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Comrades 2012
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Slotwin .. I have 2 passports; you just need a letter from your employer saying you need 2 as you travel alot. That said my second one needs renewing as they want my passport for 4 weeks to get a visa for Angola; and I am supposed to be in Spain and China the next couple of weeks (one is leave).
Agree with Slow Duck re the seeding; last year it took me ages to do the first 10kms!
Carmen, get off your b***t and get out there .. once you start you will soon get the bug back. I am now into serious ironman training and up to 12 to 15hrs training a week! Enjoying it again .. and not having to run run run is a nice change.
SuperCaz: you have plenty of time; get the hip soon and make a decision when you are ready. Took a couple of months last year for entries to close, despite us all panicing to enter on 1 September. That said I will be there on 1 September doing the same again .. cant wait!
right; busy week at work and its down the pub for me!
The hip has stopped me from running properly since April, but it is getting better slowly. I've DNFed a lot of events this year - some of them very short. It's knocked my confidence a bit, but I know that I will come back from it.
Basically I have been having problems with my right leg and left shoulder on and off for years. After lots of treatement with podiatrists, physios and masseurs I finally saw a chiropractor who has realigned my pelvis. The problems that I used to have are all gone, but it means that my gait has changed and my right leg is having to use muscles that it has never used before. I'm having PT sessions to work on strengthening my right leg and glutes - I can't believe how weak my right leg was!
What are the dates for a qualifying marathon? As far as I could see it's from 31st May onwards? So I guess one I did 8th May doesn't count? Am doing Portsmouth in December but not sure if that will count as I'm not sure it's UKAA licenced. Might have to chuck another in there somewhere then but I guess I need a decent time from what you're saying about the seeding pens! (sub 3:15 planned for Portsmouth)
Anyway was planning for 2013 but for one reason & another may go for 2012 - was also thinking it may be better leaving family in Durban. Is this what most people do and travel up to the start the night before?
Jeremy - go for it next year, you know you want to. And with regards the qualifying races, i think its any marathon (or beyond) after the last Comrades so thats 30th May. And i think you are correct that it needs to be UKAA licensed but i am sure there are other people better placed on here to answer that for sure.
I am planning on running the Disney marathon in january as my qualifier but am currently unsure whether this will accepted for the same reasons. I will probably email Comrades direct once i am entered to be sure. If not, i will just have to do another one somewhere.
Sounds like from your predicted time you will go well though.
And supercaz, glad you have discovered what is wrong with your hip and am sorting yourself out. There is loads of time before you need to really start putting those miles in. And go for it on the 1st September and join the party. Its the most amazing thing you can do....
Think the Comrades people are far more relaxed abou international qualifiers than SA ones.
JeremyG anything sub 3:20 gets you into pen B which will give you an easy start. Next step is 3 hours to get into A but I started in B on a down run and had plenty of space/time to run.
Keith I think the sub 3 target can wait until next year.
90% convinced now - have to see how training goes over the summer........
This week I have done all of
4 (four)
miles (walk/run - Comrades practice)
That was Monday - I then promptly went down with something which was very much like the last miles of Comrades, i.e. nausea and unable to eat or drink, fever, muscle and joint pains, mmmm very Proustian. TBH the headaches and ringing in the ears I didn't have at Comrades though... god that was lovely, 3 days eating sweet FA except ibu & paras, still not back to normal but at least eating again now!
Thought of Warren & was bloody glad did not get this six weeks ago...
Did make me think whether I want to go through that (Comrades) again though... still no decision needed until autumn so meh.
Speedy: yeah I'm OK, thanks for asking - although I do now check for phones in lifts and do get out if the lift is more than half full...............
Fido: glad to hear you are better. Indeed, apart from Warren we all have lots to be thankful for. I'm gonna wait til nearer the Comrades closing date and see how my leg is by then (or earlier if it fills faster). No point in registering and then not be able to run long. Also still got to persuade the family.
Keith: Crikey! Glutton for punishment or what! Good luck.
Thanks Pete: found that out on the website. Will ask tomorrow. Good luck with the Wales tri, and let me know how it goes, may try (ha ha) it next year.
Go on Jeremy, you know you want to. Marty said it!
Supercaz: what are you training for swimming-wise? We all like to stick our noses into other's events and cheer you on.
Carmen: and? have we yet put our runners on or are we still interested in the bottom of a glass of Pimms......? For me the ans to the latter is yes. I sat on my deck all day today and was forced into drinking 2 Pimms. Honest, it was hard
.
This year I'm doing a few small events. Next year I'm swimming the Channel as part of a 3 person realy. In 2013 I'm swimming the Channel solo.
There will be a lot of distance swimming events after Comrades to give me intermediate targets to work towards.
I met with my coach last night and we finalised my 3 year plan. So unfortunately no Comrades for me in 2012, though I will definately be back in 2013 & 2014.
After Abingdon in October, I've got 6 months of training for a 10k in April 2012, followed by 6 months of training for an Autumn marathon. That will leave me with 9 months to train for Comrades 2013.
Stevie
How do you train for 6 months for a 10km? Cant even begin to think of what time you must be going for!
K
Stevie, are you Mo Farah in disguise?
Keith L - I have no idea, apparantly the weekly mileage is going to stay the same, but with a lot more specific speed work. It's going to be a miserable 6 months, that much I know. I'll also line up 2 or 3 races, as after 6 months of prep I'll want more than one go to get it right.
Gobi - I have no current times, my full race history is:
Oct 2009 - Half Marathon - 1:24
Arp 2010 - Marathon - 2:55
May 2011 - Comrades - 7:12
There were a few races in Comrades prep, but all were done at a low effort so I don't count them.
Target - Is to perform well at Comrades 2014. Unfortunately that means stepping back for a bit to get some speed over shorter distances and then to convert that into Ultra pace.
Specifically
10k < 35m (spring 2012)
Marathon < 2:45 (autumn 2012) <2:39 (autumn 2013)
Comrades < 6:30 (2014)
Which Autumn marathon? I'm doing Snowdon and will be training for sub 2.45
Blimey Supercaz. Respect! Good luck.
Gobi: think you mean Stevie, and if you are aiming for that time at Snowdon then you'll have time to bring a cuppa to us slow coaches in Beddgelert. White, no sugar, Thanks. Or, if the weather was like last year, some waterproofs.
Stevie: shame we (or they if I don't do it) won't see you in 2013, but I think your coach has bigger and better things lined up for you. Good luck and hope to see you around (before or after the race, as clearly I would only ever see your heels during)......
Amazing swimming plans Supercaz, hope it all goes well.
Downloaded the Bill Rowan training prog - it's just up to the end of the year so far and is basically aimed at a marathon at start of November. For this month it's less time/miles than I'm doing anyway and the total is less than I have in my training plan for mara in dec so I felt pretty good about it all. Then just read Dean Karnazes Ultramarathon man - inspiring but his description of his first 50 miler made me think oh crap what am I thinking!!
Still we'll see how it goes - may add in Amsterdam mara in October as a qualifier then use Portsmouth as training.
Jeremy
I followed the Bill Rowan plan from the website for my first Comrades and it worked well for me. The double weekends got abit of a bind but not too bad. And it worked which was main thing.
keith
SD - I remember you saying that there are a number of hills near you. I am in Walton on Thames (near Weybridge). I don't know how far that is from where you are, but I don't think it is too far. Please could you share your list of nearby hills with me again.
Recruited a South Africa guy who works at the gym...but he won't do next year...maybe year after although I'm sure he said he's from Hillcrest, which is nearer Durban isn't it? Great memory I've got.
Supercaz - good luck with all that swimming...as Slotwin said 'Respect'.
Slotwin - glad you're ok after your lift nightmare. That kind of thing always briefly runs through my head as I step in a lift and I only use them if I have pushchair so not much choice. Sounds like we're in the same boat...get running again and then review plans for next year.
Happy running to all those who are...and wishing for the sun to return.
Starting to think ahead now and trying to decide where I will train next year for next year. I have a few hills here but nothing decent so will look to do a few weekends away, Snowdon maybe the Ochils in Scotland and see some friends. I'm off to France for a cycling holiday shortly but there is always time for mountain running. If things work out then a week or two running in the Alps next April may be in order.
I did my disaster of a down run in 2005 and at the back of my mind is how the downs feel when the legs start to fatigue.
Down hill 800 maximals anyone ?
Thanks Gobi - Those will be good for weekend long runs, i just need to find something closer to home for midweek hills reps (nobody say treadmill please!).
Definitely going to do lots of leg strengthening for the killer downs from Fields Hill and beyond for next year. The pain of 2010 made me swear to do that for the next down run.
In preparation for the up run I sought out the most murderous hills I could find. I eventually found one that provider 200 metres of ascent in five miles, and started my long run each week by blasting up it.
I guess I will have to flip the route around for the down run!