ThatIndieRunner

Akintayo Adisa

Q. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do for a living?

My name is Akintayo Adisa and I work as a Business Development Manager for the largest chemical company in the world. I find my work really exciting as it involves using chemistry as an enabler to drive sustainable solutions, thereby creating value for customers, stakeholders and society. Working in Africa’s largest city presents its own unique challenges as no two days are the same. It is therefore necessary to develop coping mechanisms.

Q. How do you balance your exercise regime and your professional life?

I always try to exercise as I’ve found it to be a great source of energy and ideation. Having a high mobility job means that it is very difficult to keep an exercise routine. I always pack my running kit and shoes whenever I travel so that my routine doesn’t suffer too much. Back in Lagos, I am a founding member of a sports club which seeks to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

Q. When and why did you start running?

I started running in 2013 when I relocated back to Lagos from the UK. I took to running as a means to stay fit. In 3 years, I had gone from barely able to run 3 km to competing at the Lagos City Marathon.

Q. What motivates you to go out there, when you do not feel like it?

Thinking about the big picture motivates me to go out there when I don’t feel like it. It’s very important to stay committed and disciplined. Sometimes I have off days but I always try to stay committed.

Q. What is the longest distance you have ran?

I ran a full marathon (42 km) in February 2016

Q. What gives you the confidence to run in the streets?

Sometimes I get out on the streets as early as 4:30am to start running. I don’t think about how early or dark it is but rather how far I’m going to go and how I’m going to pace myself to achieve the run. I love running in the streets due to the fresh air it provides and the changing scenery.

Q. What do you think about the lack of exercise among the youth?

I think exercise should be made more interesting and attractive for the youth to embrace it. We should also have more role models advocating for exercising.

Q. What was your best running experience?

My best running experience was running by a lake in Houston, Texas. The air was so cool and conducive that I set all my personal records during the 2 week period when I ran by the lake.

Q. What was your worst running experience?

My worst running experience occurred running at night on a road in Ikoyi, Lagos and falling neck deep into an open man-hole. I managed to crawl out of the man-hole but couldn’t walk unaided for the next 6 weeks. This really affected my routine and training.

Q. How do you push through the pain?

I push through pain by trying to psyche myself up and refusing to quit. It’s a matter of mind over body.

Q. What advice can you give somebody who wants to start running?

My advice to those who want to start running is to start at their own pace and watch as they grow from run to run.

Q. Which Social media sites are you on and how can one follow you?

Instagram: akintayoadisa

Twitter: teeboy1981

#RunRevolution

Sunday, December 11, 2016
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#INDIERUNNERTAKEOVER by @mariewernert

#indierunnertakeover

Wednesday, December 07, 2016
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Lorenna Marques

Running Culture

Q. Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do for a living?

Hello! My name is Lorenna Marques, I’m 26 years old, Brazilian, living in São Bernardo do Campo – São Paulo, and I am an amateur runner and also running with obstacles. I love adventures and challenges. What I do for living? Another passion: I’m psychologist, student of the graduate program in psychoanalysis and work in private practice.

Q. How do you balance your exercise regime and your professional life?

That was my biggest difficulty at first. When I started running, a year ago, I had a heavy work routine, which often left me tired to train. With the change of job in 2016 I made a workout with fixed workouts that I follow with responsibility to achieve my goals. I take the weekends for long-distance training.

Q. When and why did you start running?

I started running exactly a year ago. I was 21 pounds more than today, sad, taking a sedentary and boring routine. I've always loved sports, played basketball all my childhood and adolescence, but dropped out during college for lack of time. One fine day, I woke up and decided that from that day on it would be different. I started running, and soon I realized I was in love with running. Running is a passion, keeps me in touch with myself fully.

Q. What motivates you to go out there, when you do not feel like it?

They say that people in love do crazy things, right? My relationship with running is like this. The sensation of pleasure it produces in me, the intimate contact it offers me with myself is what makes me go out and go always beyond. No finish line.

Q. What is the longest distance you have ran?

The biggest distance I ran was 20 KM (kilometers), and my goal for next year is to run half marathons. I love long distance running.

Q. What gives you the confidence to run in the streets?

That's an interesting question, it made me wonder. Certainly the feeling of freedom. Feel the fresh air on your face, enjoying nature from another perspective, feel that there are no limits.

Q. What do you think about the lack of exercise among the youth?

I think it's a shame. I hear many people, many young people, talking about lack of time, and I try to understand because for a while I did it too. But the human being tends to create justifications without really trying. That’s all.

Q. What was your best running experience?

All were very good, but I'm looking forward to San Silvestre running that will happen in São Paulo on December 31st. I think it will be my best experience this year.

Q. What was your worst running experience?

My worst experience in running was the W21K ASICS, because I felt a lot of pain during the course and couldn’t do what I expected.

Q. How do you push through the pain?

I keep thinking the pain is less than my commitment to myself. I never left a running for fatigue or pain. In these moments I have a little conversation with myself and I persuade myself to continue, I think I'm good in it. LOL.

Q. What advice can you give somebody who wants to start running?

Wear your shoes, get out to take a run to the end of the street, go straight. It will not be long until you feel the sense of freedom and intimacy with your body and the streets. Leave all your problems, justifications behind ... running. Running is power!

Q. Which Social media sites are you on and how can one follow you?

You can follow me on Instagram @lohhmarques

#RunRevolution

Wednesday, December 07, 2016
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Adidas Run Your Crew

Race Reviews

Capturing this event in words, is a very hard task to execute. However, I was up for the challenge of running 12km at my unfit stage of my life and I am up for the challenge of capturing the essence of this event now.

22016 is the year that Adidas South Africa entered the running game, which is a good thing because I have been keeping track of the international running scene. Adidas Runners is a developed concept in other countries and I was waiting for South Africa to jump into the fray. When the Johannesburg RunBase was launched, we were not invited and I made it my mission to participate in the next running event that would be launched.

This race was centered on the concept of the CREW & the premise was simple. START TOGETHER, FINISH TOGETHER

The Race Pack

In all my running years I have never come across such a pretty race pack. I mean it came in a box, like where have you ever seen a race pack in a box?

A photo posted by @thatindierunner on Dec 2, 2016 at 8:26am PST

A photo posted by Lebogang Xolo (@mrsx.lifestyle) on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:42am PST

The Race pack contained 6 tee shirts, 6 timing chips, 6 arm bands, stickers and the race rules. Not included in the race pack was the R50 uber voucher that each runner was provided with for a single trip.

The Route

This race was marketed as an inner city crew run and so in my head, when I hear inner city. I think fox street, maboneng, end street, Hilbrow etc because I have done city runs before such as the Nike Run Jozi and the FNB Joburg 10K city run . I was really dissapointed when we took a left on Rissik street and pretty much ran away from the inner city.

I understand that the city has a reputation for being unsafe however we have ran in the pits of Johannesburg at 8pm at night through Hilbrow. When a race advert says inner city run this is what I expect.I definately do not expect to be running in the streets of Parktown, the streets of Parktown are probably tired of NRC runners pounding them during week nights.

Running through Johannesburg CBD at night is an experience that lasts you a lifetime because unlike New York and Berlin. I wouldn't be able to run at 8pm through Hilbrow or Berea. So when a race takes me through those sections of the city, I appreciate because its something new that I enjoy through the safety of the group running. We have ran the tree lined surburbs enough, its time to really go into the city.

Apart from running in the surburbs, it was an okay route with steep inclines here and there, especially going through Wits university. Even though roads that are not popular were closed off and used, I hated there was cars driving in between us and we constantly had to look over our backs. This is the last thing that I want to do when I am in a race. Also there wasn't water at the 3KM point & we only got coke at the finish line.

The Medal

There weren't any medals at the finish line. We were presented with a drinks coupon and an arm band. I know with the calibre of runner thats at a street race every saturday this would have been a major problem. I don't really wear my medals or keep track of them anyways so this was not a problem for me.

My medal was meeting Sven from Run Pack Berlin, we have in communicating on facebook since way before I started this blog.

The Atmosphere

Adidas dubs itself as the home of Energy running. During the run I felt the energy from the bystanders, they cheered us on and offered us beer. The race was lively around constitutional hill, this also reason why I love running through the seedy parts of the seedy. I remember when I have done night city runs in the past, residents peer out of their flats and they cheer the runners on. This feeling is electric. There were also spots along the race where there were live performances. The atmosphere along the route was boring, the atmosphere after the race was ENERGY ON FLEEK.

The Entertainment

The block party!!! guys this was the best part of the night. The atmosphere was amazing! There were 2 stages, 3 bars and a food market. All of this was positioned in an alley in Newtown under the M1 highway. I mean ?!?! what is a better way to party in the city? There were various performances by several well known artists. The highlight was when Dj Kent took over the decks.

I wish you were there to experience it. It still gives me goosebumps now thinking about it, I am currently playing his album as I type this. That block party is probably the best party I have been to this entire year and it was a perfect way to close off my 2016 race season.

In Conclusion...

Would I do this race again? Definately, I would like to do the other Run Your Crew events around the world. If Adidas ZA does a cape town edition I would like to be there as well. This was Adidas ZA's first step into the Street Running/Crew movement and they certainly executed it well.

Thank you to my crew THE NO SWEAT GRETS, I was struggling to maintain pace but they kept me in check as from this race I am back to running again.