1 Month Until Comrades Marathon!!!
Coming off of the worse stomach bout yet, I absolutely destroyed the RAC Loooong Run. 57.3Ks of hilly Joburg action at 5am on a Sunday morning. Just me and a couple of thousand fellow runners joining up for a “fun” run, all of us Comrades bound. And do you know how I can tell they are all Comrades runners? Because who else in their right mind would be out there in the cold, crisp air that early in the morning?
A bit under 5 hours for the run had us through the marathon mark in 3:38 and at the Comrades “halfway” of 43.5K in 3:44, which is spot on Silver pace. While I can’t say every step was flawless, I was absolutely in control and enjoying the run through the streets. Just 3 days later I jumped in the Wally Hayward Marathon. While flat from Sunday and uninspired most of the way, we ran together as a training group in the most unaggressive run of the year. A simple 3:28:30 was my slowest of the year and just another notch in the belt. But when given an emergency day off for a burst water pipe, you have two options: sleep in or run a marathon. Which one gets you a Comrades Silver?
This year I have worked diligently to improve my overall training to be ready for Comrades. First, I have made Comrades my only goal. All I care about this year is finishing, and preferably with a Silver medal, the Comrades Marathon. Looking at my numbers, I have done that. Not including 2012, where the goal was Ironman, a comparison of 2011 and now shows the improvements. I have run over 400 miles more in the same time period (the equivalent of almost 2 months extra training). I have gone over 50K 3 times this year, but just once in 2011. I managed a high week of 91 compared to 84 in 2011, and that was in a week of 3 marathons and essentially no other running. In the 2011 season, I ran 6 marathons at an average effort (1-10) of a 7. This year I ran 11 and most of them a 4-5 in effort. This year I have run 6 days a week most of the time, and even a few 7s. Formally, I would skip runs as my schedule dictated. I take a day off after most marathons and hit it again. The negative effects are not compounding. In posted an average of 28.2 miles per week in 2011, 44 in 2013. I had may weeks in the 55-63 mile range and multiple 70+ weeks.
* Plus 1 Ironman
But the real results are in the intangibles. I never dreamed I could cruise a 56k, then do a marathon days later. Each of my ultra distances have ranked among my easiest runs of the year by feel. I am not worried about a fast marathon or quick 8K. I just run solid and move on. In 2011 I was undertrained. I went out too fast and crossed halfway far too quickly, setting me up for failure. This year is different. I am a solid, mature runner who has the base and will pace correctly.
Coming off of the worse stomach bout yet, I absolutely destroyed the RAC Loooong Run. 57.3Ks of hilly Joburg action at 5am on a Sunday morning. Just me and a couple of thousand fellow runners joining up for a “fun” run, all of us Comrades bound. And do you know how I can tell they are all Comrades runners? Because who else in their right mind would be out there in the cold, crisp air that early in the morning?
A bit under 5 hours for the run had us through the marathon mark in 3:38 and at the Comrades “halfway” of 43.5K in 3:44, which is spot on Silver pace. While I can’t say every step was flawless, I was absolutely in control and enjoying the run through the streets. Just 3 days later I jumped in the Wally Hayward Marathon. While flat from Sunday and uninspired most of the way, we ran together as a training group in the most unaggressive run of the year. A simple 3:28:30 was my slowest of the year and just another notch in the belt. But when given an emergency day off for a burst water pipe, you have two options: sleep in or run a marathon. Which one gets you a Comrades Silver?
This year I have worked diligently to improve my overall training to be ready for Comrades. First, I have made Comrades my only goal. All I care about this year is finishing, and preferably with a Silver medal, the Comrades Marathon. Looking at my numbers, I have done that. Not including 2012, where the goal was Ironman, a comparison of 2011 and now shows the improvements. I have run over 400 miles more in the same time period (the equivalent of almost 2 months extra training). I have gone over 50K 3 times this year, but just once in 2011. I managed a high week of 91 compared to 84 in 2011, and that was in a week of 3 marathons and essentially no other running. In the 2011 season, I ran 6 marathons at an average effort (1-10) of a 7. This year I ran 11 and most of them a 4-5 in effort. This year I have run 6 days a week most of the time, and even a few 7s. Formally, I would skip runs as my schedule dictated. I take a day off after most marathons and hit it again. The negative effects are not compounding. In posted an average of 28.2 miles per week in 2011, 44 in 2013. I had may weeks in the 55-63 mile range and multiple 70+ weeks.
Stats (Sept-May)
|
2011
|
2012
|
2013
|
Number of Miles
|
1128
|
756
|
1541
|
Number of Ultras
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
Number of Marathons
|
6
|
4*
|
11
|
Highest MPW
|
84
|
40
|
91
|
Comrades time
|
7:45
|
8:21
|
????
|
But the real results are in the intangibles. I never dreamed I could cruise a 56k, then do a marathon days later. Each of my ultra distances have ranked among my easiest runs of the year by feel. I am not worried about a fast marathon or quick 8K. I just run solid and move on. In 2011 I was undertrained. I went out too fast and crossed halfway far too quickly, setting me up for failure. This year is different. I am a solid, mature runner who has the base and will pace correctly.
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