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Comrades 2016
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Liked your report Mac3. Given the pain has gone, if I had no family then i would strongly consider the back to back but (joking) threats have already been issued about going back so its a no for me.
I have been cycling, in the gym and swimming. I have actually swum more this week than i have done in the previous 12 months, but that's only because i have been twice
I am trying to fit a triathlon in this summer just to justify owning a bike and a wetsuit but am struggling to find a free weekend. Peter - which IM's are you doing? My friend did just Cairns but from the pics, it looked more like it could be IMUK 
Mac3 - its a tough old day isn't it! Great report, well done on getting home
. Between us we high fived all the Ethembeni school kids - I did the left hand side of the road 
; some of those fives were the gentlest touches of my hand ever.
SBA - I have been meaning to get out for a run, but, bacon butties, cakes and red wine keep getting in the way.
PG3 - Family holiday time to South Africa
, on the Sunday in question just say you are popping out for an early morning jog...
I didn't run for 2 weeks after Comrades but ran as part of a team of 8 at Endure 24 last weekend. We each did 4 laps of 5 miles and my legs and blisters held up OK although I'm a bit stiff now. I did the club run last night and then am doing a 9 mile leg of the Ridgeway Relay on Sunday. All good practice for the Lakeland 50 at the end of July....
I started easy running in the week after Comrades as my legs were fine. I've not got much pace at the moment but that is to be expected, both from having run Comrades and also from the injury-necessitated month of little running that preceded it.
I've got Race to the Stones coming up in mid-July.
Some great race reports to catch up on this lunchtime.
I read the details behind Mr K's alarm clock mishap (user malfunction?) with interest. Mr K I think you could be congratulated for making optimal use of your time in bed before going on to achieve your B2B at almost goal pace.
PG3/MAC3 - great race reports, glad to hear you had a good experience after all the hard work.
PG3 -I might ask NB to put the quote from you below onto next year's race t-shirt and they can send you the royalties directly...
"Past half way and there was a monster hill, I cant even remember it’s name, you hear all these legendary hill names before the race but on the day I think I just referred to them all as ‘you f*cker’. Comrades is just hills and hills and then some more hills. This hill was never ending,"
PG3 - I am doing the half IM in Budapest in July, and the full in Langkawi in November.
JAR - any update on your official time being recognised? I hope all manage to see sense.
Hi Peter, I'm still in contact with the folks at CMA but to be fair I can imagine its been busy for them resolving various medal related problems.
Their IT person owes me a call so I might spring it on him on Friday morning when they're hopefully in a good mood and might be open to wasting a few hours trawling video footage on my behalf.
JAR - Have you looked at Jet Line Photos to support your official time? I took the liberty of finding your race number from the Comrades results and plugging that in displays 23 images. If you display the digital option on the right hand side bar it displays the images with time and location, e.g. Camperdown, Harrison Flats, Halfway etc, plus you can make out the finishing time on the final shots.
Thanks Mac3 - i had seen them but I was wondering whether those would be enough.
Last year they had videos of the timing mats which you could see from a few angles. I think they only came out a few weeks after the regular photos but I'm hoping they do the same this time so I can confirm without a doubt I passed through them all.
I can't be sure but my fear is they'll insist my splits are confirmed to ensure I'm not cheating.
Just got an email back from them now, they have an organiser's committee on Monday and the International hospitality liaison will bring up my case first hand with the race director and head of IT at CMA. We'll see what happens....
Finger's and toes crossed for you
Another fingers and crossed toes from me for you JAR. Hope sense prevails and you get recognised in the results.
I started back last week, nice and gentle and not too far. Although do have a 50k planned at the end of the month. Like Becca, no speed to speak of but at least pain free and my mind is willing again as well!!!!
MAC3 - great report. I too walked through the left hand line of children. Best part of the race EVER.
Good luck for Monday JAR.
Mac - thanks for the heads up on those times - I had tried to estimate from my Garmin and how far into the run each one was - time of day was right there in front of me but I hadn't clicked it was there
My return to running sounds similar to Becca's, legs felt OK and happy to run quite soon afterwards, but no speed. have done half marathons each weekend since, but was very happy to do at a gentle pace, enjoy the scenery and treat as recovery run not race. This weekend will be a test, like OSF am doing a leg of Ridgeway relay, I'm part of my clubs B team, where it's about participating rather than speed, and whilst I know the team won't mind what speed I do, I'd still like to do my best, so it's my first post Comrades challenge. OSF, which leg are you on? I'm on leg 5 and hopefully will pop up to support at some of the later handovers, so maybe will get to say hi!
McHilly- I'm on leg 10 which co-incidentally, like Leg 5, has a pub at the end of it
. Leg 5 is lovely- apart from the 1st climb. Running down Grim's Dyke is a real treat but watch out for the tree roots. Our team is in it for the running, not the racing too.
My speed has gone too- i was a minute slower on each lap at Endure compared to last year.
I'm spending lots of my free time not running plotting a way to be at Comrades again next year. Zuluboy certainly helped lay the groundwork by telling my other half at Spiga that being a little bit selfish with running is a good thing for your marriage (worth seeing if this theory works)
Adding my good wishes too. Your case must have merit JAR as it was not dismissed out of hand and you are claiming a finish time consistent with your qualification and being your third (if I'm not mistaken) that should count for something too. With a positive outcome it will mean just 7 more for your green number
Thanks Marty74, I recall we had a brief chat at the end of the Spiga dinner. I should have apologised in advance to any vegetarians amongst us, the idea of a safari is to observe the animals and not to eat them, but, that Impala pie was damned good with a large Shiraz....
Lowrez - I hope you had a few smiley shots despite the grim reaper hanging over you!
JAR good luck for Monday. I really hope they give it to you. I also hope you get a pass to go back. I know my joking mention of going back to SA was met with a joking threat of 'finding a new husband'. Obviously I haven't been looking at other races and wondering which ones I could do next, certainly not Race to the stones
Mac3 - Despite the hard work of the day I am dancing and smiling in almost every shot - Drummond is about the only place where I am all-out "whaaat
!" Absolutely loved every minute of it prior to and from then on - its that weird thing where you know you can do it - just don't put a foot wrong. I don't think I could have achieved it without having done last year's up run though; learnt so much from that.
I am surprised that Jetline took the red "still compiling" warning off their site just after you choose Comrades 2016; that made me think it was safe to buy - I had 29 at the time, last night when I went back I had 33! They've added in Sherwood (timing mat) and Finish (gantry) - I want 2 out of 4 of those! So looks like I'll have to do individual downloads for them - still bargain basement compared to UK prices
PG3 - ha ha - bargaining already
back-to-back is calling you!
JAR - everything crossed for you. I hope CMA will be kind to you.
I've done a few trail runs and a couple of parkruns but like everyone else the speed hasn't returned to my legs (was it ever there?!).
I'm going to Chamonix for the Mont Blanc 80km next weekend but because of all the snow left up on the higher passes, the organisers have announced some course adjustments taking out some of the peaks over 2000m... So hopefully it will be easier than last year when it took me the best part of 24 hours to complete the course...
lowrez - 33 photos! The photographers loved you! I'm still stuck on 16 - and none at the finish line - which is a bit of a blessing in disguise - no photos showing my time - as I set a personal worst for the Down...
I hope to get into the CCC next year. I didn't manage to get picked in the ballot this year. Look forward to hearing. About your race.
I haven't received any info re photo's from Jetline . Did you all get an email
Hi Patricia - I think that might be part of my problem on the photos - no e-mail - I went and hunted them down here before that notification came through (it still hasn't), and purchased a bit too early.
Good luck with CCC!
SD - I think they like photographing idiots a lot - I always take my cap and shades off and do a big smile/thumbs up if I spot them - show-off that I am - seems to work
I think that I have 31 photos. Not quite as many as lowrez but I clearly need to up my game as I usually give a thumbs up or similar but leave my cap and glasses on.
A friend has a Race to the Stones entry for anyone that is interested. It is to do the event over two days. 16 July.
How did the Ridgeway relay go?
Shadowfax have you ran the Lakeland 50 before?. I really love this race I have done it 4 times. I couldn't enter this year as I'm going to a family wedding the day of the Race. I recommend doing a recce of parts of the course if you can. Last year I did my PB following Comrades 12 hours 20.
Ridgeway relay was great, although I was slow, I have no pace since Comrades... But not bothered by that, happy to run slowly and will soon look out a marathon training plan to start thinking about getting a bit fitter / faster for October marathons. ShadowFox looked to be going very well when I saw him finish his ridgeway stage.
I doubt I'll be returning to Comrades next year, as there are so many places I'd like to visit and limited days holiday..... But could be tempted to do a uk ultra, the Lake District 50 sounds awesome ( guess it's mainly off road. / less support / less aid stations and therefore harder than comrades?)
Despite the wind and rain, I really enjoyed the Ridgeway Relay- it was such a different feel compared to Comrades and I was pleased with my pace.
I did the LL 50 last year for the 1st time- I did all the recce weekends for the 50 (and even one of the 100 recces just for the training it gave) and then I did the whole distance again over 3 days at Easter with my friend who I did the race with. So by the the time I did the event, it was my 3rd time over the course. I did the night recce again and the Buttermere to Dalemain recce this year for the training and am now looking forward to July. And we are hoping to knock some time off our 11:49 effort last year- if my running buddy can avoid breaking his collar bone at the 1/2 way point, it might help!
McHilly- be aware that the race sold out in 6 minutes last September! Nice to see you at the start and finish of my leg today
No, I've never done the Scafell mara although i have a friend who recce'd it last weekend. I do indeed love the LL50 although I might not enter next year due to other commitments- plus it lets some others have a go at it!
Lakeland 50 is a great race - and it's the one that got me into ultras when I'd never run more than HM (I read about L50 and knew I wanted to do it - just after I'd told my husband I'd stick to HM because I didn't think I could find the time for marathon training...).
Mc Hilly: offroad, more (and much more technical) ascent and descent than Comrades. You have a route map and instructions, but need to navigate (no route markers, unlike e.g. NDW50), including quite possibly in the dark, unless you're very fast. Aid stations are good, but obviously further apart - e.g. 8-10 miles or so and you do have to carry water and food and a variety of compulsory gear. It's a great event - fantastic camaraderie.
McHilly- if you come and do our parkrun when i'm there I can fill you in on the LL50. I bought a Montane rucksack several years ago and there was a tag on it advertising the race so I decided to do it in my 50th year- but then had to delay by a year because we had tickets for the Commonwealth games