Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 139, March 2021 | Page 30

ROAD RUNNING

Training with great friend , Andre Afrika incentive for being first South African and first Western Province athlete home , she was also chasing a World Athletics bronze label time , to improve her global ranking and thus open doors to more international races . it more seriously when he got to high school . “ I was doing track and cross-country , and learnt how to train properly . Later I started doing a few fun runs on the road , then moved up to my first 10km in 2012 , at the Telkom 10km that started and finished at CPUT , and I clocked 38 minutes . Since then I have kept improving , with speed training on the track and strength in crosscountry , and I have been able to bring my time down to 30:22 , which I ran in 2019 .”

In 2012 , Raydon also ventured on to the trails for the first time , in the short course division of the then Spursponsored Winter Trail Series . “ I wanted to do trail running to experience it , and see how I can improve my running overall , so I joined the Wildrunner club , as they said they can help me develop in trail ,” he says , and success soon came his way , as he took the short course series title , then added the Summer Trail Series in 2013 . time for 10km in the AAC 10km in 2020 ,” he adds .

Raydon says another highlight and current PB , although not an out-and-out fastest race effort , was his only marathon to date , at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2018 . “ I was paid to run as an official pacer for Nolene Conrad and we prepared well with a training camp at altitude in Mpumalanga . She actually said I only had to go with her to halfway , but I already decided before the time I would go all the way , for the experience ,” he says .

With her then PB of 2:35:21 , Nolene started that race as one of the favourites to finish first South African in the city marathon , which carried substantial prize money , as well as claim the SA Champs title , as the national champs event was being held in conjunction with the city marathon . Besides the prize money

That is why she wanted her own pacesetter , and Raydon said he actually quite enjoyed the experience . “ I didn ’ t feel any extra pressure , even though Nolene was the leading South African woman in the race , and going for the SA Champs title . I did start to feel some pain between 30 and 35km , but I just told myself to stay focused and keep going . The only time I felt a bit of pressure was after 35km when Nolene started hurting , so I kept talking and motivating her , and we crossed the line together in 2:34:39 , giving her a new PB .

Time to Step It Up

With that first marathon as a guide and motivator , Raydon has been focusing on 10km and 21km racing since then , with the goal to work on his speed and strength over the shorter distances before eventually making the step up to marathon racing proper . “ The marathon is my long-term goal , and I am now preparing for the Cape Town Marathon later this year . I actually felt OK when I finished with Nolene in 2018 – tired and hurting , but not shattered – so if my training goes well and I am in my best shape later this year , I know I can go quite a bit faster ,” he says confidently .

“ Now that I have the support , from Under Armour , from the Nedbank club , from Ernie and my training group , I think I can chase real success on the road , but I always remind myself where I came from . Not just the place where I lived or grew up , but the progress I ’ ve made thus far , knowing that I am blessed through what I do . And I always look to change and adapt my goals while feeding the motivation to go for it !”

He then moved up to the Long Course Division in the 2013 Winter Series , going on to win the 2014 Summer Series . Raydon followed that with wins in the shorter distances of the 2014 Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge , Helderberg Mountain Challenge and Sanlam Peace Trail Run . The following year he finished third in both the Summer and Winter Series , then won both again in 2016 , and in 2017 he set a new course record in the 30km race of the Ultra-Trail Cape Town – a record that he says still stands .

Eyes Firmly on the Road

While he had enjoyed much success in trail running , Raydon decided at the end of 2017 to change focus back to the road , joining the Eersteriver running club and signing up with Ernie ’ s group . “ In the early days of my running I had been coached by Johannes Kampher of Eersteriver , and during my trail running period I also got great advice from Alan Ryninks and Owen Middleton of the Wildrunner club , and I want to thank all of them for helping me get where I am today ,” says Raydon , who has just signed up to run for the Nedbank Running Club .

When asked what he considers the highlights of his running career thus far , it is telling that he doesn ’ t talk about any of the many trail titles he won , but instantly answers that it was running 30:46 for 10km on the way to a PB 1:05:47 and fourth place in the 2020 Peninsula Half Marathon . His previous best had been 1:06:50 , which he ran in the SA Half Marathon Champs in PE in 2018 . “ I also ran another 30-minute

Determined to get still faster

Raydon ’ s PBs

Images : Courtesy Raydon Balie & Under Armour

30 ISSUE 139 MARCH 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za