Comrades 2020

1owrez

Got in just before the heavens opened, hope none of us get caught in this lot! Gotta go stretch, team lowrez was in costume! Piccies to follow; that was a damned tough half in fancy dress - ha ha - proper Comrades attrition - I think I'll get the dnf accolade too McH - ha ha -  all the cool kids dnf, that's where the in-crowd is

Bike It

I made it.  1:50:xx. Not too bad after 4 weeks off running.  No wonder I felt very ill after I got home and had to go to bed.  My wonderful wife made the most delicious lunch.

It was cold though - 9am and it was still 1C here, I waited until just before 12 when it was around 11C.  Saw a few other runners out.

Terrible experience understanding how to uploading the results through.   In the end the direct integration to Strava is withdrawn and you need to upload a GPX file, which cannot be done (or at least obviously) on the mobile app.  Then you have to use a PC which only a fraction of South Africans can afford.  Then we have the usual dubious data - apparently the women's WR in the 21.1km has been bettered substantially.

Not sure I'll be on Jitsi tonight as we are having family time and I'm building a beehive.

baldstan

A beehive Bike It? After your recent experience with cows. Sounds like you're tempting fate there...

Yes there are some very odd results at the moment, but I guess they haven't had a chance to check them. In my age category the leading man (a British runner) ran his first 5K in 31 minutes and then speeded up to run a sub 13, then a sub 10 and then a sub 9 5K...

Looking forward to seeing your photos 1owrez. Hope everyone has avoided the downpours. And everyone's nearing the finish now.

Fido2Dogs

Had to log in to the Strava website from my phone to download the GPX file, which Strava was rightly showing as 5k, then when I uploaded it to the Comrades website it interpreted it as 8.something km (someone being overly confident that we use miles all the time in the UK when programming the website?) and now it is congratulating me on doing a 5k in 20 mins, which even at my best I would have been unable to do down a very steep hill!

Obvs not taking prize money away from anyone but I suppose I should set them straight! I have tweeted them ...(shrug)

Actually pleased I managed to run most of the way, haven't run since Jan or Feb. Was quite purple in the face by the end - selfie (only pink by then) taken at Radley college WWI memorial which seemed appropriate. Didn't pin number on as the printers are all a bit iffy right now!

It seems very feeble when SD (who is a week or two older than me) is soldiering gamely across country for the whole 90km, but I think I need a nap!

Mc Hilly

Well done Fido, I have both my Garmin and Strava in Km, and no translation issues when uploading 

1owrez

F2D lookin superb! Well done. Son of lowrez has apparently done 203km in 65 minutes - he was well shocked against what Strava really says when he logs on and was on p.1 of the leader board, however he has managed somehow to get it to accept 10km in 2:05, not sure what he did to adjust it - he reckons the interface for Strava simply isn't working so you have to use the gpx file upload and Comrades interpret that completely differently from Strava hence all these spurious interpretations. Off I go to try this next...

Peter R

I uploaded from a garmon download, that worked on the second attempt 

Southern Snail

Will read everything later but I still don’t know how to download it. Can anyone help 

1owrez

So it did say GPX upload please, no Strava integration, and it appears to have effectively interpreted my miles based on a gpx export out of Strava and then using the gpx upload box via PC adequately...
In Strava click the ellipsis (three dots ...) and choose "Export GPS", that'll then ask you where on your PC you want to stash it...

Then go to your Comrades Legends profile and at the bottom click the "MY TIME" button...

And then use the GPX upload box to browse to the GPX file you just saved and click SUBMIT TIME...

And if it interprets it correctly you get a decent result, note I get 2:42 elapsed below, I did pause the watch a few times when I allowed other peeps to proceed in preference of getting within 2m of them as opposed to Strava declaring only moving time of 2:31...

So I don't know what alchemy is going on but I have received a congratulatory e-mail declaring...

Need to go and sort this out now for Daughter of lowrez - I might be a bit late into the stadium, not had a shower yet either

baldstan

1owrez, I also ended up with a slightly lower time than showed on my Strava after running a bit over 21.1K, so I think it's calculating when you got to the 21.1 mark and giving that time. That's how I interpreted it anyway. Couldn't see an estimated Comrades finish time, but I guess they're not doing that for the shorter distances.

1owrez

Yep Stan, that'll be it - I ran a few times around my cul-de-sac to make damned sure I got the required mileage in so they have docked it back nicely to exactly 21.1k.

McH - where did you get that comparison on an actual finish time from? Is it part of this or some other gyzmo?

Mc Hilly

I’m just finishing eating will join call in 5 or 10 mins

1owrez

Will defo be late onto the call - Community Chest are looking for pictures and I haven't downloaded them yet...

Debra Bourne

So. A fairly early start (started actually running about 07:15), after listening to Shosholoza etc., of course.

I covered 55.75 km/34.45 miles between Knockholt Pound and Detling along (mostly!) the NDW in a total time of 8:28:55 and a moving time of 6:31:57 - which shows how much time I spent standing around trying to work out where I was supposed to be going! Did about 2.5 miles extra in going the wrong way and backtracking to rejoin the NDW. Only one fall; thankfully I managed to twist sideways so I have a bruised hip but my hands and face are okay.

Met a few people I know a bit along the way, who recognised me from local races, and one fellow SVN runner.

Pleasant bonus at the end as Snail's lift home was waiting for her and said she wasn't too far away, so I (and my wonderful husband) waited and were able to see her finish!

1owrez

Left to right: C(hester)-3-P-0 (blimey he's a giant!), Darth Chester, Storm Chester

1owrez

Aha... they were after a bigger CC logo so a bit of cropping produces the above

Terry48

Well done all, especially those 90k ers.  Updating re Mark Alderson: he very sensibly retired at about 40 miles. It was warm, very humid and also quite sunny - tough conditions especially the humidity.  His actual running was quite speedy but there was a lot of socialising, rest time included.  Apart from my support we had numerous fellow club members and friends supporting along the way.  Mark never needed to run alone at any time!.

I'll try to join the meeting shortly, then I still have to try to upload my time to the Comrades site.  (I tried in the middle of the day but the site was clearly too busy at the time.

Roll on a real Comrades next year!

1owrez

The 4 that were remaining just left the call to eat, sleep etc, that link remains available anytime though if people want to drop in again.

Fido2Dogs

Love the pics lowrez (a long time fan hoping for a SW themed cycling jersey for my birthday, so!). Please tell me you all took the masks off to run though

1owrez

Well, the sensible ones did Fido, Darth actually kept his kit on and ran 21.1k in it. Got some great reactions out there!

Mac3

Well done everyone today.  It was a good experience to remember the day and my daughter, her friend and OH all made their 5ks and looking forward to receiver their medal/t-shirt.  I bailed at 72k having completed 4 laps of 5.  I hate to do that but I saw no good reason to prolong the pain. Doing it at Comrades is a different matter and I willed myself to finish last year but rather than solo, you have the benefit of the amazing support, smiling faces and encouragement, cream soda too!  It was incredibly humid at 05:30 and didn't improve much.  I was and realised later badly dehydrated and never recovered after that.  The 4th lap was slow with increasing walk breaks and I did not have the will to struggle on for another 2+ hours.  A bit ambitious of me I think!  After about 3 litres of fluid, salt, electrolytes, coke etc, a bath and a sleep, I came back to life! I look forward to the real thing too.

1owrez

Brilliant effort Mac (and everyone) - it was tough out there today.

Slow Duck

Finally finished. Idiotic idea to run 90km unsupported on the North Downs Way - what was I thinking! 14:11 at the 90km mark (I ended up doing more because I didn’t quite plan the course right). But it was a really nice day and I took over an hour off my 50mile trail PB.

Debra Bourne

Slow Duck, well done you! How on earth did you take an hour off your 50 mile trail PB while running unsupported???!!! I had enough problems doing 45K on NDW unsupported (although I now know another place I can fill water bottles).

1owrez

SD simply superb

Debra Bourne

Mac3, sympathies - it really was humid out there today. 72km is still pretty good.

Southern Snail

woo hoo still haven't read all your posts. Will do but have done a manual download and appear to be in the results. Would just like to point out Debra and I ran a lot further though!!!

1owrez

Well done Southern Snail! So a lot more than 45k? Was that the plan or did yers get lost (snigger)

Debra Bourne

lowrez: Snail and I each planned on 32 miles (Knockholt Pound to Detling) but both took unplanned detours. However, we did both reach Detling, so we were only temporarily mislaid, not lost!

1owrez

Just had a great chat with Southern Snail on jitsi - what an adventure - well done both of you in managing to navigate this scotch mist!