities can take part – even Olympians have joined in – but
the main goal is to get first-time runners involved. Therefore, most runs start
at 9am on Saturday mornings.

?        
All
you have to do is register online and receive a barcode which you will keep
forever and can use worldwide.

?        
The
runs only get cancelled due to bad weather or when major events are held in the
chosen park.

?        
No
water tables are provided, which means minimum staff. You take your own water
bottle and run or walk with it, or leave it at the finish area.

BRINGING IT HOME

Bruce ran
the London Marathon
last year and met up with his old friend Paul, who had been one of his seconds
during his Comrades heyday, and who now invited him to a parkrun. “It was the
day before the marathon. When I saw about 250 people lining up, I thought these
youngsters are not going to beat me! I finished 18^th that day.”

Bruce was
hooked and started chatting to Paul about bringing the concept to South Africa. The
first parkrun SA was held at Delta Park in Johannesburg
in November, with 11 runners. Since then, more than 200 runners have registered
and regularly run the Delta
Park course. Bruce’s
wife, Gill, is administering the parkrun SA website and is in the process of
training volunteers to help her.

“This is
such a great concept!” says Bruce. “Even guys who travel to SA on business have
joined our parkruns, as they don’t want to miss out on accumulating as many as
possible. The great thing about park running is that it offers something for
everybody.”

THE INS AND OUTS

One of
the best things about parkrun is the ‘no fuss’ system. You simply pitch up,
listen to a few safety announcements and off you go! And within 20 minutes of the last runner finishing, everything is packed
up and the area is cleared. The only bit of administration is the barcode,
which records what position you finish in. Then within an hour of running, you
can compare your time and ranking online against fellow runners, those in your
age group and even those that ran worldwide on the same day, says Gill.

Regular runners are rewarded with a
red 50 T-shirt while those who complete 100 parkruns receive a Black 100
T-shirt.

“The
simplicity of the parkrun formula and the fact that we are free to everyone to
take part is the winning recipe. Everything we do is without commercial bias.
Of course, it costs money to build an organisation and have so many events, and
for that we need sponsors. However, we have crafted a careful, respectful
relationship with our sponsors and backers, so that the commercial aspect is
underplayed,” says Paul.

WHAT
YOU WAITING FOR?

Parkrun is set to take SA by storm,
says Bruce. He has had many queries from runners wanting to start parkruns in
their local communities and neighbourhoods. “I believe park running is the
nursery for many a good runner.”

Paul agrees
and says with such a large active community in South Africa and with so many folks
finding it difficult to cover the costs of paid-for races, this formula will be
successful. “All I have ever wanted for parkrun was that we offer people a
chance to better themselves. Parkrun builds communities, and while it is doing
this, people become fitter, healthier and develop better friendships.”

For more information,
visit www.parkrun.co.za