Making A Runner

In this episode of Making A Runner, we dive into the complex world of fatigue & recovery.

Our guest, Ant Clark, a Sports Scientist currently completing his PhD studies in fatigue, shares insights into the key principles of training, emphasising the important balance that needs to be maintained between stressing the body and recovering optimally in the pursuit of fitness and performance progression.

We discus the various techniques and modalities available to us today taking into consideration that recovery will be highly individualised and will vary based on genetics, lifestyle, and personal circumstances.

There are however the "Golden 3" that Ant swears by as "The Basics" that everyone can and should focus on before looking to the rest of the recovery "tool kit" which include things like: manual therapy, cryotherapy, fitness tracking devices etc. We take a deep dive analysing and weighing up the benefits and limitations of each.

Throughout the episode, we emphasise the importance of listening to your body and paying attention to how you feel during & after training so as to develop your awareness & ability to spot the signs of overtraining to combat chronic fatigue and burn out.

Tune in to this episode & learn how to optimise your training!

This episode of Making a Runner is one for the people by the people; we take a special look into the Comrades Marathon Expo and gain insights from the conversations had with various runners ranging from elite-level to every day enthusiasts, from the Green Numbered Comrades Veterans, who describe it as a 'drug' that hooks you for life, to the brave novices who admit to feeling nervous and excited about taking on the Ultimate Human Race for the first time.

The voices you'll hear are a combination of the best South African accents plus those of people who have travelled from all corners of the globe including: Switzerland, India, Norway, UK, DCR and Ireland too. They share with us their thoughts on the ultra-marathon, their training experiences and the "why's" that brought them to the start-line in the first place (and time and time again).

This limited series has been brought to you by Mr Price Sport, the official technical apparel sponsor of The Comrades Marathon.

In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary journey of Michael Baker on the Drakensberg Grand Traverse (DGT). Michael, a runner, adventurer, and coach, shares his background and how he found his purpose in endurance sports. We explore his love for trail running, the allure of pushing boundaries, and the mental and physical challenges he embraces.

The DGT, a self-supported and solo endeavor, poses immense obstacles, demanding self-reliance, mental fortitude, and exceptional navigational skills. Michael takes us through the planning and preparation involved in tackling this 230-kilometer route through the stunning Drakensberg Mountains, with its six prominent peaks to tag. He vividly describes the harsh environment, the vulnerability one feels, and the dangers of the mountains.

During his attempts, Michael faced numerous obstacles, from getting lost without maps to encountering treacherous weather conditions. His determination and problem-solving skills were put to the test as he overcame challenges such as missing caves, encounters with baboons, and even having his gear stolen by crows.

We delve into the mental strength required for such an extraordinary feat and how it translates back into everyday life. Michael shares insights on discipline, problem-solving, and the perspective gained from being out in nature. He emphasizes the significance of embracing challenges and pushing limits, reminding us of the insignificance of our problems in the grand scheme of things.

Having successfully completed a solo DGT in 79 hours, Michael reflects on the fulfilment of achieving his ultimate goal. We discuss his future aspirations, the impact of this accomplishment on his mindset, and his desire to inspire others to explore their own limits.

Lastly, we touch on Michael's adventurous spirit beyond the DGT, including his foray into amateur fighting and his perspective on international races. Throughout the conversation, Michael's authenticity and down-to-earth nature shine through, leaving us inspired to embrace challenges, push boundaries, and not take life too seriously.

Join us in this captivating episode as we uncover the mindset, determination, and incredible journey of Michael Baker on the Drakensberg Grand Traverse

If you're going to be taking Comrades Marathon race-day advice from anyone, Gerda Steyn's advice comes with winning odds!

Our guest today requires no introduction, but in case you've missed her epic rise to running stardom, Gerda Steyn is the 2019 Comrades Marathon up-run Ladies Winner - the race where she broke the ladies course record and became the first woman in history to run under 6 hours in a finish time of 5:58:53. She also recently conquered the down run in 2023, breaking the long standing Frith Van den Merve down run record in a impressive time of 5:44:54.

Her story is a remarkable one as she was "late to running", having joined a running club for the social and fitness aspects, like so many of us do, when she moved to Dubai for work. She quickly discovered a love for the sport and started training for her first Comrades Marathon in 2015, which she completed in a time of 8:19:08 in 56th position.

"I never thought that I would be able to improve my time by so much or win the Comrades Marathon", Gerda says in our conversation but this is by no means a story about how "anyone can win", Gerda Steyn is a supremely talented athlete! It is however her work ethic & her larger-than-life positive outlook that we could all stand to learn from.

In this episode you can look forward to hearing about:

• Gerda's return to Comrades Marathon (having not run the race since 2019).
• Her training in the Alps and how she has transitioned into Comrades training since winning the 2023 TTOM Ultra Marathon.
• Her mental preparation and how to tackle "race-day-nerves".
• Golden pearls of wisdom for race day from the Golden Girl herself!

Best of luck to all of our listeners competing in the 2023 Comrades Marathon!

#ziyasha #thisisit

We're all familiar with the old adage "life begins at 40", but no one is a better example of this than Geoffrey Crow, better known on Instagram as @lets_run_faster.

Going into his 40's Geoffrey made a promise to himself that he'd enter the next decade of his life as the fittest & best version of himself. Having always had a fondness for running he decided to go "all-in" with his training and started documenting the process on Instagram - he couldn't have predicted that just little more than a year later he'd break major barriers in both his running & social media success.

Having a background in marketing he saw that there was a gap for credible shoe reviews in the South African market. As Geoffrey says, "he is a runner first," so by showing up and connecting with fellow runners on Instagram in an authentic and relatable way, he quickly became a trusted source for all things running-shoe related & now boasts an impressive & diverse collection of his own.

This episode is the kind of story that serves to inspire anyone whose brave enough to take a chance on themselves. Geoffrey's decision to fully commit to running has seen him run a sub-3 marathon, a silver-medal Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and set many other personal best times; it's taken him on great adventures, having even travelled to Kenya for the "real running experience" & has allowed him to establish an incredible community around something he truly loves!

Listen and enjoy this epic conversation!

It takes more than pure talent to make a Comrades Gold Medalist.

Going on almost 30 years now, the Maxed Elite Team (first established as the Mr Price Sport Running Club in 1995) has become synonymous with winning Gold Medals at the Comrades Marathon - a title reserved for the top 10 male & female finishers each year.

But how are these athletes afforded the opportunity to train, race and make a living from their passion?

In this episode we hear from the Maxed Elite Team Manager, Martin Ngwenya, a former athlete of the club himself. He talks us through the fine balance of finding & nurturing the talented individuals that get to wear the Mr Price Sport Red Cap as part of the Maxed Elite family.

We chat:

• the history of the Maxed Elite / Mr Price Sports Running Club.
• training and the adaptations required from the body & mind to tackle the 90km ultra-marathon (this applies to both the elites and every day participants).
• the unique challenges encountered by female elite athletes.
• the value that support, community and family plays in allowing athletes to thrive.
• The new Elite High Racer carbon-plated super shoe that's shaking up the game, exclusively available at Mr Price Sport.
• Some final race day advice from the coach to the stars!

Listen & be inspired.

If you ever imagined a life travelling the world, then running may be the way to make it happen - or at least that's how it happened for retired Chief Running Officer of RunnersWorld Magazine, Mr Bart Yasso.

He is one of few people to have run a marathon on every continent. He has racked up an impressive amount of kilometres, or miles we should say, and played a fundamental role in the running movement that took the world by storm in the 70's, 80's & 90's - the running world that we get to enjoy as a result of today - diverse, inclusive and plenty full of participants.

Mr Yasso has been running since before women we're even allowed to legally participate in marathons and he was around when the first wheelchair race took place at the Boston Marathon. He's not known as the "Mayor of Running" for nothing, Bart Yasso, through his love for running, has inspired 1000's of people to lace up and hit the road.

But out of all the memories that he holds dear, it's those of the people and the global community that he got to share it all with.

In this episode we cover:

• Running as a vehicle to travel and experience the world.
• The Comrades Marathon, the greatest Footrace of all time!
• The memories that we're able to create through running & the impact of running community.
• How running has gown to be more inclusive, "when I started running people went to races to run fast, now, people run to finish and to enjoy the experience".
• The Yasso 800's - Marathon Time Predictor Workout.
• Running longevity and staying in the game, “I told myself I’m going to be a runner for life”.
• Running easy to run faster.
• Burro racing.
• The boy who wanted to be Bart Yasso; a story of how you are inspiring people you don't even know about by being a runner and JUST being YOU.

Listen and experience the world of running.

Sign up to patreon to view exclusive content from this episode including supporting images + the email that the legendary Bobby McGee sent to Bart

https://www.patreon.com/MakingARunner

“How do I train for the Comrades Marathon?”

This must be one of the most commonly Google searched questions about the Ultimate Human Race, second to, “how do I run the Comrades Marathon/Race Day Tips?”. 

All of which will be covered in this episode with the official Comrades Marathon Coach himself, Lindsey Parry. 

From everything you know you need to know to the bits in between that are only gained from the pain of experience; Coach Parry covers it all.

If there’s one thing you do before the Comrades Marathon, listen to this episode.

We talk, common mistakes made by novices and medal-hunters alike, the important role that nutrition and strength training play in race day success and the most insightful and blatantly honest route breakdown you’ve ever heard.

Listen & allow your Comrades game plan to fall into place.

In this episode of Making a Runner, we sit down with the co-founder of BURNT STUDIOS, Andriana Cronje, a passionate runner with a knack for giving South Africans what they want - performance gear that’s Made to Move! 

The beginning of Andy’s running journey is not unlike many other runners, a desire to get fit and healthy saw her taking her first 2km jog along the beachfront but it was the FEELING of running her first race that kept her coming back for more! 

By immersing herself in this new-found love for both running and the running community, Andy quickly identified a shortfall; a problem for which her and co-founder, Pierre Cronje, found a solution that would take on the conglomerate mega giants of the sports apparel industry.

In 2019 BURNT STUDIOS was born out of a desire to find performance gear that is of superior quality, provides support for the activity and cultivates the confidence to keep showing up and smashing your goals. It then comes as no surprise that 4 years later, the #orangetagtribe is synonymous with quality, style and personal bests! 

Listen to learn more about the parallels that run between BURNT and Andy’s running journey and be inspired by the regular runner who is doing EXTRAORDINARY things! 

The legendary Comrades Marathon is back for the 96th edition, yes still in Durbs and yes, still 90km but this time we get to help you prepare for it! 

In this first episode of the Comrades Marathon Limited Series, we speak to the familiar SuperSports commentary voice of the Ultimate Human Race, Cuan Walker, and it would seem that he was born for the job…

Cuan shares stories of how his name became synonymous with South African running and more specifically, the Ultra Marathon that stole his heart and had him bunking school to be a part of the action from age 12 already.

Cuan has been dubbed “a walking encyclopaedia” on all facts running, he has a knack for remembering a set of results and knows the race inside out!

He is the perfect person to get you hyped for what’s to come along the down route from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

The extent of his running expertise doesn’t end there though, Cuan has enjoyed close friendships with many elite athletes, had a hand in bringing up some of South Africa’s most talented runners through with his work with the Mr Price Sport Maxed Elite Athletes and was even part of the team who flew over to China in search of the perfect Carbon Shoe that is both effective and affordable (the Elite High Racer, now available to purchase at Mr Price Sport).

Listen and be amazed by his stories.