A few years ago if anybody mentioned ‘barefoot running’ it may have evoked images of rail-thin East Africans, legendary South African runner Zola Budd, or if you are old enough, British runner Bruce Tulloh. Fast forward to 2014 and most people discussing barefoot running (BFR) make an immediate association with the ‘funny toe shoes’ that effectively combine […]
TRAINING
Transitioning from Road to Trail, how scary is that?
Many runners fret about the transition from road running to trails; we explore the main differences and what to do when considering the transition. Including road and trail in your training schedule has significant benefits which help improve the performance of both. We recently held a seminar where 5 of the most experienced runners in […]
Running When Life Gets Hectic
Trail runners have all had days, weeks, months, and even years when life seemed to be playing out in fast forward, with no time left for running and training. Top trail runners tend to be busier than average, and still squeeze in the necessary training and running to take podium finishes. Indeed, an abundance of […]
How Can I Increase My Mental Strength?
No one denies that being mentally strong is a prerequisite for doing well in trail and ultra races — but how many people actually spend time developing mental toughness? Most people think that physical training itself will improve their mental strength. While to a certain degree this is true, as our bodies learn to cope […]
Boost Your Uphill Power
Pushing your body to defy gravity over prolonged periods of time can take both a heavy physical and mental toll as the uphill running forces your body to work harder with every step. Rather than ignoring steep hills just because they’re tough, I recommend you include dedicated uphill sessions in your base training to help […]
Bouncing Back
Collapsed in a heap at an aid station, the event doctor drew a blood sample from my left arm for screening. It dawned on me that for the second time I was going to have a DNF against my name at the Buffalo Stampede Ultra Marathon. Yet, despite this mishap, a mere five weeks later […]
How to Maximize Your Training for a Major Race
The growth of ultra trail races over the last 5 years has been exponential. Most of us are spoiled for choice in terms of the vast number of races available for competing in each year. However, more is not necessarily better. The human body simply can’t, month after month and year after year, compete to […]
How to Avoid Cramping in a Race
Why do so many athletes and runners, especially long-distance, suffer from cramps? For many years, the usual recommendation was to refill any electrolyte and sodium deficiencies. But in the past few years, new research has shined fresh light on the subject, suggesting novel theories on what might be causing muscle cramping (other than low electrolyte […]
Run Ultras Faster
Tips for Ultra Marathon Speed Finishing an ultra marathon is an accomplishment in itself. The typical ultra runner is more concerned with beating cut-off times than running fast. Still, we are runners, and running faster is part of the fun. Once a trail runner has successfully completed a couple 100km or 100mi races the desire […]
The Music Effect
In the realm of sport and exercise, music plays an important role. Nowadays, fitness centres blast music, professional swimmers enter the pool deck wearing waterproof headphones, famous singers are invited to perform at the Olympics, and many people hold on to music devices while jogging up and down the street. Whether one listens to music […]