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Comrades 2014
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thanks everyone!! Some great advice here, appreciate it as a out of Europe newbie.
Hans C, stay clear of Gloucester marathon/50k the way they treated us last year when they had to cancel was a disgrace, no cash refund, no communication nothing! Bad weather wasn't there fault I know but the way they have gone about it is very bad, and there several thousand pounds quids in.
the rough flight itinerary was fly 3pm wed, via Cairo and Johannesburg and arrive 10am on the thur, then return same way on tues 4.40pm and arrive home 9.30am wed. Plus 4 nights in the Hilton is £983 plus 8.5% cash back thorough quidco
may leave a day earlier to get over it but this is the best I can find. Could save maybe £100 on a cheaper hotel but if you can't get out and about much I'd rather have a gym and decent restaurant/pub etc. doesnt seem to bad but I'm gonna keep looking.
Have to agree on the Gloucester option being dodgy. Can't trust the weather in January. I was in the shape of my life just before it this year only to see it cancelled. Shouldn't bother me much but I hardly ever race marathons all out and had that one planned as a gut busting effort. Nearly 2 years since I threw the kitchen sink at a marathon in fact.
My suspect right knee has scuppered my planned attempt at a good marathon in cape town next month so not a lot of running happening in the past month but probably a good thing after 9 months of averaging 70 miles a week.
As for flights I would not recommend the Dubai option. As SD has mentioned, facing another 8 hour flight when you have just got off one almost as long is not pleasant.
I started running again after a 2 month lay off due to injury. I've gained about 6kg though so I can now only run a Comrades pace even when I want to go at MP or Threshold. The next marathon is Oct 20 and I wanted to keep my GFA, but that if going to be a challenge from here.
The bargian flights come up in April or so - last year you could get SAA LHR-JNB-DUR for £670. Personally I won't be paying for a flight until I am sure I won't be injured and have decent training behind me. As for hotels then the decent one go fairly quickly, but probably booking in February is fine. Just make sure it is refundable if you have to withdraw from the race.
I'm not sure anyway if I will enter 2014 Comrades as my company announced that it would stop making smartphones. As I am involved in the development of smartphones then I may soon be seeking employment.
The time is now to start to get your legs prepared for running 56miles with 1600m of descent. This causes a lot of eccentric loading of the quads. I'm doing a lot of strength work at the moment - squats, lunges and box jumps in particular. Also running at 7.5 degrees (up) on the treadmill.
How bad an idea is it to do the LDWA100 (in Wales next year) the week before the Comrades run? Did anyone do this for the 2013 run?
I couldn't do it. My last long run is usually an easy marathon 3 weeks before Comrades...
Trying as welll to sort out some autumn/winter runs. Def doing Seville in Feb - was hoping to do Tokyo but not sure it's financially viable
Re talk of Gloucester - did anyone ever hear from them? werent they meant to reschedule??
Carmen, I dont get the notifications either. Must be an issue with the RW site.
I did Goucester 3 years in a row before I moved to Angola, and it was ok. Strange about last year, but that does sound slightly out of order.
Doing Cape Town next month, nice and easy though so not trying to improve my seeding etc.
Carmen, Peter, my notifications have stopped too... I don't even get them when I have a message in my RW inbox...
Peter - my brother from Tokyo will be running the Cape Town marathon next month - I'll tell him to look out for you!
Carmen - drop me a line if you're seriously thinking about Tokyo - I can ask my brother whether he would be able to let you kip at the family home...
No notifications from runners world or from Gloucester 2013 marathon. Done it twice but may strike out off the list.
Ha! Notification just worked! Hello Hans - how's your injury?
I wanted to do Boddington in July - did it last year and got my PB at it and used that for Comrades. I was feeling pretty fit in July so just wanted to pile in on the back of the Comrades vibe I had. It is organized by the same outfit who do Gloucester but it was cancelled this year. Maybe people were voting with their feet and not entereing after Gloucester wents boobies up. Shame as it was a good event - Boddington - for a decent time.
Gloucester was a good event,done it 2/3 times b4 this years fiasco! Basically they have banked bash cash of 600 £30s and nobody has heard anything, even emails have not been replied to. Ill never rhetoric any org there events again. The paper work and organisation leading up to there race was always poor but once you got running i always enjoyed it. Such a shame they treated us that way. No refund, no letter of explanation Nothing.
Hey SD, X-ray said fracture, but they weren't sure if it was new or old. Swimming at the moment but no running yet. Was banned from running for 6 weeks so naturally I shall try after 3 as any good runner would. Have been kiting with surfboard which is easier on foot but put other heel through deck. So now I am really narked!
I think I am going to run Chester anyway, on a wing and a prayer. I won't get sub 3.30 but would look to enjoy it for the sheer joy of running.
Gloucester 2013 would have been number 3, but not sure if I will bother again.
Purely from a logistical point of view - hotel, transport, meeting other half after the race - which is the better option an up race or a down?
Thanks for any advice.
I'm thinking of trying for a place in Boston next year - I know enteries are predicted to be higher than usual but with a current marathon PB 45mins faster than the qualifying time for my age I might never get a better chance. Anyone know when enteries open? Site just mentions early September. Also any tips on where to stay etc if I do manage to get a place? Thanks
Jacqui - I'm hoping for Boston next year too but my time is way closer to the qualifying limit than yours so I'm not assuming anything. I don't think they've announced the date yet but I'm following them on twitter so hopefully we should know soon.
Hans - hope your run of bad luck changes. Good luck with the early recovery training!
petwencal - I'd say Down. Your other half can have a lie in whilst you take an early morning bus up to Pietermaritzburg, have a nice day on the beach and then walk to the stadium to see you finish. Followed by a short trip back to your hotel. For the Up run your other half would have to try to find their way to Pietermaritzburg (difficult to park near the fininsh if driving, expensive by taxi or a very early bus and a looong wait) - and don't get me started on the nightmare of trying to get out of the stadium, leaving Pietermaritzburg and a looong journey back to Durban!
Jacquie - I stayed at the Millenium Bostonian which is in a nice area by Faneuil Hall and Market Place (lots of great eating options in Market Place). It was across the road from the pasta party, a short walk to Boston common for the big yellow school bus pick up to the start and a nice stroll back from the finish - and far enough not to be taped off as a crime scene... I hope to go back and run again but not next year because I think I'll find the whole "remembering 2013" stuff too much...
Jacq - we stayed at the Holiday Inn with the Wholefoods Supermarket behind it, near to river, finish, common + metro. But were on a sports tour. Oh + pharmacy next door to WFS. V convenient...!
PS 4:46 @ enigma gold so qualifier done, relief as my running has tanked this year (middle age
). Hope to improve to F later but at least one thing done!
1st time flew via dubai + booked into the in airport hotel for 8h zzz between flights - 2nd time just caught zeds on plane as had empty seat next to me and as journey shorter it seemed to take less out of me.
running rodent and Jacquie, I plan to go Boston to, I'm 28 mins quicker than my good for age so should be ok, i hear they are upping the runners to 28k to cover the runners who didn't make it last year And can quite rightly run it again. Can't find anywhere online,twitter or FB when the entries open but if I see it ill put it on here to.
How quick does entries for comrades sell out? Just realised I'm away on the 1st sept running wolves marathon so wont be back home till 4/5pm.
Slow Duck, thanks for that - helps me make a decision about which year to go for.
Fido, I see you lurking a lot already .. and talking of qualifying. You heading back in 2014?
I just entered the first Luanda half marathon, on 1 September! Ironically it the route of my normal training run ... will be a fairly unique medal though.
Thanks SD and Fido for info. If I get a place I might have more questions! Running Rodent and Muzza we can all look out for Boston entry date But I I would be grateful for a tip off though in case I miss it. Last year we had weeks/ months (?) to enter Comrades so no problem with not being home that day. I assume that's the usual situation - the others on the forum will know better as last year was my first Time. I'll be applying as soon as enteries open all the same.
Comrades takes weeeeeeks to sell out, don't worry.
P - =yep - though not sad I didn't do it this year - eeeek!
Jacquie, yes, I'll post here as soon as I find out about Boston. I was wondering the same thing about how quickly Comrades sells out, but I assumed from the fact they accepted postal applications last year that it didn't sell out within hours. Oh, I could be so blowing my travel budget next year if it all goes to plan!
Trying to find an autumn marathon that I can do in this country but there are none when I'm off work! May do Ealing half as it's close.
No notifications - or even links to the forum. I have to search each time and it always takes me back to page 1, grrr!!
Yeah I think my running budget will take a pounding next year to, booked Rome in march, Boston and comrades ouch but will be worth it! Life is to short!
Hi everyone, planning on entering on Sep 1st for may 1st Comrades.
Got a marathon pb of 2.54 at Manchester this year & will be aiming to better that at Chester in October, thinking of aiming for around 8-8.30 next year, this realistic? distance won't be a problem as have done the Lakeland 100 last 2 years, though I realise I'll running a lot faster than i did for that!
Also, how quickly will the Hilton sell out once entires I open? That is my preferred choice, but belaire suites is also tempting. also cheaper.
Lookbg at arriving on the Thursday & staying in Durban for around a week, don't know that much about South Africa, would to do some safari after the race for a few days, anyone
Got any recommendations or other places that would be worth a visit?
thanks in advance!
No need to wait until entries open to book beds &flights!
Re times, your estimates sound more than sensible, but especially the first time, it can be a bit of a crapshoot...even for nippy souls like yourself (I gather from other people's tales). So conservative is wise!