Comrades 2012

It's taken me almost exactly a month to write this post.  I started this blog a year ago, with the goal of Comrades as my focus.  Now, I can't believe it's over.  I don't even really know where to start this post.  What is there to say about my first Comrades? It was incredible, scary, emotional, exciting, rewarding and without a doubt, extremely difficult! The start was amazing! I met a few runners at the start line in cold and dark Maritzburg and they all had a story to tell about previous Comrades they had run. By the time Chariots of Fire started playing, the tears were streaming down my face-and I wasn't the only one! It's an incredible feeling.  I joined hands with runners around me, said a silent prayer and wished everyone a good race.  The cock crowed and the canon fired...Comrades 2012 was underway! The first couple of km were extremely exciting.  I met a few runners from my club and we chatted excitedly about the plans for the next few hours.  About 10km in however I found myself running alone, before meeting up with a few other familiar faces.  And so went the day.  I ran mostly on my own, but there were many faces that I recognised-and on Comrades day...we're all like family.  The support was incredible and my special sister and her team of supporters did a great job of providing, not only support, but snacks, drinks and of course photo's along the way.  I passed through half way, feeling good and on track for the time I wanted.  The rest went by in a bit of a blur, until about 70km when my calf cramped.  As I fell down on the side of the road all I could think was-I'm going to have to walk the last 19km and there goes my time! Luckily a nice man stopped to hand me some ice and help me up.  He stayed with me for a while and helped me with some motivational chatter. While I was able to run, I had to keep it slow because from that point to the finish, my legs had just had enough.  I was in a lot of pain and the smile on my face had almost completely been replaced by what must have been a very grumpy looking face! I knew that this was the mental part of the race that everyone had been talking about.  Was I fit enough to finish? Yes.  The real challenge was staying focused, not losing hope and to just keep going.  I finished Comrades 2012 in 10:16 and I was thrilled! Looking back now, I can't believe I did it.  Will I be back next year? I hope so!!

This time next week

By this time next week, it will all be over. The gun will be going off in a few minutes to signal the end of Comrades 2012.  I just hope I'm over that finish line by then!

My reason to finish

Tim Noakes gave a great talk last night during which he advised runners to spend the next 11 days finding a reason why you are running Comrades.  And when the road seems impossibly long and you think there may be a chance you don't finish this thing, you can come back to that reason, hang on to it and let it carry you to the finish.  So after the talk last night, I thought very carefully about what my reason was.  Yes, I have many reasons...I love running, Comrades is just the thing runners in South Africa do to prove to ourselves and other runners that we are in fact 'real' runners.  But there had to be another reason for me.  And suddenly I realised.  A few years ago, no one that knew me - including me- would ever have thought I could be a runner.  I was too into smoking, excessive drinking and other such things that are pretty bad for the body! My life was going in a very different direction...certainly no where near running or even having a remotely healthy mind or body.  And then one day, the One who gave me the ability to run, led my life in this very direction.  Through the people I met and the places I ended up, I suddenly became interested in running.  Nothing up until that point was enough motivation for me to change my lifestyle (and essentially my life).  Even my health driven, fitness freak running man had finally given up trying to get me to quit my bad habits.  And after two years of trying to encourage me to give running a try, I finally decided, what the hell? Why not? And from that day, my whole life gradually began to change.  Without even realising it, running became my main focus in life, and all the things that I thought were important, changed dramatically.  God gave me not only the ability to run, but also made it a way for me to change my life.  So when I'm 70km into the toughest race I'll probably ever run and I'm asking myself why I'm doing this- my answer will be simple- God gave me running and it changed my life in a big way...I will always run for Him!

Rest is best

Everyone who either runs or enjoys any form of exercise knows that telling you that you can't exercise or run, is asking a lot! A rest day once a week is one thing...I look forward to those! But not being able to run at all for most of the week...torture!  Even my doctor understands that! When I started feeling the symptoms of a cold on Monday I wasn't worried.  It was rest day and after a day of home remedies, I was sure I would be fine by Tuesday.  Which I was! Had a great run on Tuesday afternoon and was feeling good about this week of carefully planned tapering.  Plus, that sore throat was barely bothering me anymore.  Wednesday I wasn't so lucky and this cold seemed to have finally arrived in full force.  More self medication, one more rest day...surely I would be back on the road on Thursday? Wrong! Thursday I felt so ill I could hardly make it through the work day before rushing off to a last minute appointment at the doctor.  What a disaster! The cold symptoms were now out in full force and before I knew it I was on antibiotics, booked off work and instructed to rest.  In fact the doctor admitted that he knew how difficult it is for runners not to run, so he gave me the go ahead to run if I absolutely had to, provided I take it very easy and stop if I feel bad.  Despite this, and despite the fact that I was freaking out about not running with a little over two weeks til Comrades, I just couldn't run! I got straight into bed and pretty much rested right through til this morning.  In addition to feeling a little cabin feverish, it had now been 3 whole days of no running and I was starting to stress about Comrades.  Realistically I know that at this stage three days of rest won't do much to change my race..not when I've put eight months of hard work in! But still-I couldn't let it be 4 days! So this morning I decided to go out for a slow run, seeing as though the antibiotics seem to be clearing this cold away.  The run was slow and sluggish and I know it's because I'm still recovering and not because I've lost fitness in three days (as a runner, I can be a little irrational at times) but I felt terrible at the end.  So I've had to be mature and cancel all weekend plans, get back into bed and keep resting for another day.  Here's hoping it's all cleared up before 3 June!!!!!

23 Days

23 days til Comrades.  That is all.

The Looooong Run

No build up, no excitement, no supporters, no start line, no medal...just 60km on the road.  That's what the long club run is like.  On Friday, 27th April, while most South Africans were enjoying Freedom Day by turning off the week day alarm - my alarm, along with a few hundred other runners was set for much earlier than a normal working Friday.  Most clubs organise a 60km training run before Comrades as one last long run.  I opted to do the run of a different club, rather than my own for a few reasons.  Firstly I run for a fairly small club and only about 40 people take part in this particular long run.  However, my running man runs for one of the biggest clubs in the country and there are roughly 400 people that run their long run.  So in the fears of getting lost with such a small group of runners from my own club, I decided to go the safe route and stick with the crowds.  Also, while any 60km is good training, this particular long run is known to be one of the most difficult routes and therefore, perfect Comrades training.  So at 5:30am on a public holiday, I set off in the dark to run a long and what I had been warned would be a very boring, but extremely difficult 60km.  Everyone I had spoken to was right, it was long and it was tough, but it certainly wasn't boring.  Despite the fact that the route was missing all the supporters, vibe and excitement of my first Ultra Marathon, I really enjoyed it! Maybe its because I was running so slowly, maybe because I was running with a very experienced Comrades runner who had loads of good advice, or maybe it was just feeling as though the plan was coming together.  That after all these months of hard training, I could now run 60km (predominantly uphill) comfortably.  Whatever it was, it felt great!  It was a long morning on the road, but every step was worth it! My first thought when I had finished, was that Comrades is still an additional 29km-which is a very scary thought! But according to Comrades king Bruce Fordyce,a scared and intimidated Comrades runner is a successful Comrades runner.  And if that's the case, then hopefully I'll be successful come June 3.

I may be a runner but I'm also a girly girl

I love clothes, I love shopping for clothes and I love matching items of clothes.  Just because I run, doesn't mean that this doesn't also play a part in my sport! One of my favourite things to shop for is new running clothes.  Matching shorts and tops...even my socks match my outfit most of the time...as does my hat, sports bag and of course hair elastics and clip.  I realise I don't look my best when I'm out running, what with all the sweating and the panting, but there's no reason not to try and look half decent! When it comes to my running shoes, I have to think very carefully! Firstly you're spending a fair amount of money on something that you're going to wear every day for at least the next six months.  I spend more time in my running shoes than I do any other pair of shoes.  So it goes without saying that I want them to look good! Of course this is fairly limited as your foot and running style determines the make and model of shoe you buy, but once that's been decided, I don't think it's too much to ask to get the best looking shoe you can.  Now, not all runners are concerned with this, but to me, its pretty important! So when I went shopping for new running shoes last year and was offered a pair of very dull looking red and white shoes, I politely declined and decided I would look elsewhere.  Firstly, they were ugly and secondly they wouldn't have matched with any of my running gear!  The salesman rolled his eyes when I requested a different colour and rudely told me they came only in this hideous style.  Being as stubborn as I am I was not going to buy these and asked him to check the back before I left, for any old stock (my old ones were blue and even that was better than the ones on offer!).  When he came back with a box of pink shoes my eyes lit up and I think I even clapped my hands a little.  This man was not impressed! He clearly didn't take me seriously and rudely told me I can't always get what I want...what a bad salesman! 800km later and I once again needed new shoes.  I began the search again a few months ago for a stylish pair of running shoes.  I had seen someone at my club wearing my make and model of shoes in purple and decided those would be my next pair.  Only problem was, I couldn't find them anywhere! Lucky for me my running man went all the way to Cape Town and came back with the shoes I wanted.  I now have a fab pair of purple running shoes.  So maybe the salesman was right, maybe I won't always get what I want...but I've been pretty lucky thus far!