Cadence Coaching

Super proud of my wife and athlete Sondra Hope on her result for the Skyward Canyon Ultra Trail Run in Oman today.

The event is held in the unfiltered sun of the mountains in Oman each year and the Skyward Canyon covers a distance of 59.6 km with an elevation gain of 3,113 m. It's a tough route in anyone's books.

Out of 228 starters, Sondra placed 110th overall, 14th in the ladies category and 8th in her age category.

This event was Sondra's "A" race for 2025 and many hours of training went into making today a reality. As part of the training plan we also focused on rest and recovery days as well as a proper taper to ensure she was in tip top shape at the start of the race. Even her Garmin Enduro watch agreed.

Another critical aspect of the race preparation was working out a salt intake, hydration and feeding strategy to support the long day out. This involved testing a number of products and foods on training runs to see what worked and what didn't.

Excellent result Sondra Hope. I couldn't be prouder of you.

Fast and flat - The 47th Mielie Marathon is the oldest Marathon in the Free State.

Race date: 17 January 2026
Where: HTS Sports grounds, Welkom
Distances: 42.2km, 21.1km, 10km & 5km

Enter ➡️ https://entries.chiptimer.co.za/2026-mielie/

https://www.runnersguide.co.za/pages/calendar/races_in_sa/RacesInSA.aspx?RaceNo=1500132836&RaceName=Mielie+Marathon

and Qualfier

🇿🇦 What do the South African Champion Jerseys mean?
Here’s a quick guide to the colours worn by our National Champions across all disciplines:

🔴 Red Jersey with SA Stripes
– For all riders younger than U/17.

⚪ White Jersey with SA Stripes
– For UCI categories: Junior, U/23 & Elite.

🔵 Blue Jersey with SA Stripes
– For all Veteran age groups.

✨ Important:
Champions may only wear their SA Champion jersey in the discipline they earned it in.
(Example: A Road Champion may not wear the jersey in MTB or Track.)

Different categories, one national pride. 🇿🇦

We are proud to support the Mouse-Free Marion Project's fundraising initiatives through the sale of Mini and Hiking AR Gaiters in a customised Mouse-Free Marion design. We will donate a portion from the sale of each pair of these Mini and Hiking AR Gaiters to this very important project.

This donation initiative from AR Gaiters is just one avenue that, together with hundreds of others, will help the Mouse-Free Marion Project to achieve their fundraising objectives to execute this project. Each R1,000 donated sponsors 1 hectare of mouse eradication on the island.

Why is it necessary to wipe out the human-introduced rodents? In short, mice are feasting on the eggs, chicks and, increasingly, the adults of many of the island’s globally important seabirds; 19 species face local extinction.

Visit our website to learn more about the project and the eradication plan. Be sure to get your orders in for these special AR Gaiters. They will make great gifts for your twitcher friends.

https://argaiters.co.za/blogs/articles/supporting-mouse-free-marion-project-through-ar-gaiters

Mouse-Free Marion

Black Friday is here! 🎉

Get any Masterton’s beverage for just R20, once you have your cuppa, pop into Coimbra and find the best deals on all your cycling needs. ☕🚴‍♂️

Offer valid 24 to 29 November 2025!

On Saturday, Sondra took part in the Theeb Ultra Marathon 50km in Qatar. The terrain of this flat, desert ultra is mostly compacted sand, some loose sand and some rocks here or there. To blow her trumpet, Sondra placed 3rd in the ladies masters category in windy and hot conditions. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For Sondra, this was a 'training run' in preparation for her race goal, the Himam Adventure trail run in Oman in three weeks time. This event offers four courses including the UTMB qualifying 60km and 118km routes. The 60km course that Sondra is doing takes runners through the Al Hajar Range Mountains and includes 2750m of elevation gain, canyons and technical terrain.

We wish Sondra the best with her final preparations for the race and very, very good luck for a superb run in Oman on 12 Dec. https://himam.om/

Being a level 2 TrainingPeaks accredited coach means I have access to a vast database of resources as well as a base of knowledgeable coaches from all over the world.

This was another excellent course for all coaches as this is an aspect that is often overlooked by both coaches and athletes alike.

I have done similar courses through a number of other renowned training institutions and always find something new on each completed course to share with my athletes.

Its important to keep up to date with science and the latest evidence based research for my clients.

As an endurance coach it's critical to understand the importance of your clients having the muscle mass to support their chosen sport.

Having access to science based resources is an indispensable tool in a coach's toolbelt.