Category: Racing

Around 600 eager trail
runners and lovers of good wine made their way to the Blaauwklippen Wine Estate
for the Cellar2Cellar Trail Run & Wine Experience, with the serious racers
first taking on the 20km or 12km trail runs, and then many of them joining the
12km Wine Experience ‘run.’ This took them through the vineyards of
Blaauwklippen, Stellenrust, Dornier, Kleinood, Waterford and Stellenzicht, with
all six participating wine farms, together with a Checkers Odd Bins tasting
station, tempting participants to linger and taste their wine along with
Portobello cheeses, chocolates and Wedgewood Nougats that were on offer.

 

In the serious racing, Matthew
Daneel took top spot on the podium in the men’s 20km Trail Run in an impressive 1:13:23, followed by Dawid
Visser and William Leslie. Thamar Clark won the women’s 20km in 1:37:03, with Linda Kinco-Smith second and Sarah-Jane
Jackson third. Claudia Wesemann was first woman home in the 12km, clocking 1:01:52, with Yolandi
Visser second and Nicola Collins third. Craig Burns took men’s gold in the 12km with a quick 52:52, with Jacques
Jantjies second.

 

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE…

Nicola Collins was one of
many runners that did both the 12km
Trail Run followed by the fun-filled 12km Wine Experience. “To just do the 12km or 20km at
Cellar2Cellar would be cheating,” she said. “The whole experience, atmosphere
and the people you meet along the way is just awesome, not to mention the
delicious wine, cheese, chocolate and nougat tasted along the way. I can’t
think of a more fun-filled way to spend a beautiful spring day with friends.”

When Vanessa Haywood is not busy with a
modelling photo-shoot or an audition for a TV or film role, chances are you’ll
find her hitting the trails, but her lifestyle demands that she often goes
straight from mountain biking and trail running ‘tough girl’ to the glitz and
glamour of modelling and acting quickly, so she has learnt how to keep her hair
in good shape.

 

“I
have really long fair hair and the combination of sun, sweat, elastic bands,
helmets and caps wreaks havoc on my hair! It gets knotty and ends up looking
like an old Barbie doll’s nylon hair after a race – and I also colour my hair,
so the bleach dries it out severely. Fortunately, I use the most fantastic
products that fix all of the damage in an instant,” says Vanessa. She swears by
NAK Aromas Shampoo and Conditioner, which also have leave-in treatment to add
to their range. “It detangles and literally stops split ends in their tracks,”
says Vanessa.

 

Due to having
fair, sensitive hair, Vanessa has found that spray-on sunblocks made by Paul
Mitchell and Redken are great for her hair care regime. “Just make sure when
buying a sunblock hair treatment, that it contains both UVA and UVB protectors
in it.” Vanessa also tries to avoid washing her hair daily, as the natural oils
in the hair get washed away. “One has to wash one’s hair after a race, but
during the week, when training, try to stick to three times a week, especially
if you have long hair,” she advises.

 

SWIMMER’S HAIR

Despite
the fact that swimming is a great way to get fit, with minimal impact on your
muscles and joints, the effect on your hair is not quite so ‘injury-free,’ says
Nadia Bachini, who has been a
competitive swimmer for more than ten years, including competing at the World
Champs (in Italy) and doing the Robben Island to Big Big open sea swim in Cape
Town. She says that all the hours spent in the pool take a toll on one’s hair,
and she should know, given that she does up to 8km in the pool most some
training days.

 

“As a
swimmer, the key to ensuring your hair stays healthy is to wash it after every
swim with a shampoo that does not contain sodium,” says Nadia. “In addition to
this, a mask is recommended at least once a week, to replace all the lost
nutrients. These can be bought from a local pharmacy, and you don’t need the
most expensive brand on the market.”

 

Nadia says
she has also recently started supplementing with Prosana Hair and Nail booster,
which is formulated with vitamins to assist in hair care. “Vigro is also
something I have recently started using, as this brand has a tonic which can be
applied to the hair immediately after a swim, left in and then the hair can be
styled normally,” says Nadia. She also claims that she will leave her hair to
‘air dry’ as much as possible and minimises using a straightener to once in
three weeks.

Dis-Chem Half Marathon & Rehidrat Sport
5km, Central Gauteng, 13 January

Taking
line honours this year was Elroy Gelant, who cruised the last stretch as he grabbed
victory in 1:06:00, 14 seconds ahead of defending champion, Desmond Mokgobu, whose clubmate Lucky Mohale was third over
the line. While Desmond was relatively happy with his performance on the day, he
admitted to not being in quite the same shape as the previous year: “The course
is a great one, but I was not fit enough this time around. I took the lead at
18km, but it was very challenging and I fell back to second.”

 

In the women’s race, a strong
performance by the Nedbank club saw athletes in green claim three of the top
four spots, led home by Irvette Van Zyl to claim her
fifth Dis-Chem title in a time of 1:17:47. She was followed home by Charne Rademeyer of Bonitas (1:18:16), with third and
fourth going to Nedbank’s Christine Kalmer and Nolene Conrad. “I
am happy about my win and form so early in the season, but must admit that I
was pushed very hard by Charne!” said Irvette.

 

RESULTS

Men

1. Elroy Gelant (NWU
Pukke) 1:06:00

2. Desmond Mokgobu (Mr
Price) 1:06:14

3. Lucky Mohale (Mr
Price) 1:08:46

4. John Chebii (Mr
Price/Kenya) 1:08:48

5. Paul Nyamachere (Mr
Price/Kenya) 1:09:21

Veterans: 1. Johannes Kekana
(Bonitas) 1:10:25

Masters: 1. Isaac Mahlangu (Sasol)
1:24:29

G’masters: 1. Dave Wright (RAC)
1:38:15

Juniors: 1. Armand Burger (Vaal)
1:41:55

 

Women

1. Irvette Van Zyl
(Nedbank) 1:17:47

2. Charne Rademeyer
(Bonitas) 1:18:16

3. Christine Kalmer
(Nedbank) 1:19:59

4. Nolene Conrad
(Nedbank) 1:20:27

5. Zola Pieterse
(Unlimited AC) 1:24:07

Veterans: 1. Melanie Jennett
(Fourways) 1:35:28

Masters: 1. Pam Hampton
(Sunninghill) 1:52:54

G’masters: 1. Penny Visser (Breakthru)
1:56:37

Juniors: 1. Nobuhle Tshuma (Elim)
1:33:39

 

5km Men: 1.
Dominic Khoza (Bidvest) 14:59

5km Women: 1. Lebo
Phalula (Mr Price) 17:41

 

 

THEY SAID IT…

Modern Athlete was at
the finish line to ask some of the runners how their Dis-Chem run went. Here’s
what they had to say.

Chris Kubeka (1:58): “I led the sub-2:00 bus today and
it went well! The course was fine and the crowd on the bus was full of energy.
After Christmas, people have to work hard on this route and near the end we had
to pick it up!”

Simagele Jeaneth (1:50): “I started a little
late but got back into my rhythm. It’s my first Dis-Chem race and I really
enjoyed it – very well organised and it brings a lot of people together.”

Duduzile Zulu (1:52): “I started really well
and it is a fantastic route with lots of ups and downs to test you out. It’s my
first Dis-Chem race and I loved it! It’s definitely an event I’ll come back to
next year.”

Saleman Mohomed (2:10): “I have run this race 10
times and I keep coming back because it’s one of the country’s best half
marathons! I had to work hard throughout, but it was enjoyable!”

Kate Martin (2:10): “It’s my first half marathon ever! I
didn’t train as hard as I should have and it was really tough, but it is a
great course and the water points did so well.”

Kim Savage (2:12): “There was a mix on the course –
ups, downs and flats with a huge climb near the end. I mixed it up with running
and walking and I will definitely come back next time around.”

Elias Maaroganye (1:27): “It was not my best
performance, but I loved the route – it had different obstacles. There are no
issues with the organisation and atmosphere, it’s a great day.”

Isaac Ramoroka (1:22): “I got my half marathon
PB today, so I am very happy! There are a lot of great runners here and the
atmosphere is very friendly, too.”

Sibusiso Mathe (1:46): This is my first Dis-Chem
race and the water points were amazing. I enjoy myself when I run and this is
the biggest race in January – I really liked it!”

-End-

“It
was the best of times and the worst of times,” says Retha Schutte, who teamed
up with friends Machelle Bremer, Lindsay van Aswegen and Lena Faber to take on
the gruelling challenge of running from Umhlanga to Cape Columbine in 42 days
in November-December last year. “Physically we were all in good shape, but
emotionally it was very tough,” she explains. “The whole trip was humbling, and
we have so much to be grateful for.”

 

THE NEED TO SHED LIGHT

The
team wanted to spread awareness about their cause on their running journey, so
with a community service team in place, comprising Retha’s husband Herman, life
coach Kudzai Shoko and clinical psychologist Eugene
Viljoen, they visited township schools and abused homes, chatting
to women and children affected by abuse. “Nobody knows how big the need is,”
says Retha. “Every 17 hours a rhino is killed in this country, but nobody knows
that every 17 seconds abuse and rape occurs! There needs to be more focus on
that.”

 

Not
only did the team give up their time to listen to the stories of the victims,
but they gave back where they could. “In Umtata, for example, we saw their
biggest need was pots, pans and a DVD player,” says Retha, “so we contributed
that and it made a difference, however small.” It was an emotional experience
for Machelle and Lindsay, too. “Visiting the homes was an emotional
rollercoaster,” says Machelle. “We’d have such a runner’s high after our run,
and then go into the homes and our hearts would break, which would bring our
feet back to earth.” Lindsay, too, felt fortunate after meeting the victims and
pointed out a simple need: “Children just want to be held,” she says, “while strangers
identified with us and took the time to tell their stories, which is a small
help to them.”

 

HEADING SOUTH

Before
bedtime each night, the team would set out each runner’s leg for the next day’s
route. Starting at 4:15am, the days sometimes stretched until 11pm, as the team
had to set up camp at various stages. They also sometimes had to hike up
mountains after their long day’s running to physically touch one of the
lighthouses, but it was still a definite relief when the team got to that ‘touching’
stage of the day. “Just like a woman in an abusive relationship, a runner goes through
a lot of ups and downs on a long run,” says Retha, “so it was a tiring,
frustrating, emotional six weeks, but an exceptional experience.”

 

While
there were some running clubs and individual athletes that joined the team for
various parts of the run, Retha hopes there will be more involvement from
runners in the future. Also, on route the team was approached by locals who had
heard of the cause, and wanted to know more, or make a contribution. “One
cyclist passing us even gave us R80 for the cause – it was such a surprise!”
says Lindsay.

 

“The
main thing is to challenge runners,” says Retha. “Charity starts at home, so
look at your community and how you can give back. It can be something simple,
like your old shoes or pillows. Some people just need someone to listen.” And
that need is ongoing, so the team won’t be stopping now that their run is
complete. “It’s not an issue only in South Africa, but worldwide,” says
Lindsay. “Usually, no one realises what’s going on in the home. We are too busy
to realise that there are scary things happening in our communities.”

Robyn Kime
can look back on quite some 2012! Not only did she win her third consecutive Unlimited
Dusi Canoe Marathon title (one solo K1 win sandwiched between two K2 wins with
Abbey Ulanski), but also claimed the under-23 title at the SA Flat Water
Marathon Champs, then went to the World Marathon Champs in Rome and finished
second in the under-23 category, as well as fourth in the senior doubles with
Michelle Eray. She also won the Drak race for the first time, after finishing
second the previous three years, and was second in both the Berg and Fish
races.

 

Then in
November she decided to take on the Salomon Skyrun 100km trail race with
boyfriend Mike, having done the 40km off-road Mweni Marathon earlier in the
year. “Mike entered in 2011, but got injured a month before the race. When he
entered again, I decided to run it with him. I had been to Rome in September,
paddled the Fish River Marathon at the beginning of October, so I was fit and
had been doing a lot of running, but during the race it was very windy and we
both got what they call ‘milky corner’ in one eye. We couldn’t see properly, so
the medics told us to pull out at 65km. I felt I could have pushed through, if
not for that, so I want to do it again.”

 

STARTING YOUNG

Robyn (23) was grew up in Pietermaritzburg, where her
father worked in forestry and her mother gave swimming lessons. The family was
always active, going on mountain bike rides and hikes, and Robyn did various
sports at high school, including hockey, waterpolo and cross-country, as well
as canoeing. “The school would take a bus down to the Fish River race, so that’s
how I got started, and I went on to win a few races as a junior. I love being
on rivers – the rapids are exciting and the places we paddle through are
beautiful.”

 

She is
currently halfway through her Masters degree in civil engineering at the
University of Stellenbosch, and she lives near the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve
just outside the town, where she does all of her running training. “The
entrance to the reserve is 3km from our door and there are few better places to
do trail running – it would be wrong to live there and not take advantage of
that.”

 

VITAL RUNNING

Running is
an important part of canoeing, since most races include portages where the
paddlers have to carry their boats around obstructions in the river or
dangerous sections. “With my paddling background, I find that if I run all
year, I can focus on that in training and then just do peak paddling training
for three weeks before big races. I’m stronger on the portages thanks to my
running background, but I still need to train running with a boat, so I carry
my boat on every second run I do up in the nature reserve – and yes, I do get
some funny looks.”

 

When it
comes to picking a favourite race, Robyn admits to a bit of hometown bias. “The
Dusi is special for me because it’s a big thing in Pietermaritzburg and has an
amazing atmosphere. I also really enjoy the extra dynamic that the long
portages introduce.” The first day’s 45km stage includes roughly 15km of
portaging, with shorter portaging sections on days two (45km) and three (35km).
“Growing up in Pietermaritzburg, you have the Comrades, Dusi and Midmar Mile,
and it is definitely possible for all people to do them if they put in the
training. All three are so aspirational.”

Glen Salmon admits he didn’t feel like doing any
running whatsoever when he hung up his boots last year. “After 16 years on the
soccer field, I felt I had pushed my body far enough, but my body craves work –
and I wanted to shed those kilo’s that were coming on. So now I do 5km three to
four mornings of the week, and I enjoy my runs as a bit of alone time, just me
and the road, time to reflect, time to plot the way further.”

 

Nowadays the former pro is enjoying a slightly ‘slower’
life in Johannesburg with wife Rosalynd and their kids, Jaime (11) and Keagan
(8), but he is still involved in the game. “I want to bring my international
experience to bear on youth players, so would ideally like to be an assistant
coach at a senior level, with some management duties in the mix, while also
working with juniors.”

 

TALENT SPOTTED

Glen (35) grew up in Durban before moving to Gauteng
and then turning pro with Supersport United at the end of 1996. He played there
until 1999, when he was signed by NAC Breda in Holland. “I was playing for the
SA under-23 side in a tournament in Toulon, France where I was scouted and
asked to go on trial at a club in Holland. Playing for the under-23s always
opens doors, but I was disappointed to be dropped just before the Sydney 2000
Olympic Games. I was one of the few guys in that team who had made the jump
overseas, so it was frustrating to be left out.”

 

On the up side, in February 2000 Glen was called up to
the national team for the first time and made his debut against Algeria. For
the next nine years he was often in the Bafana squad, but sadly only got onto
the field three times in total, remaining an unused sub much of the time. In
the meantime, he enjoyed a successful career in Europe, playing for NAC Breda and
FC Groningen in Holland, then PAOK in Greece before returning to Supersport in
2008 and playing there until his retirement. In all, he played 332 top level
club matches and scored 85 goals.

 

DISCIPLINE ESSENTIAL

As with any professional sport, Glen says it takes
commitment to be a successful pro footballer. “When I was a youngster I just played
as a hobby, but once I made the move overseas I really had to watch my
lifestyle, even though I had always watched what I ate and didn’t go out
partying. The nice thing about being a pro is that you can get away with eating
a bit of rubbish, because you’re training so hard, but you still have to look
after yourself. Also, I was lucky to be married and my kids were young, so pro
life suited me, whereas being single may have seen me being dragged into other
things.”

 

Of course, his job included a fair amount of running, although
he says soccer training has changed a bit. “It used to be a lot more ‘old
school,’ with heavy running sessions in the forest in pre-season. Now players
rather do more intense short running. Also, footballers enjoy playing with the
ball, so they’re not the happiest people when told to put on takkies and hit
the road! These days I feel a bit differently about running, though.”

A
woman’s body is sensitive to change, so when you suddenly increase (or start) high-intensity
running while training for a goal event or chasing a PB, your body may respond
negatively. Besides niggly over-use injuries potentially cropping up, like ITB
or shinsplints, another area where problems can occur is the menstrual cycle.
Not only can the cycle be disturbed, it may disappear altogether, a condition
known as amenorrhea. Now this may sound convenient to many women, but it’s a
serious condition that can lead to osteoporosis, the weakening of your bones,
and continuous stress fractures, due to the reduction in oestrogen produced by
your body.

 

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Amenorrhea can occur for a variety of
reasons, some of which are perfectly normal, such as pregnancy or menopause,
but others may be a sign of a medical problem, such as a hormonal imbalance, or
a side-effect of medication or contraception. Other possible causes could be
lifestyle-related:

?        
Stress can temporarily
alter the functioning of the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that controls
the hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle, notably oestrogen and
progesterone. Ovulation and menstruation may stop as a result, but usually
resume once stress decreases.

?        
Excessively
low body weight interrupts many hormonal functions in the body,
potentially halting ovulation. Thus women with an eating disorder, such as
anorexia or bulimia, often stop having periods.

?        
Excessive exercise can also
affect the hypothalamus, resulting in the disappearance of menstruation.

 

Looking
at those three lifestyle factors, you should understand that a female runner
doing excessive high-intensity, long distance training could be at risk of
developing amenorrhea, given the combination of low body fat, stress and high
energy expenditure.

 

HOW TO AVOID IT

If
you’re upping your training, make sure you seek nutritional guidance to
properly nourish your body for that extra effort and mileage. Quite simply, more
training means more nutrition! If your period then becomes light, unbalanced or
eventually disappears for two or more cycles – and you’re not pregnant – see
your doctor immediately. Take the signals as a red flag that you need to slow
down and cut back a bit – by at least 20% of your training volume – because no
race or running goal is more important than your health!

Spur Cape Winter
Trail Series 2013

It’s
amazing how trail running has developed over the last couple of years and each
of the four Spur Cape Winter Trail Series races was quickly sold out via online
entries. All four of the runs in this series were different and special in
their own way. The first race at Paul Cluver, my favourite, had its endless
climb, followed by magical single track and gulley crossing with ropes – I
always wonder how those with less lengthy legs manage to descend through the
rocks here!

 

Race
two was all about taming the ‘Tyger’ at Tygerberg Nature Reserve. Not many flat
parts, but at least every climb had an awesome downhill. It was not a very
technical route, but it was quite slippery in places, and some of us gained a
few war wounds. This year’s new start worked well, except that our hearts were
jumping out of our chests within the first five minutes with that 1.5km near-vertical
climb!

 

The
third race at the Taal Monument in Paarl was a fast and non-technical route,
with amazing views. Having raced the previous day, I wasn’t perhaps as speedy
as I should have been, and I think my legs were quite glad that it wasn’t
technical. It’s much easier to get into a rhythm on a course like this and I
was able to enjoy the scenery without having to concentrate on the footing
underneath. With the dry weather preceding the race weekend, the route was much
less slippery than last year.

 

At
the time of writing it is a few days to go to race four, the finale in Kleinmond,
which looks set to be an awesome morning of racing, although the weather
forecast isn’t looking too favourable. I’ve decided to tackle the longer XL
again this year, and I’m especially looking forward to the section over the
rocks in the first loop and the single-track down the mountain.

Energetic sport junkie Sunette grew up in Rustenburg and dabbled in
cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics and netball at school. She had a naturally strong
arm and flourished on the cricket field, playing in 17 ODI’s and 1 test match for the South African women’s’
cricket team when she was 16 and 17. “Then in 2002 I received a bursary from
the NWU-PUKKE, where my athletics career started with my coach Terseus
Liebenberg.” The rest is history…

 

Sunette now holds
the South African, African and Commonwealth javelin record with a mighty 69.35m
throw. She was African Champion in 2004, 2008 and 2010, won gold at the
Commonwealth Games in 2006 and 2010, and in 2009 and 2011 also picked up wins
in the World Student Games. Last year, she claimed a bronze medal in the World
Championships, so her sights were firmly set on medalling in London in her
first shot at the Olympics.

 

Having easily
negotiated the qualifying round, Sunette’s first throw of 64.53m in the final would
prove be her best, and unfortunately short of Germany’s Linda Stahl, who
clinched bronze with 64.91m. The Czech Republic’s Barbora
Spotakova clinched gold with 69.55m, which also propelled her above Sunette’s
number one world ranking for the year. “London 2012 can be divided into
two emotions: Extreme happiness after qualifying with my first throw and then
extreme disappointment after finishing fourth in the final,” says Sunette. “I
wanted to win a medal with everything inside of me, but my destiny was fourth place.
I still take a lot of pride in that, as I have never been an Olympic finalist
before. I still have a lot of fight inside of me and very big dreams to fulfil.”

 

THE HARD YARDS

For a javelin
superstar, strength training and technique drills are essential, and Sunette
says she was working out 30 to 35 hours a week and pushing her body to the
limit in every session to prepare for London. “I have never trained so hard in
my life! But to be a world class javelin thrower, you have to go the extra mile
to deliver the big distances.” She also included a lot of running and intense
cardiovascular work in her training to condition her endurance and fitness. “It
helps me with my focus during the competition. The fitter I am, the longer I can
concentrate and further I can throw.”

 

Another
important part of Sunette’s rise to success has been the support of family and
friends at home. “I have lovely parents, a wonderful son, as well as a great
brother and sister, who all support me in every aspect of my life,” she says.
“Spending time with my family is vital, because I’m away on javelin duty for a
big part of the year.”

 

BURNING AMBITION

Given her
drive and passion, it is not surprising to hear that just missing out in London
has just motivated Sunette to work even harder. Apart from the big goal of medalling
at the Rio Games in 2016, she has set her sights on the two World Championship
meets and the Commonwealth Games before her next Olympic shot, as well as the
world record. “I want to be the first women to throw over 70 metres, and I want
to win a World Championship gold medal, an Olympic gold and another
Commonwealth Games gold. I want those three titles!”