Comrades 2022

1owrez · March 2021

It is so frustrating waiting for those people to pick up. You need to put your life on hold, then just when you couldn't wait any longer and dashed to the loo, they answered.

MARK A ALDERSON · March 2021

Apparently due to Covid they are working remotely so not able to respond as if they were in the office, in other words they are cleaning the windows and can't be rushed to answer the call! Like I said to Terry today if you had 100 people in a office and they are all working from home then that is still 100 people working surely? Too many people using Covid as an excuse for things these days ( I reckon the Captain of Evergreen may well be claiming he has Long Covid once he sets sail again!)

Mc Hilly · March 2021

Debra, yes you can record on strava directly on the app on the phone, a watch isn’t necessary. Not normally as accurate as a watch but not bad (and for comrades virtual i guess doesn’t need to be that accurate), but check in advance how much it drains the phone battery!

Debra Bourne · March 2021

Mark A: Thank you! I'm seriously tempted. The Apex Pro with theoretical 40 hr battery life certainly should last even through the Lakeland 100 (which I want to do sometime). And it even comes with a green band... (I don't choose on colour, except for rejecting anything pink if at all possible, but I do like green) Which one do you have?

1owrez · March 2021

Pink for me please

Peter R · March 2021

My Garmin 935 is 4 years old I think and still plodding on, although I have noticed the battery is beginning run out a little sooner than before.

Another for the AZ list yesterday. No arm pain but a nice fever last night but that has gone now.

On another topic, anyone bought Bruces new book (Winger Messenger). I just got my copy and whilst its for the novice and I have done a comrades or two I decided there is still lots to learn.

1owrez · March 2021

If you were going to end up dual running more than once and purely wanted a secondary GPS tracker only, you might be able to justify £60 for a Bip S Mr D will like that is is Chinese

it's been through a couple of uplifts since it appeared, links to Strava, and has a decent rating of 22hrs on GPS. Its got a heart rate monitor but people reckon, like many wrist based efforts at this, its more of a gyzmo on that front.

1owrez · March 2021

Good to see you have joined TeamAZ Peter

marty74 · March 2021

Sigh, wish I could join the dangly arm club. I have to wait now to see when we get some vaccinations

I haven't signed up to the virtual comrades, yet. I plan to wait to see if my race at the end of May goes ahead. If it doesn't, might do the 21.1k version but I'm not feeling the same love for it as I did last year.

1owrez · March 2021

You must be a real youngster Marty, or are you living on Mars

If it weren't for virtual Comrades I would not have a boot up me ar*e to crawl outs the front door and put some effort in so I'm glad it's finally turned up. My two offspring are looking forward to it again.

The more I look at those t-shirts the more I think I should've chosen blue 🤔

baldstan · March 2021

I think I prefer the look of the blue too, 1owrez. Now just need to work out which distance to enter for. If I end up doing a night shift on an aid station for the SDW100 I expect I won't want to do anything more than a half, so perhaps safest to sign up for that.

Also just changed my autumn qualifier plans. Abingdon Marathon on 24th October has opened for entries today so signed up to do that again, and deferred my Amsterdam entry another year to 2022. As I ran Abingdon back in 2019 as my qualifier for 2020 it feels a bit like resetting the clock.

1owrez · March 2021

Drawn by green today Stan, just call me Mary

Shall we form a 21Club? That's Debra, thee, me, possibly SD too!

Abingdon? Nice sheltered flat marathon?

baldstan · March 2021

Green certainly stands out more. I think I've got a green Paris Marathon shirt from a few years ago, but that's the only green race shirt I can think of.

Abingdon's pretty flat. I think the wind and rain could whip across the fields if you're unlucky with the weather, but equally if the wind's in the right direction it could help you up the one slight hill. Felt the perfect size race. No need to swerve from side to side to get past other runners; never alone wondering whether I'd taken the wrong turning and was going to end up in Swindon; and somehow there'd be a group of supporters to cheer everyone on just when you needed it. And there's a 5 hour cut off so they're going to do everything they can to make sure you finish in time to get a Comrades qualifier. Only drawback is it's a bit of a walk from the finish to find a decent pub, or any pub, bar or cafe in fact.

baldstan · March 2021

Just seen a tweet saying the 100th person has signed up to the virtual race this year. Doesn't seem that many so far. Perhaps they should have offered a virtual back-to-back medal?

1owrez · March 2021

Wow! What's concept Stan! I'm gonna rush off and ask 'em!

Dannirr · April 2021

I'm here. Might as well run.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6027274/uploads/editor/kr/k2ol9d4xlagj.jpeg

1owrez · April 2021

Please sir! Please sir! I know! I know!

Go on lowrez; tell the rest of the class where he is...

He's standing on the promenade at Camps Bay, to the left is the golden sand of the beach and to the right is a promenade of eateries and shops.

Amazing Dannirr, we are currently locked in-country in the UK unless we can prove its essential business travel. For a moment there I thought you were wearing Hoka One One Cliftons actually in Clifton

l guess you ran through it though? Weather looks good!

1owrez · April 2021

I'm assuming Two Oceans is cancelled?

marty74 · April 2021

Looking lovely as ever Dannirr.

I think from memory there is also a Hard Rock cafe there which I frequented. And then nearly bought a metal figurine from a seller as we waited for the bus

Dannirr · April 2021

You are all correct in your descriptions. Except for the Cliftons - there are not Cliftons, they're Elevons. And yes, I ran through Clifton - tomorrow Chapman's Peak.

1owrez · April 2021

Win one of 5 entries into the #ComradesCentenaryHopeChallenge! Hunt begins at 9am on Sunday Morning! 😀🥚🐇🐣

5 Voucher codes are hidden on our website comrades.com.

🐇 Go to comrades.com and look through the pages to find a unique entry voucher

🐇 The voucher will look like this: EASTEREGGCHALLENGE12345

🐇Voucher applicable for ALL Runners South Africa, Rest of Africa and International entrants

🐇Vouchers valid from 9am 04/04/2021 to 9am 05/04/2021

Happy hunting! 🐰🥚🐇🐣

#ComradesCentenaryHopeChallenge #TheUltimateHumanRace ComradesMarathon #Ithemba #HopeIs

1owrez · April 2021

I still can't rationalize the empty wasteland I arrived at crossing the Two Oceans finish line 7 minutes beyond cut-off. The crowd were still wonderful cheering me in, but there was absolutely no welcome. Deserted rows of barren trestle tables. Not a soul in sight. Waste paper blowing across the vista in the light breeze. No directions to anywhere. Nobody faintly interested in my wellbeing. Ultimately I wandered aimlessly through milling crowds and stumbled over a tent selling beer and showing rugby on a big screen. I kinda sipped at my drink until it had gone and wandered alone and disappointed back to my hotel. I really enjoyed the run, but somehow I don't feel the need to go back and get the medal. I'd just run 56k, over a damned big hill, can I at least have a drink of water please? Anybody? If they don't give a damn about me then, quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn about them. Oi! Hands off that chip on my shoulder; it's mine!

Chapman's Peak is a great run

Dubairunner · April 2021

Good afternoon and Happy Easter all. Had the opportunity to run a race this week, they are back on for us, but the protocol, requiring a negative Pcr and the equipment list for a trail 15k put me off. But moving in the right direction..

Peter R · April 2021

Lowrez: I recall walking to the shuttle bus after finishing TOM and some runners who had missed the cut off came past very confused. They thought they were on the course but sadly not, they had already locked the gate for the entrance to the field. A brutal cut off, at least Comrades lets you still cross the line.

I did a race here on Saturday. Covid rules in place so a staggered start, was well organised and I did a steady marathon pacing someone round for their first sub 4 marathon. Just nice to be racing again; and to be honest apart from wearing a face mask to use the bathrooms and picking up your own water bottles the way round, it felt like races pre covid.

Debra: some seriously impressive miles this weekend on Strava.

baldstan · April 2021

Yes, very impressive Debra, must have been a bit breezy up on the South Downs this weekend! How was the ground? Has it mostly dried out or is it still pretty muddy in places? Just wondering what shoes are going to be best for the race on the 17th.

Debra Bourne · April 2021

Just checked my spam folder and found all these RW emails!

Peter R, baldstan: thank you! I'm doing 100 miles in a week for CROC event number 3, and really wanted to recce ahead of SDW50 - I realised I haven't run the stretch from Worthing up to the SDW since 2013. It was breezy, mostly headwind to side wind. lovely and sunny on Friday, although the wind was cold. Saturday was duller and colder.

baldstan: it's all dried out. I'll be in trail shoes as always - have to decide between the Inov8 Terra Ultras and the Altra Superiors.

Dannirr: I thought I recognised that hill. My first visit to South Africa was to Cape Town, back in 2000, when I spent 4 weeks helping rehabilitate 20,000 oiled penguins. Strange to recall that back then I wasn't a runner!

baldstan · April 2021

If anyone fancies some dot watching tomorrow then Debra is number 245, and I'm 210, in the South Downs Way 50. If I start moving backwards then it's windier than I expected up on the downs. My apologies if anyone else is also running and I've missed your number out.

https://live.centurionrunning.com/SDW50-2021/

Mc Hilly · April 2021

Awesome, hadn’t realized SDW was tomorrow, I might do more than dot watch! I’m running a half marathon tomorrow starting and finishing at Eastbourne! If timing works, once I’ve finished I might walk the last section of your course to see if I can spot the dots! ( of course you might finish running before me, I’m guessing I’ll finish about 1pm)

Slow Duck · April 2021

Good luck Debra and Stan!

I’ll be course marking from Saddlescombe to Housedean (staring at 5am). Please don’t get lost on that section!

baldstan · April 2021

I'll keep a look out for your markings Slow Duck, I'm sure they'll be good. My main worry on that stretch is the road crossings - take care if you're out there in the dark.

McHilly, I certainly won't be finishing before you. I'm expecting to get to Eastbourne about 6, if all goes well. Though you might see some of the faster SDW50 runners, as we're both using the same path through Alfriston.

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Categories

Comrades 2022

Comments