Comrades Looms

2 weeks to go.

What do you do for inspiration?  As I get ready for the big race, I need to pump myself up by reviewing all the awesome things this race has to offer. Sure, I will watch the obligatory movies in Remember the Titans, Prefontaine/Without Limits, and Invictus, but I need to draw some more race-specific motivation this week.

Above is a video I made to pump myself up for the big day.



For a really inspiring visual tribute to this great race, check out the YouTube video below.

Captured here is a telling reality of the UP run from Runners World and former elite Amby Burfoot.

In a 7-part Runner's World YouTube series you can see Bart Yasso take on the Comrades
Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

I am even venturing out into the fiction realm, as long as it is Comrades related. On my Kindle is In the Long Run by George Stratford.
 
I have been reading throughout the year, a book on Comrades. It is called Comrades Marathon by John Cameron-Dow and covers the history of the race, year-by-year.  Inspiring to read about the greats, though not a through read as it is more of a coffee table book.


Check out this rousing performance of Shosholuza by the Drakensberg Boy's Choir.  This song is sung by the masses at the start of Comrades every year.

The race plan:
Step one: Eliminate mistakes from previous years. Prior to the race, jog and get out of the hotel room.  Last time was too much down time.
Next, wear the right shoes.  Every single person who knows about running will tell you to run in the shoes you have been wearing.  Then why did I wear flats last time without training in them?  Because I am a jackass, that is why.
No hero stuff:  It is supposed to feel easy at the start. Don't go faster than the plan, especially since the first 60% of the race is mostly uphill. I got hooked up with some fast guys last time and although they pulled me along and made time pass, I was through halfway in a bit over 7 hour pace and suffered from there, losing Silver. Get up and over the hills to half way, negotiate Inchanga, and use the next part to cruise.  Power through Camperdown and work to Pollys.  Let Pollys be what it will be and lock in for the ride to Maritzburg.  Don't ever give up.
I expect a half split in the neighborhood of 7:20 (overall time) pace and either hang on or push up for a negative split. I must negotiate maximizing my fitness (somewhere in the 7:00-7:15 range) with the best odds for a Silver (halfway in 3:44 or so).  It is hard to say.

All About the Numbers

 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.

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	????

* 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.

A Half Century and some Ultras

While it feels fantastic to put in some good work, I paid the price. After running many marathons and peaking at 91 miles, I shut down for 3 weeks for a trip to Kenya. My running was weak and motivation low. It took some doing but I got back, ramping up the runs. On Saturday at the end of the first week we did the Mini Tough One, a hilly 15.7 mile course. We kept it smart knowing there was a marathon the next day. I jumped into a marathon on Sunday. It was the hardest course in Joburg; when it wasn’t going up it was bombing down. I hit 77 miles for the week with a day off.

The stomach issues returned after the marathon. It was my worst yet. While spending most of the night sitting on the toilet dispensing disgustingness into the porcelain bowl, I also frequently reached for a garbage can to spew whatever was left into a bucket. It wasn’t a pretty site.

A week of recovering from the spell put me in Cape Town for the Two Oceans Marathon. 35 miles of gorgeous beaches, cliff sides, and forests. The wind was howling all of the way, often standing up straight when into the wind or being pushed along from behind. Despite my best efforts to go slow and hit a 5min/K pace (Comrades silver), I couldn’t slow that much. However, I kept it very easy and in total control. I tucked in a pack until halfway, broke away up Chapman’s Peak, eased off on the downhill, and rolled through town. I crossed the marathon in 3:21 and felt flawless. I moved up Constantia with authority but again conserved on the steep downhills until it leveled out. Then I saw the watch and smoked it in the last few K. 4hr 29min and felt like I barely ran 20 miles. I was ecstatic.

The problem I have when going big is a letdown in motivation, pace, and energy. This week was no exception. With a lingering calf pull that I have had since Ironman, I hacked through a week of running, just getting in what I could. And while there was no physical reason to back off, the mental one was large. You see, my training partners had devised the RAC Ultra Medley – a 35 mile tour of the most massive and amazing hills in Joburg strung together in a multi-hour torture-fest. Still, we rocked and rolled over the whole thing in about 4:51 (not including stops) which considering the harder course was a great time for a week after Oceans.

Again, the letdown came, and my week after was less than impressive. I tried sports massage, something I have never been a fan of, and my legs got worked. I was sorer after than before, but the nagging calf pull since summer has me trying new things. It was a little better. With the weather dropping I headed to Slo-Mag Marathon, my 50th open marathon.

After starting and running too fast for the first half, I settled in and cruised to a 3:05. No sense in blowing the doors off. Massage left me in pain again but the 4 weeks put up 2 marathons and 2 ultras and I will be back in a couple of weeks with another ultra effort. Still struggling with this stomach issue.

Putting in the Work

With my “A” qualifier out of the way and a training group not letting me off the hook easy, I embarked on a solid month of running. A canceled marathon disrupted my push for 7 marathons in 6 weeks, but I still got in some running. First I hooked up with Lindsey for a casual 3:17. A week later I cruised a nice, even split 3:12. Two marathons, 6 days apart in under 3:20, giving me confidence for the long race. Things were going well.

A year ago I ran the Deloitte marathon in Pretoria but missed the start by more than 8 minutes due to poor parking and inconvenient registration. Determined not to make the same mistake this year, I arrived 1 hour early. It didn’t help. After the obligatory 1 mile walk (past the start) to the registration, I stood in line for 40 minutes, inching forward to packet pick-up, past it, and into the end of a line. It never moved, so as I looked ahead I saw chaos. A guy was standing on the table shouting out names. Since only about 100 people of the many that entered could fit in the room, most of these didn’t get taken. Meanwhile, people started grabbing the boxes with numbers and flipping through them on their own. They would look then pass most into the crowd. This couldn’t end well and the people tightened around me. I squeezed out content to not have a number when an official traded me a sticker for my confirmation. At least I was in.

I staggered through the hills conserving as much energy as possible. After all, it was a double marathon weekend, and the first of the races was one of the hardest in the country. While I can’t say it was an enjoying experience, it was a great simulation for the climbs of Comrades. As the heat climbed, I pounded on, mostly alone, and ran 3:23, quite well for that course.

The next morning I was back at it. Thankfully it was a flatter course that wound throughout a township area of SOWETO. Content to go it alone, I ultimately hooked up with a triathlete in his first marathon. We held a good pace through the half and then decided to roll it in for his Comrades “B” qualifier. While I cannot say it was 100% easy, I did manage to run pretty smooth and put a 3:17 for my 2nd marathon of the weekend.

My week’s mileage was 91, my highest for a non-ultra week ever, and I had done a month worth of solid running. But I paid for it and my next week of running was very poor. Then I went to Kenya, and while there, took 3 days off on safari. When I could run, I did 4 days of 30-40 min on a beach or road in amazing humidity. Throw on all you can eat buffets, free drinks, and a respiratory tract infection, and you could say I was in bad shape. Then after traveling 13 hours home, I arrived at 1:30am, was asleep by 3am, and the alarm snapped me away at 4:00am with 90 min of shuteye for 42 hours. I had a race to run.

While I can say that I have felt loads better, my latest marathon was uneventful. Running with some club mates, we passed halfway easy. I had zero ambition to up the pace and ran continently with Cliff, a guy I ran with back in the 1st of the 4 marathon push. We ran 3:17 flat and I realized two things: first, I can run a marathon off of a week of damn near nothing, and second, it hurts like a bugger to do so.

Either way, I am doing plenty of work and after these two down weeks, and my plan is to have a very strong March and April. That way, I will feel that I have done ample work going into Comrades.

Turning a Corner

No one likes having the squirts. It makes you feel bad, is inconvenient, and in some circles, just not something you talk about. After 3.5 years of problems and 3 months of disaster, I pulled the trigger and did a colonoscopy. Results were inconclusive. A 30-day pill regimen brings me to early February.

The price I am paying

Post 2:55 marathon in Welkom, SA, I was tired. Sure, it was partly the fast race, partly the night of debauchery that followed, and mostly the colon cleansing and not eating for 2 days after a hard marathon. The next weekend I got in 43 miles but not feeling well. About mid-week this week I learned that the marathon I intended to do was canceled due to deaths in the community. Disappointed with this news, I resolved to do some good work anyway.

After my easy Tuesday and obligatory run-to-work 8-miler Wednesday, I joined Kirsten (goal at Comrades – sub-6:30) for a run. We hammered out 17Ks at a clip (crossing the half marathon mark in about 1:32). Then we jumped in the hilly club time trial 5K for a smooth 20-flat run and about 14 miles on the day. It was solid running for mid-week (especially for a guy who normally jogs most of the time). Just a day and a half later I was up early to bag about 7K before jumping into a half marathon with another guy. We chatted and rolled through a 1:36 for about 17 miles on the day. Why not back it up with Kirsten and Adrian for a hilly dirt road run of about 13.5 miles on Sunday? Three half marathons all in under 100 minutes in 4 days. Not too shabby for Justin.

I have turned a corner. My goal is a Silver at Comrades and I am going to do that by putting in a lot of solid work. There are no shortcuts to the top. I have to hit the roads and make it count.

A Qualifier and a Surgery

The most ideal preparation for a key race should not include massive stomach pain and bouts of diarrhea. But heading into the Mealie Marathon in the mining town of Welkom, there was little choice in diet. Liquids and abstaining from alcohol did the trick. After dodging heavy rains, the day dawned cloudy but without heat or rain. The course was amazingly flat and I had Kirsten ready to drag me to a sub-3, and my “A” qualifier for Comrades.

The first half was fine and we went through a little fast (1:27). The wind picked up and we had to manage some dirt roads. I wasn’t in the best shape after running only 10 miles that week. But things held together until about the last 5-7K. I started to struggle in the wind and my stomach tightened up. There just wasn’t much there to drive me through. And unfortunately, there were two guys within my reach, but I just couldn’t tell the body to go get them. I crossed the line in 7th place and in 2:54:57. Pleased.

We stayed at 3-time Comrades Gold Medalist's Trevor Parry's house.  The celebration of a good run was a braai and excessive amounts of Jack Daniels. To top it off, I had to return to my liquid diet Sunday and start the preparation for a colonoscopy. The doctor wanted to go in, make sure things looked right, and take a biopsy to see what bacteria were in there. The process wipes you out and I had more days of diarrhea after. I had one good day before starting my course of medicine for the next 30 days. It makes me feel exhausted and I hate every minute of it.

Originally I had planned a double marathon weekend but canceled the first as a combined result of my hard effort the week before and the recent stomach letdown. Saturday brought a slow 16.6 mile run with a friend and a day of expulsion of all liquids from my rear. I awoke Sunday morning in pain, empty, and perhaps the lowest motivation I have had. I did not want to run, and contemplated not starting. As is becoming the norm, the line to park took forever. I barely slapped on the lube and jogged the 1 mile to the start line. When I tried to pick up my number, they told me someone else had picked it up already. I took a replacement, pinned it on the walk, and started outside the corrals.

The first few Ks were a death march. Among the people I weaved and passed were an 80-year-old woman (running believe it or not), a 60-year-old woman in the walking category, and a girl who stopped to walk before the 2K mark, overcome by the blistering 10 min/mile pace. Once I found open pavement, I still felt dead and behind pace for 15K. It wasn’t until halfway (1:44:20) that I felt normal running. Each step felt the same as the last, and it was like starting the marathon with legs at mile 16. But they never got any worse. I cruised to a 3:27 and walked away quickly, glad to have survived. Marathon 43 completed. Two marathons done. Chipping away at my goal of 7 marathons in 6 weeks

3 time Comrades Gold medalist Tyler Parry shows us his many medals and tells stories of the race.

Best damn training group this side of the pond - L to R: Me, Adrian Lazar, Lindsey Parry, Trevor Parry, Campbell Nel (w/ baby), and Kirsten Leemans

My pacer Kirsten

Post-race drinks (about to turn sour)

Looking Forward

Soweto Marathon - 2012

I was at the start line 40 min before the start and I still missed the gun.

While you ponder how that is possible, let me tell you that even though I could see the start line, I was in my car at the time. A huge parking problem and traffic jam had me in the car until 6:05am (with a 6:00 gun). But let me take you back two days where I made a long trip to Soweto to pick up the packets. Some people had their number texted to them. I did not, so into a different line I went. And although all we had to do was approach one of the 7 people with a computer, give our surname, receive a number instantly and take it to the packet pickup across the room. One hour later I stood at the computer watching a lady fumble with the keys and mouse to get me my number. Eight minutes per person for this simple task. Simply amazing.

Back to my car on race morning. The gun has sounded and yet my jogging now is extra miles as I weave through the parked cars and down the road, against the flow of runners (not that there are many since I am so late) and to the start line to tag it and turn. I wear a chip but there is no chip time, only gun. Thankfully (or not as it would turn out), coming through the line right then were the top two runners from my club, Lindsey and Kirsten (two guys with girl’s names as they are referred to, but fast none the less). I join with them but stop at 1K to poop since I didn’t have a pre-race ritual (in fact, I put on sunscreen and Vaseline in the car in traffic). But I caught up at 3K when Lindsey abandoned the race with an injured Achilles.

Kirsten and I ran the rest of the way together, but far faster than I wanted to go. He pulled me to a 3:11 (though the official clock will read closer to 3:22 since I was late). Soweto is a hilly and diverse race but this was poorly organized and I was not happy with it.

Leading up to Soweto and in the 5 weeks that followed, I was blasted repeatedly with a stomach virus that I couldn’t shake. Rounds of antibiotics did little to keep me from feeling weak, dehydrated, and out of the bathroom. To make it worse, I committed to weekend runs with these fast guys. On the Saturday following Soweto, I pounded the pavement with Lindsey and Kirsten and Cambell, over the Tough One course with some extensions. Kirsten overslept so when he met up with us, he punished himself by pushing the pace. Too bad for the rest of us that the course is one of the hardest 20 mile circuits in road running. With a total of about 23 miles for the day, I was pleased with the pace (about 7:30 over the monster hills just 6 days after my first marathon of the season). My stomach was crap and I was weak from the effects.

One week later I awoke at 5am and spent the better part of an hour in the bathroom with liquid expulsion. I stumbled to the corner to meet Lindsey for yet another tour of the Tough One course, my 3rd 22+ mile effort in as many weeks. I struggled from the beginning feeling empty and dehydrated. My legs, having no fuel (I hadn’t eaten solids in 2 days) quickly went to crap and then stone as they started to lock up. With about 5 miles to go, and at the peak of long climbs, I sent Lindsey on to finish solo. It was a death march for me and took me days to get over the depletion of running so hard and long on an empty tank.

Since I had the qualifier, I put in for the Hardrock 100. It is a prestigious race, great mountains, elite, and a better timing for me. 68,000 feet of elevation change. However, the number of people entered in the lottery is double the population of the town the race is held in. My chances of being selected were somewhere between 1.9% and 4.4%.

As you can probably guess the result of that lottery, I have registered for Burning River 100 in Akron, Ohio. Looking back, I did not finish this race in August of 2008. The epic failure at this race was one of the inspiring events in launching An Incondite Adventure. So, with all things lining up, I am going back this year to redeem myself from the low point in my ultra running. Stay tuned for an update on this stomach issue and the coming marathon season.