I have struggled for quite a while to get my friend, who I am training, to tackle hills with the same effort she does when she runs the downs and flats.
We have had fights and tears, lots of Afrikaans shouting on the run “Hier Loots lanks my” (Here Loots next to me) to no avail. The poor girl is not physically challenged, not at all but she does have a mental block about running a hill.
Typical scenario is we run side by side and as the hill approaches she slows down…why I ask? Anyway by the top of a 200 m hill she is a good minute behind me. At first it was understandable, she was new on the road, hell now she is a year on the road, she has improved in every avenue except the damn hills.
So the other night I am watching TV and they show the Cape Odyssey Race, for those that don’t know this race it starts in Hermanus on South Africa’s Southern Cape Coast and finishes five days later at Lanzerac Manor and Winery in the Cape Winelands, just outside Cape Town.
The Cape Odyssey is a full service trail running race. Race nutrition, water, and isotonic carbohydrate drinks are available at the water points to revive tired runners during the race. At night, all runners and race crew sleep in the tented race villages that are set up prior to arrival and taken down immediately after the start each morning by the race crew.
All runners must enter as a two-runner team. Teams register in one of four different categories that include Men, Ladies, Mixed and Masters (both runners must be 40 years or older). The minimum age of participation is 18. The runners in a team must remain together at all times during the race. After each stage, the winners of the day receive prizes and the leaders in the overall classification their leader vests.
The Cape Odyssey is organised and presented with the participating athletes at the focal point. Their satisfaction, well-being and enjoyment of the race are the organisers' primary goals. We aim to deliver an unsurpassed and unforgettable trail running and African travel-experience. Therefore, we offer a 24-hour full service around the race, including tented accommodation in race villages, carbo-loaded breakfasts and dinners as well as masseurs.
So what has this to do with Anna ? Plenty while watching I saw a couple, Gary Perkin and Karin Schermbrucker, running with something I had not seen before but it was the answer I was looking for.
Stretched between Gary and Karin was a line, I found out later this is called “towing” and it is used mainly in adventure sports.
Towing, or running with a horizontal pulling force, is a common technique used by adventure racing teams. During an adventure race, the slowest person on a team determines the team’s overall performance. To improve overall performance, a faster runner tows a slower runner with an elastic cord attached to their waists.
Well I made one up from nylon strapping that you would use on kit bags, the stuff is strong, on this I attached to plastic clips, on my running belt I attached the other side of the clip and on Anna’s belt another clip.
The following morning, much to her surprise, I connected with her and we became one running unit. She at first thought this was a great idea thinking that I would do all the work while she just hung back. Well she soon changed her mind on that.
Basically the thought behind this is for her to prevent that line, which is 2 meters long, from becoming taught, she needs to run at a constant pace in order to achieve this. The first time out with this “towing strap” did not go very well and on two hills I did end up towing her.
However the very next day it was all systems go and she managed to do exactly what I intended, that strap never got taught for the whole four kays up and down hills. I am very proud of her.
Thanks Gary Perkin and Karin Schermbrucker for the help.
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