| | TRAIL Mail #32: Friday 21 August 2020 | Slouching (stop) and squatting (do).
Poll: Race tree or race tee?
New 13 Peaks Challenge records. | | | | In this issue (click the category to save scrolling): - From the Team. Good posture, good running. Relearn to squat.
- Photo of the week. Adrenalin rush at Rosemary Hill.
- News. Year-old 13 Peaks records smashed. Successful Lion King fundraising.
- Funny. The bits of your brain which light up on a long run...
- Trail Poll. Race tee or race tree? (You're loving this topic!).
- Calendar. Level 2 Lockdown makes trail races a possibility.
- Gear. Healthier clothes washing with Triple Orange Bio-Det Laundry Cream.
- Competition. Win Polar Grit X and First Ascent gear worth R15,000. Enter today!
- TRAIL digital. Read issue 36 on multiple devices. Back issues on special.
| | | | | | Are you slouching right now?
You've probably been told to sit up straight and stop slouching many times, never realising the impact of your good or bad posture.
We are (mostly) aware of the importance of good posture when running. We know that correct posture can increase oxygen uptake, improve performance, increase effectiveness and most of all, reduce risk of injury. When we run, we are aware of upright form, stride length, and quick cadence, but for the rest of the day, our focus on posture seems to fade.
Read Pretorian biokineticist Anca Wessels' advice to improve your posture – and your running – on pages 148 to 152 of TRAIL 36. | | Go primal for improved strength on trails and off. Better running starts with the squat. The invention of the chair was the beginning of the end for our natural ability to squat. The invention of the Western toilet nailed the coffin shut. Squatting in Western societies became undesirable, not fit for upstanding citizens of an ever-modernising world, not ladylike, something only still done in the most primitive corners of the world. In our pursuit of modernity, we have lost one of our most important natural human functions. The squat tells you a lot about your body. Someone that can sit in a comfortable squat position will be less prone to injury and be able to get more out of their body than someone that can’t sit in a comfortable squat. Durban strength coach Rhain Hoskins explains why and shows you five squat exercises to do regularly to remain supple and strong on pages 120 to 125 of TRAIL 36. We hope you enjoy good posture, squatting, and this newsletter. Happy trails! Deon Braun, TRAIL publisher
PS - A huge thank you to Michelle and Clive at Brooks Running for sponsoring this edition. Check out their run bra specials until 31 August. | | | | | | | We loved seeing your photos on Monday's Trail Trophy Facebook thread. In our favourite this week, Khuliso Mulaudzi sprints the wooden bridge at Rosemary Hill Trails. “The wooden portion activated my adrenalin a bit! It was a great feeling.” Khuliso wrote a 240-word review of his 33km run, so be sure to check the thread if you're interested in running there. His photo may appear in a future TRAIL issue – and so could yours.Share your lockdown trail running #TrailTrophies on Facebook and Twitter at any time. Use that hashtag and #trailmagpix on Instagram and Twitter when you tag us. Or email us. Be sure to tell us a bit about your run for the caption. (Please note: event photographer images aren't used.) Prefer words? Write a letter instead. Your opinions, life-changing experiences, happy and sad memories, and reflections on our sport are waiting to be shared with the community. If your letter is published, you'll receive a pair of run-specific Feetures socks. | | | | | | Photo of Ryan by Helen Mills
Year-old 13 Peaks records fall
Wednesday was a good day in the Cape Town mountains! Karoline Hanks has become the second woman to complete the single day 13 Peaks Challenge and in a new best time, and challenge founder Ryan Sandes has broken his own record for a phenomenal new men's best time.
Karoline bested Linda Doke's 22h57min record by just over an hour, and is now on top of the women's one day Wall of Honour with 21h55min. Linda was the only woman to have finished the gruelling 100km+ FKT route in under 24 hours for over a year before Karoline took the new top spot.
Karoline and Linda are on great terms, in case you were wondering. Karoline said “My superb coach Linda Doke deserves a huge round of applause for her very well thought-out training programmes. Not only that but she also joined me for a huge section of the overnight route and was out and about the full 24 hours with wild enthusiasm and encouragement! Not many coaches go the extra mile as she does!”
Linda replied: "Karoline, you not only achieved the hard-earned sub-24hr badge, you absolutely smashed the women's record by 62 minutes! That 21:55 has your name all over it, with bells and flashing lights, and you ran it in style - not a single low moment. I'm so proud of you, my friend!"
Ryan Sandes' own record of 15h51min stood for almost as long, while 16 other men managed to hit all 13 peaks in under 24 hours. But on 19 August he did the seemingly impossible and ran 13h41min. That's an hour per peak. Mind-blowing. We'd like to think Ryan needs no introduction, but if you're new to the sport, you can get to know him in this recent Red Bull short film.
Let's hope spring gives even more people the opportunity to complete the homegrown challenge.
Women for Change raise big funds with run
Some great news: The Women for Change Virtual Race on 9 August attracted 3,700 participants and raised R131,103! The money has been donated to Rape Crisis, TEARS Foundation, and The Safe House.
“The Women For Change message was carried beyond South Africa’s borders, and many pledged their alliance worldwide. Runners in Australia, Nigeria, Germany, the UK, USA, Poland, Mexico, and Switzerland joined in solidarity with women and children in South Africa to end the violence they endure.”
The event was organised by Catch Me If You Can, a women's-only social run group. Their next fundraising run will be during the 2020 16 Days of Activism.
The Lion King makes target!
In the last newstetter we appealed for support for Siviwe Nkombi aka The Lion King. You rallied and the fundraiser launched by Rae Trew-Browne on the local Sport4Change platform raised double its target! Thank you! | | | | | | | |
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