Category: Racing

After completing his first Sani2C in 2006, avid mountain
biker Johan Kriegler was determined to host a similar multi-stage race in the
Western Cape, so in 2008 he approached local sports marketing specialists
Stillwater Sport & Entertainment and the Wines2Whales three-day mountain
bike stage race was born. The inaugural event took place in November 2009 and
attracted 300 riders. By 2010 word of the Wines2Whales had gotten out and a
spectacular field of 1100 riders signed up to be part of the experience, with another
300 riders on the waiting list! This saw the organisers split the field in 2011,
with the introduction of the slightly more relaxed Wines2Whales Adventure, so
that more riders could be part of the experience. Both the 2011 Wines2Whales
Adventure and Wines2Whales Race attracted a field of 850 riders each, with another
400 riders on the waiting list!

 

This year both events will see 1100 eager riders per
event flock to Lourensford Estate in Somerset West for the start of a mountain
biking experience like no other. The event will once again feature a new venue
for the Race Village, at Oak Valley Sports Field in Elgin, Grabouw, and riders
will cross 13 wineries, 26 private farms, six mountains, historic roads and
mountain passes, and nature conservation areas (including the Kogelberg
Biosphere), before finishing within sight of the famous whales of Hermanus.

 

LEGENDARY STATUS

“Our main objective is to continuously develop the Wines2Whales
routes. We are proud to say that over the past three years these routes have
become legendary within the mountain biking community. Each year it is our
mission to increase the scenic level of our routes, while raising the fun bar,
so a structure such as Pofadder, a 100m wooden trail structure that runs
between cliffs and a waterfall, has become infamous amongst riders, both locally
and internationally,” says Johan.

 

“This year we’ll add Magic Mountain, Corkscrew,
Boomslang, which is two 20-metre steel structures that run through trees, four meters
above the ground, and Big Dipper, a 100-metre structure that runs over, along
and around the Eikenhof Dam. These structures, plus 25 bridges, the longest of
which is 30 metres in length, the 600-metre pallet along the Onrus beach
crossing, as well as kilometres of flowing single track wrapped between
mountains, vineyards, orchards and fynbos biospheres, dam wall crossings,
rivers, cliffs and the ocean, will once again create one of the best mountain
bike experiences in the world.”

 

The
trails are built and maintained by Cape Trails, a group of four previously
unemployed youth from Grabouw that have been funded by Wines2Whales since 2010,
with additional funding from the Pedal Power Association. In the past, these
four intrepid trail builders often had to walk to work if Johan could not give
them a lift, as they only had broken bicycles without brakes, but Johan tells
how this all changed recently. “A friend at King’s Cycles in Worcester had a
customer who had four mountain bikes and helmets that he was willing to trade
for a Wines2Whales entry, so as of 1 June this year our Trail Builders have
been cycling to work.” The foursome now take their bikes out on the weekends to
make full use of the trails they’ve built, and it’s no surprise to hear that
they all hope to race the Wines2Whales in the near future.

 

EVENT INFO

Friday 2 – Sunday 4 November: Contego
Wines2whales MTB Adventure

Friday 9 – Sunday 11 November: Contego
Wines2whales MTB Race

Race Village: Oak Valley Sports
Field, Elgin

Start Venue: Lourensford Estate,
Somerset West

Finish: Onrus Caravan Park,
near Hermanus

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

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

 

GIVING BACK

Wines2Whales firmly
believes in community upliftment through sport, and the following charities
receive support from the event: Songo.info (a charity focusing on bringing
sport to the Kayamandi township of Stellenbosch) and local community programmes
en-route, including Hermanus Rotary Club, Helderberg Sunrise Rotary Club, Elgin
Round Table, De Rust Futura School, Botriver School, Cape Leopard Trust, Cape
Trails and the Botriver Educational Foundation.

 

LEOPARDS SPOTTED ON ROUTE

In September 2011 the
Wines2Whales organisers showed their support for conservation by donating
five digital camera traps to the Cape Leopard
Trust (CLT) Boland Project. After the first camera-checking excursion in
November 2011, a young, previously unrecorded leopard had been photographed at Paul Cluver (De Rust Estate, Grabouw), and six months after deployment, two
previously recorded leopards, Scott (BM12) and Popeye (BM17) had been
photographed using the Schapenberg Trail.

For more information
on the work of the Cape Leopard Trust, go to www.capeleopard.org.za
or www.facebook.com/capeleopard.

Discovery 702 Walk
the Talk, Johannesburg,
22 July

Over 58 000 walkers dressed in light blue and 1 500
dogs took to the streets of Jozi in July to participate in the city’s biggest
mass participation event, the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk. Amongst the crowd
were a number of celebs and top government officials who also turned out for a
stroll, including
Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, Miss Teen South Africa Celeste Khumalo, Police
Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Speaker of Parliament, Max Sisulu.

 

The Walk the Talk is a must-do on the Gauteng calendar, one of the province’s best-loved events, with walkers of all ages
and sizes joining in the fun, from the serious competitors who took part in the
30km and 15km timed races, to the families who walked with dogs and prams in
the 8km and 5km fun walks. And many of them were dressed up in costumes to
ensure they stood out in the crowd in what is now affectionately called the ‘meeting
of the neighbours’ event.

 

“Walk the Talk is all about fun and family engagement,
traits that support our core purpose of making people healthier, and enhancing
and protecting their lives,” said Jody Foster, Discovery head of sponsorship. “It
is always inspiring to see people coming together from all walks of life to
join each other in a fun, feel-good activity,” adds Pheladi Gwangwa, station
manager at Talk Radio 702. “This year was no
different – we have been overwhelmed by the camaraderie and spirit of the
wonderful people of Joburg.”

 

RUNNERS THAT WALK, TOO

There were even a few hardcore runners out for a walk:
“I used the 30km walk as part of my training for the Washie!” says Shaun
Naidoo. “I enjoyed the route, and I loved the atmosphere and fun vibe along the
course.” Another walker, Nomzobo Cuba, also took on the 30km route:
“I am quite fit as I’ve been running for more than two years, but at about
24km, I knew I was finished. But I was determined to complete the course, even
though my body was screaming so much by now. We approached the finish line and
that was the best feeling ever. It was amazing to think something so easy as
walking could be such an exciting and gruesome experience all at once!”

 

At the front end of the timed races, last year’s
winner, Lebogang Shange once again finished first in the men’s 30km in a time
of 2:34:44, while Sandra Steenkamp took the women’s title in 2:44:49. In the
15km, Lewis Moise won the men’s race in 1:10:45 and Susan Katrakazis won the
women’s event in 1:31:19.

 

FOR A GREAT CAUSE

As in previous years, R10 from every 5km and 8km entry
will go to charity and a portion of the proceeds will be presented to the
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which uses sport as a tool to bring about
social change in a number of community projects. Many Laureus Ambassadors,
including Butch James, Lucas Radebe, Baby Jake Matlala and John Robbie took
part in the 8km fun walk. This year, the funds will go to the Johannesburg
Cubs, a talented cricket team from disadvantaged backgrounds who are coached not
only in the basics of the sport, but also taught valuable life skills.

 

The Discovery 702 Walk the Talk is also committed to
using some of the funds raised to create legacy projects in the areas directly
affected by the event. Last year, together with the Emmarentia Residents
Association, the event helped build a walkway across an ecologically sensitive
wetland area with proceeds from the event.

RAM
Rockies Avis Van Rental Gerald Fox
Half Marathon, Johannesburg, 9 September

The
Gerald Fox event will once again take place at the Johannesburg Zoo – all
participants get free entry for the day – and the route sees runners meandering
through the leafy suburbs of Saxonwold and Forest Town. There is something for
everybody with a 21km, a 10km (including a corporate challenge), and a 5km fun
run within the Zoo’s grounds. This year there is a special floating trophy to
be awarded to the best performing club in both men’s and women’s divisions. Also
look out for the Modern Athlete pacesetters on race day.

 

Entries
are sure to be sold out once again, so make sure you get yours today! Enter at www.championchip.co.za.
Results are brought to you by Vit-T-Go and you have the option of purchasing
some of this great product with your online entry.

 

Another
innovation is the introduction of ChampionChip Timing to ensure all
participants get their results quickly and accurately! This will be done by Peak
Timing, which specialises in the timing of running and cycling events. To find
out more about having your race timed, or to become a timing sponsor, call
Craig of Peak Timing on 082 5511 487.

RACE
PREVIEW

Get Ahead
at the 644 Series

Nothing like a headstart to get your own back on those faster runners!

Tired of
the same races and the same time trials? Then get ready to tackle the 644
Series, an exciting new race format that
recognises an individual athlete’s running ability by levelling the playing
fields using a unique handicapping system. It’s sure to bring a different dimension
to the running calendar.

 

The
six events of the 644 series will be run over 4 miles (6.44 kilometres), with
entrants being started at one-minute intervals, from slowest to fastest, so all
entrants are literally racing all other runners to get to the finish line
first. What’s more, there is 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 yellow polyshorts! A unique league system has been developed
across the series to keep things interesting and relevant for all participants.

 

Entries
are limited to 644 participants per event, so you need to enter early, but a further
innovation allows you to enter for the whole series upfront and guarantee your
spot. The first event will be on 13 September at Waterfall Estate, Midrand and each event will be timed by
Peak Timing using ChampionChip. So what are you waiting for? Check out www.644.co.za
for more info.

Bones
have many roles in your body: They provide structure, anchor muscles, protect
vital organs and store essential calcium. However, women’s bone development
peaks around the age of 20 and they often slowly lose bone density as they grow
older, so it’s important to maintain bone strength after that, and
weight-bearing activities like running, walking and lifting weights are great
ways to do this. Strengthening your bones will also give you more energy,
flexibility and vitality.

 

However,
many female athletes often concentrate too much on cardiovascular training and
ignore strength training, especially when they hit the gym, because they want
to lose weight but not pick up muscle mass, but this further contributes to
their loss of bone strength. On the other hand, running can also contribute to low
bone density: The more intensive your training is, the less oestrogen you
produce, which is a major cause of weakening bones. A woman training hard for a
marathon, for example, could experience a reduction in oestrogen production of
up to 50%.

 

The
secret is finding the right balance between building strength and eating right,
so to keep your structure sturdy, heed the following advice to help prevent
problems down the road.

 

1. GET YOUR VITAMINS:
Women
need a higher calcium intake than men, around 1000mg of calcium per day, and after
50, the daily requirement climbs to around 1300mg. Vitamin D is another must
for bone strength, as it helps the body absorb enough calcium, while magnesium,
vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids are also essential for bone health. Therefore
make sure your diet includes these vitamins and minerals, or alternatively get
supplements to ensure your body is getting enough of them. Also, go out and get
some sun for fifteen minutes a day to up your vitamin D intake – it’ll make you
feel relaxed and more energetic.

 

2. EAT RIGHT: An easy
way to ensure bone strength is proper nutrition, so make sure these foods are
in your trolley:

?        
Dairy
products
– Considered the best source of the three essentials, calcium, vitamin D and
magnesium.

?        
Leafy
greens –
Another great source of the three essentials.

?        
Nuts and
seeds –
excellent source of magnesium and the omega-3 fatty acid ALA.

?        
Beans – Loaded
with magnesium and calcium.

?        
Dried
fruits –
Contain compounds that enhance the body’s ability to build bone strength.

?        
Fish – Great
way to get vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

?        
Tea – Most
brews contain fluoride, flavanoids and phytoestrogens that contribute to bone
strength.

?        
Fortified
foods –
Whole grain cereals, orange juice and non-dairy milks usually contain added
calcium and vitamin D.

 

3. EXERCISE: Eating for
your bones needs to be backed up by regular weight-bearing physical activities,
such as running, walking, hiking, dancing, stair climbing, weight-lifting and
racquet sports. While swimming and cycling can improve your endurance and
fitness, they are not the ultimate sports to improve bone mass density.

 

MAKE NO BONES ABOUT
IT…

We
all lose bone mass as we age, but a healthy mix of physical activity and a
nutritious diet can help you beat brittle bones. Make it a lifestyle choice to
protect your bones and you’ll be making a long-term investment in your health
and quality of life.

As many young South African boys do, Abrie Griesel dreamt of one day wearing the Springbok jersey and playing for his country. From a young age, he ran around on the family farm in Springfontein in the Free State with a rugby ball, and never missed watching a single Springbok rugby match with his family, who are all avid Springbok supporters. “My father, Jan, played rugby at a provincial level and passed on the love of the game to me,” says Abrie.

His rugby career really took off when he attended one of the country’s leading rugby schools, Grey College in Bloemfontein, and in 2010 Abrie was selected for the Free State under-18 team for the Academic Week, where he was scouted by the Blue Bulls franchise and moved to Pretoria. That saw him offered a bursary to study at Tuks, and after a few trial games he was selected to play scrumhalf for the under-19 Blue Bulls squad. That in turn led to him being selected for the South African team, the ‘Baby Boks,’ for the Under-19 World Cup recently held in South Africa, which the home team went on to win!

Abrie says it took a lot of hard work, discipline and extra training to get to this level in rugby. “Firstly, I think what it takes to make it is believing in yourself that you can make it. I knew that God gave me this gift and what I do with it is my gift back to him, but it still took extra training in my own time. My running fitness had a lot to do with getting into the Baby Boks team, and I believe it also had a lot to do with my healthy lifestyle, which includes plenty of rest and good nutritional habits. It was overwhelming, yet exciting to play at this level.”

RUNNING REQUIRED
Playing provincial-level rugby requires an immense amount of fitness training, especially for a scrumhalf, who has to be quick off the mark to get to every breakdown in order to link the forwards and backs, so Abrie says running, especially speed work, is the most important part of his fitness training. “We do a lot of 20-metre, 50-metre and 100-metre sprints, mostly done in sets of 10. This is mainly for fitness and speed performance on the field. Also, during team training sessions, the conditioning coach sets out cones on the field in a specific way to improve our agility, acceleration and speed over different distances while we are running.”

“Longer distance runs are also important, as they improve our stamina and help us to stay focused on the field during a game. This includes a regular 3km to 5km run which we have to finish in a given time according to our positions. We also do a run that we call ‘20 minutes of Fun,’ which includes 50-metre sprints alternating with a 50-metre jog around the rugby field.”

FAMILY INSPIRATION

Sport has always been part of the Griesel family make-up. Abrie’s sisters Marli and Janette also excelled at sport at school, and they try to make it to all his matches to support their little brother. “My parents were also so inspirational. My father taught me from a young age to never give up, and always give that little bit of extra effort, and my mom always reminded me to go out and enjoy each game, despite the outcome.”

SPAR Women’s 10km & 5km, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 24 June

Ren? Kalmer galloped to an easy victory in the
third of the Spar Grand Prix Series of races for 2012 in Durban, crossing the
line in 33 minutes and 25 seconds, a full minute ahead of her second-placed Nedbank compatriot
Rutendo Nyahora of Zimbabwe (34:26), with another clubmate and defending race
champ Irvette van Blerk coming home third in 34:39. Having already won the
first two legs of the series – in Cape Town (32:50)
and Port Elizabeth (33:30) – Ren? is now well in control of the Spar Grand Prix,
and this win further extended her remarkable Spar record to 26 race wins, with
14 of them sub-34.

 

She was never under pressure in Durban and pulled
away from her rivals after 3km, but admitted after the race that it was still a
tough run, given that the race had moved back to the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, and the
route had been changed as a result. “I found
the route quite tough. I had hoped to beat last year’s winning time, Irvette’s 32:50,
but those last 5km were hard going. Last year I had to pull out with ITB problems,
so I was very happy to come back and achieve such a positive result. I am very
happy with the win.”

 

Besides the
new course and venue this year, the 2012 race also introduced the SPAR Women’s
Lifestyle Expo at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World. A highlight of the
race was having all three women selected to run the London Olympic Marathon in
August in the field, and then to see all three come home in the top 10, with
Rene first, Irvette third, and local favourite Tanith Maxwell ninth in 35:42. Rene
said the Spar races were really helping with her London preparations,
especially to build speed: “I battled last year because I had just started my
marathon campaign, but this year I am really enjoying running the SPAR Grand
Prix as it helps with my focus for London.”

 

Tanith was also
first home in the 35-39 age group, and said “The atmosphere at the SPAR race in
Durban is
always amazing! I found the new course really tough, so maybe it was just a bad
day for me, but Durban SPAR always attracts the top athletes from around the
country, so it gave me a solid workout towards my marathon in London.”

 

The Durban race
attracts young and old alike, including regular entrant Bets Lubbe, 70, from
Amanzimtoti, who ran it for the 18^th time this year! Twenty years
ago, she says she realised she wanted to get healthy, so she stopped smoking
and entered the SPAR race, and it has been on her calendar ever since! She ran
her first back in 1993 and has only missed two races since. “It is such a fun
day and you enjoy every second of it. In the beginning I took it very seriously
and I was very competitive, but recently I’ve just been enjoying them. I used
to run them, but since 2000 I walk them,” she said.

 

Modern Athlete reader Desiree Casey
Jagarnath also enjoyed her SPAR race, finishing in 1:07. “I didn’t feel like it
the night before, as I felt that nasty feeling of a cold trying to take over my
body, but it was my first 10km race in about a year and a half, so I felt like
a winner and I admit I was a tad bit emotional! It was an awesome race!”

 

Upcoming SPAR Women’s 10km & 5km
races:

25 August:
Pretoria

9
September: Pietermaritzburg

14 October:
Johannesburg

 

2012 Durban Results:

1 Rene Kalmer (Nedbank CGA)           33:25

2 Rutendo Nyahora (Nedbank CGA)    34:26

3 Irvette van Blerk (Nedbank CGA)      34:39

4 Christine Kalmer (Nedbank CGA)      34:48

5 Portia Ngwenya (Transnet)                34:55

6 Zintle Xiniwe (Mr Price)                     35:23

7 Thabisa Sirayi (ATRA)                      35:35

8 Poppy Mlambo (Bidvest CGA)         35:40

9 Tanith Maxwell (Boxer)                     35:42

10 Tabitha Tsatsa (Mr Price)                35:51

40-49: 1 Janene Carey (Boxer)             37:47

50-59: 1 Grace de Oliveira (Boxer)       42:09

60+: 1 Lien Botha (Amanzimtoti)          46:56

Juniors: 1 Thabisa Sirayi (ATRA)        35:35

THE
NUM-NUM TRAIL CHALLENGE, MPUMALANGA, 7 JULY

Whether you take part in the 36.5km Challenge or the 15km Rough It, this
is a race that will test the physical and mental skills of even the most
hardened trail runner – which is why some of South Africa’s leading trail runners,
including Landie Visser, Jock Green, Mazu Ndandani, Graeme McCallum, Christiaan
Greyling and Dom Wills, lined up in July to be challenged by the Bankspruit Gorge,
Hells Kloof and Skurwerberg.

 

In the men’s 36.5km, Christiaan
Greyling powered through for the win with a quad-breaking 4:53, while Landie Visser was crowned the ‘Trail
Klipspringer’ after covering 36.5km of sandstone and forest twisters in 5:08. Num-Num staff member Sijila Msitini is
one to watch. In his very first race ever, he came third, thanks in part to
trail shoes bought with contributions from other runners on top of a massive
discount from Sportsmans Warehouse. Afterwards he said he loved the shoes, but
reckoned he would have done better if he ran in his overalls and not trail
running pants!

 

Graeme McCallum took a
wrong turn and did the Bermanzi Loop twice, which is only the toughest part of
the trail. Think rock climbing for 1.5km and 2km downhill on loose stone…and
then doing it again! 40km in 5:31 guaranteed him a good night’s sleep. Still
further back, the last runners made it in just after dark in 11 hours.

 

The 15km runners took on some of the
technically trickiest parts of the Num-Num Trail, limbering over old boulder
falls, in and out of forested areas, through sandstone rock formations, and the
route was a bit tougher than last year. Jonathan
Beattie took first place in 2:52, but Roelof Nel (2:53) and Deborah
Leat (2:55) were hot on his heels. Unfortunately, Riaan van der Vyver
took an emergency exit and had to be DNFed, but he set a blistering speed. The
last runners did the 15km in over five hours.

 

Francis Darvall, co-owner of The
Num-Num Trail, said “We were blown
away by the runners on the Challenge. This sport requires individual to reach into
the depths of their endurance, and yet everyone still acts with impeccable
integrity and team spirit. We are determined to grow this event and make it
even more efficient, challenging and enjoyable for trail snakes and
klipspringers.”

To
get onto the VIP list and stand a chance of securing an entry for the 2013
Num-Num, e-mail: [email protected].

 

Said the Num-Nummers

“Cape Town Trail runners supporting a Mpumalanga jewel, definitely worth the
travel! Lung burning technical trail with unforgettable scenery!” – Christiaan Greyling

 

“The variety of terrain is
probably the most enjoyable part of the race. Easy escarpment running, great
views, steep climbs, quad-busting technical descents, twisty forest sections,
ladders, bridges, waterfalls, rock pools – Num-Num has everything.” – Neill Leith

 

“Congratulations on an awesome race. A real trail race – and you can quote me! This is the way
it should be, thank you very much. I had a wonderful time out there!” – Bani Erasmu

 

36.5KM MEN

1 Christiaan Greyling         4:53:30

2 Dom Wills                     4:57:42

3 Sijila Msitni                    5:27:48

36.5KM WOMEN

1 Landie Visser                5:08:38

2 Nathalie Romeo             6:11:57

3 Chani Mare                    7:15:59

 

15KM MEN

1 Jonathan Beattie            2:52:21

2 Roelof Nel                     2:53:43

3 Ian Jones                      2:59:45

15KM WOMEN

1 Deborah Leat                2:55:37

2 Jo Jones                       2:59:42

3 Marilize Steenkamp        3:02:32

TOTALSPORTS XTERRA KNYSNA PRESENTED BY REHIDRAT? SPORT, 12 JULY

Stuart Marais took line honours in the individual men’s category
of the XTERRA Full (3km trail run, 22km mountain bike and 7km trail run), but
the win did not come easy as he went up against multiple SA mountain biking
champion and 2010 XTERRA Knysna winner Kevin Evans. “The race was really hard,”
said Stuart. “I had to build a lead on Kevin and Nico Pfitzenmaier, which meant
that I had to go out really hard on the first run. Kevin caught me quickly on
the bike leg, and it felt like I was standing still. At transition I heard he
had a two-minute lead on me, so I put my head down and just tried to find my
rhythm.” Stuart caught Kevin again and opened up his own two-minute lead to win
in an impressive 1:39:32, as Kevin took second in 1:41:44, with Nico third in
1:42:07.

 

Women’s winner Susan Sloan also said she had to work for her
win, which she took in 2:01:58: “I had some technical trouble with my mountain
bike today, forcing me to work even harder, but the runs were good. I had to
push hard throughout, as I knew that Alae Brand and Fienie Barnard were right
behind be, and both of them are really strong runners.” Alae finished second in
2:03:31, followed by Fienie in 2:05:15. Team Perde was the first men’s team
home in 1:58:24, while Team Giant Mavic was the first women’s team in 2:15:30. Team
Fun Freaks was first mixed team in 2:18:28.

 

Dan Howitz
took honours in the individual men’s category of the XTERRA Lite (3km/12.5km/3km)
with a winning time of 1:02:43. Matthew Lombardi came in second, while Philip
Van Niekerk finished third. Heleen Rossouw took the women’s category, winning
in 1:18:40, with Marguerite Van Niekerk second and Jade Hooke third. Team Pa en
Seun was the first men’s team home with a time of 1:06:39, while Team Lombardi
Salomon took the women’s team competition in 1:17:47 and Team Cyclerun was the
first mixed team in 1:07:42.

 

 

Sidebar, with MY EXPERIENCE
icon

 

(Header) Fun in the Mud

(Race
name) TOTALSPORTS XTERRA KNYSNA PRESENTED
BY REHIDRAT? SPORT, 12 JULY

 

(Intro) It didn’t take long for this leg of the Totalsports XTERRA series to
become one of my favourite events of the Knysna Oyster Festival. – BY KEVIN EVANS

 

I was
back for my third year, and the event definitely keeps me motivated to cross-train
and keep up the running… but to give you an idea of my priorities, in three
years I’m on my sixth mountain bike, but still the same pair of running shoes! The
first 3km trail run is always intense, and I could not believe the speed at
which pre-race favourite Stuart Marais took off. I could only run as fast as my
legs would take me, and had to settle for around 10^th position,
about two minutes down heading into the first transition.

 

Once
onto my bike, with mudguard firmly in place, I could use all my experience of
racing in muddy conditions to gain as much time as possible. Although my bike
form is not where it usually is for this time of year, I started to catch guys
quickly, and after about 12km I passed Stuart. I had a small mental battle with
myself to slow down, as I knew he would out-run me on the final run, but
decided to push on and get as much of a head-start as possible.

 

I
always enjoy coming into the second transition after making up so much time, as
commentator Paul Valstar really gets the support behind you. I shoed up as
quickly and set off for the 7km trail run, with a slender two-minute lead over
Stuart and Nico Pfitzenmeier. I knew Stuart would catch me, but I wanted to try
stay ahead of Nico. The second trail is pretty hard by my standards, so the
legs were starting to tire and my back was beginning to fatigue, but with the
finish line just ahead, I pushed on and maintained a gap over Nico to take
second place again. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and at least
Stuart said I made him work for it!

-End-

 

 

 

(Sidebar2)

(Header) MARAIS WINS AT
FEATHERBED

(Race
Name) Salomon Featherbed Trail Run, presented by GU performance
energy products, 10 July

 

(Intro) With two races distances through a gorgeously scenic
nature reserve on offer and three different time slots in the day to run them,
the Featherbed Trail Run really gave runners a great day out in Knysna.

 

Elite multisport athlete Stuart Marais won the fourth annual Salomon
Featherbed Trail Run at the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival. Competing in
this event for the first time, he posted an impressive time of 55:50 on the
15km Coelacanth Route in the early morning running of the race. Afterwards, he
described the run as a “proper hard route, but definitely one for the bucket
list!”

 

Starting with a ferry trip across the Knysna estuary, the route takes
runners through the well-known Featherbed Nature Reserve and Brenton on Lake,
then back to town via the railway bridge over the lagoon. Knysna local
Melikhaya Msizi, who competed in the afternoon, also made it in under the hour-mark,
coming in second with a time of 59:36. Third place went to Nicholas Rupanga,
who finished exactly on the hour, second in the morning slot, and then won evening
run of the 11km Seahorse Route and took second overall in the shorter race.

 

The hotly contested women’s 15km saw Alae Brand (1:08:54) pull away from Susan
Sloan (1:09:44) and Landie Greyling (1:09:52). The winners of the shorter race
were Ross Lahana (48:19), followed by Nicholas Rupanga (48:37) and Eddie Mouton
(50:12), while the women’s title went to Kristen Heath (51:58), with Jacoline
Haasbroek (52:24) and Dawn Springer (59:30) rounding out the podium.

 

“The Featherbed Trail Run has grown from one to three race slots since
its inception in 2008. The event’s two routes offer a unique opportunity to run
across the western Head of Knysna and is the best combination of challenge and
spectacular scenery,” said race director Mark Collins of Knysna-based event organising
company Magnetic South. “This is also the first year ever that the race was not
contested in pouring rain, and it proved to be even better when conditions are
good!”

-End-

Picture
this: A South African race has grown so popular that the organisers announce a
25 000 cap on entries in order for the venue and route to handle so many
athletes. Chances are you’d probably assume we are talking about the Comrades
or Two Oceans, but we’re actually talking about a Spar Ladies 10/5km event! And
that is because the various women’s races on our calendar, notably the Spar
Series races that have been going for around 20 years and the slightly younger
Totalsports Ladies’ races, are attracting an ever-growing number of women (and
quite a few cross-dressing men) to the roads.

 

SPAR LEADS THE WAY

It
all started in 1991 when the first Spar race was held in Durban, as Spar looked
for a way to give back to its customers, says original race co-ordinator Ian
Laxton: “Ladies only, no time pressure, fun, entertaining, and all lady athletes
get their value for money with a big goody bag! This formula has kept the
series going successfully and made the numbers grow dramatically.” That first
race had less than 500 participants, but by 2000 it had grown to 25 000! And
seeing how much fun was being had at the coast, Johannesburg got in on the act
in 1992, followed shortly by Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and
Pietermaritzburg. Today the series boasts a collective 85 000 entries per
year, and also features the Spar Grand Prix, where top runners across all age
categories can earn points towards cash incentive prizes and a new Nissan Micra
for the overall winner this year.

 

Understandably,
the folks at Spar are proud of what they have achieved. “The Races are growing
each year, which is testimony that we are doing something good,” says Spar
Sponsorships Manager Belinda Nel. Echoing these words is Rob Philipson, Managing Director
of SPAR: “We are very proud of the enormous impact the series has on thousands
of women across the country, and are pleased to see that they are in turn
supported by a host of family and friends, in the build-up to the race and on
the route.”

 

TOTALSPORTS ON BOARD

The
TotalSports Ladies’ Series was launched in 2001 in Cape Town, but it was
originally called the Avon Ladies Race, with TotalSports as the presenting
sponsor. That first race brought 400 women to the roads of Bellville, and by
the next year the field had grown to over 4000! Then in 2003, with TotalSports
now the title sponsor, the race moved to picturesque Stellenbosch, and it’s
still growing in size today.

 

“Johannesburg
also needed a taste of TotalSports energy and therefore our second race was
launched in 2007, and in 2011 we added a third race in Durban,” says Jacky
McClean, head of PR and Communications at Stillwater Sport & Entertainment,
which co-organises the series in conjunction with another pre-eminent SA race
management company, Top Events. “Now the series boasts a combined turn-out of
15 000 lovely ladies each year, with the Stellenbosch and Johannesburg races
both on National Women’s Day. We always had it in mind to celebrate this day
with our races, and to focus on ensuring a super experience for runners, walkers,
sponsors and spectators.”

 

So this August, celebrate
Women’s Day (and month) with your feet by being part of one of the many
wonderful women’s races on the calendar:

Thursday 9 August

?        
Totalsports Ladies’ 10km & 5km Johannesburg, Central
Gauteng

?        
Totalsports Ladies’ 10km & 5km Stellenbosch, Boland

?        
Women’s Day Challenge 10km & 4.2km, Western Province

?        
Sanet Wentzel Memorial Women’s Day Challenge 10km & 5km,
South Western Districts

?        
Leading Edge Women’s Day 5km & 2km, South Western
Districts

?        
Women’s Day Ladies’ 10km & 5km Challenge, KwaZulu-Natal

?        
Setsing SuperSpar Women’s 10km, PLUS 5km Walk, Free State

Friday 17 August

?                    
Welkom Medi-Clinic Nite Women’s 5km, Free State

Saturday 25 August

?                    
Spar Ladies’ 10km & 5km Centurion, Gauteng North

(Turn
to our Race Calendar on page 36 for more details.)

For
most of us who take a sabbatical during the winter months, the motivation to start
training again comes when we wake up one morning and suddenly realise our
favourite outfit no longer fits, or our family and friends start remarking
about our “late growth spurt.” So we decide to start training again the next
day, carefully select our kit and put our shoes out, and set the alarm with
every intention of waking up and teaching the tar a lesson in the morning. But
something changes during the night…

 

The
alarm buzzes and as you slowly open your eyes, all snug in your warm, toasty
bed, feeling energised by a good night’s sleep, but then you recall the promise
you made to yourself only a few hours back. It’s amazing how many excuses suddenly
come to mind as to why it’s not a good idea to head out for a run. With that,
it’s a done deal: The alarm is reset for another hour, maybe even two, the
duvet is pulled all the way up and it’s back the beauty sleep that was so
rudely interrupted. The problem arises when you eventually do get out of bed
and walk past your kit and shoes, which seem to be sitting there with that
mournful look that says, “Why don’t you want to play with us?”

 

JUST DO IT

As
you go to bed tonight, put your alarm out of arm’s reach, so that you can’t
simply lean over and hit snooze. When it goes off, you’ll have to get up to
switch it off, and once you’re up, there’s less chance that you’re going to
climb back into bed and carry on where you left off. The toughest part of
training in winter is getting out of bed, but once you’re up and out on the
road, you soon realise that actually it’s not as bad, or as cold, as you
thought.

 

Suddenly
you’re feeling good and energised, and as you walk into the office, you hold
your head high, knowing that you did something hundreds of others were unable
to do today: You defeated yourself! But if you really can’t bear the thought of
heading out the door into the icy cold dark of the early mornings, don’t worry,
because there are other ways to keep your fitness levels ticking over in
winter.

 

1 Hit the gym: Do a
10-15min easy warm-up on a spinning bike, the Stair Master or the elliptical
trainer, all with low resistance gradually building up to a higher RPM. Next,
head to the treadmill, set the elevation to 1.5% (to offset the fact that
treadmill training is easier due to no wind resistance), and play around with
various 10-20min sessions of quality, for example:

?        
Run easy for 90 seconds, then hard for 60 seconds,
repeating 6-10 times.

?        
Increase the pace and elevation to 4-5% for 60 seconds
and then easy for 120 seconds, repeating 5-6 times to give you a great hill
session.

?        
Do a tempo session of 5min easy and then increase the
pace until you’re hitting your 5 or 10k race pace and hold that for 10-15min,
then easy for another 5min.

Be
creative and use your imagination. Once you’re done with your quality session
on the treadmill, hit the spinning bike once more for a 5-10 minute easy cool-down.

 

2 Join the class: Sign up for
one of the group classes for a spinning, aerobics or yoga class. It’s far
easier getting back to training when you know others will be slogging it out
next to you.

 

3 Hit the indoor pool: Do a few
swimming sessions, which are great for core muscle strength and builds your
cardiovascular system. The water temperature at most gyms is normally around 25
degrees – warmer than outside!

 

4 Skip the morning gloom: There is no
rule stating that to be a runner one has to train in the morning or evening.
Why not slip out for a quick 20-30min run during your lunch break? If that
doesn’t work for you, head out in the afternoon after work, when temperatures
tend to be around the high teens – ideal for running.

 

5 Give yourself a goal: Get out the
race calendar and identify a race to do in the next month or two, write it on a
piece of paper and put it up on the fridge, next to your bed, or some place
where you’ll see it often. Make it your goal and you’ll find all the motivation
you need!