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Comrades (South Africa) 56 miles
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I can only tell you that if you're over 18,
Well, seconds rather than minutes.
Nite.
Well done JB!
Carmen... a long run now won't really make any difference to how you run Berlin, so I would suggest you just go out and run for as long as you feel you want to. Or do a hill rep session, or fartlek or something.
Thanks everyone for the words of comfort after my fall... there is healing
I ran yesterday and it was the first run where my knee hasn't hurt... I think it's more the bruising than actual damage
Thank you Trin. Well Trin, many a good race has been run following injury and a forced rest. 6 years ago I ran a 20k race two weeks before my marathon, two days later when I went out to run my calf popped in the first few yards, on the Saturday I decided I'd see how it was...it popped after 10 mins. I decided not to run at all untill race day. I'd run for 10mins in the two weeks before the race and expected not to make it beyond 5k.
The calf was as good as gold and I knocked 22mins off my marathon pb. Apparently Bruce Fordyce ran his best Comrades in years when he'd been injured and had been forced to reduce his milage. I think Berlin will go very well for you.
Well done JB- That's a great run. You must be really pleased
Trin- Take care
Fizz- I agree with JB. It doesn't matter if you run 2.10, 3.10, 4.10, 5.10, 6.10. Being the best you can on the day is the important thing.
Hello Odeon, well done yourself - I just read back through the thread. I'm afraid I didn't do as well as yourself - I dropped nearly 8 mins on the second half despite the course getting progressively faster from about 25k, last year at Amsterdam I dropped only 90 seconds - but that's an easy course and this was tougher by comparison. I'd expected continuous shallow climbing for the first 12k, gaining about 200m. That wasn't how it turned out. It undulated so that as well as making the overall climb there were plenty of steepish down hill sections and 1k of off road. Every few k there was a war cemetry or a sign to one or a village who's name I knew from history. The course took in the hill up to the Thiepval monument to more than 73,000 men missing with no known grave, aptly both British and South African.
At 10k I was on schedule but at halfway I was 40 seconds down in 1.40.40 and already working hard. At that point I new it was all over and it would be damage limitation from then on. At 30k 3.25 was still possible if I could maintain pace. With only 117 finishers we were well spread out and I'd been running alone from about 15k. From 25k 2 or three passed me and from 30k I passed 2 or 3 who were reduced to walking. There was no one ahead or behind. My legs were sore from the decents and my feet were sore, they'd got wet earlier as it had rained for the first half of the race and I knew I had a blister on one instep.
From 36k I noticed someone was closing on me and at 38k they came along side as we came to the edge of Albert. We said hello then ran side by side but my legs were sore and I decided to stop at 40k when it came up. I cristened a nearby tree and got going again. Soon I was running down the empty streets of Albert someone from the side of the road shouted you're in the last k. I shuffled up the last stretch of road before turning onto the grass finishing straight. It felt like a ploughed field but I was quickly over the line.
Pleased? Yes, not with the time so much as what I'd learned. I'm not nearly strong enough yet. I wasn't all that tired at the end and had the energy left to go further but my legs were battered especially the quads and the return for effort was deminishing rapidly by the finish.
So. Weights. Core. Hill reps. Bike ...........but not yet.
A question. The first 24ish miles of the Comrades up run is shown as continuous up hill in the profiles I've seen. Is it? Or does it undulate upwards?
Nice work JB! And a good write up too.
Carmen, Fizzio - I'm also likely to be in the not-so-fast minority... I'm hoping to get round in under 5:30 at Farnham on Sunday...
JB - the first half of Comrades does feel like a continuous uphill slog, however, the steepness of the uphill varies (to keep you interested) and there are some flat bits (the first 2km and Pinetown) and some downhills too (coming down off Cowies Hill into Pinetown, coming down off Botha's Hill and the hill at Alveston down into Drummond at half way). But the first half is pretty hard work.
I find that I get a good idea of how well I'm going to do on the day by how tired I feel at half way - if I'm knackered then I've gone out too hard in the first half and will have a tough second half...
Fizz and Slow Duck - unless I shift this bug I'll be having to be pushed around in a stretcher
Getting autumnal out there now - friend thought they spotted snow in Livingstone, yikes!!
Jelly bean - Well done on your qualifying time and great description of race. And excellent to take some positives and what to improve for next time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M89n6BIQdTI
This is a 12 minute clip of the first belfast 24 hour race whish I did in August. IF anyone is bored and wants to see it. Im the onein teh buff. Pink at first and blue towards teh end.
When I read your post I thought you meant that you were pink at first and blue towards the end LOL!
Amazing... well done, was that about 85 miles?
will be more amazing if I dont die on the side of the road in South Africa next year
Oh my god fizzi, that was amazing. Didn't you get giddy going round in circles?
And good luck to Keith and Carmen (i think from memory) who said they were doing the GNR tomorrow. Have a great time. Did it a few years back and the atmosphere throughout is fabulous. I shall be watching on the telly in the morning....
Thanks Marty - enjoyed GNR but have ticked it off and now don't think I have the need to do it again. Enjoyed the build up to the race especially the saturday. Happy with time but have definitely lost a lot of speed now doing longer runs.
Had the pleasure of shaking Haile Gebrselassie hand on the plane on the way back. A true gentleman and so humble. I only came across a little bit as the star struck teenager!
Keith - isn't he so nice!! Given i meet celebs a lot thru my work, I was also starstruck! Wanted to ask him for tips on Berlin and for the Comrades, but instead got a photo and left!!.. Met Usain Bolt a few weeks ago so am doing well in my elite men
Thanks for the info Slow Duck, that's what I'd hoped.
Thanks Marty.
Carmen, were you not tempted to ask Haile if he's doing Comrades next year.
No I don't think I would have either. 
Nice one guys. Haile always comes across as one of the most approachable sports stars you are ever likely to meet. It was brilliant to see him effortlessly pull away from the field. Glad you both enjoyed it though.
Not sure i will get much running in this week. Having to install 1 mile of fibre through under ground ducts at work and after 2 days ache in places i don't normally
. Might just take the week off (running not work that is!!) and wait till the weekend. Only 5 weeks till venice now so doubt it will make any difference. Just want to get there in one peice.
Good morning, I have yet to send in my qualifying time and details any tips regarding that? Also I checked to see if I was on the list of entrants, but nothing came up so I was wondering if maybe it was too soon for them to have processed my entry. The money has gone from my account. I'll look in here this evening.
If you've not already left for Berlin good luck Trin, and anyone else running on Sunday.
You guys are very lucky. I'd love to meet him. He comes across as an absolute star and perfect ambassador. Well done on the runs at GNR.
Good luck at Berlin Trin.
JB- I emailed them with my time info address. The reply was they will update my time once they process the entries. I too checked to see if I was entered and wasn't. It may be they wait until closure of entries before processing times etc.
Same for me when i checked although not having got a qualifying time yet no surprise really.
And good luck Trin from me as well. I am sure you will get what you want