Making A Runner

Runners are notoriously poor when it comes to adopting nutrition strategies during training and races with most of us

leaving these decisions to last minute chance.

As we move into a space where professional advice is no longer reserved for elite athletes, every day runners are benefiting from adopting nutrition strategies for their running goals - this is no easy task though.

That’s why we sat down with dietician and pro triathlete Mariella Sawyer to give you a 101 crash course on running nutrition.

In this episode we cover:

• eating vs. fuelling.
•  nutrition for female runners.
•  nutrition & hydration pre, during & post run.
• fuelling your body even when you are running to lose weight.
• the value of refined carbohydrates in a holistic nutrition approach.

As you’ll hear there is no one size fits all approach but we hope that by listening to this episode you’ll be spared some horror stories, although we all have to learn from trial and error.

Go and give Mariella a follow on her socials @mariella_sawyer or check out her website www.mariellasawyer.com for more information.

What started as a training run for the mighty Comrades Marathon in 1970 with a mere 26 participants now holds the title of an IAU Gold Label Status Race, also known as Africa’s largest race and the world’s most beautiful race - The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon.

In this first episode of the limited series we speak to TTOM Race Manager, Hilton Kearns, who expects 29 000 participants (cumulatively) to line up at the start of the 56km and 21km races in April.

What goes into organising an event of this magnitude? And what does the Gold Label status mean for South African road running? How can you get the most out of the TTOM experience? Well there’s no one better qualified to answer these questions than Hilton himself.

Enjoy!

Remember to submit any TTOM questions to [email protected] for the Q&A episode.

Irevette van Zyl makes being a professional athlete look easy, but behind the fierce “race face” is a lifetime of passion and perseverance. 

Of course she has been gifted with the kind of talent that most of can only dream of but the road to success has had a few bumps along the way. 

In this episode we take a glance into the world of a professional athlete, world record holder and Olympian; over and above those title, she also holds those of mother, wife and primary school athletics coach. Staying on top of her game is a juggling act of note but she does it with a smile on her face, spring in her step and blazing fire in her heart.

Key take home points in this episode include:

• Overcoming setbacks.
• Managing mileage after injury and the power of cross-training.
• The confidence that comes from having a strong connection with your body.
• How passion is the secret to success. 

Don’t forget to leave a review if you’ve enjoyed this episode!

If you are running the 2023 Total Sports Two Oceans Marathon, 56km or 21km, this is the series you’ve been looking for.

The 6 episode limited series aims to help you prepare for the start line, covering all you need to know form route breakdown to nutrition strategies. PLUS 1 episode specially dedicated to answering your questions (get in touch [email protected]).

Jam packed with the usual Nic and Davey Banter that you’ve come to know and love, featuring some exciting guests to weigh in and give you the confidence you need to smash race day!

After a break, it can be daunting to lace up and hit the road again.

In this episode, Julie Rawdon, a physiotherapist and speedy marathon runner, helps us take it back to basics.

Through her experience and expertise she helps remove the fear of making common mistakes and reassures us that human nature will get the better of us all, at some point in time, but we can allow our running to ebb and flow through the season of our lives.

We talk about resistance to change, the importance of collaborating with your health care professional and how the pressure of technology and information overload often trips us up.

This is the perfect place to start, or start again.

In 2022 Brad McNeil realised a life long dream, he ran the Comrades Marathon (the ultimate human race) in the same year he was meant to die.

He's been living with autoimmune disease since the second grade, battling years worth of pain, uncertainty and embarrassment in trying to lead a normal life.

In 2018 he received a terminal diagnosis, or as he would see it, a blessing of foresight that allows him to live life to the fullest and act as a force for change through his work with the organ donor foundation.

His story is incredibly inspiring, a true testament of mental strength and the triumph of the human spirit.

Some prefer road running while others head for the trails, and then there’s the runners that seek out the path less travelled; exploring the furthest corners of the globe, covering 100’s of kilometre, on foot, for hours on end.

Salomon athlete, Andrew Erasmus, is a competition trail runner and Jordi, a Sports Doctor with an impressive set of endurance genetics. They share an insatiable love for running and the outdoors.

This episode is a journey through some of Africa’s wildest running - from well known trail races to first of it’s kind adventures.

The Startliners began when Matt, a Biokineticist, and Britt, an everyday girl that loves running, noticed that there was nothing in the market that allowed new runners to learn in a safe and guided environment, alongside other newbies.

Three years later, they have helped 100’s of people take their first steps with their couch to 10km program.

This episode covers the common barriers to entry and continuing, the avoidable mistakes we all make and the advice we all wish we knew starting out.

A great listen for new runners and old dogs that want to revisit the basics.

Linda has been a majorly successful ultra-distance trail runner since before trail running was even a"big thing". She's run (and won) all over the globe and although she’s currently making her way back from injury, she’s nowhere near done.

She has lived her passion for running through her years spent on the trails (and road), her work as a journalist and now, through the athletes she coaches.

This episode is rich in experience, insight and inspiration.

Martin is a chiropractor by profession but a critical thinker by nature, his greatest gift as a practitioner (and human being) is his ability to ask the questions that no one else is asking.

He has a special interest in “pain” and pain management, which he has studied at length. 

This episode provides deep insight into how pain is perceived by the human brain; we discuss chronic pain as a condition, pain specific to running and how Martin finally overcame his own challenges with pain and completed the comrades marathon in 2019.