Category: Racing

If you are a Comrades novice or a former Comrades runner thinking of making your comeback to the race, this is the programme for you. A time of Sub-10:30 at Comrades is quite achievable for anyone – if you follow a balanced training programme, of course! And what a privilege it will be to finish such an iconic race with someone who has run 40 of them back to back! Modern Athlete and Barry are planning to create one of the biggest buses that has ever been seen at any Comrades race. So now is the time to decide if you want to commit to Comrades 2012, join Barry’s bus and become part of history.

SOME TIPS FOR DECEMBER TRAINING
• Many of us will be on holiday in December, which allows more time for training. But don’t get carried away and rack up the kilometres! December is not the month to be training at your hardest.
• Try to be consistent and run at least four times a week, and try to fit in one longer run per week.
• Don’t focus on quality work such as hill work or time trials.
• Run all your sessions at an easy and relaxed pace.
• If you miss a session because of a late party or function, don’t try and make up for it.

Most of all, enjoy your well-deserved break and start getting your mind ready for the five months of focussed training that lie ahead.

THE PROGRAMME
This month we bring you the training programme for January and February, so that you can start planning ahead. In our series of ongoing articles leading up to the big day, you will be guided step by step on exactly how to train, which pitfalls to avoid in your journey, as well as some handy tips from the master himself, plus a guide to which races you should be focussing on in your build-up to the Comrades. Barry will recommend races that he will be running himself, but look at the race calendar in your area to see other races of similar distances if you cannot run these particular ones.

LOOK OUT FOR NEXT MONTH’S EDITION OF MODERN ATHLETE WITH THE FOLLOWING MONTH’S TRAINING PROGRAMME.

Online as well as in-store entries opened at the beginning of November and are now in full swing. Make sure you get yours in as soon as possible, as entries will be capped at 6 000. Also, if you enter in December, you qualify for a special entry prize! You can enter online at www.championchip.co.za or www.dischem21.co.za, or at participating Dis-Chem stores and entries close on 6 January 2012.

TRAINING
This month we bring you the final part of our training programme for half marathon novices. Download it here.

REGISTRATION
All entrants must register and collect their race number and goodie bags before the event. Only those who collect their numbers before race day will receive goodie bags and T-shirts. Entries for the 5km fun run and temporary licences can also be purchased online and at all registration venues.

Registration will take place at:
• Dis-Chem Fourways Mall: Thursday 12 January (09:30-17:00)
• Dis-Chem Park Meadows (opposite Eastgate): Friday 13 January (09:30-17:00)
• Virgin Active Bedfordview: Saturday 14 January (09:30-15:30) & Sunday 15 January (before the event from 05:00)

RACE DAY
The race will start at 6am and you will be able to tune into Dischem2012 FM (90.3fm) on the day for up-to-the-minute news and important race day information.

Parking will be available at the Italian Club, only 200m from the start, and at the Bedfordview Country Club. The Linksfield Road off-ramp will be open for traffic, but Riley Road will be closed, so make sure you arrive early to avoid any parking problems.

Modern Athlete pacesetters will be on the road to help you reach your goal time and you might even bump into Bruce Fordyce, Zola Pieterse or a few other local celebrities on the route.

Digital Dis-Chem
The Dis-Chem Half Marathon is on Facebook and Twitter. Like it at www.facebook.com/dischem21 or follow it on Twitter @dischem21 and you will qualify for a Modern Athlete Hot Spot Award at the 12km mark.

If you are one of the nearly 3 000 athletes who have entered Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa, count yourself as fortunate, because not only have you secured a sought after spot, you will also be part of the biggest Ironman 70.3 event in the world! But before you can line up on Orient Beach on 22 January, there are still just a little under eight weeks of hard training to negotiate. Now is the time to stay positive and most of all believe in yourself, just as our 10 DARE TO TRI team members are doing in their quest to conquer one of the greatest triathlon events on our sporting calendar.

Download the training programme for December and January here.

World Endurance South Africa (WESA), the Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa, Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa and affiliates do not endorse nor promote this training programme in any way. This programme is not an officially endorsed Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa or Spec-Savers Ironman South Africa training programme and has been independently created by Modern Athlete. WESA assumes no risks or liability for any injuries, loss or harm caused by following this programme.

OVERCOMING FEARS
The Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI swimming workshop was recently held at St. Benedict’s High School in Bedfordview, and Georgie Thomas, operator and owner of Total Immersion Swimming South Africa, flew up from Port Elizabeth to share her knowledge and experience with our team members and guests.

From the workshop it was clear that most novice triathletes fear the swimming leg of a triathlon and from the practical session it was even clearer that everyone was very eager to learn to swim with the correct technique. Georgie put the more than 70 athletes through their paces in the pool and afterwards everyone agreed that learning to swim with the correct technique is the only way to becoming a better triathlete. It sure is no fun to struggle ‘efficiently.’

Our 10 DARE TO TRI team members not only attended the workshop, but also stayed on for an additional two-day workshop hosted by Georgie. A ‘before and after’ video was taken of each team member, and by day two it was absolutely remarkable to see how each team member had improved and how each one had overcome their fear of swimming and become confident in the water. The team members’ reaction after the workshop ranged from ‘an amazing experience’ and ‘a lifetime opportunity’ to ‘this is something that every triathlete should do.’

STICKING WITH THE PROGRAMME
The most important thing you can do right now is to believe in your training programme, the hard work you have done up to now, and most importantly, stay consistent. We will now aim to increase our weekly sessions slowly, but remember, if you are not able to increase the number of sessions, try to keep a constant two sessions for each sport. Always follow the important guideline: TRAIN, DON’T STRAIN! Finish every training session with something in reserve, and listen to your body and rest when necessary.

PHASE 2 TRAINING PLAN
Having done a few weeks of two sessions per week of each sport, the plan is to build up to three per week, with a minimum of two. Add one session per week until you get up to nine and hold that for two weeks. Then go back to six and build up again. The basic training for each sport will be as follows:

RUNNING: We will build this to 20km at an easy and relaxed pace. One quality session per week, consisting of a hill repeat or a tempo run, will be introduced.

BIKE: We will build this to 90km at a relaxed pace. Spin at a high cadence at around 90 revolutions per minute. We will introduce some hill work, either repeats or a ride over a hilly course during the midweek shorter ride.

SWIMMING: We will now take this up to 2km. Remember, an open water swim per week is essential. Always swim in open water with other triathletes and use these sessions to practise ‘sighting’ the swim buys. Pool sessions should focus on good technique.

BRICK SESSIONS: Swimming to bricks are best done at the gym: Swim a continuous 1km at a good pace and immediately ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes. Biking to run bricks are much harder. The aim is to run a few kilometres after a long bike and a shorter midweek bike. Start at 3km and work up to a maximum of 8km. These sessions are difficult, as the muscles you use for cycling and running are very different. Work on your running form and cadence and try to do these runs at the pace you would expect to run in the 70.3, which will be significantly slower than your usual 21km times.

TRIATHLON RACES
It is important to experience a triathlon race as part of your preparation, because training is no substitute for doing a race to experience swimming in a large group, transitions, pacing your ride and then running on tired legs! Visit www.triathlonsa.co.za and check out the events calendar to find shorter races that you can do to build up to the 70.3.

Next month we will bring you some final race day tips and advice to make your journey memorable and your dream a reality. So look out for the January Edition of Modern Athlete, which will be available from 15 January.

Three Peaks Challenge, Cape Town, Western Province, 5 November

The history of the Three Peaks Challenge, presented in proud partnership with K-Way, starts more than a century ago when Carl Wilhelm Schneeberger set off on foot from the old Johannesburg Hotel in Long Street, Cape Town. He ascended Devil’s Peak and returned to the hotel for a short rest before going out again, this time hiking to Maclear’s Beacon, which at 1 086 metres above sea level is the highest point on Table Mountain. Again he returned to the hotel for a rest and then set off a third and final time for the summit of Lion’s Head before returning to the hotel. This 50-kilometre adventure, excluding rest times, took the 25-year old Schneeberger a total of nine hours and five minutes and heralded the birth of what would become the Three Peaks Challenge some 100 years later.

The route is still pretty much the same, although the winning times these days are considerably faster than Schneeberger’s original time. However, the weather can easily affect the times, and this year’s event started in fairly grumpy weather with a light drizzle, which made the paths extremely slippery and meant that runners really had to concentrate on the slippery descent of Platteklip Gorge when coming down from Table Mountain. But by the time they reached Lion’s Head, a breeze was blowing and the light cloud cover gave way to sunshine for near-perfect running weather.

PERFECT WEATHER
Andr? Calitz and one of the pre-race favourites, the Norwegian Ake Fagereng, came in together at Greenmarket Square at the end of the first peak, Devil’s Peak. By the end of the second peak, Calitz had opened up a five-minute lead over last year’s winner, Andrew Hagen, with Fagereng lying third. This order stayed the same until the finish after Lion’s Head. “The event went very well and the weather was near-perfect, accounting in part for some very good times, but Andr? surprised everybody with his mind-blowing record run,” said race organiser Gavin Snell after the race.

In the women’s race, Caroline Balkwill took line honours in 7:14:09, comfortably clear of the second-placed Petro Mostert, who finished in 7:36:45. This was Balkwill’s second win at Three Peaks and she placed 22nd overall.

Of the 117 starters, 111 runners finished. The field contained a good number of first-timers, but the majority of the entrants have run many times, including race organiser Snell, who has completed every one of the 15 editions of the race, and 64-year old Sonia Beard, who is the first woman to complete 10.

RESULTS
Men
1. Andr? Calitz 5:07:39
2. Andrew Hagen 5:15:47
3. Ake Fagereng 5:27:49
4. Mike Els 5:58:31
5. Gareth Hempson 5:59:33

Women
1. Caroline Balkwill 7:14:09
2. Petro Mostert 7:36:45
3. Kylie Hatton 8:04:47

Soweto Marathon, Soweto, Central Gauteng, 6 November

Mazibuko ran with the lead group for most of the race until the deciding moment at the 38km mark, where he pulled away and never looked back, helping him to claim victory in a time of 2:19:04. Mazibuko has a PB of 1:03 in the half marathon and 29:10 in the 10km, and relied on his superior leg speed to pull away from his fellow contenders. Prior to winning the race, Mazibuko won the hotly contested City2City Half Marathon and the Carnival City Half Marathon. He now intends to go for a win in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon next year.

Toyota Athletics Club manager Lucas Mongatane was very happy with the performance of his winning athlete and said this is the beginning of more things to come from his star athletes. He also said they will look after Mazibuko and help him in saving his winnings and club incentives.

In the women’s race, the much talked about Russian Nina Podnesbesnova, running for the Nedbank Running Club, made her presence felt by coming third, but she could not overcome the defending champion, Mamorallo Tjoka from Lesotho. Tjoka crossed the finish line in a time of 2:43:40, breaking Ren? Kalmer’s 2009 course record by 26 seconds, and became only the third athlete to win the Soweto Marathon three times, together with Joshua Peterson and the late Angelina Sephoa.

RESULTS
Men
1. Michael Mazibuko Toyota AC 2:19:04
2. Moses Mosuhli Mr Price AVT 2:19:05
3. Lebenya Nkoka Mr Price AVT 2:19:34
4. Motlokoa Nkhabutlane Mr Price CG 2:19:41
5. Portipher Dombojena Mr Pice KZN 2:19:44
Women
1. Mamorallo Tjoka Toyota AC 2:43:40
2. Emma Gooderham Formula 1 AC 2:43:57
3. Nina Podnebesnova Nedbank RC 2:48:05
4. Tabitha Tsatsa Mr Price KZN 2:48:05
5. Sharon Tavengwa Nedbank RC 2:49:25

ORGANISATIONAL CHAOS
Unfortunately, several top-end runners and managers complained about the poor organisation of the race and said they couldn’t perform to their full potential because of this. Irvette van Blerk said she was run over by a stampede at the start of her debut marathon, because the gun went off earlier than it should have. She bruised her knee in the crush and had to pull out late in the race as a result.

Ren? Kalmer won the women’s 10km race, but was also not happy as she says she had to fight her way to the front of the field because there was no seeding system. “The race started three minutes early and there were no timing mats to ensure that all runners crossed the start line, and as a result of this some of the runners jumped into the race way after the start line. There were also no route and kilometre markers and very few marshals on the route. At stages, I wasn’t sure whether I was on the correct route,” said Kalmer.

In the men’s 10km, some of the front runners were misdirected onto the marathon route and missed out on podium spots as a result. This race was won by Frik Guys from the Nedbank Running Club.

ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON, USA, 6 NOVEMBER

It was Stephen’s first ‘Big City Marathon’ after he managed to obtain a much sought-after elite invitation to this prestigious flagship race, and though he was hoping for a personal best of 2:12, it was not to be on the day. He went through halfway in a time of 1:10 but slowed gradually in the second half of the race to eventually finish in 2:29. However, despite the somewhat disappointing finish, Stephen learnt a lot from the experience and says he will take much from it to help him in his Comrades preparation for next year.

LESSONS LEARNT
Said Stephen: “I had never run outside of Africa, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it was great to be there and a privilege to run with the best in the world. I was hoping for a time of 2:12, but I was under-prepared and didn’t know what to expect from the course, so it was a bit of trial and error for me on the day. I also took the wrong bus from the hotel to the start, which cost me about five minutes because I didn’t start at the front of the field like I should have.”

“But despite this, I really enjoyed the atmosphere. At the Comrades, I don’t really get to feel the atmosphere because I am so focussed on what I have to do, but in New York I had no pressure and could take it all in. It was also very different from Comrades, because you can sometimes feel very lonely on the Comrades route when you’re on your own, whereas in New York there are people cheering next to the road all the time. I certainly want to go back there next year and finish in the top 10, as I know now what it is all about and will be able to train properly for it. But for now, I will be taking a rest before I place all my focus back on the Comrades in December.”

KENYAN DOMINATION
At the front of the field, Kenya’s global domination of long-distance running continued when Geoffrey Mutai shattered the long-standing course record by almost two minutes. He finished in a time of 2:05:06, while Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado made a strong comeback in the last few kilometres of the women’s race to win her first major marathon title in a time of 2:23:15. Another notable finisher from African shores was nine-time Comrades winner Bruce Fordyce, who ran a superb 2:58:51 at the age of 55.

RESULTS
MEN
1 Geoffrey Mutai Kenya 2:05:06
2 Emmanuel Mutai Kenya 2:06:28
3 Tsegaye Kebede Ethiopia 2:07:14
4 Gebre Gebremariam Ethiopia 2:08:00
5 Jaouad Gharib Morocco 2:08:26
WOMEN
1. Firehiwot Dado Ethiopia 2:23:15
2. Buzenesh Deba Ethiopia 2:23:19
3. Mary Keitany Kenya 2:23:28
4. Ana Dulce Felix Portugal 2:25:40
5. Kim Smith New Zealand 2:25:46

Fish River Canyon Ultra, Namibia, August 2011

The race route differs slightly from the hiking trail in that the race starts from the main viewpoint, instead of Hobas, and with good reason. Days one and two of the hiking trail are rather gnarly and slow-going, with large boulders to negotiate. This is fine if you’re on a five-day hike, but would really put a damper on forward progression, speed and spirits in an ultra-distance, one-day run. Instead, the race route starts with a gentle 8km of dirt road, which serves as an ideal warm-up to prepare the legs for the descent into the canyon via the escape route above Sulphur (Palm) Springs.

FACING THE BOULDERS
This descent is not to be feared, as it is easier than it looks from the aid station on top. Once at the bottom, runners come face-to-face with their first boulder encounter. Crossing the many boulder fields throughout the canyon takes concentration, balance and agility if you hope to progress quickly and efficiently. It’s tough on the feet and ankles, and trekking poles do assist with stability as you run-hop-step from one boulder to the next. Between the boulder fields are stretches of firm trail and soft sand.

There are 20 river crossing. Yes, you heard right: 20. The Fish River meanders through the canyon, lazily snaking towards Ais-Ais. Although it is mostly possible to stay on one side of the canyon, you wouldn’t want to, as cutting the corners is the shortest and most efficient route. The race route map accurately shows the best crossing points (before or on bends) and it is usually through boulder fields which spill across the river. At the time of running of this inaugural Fish River Canyon Ultra in late August 2011, the river carried more water than usual for that time of year, but even so, all but one river crossing could be made without getting your feet wet, provided you chose a good place to boulder-hop.

TAKING ON THE HEAT
The benefit of so many crossings is that you’re rarely far from the river and at each crossing you can splash water over your head and drink directly from the river. Two short-cuts, also used by the hikers, take you cross-country to skip large bends. It’s on these sections where you really need to be carrying enough water.

Even at the tail-end of winter it was hot – really hot – in the canyon from 10:30am to 4pm. Good news is that the run will be held in June next year, when daytime temperatures range from 20 to 25?C. But even in winter it can reach 40?C at midday. As a result of extreme temperatures in the canyon, it is closed to hikers from mid-April to mid-September every year.

SETTING RECORDS
While the full hiking trail is listed as 86km, the new Ultra run is 65km. Namibian runner Frans Amunyela set the men’s record with his 9:36 winning time, while Lisa de Speville set the women’s time-to-beat of 11:39. With only two female runners at this inaugural event, de Speville had an easy day with no pressure. She’s convinced that she could take off an hour with little effort and that a faster female runner could drop this time even further, especially within a competitive field.

As a one-day trail ultra on a classic multi-day hiking trail, this Windhoek Fish River Canyon Ultra is, for sure, a scenic running experience. Put this one on your bucket list.

Plan Ahead for 2012

The date for the second running of this spectacular ultra has been set for 28 and 29 July 2012, timed to coincide with the full moon because many participants will run into the night.

Entry fee: The fee includes everything from the time you arrive in Windhoek (pre-canyon accommodation, and transport to and from the canyon) to your return to Windhoek after the race and is set at R6270 (incl VAT).

Getting there: There are two options if you’re travelling from South Africa: Fly into Windhoek and travel by official race vehicle to the Fish River Canyon, or fly into Upington, hire a car and drive to the Fish River Canyon. Ais-Ais does have a small landing strip, so it is also possible to charter a flight.

Staying there: The event organisation provides a tented camp (with mattresses and classy ablutions) perched on a spur overlooking the canyon for the pre-start night. In Windhoek, accommodation is arranged with the Klein Windhoek Guest House as part of the race package, and at the finish in Ais-Ais, the tented camp and an abundance of food and refreshments is most welcoming. It’s only a short walk from the tents to the swimming pool and hot springs. Breakfast at the hotel in the morning completes your post-race recharge.

For more details go to www.africanextremepromotions.com

For Malcolm Lange, the title of one of South Africa’s cycling legends is well deserved. In his almost 20 years as a professional cyclist, Malcolm notched up 409 road race victories and took top honours in all of the country’s biggest races several times, including the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge and the Amashova Durban Classic.

It all started with a surprise victory at the Amashova when he was just 17 years old, after which he competed at the Olympic Games in 1992 and became a professional cyclist in Europe for four years. He then returned to South Africa to focus on the local cycling scene. Back home he dominated road racing, wracking up the national titles and representing South Africa at the Commonwealth Games and the All Africa Games, amongst others.

When asked about highlights in his racing career, it soon becomes quite a long list, but one event that stands out is his victory at the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in 2010, when he outsprinted an elite group of 12 cyclists – including Lance Armstrong – to take first place. Earlier this year, he made a fitting last appearance as professional cyclist at the same race, where he was beaten by Tyler Day, one of the youngsters in the cycling team he now owns, Team Bonitas.

FROM CYCLIST TO OWNER
After retiring, Malcolm has been putting all his focus into building his team and developing young talent as well as managing his sports management company, Lange Sports. Naturally, for someone who was used to spending at least three hours training on a bike each day, he had to find something to keep himself fit, but which does not take up so much time and allows him to work a fulltime job. He turned to running.

“Honestly, I didn’t do any running when I was still cycling competitively because I felt it didn’t complement my cycling, but at the moment I run because it’s more effective,” says Malcolm. “I don’t have time to spend two or three hours on the road and usually do a 6km run in the morning, which takes me about 25 minutes. My wife, Jackie, got me into it, and though I feel my lungs can keep up, my joints are taking some strain, but it’s nothing serious, it’s just a completely different set of muscles and I need to get used to it.”

CITY2CITY
Though he says he’ll never stop cycling, Malcolm has already run his first race and is planning on taking on a half marathon soon. He recently ran the Bonitas City2City 10km in a time of 45:43 and says it took him almost four times as long to finish the distance on foot than it takes him on a bicycle, but that he enjoyed it. And who knows, maybe we will see him crossing the finish line at many more races in the coming years.

People often think of townships as places where one encounters traffic congestion and a feeling of insecurity. But the recent Pick n Pay Junior Road Running series held on 24 September in Daveyton was superbly organised and showed what can be done to get the youth involved in road running. Traffic control was well taken care of and the presence of the police ensured the safety of all participants.

Adults were encouraged to run along with their children to show support and in the process get a good workout! Registration was made affordable with entry fees of only R3 for the 2.5km event and R6 for the 5km. Every participant got a T-shirt, medal, and some snacks while the winners took home some well deserved prizes.

This series is a great way to keep the young ones off the streets, in the bad sense, and to motivate them to participate in running activities instead. The future of athletics lies in the identification and development of these kids through events of this magnitude. The last event of the series will be held on 22 October in Soweto.

Last year, entries for the Dis-Chem Half opened in late November and by Christmas the 6 500 entries were sold out! More reason to get your entry in as soon as entries open on 1 November.

EARLY BIRD INCENTIVE
More good news is that if you enter before the end of November, you stand the chance of winning a pair of Saucony running shoes. The winner will be announced in the January Edition of Modern Athlete, which is the official media partner of this fabulous race.

TRAINING
This month we bring you the second of our easy-to-follow training programme geared towards novices who want to run their first half marathon. Make sure you get all Modern Athlete editions up to January to help you cross that finish line on Sunday 15 January 2012.

Get the November training programme here.

PACESETTERS
The Modern Athlete pacesetters will be on the road on race day, so if you are looking to run a sub-2:00 or a sub-2:30 time, look out for their recognisable flags and join the bus to the finish line.

DOING IT FOR CHARITY
By entering the race, you will also be contributing to two very important causes: CANSA and the Namaqua Dog and Donkey Foundation are the official event charities. The Dis-Chem Foundation will once again match all donations from race entrants, over and above entry fees. Almost R60 000 was raised this year and the aim is to double this figure in 2012!

THE COACH
Ray Orchison has run five Comrades Marathons with a PB of 7:18 earlier this year. He was club captain at BCC from 2009 to 2011 before he moved on to become captain the Bedfordview Performance Squad.

More race information:
When: Sunday 15 January 2012.
Where: Bedfordview Country Club, Johannesburg
Entries open: 1 November 2011
Enter at www.championchip.co.za, www.dischem21.co.za or in store at participating Dis-Chem stores.