Dr Martin Khoury is no stranger to the podcast and his expertise have already been shared in previous deep dive episodes on the lower leg and knee but as he will tell you: "The hip joint is his favourite joint of the body". His enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject matter is unmatched.

We had a fantastic conversation covering:

• Hip Joint Anatomy and movement
• Muscular relationships and the importance of each muscle group
• How the hip impacts our running motion and the multiple roles it plays
• Common hip injuries and how to know what you may be potentially suffering from
• The relationship between hip pain and back pain

This was one of those episodes full of golden nuggets and tips to healthier hip joints. As you can hear, the hip joint / pelvis is a complex area of the body and the issues it presents with are often not straight forward. As runner we need strong , mobile hips that can withstand the repetitive load of running. Work on these proactively and it will change your running.

We hope you enjoyed this conversation and feel free to reach out to @makingarunner on social media or email info@makingarunner.com for your questions or suggestions.

We are back after a small production break with one of the most anticipated conversations of the year - The 2024 Comrades Marathon Winner, Piet Wiersma.

After narrowly missing out on the win in 2023 by 2 seconds the 'Unknown' Dutchman was the talk of the South African and global running community. We had the pleasure of chatting to him back then (See S2|E17) where he pledged he would make a comeback this year and go one step higher on the podium. A commitment that he was able to fulfill on the 9th of June with a time of 5h:25min earning him the Crown of Comrades Champion.

In this conversation we chat to Piet and ask him 'How' he was able to master up this incredible victory coming from a part-time running, full time student background with minimal sponsors and backing (AKA, an amateur runner) at only 26 years of age. We cover:

• His Injury Set back after Comrades 2023 which saw him starting training for this year on the back foot.
• His running schedule when in Italy whilst trying to juggle his studies.
• His build up to this years race in detail including his 6 weeks in Kenya and his weekly training schedule.
• The weeks leading up to Comrades 2024, his taper, relationships with Nedbank Running Club and his race day strategy.
• The 2024 Comrades Race in Detail
• What the future holds for Piet, his marathon aspirations and sponsorship opportunities.

We certainly learned lots from Piet and his way of doing things. He is truly inspiring and his ability is just astounding. We know this is just the start of Piet's dance with the Comrades Marathon crown and we look forward to watching him develop further as a runner and a role model for this race we all love so much.

If you enjoyed this episode and found it insightful, then we urge you to leave us a rating or review on your favourite streaming platform.

This episode was brought to you by our sponsor , Rawbiotics. Make sure to visit www.rawbiotics.co.za and claim your 15% discount using the code "MAR15".

Making it to the start of Comrades Marathon is as much an achievement as is completing the gruelling 85.9km journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

This episode is for those of you competing in this years version of the Comrades Marathon or those of you hoping to support on the road during the day. This episode is even for those of you watching from the comfort of your home and hoping to gain a little more insight onto race day. Who are we kidding, this episode is for everyone.... because The Ultimate Human Race is for everyone.

We are here. It is Race Week. The training is done, the nerves have kicked in and the final race day preparations are well under way. Listen to Nic and Davey as they guide you through everything and anything you need to know for the days leading up to the race and race day itself. You will hear many 'top tips' along the way and you can be sure to walk away from this one having learned something useful to take into race day and feeling far more calm about the Comrades journey you are about to take on, whether you are running your 50th Comrades like Barry Holland or are a total Novice on your first attempt.

In this conversation we cover:

• Race Week build up: Race goal and strategies, nutrition , taper, mental game, sleep and recovery strategies
• Days leading up the the event: Comrades Expo, Carbo Loading, Hydration & Electrolyte refuelling, Sickness and Injury Management, recommendations regarding movement and running
• Race Day: Morning Pre-race Advice, Race Plan, Route breakdown, Seconding advice, Nutrition and Hydration Strategies
• Top Tips from Nic and Davey with all the above topics in mind

We have put together the perfect one stop shop for all Comrades Runners so that you don't have to look any further. We have take the extensive advice received from past guest of the show as well as our acquired knowledge through the years to give you an episode not to be missed.

Take it all in, re-listen if you must and make sure to share with your running buddies. We will see you on route and wish you all the best for a successful day out there!

As always, feel free to share and follow our journey on our socials @makingarunner and send us your insights and future guest suggestions to info@makingarunner.com

*This episode was brought to you by Rawbiotics. Visits www.rawbiotics.co.za and claim your 15% discount using code 'MAR15'.

The Marathon Des Sables (MDS) is notorious for being one of the toughest trail races in the world. If this is news to you then picture this for a minute: Running 250km in the middle of the Sahara desert spread over 6 days where participants have to be able to fully self support themselves and work with strict daily water rations. Your days can range from 30km to 90km and the people who you share a tent with become your only form of support out there. The MDS is for sure not a race for the faint hearted and definitely something that pushes the human limits of endurance.

Every year 100's of runners from all over the world make the trip to Morocco to take part in this incredible endurance event and this year James Miller made the trip hoping to be able to compete alongside the world's best desert runners. He finished 7th overall and second non-moroccan making him the highest placing South African finisher in history at the just age of 26.

After picking up running in 2021 and finishing on the top step of the podium at the 21km UTCT Trail event he has achieved some mighty fast times over the Marathon and Half marathon along with some notable podium finishes in various trail events. Although he is only at the beginning of his running career this remarkable CV (whilst still working full time) definitely shows the potential he holds and whats to come from the future.

Over and above his incredible running talent, giving back to the community is something that he holds very close to his heart and even as a South African living in the UK, he has been working closely with LIV2RUN (S1E9) to raise funds for development runners and dedicated his MDS run to them in the hope that donations would lead to some of these runners being able to attends a "European Training season and Trail race" which would be an incredible things for them to experience in their running journey. Donations for this are still open and you can follow https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/James-Miller59?utm_medium=proxy_fundraising&utm_content=James-Miller59&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share.

In this conversation we chat about:

• James Miller's inspiring rise through the running scene
• His move to the UK and what that means for the South African
• Deep dive into his MDS experience; Training, Planning, Preparation & physical experience
• His take aways from MDS and what he learned about himself as a runner
• His involvement with LIV2RUN
• What the future holds for James

Follow James along his journey @therunningbean and enjoy the conversation, we know we did.

Feel free to leave us a review or follow us on socials @makingarunner.

This episode was brought to you by Rawbiotics. Visits www.rawbiotics.co.za and claim your 15% discount using code MAR15.

Are you willing to reconsider everything you think you know about hydration?

This episode had us diving into the deep waters of hydration for endurance sports, with multiple Kona Ironman World Championship contender, Sport Scientist and Coach, Andy Brodziak, who is a representative of Precision Hydration - an industry leader in all things, you guessed it, hydration.

What may appear to be a pretty straight forward topic is actually a lot more technical and subjective than we realised.

In today's episode Andy shares his wealth of knowledge and helps us understand how being well-hydrated goes far beyond just drinking enough water. By dialing in and finding homeostasis for our unique hydration needs - we could stand to feel and perform at out very best!

We chat:

• The difference between dehydration and being over-hydrated and the risks associated with both.
• Sweat, sweat rate and what we can learn from the quality and quantity of our sweat.
• The 101 on Electrolytes.
• All things sodium; table salt, salt tablets, salty snacks, sodium in hydration drinks and more...
• The gist on caffeine/caffeine supplements and where they fit into the plan.
• Homeostasis; discovering and meeting our carbohydrate, salt and fluid needs for ultimate performance in training and competition.
• Precision Hydration testing and discovering your UNIQUE fuel and hydration requirements.

The work that Andy and the team at Precision Hydration are doing stands to change the game of endurance sport. We are honored to have had this conversation and know that there is still much to discover and discuss. If you'd like to continue learning about the subject or get hold of the team, here are a list of resources:

• https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/nutrition-endurance-performance/
• https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/nutrition/how-much-caffeine-should-athletes-use/
• Measure your sweat rate: https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-to-measure-your-sweat-rate/

Get in touch with Andy:

Email: andy@tri-tanium.com

Visit: tri-tanium.com

Social: @tritaniumcoaching @andybrodziak

This episode was brought to you by Rawbiotics. Visits www.rawbiotics.co.za and claim your 15% discount using code MAR15.

Overview:

In this episode Nic and Davey are back and chatting to Official Comrades Coach, Lindsey Parry, discussing race day strategy and final preparation for the Ultimate Human Race.

In the conversation Lindsey emphasises the importance of getting to race day feeling fresh and pain-free advising runners to embrace the fatigue and understand that it is normal at this stage of training. He recommends a gradual tapering of training volume and intensity in the last two weeks before the race. Lindsey also highlights the mental aspect of running Comrades, including setting smaller goals during the tough parts of the race and trusting the training process. He provides insights into the up-run route and the challenges runners can expect at different sections of the course. The conversation provides a detailed breakdown of the Comrades Marathon up run, including key points along the route, pacing strategies, and tips for achieving specific goals.

Lindsey Parry explains the course and highlights the challenges and opportunities at each stage. He emphasises the importance of pacing, especially for those aiming for a Bill Rowan or Silver medal. He also discusses the possibility of breaking the up run record and provides overall advice for training and final preparation.

You can access more insight from Coach Parry on https://coachparry.com/?via=nic

Whether you are an experienced Comrades runner, Novice or non runner, this episode will hold all the insight you need to conquer the Ultimate Human race. Enjoy the conversation and all the best from the MAR Team.

Time Stamps:

15:00 - Getting to Race Day: Freshness and Pain-Free

20:14 - Tapering: Gradual Reduction in Training

39:30 - Understanding the Up-Run Route: Challenges and Highlights

47:23 - Course Overview and Key Points

01:02:25 - Understanding the Cutoffs

01:06:19 - Setting Goal Times and Pacing Strategies

01:16:26 - Aiming for a Bill Rowan or Silver Medal

01:20:39 - The Potential for Breaking the Up Run Record

As always, feel free to connect with us on Instagram @makingarunner, e-mail on info@makingarunner.com or simply leave a review on your favourite streaming platform.

This episode was brought to you by Rawbiotics. Visits www.rawbiotics.co.za and claim your 15% discount using code MAR15.

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, Giovanni Bianco, Mental Performance Coach and All-American Triathlete, helps us master our mental game. We chat:

• Dealing with discomfort, failure and self doubt.
• The power of deciding what kind of runner you want to BE and how this can transform your running experience good/bad.
• Mental strength: having it vs developing it.
• Creating the “perfect race conditions” vs waiting got everything to line up.

Give Giovanni a follow on Social Media @giovannimentalperformance and feel free to reach out to him if you are in need of a mental coach that knows how to get the best out of his athletes.

We hope you enjoyed the show!

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 performance.

Today's episode takes a closer look at the effect that fuelling has on hormones and as a result our training. Our guest, Annie Bothma, a certified Master Sports Nutritionist, Running Coach and Professional Athlete helps unpack:

• Hormones, what they are and why they matter.
• Cortisol, stress and recovery.
• Sex hormones and issues with energy availability; REDS, LEA.
• The impact of fasting and calorie restriction.
• How good nutrition and adequate fuelling can support hormonal health.
• The difference between training for weight loss and training for performance and why it's vital to differentiate between the two.
• And more...

This is the kind of episode that you can return to time and time again and learn something new every time.

As Annie mentions, if you suspect that a loved one or training buddy is suffering the consequences of poor nutrition or any of the concepts discussed in this episode, please encourage them to seek professional help! We cannot do this sport without taking care of our health.

If you'd like to reach out to Annie, find her at: https://www.anniesathletes.org/ and to learn more about her journey as an athlete and professional, we encourage you to follow her blog too - https://www.anniebothma.com/

Feel free to reach out to us at anytime on socials: https://www.instagram.com/makingarunner?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==