Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 64, November 2014 | Page 31

running and sport

Ma

RUNNING BACK

Running about 10km at almost full speed for a
minimum of 70 minutes while focusing on skillfully
handling a ball with a stick, that is the game of
hockey in a nutshell – which is why South African
national team defender Dylan Swanepoel never
questions why running gets so much attention in
training. – BY EUNICE VISAGIE

H

e may prefer running in matches and
technical training sessions to just running
for fitness, but hockey star Dylan Swanepoel
knows he needs to run. “Running is extremely
important to a hockey player, but I think what’s
more important is the type of running you
do, and when you do it,” says the 21-year-old
defender. “You need to be quick and explosive
while having the endurance and strength to
get through 70 minutes, so the timing of your
training in relation to the season and matches is
also very important, especially when it comes to
training for your specific position, be it defender,
midfielder or forward.”

Images: Eunice Visagie

“In pre-season we do
a lot of running that is
focused on building our
base for the season,
so it will include a lot
of longer distances and
endurance training, which
we will do three to
four times a week,
depending on
our

Dylan can cover up
to 10km in a match.

“In matches we can end