The Alexander Technique (AT) has been used for over a century to facilitate kinaesthetic awareness and strip away unnecessary physical tension. With no equipment or a machine, which is unusual in our techno age, AT guides us into identifying where our imbalance lies. Frederick Alexander, the founder of this technique, is famous for coining the term psycho-physical unity and revolutionised the way we view the mind versus body relationship. He was an Australian actor who […]
Archive | Road Run
Four optimal shoe lacing techniques
Improve the fit of a shoe by adjusting the lacing techniques you use. Get started with four simple techniques.
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Periodisation: Best Way To Avoid Burnout
Ever reached that point in training when your legs become heavy and lethargic, you lose the spring in your step, your performances stop improving or even start to deteriorate, injuries start to creep in, and you feel fatigued mentally and physically even on your rest days? A major problem experienced by many runners, elite and amateur alike, is thinking that training and racing as hard as possible all the time will bring about results. […]
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Why It’s OK To Walk
Many runners, from recreational beginners to seasoned regulars at road races, view walking during a race, or even in training, as some sort of indication of weakness or failure. It’s as if you’re not strong enough, physically or mentally, to run the whole way. This became evident to me during a recent marathon. The race combined a 36km and marathon distance, with an extra loop at halfway which allowed the marathoners to re-join the race […]
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Run On Air With Breath-Based Training
When people decide to start running, one of the most common stumbling blocks to enjoying the experience is the inability to breathe while running for any period of time. This generally means you’re running too hard for your ability! For any exercise plan to be followed it has to be sustainable and enjoyable. In order to enjoy running, you have to get past the feeling that your muscles may spontaneously combust at any moment and […]
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When To Go From Half To Full Marathon Distance
By Candyce Hall. Completed a half marathon or a few, achieved your personal best in a 10km, or looking for something new to brag about to the folk at the office? Whatever your reasons for considering tackling 42.2km, here are some things to think about before you enter. You must enjoy running (far) Don’t run a marathon because of pressure from family, friends or fellow runners. In South Africa, our culture of ultra-distance running sees […]
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9 Tips For Knysna’s Big 5 Challenge
Do you believe that “Life’s too short for one sport“? If you do, you’ve probably done a whole stack of different activities in your life already. Slowing down, getting old, playing it safe – these are not options for you and you find even thinking about them repulsive! We’re betting that you are very similar to the vast majority of visitors to this site. You’re one of those sorted people that likes to take active […]
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The Fear And Joy of Comrades: The Up Run
Triathlon season is over, so, with nothing else to do, let’s go wandering in the hills of KwaZulu-Natal. If you’ve entered the famous Comrades Marathon, by early May you should be vastly reducing volume and increasing intensity and letting your body heal from the pounding it has taken over the last few months. Just do not be silly and take up some other sport to rid yourself of the edginess you feel by the reduced […]
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10 Ways to Ace 10km
Sometimes those of us who’ve been running races for decades take for granted things that would never occur to a novice runner. If you’re a novice and looking to do your first 10km race, follow these simple but vital tips and you won’t look back. They may seem like common sense, but everyone’s learned at least one of these lessons from personal experience 1 Train right Just like writing an exam without studying, running a […]
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Cancer sufferer Fran Venter’s road to London part 4
Fran’s Road to London Virgin Active employee Fran Venter (product and training manager) will be running the London Marathon for Charity (Ma’Afika Tikkun) on 17 April. What makes Fran’s story different is she has been diagnosed with lung, liver and brain cancer and will be running the race despite the illness. She has just completed her chemo treatment and has been training really hard to achieve her fitness goals. In a series of blog posts, […]
