Every experienced runner knows that when the going gets tough you better be on top of your mental game! But mental strength is often only something that comes along with years of experience and some tough lessons learnt. But mental gains can be trained and with developing the right habits, it could be the key to unlocking not only your best performance, but your perception of satisfaction too. It all starts with deciding what kind of runner you want to be… That’s where our guest today comes...

In a modern society that thrives on comfort, choosing to run and push the boundaries on performance is inherently uncomfortable. It's going beyond what's normal and as athletes, our nutrition should reflect that... Unfortunately this is often not the case and nutrition is an afterthought, second to training. But they are not actually separate things, they go hand in hand in finding hormonal homeostasis - balance - which is reflected back to us in our ability to maintain or improve our...

We bring to you another deep dive with one of our favourite guests on the show, Dr Martin Khoury is not your average Chiropractor. His inquisitive nature and steadfast pursuit for answers make for an excellent combination in solving the puzzling problems that people present with - and give us the opportunity to bring you an even better conversation. Not only is he mega-smart, he also has an extensive running CV to boast. Today we chat strictly to problems surrounding the knee, one of the...

"We have to learn to bend before we break,"... What started out as a finish line conversation after a particularly gruelling marathon (in one of Durban's finest displays of humidity), resulted in what you'll hear today. With those words, Jordy nudged us towards a reality that few are prepared to acknowledge, and ultimately forced the question to be asked: what are the limits of endurance? Today is a deep dive and exploration into the human body and how it responds to endurance training with...

Returning to the start line of The Total Sports Two Ocean Marathon this year we have Irvette van Zyl "aka The other South African in the ladies elite field", as Irvette jokingly recalls the 2022 race and how Gerda pipped her in the last 3km to take the win and break the course record. In today's conversation - our most candid and authentic one to date (our apologies for all of the audio blips) - we hear about the past two years of injuries, and challenges that she's faced in her fight back...

"We have to learn to bend before we break,"... What started out as a finish line conversation after a particularly gruelling marathon (in one of Durban's finest displays of humidity), resulted in what you'll hear today. With those words, Jordy nudged us towards a reality that few are prepared to acknowledge, and ultimately forced the question to be asked: what are the limits of endurance? Today is a deep dive and exploration into the human body and how it responds to endurance training....

To take a quote directly from today's conversation, "Shoes shoes shoes shoes shoeees! And then you need to pick one?". How? And where do you even start? It comes as no surprise to you that the running shoe market is flooded with options and with the latest technological improvements; carbon plates, foam on foam on foam, stack height, heel drops and a plethora of specs to consider before you even get to brand or colour way preferences, it can feel like an impossible maze to work your way...

In the Jan/Feb 2024 issue of the Runners World Magazine, Community Track Club was officially dubbed the 'Coolest Running Club in South Africa', which is quite the statement! As we've discussed many times on the pod in the past, the social running scene has swept the country by storm, but there is one club that puts on a show like no other. If you go in search of a 'diabolical workout' + vibezzzz and a GOOD TIME we must agree that CTC is indeed the place to be! Co-founded by today's guest,...

A little look into our lives lately if you will; in this episode we chat about: Davey’s move to the Western Cape.Nic and Davey’s experience at the Cape Peninsula Marathon; personal bests, race day strategies and the big bad thing…Davey broke another bone.Leah’s health journey with functional medicine and how that’s changed her relationship with running. Recovering from set backs.Lessons learnt from ‘negative experiences’ and taking time off. The road ahead.

In this conversation we chat to local running legend, coach and founder of MustLoveHills RunCrew, Michael Obery. Mikey has a larger-than-life infectious energy about him and a deep rooted sense of community which has been instrumental in helping him establish one of the coolest Cape Town-based run clubs to emerge from the 'social' running scene, which has swept the country by storm. Through his reputation as a talented runner, coach, and his work with top brands such as ASICS, where he is a...

Name a road race to hail from the humble African continent that has stood the test of time, a world war and an international outbreak of disease? There is only but one ultra-marathon distance that since it's inception, has captured the hearts of fearless athletes and enthusiastic spectators alike, with its unfailing traditions and numbers that grow larger with each passing year, made up of people who have travelled from all corners or the globe to be immersed, if just for one day, in the...

You've heard it said time and time again, "runners should be doing strength training". We know you've heard it from us in just about every episode, but we've never given you an in-depth explanation for WHY and HOW, well not until now... Welcome to the official DEEP DIVE into Strength Training, a discussion topic long overdue and we couldn't think of a better guest to guide us through this relatively simple but often misunderstood and much overlooked element of Making GREAT Runners. In this...

When last did you ask yourself "why do I run"? Maybe it started as a way to lose a few kilo's or meet new people? Or maybe you find it to be the best way to clear your head and manage stress? Now consider for a moment that the reason you run had very little to do with what it does for you, personally, but rather enabled real change, access to resources and opportunity for your family, community or better yet an entire generation and those that follow... This is the reality of becoming a...

What happens when you find a bunch of lekker people who like to run fast and socialise over coffee or a cold one afterwards? You create a club centred around all of the above and take to the streets! In today's conversation we chat to founder of The Social Runners Club, Adam Lipschitz, who is setting the pace and redefining how we look at the stuffy old club model - the vest can stay though... Adam is a self confessed busy-body/businessman or as Davey puts it, "a bonafide hustler". Adams...

Let's face it, menopause and menopausal women more specifically, don't have the greatest reputation. Hot, sweaty, grumpy and sometimes "hysteric women", is the first and sometimes the only thing that people know or associate with menopause. This is quite alarming because menopause is as unavoidable as puberty, it is the second drastic hormonal shift that every woman (who has the privilege of aging) will experience at some point in her later adult years, starting typically from mid-40ies -...

It's been a while since we had a good old chin wag. This episode is reminiscent of Making a Runners' early days with all of the Nic and Davey banter that you've come to know and love. The conversation covers all of 2023's highlights and forecasts to where MAR is headed in the future. Enjoy the lighter side (wink wink) with this episode.

This week's episode is both a summary of and a continuation of DEEP DIVE - Breathing for Runners Part 1. If you haven't listened to Part 1, it's not necessary to start with it to derive value from today's conversation. Breathing - a fundamental, automated process that we don't give much thought to until we decide to wade back into the waters of fitness after a period of inactivity or attempt a maximal effort, then we are suddenly reminded by burning lungs and constricted chest. This...

Breathing - a fundamental, automated process that we don't give much thought to until we decide to wade back into the waters of fitness after a period of inactivity or attempt a maximal effort, then we are suddenly reminded by burning lungs and constricted chest. This sensation tends to get the better of us and makes it hard to proceed - let's face it, it feels kak, especially for newbie runners. We're told it gets easier or do we just get better? In this episode we take a deep dive into...

If you've clicked on this episode, you're clearly Comrades curious, a dangerous thing to be because the likelihood of you entering after listening is very high, if not a guarantee. In today's conversation Coach Lindsey Parry, aka. Coach Parry. aka. The Comrades Coach, lays out a road map to running the Comrades Marathon that we believe anyone can reliably follow to reach the ultimate destination, the Comrades finish line! Boasting a running CV that spans over 40 years, Coach Parry has learnt...

Welcome to a brand new segment of MAR! As the name suggest, in this episode we take deeper look at the lower leg; what job it does to perform the action of running, why it gets injured and how to navigate pain. We couldn't have chosen a better guest to help us unpack the subject. Martin is one of the best health care professionals of our time, his inquisitive nature and steadfast pursuit for answers in solving the puzzles of problems that people present with make for an excellent combination....

Ryan Sandes is for South African Trail Running like Siya Kolisi is for South African Rugby: an icon whos name will stand the test of time, not only for the incredible results and personal success that he has achieved but for the lasting and transformative impact that he has had on the sport as a whole. 16 years ago a young Ryan Sandes, who was completing his honours degree at the time, signed up to run the Kysna Marathon. Where he'd usually be in attendance of the Annual Oyster Festival, him...

Every runner who's been at it for a few weeks or more will know the magical feeling of "getting better at it". Running feels like hard work at first, but once you get into a groove, start building fitness and stamina, you soon find yourself reaching for more; more mileage and better times. In this episode of Making HER Runner we're talking to her, who is maybe a little afraid to push the boundaries on what's possible. Our guest today, Andriana Cronje, aka Andy, helps us approach fear and...

Often times as much as we'd like to, "normal runners" just can't relate to the well-meaning advice given by professional and elite athletes. That's why this episode with Carla Molinaro is such a refreshing one. Carla is a highly decorated professional runner, having placed 3rd in both TTOM and Comrades Marathon earlier this year, plus she's been selected to represent Great Britain in the upcoming 50km World Championships - but however decorated, Carla's approach to running is to keep things...

In this finale episode of The Sanlam Cape Town Limited Series, we chat to Durban Adidas Runners Captain, Jody Taylor and it couldn't have been a more fitting way to wrap up the build up to this big day... During our conversation we were reminded of the simple reasons that we love running; the friendships, the community, the coffee and the viiiibes! But this is more than a chin wag and a bit of friendly banter, more importantly, Jodie reminds us that together we can conquer any goal and any...