Category: Racing

This weekend the second leg of the Spar Grand Prix took place in Port Elizabeth. Lebo Phalula continued her winning streak of Spar Cape Town and Two Oceans half marathon and won the race in a record time of 32:27min. This puts her in fourth on the SA all-time lists behind Elana Meyer (31:13), Colleen de Reuck (31:16) Zola Pieterse (32:20). I moved to 5th place with a time of 32:28min.

Lebo Phalula took the lead very early in the race, while myself, Mapaseka Makhanya and Gezashigh Gemeda from Ethiopia played cat and mouse throughout the race fighting for the remaining podium spots. Mapaseka and I worked together to drop Gemeda to ensure an all South African podium. I managed to break clear of Mapaseka in the final two kilometers and finished 2nd in 32:23 followed by Mapaseka in 32:28. I was really happy with my performance after finishing a disappointing 8th place at the Spar 10km in Cape Town.

It was also great to have Sonja Laxton back on the running scene after the horrific hit and run accident in November last year. Irvette van Zyl also made a good comeback, finishing 10th in 34:55 after being out of action for six months with a knee injury.

I'm looking forward to the next Spar 10km race, taking place in Durban on the 24th of August.

Results of the Spar Grand Prix Series, Port Elizabeth

1. Lebo Phalula Maxed Elite 32:27
2. René Kalmer Modern Athlete 33:23
3. Mapaseka Makhanya Boxer 33:27
4. Gezashigh Gemeda Ethiopia/Nedbank 33:35
5. Rutendo Nyahora. Zim/Nedbank. 33:44
6. Lebohang Phalula Transnet AC 34:06
7. Chelitu Asefa. Ethiopia/Nedbank 34:18
8. Lineo Chaka Lesotho/Nedbank 34:27
9. Nolene Conrad Boxer 34:35
10. Irvette van Zyl Nedbank 34:55

Spar Grand Prix 2014 Standings (Open Category)

1 Diana Lebo Phalula Maxed Elite 60
2 Mapaseka Makhanya Boxer 34
3 Rene Kalmer Modern Athlete 32
4 Nolene Conrad Boxer 30
5 Christine Kalmer Boxer 24
6 Lebogang Phalula Transnet 19
7 Myrette Filmalter Nedbank 15
8= Annie Bothma Nedbank 14
8= Thozama April Transnet 14
10 Zintle Xiniwe New Balance 12

The Port Elizabeth leg of the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge series at Pollock Beach on Saturday is likely to be a cracker, with some of South Africa’s top road runners battling it out for top spot.

Runners to watch include the winner of the Cape Town leg, Diana-Lebo Phalula, who changed coaches recently and appears to have taken on a new lease of life. Phalula won the Two Oceans Half Marathon on April 19, 0.23 seconds ahead of defending champion Rene Kalmer. They are both running on Saturday and the struggle for dominance in the race could result in a fast time.

Kalmer came a disappointing seventh in Cape Town, just a week after competing in the world half marathon championships in Copenhagen, but she will be going all out to reclaim her title as queen of the road. She did not run last year, because of international commitments, but she has described Port Elizabeth as her favourite race.

But Phalula and Kalmer will have plenty of opposition. Nedbank have entered a strong team, which includes Ethiopian Hunduma Gumeda, Zimbabwean Rutenda Nyahora, and former Grand Prix winner Irvette van Zyl.

Boxer also have a strong contingent with last year’s Grand Prix winner, Mapaseka Makhanya, as well as Nolene Conrad, Christine Kalmer and Janene Carey.

While all the runners will be aiming for top spot and the generous prize money on offer, the South Africans will also be trying to earn valuable Grand Prix points. The Grand Prix rewards the top runners competing in the five Challenge races, which are held around South Africa. The winner will receive a car and the runner-up R30 000. There are also prizes on offer to the top runners in the various age categories.

Kalmer has won the Grand Prix on three occasions, and Van Zyl has won it twice. Phalula has made it known that she intends to maintain her lead at the top of the leaderboard and walk away with the keys to a brand new Nissan Micra, but all the top runners will be going all out to ensure that she doesn’t have it all her own way.

Phalula is currently at the top of the leaderboard with 30 points, followed by Conrad, with 18. Makhanya is in third position, with 16 points. However, with four races still to go, the Grand Prix is wide open.

There’s a new name at the top of the 2014 SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge Grand Prix leaderboard.

Diana-Lebo Phalula (Maxed-Elite) has taken the first step towards claiming the keys to the Nissan Micra on offer to the winner of the SPAR Grand Prix after all five Challenge races have been run.

Phalula dominated the Cape Town race on Sunday and romped to victory in 33.03 minutes. Because her time was faster than last year’s winning time, she claimed an extra 10 points, and tops the leaderboard with 30 points. “I’m certainly hoping to run in all five races,” said Phalula in a post-race press conference. “I would love to win a car – that would certainly be very useful. I’m very motivated and I feel I am running well.”

The Grand Prix rewards the top runners competing in the five Challenge races, which are held around South Africa. The winner will receive a car, and the runner-up R30 000. There are also prizes on offer to the top runners in the various age categories. Only South Africans are eligible for Grand Prix points.

Second on the leaderboard, with 18 points, is Nolene Conrad (Boxer), who finished the race in third place, behind Ethiopian Nedbank runner Hunduma Gemeda. 2013 Grand Prix champion Mapaseka Makhanya (Boxer), who came fifth, is in third position, with 16 points.

Modern Athlete’s Rene Kalmer, who has won the SPAR Grand Prix three times, is in fifth position, with 13 points, one behind her sister Christine (Boxer), who finished just ahead of her in the Cape Town race. The other multiple Grand Prix winner, Irvette van Zyl, did not compete in Cape Town because of an injury.

With four runners in the top 10, Boxer has taken the early lead in the club competition, with 68 points. Nedbank is in second place, with 43, followed by Maxed Elite with 30.

Media Contact
BLD Communications
Natasha Marot; +27 83 266 0915, [email protected]; @TashZoe
@SPARGrandPrix

This weekend sees the next edition of the Impi Challenge in Cape Town. This unique adventure sport race combines trail running with a series of obstacles and is attracting both an impressive elite field as well as a huge field of average athletes that are looking for a unique challenge.

This week Run Talk SA caught up with the race director of the Impi Challenge Pieter du Plessis to find out more about the race and what you can expect as an athlete.

Brad also touched base with Paul Mcrystal from the Benoni Northerns Running club about the East Rand based club as well as his personal achievements which includes his aspirations for running his tenth Comrades in under 9 hours.

Thanks to his winning ways in the pool, Olympic, World and Commonwealth champ Chad Le Clos has become one of South Africa’s brightest sporting heroes. This month, he’s going all out for a record eight titles at nationals, with the Commonwealth Games and Rio 2016 in his long-term sights.

Who can forget one of the iconic South African moments from the London 2012 Olympics: In the 200m butterfly final, a 20-year-old from Durban, Chad Le Clos, won the gold medal and beat the most decorated Olympian of all time, American Michael Phelps, and then Chad’s ecstatic father, Bert, won the hearts of the nation as well, thanks to gushing on emotionally about his “beautiful boy.” Coming back from London, Chad says the hype was overwhelming. “I felt like Justin Bieber, and it still hasn’t died down! There’s been great support. Swimming is a lonely sport, it’s just you out there, so it’s important to be appreciated.”

London really put him on the proverbial map, but Chad’s success in the pool actually began a few years earlier. In 2010 he brought home a gold, three silvers and a bronze medal from the Youth Olympics, as well as two golds, a silver and two bronze medals from the Commonwealth Games. The following year he won five golds and a silver at the All Africa Games. Then came 2012, bringing a gold and a silver from London to go with two World Champs golds and a silver. Next up was the 2013 World Champs in Barcelona, where Chad shortened his programme to focus on the butterfly events, his signature stroke. It paid off as he won gold in both the 100m (with a new SA record) and 200m. Chad has also twice won the Overall Swimming World Cup, in 2011 and 2013.

WINNING MENTALITY

Chad’s drive to succeed in the pool actually stems from watching Michael Phelps bag six golds at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Back then, aged eight, his only sessions in the pool came in Physical Education classes at school. However, his swimming ability soon shone through, and today he is one of the world’s foremost swimmers, but he remains humble about his achievements. “People expect me to win, but you can’t always be Superman. I just focus on what I have to do. I also watch my opponents on Youtube, because I want to keep learning, and see how I’ll match up. As a pro, you have to think outside the box.”

Having travelled the world, Chad says he is hard-pressed to choose a favourite race or meet. “I’m biased when it comes to places I’ve visited – the results stand out more than the venue. That’s because I don’t get to see any of the countries, I’m just in the pool doing my thing.” There’s little ‘downtime’ for the champ, with just 15 days off a year for short recovery. Along with interviews and obligations to sponsors, he puts in 10 training sessions a week, doing about 80 kays in the pool, or as Chad puts it, “Swimming the Comrades Marathon!”

He also fits in three gym sessions a week to work on his core and improve his stamina, but 80% of his training is in the water. Most Sundays are spent surfing with his brother. Apart from training, Chad remains loyal to his diet, having started using GNC Nutrition products three months ago, avoiding heavy supplements, and using whey protein for recovery as well as FutureLife after morning sessions.

MORE ON THE CARDS

This month, Chad is chasing eight wins at the SA Champs. “The most won is seven and it will be difficult, because the competition is tough, but it’s my stepping stone to the Commonwealth Games later this year, and obviously Rio 2016. My goal for London was any medal; my dream was gold. It might have been unrealistic, but if you’re not up to dreaming big, you won’t make it. There were occasions growing up that people told me I’m not good enough, but my parents were always in the crowd and guided me. I wouldn’t be here today without my sponsors, coach and family. I swim for myself, but I also do it for them.”

WHY GO
Excellent running right on the Mother City doorstep comes to you courtesy of Silvermine Nature Reserve, a protected area set along the south-eastern slopes of Table Mountain. If you’re down in this neck of the woods for the Two Oceans Marathon, but still enjoy dabbling in a touch of trail, Silvermine is less than half an hour from the city centre, with stunning views across both False Bay and the Atlantic, and even has a remote tarmac strip for those not keen to get their shoes dirty!

WHAT YOU GET
A whole network of circular and return routes spider-web through the Fynbos vegetation blanketing the Reserve. Options include the full gamut, from a gruelling gravel road climb up Ou Wapad, to a punchy and technical 4.5km River Trail looping from the Northern Gate. The southern section combines meandering gravel road loops with excellent single-track booming up onto the trails traversing Steenberg and Muizenberg Peaks.

WHERE TO RUN
Silvermine boasts so many options, with a total trail distance of well over 50km. If you’re looking for a quickie workout for a couple of hours before or after work, thump onto the River Trail from the Silvermine North entrance gate. Get ready for a combo of gravel road and hiking trail, with some wooden boardwalk and a touch of tarmac on the side. Expect rocky ascents, loose gravel and looping Fynbos singletrack, with a workout bordering on hardcore if you plan to take on the complete route.

Keep to the left of Silvermine River, following the rocky River Trail up to the concrete dam wall for 3.5km and then keep right. (A River Trail return run would be a good start for beginners). Keep left past the dam onto the concrete dual-track, then look for a single-track forking right to wind its way towards Elephants Eye Cave before dog-legging left to cross over the gravel road and ascend up Silvermine Peak. A twisty-turny trail brimming with rock-hopping and tight Fynbos bends drops you back down towards the dam, from where you can double back to the start, either via the River Trail boardwalk or the rough-and-ready loop above the Ou Wapad and back to the gate.

Fast Facts: SILVERMINE
MAP: Available at Silvermine entrance or download at www.mtbroutes.co.za.
ACCESS REQUIREMENTS: SANParks Wild Card, or a fee of R40 per day (adults).
TRAIL MARKINGS: Limited signage at main trail junctions.
FACILITIES: Secure parking, ablutions, picnic spots, swimming in dam.
CELL RECEPTION: Relatively good.
BEWARE: Mountain bikers, hikers and dogs.
TIME OF YEAR: Trails may be sandy in summer; waterproof gear is a must in winter.
LOCAL INFO: www.sanparks.org.za

GETTING THERE
Follow the M3 from Cape Town towards Muizenberg, then keep right along the M42 onto the M64 (Ou Kaapse Weg). Silvermine Nature Reserve (North) is on your right just as you reach the top.
GPS: 34º 05’ 135” South / 18º 25’ 144” East

STAY HERE
Check out www.capepointroute.co.za.

 

Having a child is one of life’s greatest joys, but childbirth can definitely compare to an endurance event. Despite childbirth being a natural process, your body is still put under stress and physiological changes occur, so we asked Reproductive Medicine Specialist Dr Chris Venter to give us his expert advice to help new mothers get back on the road.

There are many aspects to take into account after having a baby, and how easy, or difficult, it could be to get those running shoes back in action. “For starters, most women feel out of sorts after having a baby, due to their fluctuating hormones,” say Dr Venter, a former gynaecologist and now a Reproductive Medicine Specialist at Vitalab in Morningside, Johannesburg. “During pregnancy, the levels of progesterone in a women’s body are at their highest level. Progesterone has a calming effect on the brain and once you have your baby the progesterone drops straight down to what it was before you were pregnant. This is when some women suffer from what they call the ‘baby blues,’ or Postpartum depression.”

Dr Venter says that women should give it six weeks before getting out on the road again, for a number of reasons:

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: “In the first six weeks after your baby has arrived, your resting heart rate is increased by 15 beats a minute. Due to this, you are also short of breath. Therefore, if any training takes place, it needs to be extremely gradual, and also needs to be monitored.”

JOINT LAXITY: “During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called Relaxin. It loosens connective tissue, including ligaments that connect bones and help support our joints. This increased laxity allows for expansion of the rib cage, making room for the growing fetus, as well as allowing the pelvis to expand in order for the baby to be delivered. Up until six weeks after the baby, your laxity levels in your ligaments and joints is still high, so by putting too much stress on the body, you can pick up injuries easier, and it is also common to feel sharp pain or discomfort in your lower back.”

BIRTH PROCEDURE: “After having a cesarean done, you need to go for your six-week post-birth checkup and your doctor will then be able to indicate whether you are ready to start training. It is vital that the wound heals properly before putting stress on the body. A natural birth will have you training a lot quicker, unless you experienced a tear, which will mean that you will also need to wait until the wound has fully healed.”

BREAST MILK: “Training too hard or putting your body under stress will decrease a mother’s breast milk. Your routine should revolve around creating more breast milk.”

GETTING STARTED

The latest craze is to take your baby with you in a running pram, and this can be great fun, although hard work on the uphills. It is important to take it slow to start off with, as your baby doesn’t have much of an immune system in the first six weeks and can be susceptible to flu and colds. Any exercise should be started off gradually, and not to the level you trained at before your pregnancy. “You need to listen to your body,” says Dr Venter, “you also need to be sure to invest in good support bras, as in this time you also stand a good chance of stretching your Cooper’s Ligaments, the connective tissue in the breasts.”