Comrades 2020

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  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Yep, I think I went too far... I agree with you, and, Diana is OK too! Plus I can't reliably find from pure web research a good breakfast venue either, so does anyone else know a good place to re-build the glycogen stores the morning after?

    At a practical sensible level I would argue you can't have a simplistic approach of chopping the legs out from beneath people on a single hit, no matter how much you have advertised and blabbed about it. You have to get down and personal with them and do something like 3 strikes and your out. These gadgets have been in use by default for so long that many "innocents" are going to suffer like this if you don't adopt a reasonable approach to bringing a ban in. 
  • SS - that is very disappointing. First, you should have been exempt from a “headphone” ban and second, if you were to be disqualified there should have been due process - you should have been notified about the infraction and the proposed action and given an opportunity to put your case. Simply erasing you from the results without notifying you is not on...
  • "First, you should have been exempt from a “headphone” ban and second, if you were to be disqualified there should have been due process - you should have been notified about the infraction and the proposed action and given an opportunity to put your case. Simply erasing you from the results without notifying you is not on... " Anyone here feel they know DR well enough to point this out to him.

  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭
    Next year could be tasty at the front with Jim Wamlsely throwing his (cowboy) hat in the ring...

    From his latest comment....".....Lots to be thankful for, but always changing my sights to the next event on the horizon. Easy week this week and we’ll start to transition into a full on marathon focused block for Feb 29th. Further perspective will continue to build towards Comrades 2020 in June....."

    That first block of training for Feb will give him more road speed I think..
  • SS, sorry to hear that, does seem rather harsh

    Getafix, glad to hear you're on the road to recovery

    Lowrez, I ran in Mizunos in the 90s, didn't know they were still around
  • Thanks all - I have another marathon booked for 2 weeks but I am going to email him today. If I hadn't emailed him in the first place he would never have told me and presumably the other 40 he dq'd. Whatever your feelings about headphones in races it seems he's making me and a few others an easy target. There were WAY more than 40 people with them but like Mr SS, theirs were either covered or their numbers were. Ironically I don't normally use them. Never had them on once in the 10 in 10!!
  • Lowrez - Mugg and Bean do of course do a lovely breakfast. Just boycott Ross himself if you want :)
  • Mac3Mac3 ✭✭✭
    SS - really sorry to hear about your experience.  Slow Duck presents the argument very well.  I hope common sense prevails.  You will qualify elsewhere but it just leaves a bad taste. 
    As for trail shoes, I have Altra lone peak, really grippy and light.  Inov8 for cross country.  I'm a long standing customer of Run and Become, Victoria but harder to get to from the Netherlands these days.  A good shop to try out all their offerings.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    I asked Comrades and they said:-


    Mmm, Mugg&Bean, so we will all go out to the group photo but stand on some other steps and do our own :D
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    So my plan to dress up as Paris Hilton this year and carry a chihuahua isn't going to float either!
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Glad you have another event in the bag SS.
  • SS - that's rubbish news. I think most races advertise the fact that people wearing headphones will be dq'd but you see people wearing them and nothing ever happens. Hope he sees sense and reinstates you. However, that race had rubbish weather. It just means the next marathon you do will be easier and you will go quicker :)

    Debra - If i were you i would give that race a miss this weekend, particularly in view of the fact you had a virus this week. That is your body telling you to slow down and rest. It would be rubbish to get ill again or injured when you you have your 100th next weekend. Just my thoughts....

    Getafix - i ran Valencia a few years back, it's a great race and a fantastic city. If you have accepted the fact a PB is gone, just run within yourself and qualify the easiest you can.

  • SS - Thames Meander is a horrible race at the best of times. People enter because it’s flat and they think it’s fast, but it’s really not because it’s uneven underfoot and the towpath is really busy with other people. I remember having to stop while people carried a rowing boat across the course, and a cox bellowing in my ear with a megaphone to get out of his way as he cycled along the path beside his rowing crew. I’d recommend anyone to avoid it.

    On the other hand - enjoy Valencia Getafix - it’s a lovely course, with a fabulous finish line, and you get a bag of oranges.



  • RR, I'd have been very tempted to knock the Cox into the Thames .
  • If he hadn’t pedalled off into the distance, I would have been sorely tempted.
  • marty: you are right I've made the amazingly sensible decision to NOT run the Gatliff 50K nor even to go out on the club run, but instead to have an incredibly rare lie-in and rest. I have, however, booked for the Hugin Challenge on Tuesday...
  • terrible insomnia means I've been faffing about with possible vest designs :s

    what do people think? Not exactly stella McCartney....
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    As a Liverpool fan your choice of blue is terrible :D

    On the front I don't think the Great Britain will be readable as the GR and IN will probably be in your armpits and you will look like you are advertising EAT BRITA.

    The profile map will be too small to read any detail and it'll be way down out of sight anyway.

    I like the second back best, the first one has the stuff getting really close to the edges of the garment.

    The people making the vest for you should point some of that out if they vet it before you press print. Are you using a t-shirt design app to make these or scribing free format? I would have thought they would have had specific print areas built into the app to prevent you from producing something with these "risks".

    Sorry if I am too straight talking, not meaning to criticise, the ideas are great and you will look amazing and get a lot of interaction from both the crowd and other runners in kit like this :)
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Pain is never a good thing is it? I can't seem to shake this exterior hip prang. After missing my long run last Sunday and having 2 further days rest followed by only a mile per day in the lead up to my physio session on Friday a "hot spot" was located on my spine and some manipulation done, an additional exercise introduced to contribute to that, but still a green light to run etc. Fri and Sat I had other things to do so I just went out now with the aim of doing an easy 5 but thought better of it and turned back after 2 but at mile 3 prang-o within a couple of strides back comes the same pain, every step, I walked for a good bit, but then got bored, running didn't seem to make it worse, and, by the time the run was ending I had kinda got used to it. But climbing the stairs back in the house; oucho every step. Bloody hip!
  • > @1owrez said:
    > As a Liverpool fan your choice of blue is terrible :D
    >
    > On the front I don't think the Great Britain will be readable as the GR and IN will probably be in your armpits and you will look like you are advertising EAT BRITA.
    >
    > The profile map will be too small to read any detail and it'll be way down out of sight anyway.
    >
    > I like the second back best, the first one has the stuff getting really close to the edges of the garment.
    >
    > The people making the vest for you should point some of that out if they vet it before you press print. Are you using a t-shirt design app to make these or scribing free format? I would have thought they would have had specific print areas built into the app to prevent you from producing something with these "risks".
    > Sorry if I am too straight talking, not meaning to criticise, the ideas are great and you will look amazing and get a lot of interaction from both the crowd and other runners in kit like this :)

    As a leeds fan, I could never choose red could I? :)

    no problems with straight talking, all good suggestions (apart from the colour, obviously). I'm going to lose the route profile, choose back no.2 and narrow the Great Britain. I used the online design tool of a place that has made vests for previous marathons of mine- they are good because you can do a single vest for under £20 whereas lots of other custom places you have to make a bulk order to get the cost down.
  • Lowrez - sympathies on the hip front. Very frustrating.What are you going to do about it?

    I've had a bit of email conversation with Mr Ross. The guy has no manners. I've drawn a line under him.
  • 1owrez1owrez ✭✭✭
    Well this morning I ouched myself out of bed and walked normally into work going ouch, ouch, ouch every step. Mortified I am in this state, I'm meant to be an ultra runner... I am concluding that my physio has been quite successful in releasing my body from the prison it was locked in, but now, I am essentially all floppy and strengthless. I have talked to her about that, the left side seems a bit aimless at times and I probably need to strengthen things up a bit and make sure I operate effectively as a runner. She hasn't introduced any of that into my regime though and wants to make sure everything is fully released (I still have a lot of mild pain and tension doing "just" her exercises). Of course she is unaware of my daft running plans for next year. No way do I want another repeat of whatever is going on here so once again its time to take things calmly and let the pain settle. I'm going to look at some strengthening on my own. My only refuge seeing as even walking is painful at the mo is the bike to see if that hurts, if not I can stay aerobically fit with that, once the pain disappears I need to take it really easy putting some miles back on... I've got to be realistic though... I could end up power walking the 777 to keep the stress of this thing if I don't improve markedly (I have up to 8 hours per marathon), and I'll chuck the Destin 100 back at the organizer and give it to someone on the waiting list. Hopefully I can get back up to gentle running a lot of miles though... I need a sub 4:50 before beginning of May you know!

    Right approach with Rossy I think, plenty more organisations out there that will treat you with respect.
  • Becca7Becca7 ✭✭✭
    Debra - good call to Gatliff a miss as it's always very muddy and probably not great if you're getting over a virus.  Sleep was a much better option.

    Getafix - great that you are able to do Valencia, good luck.  Strength and conditioning work sounds good.

    I hope the physio can fix you, lowrez.  Good to have the option of walking the 7 in 7 but I hope it doesn't come to that.

    I'm not sure I've ever made it to the post-race Mugg and Bean, I've normally been off somewhere else.  There are other places that serve breakfast along Snell Parade though so it shouldn't be hard to find an alternative to M&B, hopefully.

    Snail, better luck at the next one and good to draw a line under the other.  I'd never fancied Thames Meander as I know a couple of people who've fallen there and been badly injured and I've found that races along the Thames aren't fun for the reasons that RR gives, as well.

    Double Maravan for me this weekend.  That's now 10 times I've finished a marathon around the caravan park but no green number for that.  4:42 first day and 4:43 second day.
  • Just back from my travels and struggle to keep up with the forum.  SS, that sucks to be honest and agree with SD about due process.  I always wondered why we did the Mugg and Bean as its a longer walk than Circus Circus and most of us hobble anyway (more so after the down run).


    Lowrez: strength work and using the bike is a good plan.  In Feb this year I lost a whole month of running training due to back issues and just cycled every day instead and didn't lose any fitness.  That said I have a good indoor trainer on the bike and that makes a difference.

    The knee is still not 100% but I managed 25kms on Saturday with a little pain that I ran through after 2 hours.  Will keep at it.

    Becca: congrats on the Double Maravan .. the comments on Strava made me laugh.
  • Anyone here ever done the UTCT? I’m seeing lots of people heading down there this week. It looks rather fabulous, but it’s a beast. 
  • Becca - well done on the maravan marathons. Great to have done 10 of them and solid pacing on the 2nd day

    Peter R - Thanks and just looked at Circus Circus. It's definitely more central for everyone. Looks like good food too.. Glad you're knee's improving. Hopefully you can carry on increasing the distance.

    Never heard of UTCT - off to google now...
  • I went to Circus Circus after 2015 Comrades (and, also after Comrades 2000!). It was good at those times and also convenient - a good alternative to M&B.

    Lowrez, sorry to hear about your ongoing hassles - hang in with the physio and I'm sure your 7/7 will work out ok. So frustrating for you!

    Becca, well done on the Maravans you must be in great shape.

    SS, It's sad to hear about what a let down 'ambassador' Ross is! Good luck with a replacement qualifier.

    I've not been here for a while but noted some comments on squats.  They are part of my current regime recommended by my physio, whom I see again on Tuesday 3rd Dec. I still find modest squats quite difficult given how audibly my knee 'creaks' when I do them - certainly a sign of irreversible wear and tear.😒.  The exercise that I feel is helping most is sitting leg extensions against a resistance band (good eccentric work for the quds/knees). I expect the physio will add more exercises to the current regime.  My knee has improved quite a wee bit and I managed to slow jog about 800 metres (wow!) at Saturday's parkrun without the knee complaining. So that, at last, is modest progress.

    I see many other marathons planned. I'm envious of you all.
  • RR - I had a club mate who ran it last year. He was near the sharp end of the field but he said it was one of the hardest races he has ever run. It injured him as well....

    Becca - you are like a metronome. Top work.

    Lowrez - keep doing those exercises, you have an end goal to work towards and an amazing time to be had on your 7/7.
  • SS - Ultra Trail Cape Town. It involves running up (and down) Table Mountain. There are 4 distances, up to 100k. 
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