ROAD RUNNING
focus this year , but cross country is definitely not behind me , and I may go back to it next year . Also , I have seen that some of the athletes I raced in my junior years , who were better than me then , have either faded away or are not as competitive , possibly even burnt out , hence my decision not to do everything at the same time and over-race .”
Claiming a first national title on the road at the SA 10km Champs in Durban .
To be fair , “ adding a bit of track ” doesn ’ t quite do justice to Tayla ’ s first foray into senior track racing . She won the 5000m at the KZN Champs ( clocking 16:03.52 ) as well as at a competitive Endurocad meet in Stellenbosch , in a PB 15:43.40 , then finished fifth with a 15:50.57 in an ultra-competitive 5000m at the SA Champs . “ I don ’ t really come from a track background , so Andrew and I decided to give it a go this year , as it fitted into my schedule , between road events , and added good speed work for the road . I thoroughly enjoyed all the races , just as I always enjoy my track training sessions , and I performed better than I thought I would . I think that shows that I have potential on the track , so I ’ m looking forward to doing more next season and testing myself , including giving the 10,000m a go , but I don ’ t have any specific goals on the track at this stage .”
Seeing the World
Another highlight of Tayla ’ s year was being invited by her apparel sponsor , adidas SA , to compete in the adizero Road to Records event at the adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach , Germany , at the end of April . “ It was amazing to race some of the fastest women in the world , plus spend time with some of the fastest men and women in the world . For example , at breakfast we all sat chatting about our different approaches to racing , and the lifestyles we lead in different countries . I was also very lucky to room with Dom Scott , who has been my idol since I was young . It was great to catch up with her , and then to race alongside her ,” says Tayla .
So far ahead in the 2022 Totalsports Women ’ s Race in Durban , that it turned backmarkers ’ heads !
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The event included half marathon , 10km and 5km races for select , small fields of top adidas-sponsored runners from around the world , and the results included list leaders ( fastest time in the world for the year ) over 5km for both men and women , as well as several national records and many personal bests across all three distances . Dom posted a 32:09 in the women ’ s 10km , with Tayla running a 32:37 in a world class field of athletes .
“ We were also very lucky to do some wear-testing of the shoes coming out next year , and we saw the whole adidas campus , including all the facilities , and the museum . The whole trip was amazing , and we had really supportive and kind-hearted people looking after us . I came away from the experience feeling the bar had really been raised in terms of the standard of racing I had experienced , and that made me want to raise my own bar , as I feel inspired to be able to run like those world class women ,” says Tayla .
Balanced Approach
In between all the running , Tayla is also busy studying . Having completed a one-year course in sports training and management with the ETA College , she is currently in her second and final year of studying business and entrepreneurship at Newbridge College in Durban . However , she says she has no fixed plans to go into the world of business as yet . “ Next year , the
focus will be on my running , as I will have completed my studies and will have more time for running than I have available now . I don ’ t see myself in business yet , but it was something I really wanted to study , and that ’ s for one day when my running career is over .”
Tayla and Andrew are therefore already looking at the calendar , making plans and setting goals for 2023 . Tayla was initially coached by her high school coach , Jane Brown , who helped guide her to that SA Cross Country title in 2019 , but in 2020 , having finished school and moved into the senior ranks , she signed with Andrew , and it has proven a winning decision . “ We work well together and he is incredibly passionate about running ,” says Tayla .
Tayla has taken a shine to running on the track as well in 2022 .