Comrades Marathon

[Deleted User]

I'm seriously considering a 'once-only-never-to-be-repeated' assault on the Comrades Marathon in summer of 2005.

Can anyone point me in the direction of training schedules, advice on running ultras or to the nearest head doctor!

I've completed three marathons over the past 18 months as recent running convert, and current PB is 3.53.

[Deleted User]

This race is definitely on the "To do" list - might have o wait a decade though...

Tim Noakes' "lore of running" is apparently the standard text.

Ratcatcher

Dr Galah, RW South Africa does have training schedules for Comrades each year. I have just been to their site (link at bottom of home page of this site) to see if they still have one up and couldn't find it. It's worth keeping an eye on it, though. They usually start in earnest in January.

Chaos

Get used to running in todays heat for one thing!

mmmm...marmite

Here's a few links to get you going.

Woof, woof

;-)

[Deleted User]

Thanks Marmite Master! I now my have to reconsider my hate relationship with your yeasty extracts!

[Deleted User]

Thanks Marmite Master! I now may have to reconsider my hate relationship with your yeasty extracts!

Nyarlathotep

I've run Comrades twice. Training is essentially the same as for a marathon but you'll be wanting to get your long runs up to about 42 km or even longer - yes, that's right, run some marathons for your LSD and you should be OK. The first year I did it my longest run was 56km! Specifics of the training will depend on whether you're after a good time or if you just want to finish - if the latter I wouldn't bother with much speedwork, just get lots of mileage in.

Tim Noakes' book The Lore of Running has a lot about training for Comrades in. I don't know about the new edition though but if you can't find much useful in it then look for the 3rd edition.

Comrades is the best race in the world. I heartily recommend it.

Good luck

Rob

[Deleted User]

Rob

You make it sound so straightforward!

I grew up in SA when Bruce Fordyce was winning 8 (I think) comrades in a row.

I'd love to do the comrades but I had always assumed it was a particularly sick event which required Iron-Man type fitness levels?

Is this not the case?

(I'm doing my third marathon in Dublin - pb so far, 3.42)

RichardM

Dr Galah, I did it in 97 and concur with Rob, its the best running experience you can have bar none.

2005 is a 'down' year so get ready for some painful quads the next day! Most people who have run both say the down run is harder as the second half is almost completely downhill and the constant leg jarring after 45 miles gets a bit tedious. Still planning to add the up run to my collection one day.

As for training I would echo Rob again. Train for an April marathon as normal and then in the three following months do the same thing but introduce some 40 to 50 kilometre training runs as your long Sunday runs. Easiest way to do this is enter some of the smaller marathons like Stonehenge which is mostly off road and quite hilly, a good grounding for the hills en route to Durban.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the tips Richard and Rob. Am planning on Paris or London in the Spring 2004, Amsterdam or Berlin in October 2004, and Paris or London again in Spring 2005 as part of build up. What month is the Stonehenge marathon in? Had a look on the events calendar, but the only marathon post FLM 2004 currently advertised is Halstead - though all bar 300m of it is off road, so could be worth doing as well.

Had a look in The Lore of Running at local Ottakar's the other day and there is a 22 week schedule for Comrades which means starting that around early Jan 2005.

Grafam Water isn't far from me either, and is 8.5 miles all the way round alot of which is off road. Might be a tad dull going round 4-5 times, but at least I can stock up with drinks and gels each time I pass the car!

RichardM

DG, the marathon at Stonehenge is called the Neolithic Marathon and is run in the first week of May, about 3 weeks after London. Its very low key but great fun and perfect to use as a training run.

Are you anywhere near Rutland Water? That is a nice 17 mile circuit, perfect for two laps.

[Deleted User]

Am in Bedford, so it's only an hour away. Will add it to my list of venues.

Cheers.