Category: Racing

South African runners really are blessed with a terrific race calendar, with so many great races to do, so check out these events for the coming month, including road and trail runs as well as other running disciplines, and make your racing plans! – BY TOM COTTRELL AND SEAN FALCONER

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GAUTENG: CENTRAL GAUTENG

Sunday 6 December
Soul City Half Marathon & 10km, Katlehong, 7am, Arnold Rathutulu 079 135 4566

Wednesday 9 December
Jackal's Night Trail Run Series #8, Jackal Creek Golf Estate, Boundary Road, Northriding, Johannesburg, 7:45pm, Race Organiser 011 053 9153 (W)

Sunday 13 December
Orlando Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Orlando Communal Hall, opposite Orlando Stadium, Soweto, 6am, Johannes Mashigo 073 944 2571

Wednesday 16 December
Wobblers & Wigglers Hat Race Fun Run 7.8km, Pirates Club, Braeside Road, Greenside, 8am, Ainsley Williams 083 235 2118

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GAUTENG: GAUTENG NORTH

Saturday 5 December
Great Weskoppies Series #4 10km & 6km, Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, Ketjen Street, Pretoria West, 7am, Race Secretary 076 480 3435

Sunday 6 December
Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series #4 13.8km & 8.7km, Leeuwenkloof, Broederstroom, 7am & 7:21am, Race Secretary 072 438 3242 NEW DATE – WAS 29 NOVEMBER

Saturday 12 December
Nedbank Skosana Legend 10km, 5km & Street Mile, Pretoria Correctional Services, Kgosi Mampuru Street, Pretoria, 6:30am & 8:30am (mile), Enoch Skosana 082 825 8001

Wednesday 16 December
Silverton Live Running 25km, 12.5km & 5km, Voortrekker Park, Jasmyn & Van Wyk Streets, Silverton, Pretoria, 6am, Peter Mokhare 082 968 1150

Wednesday 31 December
Cid to Cid Old Year's Race 10km & 5km, Rietondale Park, Van Der Merwe Street, Pretoria, 5pm, Daan du Toit 082 572 4169

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GAUTENG: VAAL TRIANGLE

Thursday 31 December
Nedbank Ou Jaar's Party 10km, 8km, 6km, 4km & 2km, Kollegepark Primary School, cnr. Theo Wassenaar & Generaal Froneman, Vanderbijlpark, 6pm, Dawid Jordaan 082 364 1954

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WESTERN CAPE: BOLAND

Saturday 5 December
Full Stride Summer Trail Run 15km, 12.5km, 7.5km & 5km, Dirtopia Trail Centre, Delvera Farm, on R44 about 10km from Stellenbosch, 7am, 7:15am, 7:30am & 7:45am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (W)

Wednesday 9 December
Extreme Lights Night Run Series 11km & 6km, Knorhoek Wine Estate, Knorhoek Road, off R44 about 12km from Stellenbosch, 7:30pm & 7:45pm, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (W)
Lusan Night Run Series #3 10km & 5km, Neethlingshof Wine Estate, on M12 Stellenbosch Arterial Road, near Stellenbosch, 7pm & 7:15pm, Amoija Events 083 267 8164

Saturday 12 December
United Bulk Prison-to-Prison Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Brandvlei Correctional Services, Brandvlei Dam (between Rawsonville and Worcester), 5:30am, Kosie Botha 083 991 3915

Sunday 13 December
Falke Trilogy Trail Run 15km, 10km & 5km, Warwick Wine Estate, on R44 about 10km from Stellenbosch, 7am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (W)

Saturday 19 December
Onrus 10km & 6km, Milkwood Restaurant, Onrus River Beach, 7am, Carina van der Merwe 082 823 8632
Baytown 12km & 6km, Miems Restaurant, Pringle Bay, 8am, Sonja du Toit 084 850 0681

Saturday 26 December
Betty's Bay Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Bettys Bay Boat Club, Stony Point, 7am, Race Secretary 079 413 6610

Thursday 31 December
Danger Point Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Gansbaai Primary School, Main Street, Gansbaai, 7am, Boats van Staden 072 789 3627

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WESTERN CAPE: SOUTH WESTERN DISTRICTS

Saturday 5 December
Mossel Bay Mall Add Hope Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Mossel Bay, cnr Louis Fourie & Melkhout Streets, Heiderand, Mossel Bay, 5:30am, Antoinette du Preez 071 549 4000

Wednesday 9 December
Love Life Run 10km & 3km, Wilderness Green, in front of Wilderness Hotel, 6pm, Helena Ferreira 076 593 9636 NEW DATE – WAS 10 OCTOBER
Ernst Louw Memorial 10km & 4.5km CANCELLED

Saturday 12 December
Palm Tyres Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Palm Tyres, Courtenay Street, George, 7am, Alf Zemke 083 650 5098

Wednesday 16 December
Knysna Marathon Club Nite 10km & 5km, Loerie Park Sports Complex, George Rex Drive, Knysna, 6pm, Margi O’Connor 072 330 2593

Saturday 19 December
Somerson Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Diaz Beach, Mossel Bay, 6am, Jacob Karelse 073 081 7484
Wolwedans Trail Run 12km & 2km, Kleynfontein Lapa, Jonkersberg, Great Brak River, 8am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022 NEW DATE – WAS 24 JANUARY
Attakwas Trail Run 29km & 7.5km, Paardebont, Oudtshoorn to Bonniedale Guest Farm, Mossel Bay, 8am & 8:30am, Linda Durand 044 279 1013 (W)

Monday 21 December
The Wreck Challenge Trail Fun Run 4.5km & 1.5km, Glentana Main Beach, Glentana, halfway between Mossel Bay and George, 8:30am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

Wednesday 23 December
Mossel Bay Nite 10km & 4km, Correctional Services, Mossel Bay, 6pm, Jacob Karelse 073 081 7484

Saturday 26 December
Total Great Brak River Moordkuil 15km & 4.5km Trail Run, Friemersheim Sports Ground, Great Brak River, 7am, Pierre van Schalkwyk 082 771 5562

Sunday 27 December
Coreen Fourie Eco-Adventure 5km, Bat Cave, St Blaize, Mossel Bay, 7am, Pierre van Schalkwyk 082 771 5562

Wednesday 30 December
Pennypinchers 14km & 5km Trail Run, NMMU Saasveld Campus, Saasveld Road, George, 8am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

Thursday 31 December
Swift Engineering Oujaarsdraffie 10km & 5km, Hartenbos Ampitheatre, 7am, Nerida Lubbe 074 589 5361
Stilbaai NSRI 10km, NSRI Building, Stilbaai Harbour, Nico Steenekamp 083 264 3071

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WESTERN CAPE: WESTERN PROVINCE

Wednesday 2 December
Metropolitan 10km, Parc du Cap, Mispel Road, Bellville, 6:30pm, Race Organiser 071 149 5765

Saturday 5 December
Beachcomber 15km & 5km PLUS 10km Walk, Strandfontein Sports Field, Spine Road, Mitchells Plain, 7am & 7:30am PLUS 7:10am, Pro Arumugam 082 926 5840

Sunday 7 December
ACSA 10km, Cape Town Airport, 7am, Jennifer Smith 082 377 4717

Wednesday 9 December
Correctional Services Night 10km, Pollsmoor Correctional Facility, Tokai, 6:30pm, Sipho Sithole 072 312 4489

Saturday 12 December
Avbob 15km, Pick n Pay Shopping Centre, cnr. Blaauwberg & Otto du Plessis Road, Table View, 6am, Leon Thelander 083 999 6450

Wednesday 16 December
RCS Gugulethu Reconciliation Day 10km & 4.2km, NY49 Stadium, Gugulethu, 7am & 7:10am, Marshall Moiloa 084 650 8758

Thursday 17 December
Growthpoint Properties Sundowner 10km, V&A Waterfront (outside Table Bay Hotel), Cape Town, 6:15pm, Top Events 021 511 7130

Saturday 19 December
Velocity Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km PLUS 10km Walk, Silverstroomstrand, 5:30am, 6am, 6:15am PLUS 6:35am Mario Philander 072 254 1880

Saturday 26 December
Tokai Manor House 16km, Chrysalis Academy, Old Porter School Rugby Fields, Porter Estate, Tokai, 6:30am, Laura Hiddleston 083 964 1756

Thursday 31 December
Runners' Memorial 8km, Greenpoint Lighthouse, Mouille Point, 6pm, Stephan Roux 082 433 0230

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KWAZULU-NATAL

Saturday 5 December
KZNTR Summer Series #3 22km, 12km & 6km, Hilton College Sports Centre, near Pietermaritzburg, 7:30am, Lauren Booth 082 791 7069

Sunday 6 December
Bearing Man Stainbank Cup 15km PLUS 10km Walk, Yellowwood Park Sports Club, Swallow Road, Pelican Place, Durban, 6am, Fred Schoon 083 384 4053
Stihl Sharks Trail Adventure 18km & 9km, Summerveld, near Shongweni Dam, 6:30am & 7am, ROAG Events 086 100 7624

Thursday 10 December
Giba Monthly Night Trail 10km & 5km, Giba Gorge, 6:30pm, Lauren Booth 082 791 7069

Sunday 13 December
Illovo Sugar 15km Christmas Challenge, Westvillle Athletic Club, 123 Maryvale Road (opposite the Westville Prison), 6am, Sharon Schubach 082 414 1783
Summer Umhlanga Festival Trail Run 18km, 12km & 6km, Millennium Stage, Umhlanga Promenade, 6am, Buzz Bolton 082 956 1608

Wednesday 16 December
Mandela Day of Reconciliation 10km, Kings Park Athletics Stadium, Durban, 6:30am, Anand Naicker 083-7836363

Sunday 20 December
The Big Hill Run Half Marathon & 10km, Sugar Rush, 6am, Barry Holland 083 252 0691

Wednesday 23 December
Ballito Night Trail 10km & 5km, Holla Trails, Ballito, 6:30pm, Lauren Booth 082 791 7069

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FREE STATE
No races scheduled for this period

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EASTERN CAPE: BORDER

Satuday 12 December
Kempston Hogsback Trail Run Half Marathon, 10km & 3km, Arminel Hotel, Hogsback, 8:30am, Sharon Eldridge 083 284 3781

Sunday 13 December
Jingle Bells 5km Charity Fun Walk CANCELLED

Sunday 27 December
Haga-Haga Hotel Trail 21km, 10km & 5km, Haga-Haga, 70km north of East London, 7:30am, Liam Victor 082 927 3395

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EASTERN CAPE: EASTERN PROVINCE

Saturday 5 December
Aspen PE City Marathon, 10km & 5km, NG Kerk, Marne Avenue, Lorraine, Port Elizabeth, 5am, Shaun Roberts 082 711 1341

Saturday 19 December
Dromedaris Holiday 10km & 5km, Dromedaris Furniture Store, Dromedaris Street, Jeffreys Bay, 7am, Kobus Joubert 082 490 7218

Monday 28 December
Friends of St Francis Nature Areas 10km & 5km, Cape St Francis Resort, Da Gama Road, 7:30am, Joan Brady 083 398 3948

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FAR NORTH: LIMPOPO
No races scheduled for this period

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FAR NORTH: MPUMALANGA
No races scheduled for this period

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NORTH WEST: CENTRAL NORTH WEST
No races scheduled for this period

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NORTH WEST: NORTH WEST NORTH
No races scheduled for this period

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NORTHERN CAPE: GRIQUALAND WEST

Saturday 5 December
Battle of Magersfontein 25km & 10km, Magersfontein Battlefield to Magersfontein Museum, near Kimberley, 6am, David Janse van Vuuren 083 443 8198

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NORTHERN CAPE: NORTH WEST CAPE
No races scheduled for this period

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NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
No races scheduled for this period

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ORIENTEERING

Sunday 6 December
Gauteng Xmas Event, Johannesburg, WitsOC: https://witsorienteering.wordpress.com

Saturday 12 December
Gauteng Sprint Cup, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Johannesburg, ROC: Nick Cooper 074 188 9250

Sunday 27 December 2015 – 3 January 2016
Big 5 O-Week, All venues in Mpumalanga: 27th – Sprint Event @ Lowveld Botanical Gardens, Nelspruit; 29th – Middle Distance Event @ Kaapsehoop Rockery; 30th – Middle Distance Event @ Ngodwana, 31st – Long Distance Event @ Ngodwana; 2nd – Long Distance Event @ Pear Orchard, Kaapsehoop; 3rd – Sprint Event @ Ngodwana, Times TBC, Nicholas Mulder 082 898 7871

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TRIATHLON & DUATHLON

Saturday 5 December
Woolworths Trust Charity Triathlon, Off-road event, Long Tri: 800m/25km/10km & Short Tri: 400m/12km/5km, Paul Cluver Wine Estate, Grabouw, Info: [email protected]

Sunday 6 December
Buffalo City Tri, East London, Eastern Cape, Time TBC, Jen Petzer 082 821 6036
FNB Desert Triathlon, Ultra 1.9/90/21km, Standard 1/40/10km & Sprint 0.4/20/4km, The Mole, Swakopmund, Namibia, Yvonne +264(0)81 142 9966

Friday 11 December
Jailbreak Triathlon, Road event, Maximum Escape: 2.2km/89km/22km & Minimum Escape: 1.1km/41km/11km, Brandvlei Prison, near Worcester, 7am & 8am, tridusport 021 914 1157 (W)

Sunday 13 December
Trinity Gold Tri & Du Series #3, Road event, Standard Tri: 1.5km/40km/10km, Sprint Tri: 750m/20km/5km, Mini Tri: 400m/20km/2.5km, Kids Tri: 200m/5km/1.25km & Young Ones Tri: 75m/1km/500m; Standard Du: 10km/40km/5km, Sprint Du: 5km/20km/2.5km, Mini Du: 2.5km/10km/1.25km, Kids Du: 1.25km/5km/500m & Young Ones Du: 500m/1km/500m; Germiston Lake, Johannesburg, Time TBC, Jaapie Boonzaaier 084 501 2712

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ADVENTURE RACING

Sunday 6 December
Spur Adventure #3, Duo (individual): 20-25km MTB & 6km run; Sprint (teams of 2 or 3): 10-12km MTB, 3km run & water obstacles; Spur Eco Warrior (3-7 years): 2km MTB & 500m run, PLUS 5km Fun Run; Oak Valley, Elgin-Grabouw, Western Cape, 8am & 9am, Quantum Adventures 021 789 0188 (W)
Kinetic Adventure, 25km (MTB/trek/paddle), Teams of 2, Venue TBC, Heidi Muller 082 564 6468

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TRACK AND FIELD

Saturday 5 December
WPA Little Athletics, Blue Downs, Cape Town ,Western Cape, 8am, Waleed Donough 082 396 6504

Friday 11 – Saturday 12 December
SALGA Kwanaloga Games 2014, Venue TBC, KwaZulu-Natal, 8am, KZN Athletics 031 312 9374 (W)

Saturday 12 December
Tygerberg NLC Summer Series, Parow Athletics Track, Parow, Cape Town, Western Cape, 10am, Mariana Meyer 082 777 4050

Monday 21 December
UCT Track Meeting, Green Point Stadium, Cape Town ,Western Cape, 12pm, James Evans

Going on holiday does not mean you have to stop training or lose your fitness, so use these handy tips and workouts to keep your legs ticking over this December, and then hit the road running in January. – BY RAY ORCHISON

Ah, the holidays. Images of dolphins playfully jumping in the waves, bronzed beach bodies and lazy afternoon naps, awe-filled early mornings as the sun rises majestically over the mountains, breathless moments as the big five make their way to the local watering hole… Holidays are a great time to rest, relax and recover from the months of long working hours and stress of the past year. They’re a great time to catch-up with friends and family. And unfortunately, they’re also a great time to get, well, unfit! (You thought I was going to say fat, didn’t you?)

The holiday season starts long before the actual days off work, with company functions and Christmas parties lasting late into the night. This rolls over into a three to four week break where our inner cookie-monster is unleashed and we end up consuming copious amounts of food, unhealthy snacks and far too many drinks. Before we blink an eye we find ourselves in January, five to ten kilograms heavier and feeling as unfit as we did the day we first started running. But the solution is simple: Keep an element of training in your holiday.

What, run on holiday?
Unless you’re going on holiday for three weeks in a submarine, there really is no excuse for letting yourself go completely during the holiday season. And even then I could argue that you could still get some form of training done. If you’ve had a long, hard training year and you have a big year ahead of you, then a little bit of additional rest will do you good, but I would strongly advise against doing absolutely nothing at all, as this simply puts you on the back foot coming into January.

For those who are planning to run an early year marathon or ultra (like the Old Mutual Two Oceans 56km), then the holiday period is a crucial part of your training and having a few extra hours in your day is great for getting some solid training done. Personally, I find it both exciting and motivating getting up early on my holiday to get my training done in new and unfamiliar surroundings. It’s also a little less selfish if your training is done before the rest of the family wakes up and you can then devote the balance of the day to them.

Surviving the holidays
Getting through the holidays without losing all that hard-earned fitness and keeping the bathroom scale from bleating is not as hard as it sounds. Here are five suggestions to keep both your family and your body happy:

1. Plan your day: Reduce your training volume and agree with your family when the best time will be for you to quickly fit your session in so that you don’t eat into valuable time together

2. Make it count: Where time is an issue and your training session has to be short, get the most bang for your buck. In other words, keep the intensity up. Just because it’s a shorter session than normal doesn’t mean you can’t get a lot out of it.

3. Be disciplined in your binges: If you’re really going to suffer a case of FOMO because you can’t eat biscuits, chocolates or your Gran’s shortbread, then allow yourself some indulgences. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to eat ALL the biscuits and ALL the chocolates and ALL the shortbread…

4. Eat less, enjoy more: You’re not a teenager, you don’t have to eat yourself out of house and home. One of the biggest problems with the holidays is not the type of food on offer – that is only a small element – but rather the amount of food we consume. For some reason we simply go overboard when it comes to the amount of food prepared over the Christmas season. Instead of eating until you pop, dish up smaller amounts of what’s on offer. This way, you still get to try everything and you still get to partake in the feast, and you will enjoy it far more than if you’re so full you feel sick for hours afterwards.

5. Allow yourself time to de-stress: This is probably the most important aspect of a holiday. Much of our year is spent stressing, so take time out, allow the cortisol levels in your body to return to normal, and give yourself the chance to dream and think about the exciting opportunities to come in the year ahead.

Maintaining fitness levels
Almost every runner has been forced to stop training completely at some point in their lives, either by choice or by injury, and the worst part of no training for three to four weeks or longer, is getting back into it. There’s nothing worse than trying to get back into your training when it feels like everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve has disappeared. You certainly don’t have to come into January race-ready, but you really want to start the new year having maintained a decent level of fitness so that you can continue to build into the 2016 running season. Three to four days per week during your holiday should be more than sufficient to keep things ticking over.

However, if you’re really pushed for time, here are three shorter training suggestions you can use to burn those extra calories and keep your fitness levels ticking over:

1. Take the stairs: Forget the elevator in your hotel and hit the stairs. Start with a short warm up and then run the stairs to the top floor and back a few times. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you build up a sweat and find yourself out of breath.

2. Do a quick session: Jog for 10 to 15 minutes to warm up, then do 10 reps of 30 seconds at a faster pace with one minute’s easy jogging in between each rep, and finish with five to 10 minutes’ easy cool-down jog. Total time: 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Jump-lunge repeats: Jog for 10 minutes, then do jumping jacks for 30 seconds, go straight to fast running on the spot for one minute, then do walking lunges for 20 metres there and back. Follow that with a minute’s rest and then perform another two sets, starting with the jumping jacks. Finish with a very easy five-minute cool-down jog. Total time: 25 minutes.

May you have a wonderful time of relaxation and catching up with friends and family this holiday, and recharge those batteries and come into the new year firing on all cylinders, ready to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself in 2016.

Ray Orchison is a Johannesburg-based USATF and NAASFP certified coach. Find him at www.runetics.com or [email protected].

South African runners really are blessed with a terrific race calendar, with so many great races to do, so check out these events for the coming month, including road and trail runs as well as other running disciplines, and make your racing plans! – BY TOM COTTRELL AND SEAN FALCONER

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GAUTENG: CENTRAL GAUTENG

Sunday 1 November
Old Mutual Soweto Marathon, 10km & 5km, NASREC, Rand Show & Nasrec Roads, Johannesburg, 6am, Central Gauteng Athletics 011 873 2726 (w)

Wednesday 4 November
Rowlin National Brokers Nite 15km, 10km & 5km, Benoni Northerns Sports Grounds, 1 Brodigan Street, Northmead, Benoni, 7pm, General Enquiries 083 573 1011

Saturday 7 November
Modern Athlete Hurlyvale Primary School Trail Run 10km, 5km & 2.5km – POSTPONED TO 2016

Sunday 8 November
TomTom 10km & Mile, Moses Molelekwa Arts Centre, cnr. Andrew Mapheto Drive and Star Street, Tembisa, 8am, Donald Mathipa 062 574 9415
Sportsmans Warehouse 10km & 5km, Princess Crossing Shopping Centre, Ontdekkers Road, Roodepoort, 7am, Charlie Herselman 082 770 1143

Wednesday 11 November
Jackal's Night Trail Run #7 8km & 4km, Jackal Creek Golf Estate, Boundary Road, Northriding, Johannesburg, 7:45pm, Race Organiser 011 053 9153 (w)

Sunday 15 November
Zoo Conservation Trot 10km & 5km, Centenary Lawn, Johannesburg Zoo, Parkview, 7:30am, Ionna Karamitsos 011 646 2000 (W)

Sunday 22 November
RAC City Lodge Tough One 32km & Asics Five, Old Parktonian Club, Jan Smuts Avenue, Craighall, 6am, Vreni Welch 011 442 8256 (W)

Sunday 29 November
Alberton Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Alberton Rugby Stadium, cnr. 2nd Avenue & Braun Avenue, Voerwoerdpark, 6am, Michael Kirby 074 159 3605
Zoo Conservation Trot 10km & 5km, Centenary Lawn, Johannesburg Zoo, Parkview, 7:30am, Ionna Karamitsos 011 646 2000 (W)

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GAUTENG: GAUTENG NORTH

Saturday 7 November
Liquifruit Irene Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Agricultural Research Council, Olifantsfontein Road, Irene, 6am, Wynand Breytenbach 082 937 0733

Saturday 14 November
Kolonade Retail Park Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Kolonade Retail Park Shopping Centre, Zambezi Drive, Montana, Pretoria North, 6am, Alan Edmunds 083 325 7779

Saturday 21 November
Tom Jenkins Challenge Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Union Buildings, Pretoria, 6:30am, James Matshekga 082 566 1595

Saturday 28 November
Muller Potgieter 15km, 10km & 5km, Military Sports club, Hendrik Potgieter Road, Thaba Tshware, 6am, Race Organiser 071 405 5588
Ludwig's Run of the Roses 8km & 4km, Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Wallmannsthal, Pretoria North, 9am, Anna-Marie de Beer 082 954 9628

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GAUTENG: VAAL TRIANGLE
No races scheduled for this period

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WESTERN CAPE: BOLAND

Saturday 7 November
Timber City Orchard Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Pniel Dwarsivier Sport Complex, Main Road, Pniel, 6:45am, Ralph Jacobs 083 586 1168
Alpha Zero Tunnel Run 20.7km, Hugenote Tunnel Toll Plaza, near Paarl, 7:30am, Estelle Kock 073 313 1668

Sunday 8 November
Sportsmans Warehouse Scopio Trail Run 15km, 12.5km, 7.5km & 5km, Dirtopia Trail Centre, Delvera Farm, about 10km from Stellenbosch on R44 towrards Klapmuts, 8am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w)

Thursday 12 November
Lusan Night Run Series #1 10km & 5km, Uitkyk Wine Estate, About 10km from Stellenbosch on R44 to Klapmuts, 7pm & 7:15pm, Naomi Potgieter 083 267 8164

Saturday 14 November
Delheim Trail Run 12km & 7km, Delheim Wine Estate, off R44 about 10km from Stellenbosch towards Klapmuts, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w) NEW DATE – WAS 21 NOVEMBER
TSiBA Trail Run Series #7 10km & 5km, Rhebokskloof Wine Estate, Windmeul, Agter Paarl, 7:30am, Japie Swanepoel 082 443 3033

Saturday 21 November
Baytown 12km & 6km, Miems Restaurant, Pringle Bay, 8am, Sonja du Toit 084 850 0681

Wednesday 25 November
Extreme Lights Night Run Series – L'Avenir Wine Estate 11km & 6km, L'Avenir Wine Estate, off R44 about 10km from Stellenbosch towards Klapmuts, 7:30pm, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w)

Thursday 26 November
Lusan Night Run Series #2 10km & 5km, Stellenzicht, on Stellenrust Road, off R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West7pm & 7:15pm, Naomi Potgieter 083 267 8164

Friday 27 November
Day Run 9km & 5.5km, Benguela Cove Wine Estate, Hermanus, 7:30pm, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

Saturday 28 November
Benguela Cove Day Trail Run 9km & 5.5km, Benguela Cove Wine Estate, Hermanus, 9am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

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WESTERN CAPE: SOUTH WESTERN DISTRICTS

Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 November
Fairview Dryland Traverse 4-day Stage Trail Run, (Prologue 7.4km, 25.7km, 28.7km & 17.7km), Based out of De Hoek Mountain Resort, near Oudtshoorn, 9am, Carel Herholdt 082 379 1177

Saturday 14 November
Waterfront to Heads Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, 34 Degrees South Restaurant Parking, Knysna Waterfront, 7am, Rhoodie Barnard 082 825 9579

Saturday 28 November
Die Vlakte Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km, Heidelberg High School (42), Soutpan Farm (21) & Vondeling Primary School (10) to Witsand Beach, 5am, 6am & 7am, Nico Steyn 083 226 3091 NEW DATE – WAS 21 NOVEMBER

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WESTERN CAPE: WESTERN PROVINCE

Sunday 1 November
Landmarks Half Marathon & Move for Health 6km, WP Cricket Club Sports Centre, Avenue de Mist, Rondebosch, 6am & 6:45am, Ted Vickery 076 195 7289

Wednesday 4 November
Labourwise 10km & 4km CANCELLED

Saturday 7 November
West Coast AC Half Marathon & 6km, Eden on the Bay Shopping Centre, cnr Otto du Plessis & Sir David Baird Drive, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, 6am & 6:45am, Lizelle Meyer 084 581 3713

Sunday 8 November
Discovery Cape Times Big Walk 80km, 50km, 30km, 25km, 20km, 13km, 12km, 11km, 10km & 5km, Various start points, all ending at Rhodes High School, Montreal Avenue, Mowbray, Cape Town, Various start times, Events Office 021 685 3333 (w)
Cape Point Nature Run 35km, 24km, 13km & 5km CANCELLED

Tuesday 10 November
Parliament 10km CANCELLED

Saturday 14 November
Vital Winelands Run Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Eikestad Laerskool, Doornbosch Road, Stellenbosch, 5:30am, 5:45am, 6am & 6:30am, Top Events 021 511 7130 (w)

Wednesday 18 November
Twilight Team Fun Walk 5km, Founder’s Garden, ArtsCape, Jan Smuts Street, Cape Town, 7:30pm, Top Events 021 511 7130 (W)

Saturday 21 November
Mitchells Plain Titans Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Rocklands Sports Complex, Mitchells Plain, 6am, 6:15am & 8am, Lance Scheepers 076 245 5872

Wednesday 25 November
Sanlam Niel Joubert Plaaswedloop 13km, Klein Simonsvlei Farm, Simondium Road, near Klapmuts, 6:15pm, Wynand Beukes 083 461 8614

Thursday 26 November
Tygerberg Nature Reserve Full Moon 6km Fun Run #10, Tygerberg Nature Reserve, 7pm, Wild Runner 021 821 9898 (w)

Saturday 28 November
Edgemead Classic 10km & 5km PLUS 10km Walk, Edgemead High School, 6:30am & 6:45am PLUS 6:35am, Francois Gouws 083 236 8265
Muizenberg Mountain Trail Run 12km – Spur Country Classic Series #6, Toad in the Road Pub, 20 Main Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7am, Quantum Adventures 021 789 0188 (W)

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KWAZULU-NATAL

Saturday 7 November
Eston Tala Trail Run 12km & 5km, Beaumont Eston Farmers Club, near Tala Game Reserve, 7:30am, Wynne 031 785 1612 (W)

Sunday 8 November
Save Supermarket Orion Half Marathon, Protea Sports Centre, Khan Road, Raisethorpe, 7am, Ajith Deena 083 659 2732
Riverside Tafta 14km & 7km Trail Run, Virginia Bush Nature Reserve, Adelaide Tambo Drive, Durban, 7am, Riverside Trail 082 777 7073
Maqhwe Mfula Trail Race 25km & 6km, Mountain View lodge, District Road 389, Bishopstowe, near Pietermaritzburg, 6:30am, Michael Hay 082 922 8099

Wednesday 11 November
Giba Monthly Night Trail 10km & 5km, Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Park, Stockville Road, Pinetown 6.30pm, Lauren 082 791 7069

Saturday 14 November
King of Phezulu 20km, 10km & 5km Trail Run, Phezulu Safari Park, Outer West Durban, 7:30am, Lauren 082 791 7069

Sunday 15 November
Bluff Vets Half Marathon PLUS 15km Walk, Fynnlands Sports Complex, 55 Smith Drive, Bluff, Durban, 6am, Kevin Adams 083 310 1024
Greater Edendale 10km & 5km, FNB Wadley Stadium, Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, 7am, Thami Vilakazi 033 897 8650 (W)
Tinman 10km Beachfront Run, Suncoast Sundeck, Durban, 7am, B-Active Sports 031 764 1885 (W)

Saturday 21 November
McCarthy Inyanga Michaelis Challenge 20km, 10km & 5km Trail Run, Bloemveld Dam, Vryheid, 6:30am (20 & 10) & 8:45am (5), Astrid Vonkeman 083 759 5308
KZN Trail Running Summer Series #2 12km & 5km – Table Mountain, Table Mountain, Outside Pietermaritzburg, 7:30am, Lauren 082 791 7069

Sunday 22 November
Queensburgh Mineshaft 15km, Queensburgh Sports Association, Bowker Road, Escombe, 6am, Robin Archer 082 905 6005

Thursday 26 November
Funky Full Moon Trail Run 10km & 5km, Blue Lagoon, Durban, 6pm, Billy Harker 082 654 6542

Saturday 28 November
Sani Stagger Marathon, Sani Pass Hotel, Himeville, 6am, Heather Louise Parsons 076 951 7911
Sani Stagger Half Marathon (Down Run), Lesotho Border Post to Sani Pass Hotel, Himeville, 8:30am, Heather Louise Parsons 076 951 7911

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FREE STATE

Friday 6 November
Engen Charity Run/Walk for Toys 10km & 5km, Clock Tower, Stateway, Welkom, 6pm, Christa Janse Van Vuuren 073 479 4254

Saturday 7 November
Vaal Toyota Sasolburg Summer 15km & 10km, DP De Villiers Stadium, Sasolburg, 8am, Dolf Binneman 073 339 6809
Engen to Engen 15km & 5km, Engen Curie Park, Bloemfontein, 7am, Jaco Grobbelaar 082 416 6779
APK Pretloop – Welkom 5km & 1km, Goudveld Multi Sport Club House, Disa Street, Welkom, 7am, Louise Burger 072 149 8753

Sunday 8 November
Deelfontein Dome Fest Mountain Trail Run 35km, 20km, 12km & 5km, Deelfontein, near Parys, 7am, 7:20am, 7:40am & 8am, Gerhard Benade 083 280 9784

Saturday 14 November
SCI Marathon & 10km, Bloemfontein Achilles, At Horak Avenue, Bloemfontein, 6am, Beverley Olivier 071 895 3183

Saturday 22 November
Andre’s Nissan Cherry Race 23km & 5km, Ficksburg Primary School, Imperani Street, Ficksburg, 6:30am, Audi Fourie 073 808 6189

Saturday 29 November
Vaal Dam 10km & 4km Fun Run, NG Church, Main Street, Deneysville, 7am, Race Organiser 084 392 2971

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EASTERN CAPE: BORDER

Saturday 7 November
Twizza Bonkolo Marathon, Half Marathon & 5km, Bonkolo Dam, Queenstown, 5:30am, Theo Ferreira 082 873 4597

Sunday 8 November
Lightning Fast 10km, Johnson & Johnson, Rattray Road, East London, 8am, Stan Barbour 083 608 4353

Saturday 14 November
Gonubie Coastal Challenge 21.1km & 10km, Gonubie Sports Club, Recreation Road, Gonubie, 6:30am (walkers at 6am), Nico Sprong 084 508 4577 NEW DATE – WAS 15 NOVEMBER

Sunday 15 November
Cheetahs Challenge Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Ross Mission (21) & WSU (Unitra) Stadium, Mthatha (10 & 5), to Walter Sisulu University Stadium, Nelson Mandela Drive Campus, Mthatha, 6am, Zola Bulwana 072 344 7160

Saturday 21 November
National Port Authority Bank to Bank 10km & 5km, Hamilton Club House, Clevedon Road, Selborne, East London, 6pm, Bronek Urban 082 577 0932

Saturday 28 November
Kapaailand Half Marathon, Ugie Spar, 14 Main Road, Ugie, to Maclear Buildit, 7am, Christiaan Kotze, 084-5121808(cell)

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EASTERN CAPE: EASTERN PROVINCE

Saturday 7 November
Charlo Tuff 10km & 5km CANCELLED

Saturday 14 November
Zuurberg Mountain Inn 15km, Zuurberg Mountain Inn, Addo, 8am, Bob Stedman 082 900 3556 NEW DATE – WAS 8 OCTOBER

Saturday 21 November
Two Views 10km Challenge & 5km, TBC, Port Elizabeth, 7am, Willie Lawson 083 783 2610

Friday 27 – Saturday 28 November
Salomon 2-day Skyrun 100km & Sky Run Lite 65km, Lady Grey to Wartrail Country Club, 4am, Michael de Haast 072 078 5278

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FAR NORTH: LIMPOPO

Saturday 14 November
SuperSpar Bela-Bela Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Hoërskool Warmbad, Swanepoel Street, Bela-Bela, 5:30am, Neels Venter 082 652 3518

Wednesday 25 November
Jingle 10km & 5km Charity Run, Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Dorp Street, Polokwane, 6:30pm, Kim Robbertse 071 218 9218

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FAR NORTH: MPUMALANGA

Wednesday 4 November
Sasol Secunda Night 10km & 5km, Sasol Recreation Club, Nelson Mandela Drive, Secunda, 7pm, Abednego Sibanyoni 082 332 9448 NEW DATE – WAS 28 OCTOBER

Saturday 7 November
Kaapsehoop 3-in-1 Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km, The Pear Orchards, Kaapsehoop, to the New Mbombela Stadium, Bafana Road, Mataffin, Mbombela (Nelspruit), 5:30am, Winnie Uys 082 410 0170

Saturday 21 November
Movember Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Kees Taljaard Stadium, Middelburg, 7am, Theuns Luus 083 630 8729
Ilanga Trail Series – Berlin Trail Run 35km, 20km, 12km & 6km, Bohemian Groove Café, Watkins Street, Kaapsehoop, 6:30am, Clive Smart 082 894 0432

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NORTH WEST: CENTRAL NORTH WEST

Wednesday 5 November
Supa Quick Nite 10km & 5km, Olenpark Rugby Stadium, Potchefstroom, 7pm, Theo Coetzee 083 538 3162

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NORTH WEST: NORTH WEST NORTH

Sunday 1 November
Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series #2, 13.2km & 7.4km, Segwati Game Lodge, near Broederstroom, 7am & 7:15am, Race Secretary 072 438 3242

Sunday 8 November
Spur Gauteng Summer Trail Series #3 13.4km & 6.7km, B’Sorah Tented Camp, near Broederstroom, 7am & 7:15am, Race Secretary 072 438 3242

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NORTHERN CAPE: GRIQUALAND WEST

Saturday 7 November
Louis Jooste Memorial Blue Run 21.1km, 10km & 5km, Pirates Running Club, Jacobus Smith Street, Kimberley, 6am (21) & 7am (10 & 5), Mark Hunt 082 462 4066

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NORTHERN CAPE: NORTH WEST CAPE
No races scheduled for this period

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NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES: LESOTHO

Saturday 28 November
Lesotho Ultra Trail 50km, Maliba Mountain Lodge, 5:30am, Lauren 082 791 7069

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NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES: NAMIBIA

Saturday 7 November
RKC Hardap Championship 21.1km & 10km, Rene Kids Centre, Block E, Rehoboth, Rene Kids Centre +264 (0)81 473 5987

Saturday 14 November
Run for Diabetes 5km Winshoek, St. George’s School, Windhoek, Maryke de Vos +264 (0)81 304 1298
Run for Diabetes 5km Swakopmund, Mole Parking, Swakopmund, Linda van Zyl +264 (0)81 247 4292
Run for Diabetes 5km Walvis Bay, Atlantis Sport Club, Walvis Bay, Lore Wormbacher +264 (0)81 847 4587
Run for Diabetes 5km Keetmanshoop, Keetmanshoop Stadium, Maryke de Vos +264 (0)81 304 1298

Saturday 21 November
Breakfast Run 21.1km, 10km & 5km, Jubber Hockey Field, Olympia, Windhoek, Time TBC, Susan +264 (0)81 212 4421

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TRIATHLON & DUATHLON

Sunday 1 November
Ekurhuleni 5150 African Championships, 1.5km swim, 40km bike & 10km run, Germiston Lake, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, 9:30am, Sharon Talbot 041 736 8509 (w)
Tribe Tri Juniors #2, TBA, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

Saturday 7 November
Bridgetown Off-road Triathlon, Moorreesburg, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

Sunday 8 November
11 Global Triathlon Sun City, Sprint: 750m swim, 20km bike & 5km run, Olympic: 1.5km swim, 40km bike & 10km run, Sun City Water World Complex Cabana Lawns, North West Province, More info on www.11global.com
Trinity Green #2 Cross Triathlon & Duathlon, Johannesburg, Gauteng, Japie Boonzaaier 084 501 2712
Buffalo City Tri, Orient Beach, Amathole, Buffalo City, Jen Petzer 082 821 6036
Maqhwe Mfula Multisport Event, Challenge: 25km trail run, 55km MTB, 8km paddle; Adventure: 25km trail run, 55km MTB, 8km dam run; Mountain View lodge, District Road 389, Bishopstowe, near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 6:30am, Michael Hay 082 922 8099

Sunday 15 November
Tinman Triathlon #3, TinMan Challenge & Relay (7:30am): 1km/30km/10km; TinMan Sprint Tri (7:15am): 600m/20km/5km; TinMan Mini Tri (7am): 200m/5km/2.5km; Suncoast Sundeck, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, B-Active Sports 031 764 1885 (W)
WP Triathlon Champs, Sports & Leisure Centre, Val de Vie Estate, Klip Rug Road, Paarl, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

Saturday 21 November
Free State Triathlon/Duathlon, Maselspoort, Free State, Free State Triathlon 073 718 5427
Xtri Off-road #1, Robertson, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

Sunday 22 November
GNT Provincial Tri Champs, Olympic: 1.5km swim, 40km bike & 10km run, Buffelspoort Dam, Pretoria, 8am, Assie 082 453 0096
Xtri Off-road #2, Robertson, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

Sunday 29 November
Midlands Ultra Triathlon, Ultra: 1.9km swim, 90km cycle & 21km run, Sprint: 600m swim, 20km cycle & 5km run, Midmar Dam Resort, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, B-Active Sports 031 764 1885 (W)
Tribe Tri Juniors #3, Western Cape, WPTA Administrator 021 712 7417 (w)

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ORIENTEERING

Sunday 8 November
Gauteng Sprint Relay #2, TBC, Johannesburg, Rand Orienteering Club: Nick Cooper 074 188 9250

Sunday 22 November
Gauteng Mountain Bike #6, Groenkloof Nature Reserve, Pretoria, Rand Orienteering Club: Nick Cooper 074 188 9250

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ADVENTURE RACING

Sunday 8 November
Spur Adventure Series #2, Duo (individual): 20-25km MTB & 6km run; Sprint (teams of 2 or 3): 12km MTB, 3km run & water obstacles; Spur Eco Warrior (3-7 years): 2km MTB & 500m run; Banhoek Conservancy, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 8am & 9am, Quantum Adventures 021 789 0188 (W)

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 November
Franschhoek Adventure Race 150km & 100km, Trekking/trail running, mountain biking, paddling & navigation, Teams of 2 or 4, Berg River Dam, near Franschhoek, 6am, Caeli Manuel 021 424 4579 (w)

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OBSTACLE RACING

Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 November
Jeep Warrior #8, Black Ops 15km (30 obstacles), Commando 10km (22), Rookie 5km (15) & Warrior Bratz 500m (8, unlimited laps); Zebra Country Lodge, on R573, Leeuwkloof, Pretoria, Gauteng, From 8am, Race Office 012 803 1387 (W)

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TRACK AND FIELD

Saturday 7 November
KZNA Youth, Junior, Senior & Masters League ‘A’, Kings Park Athletics Stadium, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 7:30am, KZN Athletics 031 312 9374
Tygerberg NLC Primary Schools Meeting, Parow Track, Western Province, 9am, Mariana Meyer 082 777 4050

Saturday 14 November
KZNA Youth, Junior, Senior & Masters League ‘B’, Kings Park Athletics Stadium, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 7:30am, KZN Athletics 031 312 9374
Free State Masters Athletic Championship, Bloemfontein, Free State, 7:30am, Kitty Van Der Merwe 083 444 7205
SPAAC Relay Meeting, Vygieskraal Stadium, Cape Town, Western Province, 8am, Cedric Van Wyk 078 651 4895
Leo Benning Masters Challenge No 2 & Weight Pentathlon, Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, Western Province, 12:30pm, Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 (w)

Friday 20 November
WPA Open & Combined Events, Parow Track, Western Province, 6pm, Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 (w)

Saturday 21 November
Little Athletics, Vygieskraal Stadium, Cape Town, Western Province, 8am, Waleed Donough 082 396 6504
WPA Open & Combined Events, Parow Track, Western Province, 1pm, Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 (w)

Saturday 28 November
WPA Senior Open Meeting, Parow Track, Western Province, 12pm, Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 (w)

More than 2000 athletes took to the streets at the inaugural Discovery Duathlon, held in Sandton over the weekend of 24 and 25 October.

In spite of the scorching Johannesburg weather, fitness enthusiasts, aspiring athletes and novices took to the streets with the aim to complete a RunCycleRun.

Get your bicycles out and running shoes tied in preparation for the next Discovery Duathlon. Discovery looks forward to hosting you next year!

However, what took place on Saturday was probably more significant as the future of South African sport did battle on the Sandton streets.

The littlest Duathletes took over the streets as they participated in the inaugural Kids Discovery Duathlon with Disney.

Kids as young as five years old ran, cycled, and ran again as many of them competed in their first race.

Kids were treated to a magical race through their favourite Disney landscapes, including Frozen and Finding Nemo.

Congratulations to all participants who did so well!

Acclaimed sports coach Matt Fitzgerald has a simple motto, “Train the brain and the rest will follow.” And we’ve all heard the Comrades experts say that the race is 40% physical and 60% mental, and that your physical training will only get you to the 60km mark – after that, your mind has to take you the rest of the way. But is the mind really that important when it comes to running?

The answer is a definite yes. In his book Psycho-Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz writes about the power of our self-image and how we limit and restrict ourselves based on our self-image. The truth is that most us achieve far less than we are capable of, simply because our self-image doesn’t allow us to.

I realised for the first time the power of the mind in October 2011, when I took part in the Munich Marathon. I lined up at the start aiming for a PB, but instead ended up tearing my Soleus muscle around the 14km mark. By the 16km mark I was ready to throw in the towel, because every step was excruciating, but at that moment I learnt an invaluable life and running lesson, about the power of the mind. I said to myself, “I have not come all this way to feel pain.” I literally switched off the pain and continued to run at the best possible pace I could manage. I ended up missing my PB, but still managed to cross the line in 2:57:29 – at which point the pain flooded my calf and I could hardly walk.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
The training we do is not purely about the physical aspect, but also has a huge impact on our mental state. For example, every time we drag ourselves out of bed and head out the door to train, despite not wanting to, it makes us that much stronger mentally. Every time we push through a tough session, despite our bodies begging us to stop, makes us stronger mentally. While it is important to listen to our bodies and not overdo it, we need to learn when it’s our body calling for a time-out and warning us of looming injury, or when it’s just our mind giving in and wanting us to quit. When it’s the mind, never give in. You can conquer it, and if you’ve done so once, you can conquer it again. The bottom line is that if we quit in training, we will quit at one point or another in the race.

Another aspect of training your brain is mentally preparing ourselves for our next big goal. This process is called visualisation and should not be underestimated. There’s a true story about a prisoner of war who was locked up in solitary confinement for seven years. To stop himself from going insane, he would visually play a full round of golf every day in his mind. He would see himself lining up the ball, feel the club swinging through the air and making contact with the ball, then see the ball landing on the fairway and ultimately putting it into the hole. Before being locked up he was a very average golfer, shooting in the mid 90’s, but after he was released from prison he shot a 74 on his first round.

When building up to a race, visualise it in your mind. Feel your nerves as you line up at the start. See the start banner, hear the gun as your heart rate jumps a notch. Feel your feet hitting the ground and your lungs expanding with every breath. In your mind, run the route as you plan to run it on race day, then see yourself crossing the finish line and feel the emotions of achieving your goal. If we spend a few minutes each day for one to two weeks before race day visualising our race in this way, we will find that on race day we are mentally prepared for what’s coming. We’ve already ‘run’ up Polly Shortts. We’ve already conquered the route. We’ve already crossed the line.

SET YOURSELF GOALS
Lastly, set yourself challenging and achievable goals, ones that you really want. If you don’t really desire that Bill Rowan, or you don’t really want that sub-80 half marathon, or you’re not really sure why you’re tackling 160km, then it’s going to be very hard to achieve your goal. Part of the mental battle is already won if you’ll do almost anything to achieve what you’re aiming for. And always remember, it’s all in the mind!

Come the end of the year and there’s usually a mad rush in the form of end-of-year closing, long working hours before going on leave, family get-togethers, last-minute Christmas shopping, and ensuring you have everything bought and packed for the holiday you’ve been planning for the last six months. So, while you might feel overwhelmed, there’s always a way to fit training into your hectic schedule.

PLAN AHEAD
The best way to approach training over the next two to three months is to actually sit down and plan. Look at the calendar, identify the days where you can or can’t train, and decide what session you will do on the days you’ve allocated.

If you plan your training and think about it up front, you know what you need to do and there’s a good chance that you will do it. On the other hand, if you’re waking up each morning and thinking, “what should I run today? Should I do a 10k or 800m repeats? Maybe I should do hill repeats. Ah, I’ll decide later…” then there’s a very good chance that you’ll simply end up skipping the session altogether. You’ll probably end up saying, “I don’t really feel like training today,” or “I’ll do a hard session tomorrow,” and before you know it January has rolled around, you’ve lost your fitness, packed on the pounds and have a huge amount of work ahead of you. So plan your training, put your run session into your diary or calendar, and you’ll find that you have the time for it.

THE WORKING ATHLETE
If work pressure is simply too much, then you’re going to have to squeeze some training in where you can. Everyone needs to take a break at some point during their work day, so prioritise that time for a short quality run. Not only will this ensure that you keep your fitness levels up, but it will also rejuvenate you and leave you feeling fresh for the rest of the day.

The other possibility is to run to and from work. Now if work is only 5km or so away, a run there and back is perfect – and it definitely beats sitting in traffic! But what if you work 10km from home? In that case, try the following. On Tuesday, drive to work with your running kit and a change of work clothes for Wednesday, then leave the car at the office and run home after work on Tuesday, and run back to work on Wednesday morning. Take the car home on Wednesday evening. Not only is this a great way to fit your training in, but it also adds something different and adventurous to your training. (Oh, and shower facilities at work are must-have on this one.)

FIND TIME
If you’re going to supper at friends or family, tell your spouse or partner that you’ll meet them there and run from your house to theirs. Your spouse can always drive the same route you’re going to be running, just in case you’ve bitten off more than you can chew and need a lift for the last few kays. Another option is the gym, as most gyms are open until 10pm during the week. If you simply cannot get to your run before, during or after work, try going home and spending some quality time with your family before hitting the gym and getting in your run on the treadmill. Set it to between 1% and 5% incline and give yourself a solid 30 to 45min session.

You can always fit your running into your busy lifestyle and schedule. Just give it a little thought and planning and you’ll come up with many creative ways to do so. If you’re dedicated to your fitness and goals, then scheduling training will become a priority.

Hop on to your search engine, type in the phrase ‘training programme’ and you’ll find dozens of helpful yet overwhelming results, so make sure you understand and can keep going with your chosen programme for the best results.

Planning your training for a big race can be daunting. How long should your long runs be? What type of speed should you be doing and when? How many hill repeat sessions do you need? So you download one of the thousands of options glaring at you in your browser and now you’re ready to roll. It’s a better option than blindly trying to figure your way through what you think you should be doing for the next 100 days of training, but you still need to customise, adapt and tweak to suit your own needs. These generic training programmes are designed to be suitable for the masses and will never be an exact match for you. If you’re looking for a specific training programme for you, then you need to go to a coach, but now that you have your downloaded programme, here’s what you need to do.

1 Listen to your body
Unless the coach who developed the training programme has a crystal ball, there is no possible way to know anything at all about you – apart from the fact that you’re a runner and that you’re planning on completing an event. Only you know when your body begins to ache or when you’re waking up tired and fatigued. You know when you’re getting sick or when you’re heading for an injury. You know when your body is not handling both the training load and other outside stressors. You know all these things because your body tells you, so learn to listen to your body.

2 Make it your own
Unless the programme already comes in an editable spreadsheet format, start by opening a blank spreadsheet and retyping the programme. Next, insert your planned long runs and races – most programmes for the ultras will have suggested time frames for a qualifying marathon – and adjust the training in the weeks leading up to and following these long runs and races. With just these few adjustments you’re individualising the programme to your own needs.

3 Rest and Recover
This leads on from point 1: You know your body. Determine if the rest and recovery scheduled in the programme is adequate. If not, adjust by adding additional recovery days where you feel you may need them. You can also move rest and recovery days around, but always remember that a hard day should be followed by a recovery or rest day. Allow for some flexibility in each week’s training so that you can listen to your body when it’s calling for additional rest.

4 Keep it up!
Following a programme often keeps us motivated and helps us to listen to the body and overcome the mind. The mind says things like, “It’s too hot! Maybe I should rather just run tomorrow.” All you have to do is stick to the programme.

Good luck in the coming months and may you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

In a world where mileage is king, always remember the short guys: The recovery run, the easy run and the high intensity workout. – BY RAY ORCHISON

A week of training should be made up of far more than just long slow running, or LSD as it is known. LSD has many benefits, such as developing aerobic capacity and endurance, and it also prepares the mind to go the distance come race day, but this is where runners go wrong. The focus tends to shift entirely to LSD with not much room for anything else in the week.

You don’t get fast by only running LSD – there’s a reason the middle word of LSD is SLOW. LSD runs should be done at Two Oceans and Comrades race pace, which will be slower than your marathon pace, and after two or three months of this, it will take a notable effort in the second half of the year to get some speed back into your legs.

GO SHORT

The good news is that shorter runs will help you rediscover your speed, and they have a number of benefits which supplement LSD’s:
• They teach the body to run in a fatigued state.
• They add bulk to the overall mileage of the week.
• They enable speed maintenance.

There are three types of Short Runs:

1. THE RECOVERY RUN: This easy run is usually done the day after a hard workout or long run, and the purpose behind the recovery run is not always recovery. It can certainly aid recovery by relieving stiffness, but the real benefit is teaching the body to run in a state of depletion.

Imagine you’re in a peak building week, running consecutively for six days. You’ve had two hard days and a long run on Sunday. Instead of taking your normal rest day on Monday, you get up and head out for a short ‘recovery’ run of 30 minutes. You will be doing this run on tired legs and with low energy reserves. This will teach your body to run through fatigue, something you’re sure to experience as you make your way up Constantia Nek or Polly Shortts.

Limit the recovery run to between 15 and 45 minutes. Doing it without a watch will help you avoid the temptation of running too fast, and be careful not to push your body too far and end up injured or sick! Make sure that you still allow yourself adequate recovery on a weekly basis.

2. THE EASY RUN: When it comes to Two Oceans and Comrades, the easy run makes up the bulk of the weekly training and should be done at Two Oceans and Comrades race pace – a pace that feels like you could run all day.

3. THE HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT: This is usually a short but hard effort workout, like intervals or fartlek, and is taxing on the body. If you have never done these types of workouts, do not add them to your training just before a major race. Once you’ve recovered from your race, you can then reduce overall mileage and gradually introduce one light session of high intensity a week and build from there. I suggest you always keep a light session of high intensity work in your week, so that you maintain the speed developed in preceding months.

KEEP IT BALANCED

Each short run has its place in training, depending on season and upcoming races. Avoid trying to find that one ‘magical’ workout, rather keep a balance of training types as you progress.

Many of us do the same thing over and over when it comes to training, and thus we make the same mistakes over and over, too. So check out these top 10 training tips and make sure you get the most out of your training.

1 PLAN AHEAD: Approach the season with a plan. Getting out of bed each morning and thinking to yourself, “What should I do today, 800m repeats or 60 minutes easy?” is a recipe for disaster. Plan the structure of your training, and think about the races you want to do and what goals you want for each. Identify which races you are going to use as training runs and which races you are going to race.

2 RECOVERY IS KEY: Rest days should be the first aspect you build into your season plan. The purpose behind training is to take your body to new levels through a constant cycle of stress and adaptation. If you’re only ever stressing your body and not allowing time for adequate recovery, then your body never adapts and you end up injured, or never reaching your full potential.

3 LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: The older you are in training years – for example, if you’ve been running for three years then your training age is three – the more aware you become of your body. Your body sends you signals all day long, and the more experienced you are, the more you become aware of those signals. If you’re pushing yourself too hard for too long, your body begins to give warning signals, like niggles, signs of a cold, etc., indicating that you need more recovery. If you ignore these warnings, you will end up injured or sick. Having said that, you will learn to distinguish between the body crying out for recovery and your mind trying to take the easy route. In the case of the mind, fight it!

4 ALTERNATE HARD AND EASY DAYS: Continuous hard training will wear you down. Alternate hard days with easy days in order to benefit fully from the hard training.

5 ADD QUALITY: You only get faster by running faster. By gradually introducing quality sessions into your training programme, you will begin to train the body to run faster at different distances.

6 TRACK DOES NOT MEAN FLAT OUT: At school, a track session usually involved some teacher with a whistle and a stopwatch shouting at you to run faster. That is not a track session. Track sessions are designed to introduce your muscles and energy systems to new varying paces, and this never equates to a flat-out session.

7 THE KNOCK-ON EFFECT OF YOUR 10KM TIME: If you can teach yourself to run faster over shorter distances before building up to longer distances, then once you start introducing longer runs you’ve enhanced not only your running form but your running efficiency. A faster 10km time leads to a faster 21km time, which in turn leads to a faster 42km time, which ultimately leads to a faster Comrades and beyond.

8 YOU DON’T GET FASTER BY RUNNING FURTHER: Countless runners finish Comrades each year with new motivation to go back the following year with the goal of showing Comrades who is boss, and invariably the plan to achieve this involves more mileage. Distance running makes you slower, and as a result you don’t get faster by simply doing more mileage. You get faster when you adhere to the previous seven tips!

9 CORRECT MUSCLE IMBALANCES: We’re not the physically active bushmen in the Kalahari – most of us sit behind computers or drive in cars all day. Our modern lifestyles leave us weak in the areas we need the most when it comes to running: Glutes, calves and core. So, in order to avoid injury, focus on and strengthen these areas before introducing quality and distance to your training.

10 INTRODUCE CHANGES GRADUALLY: Any change in your training means that your joints and muscles have to adapt to the new session, shoe, running form or strength session. If you introduce the changes too quickly, or change too much, you will invariably pay the price with injury, so build up to it gradually.

If you follow all these tips, your chances of running smoothly and smashing your goal times or PBs will improve greatly. Now get to it!

Just over 4000 adventure seekers gathered at the picturesque Lievland and Warwick Wine Estates in Stellenbosch on Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 October 2015 to partake in the finale of the 2015 IMPI Challenge presented by Mitsubishi Motors.

Trevor Lagerwey and Chantel Nienaber set the course ablaze on Sunday securing victory in the IMPI Elite Race in impressive times of 1:46:12 and 02:13:20 respectively.

According to Lagerwey, he had a good race. “The race started at a fast pace with the trail runners taking the lead. I just stuck behind them. As the race progressed I managed to catch and stay ahead of Antoine Van Heerden. I only caught Chad Gordon close to the end. He was struggling with an obstacle. This is my fourth IMPI Elite Race, winning feels awesome. I’m a heavier guy, so I’m good at the heavier obstacles, but struggle on the run. I have been working hard on that though. FITstrong, the gym that I own, and IMPI go hand in hand. It’s the most balanced sport. You need to be both mentally and physically strong. It’s part of my life. I love it.”

Antoine Van Heerden came in second, while Chad Gordon finished third.

“I love coming back to the IMPI Elite Race,” said Nienaber. “I really enjoyed today. The first 5km is always intense as this is when you test the competition. The last 10km was the most enjoyable as I knew that I had a strong lead and didn’t have to worry too much about being overtaken. The IMPI Challenge is good, clean fun. You never have to worry about your own safety. You do have to put in solid, hard work. It’s tough, but attainable. Running across the final obstacle, the Lily Pads, is always such a cool feeling. It’s an awesome moment. I’ll definitely be back next year.”

Carina Marx came in second, while Ashley Harding finished third.

According to Pieter Du Plessis, IMPI Challenge Race Director, the 2015 IMPI Challenge season was met with great excitement. “The vibe in Gauteng and Cape Town has been amazing with entrants of all ages joining in on the fun. Exciting new developments in 2016 will see the IMPI Challenge boasting with a new venue in Gauteng as well as a reintroduction to Durban. Event dates and venues will be announced shortly. For now all that I can say is that the 2016 season will be bigger and better.”

Prize money was allocated to the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s IMPI Elite Race. Trevor and Chantel each took home an impressive R10 000, while runners up secured R5000 and R2500.

To add more excitement, the first male and female IMPI Elite finisher that was 45 years of age and/or older took home a well-deserved R2000 prize.

The IMPI Challenge supports the Pebbles Project. Thanks to generous IMPI Challenge entrants, Event Organisers were able to handover a whopping amount of shoes to this impressive organisation.

Entries for the 2016 IMPI Challenge Gauteng#1, Cape Town #1 and Durban #1 will open in November. For more information on the IMPI Challenge presented by Mitsubishi Motors contact 076 772 3735, email [email protected] or visit www.impichallenge.co.za