Spirit of Boston

Awesome AfricanX

ProNutro AfricanX Trail Run presented
by New Balance, Boland, 20-22 April

Stage 1: 32km, 793m ascent

The cold,
wet conditions of the day before gave way to a beautiful morning in the
Overberg and the warm banter of excited runners. What followed was 15km that
disappeared in a blur as we headed through some neat single track and forest
plantations. Then the switchbacks up towards Paul Cluver Wine Estate brought
about the odd enforced walk. After all, three days and 88km in total lay ahead.
A little game spotting in the lands behind Paul Cluver even had me ready to see
if a local Bontebok was going to make me the next Youtube sensation!

 

Just as the
finish tones came into earshot, Dr Evil 2, aka Race Director Nicola Collins,
swung us up one last climb above the race village, and while we may have been
bleak at the ‘detour,’ the reward was an amazing view of Houw Hoek and the
valley.

 

Stage 2: 31.8km, 1041m ascent

A 6:30am
bus trip over Sir Lowry’s Pass set the scene on what was to come; a return trip
over the Hottentots-Holland on plenty of single track. The early morning rays
of sun coming over the Hottentots underscored the beauty of False Bay as we
climbed ‘Magic Mountain.’ Finally we strode to the base of the historic Gamtouw
ox wagon pass, scarred by hundreds of Voortrekker wagons dragged over the mountain,
and my wife reminded us that if ‘tanie in her ou kappie’ could have crossed
this pass, then best we kept moving.

 

Once over the
pass, the trail opened up into some magnificent sandy single trail, an endless
roller-coaster with countless switchbacks. By the time we passed the final
water point, my show pony wife and I were making our way up through the field.
Perhaps it was the sweet smell of the Brandy on the brew at the finish at Oude
Molen in Grabouw. A prized run through the distillery past the fermentation
tanks to the welcoming finish line was the ultimate ending.

 

Stage 3: 24km, 750m ascent

The final
day started stiff and laboured. And that was just the trip to the Bokomo
Breakfast Zone! The media chopper kept us company as the sea of colourful
runners climbed from the beautiful blue gum-encapsulated Paul Cluver Amphitheatre,
through the fruit orchards towards Oak Valley. Throughout the field, dodgy
knees creaked, ITBs twanged and quads cramped as legs braked. Downhills were no
longer friends or reasons to let loose, and instead were approached one tender
stride at a time.

 

Doctor Evil
2 had described day three’s contours along the Groenlandberg as rolling hills.
Clearly dear Nicki has never been to the Free State… THOSE are rolling hills.
The Groenlandberg is where your ISUZU gets its best value out of low range
gearing! On the plus side we were enjoying another stunner of a day, and
another fynbos overload in the varied and visually inspiring terrain. Eventually,
a bittersweet loop round the finish fields, knowing that the 88km trail was
complete. Three just perfect running days with my perfect partner at a tough
but magical event.

 

Big thanks everyone
from Stillwater Sports & Entertainment, the inspiring group of
commentators, the medics and masseurs and of course the sponsors without whom
events of this nature don’t reach their heights of presentation. And special
thanks to Houw Hoek and the amazing catering teams. Job well done, you all!

Jacaranda City Blitz

Captain’s Run

One of the most fearsome sights in world sport is a
fired up ‘quickie’ running in to bowl the first few deliveries of a
high-pressure cricket test match, putting everything he has into sending that
red missile screaming towards the opening batsman. And pretty much nobody wants
to be that opening batsman – it’s a job that few people can handle, either in
terms of cricketing ability or temperament, but one player who thrives on this
pressure is Graeme Smith, and he says physical fitness is another key element
in an opener’s arsenal, especially when you’re batting second and only have 10
minutes between running off the field and coming back out to start the innings…

 

“If you’ve been out in the field for 80 overs and need
to bat the last eight overs of the day, and the opposition is fresh and running
in at 150 kays an hour, you need to be able to move. If you’re stiff and tired
and sore, your body is not going to react at the speed it needs to, and without
fitness, you can’t bat for six or seven hours. Also, people often underestimate
that cricket is a summer sport and played in some of the hottest conditions
around the world, so we need a high level of fitness.”

 

SEND IN A RUNNER

For this reason, the Proteas cricketers do a lot of
running in training. Graeme says their long runs are up to 10 or 12km, but most
of the running is high explosive intervals, sprints and shuttles. “The unique
thing about cricket is that you stand for a period of time and then you need to
be able to move quickly, so it’s about building up the strength and endurance
in your legs, plus having that explosive power.” The players then complement
the running with cross-training, which Graeme says is all the more important as
he gets older. “With the amount of cricket we play these days, you have to
manage the impact on your body and joints. I’ve had a few surgeries, so
managing the impact on my joints is crucial. Therefore I spend a bit of time in
the pool and a lot of time on the bike, and do core and stability work.”

 

According to Graeme, running outside of cricket is
becoming increasingly popular amongst the country’s top players. “There’s quite
a big group of runners in the squad, plus our physio Brandon Jackson has done
24 Comrades, coach Gary Kirsten just did Two Oceans, and now that Mark Boucher has
had his unfortunate injury, I think he’s looking to run the Two Oceans, so
there’s a bit of a bug being created. I’ve started to enjoy running more,
especially here in Cape Town where we’re blessed with great trail running. I
also like running with Mark and a group of our mates, because it’s a great way
to exercise and spend a bit of time with them while clearing your head and
de-stressing.”

 

Having already run a few half marathons, Graeme adds
that he is thinking about joining a running club and doing more races in the
future, along with his Irish musician wife Morgan, who recently gave birth to
their daughter Cadence. “Morgan is actually a good runner, but road running is
a new experience for her, having all this sunshine here!” he laughs. “I’m quite
keen for us to get involved in a running club and go running together. My
parents have run two Comrades each and my Mom has done the Two Oceans five
times, so maybe it’s in my genes… but I’ll need some convincing to do the long
ones at the end of my career.”

 

THE BIG TON

To help Graeme celebrate his 100th test, his apparel
sponsor, adidas, took him to the Khayelitsha Cricket Club in Cape Town in mid-October
for a special coaching session with 100 young cricketers selected from local
schools, who then all received brand new cricket boots as part of the adidas ‘Refresh
Your Gear’ campaign. After the session, Graeme wished the youngsters luck with
their cricketing careers, and told them that they can get to the top of the
sport and enjoy a long career if they constantly work hard at all aspects of
their game. “I’m 31 now and still hopefully have a few good years left in me,
which is why I work so hard to stay fit. I really want to be part of the team
and create something special, and we still have a long way to getting there. As
long as I keep enjoying it, the body’s good, the mind’s fresh, and the family’s
happy, then I will carry on.”

Don’t miss the adidas ‘Refresh your Gear’ competition
on page 4 – you could win a new pair of adidas running shoes!

Take the Eat out of Sweat

Wonder Workout or Marathon Miss?

The standard marathon is the globally recognised
standard of distance running, with your running ability and level judged by
your current and best times for 42.2km, not to mention your qualifying batch
for the big ultra’s here in South Africa. So wouldn’t it be great if you could accurately
predict before a marathon race what shape you’re in and what time you’re
capable of running, which in turn would allow you to plan your race pace and
strategy accordingly? Well, according to respected American running coach and
writer Bart Yasso, you can do just that by running 800-metre intervals on the
track once a week.

 

While that may sound a bit far-fetched, it does appear
to work for some runners, who all swear by Yasso 800s.
Here’s how it works:

?        
Take your marathon goal time in hours/minutes
and convert this to minutes/seconds. For example, if your marathon goal is 3
hours and 30 minutes then convert that to 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

?        
Try to run 800 metres (two laps of a track)
in your converted time (3:30 in this example).

?        
Recover after each 800 by jogging or walking
for the same amount of time (again, 3:30 in this example).

?        
Start with three or four repetitions in the
first week.

?        
Continue with Yasso 800 workouts once a week
and try to add one more repetition each week until you reach 10 repetitions.

 

Bart explains how he came up with the Yasso
800 concept: “I was training for a marathon one year, so went to a nearby track
and ran 800s, trying to build up to ten 800s in the same time as my marathon
goal time. I found that if I can get my 800s down to 2 minutes 50 seconds, I’m
in 2:50 marathon shape. If I can get them down to 2:40, I can run a 2:40
marathon, and this has always worked for me.”

 

He says that runners should begin the
workouts nine to 10 weeks before their goal marathon. The first week you do
four 800s. On each subsequent week, you add one more until you reach 10. The
last workout of Yasso 800s should be completed at least 10 days before your
marathon, and 14 to 17 days would probably be better. The rest of the time, do
your normal marathon training, paying special attention to weekend long runs,
and give yourself plenty of easy runs and at least one rest day per week.

 

NOT
SO FAST…

The question is, does the same predictor
principle apply to a four-hour marathoner, or a five-hour marathoner, or even a
six-hour marathoner? After all, running 800 metres on the track in six minutes
just doesn’t sound likely as a marathon gauge, does it now? But this is the
remarkable thing about Yasso 800s: Countless runners of varying abilities have
said that it does actually work for them. However, there are just as many
runners who say that Yasso 800s do not give a true prediction of their marathon
time, and that in most cases they ran the marathon considerably slower than the
Yasso 800s indicated they would.

 

The critics of the Yasso 800s point
out that a marathon relies on stamina and aerobic fitness, with marathoners
running below their VO2max and lactate thresholds, whereas shorter distance
speed work relies on anaerobic fitness, where you push yourself VO2max and
lactate limits. In other words, you are trying to determine your performance
potential at a long-distance stamina-oriented event by doing a much shorter, speed-oriented
workout. They also point out that other training programmes and pace
calculators say speed work should be faster than the pace suggested by the
Yasso 800s, while tempo runs should be slower, so Yasso 800s don’t really fit
into what is generally considered standard marathon training.

 

Another criticism is that a flat track
workout does not take into account the nature of a marathon course with hills –
especially the typical South African marathon route – nor the much greater
fatigue factor in such a long distance. Therefore, even with the proper marathon
training, being able to complete 10 Yasso repetitions doesn’t guarantee that
you’ll finish the marathon in your goal time.

 

TRY
IT YOURSELF

So the conclusion many reach is that
Yasso 800s make for a killer workout that will leave you both gasping and
exhilarated – 10x800m is quite some challenge, both physically and mentally –
but it is not a miracle marathon time predictor. At least, not for everybody.

Salads for Summer

Wines2Whales Winners

The Contego Wines2Whales MTB Race powered by
Maserati
celebrates its fourth anniversary in 2012. Teams of two riders
will cover 70 to 80km a day while crossing through (and over) 13 wineries, 26
private farms, six mountains, many historic roads and mountain passes, and nature
conservation areas (including the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve), before
finishing within sight of the famous whales of Hermanus.

 

In 2011, Dominic
Calitz and Matthys
Beukes rode off with the title of men’s champions. For Dominic,
who
will team up with Craig Boyes at the 2012 Contego W2W Race, the most
enjoyable part of the Race was the single-track. “Stage one and two had the
best single track that I’ve ever experienced. I still hear riders talking about
the great trails.
Also, the vibe in the race village was in true
mountain biking spirit!”

 

The women’s race was won by Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson. According
to Ischen,
“The single track was really good, ride-able but still
technical enough to make it fun and challenging. The scenery was beautiful and
there was quite a bit of tough climbing to do. The vibe at the race village finish
was also really great. My advice to newcomers would be to ride within yourself,
enjoy the area we are riding in as well as the single track. Have fun and don’t
be overly competitive if you’re not racing for the podium.”

 

Yolande De Villiers and Johan Labuschagne will be aiming for their third
consecutive mixed team title in 2012. “With all its flowing single track, the
route is a winner,” says Yolande. “Wines2Whales is usually our last race of the
season, so we enjoy every second of it and do try to take it easy. The
atmosphere at the race village is relaxed and the organisers clearly go to
great lengths to ensure a race that is as enjoyable as possible for all riders.
It truly is a wonderful privilege to be able to mountain bike in such
magnificent areas.”

 

The slightly
more relaxed Contego Wines2Whales MTB
Adventure powered by Maserati
celebrates its second anniversary this year,
and Amoryn Saayman and Adele Ambrose were the first
women’s champions. Amoryn says the event
was the best back-to-back mountain biking that they’ve ever done. “It reminded
us why we started mountain biking. The route meandered through some of the most
rugged and scenic regions of the Western Cape. It was like a playground out
there with lots of fast and flowing single track, nice open Jeep track and some
lung busting climbs… all very rewarding.”

 

Ronel van Wyk
and Ben Cronje took gold in the mixed team category in 2011, with Ronel a late
replacement for Ben’s partner, who had to withdraw due to work commitments. “I
was very lucky to be asked by Oom Ben to take his partner’s place – I have
always wanted to race Wines2Whales. That is why my fianc? and I have decided to
take part in the Race this year. We are really looking forward to it,” says
Ronel.

 

In the men’s
category, Eben Espach and Bruce Poole were the victors. “We were fit and wanted
to be competitive,” says Eben. “The route was great. The best way to cope with
a three-day mountain bike race is to do the kilometres beforehand and make sure
that your bike is mechanically sound. To ensure that you get the most out of
the three days remember to relax and enjoy the scenery.”

 

EVENT INFO

Friday 2 – Sunday 4
November:
Contego Wines2whales MTB Adventure

Friday 9 – Sunday 11
November:
Contego Wines2whales MTB Race

STAGE ONE: Start @ Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West, Finish @ Oak Valley
Sport Field, Elgin

STAGE TWO: Start & Finish @ Oak Valley Sport Field

STAGE THREE: Start @ Oak Valley Sport Field, Finish @ Onrus Caravan Park, just
outside Hermanus

More info: 076 118 0874 / [email protected] / www.wines2whales.co.za

Follow us: Facebook: Contego Wines2Whales or Twitter: @w2wmtb

WIN

Fruit
& Veg City, in association with Contego Wines2Whales, is giving 10 lucky Modern Athlete readers a Food Lover’s
Market voucher worth R150 each.

 

As
SA’s leading fresh produce retailer, with around
120 Fruit and Veg City and Food Lover’s Market stores nationally,
Fruit
& Veg City is a proud sponsor of the Contego Wines2Whales MTB Adventure and
Race powered by Maserati. Food Lover’s Market will be the official food
supplier for the hungry Wines2Whales participants. Food
Lover’s Market places great emphasis on value, quality and an exceptional
retail experience.

 To enter, simply SMS
your name followed by the name Fruit & Veg City to 33110.

Each SMS is charged at R1.50.
Competition open from 27 September to 30 October 2012. The Publisher’s decision
is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Weather to Run

Comrades on Trail

Umgeni River Run
2012, Inanda Dam to Maweni, 11 August

Standing on
the banks of the Inanda Dam in the Umgeni River Valley, with my friends Lora
Hirst and Beverley Davey, I see only 25 runners waiting with me at the start of
what they unofficially call the “Comrades ‘Up Run’ on Trail.” I’m seriously
wondering what I’ve gotten myself into! We set out, heading for Nagle Dam, and
the first section is a mixture of good dirt road, jeep track and single track. We’re
just settling into a comfortable pace, despite going up a really tough climb,
when we realise we haven’t seen a route marker for a good few kays! Turning
around, we retrace our steps till we find the turn we managed to overlook –
this is not the day to be doing extra kays!

 

As we set
off from the third water table, just before halfway, we’re immediately faced
with the steepest climb of the day, roughly 5.5km to the top, and so steep in
parts I find it easier to walk backwards, or use my hands to claw my way up. Nagle
Dam eventually appears, but we have to navigate a tricky descent to reach it.
The water looks inviting, as it’s starting to get humid in the valley. The
route follows a well-worn cattle path, and in the distance is the dam wall that
we need to cross to enter into Cumberland Nature Reserve.

 

At the
wall we discover we’re going under the dam rather than over it! The tunnel is
only wide enough for a single runner at a time and water pours in through the
walls. That had us sprinting! Once safely through, we’re in the reserve, and it’s
here that we see a huge snake sunning itself on the side of the road – luckily it
disappears into a hole as we approach.

 

The
remaining section takes us through private sugarcane farms, and then the finish
banner is just visible through the fading light. We’ve done it, smiling and
proud, having run through the most remote areas in the valley without seeing
another person for ages, let alone another runner. But this is why I love trail
running. To run in such unspoilt surroundings, with friends who love this sport
as much as I do, is the best way to spend any day!

Paddling Power

Roaring Runners On

Skukuza Castle Half
Marathon, Kruger National Park, 4 August

It started with my mate Mark Struwig phoning to say ‘my
running partner can’t make it any more, so would you like to come run in the
Kruger?’ I thought that sounded like fun, so off I went – and we travelled in
style, too, sponsored by Centurion Hyundai to transport a team of six
development runners that Mark has been grooming for some time. Little did I
know that amongst them was sitting the eventual winner as well as the second,
fourth and fifth place finishers – and we had the first grandmaster in our bus
as well!

 

Race sponsors SAB went all out, and a squad of game rangers
ensured the safety of all athletes during the race, travelling along the course
to herd off any big game. At the same time the SAN Parks helicopter lifted off
to ensure that no elephants, rhinos and lions got too close to the runners. And
so 1000 athletes lined up at the start on the ‘village green’ and we were set
off by a recording of a lion roar.

 

The route went out past the nursery school and towards
a steep climb on ‘Vossie’s hill’. It then stretched past the golf club and ran
up along ‘Lake Panic’ dam wall, where we saw hippo’s. After crossing the stream,
we went up ‘Rhino Hill,’ where runners were treated to superb game viewing, a
welcome distraction for tiring legs. The next 2.5km meandered back through the
village, and impala and baboons could be seen staring at the ‘herd’ of runners
going past.

 

Exiting onto the village entry road, the course
dropped back toward the starting point, and we had crowds of spectators lined
the road urging us on. The second lap gave runners another climb while the
route followed the fence of the elephant and buffalo bomas. After the loop, the
runners hit the Skukuza tar road again for a 4km stretch, and then made their
way through Skukuza Rest Camp and back down ‘Vossie’s hill’ to the finish.

 

Running in the park, I have never felt prouder of a
national heritage site! The route was tough, with about 70% off-road and with
lots of little hills over soft sand, but what a stunning setting for a race!

Third Time Lucky

A Hidden Gem

Save the Rhino 2-day Trail
Run, Southern Cape, 11/12 August

Ever heard of Botlierskop Private
Nature Reserve
near Mossel Bay? Neither had I.
But this was the majestic location for the Save the Rhino Trail Run. This
3000-hectare reserve boasts 26 species of wildlife, including rhino,
elephants, lion, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and buffalo, and over 200 species
of birds, and I suspected we were in for a great experience – especially when head
game-ranger Billy suggested during briefing that if charged by a Rhino or other
wildlife, we must simply make loud noises and try to look as big as possible!

 

DAY 1: 25km

We set off after lots of
encouragement from event organisers Hano and Sonja Otto and Modern Athlete’s Sean Falconer, the
event’s MC. In spite of being a chilly six degrees, we warmed up quickly on the
steep track to the lion enclosure, where we were greeted by the spectacular
sight of lions eyeing the colourful array of slow-moving ‘meals in running
shoes’, just yards away! So enthralled were we by these majestic creatures that
we missed the bright orange ribbons indicating a turn-off. Cue detour 1, which
saw us descend a steep jeep track rather speedily, followed by a U-turn and a
rather slow, sheepish ascent to get back on track.

 

Next we found ourselves weaving along
beautiful single-track and crossing a multitude of ankle-deep rivers, and merrily
waved on by a marshal in front of a closed gate, amidst grateful cries of “Thanks,
marshal!” A kay or so down the road, doubts set-in: Where were those guiding
ribbons? After a 2km detour, we headed back to ask the marshal where we had
gone wrong. Let’s just say that there was a marshal-technical error… Once the
gate was opened, the runners were free to continue the adventure. At one stage
I was literally stopped in my tracks as a herd of wildebeest and mountain zebra
hurtled by. “This is like the Serengeti,” gasped a fellow runner. A few kays
later a placid-looking elephant sauntered towards me, and I stopped to stroke
its trunk. This was a day I would not forget!

 

After a bit more bundu-bashing
down rocky single track, running across meadows and finally along gorgeous
mountain contour paths, I gratefully descended to Botlierskop. On checking my
Garmin, I realised I had clocked an extra 8km on the detours, but I wasn’t too
stressed, because this event was all about the experience.

 

Day 2: 18.4km

With spirits revived after some
R&R, we were all set for Day 2, but as Hano said, you can’t visit this
reserve without summiting Botlierskop! Fair enough, although 2km into a rocky
climb, grasping an electric fence for support – yes, it was turned off! – I thought,
“This better be a damned good view!” It didn’t disappoint. The second day was
thankfully devoid of detours, and we ran past grazing impala and gemsbok along
the way. Finally, the elephants roaming near the finish-line were a fitting end
to an amazing African experience. So whilst my weary legs were battered from
the thorny vegetation, my spirit was revitalised and I had a truck-load of
wonderful memories.

 

WHAT OTHERS SAID

James Brown: Everything was an adventure; from starting the race next to free-roaming
elephants, to avoiding charging wildebeests en route!

Malcolm Collins: It was way more than
a trail run, more of an adventure. Definitely a run to do again.

Sue Ullyett: This is a trail run to put on your bucket list, and it’s for such a good
cause, to save our precious rhinos.

A Hidden Gem

Save the Rhino 2-day Trail
Run, Southern Cape, 11/12 August

Ever heard of Botlierskop Private
Nature Reserve
near Mossel Bay? Neither had I.
But this was the majestic location for the Save the Rhino Trail Run. This
3000-hectare reserve boasts 26 species of wildlife, including rhino,
elephants, lion, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and buffalo, and over 200 species
of birds, and I suspected we were in for a great experience – especially when head
game-ranger Billy suggested during briefing that if charged by a Rhino or other
wildlife, we must simply make loud noises and try to look as big as possible!

 

DAY 1: 25km

We set off after lots of
encouragement from event organisers Hano and Sonja Otto and Modern Athlete’s Sean Falconer, the
event’s MC. In spite of being a chilly six degrees, we warmed up quickly on the
steep track to the lion enclosure, where we were greeted by the spectacular
sight of lions eyeing the colourful array of slow-moving ‘meals in running
shoes’, just yards away! So enthralled were we by these majestic creatures that
we missed the bright orange ribbons indicating a turn-off. Cue detour 1, which
saw us descend a steep jeep track rather speedily, followed by a U-turn and a
rather slow, sheepish ascent to get back on track.

 

Next we found ourselves weaving along
beautiful single-track and crossing a multitude of ankle-deep rivers, and merrily
waved on by a marshal in front of a closed gate, amidst grateful cries of “Thanks,
marshal!” A kay or so down the road, doubts set-in: Where were those guiding
ribbons? After a 2km detour, we headed back to ask the marshal where we had
gone wrong. Let’s just say that there was a marshal-technical error… Once the
gate was opened, the runners were free to continue the adventure. At one stage
I was literally stopped in my tracks as a herd of wildebeest and mountain zebra
hurtled by. “This is like the Serengeti,” gasped a fellow runner. A few kays
later a placid-looking elephant sauntered towards me, and I stopped to stroke
its trunk. This was a day I would not forget!

 

After a bit more bundu-bashing
down rocky single track, running across meadows and finally along gorgeous
mountain contour paths, I gratefully descended to Botlierskop. On checking my
Garmin, I realised I had clocked an extra 8km on the detours, but I wasn’t too
stressed, because this event was all about the experience.

 

Day 2: 18.4km

With spirits revived after some
R&R, we were all set for Day 2, but as Hano said, you can’t visit this
reserve without summiting Botlierskop! Fair enough, although 2km into a rocky
climb, grasping an electric fence for support – yes, it was turned off! – I thought,
“This better be a damned good view!” It didn’t disappoint. The second day was
thankfully devoid of detours, and we ran past grazing impala and gemsbok along
the way. Finally, the elephants roaming near the finish-line were a fitting end
to an amazing African experience. So whilst my weary legs were battered from
the thorny vegetation, my spirit was revitalised and I had a truck-load of
wonderful memories.

 

WHAT OTHERS SAID

James Brown: Everything was an adventure; from starting the race next to free-roaming
elephants, to avoiding charging wildebeests en route!

Malcolm Collins: It was way more than
a trail run, more of an adventure. Definitely a run to do again.

Sue Ullyett: This is a trail run to put on your bucket list, and it’s for such a good
cause, to save our precious rhinos.

No Pain

Zoo-ming Along

More
than 3500 runners dusted off the winter cobwebs to take on the annual RAM
Rockies Avis Van Rental Gerald Fox Memorial Half Marathon & 10km, which
started and finished at the Johannesburg Zoo, while the 5km fun run was held
within the world famous zoo grounds. The weather played along and a great time
was had by all!

 

21KM MEN

1
Sipho Ncube (Nedbank) 1:09:16

2
Isaac Mahlake (Gallopers) 1:16:53

3
Elias Mabane (Nedbank) 1:18:03

21KM WOMEN

1
Kim Laxton (Sunninghill) 1:21:57

2
Jodi Moss (Discovery) 1:31:53

3
Caery Lee Fournier (Temp) 1:34:22

10KM MEN

1
Vincent (Temp) 31:43

10KM WOMEN

1
Caroline Wostmann (Breakthru Midrand) 39:32

 

Race
Previews

Dis-Chem Sun City Swim, 20 October

October
heralds the start of the open water swimming season – and what better way to
kick off the season than with the Dis-Chem Sun City Swim. Held amongst the swaying
palms of the magnificent Sun City Resort, this event has a distance and event
to suit swimmers of all ages and levels. The day kicks off with a 3km swim (two
laps of the dam), followed by four 1.5km age group events, culminating in the 600m
fun swim. All entrants get free access to the resort as well as The Valley of
the Waves. More information at www.suncityswim.co.za – entries close 30
September, but late entries will be available on the day.

 

Dis-Chem Half Marathon, Bedfordview, 13 January

Preparations
are underway for the 12th annual Dis-Chem Half Marathon, one of the most
popular races in Gauteng, so be sure to diarise the date now, because entries
will open in November and you will want to get yours early! Modern Athlete will once again be
teaming up with the race to bring you in-depth previews, training programmes
and giveaways.

Peak
Timing is a Gauteng-based company using ChampionChip Timing technology to
manage and time events. For more information on having your event timed, please
contact Craig van der Westhuizen on 082 551 1487.

The Iron Lady

644 Kicks off in Style

There are six events in the 644 Series and each event
is run over 6.44km. Runners start at timed intervals, depending on their
predicted finishing time, so while you are running you are being ‘hunted’ by
the faster runners and at the same time you are ‘hunting’ the slower runners,
with all entrants racing to get to the finish line first. The first event was
held at the Waterfall Country Village in Midrand in early September, and it
proved an exceptional venue. The run was within the safe environment of the
estate, with excellent marshalling and no traffic to contend with, but it was a
bit dark in some spots and I recommend you wear a headlight.

 

My handicap was 14, which meant that I was expected to
finish 14 minutes behind an Olympic runner, and my start leg was 31. At exactly
7pm the slowest runners started. Thereafter, the “hunters” left the starting
blocks in minute increments until the last runner, Leon Baker of Breakthru
Midrand, set off at 7:41. I started at 7:31pm in a group with three other
runners, and this was a great speed incentive from the start, as I pushed to
stay with the group. It was a great feeling catching up to slower runners – and
admittedly not such a great feeling when faster runners caught up to me! But
this in itself was also great incentive as I tried to stick to the faster
runners for a while. In the last kilometre my lungs were burning, but I crossed
the line in exactly the time that was predicted for me, which was a great
feeling! I would love to go back, though, and push myself even harder to beat
my predicted time. In a rush for the finish, it was Brandon Doyle of team Convergence
and Wanda Vogel of Team Meerkat who took line honours.

 

The 644 Series is for everyone, from walkers to
runners, from slow athletes to the elite. There is also an innovative team
system that allows runners to pit their skills against club mates, work
colleagues or friends, to earn the right to wear the coveted yellow polyshorts.
Come and join the Modern Athlete team at the next events in the series:

?        
27 September 2012:
Modderfontein Sports Complex @ 7pm

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11 October: Waterfall
Country Village @ 7pm

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25 October: Zoo Lake
@ 7pm

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8 November: Italian
Club, Bedfordview @ 7pm

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22 November:
Waterfall Country Village @ 7pm

Entries are available at www.644.co.za, and timing
will be done by Peak Timing using ChampionChip.