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'.