Category: Racing

There was a time when Ashleigh dreamed of making it
big in triathlon and duathlon, and with a 1:21 PB for the half marathon, she
was enjoying her road running too, but then she picked up ITB problems and put running
on the backburner, concentrating on cycling instead. A few years later she is
country’s only pro female professional rider on the European circuit, and led
the SA women’s cycling team in the 2012 Olympics… but she hasn’t given up on
running just yet.

 

“I showed a lot of potential to be good endurance
runner, but my development from hockey player and part-time runner, to hardcore
runner went really fast, and I think I developed a muscle imbalance. I probably
pushed too fast at the time, going straight to 21km instead of sticking to 10km
at first,” says Ashleigh. “I’ve learnt through cycling that I need recovery
periods and regular massage in order to remain injury-free, and the bonus of
cycling is that there is less impact on my joints and muscles. Also, core work
and gym work are essential. But I want to explore running again some day – I’ve
always had a dream to run Comrades.”

 

CHAMPIONSHIP MATERIAL

Born in Pretoria and schooled in Bloemfontein,
Ashleigh went on to study chemical engineering at the University of
Stellenbosch, where she met her triathlete husband, Carl, who now coaches her. “Carl introduced me to a life of competitive
endurance sports and today I find myself travelling the world together with my
husband and best friend, competing on the world stage. We live half the year in
Riebeek-Kasteel, about 80km north of Cape Town, and the other half in Varese,
Italy, constantly chasing summer days and good weather!”

 

Ashleigh began racing
competitively in 2008, and once she finished her studies in 2009, turned pro in
2010. She recently joined the Hi-Tec Products team in Europe, having been racing
for the Lotto-Belisol team, and she rides for Biogen Toyota in South Africa.
Her list of honours now includes numerous podium finishes in Europe, and she
has also enjoyed much success in SA: “I’ve won a fair number of races here, including
most of the big ones – the Argus, 94.7,
Amashova, OFM and EP Herald,” says Ashleigh, who has also done well at both SA
and African Champs in recent years.

 

In 2009 she was second in the SA Road Race Champs, in
2011 she was African champ in the road race and runner-up in the time trial,
and in 2012 she added the SA national title in the road race and was second in
the time trial, followed by identical results in the African Champs. In 2013
she claimed both SA titles, and says she wears the SA colours on her racing kit
with pride: “Winning the SA Champs title means a lot to me, and riding in your
national championship jersey makes you stand out in races, which has its benefits.”

 

LONDON EXPERIENCE

Ashleigh’s success on the road saw her selected for
the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she was SA’s top performer, finishing
16^th in the women’s road race and 24^th in the time trial.
“London was a hard experience, to be honest. I went into the Games with high
hopes, but underestimated the mental aspect, and don’t think I was properly
prepared. The crowd was massive, and conditions on the day were really tough, with
torrential rain, but most importantly, I had to ride alone in the road race as
our team was not experienced enough to ride together at that level. So I was initially
disappointed with my result, but looking back now I am satisfied with 16^th.
It gives me a realistic idea of what I need to do to prepare for Rio 2016, and
I have made plans to get the right support structures in place.”

 

Thanks to her UCI points from European races, Ashleigh
also represented SA at the World Champs in Italy last year, but again found it
tough due to being the only SA rider and having no team support. “In 2012 we had
six SA girls racing in Europe, but in 2013 it was only me, so we need more
build-up ahead of Rio. There are a lot of youngsters pushing through now, but I
am still preparing myself for the possibility that I could be alone again in
Rio. My focus now is on Europe – I will be selective about racing locally –
because if you have aspirations to go to the Olympics or World Champs, you need
to race the best in Europe.”

Winelands Marathon
& Half Marathon, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 16 November

The 36th Winelands was all set to be biggest ever, with
record entries in both the marathon and half marathon, and the organisers were
looking forward to great race, despite not being able to secure a sponsor for
the event. But then the heavens opened the day before the race, and it just
kept raining and raining, resulting in several hundred runners who had
pre-entered not making it to the race. Both the marathon and half marathon had
attracted record numbers of entries, especially following the news that the
marathon route had been changed slightly due to road works and would now be a
bit easier, but the weather and road conditions kept many people away on race
day.

 

Those that did make it the start soon found themselves running in
absolutely perfect cool conditions, and many a PB was set on the day. In the
marathon, the Dicardo Jakobs (Nedbank)
took the win in 2:26:10, while Candyce Hall (3:03:44) took line honours in her
new Carbineers WP colours. The 21km wins went to Lindikhaya Mthangayi (Itheko)
in 1:07:54 and Kim Laxton (Sunninghill) in a course record 1:19:15.

These days
most of us are aware that being exposed to sunshine has great health benefits,
but there are also potential dangers from being exposed to too much sun, yet
many of us forget the sunscreen when doing a long run or race. That’s why
Johannesburg dermatologist and four-time Comrades Marathon finisher, Dr Gary
Levy, urges athletes to apply sunscreen generously and properly at all times!

 

“The skin
is good at repairing itself once you burn – it takes between 30 to 60 days – but
once you burn again, the repairing process in the skin gets damaged and your
skin doesn’t repair 100 percent anymore, but rather at 99 percent,” says Dr
Levy. “Then when you burn again, it will repair itself at say, 98 percent, and
so the process of skin damage has begun. This is when you get your brown spots
and cancerous sores. In particular, ladies don’t realise how much damage they
inflict on their legs by tanning them – I have a lot of female patients with
sun spots on their legs. You just need 20 minutes in the sun, three times a
week, to promote your health, but during this time you should still be wearing
sunscreen.”

 

SPF EXPLAINED

Now the sun
protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen does not indicate the strength or level
of protection you will enjoy, but rather the length of protection. “Different
skin types have different sun tolerance levels: A very light-skinned person
will normally start turning red within two minutes, whereas a dark-skinned person
takes much longer, so if you have a light skin tone, you should use a higher
SPF. If you turn red in two minutes and you use an SPF15, it will ‘buy you’ 30
minutes in the sun,” explains Dr Levy.

 

He therefore
recommends that athletes should wear protective clothing on races that go over
two hours, and should also make it a priority to carry sunscreen and reapply it
every two to three hours, depending on skin tone. “Athletes with a light skin
tone should opt for at least SPF30, and darker toned people should not think
they are not at risk of skin damage, since the only difference is that
cancerous cells develop slower in darker toned skin. Also, as athletes you rub
or sweat the sunscreen off, and even waterproof sunscreen doesn’t guarantee you
full protection – it will last you 45 minutes in water and that is only if you
don’t rub it off.”

 

CHECK YOUR SKIN

There are two
types of skin cancer you need to look out for. The first sign of non-melanoma
skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or patch on the skin that
doesn’t heal after a few weeks. Melanoma itself is more dangerous and if left
too late, can be fatal. This is why we need to check all those beauty spots or
moles! The simple way to check a mole is with the ABCD method:

A is for Asymmetry: Normal
moles or freckles are completely symmetrical. If you draw a line through a
normal spot, you would have two identical halves. In cases of skin cancer,
spots will not look the same on both sides.

B is for Border: A mole or spot should be nice and round, so look for blurry
or jagged edges.

C is for Colour: It shouldn’t be more than two colours.

D is for Diameter: If it is
larger than a pencil eraser (6mm), it needs to be examined by a doctor.

A Modern Athlete reader, Allistair Meyer,
recently asked the following very interesting question: “As simple as it might
sound, I have tried to apply the ‘start slow, finish fast’ concept, especially
during marathons. Logic tells me that if I start slow and run for almost three
hours, how is it possible to have the strength to finish my last hour fast with
at least 10km remaining?”

 

THE COACH’S TAKE

I personally believe that the phrase should actually
be START SLOWER and FINISH FASTER than your planned race pace. Speed is
relative to the individual’s running ability, age and many other factors. Most
running records are achieved using EVEN pacing. Take, for example, Roger Bannister,
the world’s first sub- four-minute miler.

 

When trying to break this barrier, Roger set out by
trying to run each lap (a quarter mile) around the track in just under 60 seconds
with enough in the tank to finish fast and break the four-minute barrier. He
achieved this when his training mates paced him through three laps in 3:01. He
ran the last lap in just under 59 seconds to finish in 3:59.4, and with that he
made history! In this epic race, the runners did not start slow at all, but ran
an even pace and finished fast! This is the secret to your best times.

 

PACING EQUATION

My personal best marathon was achieved with only a 20-second
slowdown between the first 21km and the second 21km, so very close to even
pace. Of course, in road races one has to take into account a lot of other
factors, such as up hills, down hills, distance and the weather, to name a few.

 

History shows that starting fast more often than not
leads to a complete slowdown towards the end of a race. Therefore rather start
at a slightly slower pace than your predicted even pace for 25 to 35% of the
distance, pick up the pace over the next 35 to 50% of the distance, and then
try to maintain that to the finish. If you have managed your muscle fatigue and
energy levels, you may even be able to pick up the pace during the last few
kilometres for a fast finish.

 

TRAIN TO ACHIEVE THIS

If you do not practise this concept in training, you
will never be able to do this in a race.

?          
Start
slow, finish fast: Every
run, even your easy recovery runs, should start at a very easy pace and finish
faster than you started.

?          
Easy
out, fast back: Run easy
for the first 4km. Stop and have a drink and then run the same 4km back at
around two to three minutes faster.

?          
Progressive
runs: Do a 60-minute workout, increasing
the pace every 20min: The first 20min should be easy, the next 20min at a good
pace and the last 20min at tempo pace.

?          
Very
fast finishes: Do a
steady run of around 10km with the last five minutes at a very fast pace.

 

Lastly a concept that I constantly talk to my runners
about is that running easy must be EASY and running fast must be FAST! There
must be a notable difference between the efforts, and this will build your
fitness. Good luck with your training.

The Sarens Edenvale
Marathon, Central Gauteng, 10 March

With
entries growing each year and a finish full of entertainment, the Sarens
Marathon is definitely going to be a race to tick off in the coming years – a
new favourite for elites and locals! Modern
Athlete even got a chance to see the route from the skies in the race
helicopter! Apart from giving elites and 5km fun runners a great route through
Edenvale’s quiet suburbs, sponsors Sarens and organisers Rand Road Warriors
were determined to make the race one for the family. With a line-up of vintage
cars, local company stands and arts and craft stands at the finish, competitors
and visitors could make the most of a chilly Sunday morning out.

 

“This year
we had a family mindset in organising the event,” says Dr Bernard Andersen,
Rand Road Warriors club chairman. “There was something for everyone, and we
also decided to focus a lot more on charities this year.” In keeping with this,
Sarens and the club offered high schools in the area an opportunity to win a
bursary for the school with the most entries in the race. “Now children are
involved in giving back and it’s great to see the charity angle of the race,”
says Bernard. “In the years to come, we hope to make this a bigger and better
race and aim to raise a lot more funding.”

 

Holy Rosary
in Edenvale, who entered over 130 runners, were hoping to win some funds for
their Phumelela Outreach Programme, which targets top learners from Dukathole
informal settlement to broaden their education. “The students took it upon
themselves to sell and advertise the race, giving each of the girls
participating a green ribbon!” says Jacqui Bunge of Rand Road Warriors. “There
were also a lot of runners and walkers from Eastleigh
and Edenglen Primary who wanted to raise some funds.” (In pre-entries, Holy
Rosary registered 135 runners ahead of Eastleigh Primary with 85 and Edenglen
Primary with 33 entries.)

 

CHILD’S PLAY

The 5km was
dominated by children who wanted to work up a sweat. First runner in was
12-year-old Mavani Padayachee, who blitzed to the finish in 21 minutes in just her
fifth race ever, with sister Keara in third place in 22:43. The talented
sisters were a grand sight on the day, with many children under the age of 16
taking part in the 5km. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but great weather
to run,” says Mavani, who adds that competing with her sister always makes her
try harder, as they motivate each other. “It’s a great run to do and we’ll come
back again! We compete against each other, but it’s a good competition!”

 

Fourteen
year old Jonathan Bruce, who also took part in the 5km, was just as optimistic
about the event in the area. “At school, everyone gets involved,” he says, “and
I think we can keep doing these events, because even though it’s a charity, and
early, it’s so much fun!”

 

This year’s
marathon was closely contested, with Toyota’s
Sipho Ncube winning the men’s race in 2:32:23 while Toyota’s Belinda Waghorn won the women’s race
in 3:17:12. In the half marathon, Blue Sky AC’s Xolani Nkinane cruised home in
1:11:21, while Nedbank’s Irvette Van Blerk overcame teammates Rene Kalmer and
Nolene Conrad to break the tape in a stellar 1:16:18 in the women’s showdown.

Stellenbosch
born and bred, Charl (37) rode his first Cycle Tour in 1990, but a double puncture
forced him out of the race. He was back in 1991 to complete the 105km race for
the first time, and later posted a handy fastest time of three hours 21 minutes.
However, a few years ago he decided to do things differently and ride for a
cause. “When I was young, my brother and I would cycle to the caf? on my
grandfather’s old bike when on holiday on the coast, and many years later I started
collecting them. I thought it would be cool to ride the Argus on one of the old
Post Office bikes, and to raise funds for Animal Welfare in the process.”

 

IS IT A BIRD? A PLANE?

Then I
decided to try something still more different. I wanted a superhero outfit, and
Superman was the easiest to put together: Blue Spandex tights, red underpants,
a tight blue top, a badge and a cape – it was easiest for my mom to put
together for me,” he laughs – and he’s worn the suit ever since in the Cycle
Tour, as well as in a number of running events, all to raise funds.

 

Charl has
six of his own rescue dogs, so the animal welfare cause is close to home for
him. “I have that ‘My Family sticker’ on the back of my bakkie showing me and
my six dogs. I also serve on the committee of the Stellenbosch Animal Welfare branch,
so it makes sense to raise funds for them.” To date, Charl has raised R7600 following
his 2013 ride, and he’s raised about R19 000 overall in four years.

 

“Years ago
it was a novelty to see people dressed up and riding for charity, but now there
are many. Still, I often hear parents telling their kids, ‘Look, there goes Superman.’
I see it as awareness-raising of the animal welfare cause as much as about fundraising…
but after five tours on old bikes, I think next year I am going back to a
conventional light bike!”

 

To support
Charl’s cause, go to www.doit4charity.co.za/c.

Before a race or big event, most of us
like to treat ourselves to a massage or a pedicure, for all the hard training
we have done. But take heed, says podiatrist Natasha Galloway: What you do
before race day can have a huge influence on your race.

 

BEFORE
THE BIG DAY

Choose comfort over beauty: Leave pedicures for after race day. Often during a pedicure,
your feet are highly exfoliated and the lengths of your toenails are left
longer than what they should be. Before
race day, it should be more about comfort than beauty, says Natasha. So ditch
the pedicure for after the race and rather visit your podiatrist two weeks
before race day to keep your calluses and corns under control.

 

Avoid ingrown, sore or black toenails: Cut them two weeks prior to race
day. The skin is sensitive at the tips of your toes after cutting and if you
cut them too short there is time for them to grow a bit before you hit the
road. They also need to be cut straight, avoid cutting the corners and file
them lightly instead.

 

Choose the right sock: When it comes to socks, our preferences are different, but
one thing we all agree on is that some socks cause excessive sweating, and
sweat causes blisters. So to prevent sweating, instead of changing your socks,
try putting powder on your feet, this ensures that they are dryer for longer.

 

AFTER THE RUN IS DONE

Over-pronation: Many runners suffer from sore or inflamed foot arches caused by over-pronation,
which means your foot is rolling inwards too far during its normal footstrike
and toe-off. Natasha says a good way to prevent this is by checking the
biomechanics of your foot strike and then getting fitted with anti-pronation shoes
or medical orthotics. But if the damage is already done, take a plastic 500ml
bottle and fill it with water, freeze it, then roll your foot over it. This
relieves the pain, gives your foot a good stretch, and ice works as a natural
inflammatory.

 

Black toenails:
This is either due to shoes that are too small and put pressure on the toes, or
shoes that are too big, which creates space for a sliding effect. Your shoes
should be one size bigger than your normal shoe size to prevent problems. If
the toenail is just black, it indicates trauma. If there is a yellow
discolouring to the toenail, this indicates a fungal infection, which needs to
be treated with fungal medication prescribed by your podiatrist. A green
undertone indicates a bacterial infection for which you will be prescribed
antibiotics. To relieve pressure a small hole can be lodged (drilled) through
the toenail by your podiatrist.

 

Blisters: If
you have the right shoes, you shouldn’t be getting them. The secret to dealing
with them is that if they are sore, lance them; if not, leave them.

 

One thing is for certain: Every
woman should own a foot cream that contains a minimum of 10% urea. This
ingredient softens the foot and heals any damage that may have been done.

 

For more great advice about your
feet, Natasha can be contacted at 011 453 9475

Ask Fleur van Eeden about a day in her life and it sounds like a fairytale.
If she is not on her mountain bike in Swellendam, running around in stunning
gorges, or paddling with her boyfriend in Knysna, she is on a glamorous movie
set, mingling with actors and performing stunts that are physical, spectacular
and almost always dangerous. And that is one of the reasons why Fleur makes
sure she is super fit. “You need to be very fit and condition your body
constantly. I love mountain biking and running, and use these two
disciplines as my main sports to stay fit and gain a fitness base,” says Fleur.

 

BORN TO PERFORM

As a child she
participated in tug-of-war, athletics, hockey, horse-riding and running, then
after school, while studying public relations, she represented South Africa in
tug-of-war. She also worked as a river guide on the Breede and Orange Rivers,
and this is how her career as a stuntwoman started. “I worked with a guy whose
brother opened a stunt company in Cape Town called Pyranha Stunts. I contacted them
and a few months later, on my 21st birthday, I got my first stunt job on the
American mini-series Triangle. I had to sit on a rubber duck in huge water
between the Waterfront and Robben Island. I loved it and got called a week
later to be in a ‘plane accident.’ I was hooked.”

 

Many days she does ‘normal’
day-to-day stunts, such as horse-riding, but then there are always the awesome
new challenges. “There is always a risk of getting hurt, but it is done in a
controlled environment where the stunts are made as comfortable as possible,”
she says. The most dangerous stunt Fleur has performed was while connected to a ratchet (a machine that yanks you and you go flying). “I
was yanked through two swing doors and literally got pulled through the door.
It looked amazing, but I hurt my knee and had a concussion.”

 

RUBBING
SHOULDERS WITH THE FAMOUS

As a stuntwoman Fleur has rubbed shoulders
with the rich and famous and has most recently worked alongside Samuel L.
Jackson on the movie Kite. She can
also add the movies Dredd 3D, Doomsday, Blue Crush, Primeval and Death Race to her CV, to mention just a
few. “In South Africa we produce between five and eight
movies a year and I usually double all the actresses.”

 

And when she is not
jumping off buildings, on her bike or running, Fleur spends time with her partner,
adventure racer Graham Bird of the team Merrell Adventure Addicts. They make an
ideal couple, given that he is just as fit and active. “I believe if you put
your mind to doing something physical, your body will follow. My job challenges
me physically and mentally. And it proves to me how amazing our bodies are.”

Marsha’s r?sume makes for impressive reading: Over 300 test caps and
appearances at two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and two World Cups. She
made her international debut in 2001, has captained the side since 2006, and
says she has come a long way since first breaking into the team: “The
differences between 18-year-old me and myself now is my physical strength and
toughness, and that I can handle pressure better.”

 

Her flair for the game runs in
the family – her mother, Marian
Marescia, has often been described as the best player to never play
internationally for South Africa, due to Apartheid – and Marsha has been
involved in the sport since a young age.
“I basically grew up beside the field with my mum being a provincial
player in KwaZulu-Natal as well as a provincial and junior national coach. I
chose hockey as my main sport from grade nine.”

 

Marsha spent many years playing
for Southern Gauteng and has just started her second season with Premier League
side SV Kampong in the Netherlands, where she lives with her
husband, Alex Cox, who is also a women’s hockey coach and was an assistant
coach to Dutch women’s hockey team that won gold at the London 2012 Olympics. While
adapting to the Dutch culture remains challenging, Marsha has plenty of help
and support from Alex, as well as her club and teammates. “The hockey has been
challenging, as we have a few Dutch internationals as well as the German
national captain, but it’s easier with a lot of foreigners in Utrecht, which is
a student town, and the club really makes an effort to make you feel at home!”

 

SPEED AND STRENGTH

Averaging 9.5km of running per game,
Marsha’s fitness needs to be consistent, so running – both endurance and
sprints – remains a vital part of her training. “A hockey player needs to last
70 minutes at a high intensity and speed to keep up with and eliminate
opponents, and you also need physical upper body strength. We don’t pump
ourselves up in the gym, but we work on having a good core strength base that gives
you explosive power.”

 

In a typical week, Marsha’s
training will include agility and weight training on Mondays and Wednesdays,
and a focus on score fitness and speed on Tuesdays. Thursdays are reserved for
two team sessions of two hours each to work on match preparation, and she spends
another two hours with the club on Fridays before resting on Saturdays ahead of
Sunday match days. It’s also a plus having Alex around, says Marsha, with his
understanding of the demands of a pro. “We share the love for the game and
fully support each other in our respective roles in the sport. However, not
training together helps us to enjoy our time together away from hockey!”

 

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

Apart from her debut and 300^th
test matches, Marsha says her other career highlight is her first Olympic
experience in Athens 2004, where the SA team beat eventual gold medallists
Germany and placed ninth overall. Looking ahead, Marsha says 2014 holds many
exciting opportunities: “Next year it’s the FIH World Cup and Commonwealth
Games a month later, and my goal is to leave Scotland after the Commonwealth
Games with a medal! I care so much about the progress, process and success of
the team, and it keeps me motivated to play my part on the field!”

Merrell Hobbit Trail Runs presented by Nikwax, Hogsback, Border, 11-12 October

The
100km event takes runners on a magical journey along the Amatola Hiking trail,
with over 5000m of ascent, making it one of the toughest multi-day trail running
events on the calendar. The two days are long, with average finishing times of between
eight and 12 hours each day, giving the runners plenty of time to reflect on
life’s subtleties as they experience the physical, mental and emotional highs
and lows that come with covering the extreme route. There is also a ‘rustic’ overnight
stay at Cata Hut, adding to this truly unique experience.

 

A
field of 41 runners lined up at the start line at Maden Dam on the Friday
morning, with only 30 managing to get an official finish at the Arminel Hotel,
Hogsback on the Saturday afternoon, once again led home by 2012 winner, Ryno
Griesel, while race novice Driekie Black claimed the women’s title. Most runners
finished elated and smiling, some with tears of relief and joy, but all saying
there were no words to describe how they felt as they crossed the line.

 

While
the 100km runners were busy with their second day, over 220 runners made the
trip to Hogsback for the one-day races. The 38km event took the runners on a
loop out and over Hogsback Mountain, joining up with the 100km route, while the
16km runners did a tough loop in the forests surrounding Hogsback. The 5km loop
was far tamer, with families and kids getting a taste of single-track trail
running at its best.

Check out www.mountainrunner.co.za
for more photos and results.