Category: Racing

Marakele National Parks Marathon, Thabazimbi, 6 March 2010

This race was 42.2km of pure heaven. I can’t wait to return to this adventure next year. – BY JOHAN GRASSMAN

We arrived on the Friday at the Marakele National Park, just past Thabazimbi. There were various distances to choose from (5/10/21.1km) and most runners opted for these distances. There were only 63 runners running the marathon and I fancied my chance of finishing last was pretty good!

A profile of the route was posted on the park’s gate, where the race started. When I saw how difficult it was, I thought of rather running the half marathon! Unfortunately the gun went off before I could bail and off we went.

The first 7km were flat through the Bushveld and we saw giraffes, zebras and impalas. As we ran through a small tunnel and an electric gate it felt like we entered the wild side. We climbed for the next 5km (at certain points it felt steeper than Long Tom’s staircase!) As we turned onto a narrow tarred road one could see the beautiful Waterberg, but one question stuck in my mind, ‘How am I going to get up here?’

A never ending series of steep ups and downs followed. At the 13km mark all the runners were instructed to get on the back of a few bakkies  because a pride of lions were in the road! We did not argue and quickly got on! We were dropped off about 500m past the lions and carried on running.

The views were spectacular and there were long stretches where we could not see runners in front or behind us. At the 28km mark the drivers of the bakkies said we should run on the right hand side of the vehicles and jump on should a lion stand up (apparently the lions had finished breakfast and we did not look so good anymore).

The next 2km were downhill to the next water point. From there it was all the way back down a gravel road, through the same tunnel and on to the last flat 7km to the finish. We got a nice medal a t-shirt and free beer! This was a memorable race and I hope the organizers will keep entries limited. Somehow I felt much closer to God on this 42.2km of pure heaven. I can’t wait to return to this adventure next year.

Fochville Crocodilian 32km & 15km

The Fochville Crocodilian was not the toughest 32km race I have run, but certainly one of the best organised races! – BY SHAWN COMBRINK

On Saturday, 13 February we took the 50 minute drive through to Fochville to experience the Crocodilian 32km race. Fochville is just off the N12, about halfway between Johannesburg and Potchefstroom. The main attractions along the route are mielie fields and gold mines.

This was not the toughest 32km race that I have ever run. The race started at the Crocodilian Hotel. It started with a gentle uphill run of 6km towards the N12. Just before the highway we turned around and ran back to the start! Then it was off towards Fochville. There were a few bumps on the way to the turning point at Memento Restaurant on the outskirts of Fochville.

The water points were well stocked with coke, ice cubes, bananas, potatoes and jelly babies. Just as well, because it was a hot day. The temperature was rising throughout the day. The Croc Pub at the finish line was a welcome sight for many runners and was busy all day!

The 33rd running of the Medihelp Sunrise Monster started precisely at sunrise (06h08) on Saturday 13 March, from the Harlequin Club in Pretoria. This Groenkloof based race started in clear and cool conditions, and true to form took in a good few hills in the neighbourhood’s undulating suburbs.

The event consisted of the 32km Sunrise Monster, the 10km Mini-Monster and a more leisurely 5km baby monster fun-run for the not so adventurous. A total of over 5000 participants, including running legend Bruce Fordyce, competed in the three events, The organisers staggered the three race start times to overcome any early morning runner congestion.

This was the third consecutive year that Medihelp medical scheme has sponsored the event and with their support the race has gone from strength to strength, with an annual increase in the number of participants over this period. The sponsor also provided lucky-draw cash prizes to participants and spectators during the morning.

Runners in the flagship 32km race started at a brisk pace and it was not long before the eventual winner, George Mofokeng of Transnet, broke away in the off-road section in the Groenkloof Nature Reserve. He set up a sizable lead in front of the bemused buck and deer in the reserve.  He was never challenged thereafter and broke the tape in 1:50:30, almost 7 minutes ahead of the next finisher! 

The ladies race was won by Louisa Leballo of Gauteng Striders, who showed the rest of the ladies the way over the hilly route before finishing in a respectable time of  2:14:55. The men’s and ladies prize winners in the 10km event went to Nedbank runners  Lucky Miya (32:37) and Rutendo Nyahora (37:55).

Spectators at the finish were kept busy with entertainment and food and drink stalls as well as a special children’s area with jumping castles and face-painting. The event was fortunate to have the professional services of NETCARE911 as the medical support team. The presence of the roving NETCARE911Helicopter and Ambulances stationed at the venue provided spectator value in between attending to the medical situations which arose.

Unfortunately the cool weather conditions did not prevail throughout the morning, and the back markers had to deal with hot conditions towards the end of the race. However, thirsts were quenched with an adequate supply of ice cold fluids along the route and upon completion of the race at Harlequins.
All finishers, including the fun-runners, received commemorative medals for their respective events as well as a quality drawstring goody bag with the compliments of the sponsor, MEDIHELP.

Langebaan on the Cape West Coast is more than just a holiday town with a glorious lagoon where every form of water sports can be enjoyed. Situated about 100km north of Cape Town, it is also the gateway to the West Coast National Park, often referred to as the ornithological capital of South Africa due to the vast number of bird species found here. It is estimated that each cubic centimetre of the lagoon’s wetlands contains 60 million living organisms, making this one of the most biologically productive areas in the world. It’s a stunning natural paradise – and a lovely setting for a road race!

At 5am the 1000 marathon runners got onto 17 busses at the finish point in Langebaan to take them to the start on the other side of the lagoon. After a 50-minute drive, the runners were greeted with coffee and rusks on the Atlantic Ocean beach of Tzaarsbank inside the West Coast National Park.

The race started at 6:30am, a few minutes before sunrise. As the sun rose, the runners came over the hill at the 3km mark to be greeted by an awesome view of sunbeams reflecting on a 10km-wide lagoon. With no cars allowed inside the park, only ostriches and the odd tortoise and the most festive water stations kept the runners entertained.

A trademark of this marathon is its food tables, with potatoes, bananas, sandwiches, chocolates and jellie beans on offer. The 36km water and food station is also the 15km station for the half marathon runners, and there is even beer provided for the extra thirsty runners needing ‘liquid courage’ before tackling the ‘Black Mamba’. This is the infamous, very steep 600m climb at the 39km mark! Thankfully, from there it is all downhill to one of the most scenic finishes overlooking the lovely lagoon.

The marathon was won by three-time Comrades winner Vladimir Kotov, who said he wanted to run a relaxed race without his watch – and then came within one minute of the course record with a time of 2:31:13, going faster than his pending Western Province masters men’s record. (Earlier in the week he set a new master’s record for 10km, but his winning time in Langebaan won’t count for the record books because the course is point to point and thus not record-eligible.) In his post-race interview, Vladimir announced that “this is the best marathon in the country!” Sandra van Graan won the women’s race in a time of 3:10:02.

The half marathon saw some 900 runners lining up this year under the start banner hoisted between two hobie cat boats in Langebaan. The circle route, also mainly inside the National Park, is nearly as scenic as the marathon route. The runners head out on a gravel road for the first 9km, then hit the tar as they pass a bird hide, some historical dwellings and more wildlife before the turnaround back into the town – but not before the ‘Mamba’ has been conquered!

RESULTS
42.2KM MEN
1 Vladimir Kotov  BLR/Century City 2:31:13
2 Samson Gulubela  Atlantic 2:34:32
3 Thembelani Zola  Mr Price WP 2:40:18
42.2KM WOMEN
1 Sandra Van Graan  Edgemead 3:10:02
2 Jacoline Haasbroek  Stellenbosch  3:15:45
3 Patricia Adams  Metropolitan  3:17:01
21.1KM MEN
1 Sibusiso Mbingeleli  Mr Price WP  1:08:10
2 Bernard Rukadza  Guguletu (Zim) 1:08:45
3 Avukile Ntongana  Mr Price WP  1:09:50
21.1KM WOMEN
1 Nomvuyisi Seti  Mr Price WP  1:23:46
2 Buleulina Mtshagi  Celtic 1:25:26
3 Jacqueline Bakkes  Paarl 1:25:52

Any male long distance runner will admit to having felt frustrated when more than one, often petite, female runner passed them somewhere between the 60-70km mark at Comrades. Often many runners contribute this to a theory that women are better long distance runners than men. But is this true? Modern Athlete asked sports scientist, Dr Ross Tucker, to give us some insight on the topic.

Does a woman really get better than a man as an event lengthens? Of course, comparing one woman to one man is a very different debate than the question of whether women as a sex are better than men as distance increases.

THE RESEARCH
About ten years ago in an attempt to answer this question, scientists from UCT looked at a large group of runners from the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons. They established what the runners’ best performances were at distances ranging from 5km all the way up to Comrades.

The findings showed that if you looked at the same people across a range of different distances, you would find that the running speed is higher in men from 5km to 56km, but that the gap between men and women decreased progressively, until eventually, at Two Oceans distance (56km), the men and women ran at the same speed. Go one step further, to Comrades distance, and the women would be found to be faster than the men.

Again though, it is important to remember that we need to look at the same person across a range of distances, not just at the fastest single person in each event. In other words, the question is whether a woman, who runs as fast as a man over shorter distances, is more likely to catch up over longer runs. And the answer is a resounding yes!

THE IMPLICATIONS
It would seem that the answer to this question is obvious because men have physiological advantages such as testosterone, more muscle, lower body fat, larger hearts, more oxygen-carrying red blood cells, etc, and these are likely to have an effect in shorter events. As the distance increases, however, those advantages are eroded and so a woman who is comparable over a shorter distance will come into her own over the longer distances.

Take the example of Bob and Alice, who both regularly do club time trials. If they run a 5/8km time trial in the same time, then whenever they run a 21km race, the safe bet is that Alice will win, as she becomes relatively stronger as distance increases. If they both ran Comrades, the same would apply. The really interesting thing is that this theory works most times, assuming that the run goes according to plan. On the whole, women who are reasonably close to men in terms of time in shorter races will find that they get to lead the way in the ultras.

THE REASONS
During ultras, the body’s main source of energy is fat because the carbohydrate stores are limited in volume. Women have greater energy reserves to call upon and may even be better at making use of the energy that is available. At shorter distances this is not a concern, since carbohydrates like glycogen are the main source of energy. Besides, the strength advantage possessed by men as a result of larger muscle mass makes them the kings of shorter distance.

The second reason involves differences in pacing strategy. In the fascinating research conducted, it has been shown that women tend to pace themselves more evenly than men, and seem to be less affected by external factors (crowds, friends, rivals) than men! In one study, researchers tried to confuse runners by manipulating a clock to run either faster or slower. The women were not fooled; they went about their business as usual. The men, however, ran either five minutes longer or five minutes shorter over a period of approximately 30 minutes of exercise.

Do women have a more finely-tuned internal clock that allows them to judge distance and pace? Research still needs to be concluded, but when you watch races on TV, the hordes of men who surround the lead women (often to get onto TV) benefit enormously from the steady pace they set.

So that’s it in a nutshell. More than likely, women will never catch up to and beat men at the very top level. But women do seem to have a ‘relative’ advantage over longer distance events and get progressively better than men as the distance increases for each person. The bottom line is that we all have strengths as runners – for women, it’s likely to be longer distance events.

For more info visit www.sportsscientists.com.

Most runners shy away from hill running because they see it as a tough workout. Most of us hope that if we clock up enough kilometres, we can make up for the lack of quality hill training. Stop fooling yourself! If you want to improve your running, you have to start running hills. It can mean the difference between a PB or just another average race time. And it is not as hard as you think… Three experts share their hill running experience with Modern Athlete.

Make no mistake, running hills is not easy. It leaves your legs aching and burning, and you are bound to reach the top huffing and puffing. But if you don’t train on hills, you may pay the price come race day. Nick Bester, former Comrades winner and one of South Africa’s top all-round athletes, has a saying that holds true in the case of hill training: “Those who sweat more in peace will bleed less in war. Roll up the hills!”

NOTHING NEW
Hill running as a quality training method is nothing new. Two of the great coaches of the past who used hill running as an important component of a weekly training schedule were Percy Cerutty, who trained a number of outstanding athletes in the 50s and 60s, and Arthur Lydiard, a New Zealand coach. He developed a training system that took athletes to world records and Olympic gold medals.

“Although the exact physiological effects induced by hill training have yet to be scientifically researched, runners should take advantage of the expertise of the great coaches and runners who have found it to be an important addition to a training programme,” says Prof Andrew Bosch, associate professor at the University of Cape Town/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa.

BENEFITS OF HILL RUNNING
Donovan Wright, double gold medallist for Two Oceans and Comrades, and winner of 27 marathons (with a personal best of 2:17:25), says hill training has been significant in his own preparation and in the preparation of athletes he has coached. “The benefits of hill training stand without challenge. It is well documented and practised by leading athletes and coaches across the athletic globe. The benefits include:
Increased strength and power from exerting extra force on muscles to propel your body up the hills.
Increased VO2 Max due to the massive cardiovascular demand of hill running.
Increased speed; the steep gradient of hills improves our speed on flats.  
Hill running makes you mentally tough and resilient.
Increases strength, muscle and aerobic power.
Improves stride frequency and length.
Strengthens your hamstrings, calves, glutes and hip flexors.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
Always warm up before you start. Most experts recommend at least 3km of easy running before and after each hill repeat workout. Here are three experts’ takes on different kinds of
hill training.

DONOVAN WRIGHT
Training suited to more experienced and faster athletes.
  Hill repeats: Choose a 600m hill with a 30-40% gradient. Do 12 repeats. Run the first three steady, the next three medium, the next three fast, and the last set flat out. Use the starting point and finish point as a guide and set three points for yourself, at ? up the hill, halfway and ? up the hill. Run the first three repetitions steady to the ? point pushing hard to the top of the hill. Run the second set of three reps steady to the halfway mark before running hard to the finish. Run the third set of three reps steady to the ? point then run hard to the finish. Run the last three reps flat out to the top. Walk down instead of jogging.
 Hill fartlek: Choose a hilly area. Run hard up every hill. Jog down hills and flat areas. The emphasis should be on speed up the hill and over the crest. The sets should last between 45 minutes and two hours.
  Sustained hill fartlek: Start at a steady pace that you can maintain throughout the run in a hilly area. Run hard up every hill at a pace much faster than your sustained pace. After cresting the hill return to your sustained pace and repeat the process. The sets last between 30 and 90 minutes.
  Strength endurance hills: Start with a track session of ten x 1000m. Jog 200m after each 1000m. Following the track session, immediately jog to a hill and run up at a steady pace. This is to practice good form rather than pace. Jog down after each hill repeat. The entire session should last between 1:45 and three hours.

ANDREW BOSCH
Training suited to beginners, intermediate and experienced runners.
Physiologically, simply running repeat sessions up a hill will achieve the additional muscle adaptation desired, together with some probable improvement in running style.
  Excellent results can be attained by simply running hard and fast up a hill, concentrating on keeping a good running style while doing so. It is not even necessary to cover a full 300m as mostly prescribed. Both slower and faster runners should run at a perceived hard and fast effort, with good form, for approximately 60-75 seconds. Slow runners will cover less ground, elite runners a lot more. On reaching the designated time, for example after 60 seconds, turn and jog back to the bottom, at which point the process is repeated.
  As with all training, hill training should be introduced gradually, in a controlled fashion. Specifically, the first session may consist of only four hard uphill runs, followed in the next session by five, then six, etc.
  Good results can be achieved by doing one hill session per week.

NICK BESTER
Training suited to intermediate to experienced fast runners.
Conditioning is the most important training aspect, especially when preparing for a race with murderous hills like the Comrades. If you plan to run the Comrades make sure you include hills in your training regime and make sure you run them within your training heart rate zones. Choose between:
  Short hills: Find a hill and run two minutes up it at 95% of your maximum heart rate. Repeat eight to ten times.
  Medium hills: Run five minutes up a hill at 85% of your maximum heart rate and repeat six times.
 Long hills: Run 20 minutes up a hill at 75% of your maximum heart rate and repeat two to three times.

When running uphill quickly the heart, lungs and leg muscles are working at their optimal level. Speed sessions can sometimes leave you injured, therefore it is sometimes a good idea to substitute a speed session with running a short steep hill for 60 to 90 seconds. Do two quality sessions per week; one with short repetitions (eight to ten repetitions of a one/two minute hill) and one longer quality session (six repeats of a three to five minute hill).

TOP EXPERT TIPS
To run hills efficiently concentrate on the following:
  Lean into the hill.
 Give short rhythmic steps.
 Work with your upper body and pump your arms to gain good knee lift.
  Keep your upper body relaxed, especially your neck muscles and shoulders and keep your hands open.
  Concentrate and do not look up to see where the top of the hill is. Rather look down or about five to ten metres in front of you.

Running plays a large part in almost every sport practiced at a competitive level. We explore running’s role in combat sport by speaking to Charly Palos, former SA judo champion and kickboxing coach to average Joe’s and well-known sporting stars.

Kickboxing, judo and boxing are not for the faint-hearted. They often leave you sore, bruised and sometimes even bloody. These disciplines are high-intensity and high-impact forms of exercise that require speed, flexibility, strength and endurance. And on top of all that, while working out you are being punished by your opponent, which saps even more of your energy.

Therefore you need to be super fit. And there is no better way to get fit than through running, says Charly Palos, kickboxing coach and former world-class combat specialist. In his younger years Charly won SA national judo titles and earned his Springbok Colours in shootboxing, a combat sport which allows kicking and punching. At the peak of his career he was amongst the top ten shootboxers in the world.

These days, Charly specialises in teaching kickboxing to individuals who choose to use it as a form of fitness and self-defence. He teaches from his gym at the Italian Club in Bedfordview. His students include sporting stars such as former rugby player James Dalton. Charly is also involved in other forms of combat sport, and works closely with professional boxing coach, Manny Fernandes, who has trained numerous world champions as well as Alfie Stevenson, a seventh Dan national Olympic judo coach.

A DAY IN THE LIFE
“One has to be very fit and flexible with excellent hand/eye co-ordination when partaking in combat sport,” says Charly. Kickboxers train anything between three and four hours a day. A typical training day includes a morning and an evening session. The morning sessions are usually reserved for cardiovascular exercise. “We start off with a 5-7km run, immediately followed by a skipping session of eight rounds. Each round consists of three minutes of hard skipping, with a minute rest in between.” The skipping session is followed by about 20 minutes of shadow boxing, a training method where kickboxers and boxers shadow box in front of a mirror to improve their footwork.

The evening session consists of punching drills to improve flexibility as well as hand/eye co-ordination. “We start off with training different boxing combinations by punching and kicking the bags. This lasts up to an hour.” This is followed by a 20-30 minute session with focus pads. “Your partner holds the pads while you box or kick into them. Often your partner will call out different kicking and boxing combinations for you to follow,” Charly explains.

An important part of the evening session is sparring, a training method in which partners fight against each other, but without the aggression that is usually part of a competitive fight. “We fight five rounds, each one lasting three to five minutes.” The evening training concludes with a conditioning session; kickboxers drop a medicine ball onto their stomachs to strengthen these muscles. “This lasts up to ten minutes before we finish off with about 100 push ups and another 100 press ups.” 

FIGHTING FLAB AND GAINING FITNESS
Charly encourages all the sportspeople he trains to incorporate a daily run of 5-7km into their training routine. “Since starting these runs, they have all gained greater leg strength, improved their breathing technique and some have lost weight.”

Keeping weight down is usually a big issue, especially for those who compete on a professional level. “In our game we always have to cut weight because we compete in different weight categories. One of the greatest benefits of running is the weight loss that often accompanies the sport. Running is an excellent way not only to get rid of excess weight, but also to maintain a certain weight. Also, running requires discipline and it is this discipline that fighters need to take into the ring when competing.”

SPORTING PASSION
Charly runs about 70km a week and has completed the Two Oceans Half Marathon twice as well as numerous other road races. He has just qualified to run his first Comrades this year. “Running is incredible. It keeps me healthy and the endurance benefit I have gained from it is absolutely fantastic. Though I mainly coach these days, I have to be fit and in shape.”

“Sport is my life. If it wasn’t for combat sport, I would have been doing some other kind of sport. I am just lucky that I have the ability to fight and coach. And I am very happy that I can add running to my training routine. It is a sport that you can do well into
your 70s!”

Qualifying the first time for a race such as Two Oceans or Comrades is often a daunting challenge and holds special memories for most runners. Susan May and Debbie Honneysett, members of Savages Athletic Club, shared their qualifying experiences at the Maritzburg Marathon in KZN.

MARITZBURG MARATHON & HALF MARATHON, PIETERMARITZBURG, KZN, 28 FEBRUARY 2010

Debbie Honneysett
My first marathon was in March last year and I finished in 5:10. I managed to finish my second marathon in October in 5:03. The Maritzburg Marathon was my last chance to get the qualifying time I needed, and I knew that if I missed it this time, it would end my dream of running this year’s Two Oceans.

I decided last year that I wanted to run Two Oceans as my long training run for Comrades, and the Maritzburg Marathon was the last qualifier for Oceans. My friend, Charmaine, who  had already qualified, offered to run with me as support. 

It made such a difference having Charmaine run with me; it felt like we were in it together. At around the 25km marker, the five hour bus came past us and I started stressing! Charmaine encouraged me to stick to my pacing chart. I remembered my friend Emma saying, “Run your own race,” so I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

Charmaine and I stayed together until the 36km mark and then I took off! Charmaine had run her first marathon two weeks earlier so she was still feeling it in her legs. Another friend, Gisele, had already finished the marathon and had turned back to run the last 5km with me.

My parents were at the finish shouting for me and the announcer was saying, “Here comes Debbie; she’s going to qualify!” Crossing the line in 4:54:35 was a wonderful feeling. I had done it! 

Back at the Savages tent everyone congratulated me and my parents even brought champagne! To all my friends and family, thank you! Well done to the organisers for an excellent event.
 
Susan May
When I joined Savages AC in April last year I could not imagine that in just less than a year, I would be running my first marathon and qualifying for my first Comrades!

After watching Comrades runners from the Savages tent on Cowies Hill last year, I knew that running Comrades was something I had to do. I started training and the weeks leading to my first marathon were both exciting and daunting. I could not wait to get 10km into the marathon, warmed up and enjoying the race.
 
The first 21km seemed to fly past. The next 9km felt extremely long and hard but when we reached the 30km mark, I knew I had to hang in for only 12km to the finish. The last few kilometres were so exciting because I knew we were about to achieve our goal and qualify. My dream of running Comrades was within sight and becoming a reality!

We hoped to finish in 4:20, to get the seeding we wanted for Comrades. And we did! We made it with five seconds to spare. There are so many people who encouraged and helped me. Running has changed my life. Not only do I get to do the sport I love so much, but I get to share it with new and wonderful friends.

The Deloitte Pretoria Marathon is known for its hills… and more hills. But every year the race attracts thousands of runners ready to take on one of Pretoria’s toughest runs. This year was no different. A record number of over 6 000 runners finished the 10km (2 400), the 21.1km (2 600) and the marathon (1 600). Glenn Weldon, a runner from Jeppe Quondam Athletics Club, took on the half marathon and shared his experience with Modern Athlete.

DELOITTE PRETORIA MARATHON, HALF MARATHON AND 10KM, LYNNWOOD, PRETORIA, 27 FEBRUARY

It was a chilly start to the morning with heavy cloud cover and quite a cool breeze in the air, but there was a buzz of energy amongst the thousands of runners as I made my way to the starting line.

The gun went off and everybody surged forward. I had that familiar feeling of butterflies in my stomach as we headed off into the unknown of a new race day. Almost immediately we hit the first hill and a long, drawn out climb loomed in front of us. Everybody I had spoken to about the Deloitte Half Marathon had warned me about the long climb, and I was now starting to understand what they meant!

My strategy for this race was not to run it all hard, but to try and run all the hills hard and then to relax going down the other side. That would give me good quality hill training, but would allow me to still run the next morning. It seemed to be working but I must admit, I didn’t expect the hills to be that tough! I genuinely felt sorry for the poor buggers running the full marathon.

As we came around a corner we were welcomed by the Pretoria Boys’ High Pipe Band, which gave me goosebumps (please will someone ask these guys to play on the Comrades route?). We started summiting the notorious Klapperkop Hill. At the top, the awesome views of the Waterkloof Golf Course, UNISA and the whole of Pretoria awaited us. It was spectacular and, for a brief moment, it made me forget my tired legs.

We had a nice, long downhill cruise to Pretoria Boys’ High. Running through the school was incredibly beautiful. A short stretch through the beautiful leafy suburbs of Lynnwood took us back to the finish at Phobians Running Club.

This was a very scenic run and although it was hilly, the views were worth it. The race was extremely well-organised. I finished in two hours and will definitely be back again next year!