Making A Runner

Often when speaking to elite athletes, it's hard for us average Joe's to relate, but here's someone who not only gets it but is leading the race in both her running and professional career too.

In this episode of MAR we chat to Kyla Jacobs, an elite athlete specialising in the middle distances (5000m, 10km), who is set to represent SA in the World 5km Road Championships later this year.

You'd think that by representing her country she'd be a full-time athlete whose schedule looks like: train, eat, rest & repeat right? Think again, Kyla's winning formula for work-life balance looks a bit more like this: train, work an 8-4 corporate job, train, rest & repeat!

She say's it herself, "I didn't think I'd be competing at this level at this age". It really is a wonder how, 28 year old, Kyla does it all and thats exactly what we dive into in our conversation, we cover:

• Chasing career and running goals simultaneously - it's possible to do both! (with the right support structures).
• Moulding YOUR training template and finding what works for you - we all have different considerations to factor in.
• The JOY of running - finding support within community.
• Mileage, more is not more.
• The dangers of comparison and allowing our happiness to be dependant on the outcome of our goals.

This was a truly insightful and inspiring conversation. For such a young woman, Kyla has an incredible head on her shoulders and an even bigger heart that shines through with boundless passion for sport, her sister (her fiercest rival and best companion), her coaches, colleagues and running community!

We hope you are able to draw on Kyla's strength and get audacious about your goals - enjoy!

This weeks episode of Making HER Runner is a follow up on last weeks conversation with Julie, where we take a deep dive into training, hormones. and stress for the female runner.

In our conversation we cover:

• major lifetime hormonal changes including: menopause, our perimenopausal years and an overview of running and pregnancy.
• "Oestrogen is where it's at!" says Julie." A look into oestrogen and the vital role it plays in our body composition, quality of life, and ability to train and perform.
• How to adjust your training (and mind!) around an irregular menstrual cycle.
• "Female runners are statistically more prone to injuries", a deep dive into female physiology: hip structure, pelvic floor, incontinence and breathing.

This is an episode is a great place to start understanding your body and an episode that every woman should listen to.

Enjoy!

Pledge a menstrual cup to The Red Movement: https://www.zapper.com/payWithZapper/?qr=http%3A%2F%2F2.zap.pe%3Ft%3D6%26i%3D54377%3A81857%3A7%5B34%7C0%3A10%5B39%7CZAR%2C38%7CMaking%20Her%20Runner%20x%20The%20Red%20Movement

Running injuries are inevitable, that's the unfortunate reality of taking running seriously, setting and working towards goals. There are going to be set-backs and there are going to be periods of dis-ease but they don't have to knock you back to square one.

In this conversation with physiotherapist, Julie Rawdon, who has a special interest in biomechanics, we take a look at running injuries from a holistic perspective. We discuss:

• understanding why injuries happen.
• how to anticipate and be proactive about keeping injuries at bay.
• the three-prong approach to treating injuries: the mind, the role of the therapist and the role of the runner.
• the value of pain and what it's trying to teach us.
• strategies for coping with running injuries: rest and increasing capacity for training load.
• common running injuries and how we should approach them including: ITB Syndrome, Shin Splints, and Tendinopathies.

*As Julie stresses, there is no one size-fits all or blanket approach to injuries. Runners will develop injuries for different reasons and experience their symptoms differently too. The strategies discussed within the context of this conversation are there to serve as guidelines, if you are battling with recurring injuries and abnormal (by your own standards) amounts of pain, please reach out to a professional for help!

If you have ever struggled to stick to a training plan because of your period, this episode is for you!

It's true what they say "women can do anything that men can do; while bleeding too", nothing epitomises that statement more than the viral photograph of Emma Pallant-Browne, captured during the run leg of a Triathlon with period blood visible on her Trisuit.

Of course she could've selected another photograph to share or even cropped out the "incriminating" area, but why would she when "its a natural and beautiful thing?".

In this episode of Making HER Runner, we take a deep dive into the good, the bad and the beautiful world of training as a female athlete. The topics we cover include:

• The complex relationship between fuelling, training and the menstrual cycle.
• Eating issues, body weight and the affects on performance.
• Injuries, over-training and cross-training.
• How to train and race on your period.
• Practical tips for managing menstrual symptoms.
• Menstrual cups vs tampons.
• The world of racing Triathlons and how to get into Tri as a beginner.

These kind of conversations are flipping the narrative and challenging stigmas around female health. Thank you Emma, for your bravery and your honesty!

If you would like to make a donation to The Red Movement and pledge a menstrual cup to a girl in need you can make a donation of R100 via Zapper by following the link:

https://www.zapper.com/payWithZapper/?qr=http%3A%2F%2F2.zap.pe%3Ft%3D6%26i%3D54377%3A81857%3A7%5B34%7C0%3A10%5B39%7CZAR%2C38%7CMaking%20Her%20Runner%20x%20The%20Red%20Movement

Enjoy the show!

Meet Adrian Wildschutt, the name that's redefining the landscape of South African running! At just 25, he's not just the future; he's making his mark RIGHT NOW. 🥇🔥

Adrian grew up in Ceres, Western Cape, SA and set sails for the US soon after completing his schooling. The hard-working, academically focused talent, received a bursary to Coastal Carolina University to train under Zola Budd while pursuing his MBA degree. Since then he has been working his way up the rankings of the competitive NCAA college athletics system. Earlier this year, Adrian signed his first Pro deal and joined the HOKA NAZ Elite Team at Flagstaff, Arizona. The mega talented 25-year-old recently broke the South African 3000m, 5000m and 10 000m National Records qualifying for both the 2023 World Champs and 2024 Olympic Games.

In this episode we follow Adrian's path and take a deeper look into:

• What is takes to make it professionally.
• Setting National Records across multiple distances.
• The intricacies of the NCAA system (vs ASA).
• How to improve your running and become a better, faster athlete.
• The important role that academics has played in his success.
• The Common Wealth experience and the Olympic dream.
• How to train for longevity; track vs. road, personal best times and his marathon aspirations.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to leave a review, give us a follow and share with a running buddy. You can find us on on instagram @makingarunner and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest on the Podcast.

Happy running!

Entry into Hollywood Bets Durban 10km https://racepass.com/za/races/durban-10km?gclid=CjwKCAjw8symBhAqEiwAaTA__AkTR7pEpS1UwGpuyph3x-N15oDjeWcieaX6uatw0iESEnS5wjGFSBoC2poQAvD_BwE

On this episode of Making HER Runner we chat to Dietician and competitive Triathlete, Mariella Sawyer and explore the basics of fuelling the female runner.

It's not atypical for women to have complex relationships with food and when many women's first experience with running is for weight-loss, it can seem impossible to fuel and achieve your goals simultaneously.

In this "real-talk" style conversation, we touch on the most common struggles that women encounter.

We discuss:

• female physiology and hormones
• stigmas, the danger of training for aesthetics only and the female athlete triad
• food groups: macro and micro-nutrients
• nutrient timing
• "fuelling for the work required"
• and a brief overview of how major life changes like puberty and pregnancy effect the female athlete.

We would love to take a deeper dive into these topic and encourage you to reach out with your questions, email us [email protected]

For more information on our partnership with The Red Movement visit:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CvZa2RuKyLU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

and https://www.instagram.com/the_red_movement_/

To pledge a cup for R100 - https://www.zapper.com/payWithZapper/?qr=http%3A%2F%2F2.zap.pe%3Ft%3D6%26i%3D54377%3A81857%3A7%5B34%7C0%3A10%5B39%7CZAR%2C38%7CMaking%20Her%20Runner%20x%20The%20Red%20Movement

On the 11th of June 2023 the annual Comrades Marathon, South Africa's oldest ultra-endurance event, was stunned by a performance for the ages by an unknown Dutch runner - Piet Wiersma.

The 25-year-old racing his Novice Comrades, as an unsponsored athlete, completed the 88km race in a staggering time of 5 hours and 14 minutes (over 4 minutes faster than the previous record) in what was an iconic battle for the win between himself, raining 'down-run' champion and race day favourite, Tete Dijana, and previous winner Edward Mothibi.

The Unknown Dutchman finished in an agonising second place as he watched winner, Tete, cross the finish line a mere 3 seconds ahead. One of the closest finishes ever recorded at the Comrades Marathon.

How did he do this? Where did he come from? Was this a flash in the pan or are we looking at a future winner in the making? These were all questions that made their rounds in South African running circles. In this episode we had the pleasure of gaining insights from "the Unknown Dutchman" himself which left us feeling equally astonished and excited for what's to come from this young athlete.

Piet's journey is filled with remarkable twists and turns. Discover how he transitioned from track and field athletics to long-distance running, finding success in ultra-distance trail running before redirecting his focus to road races amid the pandemic.

Uncover the powerful mindset that guided him through the gruelling 100k World Championships in 2022 (finishing 3rd), where psychological tactics, limited support, and strategic discussions played crucial roles.

We chat deeply about his ultra-distance training, his 100km World Record attempt, which he ran just months before Comrades, and how he only started his hill training a month out of the race - crazy right?

Hear about the decisive Comrades Moments, including missed bottles, bold downhill moves, team tactics and the essential adaptations he had to make to his race-day nutrition.

In closing we dive into the pressures of elite racing, the value of teamwork and his dream to come back to win the Comrades Marathon.

As Piet's remarkable journey continues to inspire and captivate both runners and enthusiasts alike, you don't want to miss this incredible conversation with a true running trailblazer!"

Welcome to a brand new segment of Making a Runner where we shine the light on the female running experience.

For these episodes of Making HER Runner (MHR) we call our producer, Leah Acampora (@hello_leahg), into studio for a Woman’s perspective and together with coaches, athletes, health professionals and subject matter experts, we tackle the unique challenges that women face along their running journeys.

From navigating running during pregnancy and postpartum to learning how to train in harmony with the menstrual cycle, the subjects of these discussions aim to help women connect with their inner athletes and discover ways to support their bodies and maintain balance in all other aspects of life - while pursuing their goals.

In this intro episode, we get to know Leah and learn about her running journey, we chat:

• What happens when running becomes toxic.
• The relationship between training load, hormones, energy levels, and irregular and/or abnormal menstrual symptoms.
• Nutrition, recovery, strength training and finding balance.
• Rediscovering the love for running and running for a cause: The Red Movement: https://www.moveafricaco.com/the-red-movement-sa

Connect with us [email protected] and tell us what you'd like us to cover in these episodes.

On this episode of Making A Runner, we take a look into the experience of a person LIVING with Diabetes & choosing to run!

When Jono Le Roux was (surprisingly) diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 27, it prompted him to challenge the stigmas generally associated with this community. Whereas most people may be stricken with fear and choose to go about life more conservatively, Jono was determined that he would not allow Diabetes to dictate his life's decisions.

At the time Jono was already a committed runner but now facing a host of new challenges including, most importantly but not limited to, fuelling (as we know runners rely heavily on carbohydrates and this is the metabolic system which is impacted by Diabetes) Jono accepted the challenge and conquered it when he successfully completed the UTD 100 mile event!

As Jono has become involved with the advocacy for people living with Diabetes he has developed a deep understanding of the struggles faced by his community in managing this lifestyle disease - most prominently, the cost of medication/medical devices and the shortfalls associated with South African Medical Aid Providers.

He speaks about how having access to the use of continuous glucose monitors, such as the Super Sapiens 1 and the Freestyle Libre devices, has impacted his confidence in participating in events like the UTD and how in other countries, it is viewed as a basic human right to have access to this kind of information - we must agree!

Furthermore this episode serves to inspire & educate ALL as Diabetes is no longer a death sentence. With modernisations to medical technology & access to information about lifestyle management through diet and exercise, running has the power to transform the way we view Diabetes.

Listen & be inspired!

On this episode of MAR we chat to Mike Wardian and take a brief look into his adventure-filled running journey (thus far).

As for running, the man is a "Jack-of-all-trades" and even a master of some, holding numerous former records including: US championship titles in the 50km and 100km distance, fastest marathon run on a treadmill, and fastest marathon completed in an Elvis Presley costume. He is also well-known for participating in a vast number of events that may be deemed "crazy" or even "impossible" such as the time in 2017 where he completed 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 different continents, averaging a record time of 2:45 and if that doesn't raise a brow, the day after he completed the 5200km crossing of the USA he ran a 5km in a time of 18:42 to celebrate!

Comrades Marathon brought Mike to local shores where we got to chat to him at the Expo - but this was not Mike's first rodeo with the Ultimate Human Race - in 2011 he finished in 11th place! Naturally our question to Mike was: "what keeps you running (and so well) after all these years?".

Listen to find out more about his motivations, the philanthropic work he does with World Vision and the key to his running success.

This is the kind of conversation that will have you eager to lace up and hit the road in pursuit of a new running adventure!