It takes all of you!

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It inspired me, it overwhelmed me, it humbled me, it took all of me! The spirit of the Comrades Marathon.

On Sunday 4th June 2017, I had the enormous privilege of standing on the start line of the Comrades Marathon 2017.  It was an absolute dream-come-true. As a kid growing up in South Africa, I was brought up having a huge appreciation for this race. Every year the race was televised from the start to the finish – 12hrs+ of viewing – the South African nation was caught up in the grips of the Comrades fever. I was in awe of the runners who took part and had a huge respect for each and every one of them.

At 5am on the 4th June 2017, I was huddled in my starting chute with my gorgeous hubby, Martin, and good friends Sue & Richard Ollerhead. It was dark, the atmosphere was electric – combination of nerves and excitement – lots of people rushing to get into their starting chutes… and then the singing started. The entire field of 20k runners were singing Shosholoza and the South African national anthem – it truly brought a lump to my throat. This was followed by the music of Chariots of Fires (again, very emotional), then the iconic Max Tribold’s Cock Crow…. and bang, the start gun at 5.30am. And we were off!

I can recall the entire experience step-by-step, but will save that for another post. Instead, I wanted to share a few (of the many) special moments that truly touched me:

  • As a South African brought up in the apartheid era, I was completely humbled by the spirit of the Comrades. Blacks, whites, nationals, internationals – everyone was united by the raw emotion of the Comrades. Throughout the entire day, the 20k field of runners were cheering and supporting each other along the way. No matter who you were and where you came from, we were all equal – united in this beautiful sport.
  • The support on the day is second to none. There are crowds of supporters from start to finish – the entire 88km. Singing, dancing, cheering, calling out your name, handing you food, drinks, spraying you with water – creating the most amazing atmosphere! You truly felt like an elite runner competing in the Olympics.
  • The organisation of the race is on par with the Olympics. It is flawless! From pre-race registration, the ongoing communication, international ambassadors for each country, race registration, expo, hospitality, logistics, refreshments every 2km, choice of refreshments, pacing buses, entertainment, medals, photos, etc. All international runners, together with their supporters, had access to an international tent at the finish where they were served food and drinks all day. It was position right next to the finish line – so truly amazing for our families/supporters.
  • On the Friday before the race, I joined the international athlete course tour. Part of the tour was to visit the Ethembeni School for the Disabled – one of the Comrades official charities. As the bus stopped, the children we waiting for us with welcome signs for each country. Despite being faced with adversity, these children had the biggest smiles on their faces. They sang and danced for us and gave us each a beautiful, hand-made beaded bracelet. The colours of the bracelet were those of the Comrades Marathon and Ethembeni School, and consisted of 88 x beads – one for each km of the race. There was hardly a dry eye in the audience.
  • After the tour I was hanging out in the hotel lobby. Sitting next to me was a young African runner who was chilled and relaxed. His buddies came to join him and sat down for a cup of tea. There was much excitement in their conversation (in Zulu/Xhosa). At one stage I overheard them talking about their race pace of 3.50-4.00/km. I looked over at them and asked if they were planning to run the race at that pace. They all laughed and their coach asked me if I knew who they were. They were the gold-medal runners! (Ludwick Mamabolo finished 4th in 5:42; and Sphiwe Ndlela 6th in 5:45.) Truly humble and super-friendly gentlemen.

Two weeks later and I am still on a high. This event is without doubt one of the most rewarding races I have ever done! Now to consider returning next year for the ‘Back-to-Back’ medal…

It was tough, for sure… but that’s what makes finishing all the more sweeter.

Below are a few low-res pics taken on the day… enjoy! 

If we always do what we know we can do, we never grow…

Three Mental Strategies for Endurance Running

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As a runner, our biggest asset (or sometimes our greatest enemy) is our brain. Physical training is important, but that alone is not enough to put wings on our feet. What we feel on and off the road has a huge influence over how we perform once we lace up.

Professor Tim Noakes MD (author of acclaimed Lore or Running – and a real guru in the running world!), recommends we train our brains to cope with ‘discomfort’. Interval sessions, hill repeats, tempo runs, endurance runs – exactly the type of training sessions that should be included in our training programs. What is a hard training session one week, becomes a manageable session the following week. Why? Our brains become conditioned to accept and manage the ‘discomfort’ – twinned with an improvement in our physical conditioning.

In the Runner’s World book ‘The Runner’s Brain’, Jeff Galloway (USA Olympic Runner) shares his three mental training methods that he has used for over 40yrs:

  1. Visualise the Race

    Rehearse the outcome over and over. Imagine what you will feel like at certain stages in the race. When you will have strategic nutrition breaks, when you will walk, etc. Visualise key milestones in the race (historic building, bridge, park), where your supporters will be waiting for you, the various terrain (hills), etc. Rehearse your race step-by-step.

  2. Use Magic Words (Mantras)

    Magic words distract you from the discomfort while connects you to your inner thoughts:

    • Relax – There is no pressure on me | I am relaxed | I am enjoying the endorphins | I feel comfortable
    • Power – I feel good about myself | I know what I’m doing | I can do this | I am going to nail this
    • Free – I feel light as a feather | I am floating through the crowds | I am running smoothly

  3. Use Dirty Tricks (Mind Games)

    These are quick fixes to get you from one point to the next. Imagine wrapping a giant invisible rubber band about the runner ahead of you, start cinching him/her in towards you so that you can feed off their momentum. Another trick is to create songs of the names on posters of those who are being supported – i.e. Angela | Pamela | Sandra | Rita… “Mambo No. 5” ?

There is no right or wrong mental strategy. What works for one person, may not necessarily work for another. The key take-out is that we should identify which mental strategy(ies) work for us and then practice them over and over again.

 

If you train your mind for running, everything else will be easy — Amby Burfoot

Injury Recovery Program

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Sports injury – we’ve all been there ?

Training for a key event, everything is going to plan… and then bang! Our hammy explodes… or our knee flares up… or plantar fasciitis rears its nasty head.

“I’ve hurt my [body], but I want to keep training. What can I do?”

As exercise professionals and athletes, we understand the pains and frustrations involved in incurring an injury while training for a big event. Which is why we are motivated and driven to support our clients in reaching the start line. We understand the cause of the injury (following advice from a medical professional) and then build an individual recovery program to support your rehab.

What is our Injury Recovery Program?

Our Injury Recovery Program is a 6-week program focused on restoring strength, flexibility, balance, mobility, endurance and power – to get you to the start line. It is achieved through various strength & conditioning exercises and drills. We work closely with you to identify and understand the cause of your injury (following the diagnosis from your physiotherapist/medical professional) and then build an individualised recovery program to get you strong and fully recovered so that you can continue training for your event.

“The aim of a recovery program is to regain pre-injury levels in all aspects of physical fitness.”

Who is this suitable for?

All athletes who are currently struggling with an injury or who are coming back from an injury. It is important that you have been diagnosed by a medical professional.

How is the program structured?

Each week (during the course of the 6-week period) you will have access to the following training:

  • 1 x 30min one-on-one personal training session with Exercise Physiologist (Coach Marcel Soares)
  • 1 x 60min individual training session in gym (to use at your convenience)
  • 1 x 60min group strength training session lead by Exercise Physiologist (Coach Marcel Soares)
What is the investment?

The 6-week investment is $420 – which includes a total of 18 x training sessions. (Total can be split into instalments – 2 x $215)

➡  Invest in your body – sign-up today!

SMH Half-Marathon – Sun 21 May 2017

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The SMH Half-Marathon  is Australia’s largest and most prestigious half-marathon events. With over 12,000 participants, the route takes on 21.1km around Sydney’s most iconic sights.

Training

Our 12-week training program starts on Sat 25 February 2017 and progressively builds up, so that you are able to cover the course comfortably.

Our programs are based on the 80/20 Rule – 80 percent at low intensity and 20 percent at moderate/high intensity. By training slower we aim to run stronger and race faster.  All programs are built around 3 x coached sessions.

Each member has an online program, which is prepared in blocks and provided via Training Peaks. This allows us to provide individualised plans that best suits your needs and goals, as well as giving us the feedback and analysis tools we need. You will be able to log your workouts and analyse your performance data as you complete each session. Our aim is to progresses you gradually, so that you train safely and without injury.

➣ Looking for motivation to get you started –  read our blog ‘A BIG YES!‘ 
What is included?
  • 12-week periodised training plan based on your race distanc
  • 3 x face-to-face coached group session – long run, interval run and tempo run
  • Analysis and feedback on training data
  • Goal setting
  • Mental skills and strategies
  • Race nutrition and recovery
  • Race tactics and guidance
  • Race weekend logistics
  • Motivational support
  • Access to private online forum
  • Membership of a supportive, like-minded Community
  • FREE BEXI cotton singlet
What is excluded?
  • Race entry fee
  • Travel, accommodation and meals
  • BEXI technical race singlet
What is cost?

$360 for 12-week program

Total can be split into monthly installments – (3 x $125/pm)


✔ Join our BEXI Team and train for Australia’s largest half-marathon

Programs to support your goals

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Schools go back next week, which is a perfect reason to jump-for-joy.

Our daily routines are out of sync and we’re all desperate for some kind of normality to resume.

To help get things back on track and to support you in planning your goals for 2017, we’ve summarised our training programs on offer.  Each program is built on the foundation of our motto:

BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE. Use what you have. Do what you can. 

 5km-FIT
A gentle and supportive learn-to-run program – starts from a low fitness base and builds you up to running 5km.

5km-FITTER [NEW!]
Progressing from our learn-to-run program, our 5km-FITTER program builds on your speed, strength and endurance.

RUN-FIT
For those running 4-5km regularly, our Run-FIT program focuses on building muscular strength, speed and mindset.

RACE-FIT
If you’ve ever wanted to train for a half-marathon | marathon | ultra-marathon – we have an exciting 2017 race calendar.

TRI-FIT
Stepping up from single discipline to multi-discipline triathlete – we have triathlon programs for beginner and improver levels.

SWIM-FIT
A gentle and supportive swim program aimed at beginners who are looking to build  confidence and technique in the open water.

YOU-FIT
Customised online training programs to support you train for a personal goal – from 10km | marathons | triathlons.

Look forward to supporting your health & fitness goals in 2017.

~ Debbie & the Beauty of Exercise Team x

The Two Mindsets

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Earlier in the week I shared a very poignant quote with our BEXI members:

No one is wise by birth, for wisdom is the result of one’s efforts

Later that day one of our members backed this up with fascinating research by Dr Carol Dweck, Ph.D, Psychologist Stanford University. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence.

Mindsets are beliefs about ourselves and our most basic qualities, like intelligence, personality or talent. Mindsets are ways of thinking about the world and about our impact on that world through what we believe we can do and can’t do.

Source – Mindset Works

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I started writing this blog about my first marathon in 1999.  About how life-changing it truly was and how everyone should experience something like that. As I was writing, it soon became apparent that my life-changing experience was all about my mindset. I was looking for fulfilment, achievement, recognition, success. I was determined to prove to myself that I could achieve my goal and succeed.  This experience taught me so much – about embracing life, challenging yourself, learning from mistakes, being inspired by those who have achieved and above all – being humble.

As life evolves, so should we!  Embrace the unknown and let your life surprise you.

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Dream BIG!

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When kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they might say, “I am going to fly a space ship to the moon”… or “I am going to be a mermaid and rescue dolphins”… or “I am going to be like Usain Bolt and win every gold medal”.

They’re spontaneous and fearless. Often they will go on to become pilots, marine biologists or top runners. Dream fulfilled!

So what holds us back as adults?

In her book ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, Susan Jeffers explains the five truths about fear:

  1. Fear will never go away as long as we continue to grow
  2. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and DO IT
  3. The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and DO IT
  4. Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone else
  5. Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness

As we start winding down for the summer holidays – we’d like you to start thinking about your dreams for 2017.  Think big, dream big, believe big and then go chase those dreams!  And if you’re looking for like-minded buddies to help you achieve your dreams, Team BEXI will support your every step.

Debbie and Team BEXI

 

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”   Nelson Mandela
2017 Race Calendar

We’re super-excited about our new 2017 race calendar. Next year we’ll be offering training programs for marathons, half-marathons, triathlons ranging from sprint to half-ironman 70.3 distances.  It’s going to be an awesome year!

  • APR – Australian Running Festival, Canberra
  • MAY – Diamond Women’s Active Triathlon Festival, Penrith
  • MAY – SMH Half Marathon
  • JUN – Ironman Cairns 70.3  (New!)
  • JUL – Gold Coast Airport Running Festival
  • SEP – Blackmores Sydney Running  Festival
  • OCT – Husky Triathlon Festival, Jervis Bay (New!)
  • NOV – Ironman Western Sydney 70.3, Penrith (New!)

Interested in stepping up to the marathon distance? Read our blog ‘Ready for the Marathon‘.

 

 

Holiday-FIT

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Kick the year off with our FUN summer holiday workouts and support your buddies too!

We will be running 2 x 40 min back-to-back beach workouts – one group trains, while the other group looks after the kids. And then you swap! You get your training done and your kids get entertained. Win/Win for everyone!

Each workout consists of cardio, strength and core exercises.  Great for overall body fitness and strength. Sessions are circuit-style and catered for varying levels of fitness. You can ramp it up or scale it back to suit your fitness. Suitable for anyone wanting to add a fun workout in their holidays.

When
Week 1 Tues 10 Jan Thu 12 Jan Collaroy Beach 8am
Week 2 Tues 17 Jan Thu 19 Jan Collaroy Beach 8am
Week 3 Tues 24 Jan Thu 26 Jan Collaroy Beach 8am
Time

Meet 8am and we will split the group into 2 – one group trains, the other entertains the kids (in the nearby Collaroy playground):

  • Group 1 – 8.00am
  • Group 2 – 8.40am

Bring your swimmers and a towel for a dip in the ocean/pool afterwards!

Cost
  • $10 per week ($5 p/session)
  • $25 for 3 weeks ($4 p/session)
Register

Commit to a healthier summer holiday and supporting your buddies!  Register online and pay on the day.

Ready for a Marathon?

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I often get asked “Do you think I can run a marathon?” My answer – “if you can run a half-marathon, you can run a marathon!”  Trust me, this is not a case of me saying…”Rah, rah you can do it if you set your mind to it!” (Which of course is very true.) Marathons are hard! They are humbling. They are physically exhausting. They will break you physically and mentally.

But with the right training and preparation, a marathon is THE most special experience ever. Words cannot express that feeling of crossing the line and achieving something incredibly special. It is something that everyone should experience in their life.

So what does it take to be ready for a marathon? Here are my top-5 tips for considering a marathon:

  • Run consistently for at least a year. Your body is better prepared – it is stronger, more efficient and will be able to adapt to the demands of the sport. On the flipside, if you are starting from a fairly sedentary level, you will be vulnerable to injury that could prevent you from running for months (or years).
  • Commitment. Training for a marathon takes approximately 20 weeks. During which you are running 4-days per week. The days you are not running, you need to focus on strength training.
  • Buy-in from your family. Goes without saying – you will need the support from your family. They will need to be there to cover things for you when you are out training, or let you rest up after a long run. It’s a big ask – but it’s not often you run a marathon.
  • Awareness of the risks. The marathon is a big distance and not to be taken lightly. Injuries are very common. It is important to follow a periodised training program that includes body maintenance (rest days/weeks), strength training and biomechanical check-ups.
  • How bad do you want this? If this is something that you’ve always wanted to do; get excited talking about it; get butterflies in your tummy thinking about it; dream about doing it… then it is definitely a ‘HELL YES’ moment!

You will be a fundamentally changed person. You will discover the marathon is one of the mostlife affirming experiences you’ve ever had.

 

“The marathon was everything I hoped it would be and more! If any of you are thinking about doing a marathon, I would say do it! You will certainly find out what you are made of. The lessons it taught me about determination and perseverance will never be forgotten. If you believe in yourself you can do anything!”

Peita Hillman, New York Marathoner 2016

“What a fabulous run I had yesterday competing in the New York Marathon. I’m so proud to have ticked off one of the world’s major marathons (only 5 left to go). The crowds the entire way were amazing. They really made you feel as though you were a celebrity and their energy was honestly the best! Everyone needs to DO a marathon in their lifetime! Everyone! I finished the race by running past another Aussie in Central Park. I said “C’mon Aussie, we have 2.5kms to go you can’t walk now. Just go left, right, left, right”. We did it! I’m such a proud marathoner! The best bucket list tick ever!”

Sarah Jefferson, New York Marathoner 2016

“Self-belief and hard work got me to the start line. I committed to my tested plan and drew in the energy of the awesome NY crowd.  I was high-5’ing and blowing them kisses. The thrill of the experience is hard to describe as the body and mind were constantly battling each other. Yesterday I ran out of my comfort zone and had the time of my life! I am a marathoner… a very happy one!”

Sue Addison, New York Marathoner 2016 

 

Top 5-Tips for choosing your Running Shoes

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Running is one of the least expensive forms of sport, all you need is a good pair of running shoes and you’re off.  Yet, so many people resist investing in a good pair of shoes.

I speak from experience. My first ever pair of proper running shoes were from a specialist running shop in Jo’burg (owned by an ex-elite SA runner) – they were Asics Gel Kayano. I remember clearly baulking at having to pay such an obscene amount of money. Those shoes were worn until they were totally dead!

Some (umm, many!) years later… and many, many more shoes later, I can truly say that proper running shoes are the BEST investment you can make to boost your love for running.

Having recently swapped my ‘retired’ Asics with a fabulous new pair of Hokas, from an awesome specialist running store, I was inspired to share my top tips for choosing new running shoes.

My top 5-tips for choosing your running shoes

 

  • Find a specialist running shop near you. These are typically your ‘boutique’ stores, not your high-street retail stores. As a specialist store, they are staffed by runners who understand about ‘running’. They have been trained by the different brands and are familiar with the latest shoe technology available.
  • Take your current running shoes with you to the store. Don’t get embarrassed if they are somewhat ‘retired’ and unsightly. Your old shoes are a good indicator of how you run. The sales consultant will be able to identify your running-style – i.e. pronate, supinate, heel-striker, forefoot-striker, etc. This is invaluable for matching you to a suitable shoe.
  • Be sure to also take a pair of your running socks. You will be running in these socks, so it is good to try them on with your new running shoes. The sales consultant can also give you advice in terms of whether they have good padding, breathability & blister protection.
  • Discuss your running goals with the sales consultant. If you are new to running, planning to run a marathon, or taking to the trails – you will need totally different shoes. A sales consultant from a specialist shoe shop, will have an excellent understanding of the different types of shoe to support your running goals.
  • Ensure you try on and test all the shoes recommended by the sales consultant. Don’t be shy! I have been known to try on box-loads of shoes. Each shoe will have a different feel, so lace them up and head out for a short run. Again, a specialist store will allow you to go for a short run outside to ensure you have the right shoe. Now I know we are all drawn to funky colours, designs and are brand-loyal – don’t let that sway your decision. You will know which shoe is right for you – listen to your comfort.

As a guideline, running shoes typically last for approximately 700/800km. This is entirely dependent on your running style, how hard you are on your shoes, and the type of training you are doing. At this stage, the support and cushioning in your shoes are hugely reduced and you are vulnerable to injury. Which is something runners REALLY want to avoid.

Our preferred BEXI special running store is Pace Athletic in Manly and/or Mosman. Pop in and say you’re a BEXI athlete and you’ll receive a 10% discount off your shoe purchases.

PS: perhaps now is a good time to write your letter to Santa ?