Wednesday, 23 September 2015

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon: Elites Perspective

Excellence out of Simplicity
 
"The better their shape and fitness, the less healthy they look." Davor Savija. Elite athlete agent.

Elite athletes are different.

That is a notion that I've come to understand more and more over the years, particular of times recent. Having the opportunity to work with some of the best over a range of sports is a rare privilege and something that satiates my inquisitive and observant nature. Being a fan is one thing; observing and gaining insight into the realities of life as a pro something completely different, often at odds with the seeming glamour and flash of our own assumptions and premonitions.

This past weekend afforded me the opportunity to work with some visiting marathoners. Predominately East Africans (with a sprinkling of Japanese and Americans), these guys and girls travel far and wide to race their guts out for a living. When not abroad racing, they are at home training, leading a simple and monastic existence in pursuit of the perfect day.
 
"They can run under an hour for a half marathon but can't do ten push ups," muses Davor Savija as the invitational athletes mull around the dining area the afternoon before the 2015 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. As an agent to several international marathons, Savija is more than qualified to comment. Like any sport, long distance running is wholly specific, requiring a narrow focus in order to succeed.
 
"Running a fast marathon is all about forward momentum; any sideways movement is unthinkable. When an athlete is in great shape, they often look terrible. I once saw Chris Froome before just before Le Tour and he looked like an old man."
 
While the athletes in question are indeed gaunt, there is no lack of rhythm. Sure, they walk slowly for a reason, but it is with a distinct ease and grace that is only surpassed when they are actually running.
 
Many of them are tight as hell, particularly with regards to hip flexion. The stretching and flexibility evangelists might disagree, but a middle or long distance runner almost needs to be "tight-hipped" for self-protection. There are exceptions of course, with one athlete I treated having a range of motion of a ballet dancer. When I inquired whether she was a yogi, she confirmed this going on to add that she actually battled with hyper-flexion and tended to keep her posing practice on the quiet to her coaches.
 
The African athletes tend to walk around and socialize in groups, something which extends to their training when at home. The Kenyan towns of Iten and Eldoret are well known for the ubiquitous sight of large training groups in and around the local rolling hills.
 
"The training groups are big, sometimes too big," explains Gladwin Mzazi, a South African hopeful for the marathon in Rio 2016. Having spent an extended period living solo in Eldoret, Mzazi recounts his time in the Rift Valley with glee.
 
"Sometimes there is not enough room on the local track. But it is a good thing, training in groups. We need more of that in South Africa if we are to improve."
 
Take note of the East African athletes in the warm up area the next time an IAAF Diamond League is on television; you most likely will see slow jogging en masse. That's right; the faster the athlete, the slower they warm up.
 
Seeing Abraham Bekele leading his Ethiopian pals in warm up early Sunday morning was a sight to behold. Jogging in a group of around half-a-dozen, the steps were small and the strides totally rhythmic. Circling a small car park in Green Point, Cape Town, there was no aggressive arm swing, contortionist moves or box jumping - just slow jogging in full tracksuits while the masses fumbled with their Ipods and GPS' strapped to their arms.
 
So what can we all learn from elite runners and athletes in general?
 
Possibly that we as amateurs participate in sport for different reasons (read: leisure). It is easy to compare oneself to the pro's but at the end of the day, their motivations and subsequent sacrifices are a career pursuit.
 
That said, if one takes elite marathoners as an example, there is a marked simplicity and specificity to their approach. They want (read: need) to run fast, so they run (and eat and sleep) a lot. Very little else in there and lower tech than most weekend warriors. I suspect that many wouldn't know what a mobility or Pilates practice would be but then again, sideways movement detracts from forward velocity.
 
If I think back to my best marathon results, they were always off a simple rhythm and routine of daily running, with almost zero fluff (mobility, gym, yoga, Pilates) in the days leading up to the event itself. Sure, these modalities are beneficial and I are something that I do practice, but as soon as I started incessant single leg squats and side planks in race week, my results suffered. Why? Because over-emphasis on the fluff indicates lack of confidence of the greater goal, in this case running fast.
 
Deep breathing poses on race morning or read a book?
 
Take the book option I say, if there is sufficient lighting of course.Keep it simple.