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Comrades 2014
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Hi Carmen: thank you for the info; that was really useful. Booked (already missed out on entries for Lakeland 50 2014; didn't want to take any chances on losing this one as well).
Not booked the bus at this time - it did indicate I could do that later...
Hope to use VLM for my qualifying race as I have a GFA place to use or lose (earned 2012, couldn't use it this year) and don't want to run more road marathons than I have to - that's the part that I'm least happy about, running on road for this distance. Oh well, I've entered now. Maybe time to consider Hokas???
Now to think about flights and stuff!
flights and hotel booked, now I'm excited!!
Flying Tuesday and returning the Tuesday after the race, staying at Belaire Suites so hopefully see a few of you there for a carbo loading beer and a recovery beer
I'll join the b2b list, if I may, with Ed and Jacquie. I'm not sure if Possom Hopper has signed up, but I am sure that she will. I spoke to a lady at parkrun this weekend who was off to pick up her 3-way presentation frame. In Wimbledon. So no need to tempt fate by buying one at the Expo.
Much slicker system this year I might add. Almost felt a bit like I was buying Glastonbury tickets "you will be allowed to proceed with your registration in an hour and one minute..." What? An hour? Oh, SA is an hour ahead, isn't it. Confirmation emails too...
Friday bus again for me.
I'm in for next year - the b2b marketing and fear of missing out got me.
I recognise a few names on the entry list, and also noticed that the likes of Ally and Ed may be running with a certain Mr Sharman...
Ally - yes, I got caught by the time difference too!
Apparently the bus tour is free for us but it's still not clear how you book it then... of course these things always work themselves out.
On his blog Ian Sharman recommended a good whack of sauna time for building up heat tolerance. I've tried it and I really do think it works. So even if you take twice the time to finish it's still worth trying what the fast peeps do - after all we have twice the time to benefit from any positive effects!
The bus trip doesn't seem to be free anymore, I went back on and booked it rather than miss out. Around £15 I think.
That's what I mean Muzza - I saw they were asking money for it on the website, asked the Comrades ambassadors about it on FB as it used to be free for us international runners, and they said it's supposed to be still now - so, assuming they were given sound information, it's a website issue.
Computers ARE the spawn of Satan...
Ian Sharman is heading back? Nice. I'll be pretty close to him, until he crosses the line that is. I guess he'll be having another crack at sub 6.
Emily - Good to see you've joined the newbies of 2013 in returning for the b2b. I liked that you wearing the comrades cap at the ThunderRun got a special mention on that marathontalk podcast. The event sounded thrilling in the hot weather breaking into biblical thunder & lightning.
I paid 2050 Rand: 1800 for entry and 250 for the bus. I'll recycle the green chip from this year. I think I paid 1548 last year and I've also just noticed that there is some discrepany on the cost of the tour as the website has 200 but the application system has 250. A bit messy but it does seem that they've increased the price of entry itself as well as adding the extra charge for the bus. I suppose they have to pay for that shiny new website somehow but also the rand has depreciated over 20% over the year. A nugget is worth about 15.9 now and 13.15 when I paid last year.
Fido2dogs, oh, hopefully we will get a refund at the expo? Big glitch!
Hi there - yep - I'm in to try to get a B2B and hopefully a bronze. My cheeky long suffering non running better half told me to not bother going home if I don't get a bronze....cheeky git !!!
I have booked into City Lodge as was happy with my stay there this year. My man has kindly said he will pay for my flights as my birthday pressie...what a hero.
Next year I am flying out on Thursday, arriving Friday - then home again Yuesday after. Short and sweet now I know the lay of the land.
It's all very exciting but strangely, I just know I will be way more nervous next year as having done it once, there is more pressure to do it again...does that make sense ???
OK, I'm in - thought I may as well give it another go
You have to Douglas......it couldn't be any worse than cycling along the Thames towpath as 'sweeper' on the Thames Meander Marathon, on someone elses bike, pulling a trolley loaded up with water, lifting that trolley over gates and most of it in the pouring down rain !
Muzza - hopefully you'll get it before...
Douglas - whoo green number time!
How did you go back and purchase it? I can only find a way to edit my data but not to purchase the bus ticket. Thanks
I asked the Aussie Comrades ambassador on FB and he said it's meant to be free for us international runners, so I am assuming a website glitch and sitting tight. As Carmen will confirm, there is no need to rush!
Hi all - first post here so i'll go and stand in the corner with the new guys...
Ran my 1st this year, hurt like hell and conditions did not help. Needless to say, will be back in '14 to have a go at Silver and hopefully earn a b2b .
Any advice on a program for Silver will be highly appreciated!
As a side note, does anyone on this thread use Strava?
Dannirr, just log back into your account and Change it on your account they then ask for you to pay 250 rand.
Thanks Muzza - done!
Carel - the Comrades Coach Lindsay Parry has plans for all speeds at:http://www.comrades.com/marathoncentre/training . They are oriented for SA atheletes so the race dates don't really match for us here in the UK. Also the January-May programme is not published yet. Typically though I think it would be 6 days running of about 10 hours or so per week.
Can you give us a bit of background - what's your latest marathon race time, how much run volume do you do,...?
The hard part of the downrun is the relentless downhill from the top of Bothas Hill Village. Gym time on building strength, particular for the eccentiric loading will help you keep the pace in the last third.
@bike it... ran a 3:08 at Brighton & 8:50 in this year's Comrades (strong until Camperdown and then the wheels started coming off)... Ran ~1,300km from Jan 'till Comrades. Been biking since Jun & aiming to start Comrades program on 1 Oct.
Can you recommend any specific gym work for the DR?
Carel, well that's a pretty good time. For a silver I think you would need a bit more speed though and probably more training volume. The majority of runners getting silver have a sub3 mara and train with 1700km from New Year to Comrades, but there are outlying silver medalists with marathon times to 3:15 and even as low as 3:38. Why don't you focus on speed in Oct-Nov to do a fast HM/10K at end November, rest in December and start the Comrades schedule in Jan?
Personally I like to spend a short time in the gym so I spend around 30-40 minutes doing some of these. The structure I use is 3x sets of lunges, weighted squats and KB swings as the main leg excercises and then do other excercises as below depending on my weakness:
Excercises for eccentric quad loading (essential for down run)
weighted lunges (I use 2x12-16kg kettlebell, 16-20 reps each leg to exhaustion)
box jumps (I use 40cm platform or parkbench 40 reps to exhaustion - it is a bit risky to overdo box jumps so I only do one set of those)
General body weight/ KB excercises
weighted squats with 20kg core bag 60 reps
windmill with 12kg KB 5 reps
swings with 12-16kg KB 40 reps
weighted single leg squat
press with 12kg KB
plank, seated medicine ball twist, side plank, side plank with dumbell reach through, cycling crunches, leg raises. back extension, T-press-up,....
The essential question to ask is what are my weaknesses? For me it is my core so I spend time on excercises that are good for that
Hello folks. I am another of last years first timers joining Jacquie, Emily, Possum, Ed, Ally in going for the back to back medal. Nice to see a few of the more experienced runners entered for next year plus a lot of newbies. City Lodge for me again - staggering distance from the race finish.
Race-wise, I have Berlin marathon towards the end of this month then Abingdon in October. I used Wales Marathon as my qualifier - that was like a mini Comrades as it was undulating all the way, plus pretty hot. The races for next year are still at the planning stage, apart from Seville, which will hopefully be a PB effort. I might do a 50 mile race as well if there is a suitable one (perhaps the LDWA Woldsman in mid April?) and apart from that mostly stick to long runs in the Charnwood Hills as they are pretty good for Comrades training and are local.
I have a Boston qualifying time (2 seconds short of BQ-5) and it was always the intention to run Boston in 2014 but that was before I decided to go for the back to back Comrades. I don't have long for dithering though.
Becca, Boston is great training for Comrades, especially the Down Run - go for it. (I did both in 2012). I usually marshall at about the 14/23 mile bit at Abo, when do you think you'll be coming through and what vest do you wear? -I'll give you a special cheer (+take requests for the boombox).
I only plan to run marathon distance as training, Berlin coming up, Abingdon, Cornish, Xmas double, Rome, Taunton will be my 100th then Boston, Neolithic and maybe milton Keynes as a double 3 weeks out from comrades. I defiantly plan to do lots of hill running here in Devon coz I know how much I hurt after Dartmoor Discovery and that's only 32.5m but hilly. The downs hurt more than the up for sure.
Hello All. So good to see many of u keen to return as well as some new faces. I'm in as well. I keep saying it every year but surely 2014 will be my sub 7 year!
Carel, the advice from bike it is spot on. Add more volume and work on your shorter distance speed for the rest of the year. Silver is running at 5 mins per km which sounds easy but when your legs are screaming at u it is really difficult so u need to condition your body to convince it that 5 mins per km is a doddle normally. Gym work will help but is not crucial. I know I didn't do any gym work the first time I ran silver. I use strava so search for me, warren kidgell.
Cape Town marathon training has been revived in the last few weeks so a PB is a slim hope.
Hmm, so all I did was have a natter with Carmen and it seems I'm now a Comrades entrant. How exciting! Not been to Durban for 20 years. Bunny chow never goes out of fashion.
i see there's a Parkrun in Durban so don't forget your barcodes
Muzza - a few of us did that one last year (very slowly) and I DID forget my barcode, in spite of taking it to South Africa. It is a very nice route along the seafront and we had a Comrades thread meet up at a nice coffee shop afterwards.
FIdo - I remember the 14/23 point very well last year as I wasn't feeling particularly great at 14 and I was wondering how bad I would be feeling when I got to that point second time round. Turned out that I now need a 15 mile warm up as I was feeling great at mile 23. Pace will be somewhere between 8:00 and 8:20 but I will have a better idea after Berlin.
Welcome aboard Poacher. You won't regret that you had that natter with Carmen.
Thanks Becca. Actually Boston could well be good for Comrades, it's that sort of course esp. with all the early downhill.
Training sort-of started today with the Yorkshireman mara, 3,000ft ascent. Chuffing hard. LONG way to go. Good luck all.
Great to see some familiar names cropping up again....and good to see Becca has entered. I'm sure I'm repeating myself but can't remember what have already posted!
Am doing New Forest in just under two weeks and was hoping to get a sub 4 to use as qualifying - but have a niggling Achilles which I am going softly, softly with. I uumed and ahhed about NF but am going to do it, even if I run walk it. I then have Beachy Head which will deffo be just a day out and a number as am hoping it will be my 49th marathon. Brighton next year falls on my 50th birthday and am planning on that being my 50th mara.....so...Comrades training next year won't have any 'official' marathons before Brighton but then I hope to pretty much repeat what I did this year with maybe an extra one slotted in.....maybe. Am just wanting to get this year sorted to get to number 49 before I can really kind of relax into training. I will have to use Brighton for my qualifying.....unless I manage to pull something out of the bag at NF.........one lives in hope !!
After BH I really am going to have some down time as have pretty much kept plodding away since Comrades this year.......even managed a 10k PB 3 weeks after C !! So, yeah.....need to get rested and injury free.