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Comrades (South Africa) 56 miles
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I Usually go on the cheap too. Dont want to do lots of sighteseeing before to tire the legs, but enough to recover from flight so thursday or friday. If I dont take kids I wont stay long but will for a few days anyway to justify the cost of travel etc but no more than a week altogether max including travel to the west of ireland
I expect that it will continue to be free to overseas runners...
It scares the living daylights out of me each year. That's why I go on it.
Woohoo! Accomodation booked!
I've booked into Albany Hotel, double room for 5 nights 4735 SA Rand (about £418) inc buffet breakfast.
I did it through booking.com and they only have a couple of rooms left now, everything is booking up so fast!
Well done Trinity! think I'm too scared to book until I know I'm in! Though I am looking - def better value down there! Think I'll stay in Durban North as the city centre sounds a bit no go in the evening?? Is that true? I remember being told the same abouyt Rio which was fine!
Anyone remember if they accept UK debit cards for online entry? I don't own a credit card! May need to borrow somone's if they won't take a debit!!
Few more laps of Richmond are calling tomorrow!
As it is my birthday today, my OH has put a video together for me to remind me of our time in SA doing Comrades. So if any of you want a look at what we got up to and to get the feeling of what Comrades is like take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulczxiyVwhs
If this link doesn't work go onto youtube and it is under Comrades
Tricia
Happy Birthday Tricia
Funnily enough after Comrades I ordered the pics and the book and they arrived yesterday. The CD with the pics on was great value and had about 20 pictures of me running and about 100 general pics. Looking through both lots (oddly enough the general pics more so) brought back so many memories - the dawn start running past the Town Hall in Maritzberg, the hills, the amazing amount of runners, the support, the water in tubes, Arthurs Seat etc etc right up to the end.
Also bought the book as it was my first. Really nice memento as it has pics of you and general pictures made up in a book and a certificate at back with time and place etc. One of the general pics is of Malc in his union jack kit running!
Dont normally buy this stuff but as it was a first did so and really glad I did.
Happy Birthday Tricia!
I can't get the link to work and there are so many items under Comrades on you tube! any other names we can search under??
Happy Birthday Tricia!! Have a great day
I can't get the link to work either?
Keith... I ordered photos too but haven't received anything yet. The book sounds good... didn't see that, but that will be on my list next year when I get the BR
Afternoon all, I've been following this thread with interest for some time now as I'm looking for a 'headline' run next year for my fortieth, am I right in thinking the entries for new runners doesn't open until the 1st of Nov and there's only 5000 places for people who haven't run before? I'd guess thos places would tend to go very quickly?
Welcome Lirish
No, that was a one off arrangement last year.
This year entries for all open on 1st September (South African time) and there are less overall entries available than there were last year too
Happy Birthday for yesterday Fizzi !!
45 is a good age... that was originally the age I was going to run my first Comrades but I got a major injury in 2006 which took nearly 3 years to sort out!
Still ticking over on this side, looking to race a 10km tomorrow or next weekend just to get an idea of where I am at.
Happt birthday as well from me, hope you both had lovely days.
Good luck with your race Sportaloo, always nice to see where your fitness is.
And why is it there are so many amazing marathons in the world to do? I simply can't fit them all in
I spent hours , again, on th comrades websites looking up training programmes and wondering how/when to get started. There is a programme already underway. I was looking for the profile of UP so that I could see what size of hills I need to find to practice on.
Do you think you should practice WALKING the hills in training to get the walking muscles used to it or are you better to try to run the hills in training , for general leg strength?
Didint really see by what date you have to submit your qualifying marathon time? Up to how late can you do it? There are very few marathons in Ireland in the spring , in time. So wonder if I need to put a spurt on to get a good time in venice in October
For my longer runs (and depending on how i fell some of the shorter runs as well), i already do the run walk thing. It varies on the length but for training for two oceans i ran 1 mile then walked 1 minute. My body seemed to recover well from the stresses of the long runs so have continued this over the summer. It also served to keep my enthusiasm quite high when i had to get out of bed early morning in the cold and wet and do a 20 miler or so...
As for walking the hills in triaining, for me anyway it depends on the steepness. There is one hill on my route when walking it both up and down is probably quicker than running it so i employ that strategy. Any other hill i run up since i think it helps your leg strength.
And, yes i too am trying to find both a comprehensive raining plan and the gradient of the hills, although not so sure if it is a good idea knowing what they are like before we sign up
. I have cobbeld together a sort of shedule but nothing too scientific at this stage....
And i think the date for your qualifying time needs to be in sometime before April next year, the other comrades vets will no doubt have a more specific date. But i would say, if you are in shape go for it in Venice, i certainly will be
I suppose the good thing about getting your qualifying time early is the pressure is off having to run one later on. You know you are in so can concentrate on the end goal.
Sportaloo - I hope you're fitness is better than mine - I equalled my personal worst at a 5km race this morning - time to start training...
Fizzio - qualifying period is 30 May 2010 to 6 May 2011 - although I wouldn't recommend leaving qualifying that late... Seeding positions on an "up" run is not as critical as the down run - this is because the start from Durban is on wide roads and more or less immediately goes onto the National Road (a dual carriageway)...
I tend to run the hills during training (you never know - you may need to run up hills towards the end to make a cut-off) but tend to practice "brisk" walking whenever I'm out and about...
I hve been trying to see up profiles to see what size of a hill I need to find . What i do see is that it is pretty much uphill for 40 k. So how do you manage that? DO you walk 40 k before starting to run?
Very alarmed when I saw this. Dont know if I could manage within cutoff time
You can then run the flat bit through Pinetown upto about the half marathon mark.
The next hill, Fields, is really steep and long - here it is a case of taking running breaks from walking. It then carries on to Bothas which isn't too bad and runnable. Then a nice run down to half way at Drummond...
So there are plenty of running opportunities in the first half.
By the way this is from someone whose best up run is 10:57... So non-plodders need advice from Sportaloo!
Thats Slow Duck. It is actually great to get a run down like that on how to plan the run. Does it get easier ,more runnable ( not counting tired legs) towards the end given that most of the climb has been done?
Morning folks.
Just back from 10 days in Wales on hols and caught up.
Belated Happy birthdays from me
Fizz- Am staying Here > Reviews look good and suits us both. I booked through hostelworld via topcashback although their prices were last years. You'll get an email informing you of the price difference almost immediately.
Running Nottingham as qualifying race in 3 weeks so hopefully all will go well. Will start Comrades specific in New Year.
Ode
Around 10km from the end you come to Little Pollys, which is quite tough but often mistaken by novices for Polly Shortts - which is a very tough climb and comes straight after Little Pollys. At the top of Polly Shortts is the last cut-off - yes, it is cruel - you don't get disqualified before Pollys but at the top when you'veconquered the last of the Big Five hills...
There are still some steep walking hills inthe last 7km or so into Pietermartizburg but they don't feel too bad after Pollys...
I think overall I find "up" runs harder than "down" runs...
Interesting to hear your description slow duck, you are making the race come to life already
Another question about long runs during training. Does anyone think it is a good idea to split the long run into two shorter runs, i.e if you are planning on running say 26 do two 13's or perhaps a 10 then a 16 later? Would you get the same benefit long term since the second of the two runs would be on tired legs later in the day? I would definatley include a few long runs in one go but was just thikning it might be a plan to try and give the body a bit of recovery??