Comrades 2019

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  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Terry those grandkid visits are going to be tougher than Comrades! Some great cross training for you :) Got my fingers crossed you get into Papworth pronto.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    JAR - I do this for a living so I will admin it up with you on Strava with you - what does it involve?
  • Hi guys, just catching up - all approved and Lowrez you have admin rights (anyone else is welcome too) so please let your creative juices flow.  

    Debra - my Garmin Connect is linked to Strava account i signed up to, now as soon as my phone connects to my watch and my runs upload to Garmin then Garmin pushes them to strava without me doing anything.  Not fussy or i wouldn’t have bothered.  

    Strava has much more community vibe about it rather than just a place to load stats. 




  • Bike ItBike It ✭✭✭
    Greetings all.

    Good to hear these 'return to running' exploits.  Big distances are already being done by some - hopefully you are not being too hard on yourselves ;)

    I went to a podiatrist last week (6 comrades medals).  After carefully listening and examination, he gave me a list of things I don't have, but could offer no concrete explanation for the big toe pain that I have periodically.  He did take foot-movement scans which were very illuminating as they show that my weight transfer through my running cycle is reasonable on the left foot and terrible on the right foot.  He did suggest orthotics.  When asked the critical question though, he told me that the research shows that the problem originates in the back or hip.  So I am holding off on the orthotics for now.

    I have been generously mobilising my hips, shoulders and neck in an attempt to improve my lordotic posture.  It is working, but obviously slowly.  Additionally I have enlisted my wife (current netball coach and former national level netballer, hurdler and thrower) to coach my movement during various excercises.  I am getting better, just slowly.

    I am not going to try running before August and then use the 'Dr Wotherspoon Method' (he treated me from Basingstoke hospital and has been/ is the doctor to England Hockey, Fulham FC and Southampton FC)  to comeback.  Basically, 1 minute run, 4 minutes walk the first week; 1 minute run, 3 minutes walk the second week etc.

    Happy running all.

    Special wishes to Terry that your op has the desired effect when it comes.
  • Terry48Terry48 ✭✭✭
    Thanks all for your good wishes. 

    This has all been very frustrating.  I was, however, called back in yesterday after short notice on Monday, for a cancellation slot.  They proceeded and pinpointed the rogue nerve spot but the EP decided it was too risky to proceed with the actual ablation.  Unexpectedly, the spot was too close to the natural pacemaker nerve and therefor carried the risk of destroying that and accidentally causing the need for an artificial pacemaker implant! (I'm glad he's a cautious fellow!).  They confirmed this positively as 'atrial tachycardia', a rarer 1 in 10 form of SVT. The catheter ablation unit I was in did not have the right software to tackle this spot as precisely and safely as required.  Doc said the other unit could have done it but we were in the wrong unit on the day!  So, the specialist wants me back in about 4 months to review the situation.  If the problem is then still occurring more than I want to tolerate he will try again with advance knowledge of precisely where the problem lies.  Maybe now that they have this knowledge I might also finally get to see the valve specialist for more insight on the leaky valve issue, which is actually the bigger long term problem.      In the meantime, the upside is that bouts of tachycardia have become less frequent, which the EP thinks fits with my blood pressure having recently been brought under control (a negative mark for my now retired GP who always said on regular checks that my BP was only marginally high and he chose not to do anything - hindsight suggests it was probably too high for ages!).

    The positive bit of this is that I can soon resume some gradual training after the weekend - enough time for the 'access wound' in my groin to heal adequately to avoid bleeding (and for the heat to abate a bit!!). So still somewhat in limbo.

    Bike It, I really sympathise with your ongoing problem and hope for better news soon.  We're not yet too late for Comrades '19!  :)  I think you Dr Wotherspoon method probably sounds appropriate for both of us for a while!

    I hope everyone else is coping with the heat - great Comrades training, just at the wrong time of year!

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Terry, wonderful that you got in pronto, but the frustration continues on the resolution, it is a step forward never the less, and, as you say, you can plan ahead given the revised timing. Hoping you get a good resolution to it all when they finally complete the treatments.

    Bike It, this is sounding like stripping down a motorbike and re-building it with the expectation of it being far better than when it went into the shop. The approach all makes good sense, looking forward to positive reports from you on progress :)

  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    Terry - great to hear they were able to conduct the procedure even though it was not quite what was expected.    I suppose the way to look at this is to deal with the issues one by one and tick them off!  Great that you can get back to some form of exercise.

    Bike It - also great that you are making progress.  I liked Lowrez's analogy.   Maybe you'll return as a re-conditioned model with more reliability, speed and endurance!  Please don't take up netball!

    Just had the local Netherlands Strava Police on my case.  I inadvertently recorded a short ride as a run, and must have posted a world record 5k! 
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Well done on the WR Mac :) Good to see you bringing it back from Ethiopia, hang on though, is it going to be a Dutch or British record when ratified? 
  • Bike It - Good luck in the rehab. Sounds to me like you have a good team behind you. I do think its important to daily keep up with exercises/stretches etc even when feeling better which is most peoples problem (well definitely mine anyway :'( ) Let us know how you're getting on.

    Terry - Good that you got back to hospital so quickly and bad news it couldn't be sorted. Glad the blood pressure under control and helping your tachycardia. Enjoy the grand children and gradually getting back into the running.

    Mac3 - Ha ha. Amazing how quickly people notice these things :)

    It's soooo hot running at the moment (well not today) that my motivation is coming and going in waves. My hip is also still giving me problems and has been particularly bad so I am determined to do daily exercises. I am doing barefoot walking to strengthen feet which therapist suggested was the problem which is then causing the hip pain. The shoes are strangely comfortable.

    Debra - what shoes did you run Comrades in and why did you transition to barefoot/minimalist in the first place?

    Hope everyone else is enjoying their running.
               
  • I came across this chat group while looking for the 2019 entry dates. Really interesting reading here guys. Love it. I ran as a novice in the 2016 down run. As some of you have mentioned, life changing event. I finished in 11h11, only because i got to the 2km to go point, with 8 minutes to spare, and realized that a sub 11 wasn't going to happen. I was starting to wonder across the road, and was a bit dilarious. I had my last piece of fudge, and walked in. So i just soaked up the atmosphere, and enjoyed those last 2 km's. The hardest thing i have ever done, but it made me realise, at 53, what i am capable of. To those of you who haven't run it, and are on the fence, commit to it and do it. You won't be sorry. Yes it does take a lot of time and effort to get to the start line, but well worth it. There were some comments about training, and pre-race distances etc. In the year leading up to it i did 2 marathons, about 6 or so half marathons, and one 50km Ultra in training. I ran 1600km from 1 Jan to race day, and tapered off about 3 weeks before, doing an average i guess of around 60 to 80km's a week. And hill training is a must. Its about time on your feet, not trying to run too many ultra's. Its not natural to run that far, so it takes absolutely everything that you have in you to get to the start line, and then to get you to the finish.
    Lyndsay Parry is the official Comrades coach, and he is really good. Listen to his podcast's and if you can, follow his training plan, based on your planned finish time. He has done this race so many times. I will be back for my second Comrades in 2019, the Up run, as they say, you cant say you have done Comrades, until you have done an up and a down. I am so glad to have found this page, i can feel the excitement building already.

    One of a handful of things i have done in my life that i am the most proud of.
  • Terry, thanks for the update. Here's hoping for more progress.

    Bike It - good luck with the re-build.

    Mac3: Oops!

    Southern Snail. I ran Comrades in a pair of Inov8 Race Ultra 270s (womens). I made the decision to change to minimalist shoes/barefoot style (and sometimes actually barefoot) to reduce heel striking and therefore the impact on my joints, particularly my knees. I've had almost no knee pain since I transitioned - one bout due to tight outer quads  - while I used to get aches. I could probably do with some coaching to improve my running style further, and I don't think it's made me faster, but it may have helped for long runs.

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Nice to hear your story Anouk and thanks for "coming out" and joining in - we are in danger of going extinct I think :) being able to cruise in those last 2k must have been wonderful. I am always scurrying in some lopsided way with the 12 hour buses washing me up like driftwood against the barriers as I claw my way forward in a nightmarish finish where the line never approaches soon enough, well, that was the worst one anyway, some have been well judged prances to the line knowing those few minutes left on the clock mean I have it in the bag :)  
  • Becca7Becca7 ✭✭✭
    Terry, thanks for the update from me too.  I hope that the treatment progresses well.

    Bike It - it sounds like you have a great strategy and I hope it works out.

    Snail - feet have a lot to answer for.  I hope that the barefoot stuff helps.

    Anouk - welcome aboard

    A few niggles for me with tight hip flexors, glutes, adductors, hamstrings etc. all at once but I seem to be getting to the end of that and obviously working on strength and conditioning to avoid recurrence.  I'm still struggling for pace so I hope I get some back before the autumn marathons.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    SS - we need to form a hip club - where all the cool kids hang out - can you point us to any web resources that will encourage us to follow your hipster programme? I could definitely do with some better posture and mechanics.

  • Mc HillyMc Hilly ✭✭✭
    Haven’t been on here for a little while, so just catching up with the news.
    Anouk - welcome to the group and look forward to you joining in the chat
    Terry, I hope you do t have to wait too much longer for your treatment!
    Im currently just doing short runs, but will start building the mileage (won’t be too long until it’s time to start a list of planned qualifiers and training marathons!)

    i can highly recommend listening to last weeks Marathon Talk podcast which has an interview with our very own Slow Duck talking about his Hardrock (and of course Comrades) experience 
  • Lowrez - I fear the  hip club will be a large one!! The problem is everyone has a difference of opinion as to where the problem stems from. So for the time being I have decided (only last 3 days) to do 2 x "toega" a day plus a plank which takes no time at all, a strict anti inflammatory diet and moving round and not sitting down too much, walking round the house/garden barefoot and as much outside walking in barefoot shoes.  Who knows!! I was told to stay off speedwork which is annoying because I really wanted to try for a half and full mara pb

    McHilly -  I look forward to hearing slow duck on the podcast though I'm quite a few weeks behind.

    Anouk - welcome

    Becca - Hope you sort your niggles out.

    Debra - thanks for the info


  • great photos Lowrez.......fingers crossed Terry for some luck with a date.
    I've started to think about starting some serious running again.I'm cycling to work more now and will hopefully do Chester marathon

    I am not technically minded and never download my data from the garmin to anything
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Thanks seren - I have a new drama - simply walking into the lounge yesterday morning my left foot swiped the corner of the settee - the two outer toes on that foot collided head-on with it - OMG the pain was excruciating!  But externally all seemed well, so I limped off to work sort of giving them a wiggle now and then and an hour or so later the pain level on the inner one rose100 times - I kind of went white and may have puked up my breakfast if I'd had any. A female colleague persuaded me to take some of the forbidden ibuprofen and that helped things, outwardly the toe seemed fine, but yesterday evening when I looked it had a black ring around it, the tip including the nail is fine, but below that from the first joint downward to where it joins the foot is black, like on the tail of a ring tailed lemur. This morning it is painful and numb all at the same time, but it still looks like a normal toe if you know what I mean... attempting to bend it works OK to a point but then I know not to try and push it any further... if I go to walk normally on it though it is still very painful - damn - I sense a few days off running required right when I was going to put more regular shorter burst in for the lead up to C2C!

  • Southern SnailSouthern Snail ✭✭✭
    edited August 2018
    Lowrez - Dangerous barefoot walking!!! At least if they're broken you know the doctor can't do anything :)

    I've been trying to enter Mr SS into next years London Marathon this morning via his good for age but I can't see anywhere to do it only information telling me it's open today. Anybody else doing it? I presume it's staring me in the face. Why don't they make these things simple :/

    Terry - are you entering it?
  • Terry48Terry48 ✭✭✭
    I entered the lottery SS, so it's wait and see.  My good for age in this year's was from 2016 so no longer valid.  Are you in it?
  • Becca7 said:

    A few niggles for me with tight hip flexors, glutes, adductors, hamstrings etc. all at once but I seem to be getting to the end of that and obviously working on strength and conditioning to avoid recurrence.  I'm still struggling for pace so I hope I get some back before the autumn marathons.
    SS & Lowrez :  +1 for the hip club 

    Becca - hope you start to feeling better soon.  My list of maladies looks identical to yours.  It seems to be taking ages to shake off the tightness and feeling of fatigue when I try and up the intensity.  Very frustrating. 

    Welcome Anouk,  looking forward to you joining us on this trip

    Well done SD on completing Hardrock! 

    If you don't watch them already, I started going through the Billy Yang videos on youtube,  covers a lot of US ultras/runners and other races.

  • lowrez: sympathies. Does sound like at least one might be broken, from that level of pain. Not a lot you can do: the info at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-toe/ looks good. Some supportive strapping might help - with cotton wool between the toes.

    Becca, JNR, sympathies for all the niggles and tiredness. I've managed almost no fast running since returning from South Africa but I'm hoping it's purely heat-related - I ran 23:32 at Heaton parkrun on Saturday when it was a bit cooler, which would agree with that (versus the 6 hours it took, including breaks, for my 21-mile recce along the Vanguard Way last Thursday!).

    Congrats to SD on finishing Hardrock.

    Anock, welcome.

    Southern Snail: barefoot/minimalist shoes may help you change style, but the main thing is changing so you land with your leg under you, not jamming your heel into the ground out in front of you.


  • Terry - Definitely no good for age for me. Maybe I'll be able to qualify that way by the time I'm 100!! Have entered the ballot though (for the 9th time). Mr SS good for age was Manchester 2017 so comes under the 2019 race rules. It's just that there's nowhere on the actual page to click and enter so I don't know where to go. Might email them

    Lowrez - see.... I knew the hip club would be a big one. Lots of my non running friends have hip problems too. Perhaps it's more age related :'(

    Debra - Trying to focus on where I land and running mid foot. This morning I ran in them and definitely found I was running either mid foot or forefoot which I wasn't specifically aiming for. 
  • London Marathon are a bit slow. There is now an "apply now" link. Should have been in place earlier!
  • Southern Snail: yes, it's amazing how when you remove that wadge of foam from under your heel your body decides that landing on your heel is a bad idea (because "ouch"). Cadence usually increases as well.
  • Unfortunately Hardrock finished me! I got cut-off after 21 1/2 hours at the 44 mile mark.

    The one big lesson I learnt was that there is no substitute for altitude acclimatisation.

    I hope I get another chance at Hardrock.
  • marty74marty74 ✭✭✭
    Unlucky SD at Hardrock but what an epic race to have had a go at.

    Seren - see you at Chester then!!! I will be there with about 8 others from my club. Its my planned qualifier for next year.

    janr - those videos by Billy Yang are amazing. I have watched them a few times and he seems to get the vibe and atmosphere of the races perfectly. Shame he doesn't do a comrades one!!!
  • Mc HillyMc Hilly ✭✭✭
    Ouch Lowrez hope the toe recovers, but a break (from running) can be a good thing, gives a rest and fresher when race time comes around. 
    Ive not previously heard about Billy Yang videos, but I will investigate as they sound good
  • Marty,  I agree,  I think he would capture the atmosphere at Comrades very well .  Of all the Comrades footage/promos I've seen only the New Balance video (Spirit of Comrades 2014) does it justice.  

  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    Hope all the hip and toe injuries improve. Lowrez - what are you like?!  Did someone mysteriously move the sofa or where you distracted in some way?  I hope it doesn't hamper your CTC training too much.

    Slow Duck - great to hear your interview on Marathon Talk.  I won't spoil it for others that are yet to hear it.  The Hardrock 100 looks and sounds brutal.  And you want to go back for another try?!  I sort of can see the attraction in doing an epic race like that.  You'll have to get one of those special acclimitasation tents for a future attempt or spend your free time in the (Surrey) mountains!

    Debra/SS - I transitioned half way to zero drop shoes as I'm a mid-foot striker so the wedge of foam in the heel is wasted for me and extra weight I don't need to carry.  I haven't really noticed a difference in stride length but cadence is more efficient, or higher.  They work well on downhills as your toes aren't pressed forward so much compared with norm of c.10mm drop for neutral long distance shoes.  I also found my quads were not so sore this year going down Fields Hill but that may have been helped by the strength work.

    I found my speed was rubbish for some weeks after Comrades evidenced by Park Run times at similar effort.  It does come back but it requires interval and threshhold training.  Both of which I hate as it takes you out of your comfort zone but it does pay 'in the long run'.......Your VO2 max improves and that generally corresponds to faster predictive race times, but simply put, you trick your brain into getting comfortable at running at a faster pace.  I know on this forum this isn't new but together with the long run these are probably the most important training sessions.

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