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MR Pace Show Questions and Answers
Presenter: Collen Makaza
Guest: Natasha Felix
Date: 16 July 2021
Time: 1800hrs to 2030hrs
Vunue: Chitungwiza. Harare. Zimbabwe
Contacts: +263733741960/ +263776769684
Email: mrpacemakaza@gmail.com
*1.Q- Welcome Mrs N. Filex can you tell us more about yourself, when and where were you born?*
1.Q - I was born 28 January 1977 in the heart of the Cape Flats in Western Cape Province to parents Ruth and Charles. I am the eldest of two children.
*2.Q- Do you still remember the person who helped you to start running?*
2.Q - Growing up my family, friends and teachers never imagined me to be a "jogger" I use the term jogger because today when they meet me they will ask me if I am going for a jog.🤭
As a child I had the tendency of walking and falling. Honestly Mr Collen I can't explain it to you🙃. I will be walking next to my mum and when she is looking for me, I am on the floor.
When playing outside with my friends that was the order of the day.
When meeting my cousins at family gatherings I knew that I was going to be left behind when they will be playing outside because they did not have the patience to look after "spaghetti " that was the name given to me by them.
At primary school when I now had my first encounter with athletics, I did not know what to expect.
Like any other school we had the different groups ( green/blue/red/yellow house) and Natasha Felix never made the team. Why? Because like any practice session I will follow instructions but eventually found myself on the ground again.
Then at the age of 11 I made it through to the Netball Team🤗after my mother have overdosed me with Calsuba🤦🏾♀️ I was part of the Netball Team for 2 seasons. But I still wanted to run and the sad part is that no one ever reached out. No teacher, no one. They have all concluded that I am not made for athletics.
And Mr Collen with that said, at home year in and year out as a family on 16 June we will be tuned in and watch the Comrades Marathon. My mother will make a pot of veggie soup and we will be glued to the TV. And in my teenage voice I will say to them that one day I will be running that race. And they would just laugh at me.
Then I started my High school Years at Mondale Senior Secondary School. And this is where things happened. This was the first Model C school in the Cape Flats and I was privileged to attend this school. The school was known for having a High Matric Pass Rate and they were on top on the list when it came to school athletics. 🤗
Remember I have now outgrown my "tripping phase" 🤭and it is my first year at Secondary School and I just discovered that the school athletics coach Mr Nazeem Davids was from my neighborhood😱and then the tables turned for Natasha.
We had sports periods, I went for tryouts for the athletics team and I then officially had my first attempt on running the 800m🤗where I did not trip and fall but I died 🤭
It was a great experience!!!
Coach Nazeem had us training before school, after school 🙆🏽♀️but I guess this was still not enough for me because after my first attempt I did not make the team again🤦🏾♀️I was now just the reserve and then I stopped attending the training sessions because at that time my teenage mindset said to me that I am just waisting my time and I guess my peers kept on saying to me I was not going to make it. I had no will power to believe in myself at that time.
But the flip side of all of this Mr Collen, I then started running every afternoon from home to my friends place which I now know was a full 6km (3km in and 3km out) Nobody asked me to run this 6km daily it was something that I wanted to do and it went on like that for a couple of months and then she started joining me🤗and it was now our daily routine.
So with that said I feel that I had no one who really took time out to take me by the hand and say Natasha I will walk this journey with you and help you. I always wanted to run and with all the challenges I faced I eventually found myself when I started running those 6km every day.
*3.Q- When did you start running and how it started?*
3. Q- So the daily 6km runs came to an end when I matriculated in 1994 and then I started attend aerobics classes at the local community hall. And I was now into aerobics and I guess the seed of being a fitness freak has always been there. I have just been watering it at different stages of my life.
In the year 2000 I moved to Johannesburg where I am still based. I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was on a Tuesday and by the Thursday I signed up with Carlton Gym because exercising daily was part of my lifestyle. A week or two later I signed up with Virgin Active Southgate and doing my aerobics. I then observed a group of male runners about 5 of them🤔 every afternoon I would see them going out for their run. And not long I was part of the group.
These guys ran Comrades Marathon every year and I was just there walking/running my 5km trying to get back into the running. But they inspired me every day. To be part of them, listening to their stories and knowing that deep down I to wanted to run the Comrades Marathon so I better stick to these guys.
And then in 2006 I went to visit my family during the Easter Holiday and during this time the famous Two Oceans Marathon also takes place.
Now, my beloved mother has also started running when I moved to Johannesburg. And on this 2006 Easter Weekend she said to me that there was a race number available from a club member. Remember at that time The Two Oceans Organizers did not have a subsitution process in place like they have today. So I decided this is it! I am going to run my first 21km 🤗🤗 I ran it in a time of 2h45 with no proper preparations. And this was a good day for me because then I decided that I was definitely going back the next year🤗
And I came back to Johannesburg after that weekend and then started doing 10/15/21km races when I felt like doing them.
The best part of running for me was and even still today is to to lace up and just run.
*In other words you are Gym Coach?*
In 2010 I qualified as an aerobics instructor combined with spinning instructor.
In 2019 I qualified as a long and middle distance athletics coach.
*4.Q- Do you have a coach to guide you on your trainings?*
4.Q - Yes I do have a coach. He is Mark Wolff a multisport coach who combines training with nutrition. He is also the founder of 32GI. A great mentor🙏🏽
I have been training with him for 18 months now and I have been transformed in all areas of my life. The training program that he has designed for me is really working for me and it is keeping me on my toes every day.
As a coach myself I am learning so much from him and I get excited for those who will be coached by me.
*Personally know him still supporting us at MaxedElite Club " Good Guy"*
I have to agree with you, a good guy🙏🏽and always to support.
*5.Q- What inspires you to be an athlete?*
5.Q - Our sport involves competition and I am a sucker for competing with myself especially my old self. Because if you want to better yourself you have to put the work in.
Like when you decide to run a race that is your goal and there is certain steps that you have to follow e.g. You must enter for the race. Do the training. Run the race. Deal with the challenges while preparing for the race and on race day. And all these steps requires you to be disciplined and committed. If you skip one of them you will pay a price.
So what inspires me is
1. To set goals
2. Work to achieve those goals
3. To wake up every morning and being able to inspire others around me🙏🏽
Grinding inspires me.
*6.Q- Can you give us the names of your training partners and how did they contribute for you performance in sport?*
6.Q - I am known as the solo runner. I am the happiest person when I lace up and run alone. And people ask me why I run alone. Honestly I just enjoy it and it's my happy time.
I settle for group runs once a while. But I don't have a group that I meet on a daily or weekly basis that I run with but I the distance training partners who have contributed to my performance...
1. The 5 athletes I joined during my first year when I arrived in Johannesburg
2. My coach - his training program alone has changed my performance.
3. My old self😉
4.Admire Muzopambwa a great friend and his daily advice and homework 🤭 his tips on running techniques has really improved how I tackle my speed sessions.
5. My late friend Dr Rudolph he would on a daily basis encourage me to never give up because I am inspiration for other female athletes. He always encouraged me to better my times.
*7.Q- Have you ever thought of considering running as your career?*
7. Q - Everyday Mr Collen🤭
By profession I am a special needs teacher and I love what I do🙏🏽but yes I do think about it.
And while I think about it I wake up every day and put the work in because when that door opens I'm ready.
*8.Q- What motivated you to take running as part of your life?*
8. Q - As mentioned earlier I have always wanted to run freely but my "trip and fall tendencies" prevented me which maybe was a blessing in disguised🤷🏽♀️because when I started running my solo 6km every day is when I found myself and wanted running to be part of me.
And that feeling I experienced while running those 6kms is what motivated me!
*9.Q- Name your first running club and the current club you running for?*
9.Q - My first running club was Ukhozi RC based in Braamfisher Soweto.
My current running club is 32GI RC based in the South of Johannesburg.
*What are your advantages and disadvantages of joining the club as an athlete?*
Advantages of being part of the 32GI RC
•24/7 support in my running career
•I get to be involved in coaching junior athletes of the club
•I serve on the executive of the club
•representing 32GI sports nutrition in the broader community
Disadvantage
The members are not as talkative as me🤭
*10.Q- Who are your rivals and best buddies at your club?*
10. Q - At my current club I don't any rivals but I have lots of them in the South of Johannesburg🤭
My best friend at my club died 5 months ago. It will be 6 months this week.
The late Dr Rudolph Monoyane. The Netcare 5 who died in a plain crash in the line of duty. He was my brother and I miss him dearly.
*12.Q- What's the best distance you enjoy?*
12. Q - I have always enjoyed running Ultra marathons. It's long and I enjoy the art of endurance and everything that you go through while running an Ultra.
While in lockdown that has changed because I have been doing a lot of base training to improve my times and I am now enjoying short distances because it's fast and furious 🤭
I ran a 10km PB challenge 27 March in a time of 43min and when I stopped I could not believe that it was over🤗 It went so quick and I felt that maybe I should focus more on the shorter distances.
But maybe also because we have not been racing for so long now but I guess this will change I can't say for now.
*11.Q- It's difficult for some people to just run for social, tell us how do you manage?*
11. Q - I must be honest with you I have a drive for self motivation! It's something I don't need to go hunt for. I decide on a goal and working towards achieving that goal is the plan.
Yes there are no races taking place now but like I have said earlier lacing up and being able to run is what it's all about for me.
So during the lockdown from March 2020 my coach worked out a program that kept me busy indoors🙃and no I did not run around in my yard🤦🏾♀️he kept me busy with cardio and strength training sessions.
And then 2021 I started setting my own PB challenges and it has been going well.
So my personal motivation and drive is what keeps me going.
*Can you explain how running and aerobic exercising changes your life*
Both disciplines are entertaining in some way. And by nature I get bored easily. And these disciplines one can add variations to. And how did this change my life? It added variations into all areas of my life. I became more discipline, focused, driven.
It also allows me to discover new aspects about myself, yes even at this age.
*13.Q- What's your best shoe brand as a runner?*
13.Q - When I started running I was running in ASICS Kayano and for the past 2 years I am running in Nike Pegasus and I am really enjoying the shoe it is very light for me compared to the ASICS.
*14.Q- What's your favourite meal before and after the race or from a run?*
14. Q - Mr Collen back in the day I use to think that if I don't eat before a run I will die🤦🏾♀️
So back then my pre race or training meal use to peanut butter on a soft white roll, a banana and or boiled egg.
During the run - banana
Post run - any meal
And this has all changed🤗
I follow a plant based diet and I mix it with vegan diet. So I follow my diet and pre race day or training day I don't change anything. I wake up and I go for a run without having a pre run meal like I use to have in the past because the types of food that I eat sustains my energy levels.
My focus have shifted more to my recovery meal, hydration, supplementaion.
So basically my training session determines what supplements I will use and how my recovery meal will look like.
So my pre race/ run I will have a serving of my 32GI supplements and like I said the session will determine which product.
And my recovery will start with 32GI recovery shake then followed by my meal and this tends to differ because of the time of day I was training and also the type of session I had.
*15 What's your unforgettable race as an runner?*
15. Q - I will never forget Vaal Marathon 2016. I was involved with a hit and run.
This race is a double lapper and like any other double lapper race it gets lonely on the second lap and there are fewer runners.
As I started my second lap at 22km there was 4 runners 300m ahead of me and this car came out of now where. I heard them screaming. Everything happened so fast. I was on top of the car and then I was on the ground(no I did not trip and fall like I did in my childhood days🤭) and the car drove off.
I jumped up and continued running 🙆🏽♀️I think the body was in shock and the other runners kept on asking me if I was ok and I kept on saying that I was fine. At about 25km my body switched off🙆🏽♀️and I was alone. I could not move. I stood like a statue🤦🏾♀️. Some of the back runners ran past me and just asked if I was ok.
I eventually managed to move and then walked back to the split of the 21km/42km🤦🏾♀️and from there to the stadium.
Made my way to the medical tent and told them what had just happened. Well they could not believe it and I was taken to hospital.
Luckily no major damage to the body. Bruised leg. Emotionally I was destroyed because it took me months before I could get back onto the road again. I was scared of any moving thing next to me. But thank God I have been liberated.
*16.Q- Do you have an race that you enjoy running and why?*
16. Q - Pirates 21km the Toughest Half marathon in Jozi
I really love this race because of it's elevation. You start climbing from start to finish. Maybe because I love climbing hills 🤗I have never been a fan of running down hills but that to has changed since I am being coached my Mark because he has incorporated strength training into my program so I am more comfortable running down hill these day's now that my legs are becoming stronger and I no longer trip and fall🤭
But I enjoy Pirates because it is well organized and the route itself is a killer.
*17.Q- Your best times in the following distance from 10km, 21km 42km and comrades marathon?*
10km - 43min
21km - 1h45
42km - 4h08
Comrades - 11h26
*18.Q- During this lockdowns and Covid erra how did you manage to keep focused and fit?*
18. Q - We are finding ourselves in challenging times Mr Collen. And I believe that it is difficult for all of us but I am also a firm believer of the " The Power Of The Mind"
March 2020 when the President announced that we are going into lockdown my coach send me a watsapp message asking me if I am ready to join him and make lockdown for for us🤗I did not even think twice. I was ready for anything.
He said to me Tash, you will come out of lockdown looking meaner, stronger and learner 👊🏼and he did not lie to me. Now with his program, my discipline and consistency I came out of the lockdown leaner,meaner, stronger and faster 🙏🏽
I invested in some strength training equipment and woke up every morning with determination to get my training session in. I kept my eye on the ball and I am still keeping my eye on the ball😉
People ask me how do I stay so motivated? I guess it's because I am doing all of this for me and no one else. From a young age I have learned the importance of self-love, self-care and because I am so determined to improve and inspire people it all just flows naturally for me.
This is my lifestyle and when something is your lifestyle it's YOU!
So Covid-19 or no Covid-19 I remain focused!
Fellow runners refer to me as Miss Consistency, others Miss Goaldigger🙏🏽
*19.Q- As a women who runs, what words of encouragement and motivation can you give others women out there?*
19. Q - Mr Collen I have learned over the years that unlike men some woman start running to loose weight and then you have an athlete like me who has the desire to run competitively.
Either way, always be clear about your goal and remember that you are doing it for yourself and no one else🙏🏽The journey will be tough but you will have to learn to grow some "balls"🤦🏾♀️because the sad part is that some women don't support eachother! If you don't have a support system at home you will have to become your own supporter 👊🏼Finish and klaar!
In my running career my SAFETY and MENSTRUAL CYCLE became very important to me. Something I feel we are not raising much awareness about.
SAFETY
Let me take you into my mind before a training session🙆🏽♀️My program requires me to run for 90min today. So I am going to be outside for 90min. I now need to think of my route, will I be safe? Is it not to deserted? If something happens will I be able to get out of there? Will someone be able to see me? 🤦🏾♀️ These are all the stuff I think about before I set out for a run. Then I am already tired 🤭My SAFETY is very important me. I don't just set out and go for a run. I do a whole pre trip inspection 🙆🏽♀️ So ladies 🚺safety first. Always check your surroundings.
MENSTRUAL CYCLE
We tend to never talk about this but the reality is that this do affect our training. As a female athlete it is very important for me to know what phase I am in because that will affect my training and my diet.
Sometimes you set out for a run, you tired, you don't know what's happening and you conclude that you are unfit and tomorrow you are going to do a double session 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️just to find that you are in a specific phase of your MENSTRUAL CYCLE and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are not unfit! Stop being hard on yourself🙏🏽
So if I am to do a speed session and I find myself in a specific phase I don't push myself to get to the zones that coach wants me to run🙃I allow my body to go through what it's supposed to go through because I know my next speed session I will be able to give it my all. And as a female athlete this is very important to me. I enjoy talking to my junior girl athletes about this because sometimes as female we are just to hard on ourselves! We need to get to know how bodies operate and how to treat our bodies during training 🙏🏽
And lastly always strive to empower the next female athlete and celebrate yourself 🤗
*20.Q- Any future plans in sport?*
20. Q. Mr Collen
Together with my coach we are focusing on the program that he has set up for me and this program has been working for me and I can see the improvement.
I am now preparing for my 21km PB challenge.
If and when races open I definitely want to race because I am race ready and compete in my age category.
I want to focus more on the development of female athletes within the community.
And also the development of my school athletes.
*21.Q- In brief tell us more about your family and their support?*
21.Q - My mother is my chief supporter🙏🏽 Her support towards my running career has been AMAZING.
She has little black book where she records all my race times in🤗
I have completed 5 Comrades Marathons and she can tell you exactly how I have improved over those 5 years. At what time I was at what cutt off in which year🙏🏽
With my recent transformation I must say she is very excited to see how I will perform at my next Comrades Marathon.
And my second favorite support team is my learners . They keep me on my toes🤭with all the questions and their motivation. And they always want to see the medal 🏅so not finishing is not even an option🤭
THE END
FINITO
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