My 2017 Berlin Marathon experience

It’s been 2 weeks since I ran the Berlin Marathon,  which was followed by me being a tourist in Europe that led to this review taking a back seat.

On the 20th of September, I boarded the Emirates flight to Munich with a 3-hour layover in Dubai. I think that the running Gods were on my side as I had all the 3 seats to myself so I could actually sleep (yay) on the flight. I arrived in Munich at 08:30 and had to chill at the airport for 6-hours before boarding Air Berlin to Berlin Airport. I safely arrived at my Berlin Hotel around 5pm. I checked in, messaged my family and friends that I was safe, showered and passed out.

The morning of 21st, I toured the city of Berlin and taking in beautiful architecture and feeling of the mixed cultures that now make the beautiful city what it is. In the afternoon, I went to the Berlin Vital Expo to collect my race number, tracker and wristband for access on race day.  The Expo was filled with different brands showcasing their products from running accessories to running fuel. Races from other countries were also there to convince runners to travel to their races, there was an opportunity to purchase Berlin Marathon memorabilia because that is important. I spent Saturday in bed and off my feet, the breakfast run took place but I was too tired and decided to listen to my body and rest.

I was filled with excitement and nervous on race day. The day I have been training for months was suddenly here. It was raining which meant it was the nice and cool weather but I chafe easily when wet so I was not happy. Hopped on a train to the start area, arrived 3 hours early, I walked around and started to warm up. Met and had a chat with some of the wonderful international runners and took some pictures. When the gun went off, singling the start of my block, I started off slowly, the first 10km was relaxed and slow. I picked up my pace slightly for the next 11km but still within race pace. Reached the halfway mark at 2h44, kept the same pace till the 30th km. I felt the wall and just focused on every 2km, fuelling with half a banana and energy drink every 5km, at 34km, I could feel my quads getting tight and sore, the hard thing about a flat course is that you use the same muscles throughout the 42km. The last 8km is where I lost most of my time, I had changed muscles by walking it out. The last 2 km was the hardest as per every marathon or race, I just left everything on the floor.

Finished the race 05h48, the overwhelming feeling of crossing the finish line while flying my country’s flag brought me to tears. Even more special was that the Berlin Marathon chose to honour marathoner Josia Thongwane by placing him on the medal, he won Gold at the 1996 Olympics.

One of the most important things after running a marathon is to reflect on how you performed and see where you need to improve for the next marathon. After this race, I need to work on:

• Speed when on tired legs to assist with pushing in the last 6 – 8 km
• Continue with strength training, focus slightly more on the core

The Berlin Marathon experience is everything and more, amazing athletes, great organisation and great supporters on race day. Thank you to everyone that supported me through the months of training and on the day via technology.

The next step is to get into another Abbotts World Marathon Major. Will keep you posted.

Time to slowly get back into running and go to the gym, it’s been a nice chilled 3 weeks.

See you on the road!!!!!

adidas Unveils Futurecraft Biofabric – World’s First Performance Shoe Made from Biosteel Fiber

adidas unveiled the world’s first performance shoe made using Biosteel® fiber – a replication of natural silk – at the Biofabricate Conference in New York.

The release of the adidas Futurecraft Biofabric shoe comes in a year where adidas has released a series of products that have pushed the boundaries of sneaker innovation. These include the Futurecraft Tailored Fibre, which utilised revolutionary manufacturing techniques to enable unique footwear designs and the Futurecraft M.F.G., the first product to be created at adidas’ industry-changing SPEEDFACTORY facility.

These cutting edge product developments have been complimented by adidas’ commitment to sustainability, with its relationship with Parley for the Oceans having led to the release of the first mass produced footwear created using Parley Ocean Plastic, the UltraBOOST Uncaged Parley.

Sneakers on my mind

Okay, just to let you know, I am a sneaker addict/sneakerhead. I will occasionally post about the sneakers that I own, would love to own, and the ones I admire from afar.

The basketball season has come to an end in South Africa but that doesn’t stop me from checking out what is coming out and I would like to own.

The following are the Basketball sneakers that  I am admiring and working on owning:

adidas Crazy Explosives 

 adidas South Africa launched the Crazy Explosive, a new franchise built for players with explosive moves that play above the rim. The introduction of Crazy Explosive is part of the brand’s new design and collaboration strategy that combines unique design and style elements that stand out from the crowd.

Crazy Explosive was designed to challenge the look of the conventional basketball shoe and make a style statement on and off the court.  The silhouette features a Primeknit upper that enhances comfort, fit and durability.

JORDAN CP3 LINE

Chris Paul’s Jordan Brand signature line has always incorporated two consistent inspiration points: premium performance innovation and ties to Paul’s family.

The Jordan CP3.X’s performance is rooted in lock down and directional support — keys to CP’s signature playing style. The shoe’s new dual pulley system, which integrates Dynamic Flywire technology, locks down the top of the foot and engages the Flywire to secure both sides at the same time. A signature support wing provides support on the outside of the foot and in the heel for quick response.

Leo, Gemini, Taurus and Aquarius zodiac signs are etched into the shoe’s archway to represent all members of the Paul family – his daughter, son, wife and CP, respectively. Additionally, seven different symbols representing CP’s accomplishments during his tenure as a Jordan Brand athlete are etched into the opposite archway. Together, these icons serve as a reminder of family and performance on the court.

adidas harden Vol1 Pioneer

adidas and James Harden reimagine the signature shoe game with the debut of Harden Vol. 1. The collection represents the first chapter of the collaborative partnership that began October 1, 2015 with the goal of co-creating footwear and apparel unlike any signature line in sport.

Driven by Harden’s performance needs and embracing his distinctive design insights, Harden Vol. 1 embodies James’ creativity and expressive style on and off the court. adidas continues to reinvent collaboration and Harden Vol. 1 is a bold challenge to the traditional creative process.

 

Under Armour Curry 3 

Constructed with proprietary technologies and designed to drive the league’s back-to-back MVP to new heights, the Curry 3 is the optimal combination of lightweight support, balance, speed and durability. Powered by Under Armour’s newest breakthrough in fabric technology, Threadborne™, Under Armour and Stephen have created a new shoe that breaks the mold of what to expect from basketball footwear, with innovative technology and design.

Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 10 ID

The Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 10 iD, which celebrates today’s title, has a flexible, stretch-lined upper, responsive Zoom Air cushioning and increased lockdown through straps in the forefoot, midfoot and ankle.

The White Camo colourway of the Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 10 iD honors veterans for Veteran’s Day

Let me know what sneaker you are copping or dropping this holiday season.

Will you be joining the RYC Celebrity Crews

adidas South Africa revealed four South African celebrity crews participating in the highly anticipated Run Your Crew, the unique, inner city crew run, redefining the way of running.

The four celebrity crews consist of some of the country’s most beloved TV, radio and online personalities:

The City Sixers

The City Sixers are captained by two of SA’s favourite sons, Maps Maponyane and Lunga Shabalala. Both TV presenters and models, Maps also finds time to fill his days as an actor, designer, businessman and philanthropist. Joburg born and raised, these stylish gents have built their profile by staying busy and knowing where the best parties are at.

So if you miss the guys on the route – you’ll know to find them at the Block Party because The City Sixers run together and The City Sixers party together.

IOL (In Our Lane)

Amanda du Pont, a well-known actor, television host, voice over artist, model, MC, businesswoman and long-time friend of adidas has taken up position as head honcho of IOL. Right beside her is Mapule Ndhlovu, Woman’s Health Next Fitness Star Winner 2016.

This crew of health-conscious fitness enthusiasts are ready to push their energy limits at RYC. They train together daily, to ensure RYC is more of walk in the park than a run in the city.

The Stripes

This power crew is made up of 5fm DJ, Tumi Voster; fashion and lifestyle bloggers, Twiggy and Lulama; Instagrammer Lindiwe; NYC based fashion writer, Kenny and fashion blogger and vlogger, Keagan Carlin.

A team of very well-connected, like-minded women you’ll no doubt be seeing and hearing a lot of social noise from on the night of RYC.

#LetUsRun

SA biokineticist, Survivor SA Maldives runner-up and adventure enthusiast from Joburg, Letshego Zulu, captains #LetUsRun, a crew in peak physical condition for RYC with 2 extreme trail runners, 4 Comrades runners and 5 Two Oceans Ultra Marathon runners, RUN is exactly what they do. This crew is all about adventure and the idea of not knowing the route before the night of RYC is exactly that.

RYC Block Party

Run Your Crew has a unique format which requires you to choose your running crew, and on the night, choose your distance of either 4km, 8km and 12km as well as your route. As long as you start together and finish together. Participants can look forward to running alongside the above mentioned as well as global crews.

With all crews finishing together at a block party hosted directly at the finish line, runners will be welcomed by a festive and engaging experience which takes them from the run to the party. The impressive live acts and DJ line-up includes: DJ Zinhle, Desmond & the Tutus; Plaat Japie, Khuli Chana, Petite Noir, Kid Fonque, DJ Kent, Da Capo and DJ Lag.

Join the adidas Runners community and the RYC celebrity crews at Runbase, Braamfontein, during the month of November for weekly night runs followed by social crew evenings on the Runbase deck. Follow the schedule on Facebook.

To register visit runyourcrew.com, or follow @adidasZA on Twitter / Instagram and use the hashtag #WHYIRUNJOBURG to join the conversation.

Runner’s World announces the “Best Running Shoes in the World”

I am currently looking for a new pair of running shoes as it has come to my attention that all my running shoes have paid their dues and need to be retired. I always hate shopping for new shoes, there is so much to keep in mind, for example, what time of the day is best for shoe shopping (afternoon), low mileage shoe vs high mileage shoe, size of the shoe as different brands fit differently, also because your feet swell the longer you run, you must get a size bigger.

If you are in the same boat as me, recently Runner’s World named the best shoes that stood out from the rest, so maybe this can assist you in your “find the right shoe” quest. The editors from all 20 editions of Runner’s World around the globe meet every year to review the latest offerings in running shoes. These five shoes stood out:

Editors Choice awarded to Saucony Triumph ISO

Best Debut awarded to New Balance Fresh Foam Vongo

Best Update awarded to Adidas Adizero Adios 3

Best Buy awarded to Brooks Ghost 9

Best Trail Shoe awarded to Brooks Cascadia 11

For more information on the features that made the above shoes stand out, head to runners world 

Happy Shopping!!

adidas Run Your Crew – Entries are open

Is your crew ready? Hurry!!

Runners must now register to secure one of the limited spaces available by signing up their six crew members at runyourcrew.com. Entries cost R1200 per crew (R200 per person). All registered crews will receive an entry to the race, an adidas race pack and access to the block party. The race pack contains six adidas RYC race tees, phone pouches, R75 Uber vouchers, timing chips and RYC stickers. After finishing the race together each crew member will also receive their access band to the block party.

Join the adidas Runners community at Runbase, Braamfontein, during the month of November for weekly night runs followed by social crew evenings on the Runbase dec

Register for adidas Run You Crew runyourcrew.com #WHYIRUNJOBURG #RYC

Sneaker Tuesday

When football meets running. adidas Football’s ACE 16+ PURE CONTROL UltraBOOST

The Primeknit upper from adidas Football’s ACE 16+ PURECONTROL – The world’s first high- performance laceless football boot – is merged with the industry leading BOOST technology used in adidas Running products, ensuring players’ off-pitch needs are met.

For further information please visit adidas.com/football or go to facebook.com/adidasfootball or follow @adidasfootball on twitter to join the conversation.

Run Your Crew – RYC

adidas, the world’s leading sportswear innovator,  revealed RYC, a unique running event aimed at bringing running crews and adidas Runners communities together from around the globe, to run, connect and celebrate the spirit of urban running.

This inner-city crew night run will take place in Johannesburg on Dec. 3, 2016 at 7 p.m. and offers a unique format: Runners must enter a six-person crew to compete, with all crews able to choose the route or distance they’d like to run on the night of the race. The only rule is that all members of a crew must stay within 50 m of each other for the entire run.

The run starts for all crews at the Sci Bono Centre in Newtown. Each crew has the option to run 4, 8 or 12 km, with the routes diverging at multiple points along the course. All routes converge again for the last kilometer, having all crews finish together at a multi-stage block party hosted directly at the finish line.

“What better way to celebrate the year end in Johannesburg? Created around existing urban running behaviours, we’re aiming to bring together young, urban runners and welcome everyone to the adidas Runners community. Runners will be able to train for RYC with their crews at our weekly runs hosted at Runbase, the home of adidas Runners,” said Pieter Warnich, senior manager Running at adidas South Africa.

adidas Runners is a global group of runners who meet and run from Runbase, an exciting community hub. This is where runners meet to share experience, get tested and even purchase their favourite adidas running shoes. The first South African Runbase opened in Braamfontein in 2015, with the second planned for Cape Town.

“Running provides energy for people to do amazing things with their lives, and through this run that brings international and local running crews and adidas Runners communities together, everyone will tap into this collective potential. There will be a phenomenal prize for the winning crew that runs the 12 km race, so select your members carefully,” Warnich concluded.

To participate, simply sign up your crew of six members at runyourcrew.com. Registration is now open.

To learn more, visit runyourcrew.com, watch the reveal video https://youtu.be/tXkSRsdwC-oor follow @adidasZA on Twitter / Instagram and use the hashtag #WHYIRUNJOBURG to join the conversation