Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Page 34

TAKE YOUR
CHANCES
In most things in life, we only have one chance to do them, and
we seldom get a do-over. When something is done, it’s done…
These were some of the thoughts going through my head as I
stood on the starting line of my first race of the season.
O
n the 15 th of February I raced a 20km at the Youngsfield Military Base in
Cape Town. This was a ‘fitness test’ to see which of our SA race walkers
are eligible to be picked for the Race Walking World Championships
team later this year in Minsk, Belarus. I travelled to Cape Town a day before the
race, having prepped really well, and I felt really confident going into the race. We
have looked at my preparation and I was really happy with the times I produced,
especially during the tougher sessions in the weeks prior to the race.
Race week is always super
important to me, as I make
sure I get enough sleep, eat
healthily, hydrate really well, and
ensure that I focus on my mental
plan for the race. I am a true
believer in the quote that my Life
Orientation teacher introduced
himself with in grade eight:
“What the mind believes, the
body achieves.” That’s because
I have realised more than once
in my walking career that ‘mental
fitness’ is just as important,
if not more important, than
physical fitness.
A Little on the Cold
Side This Morning
The day started off really well in
Cape Town, as I had enjoyed a
good night’s sleep and had my
breakfast as per usual, before
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ISSUE 128 MARCH 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za
heading to the race venue. However, for a summer’s day it was quite cold, and it
took me about 10 minutes into my warm-up to stop shivering. (Mind you, I do start
shivering really easily!) But we all know Cape Town… the windy city! Need I say
more about the weather?
The gun went off and I started at the perfect pace, going really well, hitting the
10km mark on SA 20km record pace. That was my goal, as we felt that I could
have a 1:35 in the legs, but what we didn’t know is how the body would respond to
the first race of the season, as it’s always a little bit of a throw of a dice.
Well, I ‘bonked’ at 12km with really bad hamstring pain, something that was
unfamiliar to me, as I’ve never experienced cramping or muscle pain like that in a
race. And with a headwind that was pushing full force on the one leg of the course,
it was impossible for me to even remotely go faster. It felt like forever until the end
of the race!
I managed to finish with a time of 1 hour 38 minutes, and to be honest, I was really
disappointed with my result, because of my pre-race expectations. However,
after taking some time to think about it, I also realised that it had been my third-
fastest time yet, and that it was my first sub-1 hour 40 minutes in over two years.
Perspective is everything, as I ashamedly realised how much I actually had to be
thankful for.
A Week Later
After some thorough race analysis with my coach, we decided that I should go
out and race the Cango Half Marathon the weekend after the Cape Town event.
The aim would be to see how my body would react to racing on tired legs, but I
still focused a lot on recovery that week, with very little distance and just a few
sessions to keep the legs going. Needless to say, they were way more ‘awake’ this
time around!
I started my second race of the season at a reasonable pace, but still slower than
the previous week. It was not all rainbows and butterflies, though, as one would
expect when tackling two races in a week. Mentally I felt better, but I was stiff and
a little bit uncomfortable in the first 9km of the race.
Still, I ended with an excellent average pace,
with great consistency, and an unofficial
20km time of 1 hour 35 minutes.
It proved to me once again what
role mental fitness plays in a race.
I focused much more on what I
wanted in the first race than on
what I had to work with, such as
taking the wind into consideration.
In the second race, I knew what I
could expect, having raced a week
prior to that, and I also knew where
my weaker points were. So now I’m
focused on preparation again, and
praying that the Coronavirus stays clear
from everyone!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Race Walker Anel Oosthuizen is a multiple SA
Champion and Record Holder, and represented SA in the women’s 20km at the
2016 Rio Olympics.
WALK
THIS
WAY
By Anel Oosthuizen