WALK THIS WAY walk this way by ZELDA BOTHA
This Too Shall Pass
Most athlete fear picking up an injury , and when it comes to racewalking injuries , prevention is better than cure .
I
had many fears going into my 2021 season , but a serious injury never crossed my mind . Unfortunately , injuries rarely happen at a convenient time . In fact , they sometimes sneak in , like a thief in the night , and usually overstay their welcome . In hindsight , there were many things I could ’ ve done to prevent my injury , but I decided to rather focus on how I can overcome it , in the process helping others through my healing process , and look ahead to what I can do better next season .
Strengthening and Stretching
Firstly , as racewalkers , we tend to put a lot of strain on our hips , knees and lower back . Therefore , we need to strengthen the muscles around those areas as well as focus on efficient , correct technique . A good technique really does put way less strain on the body , but this needs to be practised , and during that process , changing from a bad technique to a better one could cause you some niggles along the way .
Like most South Africans during the 2020 hard lockdown period , I had zero access to a road and had to train indoors for six weeks . I used this time to focus on strength training , which included lunges , squats , burpees , core work and stretching . However , what I did not take into account was that I did too much , too quickly , and straight after training , I would go back to sitting behind a desk for work . This caused me to experience a sciatic nerve injury in my right back and hamstring .
The key takeaway here is that you should build up your strength work gradually , making sure not to overdo it in the early stages . Also , stand up from behind your desk at least once every hour and make a point to stretch as often as you can . Added to that , exercises you can try will include back stretching , hip / glute stretching and pre-hab stretching ( all pictured below ). Please feel free to contact me anytime through my Instagram page (@ zelda _ walker ) if you want me to explain this better . I would love to help , even if it ’ s just a shoulder to cry on while you ’ re injured .
Getting the Best Advice
Fast-forward to the end of 2020 , and with the help of my coach , Irish walker Rob Heffernan , I paired up with one of the elite biokinetic coaches in Ireland , Mr William . He coached me on racewalking-specific strength and conditioning work , instead of just doing general gym work that ’ s not meant for racewalkers . This was a huge game-changer , and made me stronger than I ’ ve ever been before , so I am definitely going to share his tips and exercises with you in coming months .
However , in the meantime , I unfortunately suffered a rather big setback at the end of my 2021 season , when I learnt that I have managed to injure myself to the extent of being able to do zero training . This has never happened to me before , and I can assure it ’ s not because of over-training – Rob is really good at listening to my body , and adapting training where we have to .
It was purely the lack of stretching , specifically the pre-hab stretching before training , that I had started to neglect a bit , as well as not stopping when I experienced pain for the first time . That last one is super important . Stop when you feel something is wrong . No-one knows your body better than you do , and if something feels just slightly off , rather have it checked out .
I am not saying it ’ s always easy , but with the help of my husband Armin , my coach , my physio Eben Verster , my mentor Jean Verster and the heaps of friends standing by me , I cannot help but stay focused on the end goal and enjoy the process I am busy with . As discomforting as the situation is right now , always stay true to your belief that things can change if you keep working hard .
Patience is Key to Success
So why prevention before cure ? One of my friends , Polish 50km racewalker Damian Blocki , told me this : “ I would rather toe the line well rested than overtrained and tired .” That ’ s advice I think we all should listen to more . Rest when your body is tired . Eat to fuel your body , which will make it stronger . Strength and conditioning are just as important as a session on the track , and when you experience any discomfort , stop !
Most importantly , never let it define you . This is a season in your life , so embrace it , learn from it , and better yourself from it . Never make the same mistakes , and never blame yourself or anyone else . Get up , do the work to fix it , and stay positive and motivated along the way . This too shall pass , and when it does , you will be a better athlete overall .
About the Author
Zelda Botha ( née Schultz ) won the 2019 SA 20km Road Race Walking title and the 2021 SA Track & Field Champs title , and she represented SA at the 2018 African Champs in Nigeria . She balances training and competing in racewalking with a full-time job as a surgical sales representative , and being married to top obstacle racer Armin Botha .
Back Stretch Glutes stretch
A stretch a day keeps the frown at bay !
54 ISSUE 145 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Images : Courtesy Zelda Botha
Pre-hab stretch