Training Tips – 10 Weeks to Go!
With 10 weeks to go until Kruger2Canyon Challenge 2024, I sat down with Karine Bezuidenhout again, to discuss training for this race, which has a beast of a reputation!
There are 10 weeks to go until Kruger2Canyon Challenge. 10 short weeks. Enough time? Absolutely – you just have to be realistic about where you are at right now in terms of fitness, and what race you are aiming for, come 5 July.
A reminder of the Stage Race options:
30km (16km + 14km), and
Tip 1: Steady increase in weekly mileage
From this point on, runners should be looking to steadily increase their weekly milage, until their peak week involves cumulative milage equal to the full distance that you are aiming to run (ie. 70km, 44km, 30km or 20km).
If you are just considering K2C for the first time and regularly running the ParkRun, then the 20km is a great objective! Add in a few more runs in the week and slowly increase the distance of each – you can do this!
Tip 2: Time on the Mountain (biweekly)
Get out and hike at least every two weeks. Day 1 is all about hiking fitness – you run the “runnables” (Karine’s runnables are very different to mine, and that’s ok!) and hike the rest.
Hoedspruit Locals, you have the advantage here because you can get onto Mariepskop itself, but any mountain will do – just hike UP!
Tip 3: Strength Work
If you are a gym goer, then include strength work sessions twice a week (see below for Karine’s suggested Strength Session).
If you have been doing regular strength work, use a weight of at least 10kg to get the benefits, remembering from our first Training Tips that running loads a force of 8 times your body weight onto your knees, so the more muscle-strength you can build, the better you will be able to run up and DOWN the mountain!
For those who aren’t gym-goers, then include the exercises below after every run (or build them into your day). Get creative with weights – water canisters are our favourite as they have handles.
Karine’s Strength Session
8 Reps of each exercise, 2 Sets.
Thanks to Karine for sharing her knowledge in such user-friendly training tips! Tick these boxes above, and you are well on your way to a great race at Kruger2Canyon Challenge, come July 2024!
Visit www.kampersrusphysio.co.za to find out more about Karine or to book a physio session.