We caught up with LA Fit member Nathan Kammann back in March in support of his 70.3 for Stoney 5km Fun Run.
70.3 for Stoney raises money and awareness for sarcoma, a type of bone cancer that typically affects people under the age of 25. Money raised goes directly to sarcoma research within Australia.
Nathan’s friend Leon Stone was 20-years-old when he was diagnosed with Sarcoma in 2011 and sadly, passed away the next year. Inspired by Leon’s resilience and determination during the last year of his life, Nathan decided to raise money and awareness of sarcoma through his international triathlon training and racing – 70.3 for Stoney was born.
As part of 70.3 for Stoney, Nathan is about to embark on the Comrades Marathon, a 90km run in South Africa. Comrades Marathon is an event with a rich history of mateship, and the perfect way to honour Nathan’s mate Leon.
We are super proud of him, and wanted to check in and wish him luck!
You fly out on Friday for Comrades Marathon in South Africa to run it for the second time. How are you feeling?
It might sound crazy but I’m excited to run this 90km race. This year will be different because the course is reversed so I’m running up hill, and also because I have a bit more of an understanding of what to expect (it will be painful!). I am starting to get nervous too but trying to harness that into thinking of the best race plan and strategy for the day.
You’re possibly the only member to ever request Bungee during Megaformer! Tell us a little why runners need good glutes and how this move helps you?
My glutes have always been pretty terrible and I’ve needed to build strength. Weak glutes or poor glute control can contribute to lots of common running injuries. Also, your glutes are a big driver when running uphill and I’ve got about 50kms of uphill running to do in this race. So maybe it’s actually a love-hate relationship I have with Bungee!
You’ve been doing Megaformer for over a year now. As an endurance athlete, how has Megaformer improved your fitness?
I’ve run just over 3500kms for the calendar year. I feel that Megaformer has definitely helped with recovery, and it is also good cross-training for muscle fatigue. Both of these things help me to run so many kilometers in training.
What changes have you seen in your performance/recovery/body since being a member at Lagree Fitness?
Before Lagree training I would almost always fatigue & cramp towards the end of races. It’s definitely given me more stamina. The extra muscle strength from Megaformer sessions means I don’t fatigue so quickly on long runs. It’s made me a more efficient runner. Every runner wants to be as efficient as possible so you can run at a faster pace with less energy or effort.
How is the fundraising for Comrades going?
The more we raise the better to be honest. Sarcoma is considered a rare type of cancers so does not get allocated a lot of funding. My mate Leon Stone lost his life to Osteosarcoma 7 years ago, and the survival rate has not significantly improved. Last year, we raised enough to give a $20k research grant, and this year I hope we can do the same. But I do understand everyone has a charity close to their own heart and may not be able to support every request.
We can’t wait to touch base with you after! From the LA Fit team… we wish you the very best of luck! Get ‘em.
70.3 for Stoney raises money for the Australasian Sarcoma Study Group memorial research grant which was established after Leon’s passing. Sarcoma research receives less than 1% of the cancer research dollar.
Make a difference for young people living with cancer. Help Nathan raise money for sarcoma research.
You can donate here.
