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Comrades 2013
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Thanks for the link Emily
I enjoyed reading your fb blog too, excellent stuff. Am postponing thinking about 2014 (as only just returned to UK from post Comrades hols today). Loved KZN so may be hard to resist ...
BikeIt - Thanks for more of the useful analysis. The 32min average positive split is an interesting point that I wasn't aware of. Good to be about par on that scale, but does anyone know of any negative splitters? Surely it should be feasible with the comparative lack of hills in the second half... I regret running hard up Inchanga and was egged on by a couple of local guys who had caught me slightly earlier. Tehe one wearing a green number told me that "it's gives confidence when you are running up Inchange and others are walking" and thought it good to match their pace. I think all three of us struggled a bit over the last few km and I managed to pass this chap - both of us walking - near the outskirts of Maritzberg. On the HR, you prompted me to check previous races and I exhibited the pattern you describe - of raising HR over the course of a marathon - for MK but not for Manchester. I think that the fall in SA was most likely due to adoption of a run/walk strategy.
Has everyone managed to track down their photos? A bit long-winded to access but there are all up on this website:
http://www.actionphoto.net/order.aspx
I managed to avoid looking thoroughly fed up in all but one of my 16 photos so a fair few must've been relatively early on.
The graph above shows the difference between the time of the second half and the first half for all runners versus their finish time. There are less than a 100 negative splits. The largest positive split is over 4 hours.
Wow, less than 0.7% of the finishers managed a positive split. Not even Mr Buud managed one. Brilliant stuff. I think they need to introduce a "negative split" medal. Anything on down runs? Perhaps more manage it when the hills are down in the second half than up in the first and attacked when fresh. Comrades has changed my whole perception of what to expect or aim for in a race! Do I remember correctly from marathontalk that the figure for a normal marathon is something like 7%?
I've finally researched my number and found I've inherited it from messrs Philip Kennedy and Vincent Langlois. Phil managed three Bronze finishes in 89, 93 and 94 and Vinny a Bronze and two Bill Rowans in 01, 03 and 04 either side of entering his 40s. The latter was (is?) a member of Jo'burg Canoe Club so must've used Comrades as a way of cross-training to balance out his inevitably huge guns.
I managed a negative split in every road marathon last year but no way was that happening at Comrades. My legs were just too fatigued with 13 miles to go.
Great that you have the best medal of the people to have had your number Ally. I looked up the history of my number before I went and it had been used by three runners, with only two outcomes - either bronze or DNF. I am glad to have kept up the tradition with my bronze but hope to go one better next year.
Got a couple of races in the next few days. Should see Windsor Andy at a race round one of Leicestershire's big(ish) hills and Jacquie on Sunday at Cheltenham Circular Challenge.
I got sent a photo of me near the finish of Comrades and there, overtaking me in the background, is Hans.
As I cross the finish line there is a Union Jack showboating in the background. Let me know of you would like an email Becca?
Ah, yes, I already spotted myself in that pic when you posted it on Facebook. Apologies for photobombing.
Hello All (waves to Bike It)
I'm thinking about doing this in 2015. Can you tell me what the difference is between the up and down hill runs (apart from the obvious!) Is one as hard as the other?
Also, Bike it how will you train for the final third?
Becca, mutual shot went tic, tic, boom! One of my favourites.
Minni, we are mostly decamped to the 2014 thread now:http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/ultra-/-adventure-racing/comrades-2014/252028-5.html
What is often said is that the down run is 10 minutes faster but hurts a lot more than the up despite being 2km shorter.
Each run has the hardest terrain in the first half. The first half of the down is very lumpy and with the bigger climbs being the gentle climb out of PMB, the descent of Polly Shorts and then the climbs to Umlass road and Inchanga. The up is a continous long haul of pretty much continous ascent for 25mi. The first half of the down damages your legs with the lumpiness, the first half of the up mainly tires your legs.
The middle section between Inchanga and Bothas is very challenging on both directions, but probably seems harder on the down due to the 3 hills from HW at Drummond to Bothas hill village where the continous down starts.
The second half of the down hurts as you continously land on your quads but there are only 3 small ascents (Cowies, 45th cutting, tollgate), but you can generally keep moving despite the damage inflicted by the first half and middle section. The second half of the up is so lumpy and the runners so fatigued that each tiny hill is like a mountain and frequent walking can happen. Particular Little Pollies and Polly Shortts represent difficult obsticles and generally 'no-one runs Pollys'.
Some people say that heavier people prefer the down, lighter people the up. Certainly I consider that the down is easier for me.
Whichever direction it is run, the crowd support is amazing and it is amazing running challenge
In regards to training for the final third, I started to believe that being strong is essential (rather than just having good endurance). The challenge of Comrades is more on resisting fatigue of the muscles and maintaining a working body - at all times my heart and lungs are operating as they would at 'easy pace'. I concluded that I had run too much in training. The key thing seems to be able to resist muscular fatigue.
I started cross training in the gym for the core, upper body and legs strength. I also started spinning classes as I got a leg injury anyway which prevents me running.
Particularly for the down, then the quads ability to resist eccentric loading is essential. Weighted squats/lunges, plyometrics and downhill hill reps will improve the strength in this regard.
Bike It - thanks for your analysis.. Helpful for those trying to get their back2back in 2014... Intrigued by "plyometrics".. Am on the 2014 thread if you prefer to illuminate there