Interview on Red Bull OCR Athlete Thomas van Tonder and his experience of BASI Pilates

Updated: Jan 31, 2022

EnerchiFitness took some time out to ask Red Bull OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) Athlete Thomas van Tonder what his experience of Pilates has been. With the devastation of not being able to compete in the OCR World Championship due to Covid-19, Thomas turned to ultra-distance trail running. Along this journey, he recognized he needed more functional movement and a greater focus on stability and alignment. He invested in BASI (Body Arts and Science International) Pilates to work on his weaknesses and improve on his strengths. Let’s listen to what he has had to say about Pilates.

How long have you been doing pilates

I have been doing Pilates for just over two months now - I had never done Pilates before.

Has Pilates helped your running and what has it done for your running?

It has drastically improved my stability in motion and the awareness of posture that directly translated into more efficient running. It gives me a more comfortable and faster run.

What exercises are recommended to you as a runner?

I have reached the point of recognizing that the small gains make all the difference as a runner. You can only run so fast, but without the stability in motion and correct muscle movement patterns either you can’t run any faster or you are heading towards an injury. This is what Pilates has given me - more stability in motion, better posture and alignment, and a full-body workout. I am not interested in “junk miles” and so I have invested the time into retraining my muscles rather than the high impact of running distance for distance.

The most valuable exercises I have done in Pilates for my own body are as follows:

A big focus has been on the pelvic floor and the body awareness of my center of gravity. When trail running this is even more important.
Core stabilization with the balance of the upper back. Retraining the upper is especially important when carrying a backpack/hydration pack.
Lots and lots of balance and proprioceptive work.
Leg strength - specifically single leg work where the glutes are stabilizing and single-leg eccentric training.
Along with all of this has been learning to have better body awareness (This was also a huge game-changer in my running).

What has the journey of Pilates shown you as a runner?

The very first thing I noticed was a heightened body awareness of my posture and form when running and also in my everyday living. Immediately this awareness translated into greater stability specifically in the core, pelvic floor, and hip area. Later, I discovered a weakness in my upper back and doing work specifically to activate those muscles in the correct posture gave me better form. That all accumulated to have a smoother and more efficient run, especially as I feel my body get tired while running.

Having Chi Ingledew guide you through a Pilates class, instead of smashing YouTube videos has also made a huge difference. You might think that you are doing the exercise right, but there are loads of small things that might be out of alignment or just simply wrong. It is hard to pick up your own misalignment without a well-trained eye giving you feedback. Chi has helped a lot, she has got the best out of me in each and every session.

Would you recommend pilates to other ultra athletes?

Absolutely - it has been a game-changer. I have not been doing Pilates for a long time, and if I could see and feel these results in this amount of time, I'm excited to see what the future holds for me and my running.

Chi’s words about running, Pilates and Thomas?

With running being one of the highest impact sports on joints and ligaments, our biomechanics and stabilizing muscles are especially important. Pilates allows the whole body to mindfully get stronger, more flexible, have better balance and proprioception, ankle/hip/knee stability, core strength, improved alignment, and posture. An efficient gait cycle is a key to running further, faster, efficiently, and injury-free. Beyond making an athlete a better athlete, Pilates is a functional movement, making anyone a more balanced individual who can simply move better.