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Who Fancies Comrades 2010?
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Neil - superb haircut. Bet you get some great comments from the runners during the race.
Run well everyone. I will be waiting with baited breath for all your reports when you get back.
I'm all packed and ready... finally
And I've got all your mobile numbers safely stored in my phone
Keith... Neil and I are aiming to register on Thursday but could you still get a bus ticket for me for the tour, just in case, thanks
I'll contact you when we get there to arrange where to meet before the tour
Just waiting for onward flight to Durban.....
I'm here
Thanx Ian
Crocodile blood indeed! LOL
Had a looooong trip, left home 9am yesterday, got to Hilton Hotel here in Durban 7.30pm today!
Travelled second leg of trip with Neil E Dunin, and met a few other Comrades along the way, just had a drink and a bite to eat in the company of Keith... which was nice
Tired now, doing the bus tour tomorrow so time for bed
Group photo's from 'before' are posted here...
Forum Pic 1
Forum Pic 2
VASBYT JULLE!
Dig deep everyone! Good luck and enjoy it...
I will let the news come from the others, but I had a great race and copped 10:12:12. It was and awesome experience and although the huge numbers of people made for a slow start, it added a massive amount to the atmospere!
Time for bath, beer and bed now....
95% brilliant 5% hiddeous.
Totally delighted with my Bill Rowan and a time of about 8:34:45
Thanks guys you helped make a brilliant day even better
As you asked marty... I've written a report of my race on fetch so I'll put it on here too. I won't be offended if you don't read it though... coz I'll never know
It is rather long, but then so was the race
Where to start..
I suppose I should start on the Friday, 2 days before Comrades... I had a ticket for the tour of the route.
So I got up, got ready, had a peek outside and it looked like it was going to be a sunny day, so the last thing I did before I left my room was to slap on the suncream... now I so wished I hadn't!
The tour was good, and it was quite funny how we were all cheerfully chatting away but the further we got along the route the quieter the noise on the bus... I guess for the guys who'd done it before it was a reminder of the pain, and for us Comrades virgins it was a reality shot of what we'd come here to do.
Later that day my skin started to come out in a rash, and as the evening went on it became worse and very itchy. I thought maybe it was a heat rash so tried to cool my skin and thought it would be gone by the next day. It wasn't... it was worse.
Fast forward to Sunday morning (but only just)
I had two alarms set for 1:00 and 1:05. I woke on the first one and had come out of a dream where I'd ran Comrades. I had to check for a moment because I didn't know if it was real or not!
I'd laid everything out the night before, prepared my drinks etc... all I had to do was shower, dress and go.
I tried not to think about how my skin was feeling. I'd realised by this time that it was an allergic reaction to the suncream that I'd put on on Friday because it was not where I hadn't put it. Basically my arms, legs, shoulders, chest and neck were covered in intensely itchy bumps... the sort of itch that once you start you simply cannot stop. There were times when I was literally tearing at my skin but I just couldn't stop
I was also trying not to think of the worse case scenario in that I was having to go out and run over 50 miles in the sun with no suncream on and an allergy covering my skin which could ultimately stress my body into anaphylactic shock.
A group of us met down in reception and we all went off to get the bus to the start, which was about an hours drive away.
I tried to doze on the bus but only managed 5 or 10 minutes.
It was quite cold getting out in Pietermaritzburg and I was glad of the 3 extra tshirts plus old track bottoms that I'd put on to throw away later, which I'm told would be picked up and claimed by grateful African people. There was about 2 hours to wait at the start, but it went in a flash and all of a sudden I was standing in my pen listening to the African National Anthem, followed by the sound of a cockeral, followed by Chariots of Fire... emotions were running riot as I looked up at the banner with COMRADES START along it. This is it... this is the dream come true... and then the gun fired and we were off on an experience of a lifetime.
(cont)
It took me just about 2 minutes to cross the line from pen C... that time is important because the cut off is gun to finish time, so it had to be counted in.
It was still dark when we started, so I couldn't see my garmin. I didn't want to put the backlight on because that would use battery and I wanted it to last the full race. So I just ran easy, I was reckoning around 9 to 9.30 pace.
Somewhere between mile 1 and 2 I was running alongside another guy from the UK and we were chatting. Then all of a sudden I tripped and went flying literally. I landed on my left knee and hands. As it was dark I could'nt see how much damage I'd done but I knew I had some of the road in the skin of my knee and hands and it shocked me a bit too. I'd tripped over a cats eye, which we had been warned about on the tour... der!
The race markers count down from 89km and when I got to 79km to go I checked my time and got a shock. An hour had gone!
That was way too slow so I picked up the pace a little aiming to catch up over the next 10k.
That was mistake number 1
I was amazed at the support... the race starts at 5.30 and people had come out to line the route so early. The fantastic support was a constant throughout the 56 miles, everyone really urged you and pushed you on... even African teenage kids out on their bikes were saying things like well done, keep going, you're looking great!
I checked my garmin at 12 miles... 1:56, not quite 20k but I'd caught up a little time.
But I suddenly realised that I'd completely forgotten to take any gels!
That was mistake number 2
I took a gel but I knew that I was now playing catch up on energy and that never works. I took another a few miles later and then erratically through the race took them when I thought I could do with one. I think a mild panic had set in.
Mistake number 3
They call pace groups 'Busses' over here and I can't remember where it was but I suddenly sensed a big group of people behind me. I looked round to be faced with a huge wall of runners... it was the sub 9 bus! It was literally like a bus... as long as and wider than a real bus but of runners all crammed in together running in unison... amazing to see!
I felt that if I didn't get a move on I'd either be trampled or be swallowed up so I pushed on.
I went through marathon point at 4.04, which was right on target for the sub 9 that I wanted, but I knew I had some payback due for my early mistakes so I was hopeful but not confident.
In the mild panic and confusion around taking my gels I'd also not taken any food early enough.
Mistake number 4
There were salted potatoes, biscuits, chocolate, and banana, none of which I wanted but I forced myself to have some banana and potato. Then came a time when I really needed something because I felt suddenly very low and weak... but I couldn't find anything and another panic set in.
(cont)
It was then that I knew in my heart that my sub 9 was gone.
But as I passed the km markers I continued to do the mental calculation and hung on to a thread of a hope.
I went through 21km to go at about 6.56, so if I could do a half marathon in 2 hours I might still make it.
But the hills were relentless... the downs were as hard as the ups because with every step on the down my legs cried out in pain and my already bruised and battered toes hammered against the end of my shoes.
I had a small congratulatory moment to myself when I went through double marathon point at 8.37.
Obviously my sub 9 was long gone but my double marathon PB of 8.27 was at Kent which is very flat, so if you take off that 2 minutes of getting through the Comrades start that's only 8 minutes over my PB
We were counting down the small k numbers now and with 6km to go came mistake number 5.
My garmin started bleeping frantically at me saying Data Bank Full.
I know it's a minor thing really but the constant bleeping was distracting me and I had to stop my watch, delete all but the last 3 months and then start it again. I should have done that the day before because obviously with all the training logged it was likely to happen during a race this length.
I then just wanted it all to be over and my last 3 miles were
9.15
9.28
8.56
As I ran into the stadium I could hear the roar of the crowd and got choked up but held it in until I crossed the line.
At last... I didn't have to run anymore
I've done it
I've run Comrades
And I cried
My time in the end was 9.14
In 3184th position overall
317th Lady
118th in my catagory
I am really happy with my time, especially considering the stupid mistakes I made.. and that my skin was so bad and itchy scratchy the whole way with my clothes and camalback rubbing on it.
But it now feels like I have unfinished business... so, as bad as I feel physically today, as much as it hurts to walk, as painful as my toes are... especially the 4 that will be losing their nails, I guess I'm gonna have to come back for another shot at Bill Rowan
It brought back so many good memories for me of the late 90's when I managed it in under 11hrs.(10 43.21 ) As you say " you have to go back and do it again" on the up. ( 10 hrs 21.35 ) Which beleive it or not is easier except for that little hill about 10 km from the end. Polly Shorts...Well done...
It was fantastic meeting most of you at the expo.
Trinity - Excellent running and well battled. We will get that sub 9.
Trinirunner - Another well paced finish, well done buddy!
Keith - Well deserved all thar hard training paid off.
I finished in 9:09 and Mrs. S did 10:44.
Looking forward to the others reporting back.
Great report Trinity!! You did good! Sounds like you'll be back.
Catriona, that would be our very own Malc!!!
Good job to you and the misses Sportaloo. She insists that's it, I don't believe it!
Those who haven't spotted it, the videos are loaded and you can watch the pain!
Happy travelling. I drove to Joburg and had a couple of detours into the Draks, wow is all I can say! I'm going to vacation next trip!
Trini
Thanks for the reply. I would love to do it again but it is so expensive. Wish I had met you lot before as I ended up having a curry and beer to celebrate alone!!!
Hope you all make a good recovery and forget the pain.
Cat
Trinity - thanks for a great report. Just reading it brought back memories of my two oceans earlier in the year and has certainly made me want to do Comrades next year. I think its fantastic that you can remember so much about the race so at least you can put those wrongs right next time. Shame you didn't get your sub 9 but hey, a great time none the less.
And be proud of your achievements. Its no mean feat what you have done and you have all invested a lot of time, energy and money into this wonderful sport of ours.
Bring on 2011
Helo all, Im back in the Uk
Will post properly Wed but very happy wih 10.23.45 So amazing to finaly meet all of you on the coach, as in a different Hotel had given up.
SD- I hope you finished well. If I pulled you along to fast I am So sorry. But your help in the first 30K made all the difference for the rest of the race. THANK YOU SO MUCH
Started a little faster than I should have but I was too stubborn, competitve and stupid to admit this until completing around a quarter of the course. Then I let Martin go - Martin I hope I didn't slow you down too much.
Had a fairly steady Second quarter - met Tristan just before half way and went through the first half in 5:13.
Ran the third quarter with Dana - it was great to have company on my least favourite part of the course.
Last quarter was a quarter of two halves?! Steady and tiring in the first bit but the last stretch from Tollgate to the finish was a flat out sprint (well it felt like a sprint!) to try and get under 10:30 - just managed it with a finish of 10:28:59. Beat my best time for the down run from 11 years ago by 24 minutes.
Bumped into so many old friends on the road - some unexpected as I didn't know they were running.
What a brilliant way to spend a Sunday!
My report from Real Buzz where I tend to ahng out between races. Sorry its so long
http://www.realbuzz.com/blogs/u/Keith_L/10-minute-target/posts/comrades-race-report/
SD- You so did not slow me down, I owe you a hell of a lot. Without you there is no way I would have walked so early on, and if I helped you to a fantastic Bronze then Im even happier.
Great report Keith. I post on a sub 4 thread and they want to know so much. How the hell do you put this into words
Fantastic report Keith!!
Thanks marty
Yes sporta... we will
Next time I will not have an allergy, I will remember to take my gels, I will eat sooner and I will not feck up the pace LOL
Trini... sounds like a good idea for next year