Category: Racing

“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!”

TCS Amsterdam
Marathon, 21 October, The Netherlands

The hotel we stayed in was abuzz with road runners who
had travelled far and wide to run one of the fastest courses in the world. The
days preceding the event were filled with exploring the stunning city, nights
aboard boats on canals and walks through the Red Light District.

Race day was chilly but there was an air of excitement
on the Metro ride from Amsterdam Zuid to the Olympic Stadium, which was host to
the 1928 Olympic Games. On arrival, loads of the portaloos were still locked,
but thankfully there were some on the grounds – if you know me, you’ll know
that I have to go to the loo three or four times before a race, due to nerves.

While waiting for the start, I met some interesting
people from Leiden in Holland, as well as Kazakhstan and Scotland, but only saw
two or three South African shirts among the 13 000 runners. If the woman next
to me hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known that the gun had gone off for the
start. Around nine minutes later, I finally crossed the start line. In New
York, with its 44 000 people last year, I got across the start line in about two
minutes!

POWERING THROUGH

We started through the stunning Vondelpark and through
some of Amsterdam’s streets and beautiful canals. My Garmin told me I was
running at a 6:05min/km pace, a little too fast for what I anticipated but I
felt strong! I kept thinking of what my dad had said a week earlier: “If you
feel you’re going too fast, or that you can go faster, don’t!” At the 12km
mark, we entered the area along the Amstel River, which I was really looking
forward to, as I’d seen stunning pictures online with beautiful windmills that
epitomise Holland. While beautiful, we had to contend with a very strong
south-westerly wind, which, at one point was so strong that I had to run with
both hands on my bib for fear of it flying away!

The river section was out-and-back along each bank, so
it was a little disheartening seeing hundreds of runners across the river passing
23km when I was at 14km. It was at this point that I put my iPod on, and it
never left my ears until the final finish line. There were few spectators and
little entertainment along the route, so I had to dig deep, despite the flat
course. I came through the half marathon mark in 2:10, one of my fastest ever
half marathon times, and at 26km I met up with my mom, who replenished my
resources and gave me a little moral support. We had to endure the next 7km
through an industrial area with little spectators along the route, and then at
35km, the 4:30 bus was hot on my heels, so I found Lil’ Wayne’s Knockout on my playlist and picked up
the pace.

WHAT A SMALL WORLD

At 39km, the strangest thing happened! A fellow runner
tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to a spectator who’d been trying to get
my attention. The spectator happened to be my former Marketing Manager who was
in Amsterdam on business – he literally walked out of his hotel and saw me
running by. This chance meeting really gave me a push for the last 3km, and when
I saw the sign that said “Last 1km”, I pushed still harder, thinking of New
York’s last mile through Central Park, about my husband, my mom in the stands
and generally just about how badly I wanted this race to be over. My official
net time was 4:31:55 but I’m counting 56 seconds off for my stop to bring me to
4:30:59. My legs were not as tired as I’d expected, but I think they were
secretly longing for a hill along the course to relieve some of the muscles that
I had been using over and over again on the flat course.

The race was very well organised, but the course was
boring, mainly due to the fact that I felt that Amsterdam’s people did not get
involved! Hearing one person yell your name, or scream “Go South Africa” goes
such a long way. It’s the smallest gesture, but makes such a difference!

I ran
before I was pregnant and while I was pregnant, so it was obvious that I was
going to run quite soon after my pregnancy,although with quite a difference.Because
now, instead of Baby Roxy listening to the beat of my footsteps while tucked
safely in my tummy, she is tucked into her own chariot making encouraging
noises with mom sweating away!

RACING WHEELS

Running
with your baby in her own set of racing wheels is one of the best gifts you can
give your child and yourself. While it holds great physical and emotional
benefits for you and babba, it also means there are no excuses for any new
parent not to exercise.

I always
knew running would become part of Roxy’s world from a very young age, so just
before she hit the six-month mark we bought her an early Christmas present, her
own chariot. Choosing one wasn’t an easy task, but we eventually settled on a
Baby Jogger.

Roxy was
strapped in the very next day, initially for a gentle walk but very soon for a
light trot and eventually for 10km runs! And she absolutely loves it. The first
few kays start out with Roxy’s very encouraging noises to mom and then lots of
babbling to the trees and flowers, but from the 5^th kilometer,with
the all familiar beat of my footsteps in the background, she falls sound
asleep.

BABY BOND

For me,
the greatest benefit is the time spent with Roxy. When the two of us go for our
run, it is not about listening to my Ipod, walking the dogs, training for a
race, running at a time trial pace or concentrating on hills. The time spent is
purely about Roxy and I. It is about introducing her to something her mom loves
and at the same time exposing her to a sporting lifestyle form a young age.

CHALLENGING WORKOUT

Running
with a baby jogger is definitely more challenging that running alone and I’ve
realized it definitely adds to my fitness. You burn more kilojoules with baby
in tow thanks to the added weight you are pushing while it also helps
strengthen core and upper body.

I have now
included some “Roxy Runs” into my weekly training schedule for my two 2013
goals: Two Oceans and Comrades. It is not replacing my quality sessions or my
long runs, but it certainly is making me physically stronger – and more
importantly allowing me some special time with my baby girl.

So no
matter who you are, be it a regular runner of even just someone who wants to
maintain a fitness level, take to the roads…with baby! 

In The 7 Habits
of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes about this scenario: You
come upon a man in the woods, working feverishly to saw down a tree. “You look
exhausted! How long have you been at it?” you ask. “Over five hours, and I’m
beat! This is hard work,” he answers. “Well, why don’t you take a break for a
few minutes and sharpen the saw? I’m sure it would go a lot faster,” you
suggest. “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man says emphatically.
“I’m too busy sawing!”

When it comes to running, some of us are a bit like
this man sawing down the tree. Even though we know that rest is important, for
some reason we feel guilty when we take a rest day. Thus, some of the runners I
coach will say to me, “I have a rest day scheduled on Monday, but is it ok if I
do some light gym work or swim?” The answer is “No!” Rest and recovery are the
most important ingredients in our training programme and should be considered a
training session, just like any hill repeat, interval or long run.

OVERLOAD AND ADAPTATION

Perhaps the most important scientific training
principle that leads to improved fitness and performance is the principle of overload
and adaptation: “In order for training adaptation to take place, the intensity
of the physical activity must exceed that to which the individual is already
conditioned. The body must receive a progressive and systematic overloading.”
In other words, if we are to become stronger and faster runners, we must stress
our bodies beyond our current capacity.

However, when we do this, we effectively damage the
muscles by creating little micro-tears in them, and if we do not allow these
micro-tears to heal, we do further damage the next time we train or compete,
which results in decreased performance and injury. Therefore, the key to the
principle of overload is rest and recovery, which allows the body time to
repair these small micro-tears, which in turn makes the muscles stronger and equates
to faster and improved performances.

THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF REST

Determining exactly how much rest you need is a little
trickier, as our bodies are unique. As a rule, regardless of your level of
fitness or ability, every runner should take at least one day’s full rest a
week. For some runners, however, two days’ rest is required, and if you are
just starting out, rather include two rest days in your week. Also, if you’re
getting on in years, accept the fact that your body is not going to heal itself
as quickly as that of a 20-year-old – give your body more time to recover and
it will thank you on race day!

The key to rest is to listen to your body. If you pay
attention to what your body is telling you, then you’ll know when it’s time for
extra rest – and you will not lose any fitness or forfeit any progress by
taking a rest day. You only stand to gain from rest!

ACTIVE RECOVERY

The second part of rest is active recovery, when you
continue to exercise, but in such a way that you allow the body to continue its
healing process. This might entail a swim, bike, gym or aqua-jogging session, where
you can continue building endurance or strength, but without using the same
muscles over and over. Include one or two of these sessions in your weekly
training.

Lastly, be careful not to overstress your body.
Running hard every day is a sure way to end up injured, or sick, because your
body is not given time to repair itself, so alternate hard sessions with rest,
active rest or easy sessions. For example, a hard track session on Tuesday
would be followed by an easy 5km run on Wednesday, and a hard hill session on Thursday
can be followed by a core workout session in the gym on Friday, or a long, slow
run on Sunday followed by a full rest day on Monday. The point is, push hard in
training, but remember to take time to sharpen your saw!