TnT Unleashed 1pic4twenty Blog

 

Anyone who has or has had a passion for something, has a little experience with it, and has learnt a little about it, can give advice on it.

Although I never quite made it to the junior South African athletics championships for long jump (my best jump, at age 16, was 15 cm short of the 5m.40cm target), I was passionate about my long jump and had an excellent long jump coach.

My coach was Jenny Beckman (now Jenny Kingwell), who, when 16, was the u16 girls South African long jump champion. Not too many years ago she was also the ladies world veteran champion for triple jump.

I trained hard, and listened to everything my long jump coach had to say. One year at school, I managed to jump slightly further than one of her age group Hudson Park school interhouse long jump records which had stood for a few years. She teased later that she was upset about it, but I think she was proud of me too, and of her coaching.

I didn’t do too badly at sprinting, but was more of a middle distance runner and long jumper – quite an odd combination. At interschool athletics meetings, if doing just two events, I did the 800 metre (best time 2.24 ) and long jump. I would sometimes also do the 400 metre, the 200 metre, and be a part of the 4 x 100 metre relay. Sometimes I did the 1500 metre too. In winter terms at school I did cross country running, and was a member of the 4-girl team at Hudson Park High school in the 80’s that won the Interschool’s cross country league 2 years in a row.

For cross country, while at school, I represented my province, Border, at a few Inter Provincial meetings, and once at the South African cross country Championships in Johannesburg.

In the school holidays between standard 7 and 8, I attended a one week athletics course in Adelaide, South Africa, as an athlete in the middle distance group. I learnt about anaerobic running and aerobic running, lactic acid, nutrition, training techniques such as fartlek running, and ran a lot! Between standard 8 and 9 I attended the course again, this time as a long jumper, and learnt a lot more.

I was also a member of Oxford Striders road running club, and used to also sometimes train with the Cambridge High school athletes at Cambridge High School. If there wasn’t too much homework, or running injuries, a typical week of training would look something like this:

3 afternoons a week school athletics (or cross country in winter terms);

2 to 3 late afternoon training sessions at Cambridge High School;

3 to 5 evenings a week road running at Oxford Striders;

(some days I did three training sessions).

After I finished school I ran in a few road races – 10 km, (best time just over 40 minutes) 15 km, and 21,1 km races. In 1997, aged 28, I did two full marathons of 42,2 kilometres each (best time 3hours 49 minutes). I have also done 13 Surfers Marathon coastal challenges.

I helped out at my children’s school a few years ago with the grade 2 and 3 cross country running training, and also helped coach primary school long jump there.

For a while I also took an interest in race-walking and was the first lady home 3 or 4 times.

I am too busy with my work now, and running and race-walking have taken a back seat, but I am hoping to get back into it one day once my business is more established.

© Teresa Schultz

ALSO SEE

What to do in a long jump sandpit

Tips for primary school athlete long jump coaches or parents – regards getting the perfect run up, and teaching about height and speed relating to a further jump.

The East London 16 km Surfers Marathon coastal challenge