A run down of our Comrades 2016 marathon

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Bo

This was KK’s third Comrades marathon. He has successfully run the up and the down run, receiving his back-to-back medal, but one thing I’ve learnt is that even if you’ve run Comrades before, each year is different. The training was different, the build-up was different and yes, even the weekend down in Durban was a different experience this time around.

We stayed at the Fairmont Zimbali Resort for the first time. It’s beautiful and when I forgot the stress of the race that hung over KK’s head, it felt like we had escaped to Bali for a getaway weekend. The resort was nice and quiet too which was good for KK to rest his legs and head before the race. Feet up Zimbali Resort

First things first, the Expo which was packed with both nervous runners and excited supporters. It was a bonus to pick up KK’s race pack in record time. Comrades marathon 2016 expo

Back at the hotel and I forced KK to put his feet up and relax. We did lots of napping and snacking and just walking around the gardens of the hotel. And yes, wine for me. It was bliss. File 2016-06-05, 7 12 12 PM (2)

Preparation on my part meant packing a bag of sunscreen and more snacks. Mapping out my supporter’s route was to ensure that KK knew exactly where to look out for me. Here’s me being all clever with my Comrades route map but KK knows I can’t read a map. Thank goodness for Waze. LOL! Mapping out my supporters route

The morning of the race is always incredibly tense. As much as you’ve prepared for the race, it all comes down to how you feel on the day. KK had been battling with an Achilles heel injury which weighed heavily on his confidence to predict what time he would run. Two very nervous runners at the start of the Comrades marathon

Only runners are permitted beyond these gates which somehow looked like once they were through, they were trapped in a cage with no escape! The starting line of the Comrades marathon

The first stop was Cato Ridge. I must admit that finding the right spot to stop was tough because it was pitch dark. I have serious night blindness and even though it felt like I was sitting on the dashboard trying to see the road, my supporter companion Linda, looked very nervous! Cato Ridge Comrades stop

Cato Ridge Comrades marathon down run 59km mark

The first batch of runners started to trickle passed. I was amazed at how fast they ran! And then I even spotted a partially blind runner. Amazing! Blind runners running Comrades

The first stop where we met KK and Shaun W was at the 30kms mark. I have run 32kms before and felt like death. But they looked fresh and were still smiling – a good sign! The first Comrades stop at Cato Ridge

It’s hard work being a supporter but one family had a good idea. While standing on the side of the road, a runner ran up to me, handed me a card and ran off. On the one side of the card was a beautiful motivational message from his daughter. On the other side, a message to me with a cellphone number, “Please can you send my wife a message and tell her where I am and that I’m fine.” Brilliant idea and of course, I sent the message with pleasure and a smiley face! Updates for family

After a while, we shot through to our next stop, Hillcrest. Here we were able to find some toilets, a Woolies and a place to grab some lunch. #priorities

Somewhere along the way, KK and Shaun W had split up. When KK reached us at Hillcrest, he was still smiling (still a good sign) and felt strong but running alone. I knew that once he had reached this spot, the head was required to take over the work as the legs had done all they could. Comrades is a mental race after about 60kms…I was nervous! Meeting KK at Hillcrest 60km mark

The advantage of the down run to Durban is that there is ample place for spectators to sit and watch the runners finish the race. It looks much bigger on TV and we chose the spot where we could watch the runners enter the stadium as well as run down the last strip to the finish line. Comrades finish line

I don’t know how people were able to track their loved ones during the race in previous years, but with new technology, we were able to watch all our family & friends who were running via the Ultimate Live app on our cellphones. It helped to know exactly where KK was and allowed me to be ready to see him enter the stadium, still smiling!

He did it! My heart leaped when I finally found him on the field. It was a PB and he was thrilled with his run. Comrades finish

To take on an ultra marathon such as Comrades means you have to not only have done the hard physical training, but your head needs to be right. Many of the Comrades runners have admitted to dropping into a very dark head space along the route when they were overwhelmed with with negative thoughts. To pull yourself out of this and not quit must take incredible strength. For me, this is what stands out as the most inspiring and amazing quality a Comrades runner possesses. Comrades medals

It’s been a week and KK is itching to go run again. He was told to rest for at least two weeks but every now and then I catch him checking out Strava and looking at trail running sites. He loves Comrades and I know we’ll be back again next year. I can’t wait!

It’s all in your head

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Bo

There’s just one more week to go before the Comrades marathon and life at home has started to mirror the actual race day. The many months of training has prepared KK for the first 60kms of the race. But it’s the last 30kms or so where his mind needs to take over and he will have to rely on mental strength to get him to that finish line.

These last couple of days has felt like those final 30kms and KK has gone through every emotion possible. But he’s not alone. I’ve seen other runners going through the same thing, many of them posting to social media. Here’s a few which I know both runners and supports will relate to.

The struggles with tapering and worrying if they’ve done enough training
The nightmares
Trying desperately not to get sick
The false niggly aches and pains in the legs
The inability to concentrate on anything non-Comrades related
The fears
The joys

As supporters, we feel it all. But hang in there! Keep calm. ~~You’ve~~ We’ve got this! Comrades countdown

The obligatory Two Oceans half marathon blog post

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Bo

A couple of hours after running the Two Oceans half marathon race, I posted this update on Facebook.

I guess I’ve come to realize that these are the things which matter when it comes to running this race.

I was one of the lucky ones who got an entry. I managed to make it down to Cape Town. I survived the 27 000 crowds and still made it over that finish line before the dreaded cutoff gun. For most people, this in itself is a dream come true.

These people don’t care about their finishing time. They don’t moan about the goodey bag or the t-shirts. They soak up that incredible vibe of the national anthem at the starting line, the cannon, the supporters and the cheers from the stadium as they run over the finish line. I witnessed so many runners experiencing the race like this and felt so grateful to be running among them.

Look, besides trying to be all positive, I will admit that it’s never going to be my favourite race for a number of reasons. It still stresses me out. I still carry the baggage of a DNF (did not finish) and I still don’t believe it’s the ‘most beautiful race in the world’ for the 21km’ers. In fact the half has become way too big in my opinion.

But if KK comes down to run the Ultra, I might as well run. Notice, I didn’t say race. You can’t race every race and with the masses in category E, it’s not easy to get going. (Yeah, I’m still dumped in seeding E while majority of my friends, even novices, got bumped up to D. Two Oceans hates me.) But give it another five runs and I’ll have my Blue number which will mean a C seeding and quicker less congested start.

Each year comes with different challenges which teaches me something different about my running and how I approach situations.

This year the rain proved to be a huge struggle for me at that starting line. I had stated the entire week that I would not run in the wind or the rain and on the day, there was both!

Previously I would never have run if it was raining. I’m glad I did. I don’t know how, but I did. It’s made me mentally stronger. I started the race and I finished it. That’s what counts. So, thanks Two Oceans for the medal and the memories.

(Images: Google)

The race is still the same no matter how fast we run. #dischem21

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Bo

Compared to other running races, the Dischem half marathon unnerves me. It’s a tough course. It starts out with 10kms of undulating road before you get hit with a gradual pull which last from around 11kms to 18kms. The next 3kms to the finish line is a massive downhill drop which can be rough on the knees and quads.

Given what I’ve just described, it remains one of the most popular races on the race calendar and sells out pretty quickly with a field of over 6500 runners.

I knew I had to pace myself carefully. Go out too fast and have nothing left for the uphill pull. Go out too slowly and miss the 3-hour cut off. It’s a daunting task! I decided to use the run to get the time on my legs and not overdue it. I had pushed quite hard the week before at the Wits Kudu’s 15km race.

But as a race review, there’s something to Sunday’s race that goes beyond the fantastic organisation, the ice cold water stops, the brilliant marshalling on the busy streets or even the teams of photographers along the route capturing runner’s faces. It’s the vibe that reminded me of what running is all about.

Dischem Half Marathon tweeted a picture of the last lady finishing the race. Alongside her is a crowd of supporters, cheering her on, running the last km with her. That tweet was followed by so many well wishes and words of encouragement from so many people, including one from Jenna Challenor, who finished the race in 2^nd position. It touched my heart! What an awesome message! The winning time was 1:06. The last runner finished in 4:07. Both runners would have felt nerves at the start, both would’ve experienced pain heading up those steep hills and both would’ve been absolutely elated crossing the finish line.