Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Bruce Fordyce After-Party
Your host: Bruce Fordyce
Date: Monday, 5 June 2017
Time: 12h30 – 17h00
Place: California Dreaming Restaurant, 150 O. R Tambo Parade, Dairy Beach, Durban
There is no better way to celebrate the completion of this exciting sporting event than in the company of fellow supporters, runners and our iconic host: Bruce Fordyce!
Our After Party Package, with the legendary Bruce Fordyce, offers the following:
Book early to secure your space for 2017 Comrades Marathon.
Can you put me down for the 7.30am friday bus tour with the legend SD. And myself and friend will be at the parkrun saturday morning as well.
Will be at the Shakespeare Marathon on Sunday. Aiming to run nice and easy at race pace. Hope weather is kind. Hope everyone else enjoys their weekend.
Hotels
09:00 Monday Mugg & Bean BreakfastBelaire Suites - Terry48, Running Rodent, Odeon1085, caashford, matt brooker, Bike It, Debra Bourne, Mr Zuvai (till Fri), Dannirr
Hilton - seren nos, lambkin, lowrez
City Lodge - Becca7, Southern Snail, marty74, Slow Duck, Matt..
Flights
Air France - Terry48, lowrez(arr.Fri13:15)
Emirates - Becca7, Mr Zuvai, Debra Bourne(arr.Thu16:45.depMon), Running Rodent, Southern Snail, caashford(arr.Thu16:25.depTue)
South African - marty74
Thursday International Ambassadors Party
?
Friday Bus Tour
07:30 starring the legendary Slow Duck - Running Rodent, Dannirr, marty74
08:45 seren nos+Mr sn, Mr Zuvai, Southern Snail
07:30 Saturday Bus Tour - lowrez
08:00 Saturday North Beach
Debra Bourne, caashford, Southern Snail+Mr SS, Becca7, Matt.., Dannirr, seren nos+Mr sn, Running Rodent, marty74+friend
05:30 Sunday Comrades
PenA - WarrenK78, caashford, Odeon1085
PenB - Matt.., Mac3, marty74, Peter R
PenC - becca7, lowrez
PenD - Debra Bourne
PenG - Mango-Chillie, Southern Snail, seren nos, Slow Duck, Mr Zuvai, Running Rodent
Just turn up from 09:00 onwards; nothing overly formal it’s a café with a wonderful menu with a heap of UKish Comrades runners descending upon it wearing their UK T-Shirts or the Comrades goody bag one or indeed anything they damn well please, group photo around 11:00 then go for a stroll on the beach front; it’ll be good for your legs, even splash your toes in the Indian Ocean. Bruce’s after party at 12:30 is easily walkable or just hang at Mugg & Bean etc…
caashford, Debra Bourne, Becca7, lowrez
12:30 Monday Bruce Fordyce After Party
California Dreaming Restaurant, 150 O. R Tambo Parade, Dairy Beach, Durban, 12:30 till 17:00 R550 per person. A celebratory conclusion of the race relaxing with athletes, family, friends and personalities sharing race highlights trials and tribulations. Live entertainment, buffet lunch, cash bar
caashford
I will now be in pen c
on a more practical note, water. I'm sure someone said sachets but how does that work. Is it some ridiculous packet that won't open without your glasses on or a fork to stab it with - like little ketchup sachets. I always have my water bottle round my waist on long runs so I can add what I like.
And running tops. Was planning on my pirate top (logo permitting) but will I get sunburnt shoulders? Do I need something with sleeves?
I know we're getting close when I start worrying about what to wear
There are 2 sachets being held out in this picture. one Energade, one water:-
I bite a corner and pull trying to make the smallest of holes. If you get it right with a tiny hole the water sprays out in a wonderful mist on your face when you squeeze the sachet.
I wear a vest, bare shoulders, its the thinnest lightest thing I own. I use a factor 40+ water proof sun cream to stop the burn on everything exposed. Have never been burnt.
Coke is served in little cups:-
This will be the longest I've run and I'm quite looking forward to it
how often are the water stations? They don't look big sachets.
Wow Mr.Z good luck on your long run
, whenever the name Frodsham comes up I think "hills"! Every time I look at that one I'm really not sure - I think I love the simplicity of the road too much - ran the Lakeland trail marathon a few years ago and was so frustrated by rain soaked land, vast tree rooty forests, bog... put me off trail events for a good long while.
SS one of the incredible aspects of this race is you can step over the line and not fear for the lack of anything all day. I've not found another event anywhere like this. Those sachets are of course slightly squidgy so dead easy to carry. In the heat of the day I usually pick up 3 per support station. 2 to spray over me and one to sip. I usually take a quick hit of coke at every station too. The early stations can get very crowded so I totally avoid them. I go over the line with a standard 500ml bottle of sports drink bought at the expo, that'll last me a good few miles before I need to start using the stations. You are going to have to manage the heat from quite early on; the way I do that is with the water sachets, and, if you can find a lump, a bit of ice is a nice distraction to hold against your brow etc. It must take a hell of a lot of organisation to achieve this; the coke is always cold, as are the sachets. And I can confirm Terry's perspective too; I came through half way with 11 seconds to spare last year (very bad race management by me) and through all the ensuing cut-offs with 2 to 3 minutes to spare. At no point were they out of stock; it was coke, and 3 sachets all the way to the line.
Bruce also adds that everyone out on that road that day is considered a god by the spectators; if you do get stuck and need absolutely anything, anyone out there lining the route will help you.
Actually I have two funny episodes to counter the above dream, but, just a little further along the station ample supplies were indeed available:-
This happened exceedingly rapidly which is a credit to the ingenuity of the support team behind the table; so focused on handing out the fluid. I got in a very short queue for coke and the volunteers had only 2 cups on the table which they were hurriedly filling, I was 4th in line. As the first 2 people went though a lot of rummaging was going on behind the table for cups, a glass tumbler appeared which the bloke in front of me got. I was already giggling from their antics; when I stepped forward they simply thrust the massive bottle of coke they'd been pouring from into my hands; it was so funny; I took a massive swig out the bottle and ran on my way.
At another station further into the event two runners were rummaging about in a water trough for cold water sachets. I dipped in too but there was nothing in it, but I got a nice piece of ice. In a broad South African accent one of them roared in frustration "This country is going to the effing dogs!". Which really made me laugh; the measure of whether your country is a success is its ability to instantly produce a water sachet when you arrive at a Comrades support station.
With 21,437 participants that's 87.46559686523301 sachets each
. Yeah just like that bloke:-
Any news of Mr.Z?
I love getting into banter on the trip over seren as you spot fellow comrades
Hotels
Belaire Suites - Terry48, Running Rodent, Odeon1085, caashford, matt brooker, Bike It, Debra Bourne, Mr Zuvai (till Fri), Dannirr
Hilton - seren nos, lambkin, lowrez
City Lodge - Becca7, Southern Snail, marty74, Slow Duck, Matt..
Flights
Air France - Terry48, lowrez(arr.Fri13:15)
Emirates - Becca7, Mr Zuvai, Debra Bourne(arr.Thu16:45.depMon), Running Rodent, Southern Snail, caashford(arr.Thu16:25.depTue)
South African - marty74
Thursday International Ambassadors Party
?
Friday Bus Tour
07:30 starring the legendary Slow Duck - Running Rodent, Dannirr, marty74
08:45 seren nos+Mr sn, Mr Zuvai, Southern Snail
07:30 Saturday Bus Tour - lowrez
08:00 Saturday North Beach
Debra Bourne, caashford, Southern Snail+Mr SS, Becca7, Matt.., Dannirr, seren nos+Mr sn, Running Rodent, marty74+friend
05:30 Sunday Comrades
PenA - WarrenK78, caashford, Odeon1085
PenB - Matt.., Mac3, marty74, Peter R
PenC - becca7, lowrez, Southern Snail, seren nos
PenD - Debra Bourne
PenG - Mango-Chillie, Slow Duck, Mr Zuvai, Running Rodent
09:00 Monday Mugg & Bean Breakfast
Just turn up from 09:00 onwards; nothing overly formal it’s a café with a wonderful menu with a heap of UKish Comrades runners descending upon it wearing their UK T-Shirts or the Comrades goody bag one or indeed anything they damn well please, group photo around 11:00 then go for a stroll on the beach front; it’ll be good for your legs, even splash your toes in the Indian Ocean. Bruce’s after party at 12:30 is easily walkable or just hang at Mugg & Bean etc…
caashford, Debra Bourne, Becca7, lowrez
12:30 Monday Bruce Fordyce After Party
California Dreaming Restaurant, 150 O. R Tambo Parade, Dairy Beach, Durban, 12:30 till 17:00 R550 per person. A celebratory conclusion of the race relaxing with athletes, family, friends and personalities sharing race highlights trials and tribulations. Live entertainment, buffet lunch, cash bar
caashford
Bet nobody can guess my real name!
Can't add much to what lowrez said about Bruce's gathering. It was pleasant, but perhaps a bit strange being there when I hadn't run and everyone else had their Comrades running stories - and I too had to leave early to catch my ride to the airport. Apparently in previous years Bruce signed Comrades marathon signs - which would be a nice memento - but if that happened last year than it was after I'd gone.