Comrades 2022

baldstan

Good luck SD for those two big races, looks like the travel restrictions are lifting just in time, so fingers crossed the changes stick now. And good luck for NDW100 Debra. Certainly doesn't look like it will be as hot as last year. Shame I won't catch you at one of the aid stations, I'll be collecting the tape after the race this time.

Mc Hilly

Best wishes for NDW, will see it I can do some fit watching!

1owrez

Go Debra!

Southern Snail

Debra past Newlands Corner. It must be incredibly soggy underfoot. We have had so much rain overnight. Different to last years 34 degrees

1owrez

Yo! It's even soggy here! Hope she's got some good tread underfoot.

I'm on Oulton Park race track tomorrow doing a 10k, really need 10 miles so hoping I can sneak in a couple more laps unnoticed  

Go Debra!

1owrez

Just upgraded to the half I need the miles.

Go Debra!

Southern Snail

Debra past Botley Hill. Next aid station is halfway (well...50miles) She's first woman in her category. We have had such torrential rainfall this morning. I don't envy her being out there.

Slow Duck

Just back from course marking.

Weather was a nightmare! Varied from a torrential downpour to bright sunshine. Can’t remember how many times I put my rain jacket on and off.

Quite slippery and muddy underfoot though - as SS said quite a contrast from last year. 

baldstan

Just seen that Debra is through Holly Hill as 7th woman. She's into the woods about now and then will be crossing Ranscombe Farm which she knows really well. Hopefully it's not too muddy on that stretch and it stays dry overnight. Well done SD on course marking through all that rain. Go 1owrez for your half tomorrow.

1owrez

Great going by Debra through all this weather. Hope she's in good shape. Glad she's into familiar territory 😀

The Daft Punk will run tomorrow, gotta wear a helmet if it's Oulton Park 🤣 I'll look a bit like The Stig 🧑‍🚀

1owrez

Last minute check of what I need to do to enter tomorrow reveals I can't now enter on the day 🤔 Think they have tweaked the website this affy. Not that disappointed. I can now run from home in-between the showers.

Hope Debra is coping OK in the wet.

Southern Snail

Debra through Lenham at 90 miles. Don't know how long ago. Nearly there

1owrez

Wow, what a run Go Debra!

Southern Snail

Debra finished her run. Massive congratulations. What absolutely foul weather you had. Must have swum parts of it

baldstan

Well done Debra. Looks like you made it through a tough night, and sixth woman! Hope you avoided any slips in the wet. Looks like barely half the field will finish. Almost as tough as last year's in the heat.

1owrez

Wonderful to bring this one home in these conditions. Looking forward to the account on this one! Well done Debra!

Debra Bourne

Thank you all for your good wishes. For me, that was harder than last year, as shown by my finish time of about 3.5 hours slower. My "100-miles - One Day" buckle for NDW100 will have to wait for another time.

It wasn't so much the rain. The rain was irritating: "showers" were forecast, and I think we had a total (in bits and pieces) of 30 minutes when it was NOT raining in the first 9 hours of the race. And some showers later.

But the MUD!!!! Ground conditions were frankly atrocious, particularly in the first 50 miles. I think I was one of only a handful who didn't actually hit the ground, although there were some close shaves and the point when my feet started to slide down a steep hillside off the path while I was worming my way under a fallen tree... At least one runner I know was a DNF after twisting her ankle on something hidden in one of the deep puddles (some were probably six inches deep and stretching across the path, or with slippery mud either side).

1owrez

Good to know you finished safely. Very tenacious of you to keep going in those conditions, many bailed. Well done  

Peter R

Congratulations Debra, thats one hell of an achievement in those conditions.  Glad you made it in one piece and the buckle will be there next year!

Lowrez: how was your run?

1owrez

I did a 10 miler from home in the end. Missed seeing some Brain Research buddies at Oulton, but didn't know they'd gone there until they reported in on Facebook.

A strange peace has broken out in my lower back this past week. I think it must be to do with not being at my desk in work, even though I now have a rise and fall desk. I am trying very hard not to slouch in everything I do, engage my core, and when I run imagine my pelvis is being lifted skyward. All positive posture traits my new physio is trying to instil in me... and she's keeping me ridiculously active, which I'll admit I was terrified of initially, but she says activity will be my salvation! Ha ha, so I run every other day and forage every other day; its bursting into life out there, blackberries of alien proportions festoon the bushes, apples are ripening already, sloes are becoming fat and juicy, and I am going through all kinds of gymnastics to haul them in. I am shocked that the lightning strikes of random pain have evaporated, but they have left a strange uneasy painless feeling behind. I wonder if she can explain that when I see her on Wednesday? My 10 miler was pain free and a little more rapid than I expected because all this good posture makes you run like an athlete and not an invalid K2B here we come!

Debra Bourne

lowrez, Peter R: thank you.

lowrez: that's great news about your back. Keep on moving. I do think movement is key. (During my mother's final illness, in the weeks just after SDW100, I let the yoga slip, and after a month or so really started noticing stiffness here and their, so I'm trying hard to get back into a routine of at least 20 minutes at least 3 times a week).

1owrez

Sorry to hear about your mum Debra.

1owrez

I can confirm that movement continues to be my salvation; a quick trip to Lancaster yesterday to do an on-the-day entry into the Riverside Half on a great fast flat course produced a good result, some back reaction today but nothing to scream about. I discovered my watch was still running some minutes after the finish whilst chomping the WagonWheel handed out at the end but Strava has nicely recorded my moving time as 2:11 which I am startlingly pleased at given my current level of fitness. Kinda grabbed a combo of Daft Punk and Axl Rose costumes to wear. My diet is working so well that I had to keep pulling me kilt back up as it was in danger of sliding off me hips

Debra Bourne

lowrez: thanks.

Great photo! Also great that your running is on the up and up properly, finally!

NDW100 has really taken it out of me. I went for a very gentle 2-hour run yesterday lunchtime and had to keep walking or stopping for a little rest. Worrying. I'll take it very easy this week and hopefully be properly recovered by the end of that.

Southern Snail

Lowrez - well done on the half. I reckon you've got more skirts in your wardrobe than me

Debra - well done again on NDW100. Don't be worried about taking a bit of down time or cutting back. The conditions were really tough that weekend making it more difficult

1owrez

There should be more coming out of the wardrobe soon if I can keep the weight moving downwards SS 😀 bye bye Covid kilos 🙂

Bike It

Greetings All,

Utterly amazing Debra.  Congratulations.

No running here - just dreaming

I have been having ongoing problems with my hip pain and seeing the biokinetics person.  I'm having all sorts of joint pain and finally put myself into my  doctor (8 comrades medals) - I've give enough blood samples for a transfusion and the test results say low red blood count, but no gout or arthritis and my thyroid is (medically corrected) normal.  But no cause to the low red blood count.  Anyway more irritating pills every morning (no it is not EPO)

Looking good there Lowrez and it sounds like you are making progress

1owrez

That's a bit of a conundrum Bike It, I take it the joint pain is therefore a symptom of not having enough red blood cells? Or should one not jump to that conclusion? Hope they can pin point the cause and cure it real soon.

1owrez

Progress did indeed continue at a local 5k this evening

I could josh that that is the lead timing car behind me, but alas I was not at the head of the field. Managed, for me anyway, a decent 28 minutes, very happy with a sub 30  

Bike It

1owrez said:

That's a bit of a conundrum Bike It, I take it the joint pain is therefore a symptom of not having enough red blood cells? Or should one not jump to that conclusion? Hope they can pin point the cause and cure it real soon.

Actually I don't know the cause, just the symptoms -  needless to say I am being treated for the symptoms and not the cause.  I choose not to ask Google these questions as it is impossible to get to an accurate understanding/  Probably the cause is not enough running..........