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Spring Fitness
FFA Athletes Perform!
SA Cross Country Championships take place this coming weekend in Bloemfontein, and a number of Fitness From Africa athletes will be representing Central Gauteng Athletics in a variety of age groups:
Kelly Fairon (girls under 11)
Cian Oldknow (girls under 15)
Cecile Diedericks (vet ladies)
The girls did really well this year over the rugged x-country courses so we are looking forward to the guys doing the same next time around!
At the recent northern region co-ed schools' Pestige athletics, the guys did perform as Hlogi Manong from Fourways High School impressed once again when he broke the 2min barrier for 800m for the first time. What makes it even more extraordinary is the fact that the season is not much longer than 7 weeks and after recording times of 2m01 no less than five times this season, with a few tenths of a second over 2min at the inter-high meeting, his time of 1m59.7 at the prestige meeting at the Boksburg stadium was also a new record for boys under sixteen.
Upcoming events
Some nice races to look forward to:
More or less running shoes?
Okay, so by now there is an international debate whether we need less shoe and more foot, or whether the more shoe the better, especially for marathon and ultra runners. The fact that all major running shoe manufacturers, and even a few totally new brands, have shown that they want to be in on the action! For years it has been my lament that shoes are getting too technical, to bulky, not doing what we want them to do, and they just don’t last as long as they used to. I know I sound like a typical old-school runner, longing for the days when we had a choice of four brands and twenty models on the shelves, but you are wrong! I love shoes and a peek inside my running shoe cupboard will justify this statement. I love new shoes even more and my wife thinks I am seriously weird as I will, without fail, always appreciate the smell of a brand new pair of running shoes, freshly unpacked!
The problem is that for the past 10-12 years I have been becoming more and more frustrated with little niggles and setbacks in my running, and on top of that the fact that shoes lasted scarcely longer than 3 months.
With the minimalist movement sweeping across the running community worldwide, largely due to the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, there has been countless inquests into what we have been subjecting our feet to. Back in 2004 I was invited to the launch of the Nike Free range of shoes, evidently the first of the “barefoot shoes” to be introduced to runners. Since then an array of shoes/gloves have hit the shelves and an ever-increasing number of runners are resorting to the use of sandals to get ever closer to their roots and the very basics of running.
The question has to be asked: who decided that shoes must have heels anyway? There is a huge amount of truth in the fact that bulky, built up shoes with extra high heels and other gadgets do make our feet lazy. I too resorted to some racer-trainer type shoes in my build-up to the Comrades marathon this year, carefully optimistic yet taking in the advice from others that I shouldn’t run the actual race in them. After qualifying in my second pair of my new favourite shoes, I threw caution to the wind and resolved to tackle the Up Run as well! The decision was a good one and my feet and toes were in much better condition afterwards than any of my previous races!
I have since then taken the next step and moved down to racing shoes. As with any of these decisions it does take time and patience to slowly phase them in and allowing your lower legs to get used to them, and your feet to get stronger and to regain some of the strength they had in the early years of life. In fact, many US coaches advise their young athletes to run only in racing flats and I have started advocating the same to our younger runners. Their feet are uncompromised at this young age and will remain strong and robust as they explore the teenage years at school and beyond.
As for us adults, I really think it's worth investigating, although it may take 6-12 months for most runners, and that with a balanced training program, to make the change to a more neutral, lower profile running shoe. Long term running is a major desire of mine, and after 30 years on the roads I look forward to a few more decades ahead!
Complete Fitness
Ever wonder how sprinters are able to respond so quickly to the gun and cover the first 30m of a sprint in just over 3sec? And how do rugby players manage to run at full speed and then change direction or stop at the drop of a hat? These and other skills don’t come naturally and can be taught through careful instruction and conditioning routines.
Fitness From Africa is launching our new conditioning program, Complete Fitness, on the 8th October. The introductory course will cover a wide range of topics including dynamic warm-up routines, basics of sprinting, linear sprinting mechanics, stride correction and making your program sports specific. The five hour course will include theory as well as practical instruction and enough equipment to get you or your team going forward, fast! For more details or to book, please contact us directly.
