Comrades 2019

1565759616268

Comments

  • Running RodentRunning Rodent ✭✭✭
    edited May 2019
    Afternoon all. I haven’t been on here much recently but glad to see the miles are clocking up and the madness continues :) 
    Lowrez/Axl was spotted by friends of mine in Liverpool yesterday - I gather it was exceptionally windy along the front this year, that hair must have been tricky!
    I’ve reached my (very modest) target mileage to get me round this year so yes, I’ll be hitting the sauna as often as I can between now and race day. The weather doesn’t look like it’s going to be excessively hot, but part of the fun of Comrades for me is the excuse to sit still and tell myself I’m ‘training’.
  • jkissanejkissane ✭✭✭
    Don't forget to track down this guy before you leave next week! Found my own at the bottom of a drawer this morning.


  • Peter RPeter R ✭✭✭

    Jkissane: good point, someone on the forum a couple of years ago changed their shoes at the last minute and left the chip at the hotel and then had to try and prove they had run.  I am sure they are still on the forum but cant remember who it was and how it ended up.

    not seen a picture of a tap(i)r for a while :)


  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    That was justannothrrunr Peter, not sure I speald that wright - did someone say taypeer? 

  • I think it was jnr who hunted down photos to show he'd really run it and argued for a YEAR to get his run credited!
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    RR - I was going to sing "Careful with that axe (knife) Eugene" - he wasn't dancing though - as I ran past in Liverpool!

    Bike It - hang on in there - despite putting up a confident front it was a right old slog at Liverpool for me, wind or not, remember it going through my head several times - how am I going to do double this in a couple of weeks - but I am recovering well... its an up run... lots of speed walking and we can do it! The tapirs are massing like the wildebeest and the Comrades runners...

  • So as I keep on going on about :expressionless: , I have been dealing with some injuries.

    I tried the impossible balancing act of resting but still getting in some miles. I've had 2 full weeks off (that I hadn't planned to have off) (interspersed with a week on) and now obviously is taper time so not going to try and catch up any mileage but all this got me thinking..

    Training for races is super hard. As much as I want to do Comrades - London and Comrades this close together in hindsight was a poor decision. BUT arguably a good one too - if id trained for a februrary/march marathon I think the gap would have been long enough that my injury/mental burnout woes would have just made me bottle it. I have been able to sorta motivate myself with the whole.. 'do this, then you can rest properly' mindset. Being injured has sort of helped too as its meant I don't have to do speed sessions because of injury rather than my lack of mental capacity :smiley:

    There is the whole 'too much rest = loss of fitness' issue but obviously running injured is a bigger issue. I feel obliged (by my inner competitive nature) to still target silver. I am under no illusions that it is a huge ask and tbh my biggest concern is battering myself so much that If i fall off the pace I can't actually finish. That said, I went into London with a similar approach and it worked well.

    Anyhow I am just mind farting. Thanks all for your insights/support, congrats on all your races/training and see you all in Durban !
  • Thomas - you absolutely will not have lost fitness. You'll be great on the day. Why don't you allow yourself to target a time on the day once you've set off and seen how your body aches/pains feel.
    You'll definitely get round. Don't allow yourself to be disappointed whatever your time. Its a great race, a great distance, a few hills chucked in and something to be proud of completing regardless of time. BUT you'll nail it. :)
    And next year for your back to back you can do your qualifier later this year instead of next!!
  • jkissanejkissane ✭✭✭
    Mac3 said:
    Lingela, Friday 7th June @ 18:30 - https://www.tsogosun.com/lingela

    Mac3 + 1
    becca7
    McHilly
    1owrez
    jkissane + 1
    Terry48
    Marty74 +1
    Jock and Karen
    thomasclowes
     Seren and Terry
    Peter + 1

    We have 18 for Lingela so far.  Any late additions are welcome!  I've added in Peter and his wife.  Peter is a Brit and a 'neigbour' to me in Gouda.  We were acquainted via the Dutch Comrades Ambassador. It's Peter's first so shower him with all your good advice! He achieved sub 3 at London but correctly being cautious in his ambitions.


    Afraid I've lost one of my travelling companions due to medical issues meaning they can't fly next week. Wasn't going to be running anyway but still disappointed to be missing the event.
  • Becca7Becca7 ✭✭✭
    Sorry that your friend won't be joining us, jk.  

    Thomas- don't fret.  The circumstances aren't ideal but you won't have lost much in the way of form and you should still have a great run.

    Good to see that the headwind that I've heard a lot about from people who ran in Liverpool did not blow your Axl Rose wig into the Mersey, lowrez.

    It still feels like this year's race has come a bit soon for me but I was happy with 60 miles last week, including a 23 mile run around Rutland Water which, as Terry can confirm, is nicely undulating.  I've got a bit of a shoe dilemma as my toes and under the forefoot get sore in the shoes that I'd intended to run in but that might have been made worse by stony paths.  I had a trouble-free run in my Hokas the next day but they are shoes I bought a few years ago on impulse and the 8 miles I ran in them on Sunday is about the longest I've run in them but very comfortable and I didn't feel the effects of the 23 the previous day.

    I've been prompted to book in for some hot yoga classes.  I had one of the Facebook "remember this post" reminders and it was from the first year I did Comrades.  15 hours of hot yoga in the build-up probably served me well in the 30-degree heat we had that year.  

    Scary to think that it's a week until I fly.


  • Mc HillyMc Hilly ✭✭✭
    Becca, I’m also having shoe dilemmas! I decided to do a kit test of what I plan to wear at Comrades when I did Windermere marathon recently. I’ve been having Achilles/Hauglands issues for ages, my old Hokas are the shoes that cause it least problem, they were fine in last years Comrades but now totally knackered! Half way round Windermere they have me blisters and are now in the bin! Luckily I remembered to remove my Comrades chip before binning them! I’d tried to buy replacements at start of year, but hoka continually change their range :-( , so will wear my more recent ones have soft heel back which don’t irritate my heel, but have little support or cushioning. 
    I’m taking my heat training more seriously than my running, so now off to sit in the Sauna!
  • marty74marty74 ✭✭✭
    Thomas - stay positive. You have done all the hard work. It's much better to get the start line fully fit and slightly under trained than start with any kind of injury. The loss of any fitness now will be so minimal its hardly worth worrying about. The offset comes during the race when you are feeling fresher.

    And as for chasing a time and finishing, as snail said, prepare to be flexible in your approach and have multiple finishing goals. You will finish but you shouldn't be disappointed if your time doesn't match your expectations. Just finishing Comrades is a huge achievement and it doesn't really hit home until you have run the course. Enjoy the build up, day and experience as a whole. It will be amazing and you will have the best time ever.

    Look forward to saying hi on the friday evening.
  • marty74marty74 ✭✭✭
    And just another gentle prod to ask if anyone has transport up to the finish? Have one friend who would very much like to get to the finish and sample the atmosphere. Happy to pay fuel costs or perhaps beers instead!!!!

    Thanks in advance.
  • Peter RPeter R ✭✭✭
    Marty, happy to help.  I will have a friend who will be seconding me (also staying the in Hilton) and another old friend from school in SA who will also be helping out.  I am sure they will be able to get your friend to PMB, as long as they don't mind stopping at Catoridge for a couple of hours to hand over supplies to our group!?  May add to the experience and they may get to see you as well as our groups range of finish times will likely be 7.15 to 11.30 … 
  • Marty.. My hubby was looking for a navigator to drive the route supporting, but we will not be going all the way now.. had a bad few months and with little running and massive weight gain I will not be making it far along the route so he will just pick me up and head back for durban..

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Axl Rose commences the Liverpool Rock n Roll marathon...

  • marty74marty74 ✭✭✭
    Sorry to hear that Seren, but never say never......

    Peter - Thanks very much for that offer, i think seeing the race first hand en route rather than just at the finish will be stunning. I think my finish time will be somewhere around the 10 hour mark....I will PM you my details now, but will see you at the friday meal to arrange details in a bit more detail.

    Hope everyone is going well and not doing too much. I am loving the less running and more time on hands midweek.......

    lowrez - cool picture. So how many of those people in your wave did you overtake??!!!
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    I'd say all of them Marty; Camilla and Mum with the 5hr pace flag were at the head of the wave and I cruised up to them on the climb up to Goodison Park. On the way back down I let the hand break off and absolutely hammered back into the city yelling "Excelsior" as Al Gore would have done in South Park when we came past that pub. Knew I was going too damned fast but couldn't stop myself, blasted past the 4:45 pacers on the way back onto the main road past Albert Dock and finally saw sense (ran out of puff) as I entered China Town "let" the 4:45ers have their way as I paid the price and started flagging a bit through Sefton Park and had to dig deep on the horrible windy 3 miles down The Mersey to the finish - I did indeed worry about me head gear blowing away Becca and pulled it down tighter. My chip says 4:51.    


  • Great one, lowrez!
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    Good luck with your Green Peter!

    Just be sensible on the day Thomas - you have 12 hours - you'll set a pb whatever happens - above all make sure you get to PM - power walk some hills - they will be great breaks for you.

    Sorry you haven't got a ton of training in Seren, I remember you did amazing two years ago on very little training - just see how you flow on the day.

    McH - get that chip on your shoe! Hoping you have a great day, it was brilliant when you caught me last year - well met!

    You sound on great form Becca - you will of course be running to heart rate as usual?

    I've only looked at and replied to comments on this page - lazy me!

    RR - where do you get your weather from?

  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    Lingela, Friday 7th June @ 18:30 - https://www.tsogosun.com/lingela

    Mac3 + 1
    becca7
    McHilly
    1owrez
    jkissane + 1
    Terry48
    Marty74 +1
    Jock and Karen
    thomasclowes
     Seren and Terry
    Peter + 1
    JK, also sorry that your friend cannot join.  I've reserved for 17.
    The table is reserved under 'Comrades'.  I will have to provide a deposit which I will arrange but please let me know  if you cannot make it (Peter - I know you may be arriving later depending on your arrival).  I look forward to seeing you all then!
  • Lowrez - Accuweather. It was saying 23 degrees for race day, I see it’s gone up to 28. But it seems to change every day.
  • thought I'd check in before we all head off to SA (although I see Terry is already there!). My longest run left to do in a minute - only 1 hour 20. Bliss.
    Shot in the dark here, but last year someone posted me a great little piece or chart with paces for flat, uphill and downhill for a Bill Rowan. It was really useful and I based my pacing around it. The question is, can whoever it was remember it, and is there a different one for the 'Up' run as obviously there is more up than last year so the paces would be different?
    good luck to everyone as you do your last few training runs! 
  • PS I've been looking on 'holiday weather' and its predicting 12C at the start, with a maximum of 23C after 3pm in Pietermaritzburg. I guess this far out it's a finger in the air job  :). I did see Thursday or Friday in Durban forecast for 30C!
  • Terry48Terry48 ✭✭✭
    Marty74, I see you have other offers for your friend. Having tallied up my passenger list to the finish, I also have one spare seat from the Belaire at about 11am - straight to the finish if your friend does not want to stop on the way.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Last year was the coolest of the 4 I've run, I recall it being quite overcast at times, I'm hoping for similar again, last year was the first time we ran a week later than in previous years wasn't it?
  • PeterDHMPeterDHM ✭✭✭
    well looks like I might get a late bit of warm weather training in before next weekend, 29C forecast where I live tomorrow! Does anyone have any thoughts on pre ordering the event photos for the reduced price offered? Worth it? Max - I don't know if this is what you are after but I did see this pacing chart which gives you times at specific distances on the route: www.alsoranrunners.info/UPpacingcharts.htm
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭

    I think the photo offer works out at about £20 which is absolutely fantastic value compared to any other event, it does depend how photogenic you are though - a plodder like me in "look at me aren't I fantastic kit" is easy to spot and I usually pose for them as I "walk" by, so great value for money. It does depend on their half assed payment system working though - I have just e-mailed them to tell them how crap they are both in the bloody thing dropping out on me, and their initial blab warning me that a download link will be generated immediately and I better be sure I have selected all my pictures - jetline? more like phutline! Also last year I had to mither them until I was blue in the face to get the above photo located - the toggy had not loaded one of their SD cards - it was located in their bag after I prompted them to "search again" - it took a ton of e-mails to get them to do that - who knows how many thousand other photos were missed by other runners - it was about 3 weeks after the event that the card was found. Don't let me put you off with all my complaining though - if all goes smoothly its a great deal and if their system had worked I would have purchased it by now :)

  • PeterDHMPeterDHM ✭✭✭
    thanks lowrez, I did think it seemed decent value for around £20.. although Ive done races when there have been something like 2 terrible photos of me and that's it (Boston 2018 springs to mind, although the weather didn't help!). I'll probably go for it if I can get it to work!
Sign In or Register to comment.