Runners Platform SA

Why easy runs are the secret weapon of successful runners Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts.  Ask most runners what makes them faster, and you'll hear the usual answers: speed work, hill repeats, track sessions, and long runs. While those workouts certainly matter, there is another training session that often gets overlooked. Ironically, it may be the one that contributes the most to long-term improvement. I'm talking about the easy run. For many runners, especially those chasing a new personal best, easy running feels almost too simple. There is a temptation to push harder, run faster, and turn every outing into a test of fitness. Yet some of the world's best runners spend the majority of their training time running at a comfortable pace. That is not laziness. It is strategy. What Exactly Is an Easy Run? An easy run is performed at a relaxed pace where conversation feels natural. You should be able to speak in full sentences without feeling out of breath. Thi...

 Which One Should You Actually Do? Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts. There's a point every runner hits where easy miles just stop working. You're still getting out the door, your weekly mileage looks fine, your fitness feels solid and your race times won't budge. That's usually when someone mentions structured speed work, and you start wondering if you've been doing this wrong. Tempo runs and intervals are the two workouts that show up most in training plans, from 5 km programs to marathon blocks. They get lumped together a lot, but they're not interchangeable. One isn't secretly better than the other. It depends on what you're training for, how much experience you have, and honestly, what kind of suffering you tolerate better. What a Tempo Run Actually Is A tempo run is one sustained effort at a pace that's hard but not desperate. You could get a few words out if someone asked you something, but a full conversation is off the tabl...

  Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts. If you have recently discovered a love for running, chances are you have heard someone suggest joining an athletics club. It is one of the most common pieces of advice given to beginners, and for good reason. Across South Africa, athletics clubs welcome runners of every ability. Some members are preparing for their first 5 km event. Others are chasing personal bests over the marathon or training for the Comrades Marathon. Many simply enjoy meeting people who share the same hobby. Joining a club is far less complicated than many people imagine. You do not need to be exceptionally fast, own expensive shoes or have years of experience. Most clubs are looking for enthusiastic people who are willing to participate, respect others and enjoy being part of a community. If you are wondering where to begin, this guide will walk you through the process and explain what to expect once you become a member. Why Join an Athletics Club? Running al...

Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts. Running looks simple from the outside - one foot lands, the other follows, thousands of times over. But there's a whole crew of muscles working behind the scenes to keep you upright and moving efficiently, whether you're jogging around the block or grinding through mile 20 of an ultra. A lot of runners think "core training" means sit-ups until your abs burn. That's not really the point. A strong core keeps you balanced and lets your arms and legs do their job without wasting energy fighting your own torso. You don't need a gym or fancy equipment. A handful of exercises, done consistently, will get you most of the way there. What actually counts as your core It's not just the muscles you can see. Your core includes the deep muscles around your spine, your obliques, lower back, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and glutes, all of it works together every time you run. Think of carrying a full bucket of water acros...

Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts. How far should my long run be?" is the question every Two Oceans runner asks eventually, and there's no clean answer. It depends on your experience, your current fitness, and how consistent your last few months of training have actually been - not how consistent you meant them to be. The Two Oceans course doesn't reward raw fitness so much as patience. Whether you're doing the 56 km Ultra or the 21.1 km Half, Cape Town's climbs and unpredictable weather punish anyone who hasn't spent real hours on their feet. Long runs are how you buy that experience. Why long runs matter Long runs make your heart more efficient and teach your muscles to use oxygen better. That part's fairly well understood. The mental side matters just as much, though it gets talked about less. Somewhere around hour three, you stop panicking about tired legs and just... keep moving. That's not a metaphor - it's a skill, and it...

  Are They Worth The Money? Welcome, fellow runners and fitness enthusiasts. Walk into any running shop and you'll see them stacked at the top of the wall: carbon-plated shoes, priced like it's personal, promising to shave minutes off your marathon. Some runners swear by them. Others think they're an expensive way to look serious about running. Honestly, both camps have a point. Since the Vaporfly showed up and marathon records started falling, every major brand built its own version - Adidas, ASICS, New Balance, Puma, Saucony, Hoka, Brooks, Mizuno, all of them. In South Africa that's R4,000 to R7,000 a pair. Not pocket change. So what are you actually paying for? What's in the shoe A thin carbon plate sits inside the midsole. It doesn't launch you forward like some kind of trampoline; that's the popular myth. What it does is stabilise the foam around it, so your stride transitions more smoothly from landing to toe-off. Studies have found runners often...