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  I was in a lot of pain and the smile on my face had almost completely been replaced by what must have been a very grumpy looking face!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!

When your long runs become your short runs

I once saw someone's facebook status that said "You know you're a runner when what used to be your long runs, now become your short runs." I really enjoyed that when I saw it and have just recently realised how true it is! Six months ago, I had just finished training for the 32km Tough One and was ready to take on this scary distance for only the second time ever. I was incredibly nervous and had put in a fair amount of training to complete the race. I looked forward to it and prepared for it for weeks, even months until race day finally arrived.  I had race strategies, time and pace plans and a clear goal in mind.  The race was tough to say the least, but with all that planning and preparation, I managed to achieve my goal.  Yesterday, there was another such 32km race.  However, with a few more marathons and an Ultra under my belt, I hardly gave this race a second thought.  My main aim for the race was to get in another good training run with the ultimate goal in mind.  I was not at all concerned with speed or pace...except maybe being careful of not going too fast or too hard...what with a 60km coming up in less than a week! I had no race strategies in place and the thought of 32km didn't seem anywhere near as scary as it did 6 months ago.  The race passed by fairly quickly and I thoroughly enjoyed every step.  With a few km's to go I looked down at my watch, I realised that I was going to end up with a similar time to the previous 32km that I worked so hard for.  Only this time, it happened a lot more easily! It's funny how your perception of what is far or what is hard changes in a few months of intense training.  I hope that one day, I will look at 60km as somewhat of a 'non event.'  For now however, it's 4 days until my last Ultra training run before Comrades and in my books 60km is still ridiculously far and I am pretty nervous!

Into the Ultras

Its already been a week since I ran my first Ultra Marathon.  Two Oceans 56km is going to be a tough one to beat in terms of great running memories! The start was cold but thankfully not wet.  Rain was predicted and I had to accept that at some point during this run, I was going to be rained on.  Luckily however, we started dry.  Its one thing to run in the rain (which I'm not particularly keen on to begin with) but to wait at the start while its bucketing down, is another! After what seemed like an eternity of waiting in Newlands, the canon was finally shot and the race began.  I started with my good friend and running partner, but we had not vowed to stay together for the duration of the race, both agreeing that we were going to run our own race and see what happens.  The first 10km went by fairly quickly and most of our chatter was about whether or not we were running at the appropriate pace to reach our goal.  At about the 10km mark, the rain started.  As expected, I got wet and cold...what was not expected however, was that 46km later, it would STILL be raining! But the talk of the rain and the giggling about it (once we had accepted that the rain was here to stay) got us to the half marathon mark in a bit of a blur! By now we were both feeling good and had settled into a nice rhythm and we started chatting about things other than the running and the weather we were running in.  As a result, the first big hill at Chapman's Peak was a bit of a non event for us both! We were a lot more comfortable than we ever could have hoped for and as we neared the marathon mark and the bottom of Constantia Nek (the second and worst major hill of the race), we had pretty much decided it would be silly not to finish this epic race together! We both had supporters waiting for us in Hout Bay and by pure luck, they happened to be standing right next to each other.  We had a welcome break and a chat to our families, before starting the last stretch to the finish line.  Because we had run a fairly conservative race up until that point, we were able to run up the whole 4km of steep up hill that is Constantia Nek.  As we started the descent, the next 8km or so were spent discussing how we couldn't believe we ran the entire thing and how close we now were to completing our first Ultra marathon.  We had more supporters waiting near the finish and that's what got us through those last few km's.  With about 3km to go, the rain started getting worse and we prepared ourselves for a muddy finish that would ruin our fabulous pink and purple running shoes.  We turned onto the field at UCT, all smiles and screams, despite the slippery mud that would usually make me pretty grumpy! At the end of 56km, I almost couldn't believe how amazing I felt and how comfortable the whole race seemed! Despite the weather, Two Oceans 2012 will definitely go down as one of my favourite races ever!

I heart running

During the past few weeks its been easy to get caught up in the anxiety and the stress, the fatigue and the wishing race day would arrive, that comes before a big race you've been working so hard for.  Maybe not all runners, but I'm fairly confident that I'm not alone in this-get pretty nervous before an important race.  I've been working seriously hard in preparation for The Two Oceans 56km (in exactly one week).  During the past few months, I've woken up to an alarm seven days a week, Saturdays and Sundays being the earliest days! There have been many 04:00 starts when I felt like I just couldn't get out of bed.  There have been many late afternoons and evenings after a long day at work, when going for a run felt like an impossible task.  There have been many invitations that I've declined and many sacrifices that I've made.  And in between all that, it's easy to get caught feeling as though running is a job rather than a passion.  But it only takes a few minutes out on the road in the early morning or evening, to remember why running is so great! There's a reason its so hard...because it makes the reward so much better!

X Small means X Large

Aren't runners generally small people? I mean of course you get some runners who are tall and well built and you even get some runners who are over weight and may not look like someone who runs, but surely the biggest percentage of runners are average size or even small people? Then why is it that the organisers of races haven't realised that yet? When pre entering a race, runners often receive a T Shirt as part of their entry.  The option for an X Small shirt is almost never available, which I can understand because lets face it, very few people are quite as small as I am.  Most of the time, fewer size Small shirts are ordered, meaning that they run out first.  So if you're a petite woman and you're not one of the first to arrive at the entry collection table, you're probably going to have to settle for a Medium or even a Large.  Furthermore, races don't generally offer a difference between the male and female style shirt (which I completely understand...its not all about fashion after all).  So even if you're lucky enough to get a Small, it's more than likely still going to be shapeless and pretty big.  I have now learnt not to get excited if I am lucky enough to get a size Small, because many of the so called Small shirts I have, are longer than my running shorts!  Two years ago I entered my first Two Oceans half marathon.  If you do the 21.1km, you have the option of buying a T Shirt along with your entry.  I was so excited to be taking part in my first Two Oceans that I ordered a Small T Shirt.  It was a bright greenish yellow, but I didn't care, I just wanted something to show for my big achievement.  When I got to the expo in Cape Town to collect my (expensive) T shirt, I realised I hadn't thought my purchase through very well! Despite the colour, the shirt is good quality and well worth having...except for me! As I took it out of the packaging, I realised that I in fact would not have anything to show for my first important race, because there was no way I could wear this massive shirt! When you enter Two Oceans 56km however, you get a free T shirt, and this year there is also the option to order a male or female shirt.  However, despite the fact that I entered online many months ago, when clicking the option for a Ladies Small T Shirt, I was politely informed that this option was no longer available and I was forced to order a Medium.  I am hoping however, that because of the difference in styles, this shirt won't look like an XXL and I'll actually be able to wear this one!

My Body Hates Me

I miss running on 'fresh legs.'  Gone are the days when I could enjoy two rest days before a 21km and pull a PB out the bag.  These days, it seems all I ever do is run on tired legs.  And the more I complain, the more experienced runners tell me to be patient, that I will again one day race on fresh legs.  I'm not sure I believe them any more! The more mileage I do each week, the slower I get, the more tired I feel and the more terrified I become that something, somewhere along the way has gone horribly wrong!  Surely with all this mileage, I should be getting up the hills with a bit more grace and style...instead of gasping for air and turning red in the face as I always have done? Honestly, I'm not really sure, all I know is that at this point I'm hanging on through one more 100+km week and looking forward to a slight taper before my first Ultra Marathon in two weeks.  Until then, my body really does hate me for putting it through all this! Lets hope it pays off!

Where are we now?

The training programme I'm following starts every new month with the question "where are we now?" This is then followed by some reassuring paragraphs about how the novices sticking to this prograame are well on track to completing their first ever Comrades.  Of course this feeling that it's possible really only lasts as long as I'm reading the words of someone who has 19 Comrades medals under his belt.  After that, the answer to the question where are we now, changes dramatically.  So where am I now? Well, its 24 days til Two Oceans 56km and I'm only 82 days away from the ultimate human race. So to sum up...I'm freaking out! I've done two standard marathons in the past two months, one of which I completed in under 4 hours, getting me the seeding groups I wanted for both ultra marathons, my weekly mileage is getting closer to 100km every week, I'm eating more than I've ever eaten in my life, I'm popping vitamins and immune boosters every morning and I can't make it through my evening run without an afternoon nap! So do I feel ready...not even close! I thought by now I would feel somewhat ready for Two Oceans at least! There's not much more I can do though.  It's almost time to taper before my first ultra marathon so if I'm not ready now, I don't think I ever will be! Someone said to me the other day that no one is ever ready for Comrades.  You just do the mileage, put in the time on the road and hope for a good race day.  Lets hope that works!

When you've gotta go, you've gotta go!

Men have it so easy! You often see men stopping along the road during a race to relieve themselves.  They run off to the side, turn their backs to the runners and do what they need to do in a few seconds, no mess, no fuss, and quickly return to the road to carry on running.  Women on the other hand...well we have a real problem! Firstly, I'm convinced women have smaller bladders...??? The queue for the bathrooms (or rather, portable loos) are always filled with women before a race.  Running is not a particularly glamorous sport to begin with, what with all the panting and the sweating, but this makes it really unflattering! Portable loos are pretty disgusting, but they beat going along the side of the road mid-race! So you try to get in the queue with enough time before the gun goes off to start the race.  Sadly, this doesn't always happen the way you plan.  On Saturday morning the alarm was set for 03:50 to get to a race that started in Pretoria at 06:00.  Thinking that was plenty of time to get ready, get to the venue, enter and use the facilities before the start, we were unpleasantly surprised when we were met with ridiculous traffic and crowds trying to do the same thing!  I was about 5th in the queue for a bathroom when the gun to signal the start of the 21.1km went off.  I had no choice but to leave the queue and run to the start to catch up with the other runners.  Unfortunately, by 6km I was desperate and running was becoming rather uncomfortable.  I had no choice...I had seen other women do it before and now it was my turn! At that particular part of the race, there happened to be a large field with many overgrown bushes and tall grass.  It was now or never! I sprinted as deep into these bushes as I could go, making sure runners could no longer see me.  I squatted down and cursed this disadvantage that women have! Not one of my finest moments!! I rushed back to the road as quickly as I could and tried to put the memory out of my mind.  Unfortunately the bits of dry grass and weeds that I pulled up along with my pants were there to remind me every step of the way! Not amazing!! Sometimes you have to forget that you're a girly girl and just be a runner, because when you've gotta go, you've gotta go!

You know you're a runner when...

• you look forward to Mondays because its your only rest day
• you don't paint your toenails because they'll probably fall off anyway
• 8 hours of sleep just isn't enough
• your laundry basket smells like the inside of a gym
•  you spend most of your day thinking about what to eat next

I love being a runner!

The Wall

I always heard runners talk about 'the wall' but I had never really experienced it before...until yesterday! What is the wall? Well, sometimes, when you are running for many hours, your body just becomes too tired to keep going and even your mind is too exhausted to make your body listen to it when it tells you to keep running.  You can hit this wall at any time during a race or run, but usually it occurs near the end as this is when you are most tired and ready for the whole experience to be over. To be honest, when I heard runners talk about the wall I always thought it was a bit silly...I mean, surely when you're close to the end of a race, no matter how tired you are, you just force yourself to keep going, right? Wrong...I realised yesterday that when you do hit this wall, it's almost impossible to convince your mind, much less your body to hang in there til the end!  Yesterday was my third marathon ever.  I was hoping to get a time of under 4 hours in order to get a good seeding for Two Oceans 56km and Comrades 89km.  Even though the training programme I'm following advises novices to qualify with a 4:20 marathon, I figured that if I did my first ever marathon a year ago in 4:08, what would be the point of not trying to improve on that now?  So I set my mind to running a 3:59 marathon and as I started running I felt pretty confident that this wouldn't be a problem.  I ran with the sub 4 hour bus for the first 27km and I was having a great time.  There was a big group of us running together, I met many friendly people and there was much talking, laughing and general singing and cheering every time the 'bus driver' announced that another km had been completed and that we were still on track for a sub 4 hour marathon.  After about 27km I felt strong and slowly drifted in front of the bus.  There was still a long way to go, but my legs weren't tired in the slightest and I was feeling strong.  It started happening about 4km later...the wall started coming up in front of my every step! At about 30km the bus that I so confidently left behind, was catching up to me and 2km later, they had left me behind! I could no longer keep up the pace and all my strength from before, was starting to disappear.  At 34km the wall was up in full force and despite the fact that my legs weren't sore and there was no real reason for me to become so fatigued so quickly, I just couldn't keep going! I walked slowly up and down the roads, watched as people ran past me and watched as the time quickly ran away without my legs.  I knew that if I didn't stop walking and start running soon, it wouldn't be possible to reach my goal.  But something inside me was gone.  I had no determination and no strength left.  The wall took all that!  No matter how much I tried to talk myself into running or at least walking faster, I just couldn't do it! I walked more in those last 6km than I did in my first two marathons combined.  And when I got to 41.5km and my watch hit 4:00 I just didn't care.  I kept walking, and slowly too! 5 minutes  later I crossed the finish line...defeated by the wall!!

I was disappointed at first that this happened to me during an important race and that hitting the wall meant that I missed my goal by just a few minutes, but then I realised its probably a good thing.  Most runners who run further distances, will probably hit the wall at some point during their running lives.  So it was bound to happen to me in some or other race.  I'm just glad it happened now, so that if I ever hit that wall again, say for example during Comrades, I might be better equipped to knock it down and keep running!

It's Marathon Time

I have only ever run two full marathons, both of them about a year ago.  This coming Sunday will be my third.  I'm terribly nervous, but I suppose it's only half the distance I'll be running come 3 June so I really shouldn't be too worried about this.  However, in preparation for the 42.2km that awaits me in a few days I am taking the following actions this week:

a) Sleeping as much as I can ie afternoon naps and early nights
b) Eating as much as I can and
c) Keeping my feet up

Of course I find it impossible to not run so I am still keeping my legs moving with a run every day but they are slow and comfortable runs and are always followed by lots of stretching and massaging when I get home.  Whether or not I'm 'marathon ready', remains to be seen...

Draf en Trap

My running man and I have been wanting to run the Ottosdal Night Marathon or Half Marathon since we heard about it last year.  It is the only night marathon and it takes place in a small town about 3 hours from Joburg.  The only problem is that it falls on the Saturday night before another race in Joburg that we usually run.  This year, we decided not to miss out on the Ottosdal Draf en Trap as they call it, and ambitiously entered both races.  Most people who run the night marathon will stay in the small mielie farming town for the weekend and drive back to Joburg on Sunday.  We, however had other plans.  We set out for the small town at 2pm on Saturday afternoon and took a slow drive into the land of the mielies.  While I opted for the half marathon, my running man decided to run the full marathon, despite the fact that we had both entered another half marathon the following day.  The Ottosdal 21.1km started at 6:30pm.  It was a smallish field of runners but a great vibe none the less.  I met a few friendly Jozi runners along the way, enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a leisurely run along one long, straight road with nothing on either side-except of course mielies!  I changed into warm, comfortable clothes as soon as I finished and waited for the marathon runners to finish so that we could begin the long journey home before another race in a few hours time. We stopped for a quick dinner in Klerksdorp (another charming town with nothing much to it) and were back on the road after 10pm.  We finally arrived back home and were in bed after 1:00am...the alarm was set for 4:30am and the hours went by even quicker than expected.  Before I knew it, I was re-tying my running shoes and getting back into the car for the drive to Benoni for yet another 21.1km.  Needless to say this second race was run a lot slower than the night before! Still, I'm glad I did it! Some people advised me not to do the two races, others told me it was sensible to learn to run on tired legs in preparation for Comrades.  I wasn't sure who to believe, but now that I've done it, I think I made the right decision.  Next year however, I may just skip the Joburg race and stay in Ottosdal to enjoy the post Draf en Trap festivities...those farmers know how to jol!

When Date Night becomes Race Night...

Every Wednesday is Date night.  When you live busy lives and have a million things to do, sometimes couples have to pencil each other in to make sure there's still time for a little romance.  So since Tuesdays and Thursdays are Time Trial nights, Wednesdays seemed like a good night to eat sushi together, go see a movie or even just stay in together.  However, since all this crazy Comrades training has taken over our lives, Wednesday nights have been set aside for a different kind of date.  Often, there are night races that happen on Wednesday nights and so this is becoming our date night.  Last night was the first of many such date nights, where we drove all the way to Krugersdorp squashed into a car with six people to run a very hilly 15km race...which of course we didn't even run together.  After which we stopped for a very romantic burger and chips at the local Krugersdorp Road House before making our way back home, sweaty and too exhausted to even speak.  Very romantic! Next Wednesday...a 15km night race in Kempton Park for another special date.  So how do you know when you're a runner?...when even date night becomes race night!

Track work equals hard work

You hear about people doing track work to improve their speed, you read about speed training in running magazines, but really...I didn't think  was for me. I've never tried it before, only heard other, better runners talk about it.  Well, this morning it was my turn.  My running man decided it was time for me to step up my training somewhat and introduce some speed training.  The plan: to run much faster than what you're used to for 800m ie twice around the track and then cool down and catch your breathe for 400m ie once around the track.  Repeat five times with no stopping, no walking, no collapsing.  Trust me, it sounds easier than it is! So of course, this being my first time at really sprinting around a track, my pacing was rubbish.  Like a real coach, my running man sat at the start with a stop watch and after my first 400m he shouted "too fast" as I ran past.  Well, about 3seconds later I knew what he meant! I couldn't keep up the pace and completed my second 400m too slowly!  On the cool down my coach jogged with me and gave me some pointers.  I couldn't say much in response as I was too busy dying from loss of breathe.  However, apparently this is normal...the point is to push yourself faster than what you're normally capable of. So when we finished the first cool down, he decided that perhaps I needed him to be my pacer to help me get my timing right.  Again, the first 400m I stayed close behind him but in the second lap, I fell pretty far behind and just couldn't keep up.   He kept turning around and shouting "stay with me" and if I could talk at all, I would have said "I'm trying dammit!"  Another little pep talk on the cool down resulted in repeat number 3 being spot on (of course there were more shouts of "don't slow down" and "run faster!").  I managed to keep up the pace and finished the 800m in the goal time! Same for the last two repeats.  After the 6km of speed training, I couldn't speak, it felt like my stomach was in my throat and my heart was about to explode.  But again, apparently this is normal!??  They say this kind of ridiculous training is supposed to help your speed...well it better, because I'm going to be pretty upset if I keep putting myself through this for nothing!

Varsity Kudus

The running year in Johannesburg always starts off with a bang ie Varsity Kudus.  The new year has just begun and everyone has set these promising resolutions of redefining themselves as non smokers and new runners, keeping fit, losing weight bla bla bla.  So they hear about this race called Varsity Kudus starting and ending at Wits University.  It's only 15km and so what better way to put this resolution into action than by a little running race...how bad can it be right? Well I have a sneaky suspicion that the orgainisers of this particular race are just out to laugh at all the newbies on the road! You can spot them a mile off.  Their shoes are clean and crisp, they are wearing temporary licenses (joining a club is next on the list of resolutions) and they start out way too fast.  Because clearly, they have never done the dreaded Varsity Kudus before!  Runners that have done this particular race will know that it's going to be the worst 15km of your life! Don't be fooled by the easy 6km that start this race...from this point to the finish, its absolutely hellish! Most of the resolution runners that took part in this race on Sunday would have probably already packed away their brand new running shoes till next years resolution comes around again.  And I don't blame them! I more than likely would have done the same thing if I had come into the running world bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to take on this fitness thing...only to be met with some of the steepest hills I've ever seen in my life! In fact, I almost did pack my own running shoes away after Sundays race...I struggled up each and every hill and walked more in this 15km race than I did in my first marathon! I felt demotivated and 'over it' as I came up to the finish on the university campus on Sunday morning.  But luckily, since then I've realised that sometimes, its just a tough race and you don't run your best.  So all that means is that there's lots of work to be done before 3 June.  Thankfully, I made my resolution a long time ago to run Comrades...so its going to take more than Varsity Kudus to make me pack my running shoes away now!

Colds and flu

I used to enjoy getting sick.  As long as it was nothing too serious, a throat infection and some aches and pains meant a little extra attention, an excuse to take a time out and stay in bed and if you're lucky, a day or two off work.  Since becoming a runner though, things have changed in my books! Supposedly, exercise is meant to boost your immune system...up until a point.  When you start exposing your body to serious doses of hard work and strain, this can lower your immune system, causing runners to be more susceptible to colds and flu.  As a runner I now hate getting sick, because what used to mean a time out, now means a time out of my training...which is less than ideal.  I've read that exercise may continue as normal as long as the infection has not spread to your chest, in which case all activity should come to a halt until recovered.  However, the fact of the matter is, even if you're just fighting a few symptoms in your nose and throat, your running suffers.  Your body feels tired and running becomes sluggish.  So a day or two off the road is often inevitable. But all runners will know that this is not an easy thing to accept.  So in my case, what usually happens is a serious case of denial.  I'll ignore my body, convince myself that I'm imagining all the symptoms and then plod through a 10km run all the while analysing  the reasons why I'm not having a great run...weighing up all the possibilities except the most obvious of course.  Unfortunately this does not always work.  Sometimes you just have to do the sensible thing and stay off the road and in the bed for a few days. 

While I had big running plans for my last two weeks off from work, unfortunately I've had to accept that 2012 has started off, not with a bang, but rather with a cold.  So I spent one day in bed with an overdose of vitamins and a box of tissues.  Despite the sore throat I woke up with this morning, I decided that one day of rest was enough and convinced myself that I was feeling much better.  While I made it through the 10km, it was slow and sluggish...however, I have no doubt that this was due to the heat and the fact that I didn't sleep very well last night...but surely not because I'm still fighting a cold??