Comrades 2022

Debra Bourne

... and with my buckles. The large one is the Grand Slam buckle. At least I earned the "100 miles - one day" buckle for this race last year.

Training had frankly collapsed in the last 4 months - WW50K was my only long run between SDW100 and NDW100 and K2B was my only long run between NDW100 and A100.

Now planning a couple of weeks with only very easy running, followed by the reminder of the year running for fun but without any training schedule.

Mc Hilly

What an amazing achievement Debra, the buckles look great! Your 2 weeks rest will be very well earned, and hope you enjoy leisurely running for the rest of the year!

Southern Snail

Debra - well done again. You've definitely earned a rest.

Debra Bourne

Mc Hilly, Southern Snail, thanks. Feeling rather down today - should have gone slower initially and I might have kept going better.

johnny1984

I know it's prob unlikely to go ahead for all international runners, but I was noodling around on booking.com today and managed to get the Thursday to Tuesday at the belaire suites, £240 for 5 nights fully cancellable (that's not a word?!) Anytime before 22nd August 2022. Why not plan ahead, I thought!  

1owrez

We are all our own worst critics; don't do that to yourself Debra! Looking at your splits I think you did damned well to finish; a very courageous performance. It was your overall fitness that caused the slow elongation of the mile rate not your slightly enthusiastic early pace. David Moorcroft once said "if you've got; use it". I tried to economise at London and storm home this year and despite sensible early pace I just couldn't rise to the target I wanted; I just haven't put enough miles in during training to be able to do that yet. You should have champagne in your hand celebrating an amazing season; you are an outstanding runner. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can achieve in the next 12 months.

1owrez

That's a great cancellableation Johnny I'm leaving any bookings to destiny's children for now; I'd like to spend a couple of weeks in SA tripping about after Comrades but at the moment I can't even qualify as I punch out 5:30 marathons. I've got a big ladder to climb and I can't stop eating pies I am hoping to knuckle down in the lead into the New Year (notice I didn't use the "C" word there) lose some more weight and spin up the engines a bit more. But until my times start to become realistic I'm sitting on the bookabilityable fence.

Mc Hilly

Debra, please don’t feel down! It is an absolutely amazing run that you did, we look to you as an inspiration!

Mac3

Belated congrats Debra, great achievements this year despite your personal challenges.  Enjoy the rest and recharge.

1owrez

When I was a young boy, my father
Took me into the city to see a marching band
He said, "Son, when you grow up would you be
The savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned?"
He said, "Will you defeat them? Your demons
And all the non-believers, the plans that they have made?
Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom
To lead you in the summer to join the black parade..."

Debra Bourne

Thanks, everyone. I think I need something to focus on: last year and early this year it was working towards sub-24 for the 100, this year the Centurion Grand Slam. Next year I had Lakeland 100 as my goal, but now I can't do that. And being realistic, I probably shouldn't have as my focus anything that's going to require too much preparatory travel.

lowrez: glad you enjoyed your race.

1owrez

B,b,b,baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet... Dress rehearsal for tomorrow's marathon...

He's called Connor McMaul of the clan McMaul and he cannot die!

Southern Snail

Lowrez - good luck

1owrez

Thanks SS 😀 had a great time, think I did around five and a half again but forgot to turn off my watch until I was on the tube many miles away 😅

1owrez

McMaul joins the team

And lifts the cup 😀

baldstan

Well done Debra, you've had a phenomenal year completing the Grand Slam, and dealing with so many other things in your life, I would have said you're due a bit of down time. 
And congratulations 1owrez on yet another marathon, it must have been an amazing atmosphere in the red half of Liverpool yesterday. Do you think a pair of supershoes would get you under the Comrades qualifying time?
Some great runs (and swim and bike ride) by Mike and Peter yesterday too. Hope you're all basking in glory and recovering well today.

Debra Bourne

And the reveal is... Comrades Monopoly!!!

lowrez: well done McMaul

baldstan: thanks. I'm having an easy couple of weeks, but also need to decide on my goal(s) for next year and get races booked.

1owrez

Well done Iron Men! Now there's a costume I have yet to try! For now McMaul rules

Mac3

great costume Lowrez, did you scare the kids?  Must have been warm though in the mask.

Anyone ordered their monopoly set yet?! 

1owrez

Everyone was taking second looks and many applauded the getup. That top only arrived the day before; I was so pleased at the first dress rehearsal. It all came together so well. 
I tried buying the Monopoly but it kept pointing me at some sort of event entry instead. Not sure I actually want one, you can download an incredibly highrez (snigger) image of the board. I grew out of playing this rather boring game decades ago, but as a piece of art printed and framed the image would be quite nice I think. I thought they might get a bit more creative with the playing pieces; the top hat could've been a Comrades cap, boot a running shoe, thimble a bottle, wheelbarrow a stretcher, dog a runner on their marks, cat Hermes, car the timing car, battleship a support table, iron a medal...

Peter R

Debra - many congratulations on what is an incredible achievement, especially during tough times. 

Lowrez - congrats on your marathon, that outfit scared me never mind the kids

ironman Portugal for me this past weekend on what was a tough course. Finished with a marathon of 3.51 so was happy with that. Resting this week before getting back into it as have another one in 3 weeks thanks to comrades race deferrals. 

Debra Bourne

PeterR: well done on your Ironman. Fantastic marathon time for that!

Mac3

Impressive PeterR, looks like you are in good shape.

1owrez

Peter, your real name is really Kal-El isn't it 😀 You swam 2.5 miles in the sea, hammered along on a bike for 112 miles and then ran a marathon in 3:51... That is just phenomenal! Surely you won the event???

1owrez

Bling from the weekend

Remix is for doing the 5k and the marathon sat/sun and the encore is for stumping up again this year after doing the marathon last time it was run in 2019. The record in that remix sleeve actually slides out 😀

Debra Bourne

lowrez: great bling! I must go to some more SVN events soon...

1owrez

McMaul causes consternation in Liverpool 🤣

https://youtu.be/ZlzphqWPigU

Peter R

lowrez - if only, I had a good time but I think I was just under 50th in my age group.  There are some fast old timers out there 

1owrez

If you would like McMaul to pop round and slice any of them in half to improve your chances just ask 👹

1owrez

Rumour has it that the Iron Man franchise has absorbed the Rock n Roll franchise and just abandoned Liverpool. We were drinking from Iron Man branded cups at the weekend. Social media is teeming with disgruntled punters, me included (I have no 5k result, nobody is responding to queries, coming in at 5h36m on the marathon, they had shut everything down beyond the finish, no bar to get the free pint, no DJ/band playing, in fact they were dismantling the stage and dangerously hauling it through the crowds on trollies, one bloke hauling stuff backwards not giving a damn where he was going walked straight into me stamping all over my feet as l was stationary checking my watch, all I got from him was crushed blisters and an angry stare, no apology, as he continued on his runner killing drag). The volunteers and bands out on course were great, but this post finish abyss is a disgrace.