Resident inspired to hit the road again
“My goal is to finish sub-45 minutes before targeting my final 10k event for the year towards the middle of November where I’d like to run a sub-40 minutes.”
Local resident Michael van Aswegen is looking forward to participating in the Absa Run your City Joburg 10K event in the Johannesburg CBD on September 24.
Van Aswegen was among a group of runners who took part in the 5K Puma Nitro Demo Run #3 at Homestead Dam on September 10.
He told the paper he’d lost interest in running but through the work, he does developing young athletes at his academy, he has found his spark again.
“Preparations for the Joburg 10k are going well. Through coaching my youth athletes at the Elite Athletics Performance Academy at Pinnacle College in Rynfield, I reignited that desire to run in January. This desire has been missing for 10 years,” he said.
The Ravenswood resident said he hopes to finish the event in under 45 minutes.
“After a shaky start to the year, I have managed to put more than 10 weeks of consistent training in preparation for this race.
“My goal is to finish sub-45 minutes before targeting my final 10k event for the year towards the middle of November where I’d like to run sub-40 minutes.”
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Van Aswegen has advised those who want to run their first 10km to set a clear goal.
“Training for a 10km race should not be a daunting task. The most important aspect is to be aware of your abilities and not compare yourself to others. Set a clear goal, whether it’s to go out and finish or run a specific time, and tailor your training accordingly.
“Getting a coach or fellow runner of the same ability to assist you in your training and race preparation would be the first place to start. Build slowly and don’t be afraid of rest. Your body will need days where training is just not an option.
“Utilising your rest days effectively will put you in a far better position than training when your body is telling you not to,” he stated.
The Puma Nitro run was launched by the Run Your City series as warm-up runs in the build-up to the 10k city run which takes place in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
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