Africa-Press – Eswatini. With only 14 days left until the highly anticipated Yellow Epilepsy Charity Half Marathon, which will take place at the Somhlolo National Stadium on February 3, participants are now focused on devising their race day strategies. This charity event offers three distances: 5km, 10km and the main event, the 21km. The organisers have made sure that participants have had plenty of time to register, including an extended early registration period that provided a t-shirt, which ended last week on Monday.
However, registration is still open and physical registration venues are available at the Eswatini Epilepsy Organisation offices located behind the Deputy Prime Minister’s (DPM) offices in Mbabane. Other registration venues include The Fitness Zone in Ezulwini and Manzini, Futis in Manzini, as well as various other locations in Matsapha, Mbabane, Nhlangano, Siteki, Mankayane and Siphofaneni. Registration fees have returned to their original prices, with the 5km distance costing E120, the 10km distance priced at E150 and the 21km distance priced at E180.
To aid participants in devising their race strategies and help them run their own race, here are some tips provided by Sportskeeda at https://www.sportskeeda.com/health-and-fitness/7-effective-mental-tips-you-should-follow-running-half-marathon: 1. Talking to Yourself: Give yourself a pep talk if you find yourself running alone and struggling a bit. Remind yourself that you are not physically exhausted, but only psychologically tired and that you will be fine. Another approach to self-talk is practicing gratitude. Enjoy and be grateful for your ability to move, your endurance to cover long distances and the current time, scenery, weather and training you have.
2. Divide Your Run: Breaking your run into smaller parts can make the distance feel more manageable. Visualise each segment as a fresh start and focus solely on reaching the end of that part. Creating checkpoints along your route can help you achieve mini-goals and keep you motivated. 3. Breathe: Proper breathing techniques are crucial for long runs. Breath work can help supply the oxygen your muscles need when you strive for distance and endurance. Experiment with different breathing strategies during your workout. For long-distance running, the go-to breathing approach is inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. If you struggle to find a steady breath, slow down and synchronise your inhales and exhales with your foot strikes. For example, inhale every time your left foot strikes the ground and exhale when your right foot touches the ground.
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