I have entered my qualifing marathon for next year. Snowdon for a sub 3.
Races between Jan and Comrades that I have used in the past Jan - Gloucester 50 rolling hills laps Feb/March Barry 40 Track ultra March - Compton 40 April - Marathon season (I think lots of people look for PBs here during comrades training, my PB was not run in this period) May - Ridgeway 40
Normally I will run some or all of these but next year....
Agreed, If I am going to run Comrades anything over a half marathon in 2012 will be treated as a training run. Perhaps it is a good idea to pace a slower runner in the spring marathons, I could pace one of my mates for Brighton.
Have my first longer distance race in a few weeks (Fairlands Valley Challenge), but feel totally unprepared for it, since a couple of marathons earlier this year I have been pretty slack on training
Think I need to do more ultras rather than maras in training to work out how to keep things down.
Yes, I know I said I hadn't got sucked in.
Maybe I have now just a bit.
Compton was very very hard and I tripped over and said all manner of things but funnily enough I have happier memories of it than of Comrades itself (well actually given I wasn't soaked to the skin, cold as hell and sick as a parrot after Compton not so odd really). But mara training this summer. Nice bit of fun ...
Don't say that SD! I know it's just superstition but I don't like to jinx things (bugger the medals, one of the dogs is pretty old! It was v. sad a few years ago when we were just down to 1...).
bless Fido, i understand, my hand was shaking when i put the key in the door when i got home as i deliberately hadnt contacted the pet sitter, so was terrified about the diabetic, but they are all well and furry and alive thank god.
anyway, we'll just call you fido3medals - or 3medalmaria
Eindhoven (Oct 9th). SD, the other half was wondering idly where they start the course tours for the Down run - do the coaches leave from Durban but not start the tour proper until they start the trip back from PMB? He also pointed out that not having to pay for another ChampionChip (found it still on my shoes when I unearthed them from the suitcase today) (pity it can only be used in SA) is not a good reason to go back
i'm trying to work out marathons around shifts but i seem to be working every sunday in the autumn months grrr! i hate having to use up all my annual leave for things like this
Eindhoven sounds good -- is there anything to see beside the race? i like to idea of flat and fast...
wanted to do Liv to as i went to uni there...not sure i'm allowed to take any leave in Oct/Nov as that's when my work moves out of London and it's going to be chaos!!
I am focussing on Triathlon training for the next couple of months, with London Tri at end of July and then the Wales Ironman in September (first one) before kicking back into Comrades training after that. I am sure I will do a marathon or two, but not sure which ones yet!
Eindhoven *is* nice and flat and apparently they've taken a few corners out of the course this year too and are starting it an hour earlier so that it's cooler. (They really seem dead keen to get the course record under 2:07:01 - G. Mutai - this year).
Runners can have their own sports drinks (with gels attached if you like) put out at the drinks tables and in past years they've had "spotters" so you get your drink handed to you as you run past.
If I get a 3:59 (which is not easy for me!) I get D seeding at Comrades, if not, F or worse, so unlike Gobi it's worth me picking a fast course (I noticed that there is no A+ pen for sub 2:45 runners!)
I think there's an art museum there and some interesting modern buildings but it's not exactly Prague tbh. There are Ryanair flights from Stansted so you can go out on the Friday night or Sat morning or Sat night, register Sat or, indeed, Sun morning, and fly back Sunday night (handy for those short on leave Carmen.
The only problem is that they don't take credit cards for entry any more, so you can either a) beg and point out that from non-Eurozone places like the UK a bank transfer will cost you twenty quid (I did this and they said, Okay, you can pay us cash when you pick up your number at the expo, just because you begged nicely) b) launder the money through a friend with a Euro bank account c) enter when you get there ( about 50 euro as opposed to 38 if you enter before early July). d) ... dunno...
Am also thinking about logistics next year, noticed that if I take a later flight out of DXB on the way back (the DUR-DXB one gets in at 5am local time urrrrrr) I could catch a few hours' shuteye at the airport hotel and thus get home feeling only like I'd stayed out late and then had a lie-in...
I'm not sure there are any mountains in Oxfordshire (pity really - I noticed that our Box Hill runners, i.e. SpeedyDuck and Carmen, both did well this year...)
Maidenhead Half for me on the 4th September & Abingdon Marathon on 16th October.
It will be the second time I've raced both distances, so after a summer of speedwork it will be interesting to see the effect of 9 months of Comrades training. I'm hoping for some decent progress, but I'm feeling very slow at the moment and have been eating rubbish for the last 3 weeks, so we'll see.
Still doubt I'll be at Comrades 2012, although I have broached the subject with my wife and I can go if I hire a full time nanny. Could end up being an expensive race
Apparently BA are starting a direct flight to Durban from Gatwick later this year .. dont know the cost yet but that may be a popular choice!?
Gobi, enjoying the tri training which has made a change from the mile after mile of running that Comrades needed in the first 5 months of this year!! Legs are still a bit confused by the change but they have plenty of time to get used to it!
Bad news - Trin has dropped out of the 100 miler in Stratford after 42 miles, apparently she was feeling sick and couldn't get any fuel on board. Still I admire her for having a go, I'm still struggling with my 45min easy runs at the moment. I don't know how Ellie Greenwood has managed to recover so fast, she got 4th at Comrades and then won the Western States 100 this morning!
Youth.... sigh. Poor Trin, bloody guts! V. Excited re. ws100, woke up at 6:30 (no alarm) to check the results. Clark third, JezB fourth, SharmanIan tenth (well done to KJ for winning despite getting lost), and Ellie G 18th overall with that great late surge to win the ladies. Off to a 5k in Swindon now, on my quest for a *real* 5k medal, and possibly a PB as my current PB is, er, slightly over marathon pace (!)
Comments
I have entered my qualifing marathon for next year. Snowdon for a sub 3.
Races between Jan and Comrades that I have used in the past
Jan - Gloucester 50 rolling hills laps
Feb/March Barry 40 Track ultra
March - Compton 40
April - Marathon season (I think lots of people look for PBs here during comrades training, my PB was not run in this period)
May - Ridgeway 40
Normally I will run some or all of these but next year....
( i did warn it would change with the weather so you can tell it's me!)
Agreed, If I am going to run Comrades anything over a half marathon in 2012 will be treated as a training run. Perhaps it is a good idea to pace a slower runner in the spring marathons, I could pace one of my mates for Brighton.
Have my first longer distance race in a few weeks (Fairlands Valley Challenge), but feel totally unprepared for it, since a couple of marathons earlier this year I have been pretty slack on training
I must not read this thread
Yes, I know I said I hadn't got sucked in.
Maybe I have now just a bit.
Compton was very very hard and I tripped over and said all manner of things but funnily enough I have happier memories of it than of Comrades itself (well actually given I wasn't soaked to the skin, cold as hell and sick as a parrot after Compton not so odd really).
But mara training this summer. Nice bit of fun ...
anyway, we'll just call you fido3medals - or 3medalmaria
I train and I know what I can do.
Simple really
I'll be running Liverpool (9 Oct) and Valencia (20 Nov).
SD, the other half was wondering idly where they start the course tours for the Down run - do the coaches leave from Durban but not start the tour proper until they start the trip back from PMB? He also pointed out that not having to pay for another ChampionChip (found it still on my shoes when I unearthed them from the suitcase today) (pity it can only be used in SA) is not a good reason to go back
Zzzzz
Eindhoven sounds good -- is there anything to see beside the race? i like to idea of flat and fast...
wanted to do Liv to as i went to uni there...not sure i'm allowed to take any leave in Oct/Nov as that's when my work moves out of London and it's going to be chaos!!
I am focussing on Triathlon training for the next couple of months, with London Tri at end of July and then the Wales Ironman in September (first one) before kicking back into Comrades training after that. I am sure I will do a marathon or two, but not sure which ones yet!
Eindhoven sounds good though .. nice and flat!!
Runners can have their own sports drinks (with gels attached if you like) put out at the drinks tables and in past years they've had "spotters" so you get your drink handed to you as you run past.
If I get a 3:59 (which is not easy for me!) I get D seeding at Comrades, if not, F or worse, so unlike Gobi it's worth me picking a fast course (I noticed that there is no A+ pen for sub 2:45 runners!)
I think there's an art museum there and some interesting modern buildings but it's not exactly Prague tbh.
There are Ryanair flights from Stansted so you can go out on the Friday night or Sat morning or Sat night, register Sat or, indeed, Sun morning, and fly back Sunday night (handy for those short on leave Carmen.
The only problem is that they don't take credit cards for entry any more, so you can either
a) beg and point out that from non-Eurozone places like the UK a bank transfer will cost you twenty quid (I did this and they said, Okay, you can pay us cash when you pick up your number at the expo, just because you begged nicely)
b) launder the money through a friend with a Euro bank account
c) enter when you get there ( about 50 euro as opposed to 38 if you enter before early July).
d) ... dunno...
Am also thinking about logistics next year, noticed that if I take a later flight out of DXB on the way back (the DUR-DXB one gets in at 5am local time urrrrrr) I could catch a few hours' shuteye at the airport hotel and thus get home feeling only like I'd stayed out late and then had a lie-in...
Fido - smart move looking for that fast course :¬)
Hill work this morning just solid paced reps. Notice I didn't say mountain :¬)
For Eindhoven, if Slotwin came back to the forum can't she do some laundering?
I'm really lucky with hills - I have Box Hill, Leith Hill, Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill all within running distance...
Maidenhead Half for me on the 4th September & Abingdon Marathon on 16th October.
It will be the second time I've raced both distances, so after a summer of speedwork it will be interesting to see the effect of 9 months of Comrades training. I'm hoping for some decent progress, but I'm feeling very slow at the moment and have been eating rubbish for the last 3 weeks, so we'll see.
Still doubt I'll be at Comrades 2012, although I have broached the subject with my wife and I can go if I hire a full time nanny. Could end up being an expensive race
Apparently BA are starting a direct flight to Durban from Gatwick later this year .. dont know the cost yet but that may be a popular choice!?
Gobi, enjoying the tri training which has made a change from the mile after mile of running that Comrades needed in the first 5 months of this year!! Legs are still a bit confused by the change but they have plenty of time to get used to it!
Poor Trin, bloody guts!
V. Excited re. ws100, woke up at 6:30 (no alarm) to check the results. Clark third, JezB fourth, SharmanIan tenth (well done to KJ for winning despite getting lost), and Ellie G 18th overall with that great late surge to win the ladies.
Off to a 5k in Swindon now, on my quest for a *real* 5k medal, and possibly a PB as my current PB is, er, slightly over marathon pace (!)
Thank you xx
I'm a bit gutted but I couldn't have made any other decision at the time