She’s run numerous routes all over the world, yet Cape Town’s Chapman’s Peak remains a favourite for Olympian, Gerda Steyn. Routes like these are what made us fall in love with running. Are you in the same boat? We’ve asked Gerda to share some tips on how to become a better runner.
For many, running is an escape. For Gerda, it started as a means of meeting friends when she moved to another city or country. Naturally, her first bit of advice would be to join a running group to help you stay on track and to ensure that you enjoy the process. According to her, fitness takes time and you have to build into it and not overdo it in such a way that you are put off by it early on.
Gerda says: “Everyone is different and it will depend on your current fitness and also your ability to stay injury free and motivated. The human body is incredibly capable and adaptable and if you really want to reach your goals, you will. It might take two months or it might take a year; the secret is not to give up, regardless of what your timeline looks like.”
Running professionally is a whole other ball game than just running recreationally. “Most professional runners run on a daily basis, often twice daily and also incorporate different forms of cross training. It truly is a full-time job and to make the transition from social running to professional running is not as simple as it might seem. I remember so well when I made the decision to make running my profession. It was daunting at the start with a lot of uncertainty about the outcome of my decision. Fortunately, it wasn’t too long before I started seeing the results. Still, a lot of changes had to be made for me to make a success of my career,” the Olympian says.
Apparently, the secret to improving from shorter distances to running a 21km lies in incorporating short interval-type workouts, as well as longer tempo runs at your target pace, into your weekly training routine. “Don’t forget to also incorporate nice easy running in between the workouts,” Gerda adds. While it’s often neglected, she says cross training is very important for runners. “[It] can help with injury prevention and also with building a strong endurance base without the risk of burnout or overtraining.”
Another thing we love about running is the fact that it doesn’t require much equipment. Therefore, you can invest in the best of the best to elevate your running experience! As an Olympian athlete, Gerda has tried out her fair share of running gear. Here are her favourites:
Shoes: adidas Supernova Rise
Socks: Any type of adidas performance socks (Gerda often applies Vaseline to her toes to prevent friction and blisters)
Watch: If you are looking for a lightweight, smart, reliable GPS watch with multiple functions and features, Gerda recommends the Garmin Forerunner 965
Glasses: Oakley Sutro Lite or Oakley BiSphaera
Sunscreen: Gerda loves Isdin’s sunscreen range, but says any kind of sunscreen will do rather than none.
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