Comrades 2019

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  • Big_GBig_G ✭✭✭
    Thanks both.

    Mac3, yeah, I heard his MT interview.  The one from last year is very good too, as he said he ran that one to HR and was fairly cautious, and he stormed through the field.  A fantastic runner.  A nice guy too - I'm from Devon and he's from Dorset, so very occasionally I see him at races and he's always friendly with people talking to him etc.  I remember a couple of years ago he was warming up for Torbay Half Marathon on a side road adjacent to the race start.  I've never seen anything like it with the speed he was running on those short intervals as a warm up.  Amazing to see.

    I have also done a race before in NL.  It was near Zwolle and was in the run up to Christmas, with unlimited Oliebollen on offer for the runners (kind of spherical doughnuts, with icing sugar - very nice indeed).  I think I paid something like €5 for a chip timed race - great value.  It was funny though as all the locals and organisers were talking about "the hill" on the lapped course (1 lap for 5K, 2 for 10K, 3 for 15K), but really it was a slight undulation, at worst. :)  Where I was staying I did a 6-mile route and Strava showed me I had 10ft of elevation gain across the whole run.  As it was so open, the wind was quite a challenge though!
  • Lowrez - Well done on the marathon at the weekend. I still haven't started running again yet. I've just looked up the C2C. Hats off to you. All the best. (BTW you're bonkers :):) )

    Max - fantastic write up. Sums up the day. Of course you have to do your B2B. I don't reckon you'll "cruise" to a sub 11 though. I'm sure you'll go all out.

    Bike It - Thats a great summary of the up run. Not so tough on the quads maybe but all those relentless hills! There was certainly not a single person running at all on Polly Shorrts by the time I got there.

    Big_G - welcome. It's an epic race. Go for it. Lots of training tips and advice on here.

    I have entered the Thames Meander in November with vague ideas of trying to run a bit quicker. Not that I need to run a marathon under 5 hours for any reason ;)


  • JAR: the Betteshanger marathons are on the 2-mile tarmac cycle track, so 13 laps for a marathon, which can be off-putting to some - although the scenery is nice and you do know exactly how far you have to go, which can help in calculating pace. There's a little gentle undulation stopping it being totally boringly flat, but no hills. The 6-hour Challenge events are on the trail paths and there's a bit more ascent involved.
  • Slow DuckSlow Duck ✭✭✭
    Big_G welcome - I hope you sign up for the race in September.

    just to add my penny's worth about the up run - my least favourite section of Comrades up or down is Harrison Flats on the up run. It's hot, there's no shade, few supporters and you still have over 20km to go - always a sweaty sweary section for me.
  • Becca7Becca7 ✭✭✭
    It’s often smelly too at Harrison Flats but at least it’s one of the most runnable bits, so you can get out of there more quickly. 
  • Thanks Debra - 2 mile laps doesn't sound unbearable.   I'd like to get some hill training if possible.  How was the Vanguard - I recall you did that some time back?
  • The Vanguard Way Marathon is excellent for hill training! All on trail, lots of hills. Woldingham Marathon also has lots of hills but includes more road sections. Last year I ran better at Woldingham (was coming down with a viral infection on the day of the Vanguard) but I think the Vanguard is nicer - if you like trail. Woldingham has some sections that are good for running fast on tarmac, as well as some tough trail hill sections. I hope to be running Vanguard again this year (depends on some family commitments).
  • Great to hear,  I love a trail run and this has been on my radar.   We drive to France the following Friday so I'll need to check that it won't disrupt the last weekend we have to get ready but otherwise I'm up for that.
  • marty74marty74 ✭✭✭
    SD - i think i may have sworn on that section a few times as well :)
  • Terry48Terry48 ✭✭✭
    Wow, it's good to see so much happening here already, with so many positive plans and so much enthusiasm for 2019.  I've only just checked in and caught up with reading all your posts!  

    I too have booked Belaire again and expect to be there whether or not able to run the 'big C'.  I finally have surgery booked for 20th July to hopefully sort out my tachycardia issues. I have been told to expect no running for at least a month or two after - giving me a very slow start in trying to rebuild some fitness. :/  That will still leave me with other heart issues but I remain ever the optimist and have restarted some limited training in the meantime (plodded to a slow 30 minute park run yesterday).

    We had a great holiday for two weeks after leaving Durban, including a coastal beach cottage, then a great safari and finally catch-up with Jo'burg friends. We only got home on Monday and I'm off again this Thursday for a full week's scuba diving from a live-aboard on the Red Sea  (Easier than running but some exercise nevertheless!).  I'll continue to lurk on this site, will enter Comrades when entries open, and then wait and see how the rest of the year plays out with attempts at training.
  • Hey Terry,  great news!  Really pleased to hear things are moving forward for you and I hope you'll continue to contribute here and fill us in with your progress rather than lurking.  

    Enjoy the hols and the scuba diving -  best of luck if we don't hear from you before the procedure.

    Cheers  
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Mac - I need some Diva suggestions! It is actually quite difficult to get really iconic recognisable costumes, I suppose I haven't run a marathon dressed in various meat cuts yet :) Last marathon out a fortnight ago I didn't even make an effort and am not planning to at the Piece of Cake next Saturday

    Go to see you unveil yourself Big_G - that is an almost dead cert that we will see you next year :)

    Love all the cross events you are getting in Terry, hoping the impending surgery and recovery goes splendidly :)

    Max hope the adjustment to your holiday can be achieved with no impact!

    Bike IT - good to see you in the game - you and me both need to get our mechanics sorted - I ended up dragging my left leg behind me for the last 30k this year after cresting half way on personal target for that bronze :(

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Losing hope of getting the one photo I love each year; that "just over the line shot with the clock in the background". Here is a photo of that photo being taken! Left side, me facing the toggy who is actually just out of frame. Talked to Jetline till I am blue in the face and they can't locate the FOUR shots taken of me, 2 in Union Jack mode and 2 with the glasses and cap off... grrrrr!

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Southern Snail (and anyone else interested) looks like they have finally produced a secure way for you to purchase that wall of honour plaque:-

    https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=3861

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    I don't believe this; there should be 4 shots of me, taken by this toggy, just like Lynn - Jetline say no... I stepped up straight after her put me head gear back on, beamed a massive smile and he went, bop, bop, with the flash and then I doffed me cap and glasses and he went, bop, bop again... Jetline say no? I wasn't that far gone that I dreamt it?

  • Lowrez, pity about the photos, hopefully they'll turn up. Things are progressing well in negotiations (better than Brexit) and I've come in from a dubious 16/1, to a far more hopeful 7/4 shot for next years race. However talk of a "lad's 2 Oceans 2020" is muddying the water somewhat! What will be will be...
  • 1owrez said:
    5th B) 
    I also know the second placed chap,  friend who grew up with my missus,  Impressive sums of money raised - well done Lowrez
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Max, 2O is run at Easter, which of course floats around a bit, if you want good separation from Comrades then I think 2021 or 2024 are the best bets :)

    April 21, 2019
    April 12, 2020
    April 4, 2021
    April 17, 2022
    April 9, 2023
    March 31, 2024

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Thanks JAR :) I am always reflective on this one; they close the site down really quickly after the big day. My company does a "double match" scheme, last year, if the site had been left open a bit longer, I could have recorded an additional donation of 65,000 ZAR and been top fund raiser and got an invite to the Comrades awards later in the year. As it stands that 65,000 was recognized but punted into this year's, total. The same will happen again this year, although not to the same effect, I'm expecting an additional 25,000 ZAR to come in from my company, that wouldn't have got me to the dizzy heights of No.1 this year, some amazing work being done by those top people this year :)

    The problem with recognizing that match though is it locks you in to the same charity for the following year, so I have collected for World Vision two years in a row now and I'd have preferred to move on, not for any particular reason other than to spread the money around a bit. Different people donate to different causes. You can of course choose "Amabeadibeadi" which automatically spreads it across all 6 favoured charities, but when I did that a couple of years ago it was very confusing explaining that to the donating audience. So, I might just keep quiet from a Comrades angle on the 25k and hand it to World Vision, then I can collect for a different charity next year.

    On the course tour this year I got chatting to the bloke who has ended up in 10th place - I don't think he believed me when I non-boastingly mentioned I was ahead of him :) He couldn't find his plaque at the Wall of Honour - I too couldn't find mine where I knew it had been last year. In the end we did locate them, mine had moved a whole row later from PP to QQ - I am quite pleased that I no longer sit in pee-pee! His had retarded miles down th'road to R and dropped from high up to "way on down" (you have to sing that with an Elvis pub singer voice ending with not just "down" but "down--eeer"). He was getting a bit distraught as the tour bus horn was honking for the off and he still hadn't located it - but, 1owrez style, I found it with seconds left on the clock :)   

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Ooo! The net tightens, they are trying to tell me that this picture is the one I am talking about, but its not... I'm posing for Mr dreadlocks in the high viz jetline life preserver (haha - that was a different Marty), he's taking the pictures of me, not the bloke holding the camera for this one - so now we have the cameraman! Where are his pictures? I have asked them to continue looking :)

  • Terry - good luck with the upcoming op. Let us know how it goes.

    Lowrez - Thanks for the thumbs up on the secure wall of honour purchasing. I did complain to Brian when we were there on the bus tour that I thought it was poor show that they couldn't provide a secure website. Their postal system doesn't work and I refused to put credit card details and security number in an email.
    Good luck with "The piece of cake" this weekend. Serious bling there.

    Max - One step at a time. Negotiate next years Comrades and 2 Oceans once thats sorted :)

    My hips been more of a problem since Comrades. Have started back running this week. Went to see a manipulative therapist yesterday who massaged, twisted  and stuck needles in me. And gave me toe exercises to do :/ Off to yoga tonight. Strangely does feel a little better!!

    Loads of photos of you Lowrez. Shame the lady in the last one isn't showing her number.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    I'm feeling your pain SS - keep it up - it will be worth it - how I long to be manipulated - ha ha!

    I stumbled over a story that illustrates a dress is rather mild compared to what some have done at Comrades

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Was on my feet for 6h31m yesterday to earn that piece of cake. 4,500ft of ascent (and descent) in a half marathon loop run twice in scorching heat. Great training. Great medal.

  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    Great effort Lowrez.  Puts you in good shape for an early qualifier this year! 

    Terry - hope all goes well with the Op this week.
  • Terry48Terry48 ✭✭✭
    That looked tough Lowrez!

    Mac3,Thanks for the good wishes.  I've been 'preparing' with a week of 'crosstraining' (18 Scuba dives from a Red Sea liveaboard - I had a fabulous time!). Much easier than running but I'm not sure how soon I'll be allowed to get back to training after Friday.  :/
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Sending out heart mending vibes for you Terry! The diving sounds wonderful :)

    Mac; this "build up" is focused on C2C at the end of August; I'm not expecting to "want" to run at marathon distance until November at least following that, but we will see. Will certainly need to guard against going to seed if that is the case; I don't want another qualification debacle like 2017 :)

    Hope everyone else is ticking over nicely, go easy on the ice creams in this marvelous UK summer!

  • Marvelous it has been,  stopped near the end of a run-commute yesterday for a cold beer  - why can't all Summers be like this?

    Terry - best of luck mate, drop us a line (when you can) to let us know how you're doing
  • Terry, glad the diving has been going well. Best of luck for the op.
  • Is there any interest in re-introducing our own Strava group?    I know we have one but I don't recognise many of the people anymore.
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