Comrades running – recovery is key

The core of Comrades Marathon Coach Lindsey Parry’s message during the Comrades Roadshow at Polo­kwane Athletics Club (PAC) last Thursday was that athletes’ bodies need to recover properly from practice before taking on this race.
PAC Chairperson Corrie Calitz said it was the biggest number of athletes ever to attend the Limpopo roadshow with more than 100 enthusiasts hoping to gain information on how to prepare.
“The roadshow offers an educational, motivational and inspirational talk that will not only take athletes to the start but see them through to the finish line with psycholo-gical and physical tools to achieve their goals,” Comrades Marathon Marketing Manager Thami Vilakazi said.
According to Ca­litz, Parry emphasised the important fact that some athletes practice too hard before the Comrades. “Get enough sleep. If you do not have an appetite your body is breaking down because it does not get enough time to recover,” Parry was quoted to have said.
Calitz said it was a beneficial event to all athletes present. “We hope to see athletes practising in such a way that they create more body strength instead of breaking it down to ensure a successful marathon experience,” Calitz said.

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