Comrades 2020

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  • Oh I love the North Downs Deborah. I have for the last few years ran from Farnham to Reigate and the Pilgrims Way then back again. I’ve yet to return just for a walk and have the time to stop and take photos of the area and visit a vineyard and actually walk up Box Hill rather than run up and down and bugger my knees! Yes, the Lakes are only 45 mins from my family home, virtually metres away from Yorkshire Dales boundary, upper Teesdale is 15 mins away, 30 mins to N York’s Moors, and 1 hour to Northumberland, so I’ve always been spoilt for NPs and very remote / hilly terrain. Often I find it quite boringly flat around here but I’ve came to admire the scenery too. 
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    edited April 2020

    OK folks, or should I say bolks, here is the current state of blay in Bandworld. Bac is on the bity limits of Duran Durban with Bbaldstan in bot pursuit. Beter is just behead of BBecca and Bubai who have formed a bus in the baftamath of Tears for Fields Hill. Barty and Blow Duck have bathed it past Bachman Turner Over-the-hill. Then there is a bit of a bap to Bowrez who is through In-Chumbawamba, a bask yet to be baked on by BadMax with BBike It and BAR bring up the beer just over the ZZ Tops.
  • Another marathon run today. I'm very much hoping not to finish your next race in a week Lowrez!! 
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Wow, well done SS, people might think you were training for something :D it is of course the case that if you are a 56 plus miles per weeker then you won't make the in-game board at all unless I start doing bi-weekly updates! But don't let that have any bearing on your training; you have some major events lined up whenever they come to fruition :)

    Mark, I like your competitiveness, but this is a virtual world, everyone can see your incredible flat running prowess in Strava, and no doubt in the real world you take gold on multiple occasions. That'll make the outcome here pretty boring every game if I simply lift the as-is times out of Strava. Mac is the only person this week who hasn't suffered a downgrade, if he has no hills he must've got his stepladders out! My calculation is on a sliding scale so extremely fast non-climbers get a good spanking :D its a game and a bit of fun and I want to keep all engaged with the potential of a win now and again :)
  • I’d do some stair runs to gain altitude but having done a virtual run couple of weeks back in the house the blooming GPS didn’t account for much at all. 
  • Lowrez -  What's the betting my race gets cancelled 4 weeks before when the hard work is done :'( 

    Mac is definitely doing some great hillwork.
  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    Keep up the great work Lowrez.  It has motivated me to get in a few extra miles these past weeks.  As for my secret metres of elevation, I've been in lock-down in Southern Bavaria these past weeks and close to the Austrian border.  This is where my OH comes from and we stay at her parents place in Tegernsee.  My office has been closed and we are all WFH (working from home) these past weeks.  Intended to just be a week's visit it has been several.  For me, it is a runner's paradise with so many trails and hikes to choose from and very few people around.  I'm at 700m above sea level and surrounding mountains go up to to 1.800m.  My long runs have been very slow due to the elevation.  The last of these jaunts will be this weekend then it's a matter of crank up the treadmill!
  • Slow DuckSlow Duck ✭✭✭
    Got an e-mail from BA saying that I can exchange my flight for a voucher valid until April 2022 - should therefore be able to use for Comrades 2021...
  • Slow Duck, same here. I suspect they got quite a lot of people not happy with the 'have to be back less than one year after your original trip was going to start' and worked out they would need to be more generous with the time to avoid too many people asking for refunds instead. I was only booked with BA rather than Emirates in order to see my American cousin & family before I headed for the airport (I love the Emirates to Durban flight full of Comrades runners). Ah well, I'll accept the voucher, most probably, and hope all gets sorted.
    Mac3: certainly sounds like there are worse places to be stuck! A member of my running club is stuck in Cambridge and bemoaning the lack of hills.
    Had a good run this morning, but with the rain I started getting cold as soon as I slowed from 'tempo' to 'easy', even though I put my windproof jacket on and was wearing gloves. Quite a temperature drop from the last couple of weeks.
  • Mc HillyMc Hilly ✭✭✭
    Hi, I have the same email from BA. I’ve decided to ignore it for the moment. It strikes me that they are being a bit cheeky. When they cancel a flight they have to give you the option of refund or voucher, they seem to be hoping that people will accept a voucher in advance of them canceling the flight. I am going to wait a while on the assumption the will cancel the flight as I would prefer my cash back ( I guess there is a small risk with my approach that they don’t cancel the flight, or that if you don’t respond to the voucher offer within a certain time it’s now longer available, but I’m certainly going to wait at least another couple of weeks before taking any action!)
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Ahh I didn't read that right, valid till 2022 you say?  Don't know what their method is, but, they only mentioned my flight to London, what about the leg to Durban, the leg to Jo'burg a couple of days later, the leg to Amsterdam a fortnight later and the leg to Manchester after that? I too will stare them down until cancellation territory approaches!
  • Same here from BA and from what I can gather its not legal for them to not offer a refund though I believe its the way a lot of firms are handling it. If we accept the voucher we will have to pay the difference between the flight we bought and the new one which will undoubtably be higher. I too am waiting for the moment, as I would prefer to look around at the price of all the flights next year and compare as I normally would and also of course decide whether I am actually going to do Comrades next year, which isn't a given.
  • Slow DuckSlow Duck ✭✭✭
    McH, Lowrez, SS - I too will join you in your game of BA chicken!
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    I pity the fool that accepts the voucher - hang on, that was BA Baracus not BA Chicken!
  • Slow DuckSlow Duck ✭✭✭
    BA Baracus hated flying! :smiley: 
  • A voucher is not ideal, but I don't want to see BA go bankrupt, which they will if everyone demands their money back.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    BA would be pleased at all these cancelled flights :D (Baracus I mean). Debra, oops! Only just noticed you accepted the voucher, didn't mean to imply anything, that was in character TV speak above if you ever watched the A Team (he explained digging himself deeper into the hole). I volunteer the government to bail BA (the airline) out with my already paid tax dollars, I want my flight money back, and I want it now!
  • I don't think BA will go bankrupt. Think they've got their eye on Virgin. Mind you, that was pre Corona
  • Well, I'm waiting to decide.
  • France - no sport until September earliest, so bang goes UTMB

    same order as in March, Switzerland / Germany one week, then France, then UK, London will go by next week I’m sure. Meanwhile what the hell is going on with CMA, it’s pretty ridiculous to wait until 17th of April and now since nothing at all, I’ve seen better respect for runners from local village races! Not one for counting down the days or wishing my life away but I wish it was NYE and tomorrow was 2021....
  • Still going to wait for a refund :)
  • baldstanbaldstan ✭✭✭
    McH, 1owrez, SS and Debra, I'd missed the BA email, so thank you for the heads up. I think I may hang on a bit to decide what to do. If they're making so many cuts I expect some BA flights, like the direct flight from Durban, may not be around next year, but good of them to allow the vouchers to run until April 2022 (shame it wasn't June 2022 though).
    Wow, 1owrez, a Fill Rowan on my first race in Fruitland. Don't think I'm ever going to better that. But enjoying all the band references, especially Cranberries Hill, in Bandworld, always liked "Zombie".
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Go for it Dolores - wish you were still with us :'(
  • Peter RPeter R ✭✭✭
    I am also going to hold out with BA, not sure what tactics to follow with Onomo yet as that was a non refundable booking.  Suspect I might have to swallow that but will (i) wait until CMA issue a new date (if not cancelled) and try and move the booking and (ii) not book with them again.

    Fowrez - love the imagination and it has also motivated me to do a few extra miles as we are in this training/race will we wont we mode.

    SD - aren't you going for 20 this year as well?
  • Peter - I also have a non refundable booking with Onomo and am also rather hoping they will move the date but its not the largest cost if it has to go.

    SD - when is Hardrock? Have you had any news on that yet?
  • Slow DuckSlow Duck ✭✭✭
    edited April 2020
    PeterR - yes, I was going for double green this year...

    SS - Hardrock is mid-July - it is still hanging on - although travel might be problematic for me...

    I’ve also a booking at Onomo - also holding on for now...
  • Bike ItBike It ✭✭✭
    Greetings all - not much running going on from me recently as I was feeling not too sharp with very little energy.

    Mac3- seems the perfect place to be in lockdown if you want to run.

    Impressive to see all the mileage being put out there by you folk.  I'm keeping it modest at the moment to build general fitness and speed is something I am working on.  My general speed is returning and linked with my general fitness improvement.  I've been having a few niggles with my right hip so I need to not overdo it.  Therefore you see my solidly at the back of Bandland, having run too little for a Fruitland result.

    Folks in SA will from tomorrow,1st May, be able to run/bike/walk outside to exercise as long as they are on their own, run only between 6am-9am and stay within 5km of their property.   There will be many out and the garden paths will get a reprieve from all the kilometers that have been run on them in the last 5 weeks.
  • Bike it - take care of that niggling hip. Definitely don't overdo it. Really glad you guys are going to be allowed out a bit more tomorrow. Must be really tough having to stay on your own property. Got some friends who have been going round and round their garden and house in Jo'burh just to get the miles in.
  • Bike It: yay for being able to get out - but do take care of that hip niggle.
    My hard work is definitely paying off in top-end speed: I have a new 5K PB of 21:48 according to Garmin & Strava. My parkrun PB, set in 2012, is 22:24, although today's was on road and fairly flat/slightly net downhill, rather than grass and undulating. I'm really hoping that at some point I'll see a real improvement in my speed at longer distances.
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