Comrades 2020

baldstan

That's amazing Dubairunner. Not the kind of record you were going for, of course, and sorry you're missing 2 Oceans, but you're own backyard ultra. I hope the aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers supportive!

Dannirr

Sept 24th.  For certain.

Dannirr

And in today's news - I ran 2 miles.  Which is about the furthest I've run in a month.

1owrez

September 27th - marty74, Peter R, Terry48, johnny1984, Dannirr
September 27th for South African nationals only - baldstan
October 4th - Peter DHM, Southern Snail
Cancelled - with entries carried forward to next year - 1owrez
Cancelled - with no refund but guaranteed entry for next year - Mc Hilly
Cancelled - with reduced entry to next year - Slow Duck
Cancelled for internationals with a transfer to 2021 if they provide a positive antibody test certificate - baldstan
Cancelled - with no refunds - Dubairunner

1owrez

Dubai - well done on the 500 - so that was 8.75 miles? Exactly a marathon left to go to equal 2O!

Dannirr - did you run around anything? 

Slow Duck

Dubai - that’s nuts! Well done! Did you change direction at set intervals/laps?

Dubairunner

Thanks everyone. I change direction generally after 10 laps, yesterday I did it after every 20 laps. Temperature was in the low 30s with no shade, so good heat training as well as mental training.

lowerz, was thinking of 753.5 next for a half marathon.

johnny1984

I think Dannirr was voting for Heritage Day (24th) rather than 27th. And with certainty, too. Insider knowledge perhaps?

1owrez

Well spotted Johnny!

September 24th (Heritage Day) - Dannirr
September 27th - marty74, Peter R, Terry48, johnny1984
September 27th for South African nationals only - baldstan
October 4th - Peter DHM, Southern Snail
Cancelled - with entries carried forward to next year - 1owrez
Cancelled - with no refund but guaranteed entry for next year - Mc Hilly
Cancelled - with reduced entry to next year - Slow Duck
Cancelled for internationals with a transfer to 2021 if they provide a positive antibody test certificate - baldstan
Cancelled - with no refunds - Dubairunner

1owrez

At the end of week 2 in our virtual Comrades run on Mars we've had multiple finishers with amazing times, a dead heat, and some amazing close shaves on medals. Still several athletes out there battling through the red dust too. The finishers are all happily cooling off in this amazing Somes Bamhida stadium:-

Rankings for those already over the line are:-

Amazing run by PeterHDM to get that Milver, a dead heat between LoveLifeRun and PeterR, crying my eyes out that SS didn't manage to break 10 for a Mobert Mtshali and incredibly impressed with SD's discipline to stick to his training plan pace and cruise in so coolly for a Mic Clapham. I can see you all sitting back and following the remainder of the gang out in the heat of the Martian day...

In this virtual world it looks like the final reckoning might reverse the current last 4 placing out there and some may even be challenging for first place against the leader in the stadium! Dubai is no doubt dreaming of a dip in his pool back home with only one mile (how many laps is that?) to go. JAR is on an incredibly good run after his terrible injury just a few short months ago, and,1owrez has realised the errors of his ways from last week and picked up pace - I'll warrant he could under-pip SD on the line though to pick up last!

PeterDHM

If only I could come in on that time in real life!  I think i must have been assisted by the Martian gravity! 

Peter R

good effort Dubai, I think that would drive me nuts, but needs must I guess.  
Lowrez: love this, just goes to show training times versus actual comrades though as in my 10 Comrades I have 2 sub 9s and 8 Bronzes/Moberts; yet I always train around the same speed.
Slow Ducks speeds are being impacted by the fact he is doing some serious hill work on just about every run.

Rest week for this week I think.  Been pushing it a bit lately and went out on the bike yesterday and legs fought back.  Time to listen or I will get injured.


Dannirr good to see the run, is this a return from injury or lockdown?  And you cant just leave us hanging re the date.

Spent yesterday looking at races and realising its pointless entering anything.  Even the press last night in Australia was saying no international travel until October or something like that.  

Southern Snail

Woo hoo. Finished Comrades Does that 10.02 mean I did it in just over 10 hours. I wish!! Due to go and run over 20 now but the legs aren't willing to do as much as I want them too. Been running just about every day since lockdown so my recovery week has ended up as more but... if Dubai can keep running round and round a pool I should just get out there. It's blowing an absolute hoodie mind. Wonder if I could do it all with a tail wind

Peter R - you've been putting in some serious bike and running mileage. Well done. Not surprised your legs are fighting back. Shame about your Ironman. Which one was it and is it being rescheduled? Bit more difficult I would think because of water temperatures.

So whats the next race Lowrez when the rest of you have finished Comrades? (hey get out there and run otherwise we'll be here all day waiting for you!!! )

Debra Bourne

I evidently missed something... what is this Mars Comrades????

Peter R

Mebra: you must have missed a page on the Forum

SS - IM was supposed to be a couple of weeks ago and now moved to 15 November (in SA ironically enough).  IM UK is still on in Mid July (but that could well change), although I haven't entered yet as no idea I have wasted on events that either aren't happening or have been deferred.

Half IM the week before Comrades has been postponed officially now, but they haven't published the new date yet.

Anyone on the forum do any swimming?  I have been researching SwimRun … and its looks fun

Debra Bourne

Peter R: Ah. Found it at the bottom of page 59. But I didn't make it onto the list :-(.

1owrez

Hi Mebra, tell me your mileage and average pace since April 1st and I can add you in All I am doing is taking the same from the RW Strava group (you could sign up to that for automation, I think you are using a Garmin device? If you are uploading that to Garmin Connect you can automatically get it to push your results to Strava - if you haven't done that already). This has come about from my reflections that you shouldn't need to pay an entry fee to be in a virtual race. My invention, non of the racers here really signed up for this, it just blossomed out of my twisted mind; keeps me occupied for a few minutes during this drought of events; thinking of moving on to somewhere new for the next race, maybe Planet Claire, or Halkeginia, or New Holland, or ...

marty74

Dubai - you have some serious mental strength doing that. I've run a marathon round a track before and that was hard enough when the laps were 400m....

SS - it's so tempting to run more than you usually would during this period since we have so much more time and it is something to do. Personally i am keeping to my own schedule as before, reduced the weekend runs down to something sensible and then plan to build up again when we get a date, possibly this Wednesday?? I have also started doing some core exercise twice a week so i think i will probably keep this going when things get back to normal (whenever that may be).

mowrez - you are a source of constant amusement during these tough times. Keep up the good work, and if you could arrange for my body to finish in 8.06, i will owe you beer for life!!!!

Peter - i keep doing the same, looking at potential races but can't plan anything until we get the green light. Have just seen the Ridgeway Challenge has been cancelled in August, just hope other races around that date hold fire for a bit longer....

Stay strong everyone....

Debra Bourne

mowrez: I'm on Strava and I can see my training log in days and weeks but not sure how to get the average pace for runs in April...  As for joining the Strava group - which one? Runner's World UK, Runner's World (Pennsylvania)????

Debra Bourne

Meanwhile, I'm planning on a 50K race next weekend virtually with SVN, and another in May - I've chosen my medals (and paid the entry fees) and when I've done the runs and sent Traviss the confirmation they will send the medals.

1owrez

Mebra, can you see a club called RWUKCT

The club table gives me accumulated miles for the week and produces the average mile rate.

1owrez

On this first virtual race I have done nothing other than take mileage and apply that to the Comrades route, did think about elevation, but, some of us have zero ability to cater for that, even if not under lockdown, so that would mean inventing some kind of handicap system where miles were traded for elevation or such, but that would constantly hit the poor people who have no hills, they'd have to run more miles, so maybe I should handicap their average pace, hmm, that might be fairer... I feel an equation coming on!

1owrez

Good Spidey sense PeterR - take a rest, stay way from injury.

SS I was doing exactly that; resting, yesterday; the day before I was out in the garden with my pole hedge trimmer, which is a beast, and I have a lot of hedges, so it was a major work-out doing the first cut of the year, blimey was I aching! Still a bit sore today, but, I think a run might be therapeutic. Devastated that you missed breaking 10 hours by 2 minutes - even looked at my spreadsheet to see if I could nudge you under it - have been rounding up and down to the nearest mile for simplicity - it wouldn't have it though Know what you mean about my mileage, I did warn it could take 4 weeks for me to finish Mars - ha ha! Maybe I should launch a new race in a different location every week to keep interest up?

Anyone fancy virtually racing across anything? Bamber Gascoigne's head, the furrows of a stick of rhubarb, round all 10 holes in the surface of a bourbon biscuit? We need to take virtual to a different level!

MARK A ALDERSON

Lowrez,

This 'virtual' race that you have created on the back on my idea (with all good intentions to raise money for those in need) I ask again how does one become selected to take part, what are the T&Cs for it, and this Strava group / club that you speak of, it seems to be an invite only club, therefore again, how do you pass the selection criteria and how do you 'remain in the group' also?

Debra Bourne

... Okay, I have mileage and total time for April - 99.6 and 15hrs 26 mins. A running pace calculator online suggests that's an average pace of 9:18/mile.. plug in 9:18 and 56.9 miles give 9:49...

Debra Bourne

lowrez: I've found that and sent a request to join...

Debra Bourne

Mark AA: apologies for not joining your virtual race for charity - I like the idea in principle but I've chosen to support SVN, including raising money for charities, and was planning to do so before you put up your suggestion (I just hadn't yet chosen which medals I wanted). Did do a yoga session this morning with a charity donation to NHS. I've been trying to read the stuff on the mile2ultra website but that background of moving virus particles makes it difficult!

1owrez

Mebra, that'll get you a Mobert Mtshali, would you like me to add you to the results above?

Mark (dang I can't Marzify your name unless I add a further "M"!). Mmark, we're just having a bit of fun whilst this lock down continues, would you like me to add you into the results, you are in one of our Strava groups somewhere

I'm off to run a half marathon, by myself! Got to get to that finish line for my Mic Clapham probably get there a week on Tuesday

Debra Bourne

Mowrez: why not? Although I note that I passed 56.9 miles four runs ago and mileage/time to the end of that run gives me 64.4 miles in 9:43 = 9:03/mile = 8:35 for 56.9 for a Mill Rowan. While my speed -is- improving, a Mobert Mtshali seems much more likely.

MARK A ALDERSON

Hey Lowrez, sure thing add me in, anything that is different to be part of during these weeks is great.