"I ran the Jetty to Jetty this morning. And i must say that it was one of the best feel good races i have run. The volunteers out on the course were all cheery, thoughtful, keen and gave clear directions. Generally, the whole event was well organised and you could tell that the J2J was a race run by runners or those who get runners and running. I love running and here is one simple reason. i wore a beanie that i received after the Christchurch Marathon last year. At around... 7k (I can't really remember the distance) it got too hot on my head. And i can have a pretty hot head at times. Anyway, tucked the beanie in my shorts. Checked sometime later and to my disappointment it was gone. Anyway, wrote it off as a loss.On the way back to my surprise there was a lady in pink holding my beany up for me to grab as i ran past. Made my day. Thank you Team J2J and those who understand that we runner like to hang on to our race mementos. A special thank you to the lady in pink who took the time to hand back my memento from Christchurch."
Friday, 22 December 2017
WHERE DID 2017 GO?
Well 2017 has vanished down the corridors of time. My year was mainly focussed on Comrades. That has been pretty well covered on this blog. Overall I had good year and learnt a lot about myself and running generally. I suppose the main lesson was coping with my failure at Comrades, an achilles injury in early August just as i was finding some form for a marathon at the Sunshine Coast and a return bout of an old back injury in September just as i was finding some form for a marathon at the Sunshine Coast.
The achilles injury was probably a left over from Comrades. I had tried to get some pace back into my legs too quickly for the Sunshine Coast Marathon. I, apparently mistakenly, thought that because I didn't run to my potential at Comrades (perhaps i did and my ego is working earnestly at keeping me deluded) that I didn't need as much time to get over Comrades. I also raced the Jetty to Jetty as a hit out for the SCM, and while i had a stabbing pain in my back during the race it never came to anything. BTW. Big shout out and congratulations to Peter Reeves and John Shaw who finished first and second in the 60-64 age-group Queensland half marathon championships. I couldn't get near their times at Jetty to Jetty.
I am not sure what caused my back injury. I had visited my physio who has been manipulating my back to keep it mobile. He was particularly aggressive and i had pins and needles in my back afterwards. That afternoon I was working in my garden and I fell over awkwardly. The next day i ran with no pain at all. On Saturday, I ventured out to Nudgee for a time trial and from the start my back was hurting. I stupidly kept training as I sometimes have days when it flares a bit then is fine later on. My back has been sore since. The pain was debilitating at first, but now it has settled and I can run enough to at least run the longer trail races. I haven't done any long road runs or any road races since. (I see there is a ParkRun on grass at Zillmere and another starting up soon at St Lucia along the crushed granite trail at UQ, so...) Any serious speed work (speed for me) just aggravates my back. I am trying to gradually introduce the more intense sessions into my training.
The reason i hurt my back? i don't really know. It could have been my gardening, perhaps physio, the fall, too much "speed' too soon. I was pushing the limits a bit to achieve before the cancer caused problems which prevented me from running to my best ability. And after my achilles setback I had started doing some 400s and 1000m reps on bitumen in the carpark around the AFL fields near my place. Maybe a combination of all above. One day I'll wake up to myself.
So my year since late September when I hurt my back was about holding some fitness without buggering my back up again. One thing for sure about this running game, it keeps you humble. We might get a bit cocky at times but we are soon reminded that we are just vulnerable humans. We break like everybody else. King of the world (in our minds) one minute and flat on your back on stretcher writhing in pain the next. What doesn't quite kill you makes you more human, more humble, more thankful.
A few people have asked if i am going back to Comrades. It is understandable that that expectation would show itself. It has been said that expectations cause a lot of anxiety and unhappiness in this world. This can be the case, especially, if you try to live up to others expectations. In some cases, probably more so if we try to live up to expectations we - or our egos - place on ourselves. When, and if, I go back to Comrades it will be all about the passion i have for the Ultimate Race, not to appease expectations of my ego to please any expectations. In some ways our ego can be an other. I know that sounds lame to competitive runners, but we each have our own ways and paths to follow. Besides, i loathe the plane trip (worse than the race in some ways...i don't travel well) and it is a big expense for a runner of my level and limitations.
Dealing with the cancer has been more mental than physical. I am asymptomatic. I feel fine. In one of the other posts i mentioned I had a PSMA Pet Scan. This was done to determine what course of action should be taken. Either ADT or chemo. Nothing showed on the scans and given my PSA level my Doctor thinks that that is because I was one of the 20% that such a Pet Scan doesn't work. Cost me 700 dollars. All up $1400. In the USA it is more than $7000. I was injected with a substance that activates the tumours so the Doctors can determine the tumours' fuel source etc. http://oncologynews.com.au/recurrence-of-prostate-cancer-detected-earlier-with-innovative-psma-ligand-petct/
Anyway, after the scan my Doc. decided to watch and wait for six months. My PSA level had doubled in the previous six months so things didn't look too good. That said, the level was .42 which is still pretty low. It's the doubling time that indicates the aggressiveness of the cancer. With the prostate removed, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) should be undetectable. I have just had another blood test and visited the Doctor. In the last six month my PSA has risen from .42 to .58. What that means, is the doubling time is about 18 months. Yes, the cancer is still growing but, hopefully, shouldn't cause problems for some time (fingers crossed). So I see the Doctor in six months for another PSA check and consult. Dr Swindle knows his stuff. Top person.
I think my diet has helped. I eat mainly plant-based food. Most of it raw.
On a more personal level, Jon has married the lovely Rosa, and I am now a proud grand dad to their wonderful little son, Avid. My eldest daughter, a professor, continues to forge ahead with her academic achievements and developing their wonderful garden, while my youngest daughter has come through a year that would destroy a lot of people. So proud.
Not a very feel-good post. What happens happens. I have learnt a lot this year and I am thankful for the experiences. I'll be turning 65 in April and moving into that age-group opens up a few challenges for this old runner. On,on to 2018.
My Strava year:
https://2017.strava.com/en-us/videos/001c33fd32d8d2e2592b44d06fcbc0a2e9441686/
Sunday, 26 November 2017
Keeping it together.
Jennelle and I stayed at Mooloolaba to celebrate our 45 th wedding anniversary. Long relaxing walks on the beach in preference to the usual celebrations (must be getting old).
I also managed to fit in a ParkRun and a long run. After my long run, we finally had a chance to get out to Maroochydore and try a out Moo Free Burger and other tucker. My vegan FB friends are always banging on about it. Great tucker, but still contains processed meat replacement. Some of the vegans are very passionate about animal welfare and they do have some solid arguments. Anyway, even with the processed "not meat" it was great nourishing, healthy food and most likely better for the planet too -certainly better for the cows.
I also managed to fit in a ParkRun and a long run. After my long run, we finally had a chance to get out to Maroochydore and try a out Moo Free Burger and other tucker. My vegan FB friends are always banging on about it. Great tucker, but still contains processed meat replacement. Some of the vegans are very passionate about animal welfare and they do have some solid arguments. Anyway, even with the processed "not meat" it was great nourishing, healthy food and most likely better for the planet too -certainly better for the cows.
Sunday, 23 July 2017
JETTY TO JETTY: FIRST RACE IN YONKS
I was pretty apprehensive about racing again. My back really doesn't like the faster running. My plan was to run a low-key race of around 90 minutes. Anyway, the morning of the race was cold and wet. I arrived a bit late and only had two kilometres of jogging to warm up. I had been to the physio on the Friday and my back was generally sore from his manipulations and workings. I don't think it a good idea to get such work done so close to a run.
On the start line Richard Quirk asked what time i expected to run. I told him 90 minutes, which was my planned pace. I truly wasn't sure where i was at as far as my race fitness level. The toot tooted and off we went. We had a tall wind, so the climb over the first kilometres felt cruisy. I was cold and wore a beanie from the Christchurch Marathon. Not much use for beanies in Brisbane. I forgot my gloves in the rush to get to the start on time. I posted a piece on FB on my losing my precious beanie and the kindness of the person who returned it to me during the race.
I couldn't see my watch so didn't really know my pace. I decided to just go hard as i could for as long as could. It's not the Olympics or anything. I hit five klms in 19 minutes and tried for a sub 38 minute 10 km. i got there in 38:09. It has been a long time since i ran that time for 10km. Hard to imagine that just a few years ago in 2015 that that was my marathon pace when i ran 2:43:58 at Melbourne Marathon. Of course, at
J2J i came home much slower. At about 16 klms i had a sudden and stabbing pain in my back. It settled after a few hundred metres but after the race it was really sore. And to add to my discomfort my insoles slipped back in my shoes. The insole was just about poking out the top of my heel counter at the finish. Nevertheless, I had a good view of the race between Claire Geraghty, Chris Bell and Brad Ward to take my mind off my woes. Ward pulled away to run 19:56 with Chris and Ralf Hamann battling it out to the finish. Ralf finished in 1:21:27 to Chris's 1:21:18. Claire, being the champion she is, hung on until the finish. At 5 km i was 26 seconds behind Claire and at the finish i was about 12 seconds. She's a fighter. Aidan Dineen shot past me with about 4 km to go like I was waiting in in queue a Woolworths. He dragged me along for a while and helped close the gap to the runners in front.
My son Jonny won the race in 1:10:23. Not bad considering his limited training load, heavy work load and busy life, with his wife, Rosa and Jon, having just moved into their own home and "building their nest."
On the start line Richard Quirk asked what time i expected to run. I told him 90 minutes, which was my planned pace. I truly wasn't sure where i was at as far as my race fitness level. The toot tooted and off we went. We had a tall wind, so the climb over the first kilometres felt cruisy. I was cold and wore a beanie from the Christchurch Marathon. Not much use for beanies in Brisbane. I forgot my gloves in the rush to get to the start on time. I posted a piece on FB on my losing my precious beanie and the kindness of the person who returned it to me during the race.
I couldn't see my watch so didn't really know my pace. I decided to just go hard as i could for as long as could. It's not the Olympics or anything. I hit five klms in 19 minutes and tried for a sub 38 minute 10 km. i got there in 38:09. It has been a long time since i ran that time for 10km. Hard to imagine that just a few years ago in 2015 that that was my marathon pace when i ran 2:43:58 at Melbourne Marathon. Of course, at
My son Jonny won the race in 1:10:23. Not bad considering his limited training load, heavy work load and busy life, with his wife, Rosa and Jon, having just moved into their own home and "building their nest."
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| Jonny running errands. Returning containers which held garden produce we gave them. And delivering some yummy garlic and basil sandwich spread that, Jon's wife, Rosa, made for us. Fun run and family catch up in one go . |
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| My insoles slipping back got a bit annoying, but didn't slow me down. Damn. It could have been a good excuse. |
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| Claire, ever the fighter, making Ralf feel alive. Ralf is coming back into form after recent Ironman. |
Sunday, 2 July 2017
BACK INTO ROUTINE
This week I clocked 100 miles. I don't feel too bad. However, I find anything under 4 minutes a km hard going. Anyway, it is what it is. I just want it to be better than what it is... so i'll just have to knuckle down to it.
I was surprised to see Brendan Davies and Wayne Spies run the Gold Coast Marathon. Both ran really well at Comrades, so they have recovered well. Having said that, I know both are capable of much faster times than they ran at GCM. It has been great checking out how everyone ran and I must say that there was some stand-out performances. Too many to mention here. I missed being amongst the action.
I missed the live streaming so I could do a reccie run out at Redcliffe. I knocked out 36+ ks at a reasonable training pace. The cool weather makes for comfortable running. The flat running allows for a showier pace than running the undulations around where I usually train. Of course, the cement surface is hard on the pins. Anyway, I started slow and finished with sub 4:30s. I forgot to start my watch after a pit stop but the Strava corrected to 37km while my watch recorded 36 km ??
I had a blood test for PSA level this week. I see the doctor mid next week. He'll be directing me to have a new PSMA Pet scan http://oncologynews.com.au/recurrence-of-prostate-cancer-detected-earlier-with-innovative-psma-ligand-petct/ to locate exactly where the tumours are hiding. The rising PSA levels indicate that there is is no doubt that there has been some micro-metastasis occurring. So all I can do is pencil in future races. Should be able to get a few in before further treatment. It's depressing and I get quite anxious about the whole situation. The uncertainty really makes planning races - anything - difficult and in some cases pointless. The thing is I feel fine. And I can't complain. I ran my first marathon 34 years ago and have had many wonderful experiences and met some absolutely awesome people. I will do my utmost to make the most of the cards I have been dealt.
I was surprised to see Brendan Davies and Wayne Spies run the Gold Coast Marathon. Both ran really well at Comrades, so they have recovered well. Having said that, I know both are capable of much faster times than they ran at GCM. It has been great checking out how everyone ran and I must say that there was some stand-out performances. Too many to mention here. I missed being amongst the action.
I missed the live streaming so I could do a reccie run out at Redcliffe. I knocked out 36+ ks at a reasonable training pace. The cool weather makes for comfortable running. The flat running allows for a showier pace than running the undulations around where I usually train. Of course, the cement surface is hard on the pins. Anyway, I started slow and finished with sub 4:30s. I forgot to start my watch after a pit stop but the Strava corrected to 37km while my watch recorded 36 km ??
I had a blood test for PSA level this week. I see the doctor mid next week. He'll be directing me to have a new PSMA Pet scan http://oncologynews.com.au/recurrence-of-prostate-cancer-detected-earlier-with-innovative-psma-ligand-petct/ to locate exactly where the tumours are hiding. The rising PSA levels indicate that there is is no doubt that there has been some micro-metastasis occurring. So all I can do is pencil in future races. Should be able to get a few in before further treatment. It's depressing and I get quite anxious about the whole situation. The uncertainty really makes planning races - anything - difficult and in some cases pointless. The thing is I feel fine. And I can't complain. I ran my first marathon 34 years ago and have had many wonderful experiences and met some absolutely awesome people. I will do my utmost to make the most of the cards I have been dealt.
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| FIRST MARATHON: A different world back then. |
Saturday, 17 June 2017
Mitchelton ParkRun First Race after Comrades.
It's been two weeks since Comrades and I decided to have a low-key"race". My legs are freshening up on one hand but still are damaged and weak on the other. I expected to run around 22 minutes but ran low 20. There is always someone to push you along.
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| When running downhill feels like running up hill, you know you have run Comrades. |
| 19 | Ron PETERS | 20:22 | VM60-64 | 81.59 % | M | 17 | PB stays at 00:17:57 | 21 |
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
COMRADES JOURNEY 2017 COMPLETED.
MAY 29 TO RACE DAY ON JUNE 4.
Monday i had long luxurious sleep in. That was a pretty self-indulgent and sooky happening for this old marathoner. After my sooky sleep in it was packing and getting logistics sorted. Don't laugh, there is lot to get organised when travelling overseas.
Tuesday was spent traveling to South Africa. Brisbane to Sydney; Sydney to Johannesburg; then on to Durban. In all 22 hours of airports, airplanes, check ins, security screening, cramped seating, foul air, rather curt Qantas staff, three movies on a notepad sized screen and last but not least last minute dash to retrieve our luggage in Johannesburg, which we were told was to go straight to Durban. I always carry my kit in my carry-on bag, so that was all that mattered to me, but Jennelle is far more practical than me. I went for a run along Durban Beachfront on Wednesday and Thursday with complete rest from running until the start.
.
.
On Saturday we went on the legendary Bruce Fordyce's bus tour of the course. It was a last minute decision and i am glad i went on the course tour. I adjusted my goal pace back to 8 hours for the course. Having said that, even looking out the side window of a bus doesn't really indicate the difficulty of the course. Looking back i would have went with the 8:30 bus and took walk breaks. Bruce Fordyce, Lindsey Parry, Norrie Williamson and just about every veteran runner i spoke to recommended short walk breaks. When the 8:30 bus went by, i got it. The runners walked regularly. Mind you, I am still uncertain why i had the cramping problem. Maybe, if i had an "on" day it wouldn't have made any difference. Arrrh well...
MY COMRADES RACE.
On race day I woke at 1:30am. I slept really well despite the fact that plumbers were working on a roof on a nearby high rise. For the ten days we were there, our nights were spent with the sound of grinders and iron being installed. I don't handle air con too well so still left the window open, but who'd expect that?
For breaky I had three avocado and vegemite crackers and cup of coffee. Then I jogged around the room, loosened up as much as I could in a hotel room and prepared. We had arranged to go to the start with Bruce Hargreaves and his group. He had secured V.I.P. passes for Jennelle and a few other wives of runners. So Jennelle had a spot in V.I.P area and had a close up view of the start. Got a great video too. I stayed until Jennelle headed to her area and then made my way to the ABC start.
I was surprised to see that the runners were already packed in tighter than my suitcase. I joined the queue for the toilets at about 4:45am but did some maths and worked out that they wouldn't make it before 5:15. I don't have very good continence or bowel control since the surgery and radiation for prostate cancer , so i was bit concerned. Anyway, with about 15 minutes before they closed the gates i headed for the start. Just as well i did move on, because there was a line up to get through the gates into the start area. The line was about five wide with bodies just pressing against each other to force our way inside the gates. I like my space, but this is Comrades.
Once inside the start pens, it was just a matter of not getting too emotional and standing with bodies pressing quite firmly together. There are dozens of videos of the start so I won't go through that. For me the highlight was the song Shosholoza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shosholoza. It has an interesting history, but, according to Wikipedia, these days it is more about showing support for those struggling. I had a few tears trickle down my face during Shosholoza.
"The song was usually sung to express the hardship of working in the mines. It expresses heartache over the hard work performed in the mines. The word Shosholoza or "chocholoza!" means go forward or make way for the next man, in Ndebele.[1] It is used as a term of encouragement and hope for the workers as a sign of solidarity. The sound "sho sho" uses onomatopoeia and reminiscent of the sound made by the steam train (stimela).[1] Stimela is the Zulu word for steam train.[1] "Kulezo ntaba!" means (At those far away mountains), "Stimela Siphume eZimbabwe" (the train come from Zimbabwe), "Wen' uya baleka" (Because you're running away/hurrying).[1] In contemporary times, its meaning is to show support for any struggle.[5] "
The cannon fired after Max Trimbourne's traditional cockcrow and we were off on our various individual struggles. I was feeling blessed to have made it here and to experience the start of Comrades. To be honest it is all a bit of a surreal blur. There was a few times I had little idea where i was on the course. The five big hills are interspersed with other climbs. Eighty eight kilometres is a long way and a lot of minor hills can fit into that distance. Suunto logged 1400m or so of climbing. I think the sceen shot below best shows how my run went.
I had set my watch to 10km laps. My intention was to run about 55 minutes per ten km. I had also worked out my splits for the top of the five main landmarks Cowie's Hill; Field's Hill; Botha's Hill; Ichanga (Ichanga is a Zulu word that means euphemistically the blade of a knife, or i have been told it means the sound that is made when a spears blade is pulled out of flesh) and Polly Shortts. I wrote my splits for the top of these hills on my arm but have lost the copy of these splits. I based them on a runner who has run well over the years. I just added 30 seconds a kilometer to his splits for a 7:30 time. From memory i thought i could run a little over eight hours. Damn it!
The first few kilometres were spent trying not to be tripped and avoiding getting in the way of other runners. I couldn't see my watch and even after sunrise i had trouble seeing it because of my poor eyesight. So i ran by feel. It's pretty well all you can do on such a course. Kilometre splits mean little given the terrain. This is why I set my watch to ten km splits.
My legs, especially my hip flexors, felt a bit sore right from the start. But i felt strong - really strong. Things were going reasonably well up until just before Drummond. I made two pit stops. I carried a torch and a pair of undies in case i had trouble. Gave the torch away to a child spectator and left my waist belt with undies in the porta loo. You wouldn't read about my second pit stop in Wikipedia. Seriously, a row of three toilets just off the road behind the crowds lining the course. I get through the spectators and, with my poor eyesight, i stop before the toilets to make sure they are free, two are occupied one green, just then another runner ducks in before me. I says with a fair bit of attitude: "For f**k's sake." The runner pops his head out and sort of apologising says: "I just want a pee." It was more important to stay calm than let that worry me. When i came out, i noticed a non-runner exiting one of the other dunnies. Arrh well... mustn't grumble.
Ichanga is where all hell broke loose in my calves. I can't recall ever having cramps during a race. I have had cramps after, usually from some irritant like sitting on a plastic chair that aggravated my hamstrings or something like that, but never whilst running. The next 23 km from Ichanga to Umlaas Road were a matter of running at a pace just before the cramping took hold. It was like engaging in brinksmanship with my own legs. I could manage the flats and downs but rough road and even slight incline set them off again. This gradually got worse and worse as the race went on. By the top of Umlaas Road, with about 18 km to go, i was well and truly in dire straights. If i was a younger person with the opportunity to make amends, i would have pulled the pin (probably not - i don't know?). I stopped for my dilly bag which had some solid food Jennelle had packed. I had forgotten about the food and left it in the bag on the shelf. I did grab a protein bar but only took one bite. Don't think i could have stomached avocado and buckwheat crackers that i left behind at that stage.
The run down to Little Polly's gave some relief. I even dipped down to a few 5:30s and just as i was thinking i might survive the climb up Polly Shortts i hit Little Pollys and i think it was just before this that the 8:30 pacer bus went by me. I watched and did what they did but couldn't run at their pace without the cramps becoming disablingly severe. I didn't want to wreck my chances of finishing. Having said that, it was sort of good to know that i could walk it in and meet the final cut off.
Polly Shortts was bloody hard and disappointing. I had seen myself running up there tired but moving along at a decent pace. Instead i found it quicker to walk stiff legged using my butt muscles than jog. When i tried to run, other runners who were walking passed me. And my calves were just a big balls of fire. Running just triggered severe cramping. I walked most of it, down, disappointed, but not beaten. Before you get your violins out, i know this sounds like a big whinge - if you haven't experienced a bad day at Comrades - I am just telling my journey as honestly as i can. With 8 km to go, I started running. I was determined to keep running. I had been told so many times to keep moving or completely seize up. I also knew that i needed to just keep going if i was to earn a Bill Rowan Medal. Polly Shortts and a lot of the miles leading into it, was one of the worst and best experiences of my running. Sometimes the bad runs test your mettle more than others.
The last eight KM took forever and a few days in my mind. In a lot of races i curse that i run out of miles to catch a fellow competitor, but today i just wanted to not break down; to finish and get my Bill Rowan medal. I ran into the finish, i was not emotional at all. I was flat and out of all energy -mental and physical. When I stopped my calves were still cramping, but i thought i would be okay. The international tents were on the other side of course and the runners had to walk over a temporary fly-over bridge. I put my foot on the first step and that was it. My calves went into full-on cramp. I had to be stretchered back to the medical tent for help. I don't think they knew what to do. I had to tell them to leave me alone as they were just aggravating my calves. I just needed to let my muscles settle before they touched them. Eventually, they seemed to get proper instruction on how to deal with this kind of cramp. Gentle massage and ice gel helped a lot. Of course, to add to the fun i was having, the stretcher carriers were just kids and had to stop a few times on the way to the medical tent to rest and when they put me down they would just drop the stretcher from about a foot off the ground. And here i was pleased that my back had held up so well.
The most amazing thing about this run is the spectator support. They love their Comrades and it is apparent that they love the runners. I have never heard "Aussi Aussi Oi Oi Oi" so many times with such gusto. And the very kind way that some of the spectators, particularly the locals, would say "We welcome you to our country" or similar. The tables along the course have everything you could possibly want and the helpers were outstanding and seemed to be able to read your mind as to what was needed. I had three standing massages which helped me along for a while. Everyone was so helpful. Crowd support was a highlight especially the Ethembeni School for the Disabled who line up at the front of their school in their wheelchairs and cheer the runners -
http://ethembenischool.co.za/
I told Jennelle that i was just going to put few pictures up and no text because it was inevitable that my final blog would be a big long whinge. Well that came to fruition. Nevertheless, that was my Comrades 2017. My best running day ever.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1022540512
Monday i had long luxurious sleep in. That was a pretty self-indulgent and sooky happening for this old marathoner. After my sooky sleep in it was packing and getting logistics sorted. Don't laugh, there is lot to get organised when travelling overseas.
Tuesday was spent traveling to South Africa. Brisbane to Sydney; Sydney to Johannesburg; then on to Durban. In all 22 hours of airports, airplanes, check ins, security screening, cramped seating, foul air, rather curt Qantas staff, three movies on a notepad sized screen and last but not least last minute dash to retrieve our luggage in Johannesburg, which we were told was to go straight to Durban. I always carry my kit in my carry-on bag, so that was all that mattered to me, but Jennelle is far more practical than me. I went for a run along Durban Beachfront on Wednesday and Thursday with complete rest from running until the start.
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| Giving back. |
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| Durban Parkrun |
. .
On Saturday we went on the legendary Bruce Fordyce's bus tour of the course. It was a last minute decision and i am glad i went on the course tour. I adjusted my goal pace back to 8 hours for the course. Having said that, even looking out the side window of a bus doesn't really indicate the difficulty of the course. Looking back i would have went with the 8:30 bus and took walk breaks. Bruce Fordyce, Lindsey Parry, Norrie Williamson and just about every veteran runner i spoke to recommended short walk breaks. When the 8:30 bus went by, i got it. The runners walked regularly. Mind you, I am still uncertain why i had the cramping problem. Maybe, if i had an "on" day it wouldn't have made any difference. Arrrh well...
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| Nine-time Comrades winner, Bruce Fordyce and Ronnie the newbie. |
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| Note the 42 on bib. Dave Lowe. 42 Comrades done. Legend. Dave convinced me to take the course tour. |
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| Wall of honour. |
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| Arthur's seat. |
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| Scared Ronnie. Ironic that test time on clock was within three minutes of my finish time the next day. |
MY COMRADES RACE.
For breaky I had three avocado and vegemite crackers and cup of coffee. Then I jogged around the room, loosened up as much as I could in a hotel room and prepared. We had arranged to go to the start with Bruce Hargreaves and his group. He had secured V.I.P. passes for Jennelle and a few other wives of runners. So Jennelle had a spot in V.I.P area and had a close up view of the start. Got a great video too. I stayed until Jennelle headed to her area and then made my way to the ABC start.
I was surprised to see that the runners were already packed in tighter than my suitcase. I joined the queue for the toilets at about 4:45am but did some maths and worked out that they wouldn't make it before 5:15. I don't have very good continence or bowel control since the surgery and radiation for prostate cancer , so i was bit concerned. Anyway, with about 15 minutes before they closed the gates i headed for the start. Just as well i did move on, because there was a line up to get through the gates into the start area. The line was about five wide with bodies just pressing against each other to force our way inside the gates. I like my space, but this is Comrades.
Once inside the start pens, it was just a matter of not getting too emotional and standing with bodies pressing quite firmly together. There are dozens of videos of the start so I won't go through that. For me the highlight was the song Shosholoza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shosholoza. It has an interesting history, but, according to Wikipedia, these days it is more about showing support for those struggling. I had a few tears trickle down my face during Shosholoza.
"The song was usually sung to express the hardship of working in the mines. It expresses heartache over the hard work performed in the mines. The word Shosholoza or "chocholoza!" means go forward or make way for the next man, in Ndebele.[1] It is used as a term of encouragement and hope for the workers as a sign of solidarity. The sound "sho sho" uses onomatopoeia and reminiscent of the sound made by the steam train (stimela).[1] Stimela is the Zulu word for steam train.[1] "Kulezo ntaba!" means (At those far away mountains), "Stimela Siphume eZimbabwe" (the train come from Zimbabwe), "Wen' uya baleka" (Because you're running away/hurrying).[1] In contemporary times, its meaning is to show support for any struggle.[5] "
The cannon fired after Max Trimbourne's traditional cockcrow and we were off on our various individual struggles. I was feeling blessed to have made it here and to experience the start of Comrades. To be honest it is all a bit of a surreal blur. There was a few times I had little idea where i was on the course. The five big hills are interspersed with other climbs. Eighty eight kilometres is a long way and a lot of minor hills can fit into that distance. Suunto logged 1400m or so of climbing. I think the sceen shot below best shows how my run went.
I had set my watch to 10km laps. My intention was to run about 55 minutes per ten km. I had also worked out my splits for the top of the five main landmarks Cowie's Hill; Field's Hill; Botha's Hill; Ichanga (Ichanga is a Zulu word that means euphemistically the blade of a knife, or i have been told it means the sound that is made when a spears blade is pulled out of flesh) and Polly Shortts. I wrote my splits for the top of these hills on my arm but have lost the copy of these splits. I based them on a runner who has run well over the years. I just added 30 seconds a kilometer to his splits for a 7:30 time. From memory i thought i could run a little over eight hours. Damn it!
The first few kilometres were spent trying not to be tripped and avoiding getting in the way of other runners. I couldn't see my watch and even after sunrise i had trouble seeing it because of my poor eyesight. So i ran by feel. It's pretty well all you can do on such a course. Kilometre splits mean little given the terrain. This is why I set my watch to ten km splits.
My legs, especially my hip flexors, felt a bit sore right from the start. But i felt strong - really strong. Things were going reasonably well up until just before Drummond. I made two pit stops. I carried a torch and a pair of undies in case i had trouble. Gave the torch away to a child spectator and left my waist belt with undies in the porta loo. You wouldn't read about my second pit stop in Wikipedia. Seriously, a row of three toilets just off the road behind the crowds lining the course. I get through the spectators and, with my poor eyesight, i stop before the toilets to make sure they are free, two are occupied one green, just then another runner ducks in before me. I says with a fair bit of attitude: "For f**k's sake." The runner pops his head out and sort of apologising says: "I just want a pee." It was more important to stay calm than let that worry me. When i came out, i noticed a non-runner exiting one of the other dunnies. Arrh well... mustn't grumble.
Ichanga is where all hell broke loose in my calves. I can't recall ever having cramps during a race. I have had cramps after, usually from some irritant like sitting on a plastic chair that aggravated my hamstrings or something like that, but never whilst running. The next 23 km from Ichanga to Umlaas Road were a matter of running at a pace just before the cramping took hold. It was like engaging in brinksmanship with my own legs. I could manage the flats and downs but rough road and even slight incline set them off again. This gradually got worse and worse as the race went on. By the top of Umlaas Road, with about 18 km to go, i was well and truly in dire straights. If i was a younger person with the opportunity to make amends, i would have pulled the pin (probably not - i don't know?). I stopped for my dilly bag which had some solid food Jennelle had packed. I had forgotten about the food and left it in the bag on the shelf. I did grab a protein bar but only took one bite. Don't think i could have stomached avocado and buckwheat crackers that i left behind at that stage.
The run down to Little Polly's gave some relief. I even dipped down to a few 5:30s and just as i was thinking i might survive the climb up Polly Shortts i hit Little Pollys and i think it was just before this that the 8:30 pacer bus went by me. I watched and did what they did but couldn't run at their pace without the cramps becoming disablingly severe. I didn't want to wreck my chances of finishing. Having said that, it was sort of good to know that i could walk it in and meet the final cut off.
Polly Shortts was bloody hard and disappointing. I had seen myself running up there tired but moving along at a decent pace. Instead i found it quicker to walk stiff legged using my butt muscles than jog. When i tried to run, other runners who were walking passed me. And my calves were just a big balls of fire. Running just triggered severe cramping. I walked most of it, down, disappointed, but not beaten. Before you get your violins out, i know this sounds like a big whinge - if you haven't experienced a bad day at Comrades - I am just telling my journey as honestly as i can. With 8 km to go, I started running. I was determined to keep running. I had been told so many times to keep moving or completely seize up. I also knew that i needed to just keep going if i was to earn a Bill Rowan Medal. Polly Shortts and a lot of the miles leading into it, was one of the worst and best experiences of my running. Sometimes the bad runs test your mettle more than others.
The last eight KM took forever and a few days in my mind. In a lot of races i curse that i run out of miles to catch a fellow competitor, but today i just wanted to not break down; to finish and get my Bill Rowan medal. I ran into the finish, i was not emotional at all. I was flat and out of all energy -mental and physical. When I stopped my calves were still cramping, but i thought i would be okay. The international tents were on the other side of course and the runners had to walk over a temporary fly-over bridge. I put my foot on the first step and that was it. My calves went into full-on cramp. I had to be stretchered back to the medical tent for help. I don't think they knew what to do. I had to tell them to leave me alone as they were just aggravating my calves. I just needed to let my muscles settle before they touched them. Eventually, they seemed to get proper instruction on how to deal with this kind of cramp. Gentle massage and ice gel helped a lot. Of course, to add to the fun i was having, the stretcher carriers were just kids and had to stop a few times on the way to the medical tent to rest and when they put me down they would just drop the stretcher from about a foot off the ground. And here i was pleased that my back had held up so well.
The most amazing thing about this run is the spectator support. They love their Comrades and it is apparent that they love the runners. I have never heard "Aussi Aussi Oi Oi Oi" so many times with such gusto. And the very kind way that some of the spectators, particularly the locals, would say "We welcome you to our country" or similar. The tables along the course have everything you could possibly want and the helpers were outstanding and seemed to be able to read your mind as to what was needed. I had three standing massages which helped me along for a while. Everyone was so helpful. Crowd support was a highlight especially the Ethembeni School for the Disabled who line up at the front of their school in their wheelchairs and cheer the runners -
http://ethembenischool.co.za/
I told Jennelle that i was just going to put few pictures up and no text because it was inevitable that my final blog would be a big long whinge. Well that came to fruition. Nevertheless, that was my Comrades 2017. My best running day ever.
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| This guy wanted a photo with 'Ron' the Aussi, so we both waved at the camera. |
https://www.strava.com/activities/1022540512
Sunday, 28 May 2017
READY AND SET TO GO.
MAY 22 to 28. In full taper mode now. I had my last visit to the physio on Tuesday. I am freshening well. All is as good as can be expected. I am moving a lot freer now.
I cruised through 96 km total for the week. I had few sleep ins and no gardening or anything that might aggravate my back. I didn't run any hills. My key sessions: Tuesday 5x 1 km in just under 4 minutes each; Thursday: 10 light 400m or so pick up with 200m wind downs; Saturday 10km in 40 minutes. I hope Saturday wasn't too solid. Cruised through 20km on Sunday. I set out to just run 5:10s but ran a bit quicker.
I have found a few Strava downloads and will use these as a pacing guide for CMA. The runners finished strong and started slow. Hopefully, a helpful guide that accounts for the terrain.
Below is a pretty standard profile. The landmark that i can't wait to pass by. The advice i will adhere to (Lindsey Parry is the official CMA coach and he and Brad Brown are a great resource whose advice has been a big help to myself and a lot of runners). And that bloke Bruce "Digger" Hargreaves who has been a great help with the logistics of getting to SA. Bruce is the Australian Ambassador and an experienced Comrades participant. Anyway, that's it. Next week will be travel, recci, rest and race.
I cruised through 96 km total for the week. I had few sleep ins and no gardening or anything that might aggravate my back. I didn't run any hills. My key sessions: Tuesday 5x 1 km in just under 4 minutes each; Thursday: 10 light 400m or so pick up with 200m wind downs; Saturday 10km in 40 minutes. I hope Saturday wasn't too solid. Cruised through 20km on Sunday. I set out to just run 5:10s but ran a bit quicker.
I have found a few Strava downloads and will use these as a pacing guide for CMA. The runners finished strong and started slow. Hopefully, a helpful guide that accounts for the terrain.
Below is a pretty standard profile. The landmark that i can't wait to pass by. The advice i will adhere to (Lindsey Parry is the official CMA coach and he and Brad Brown are a great resource whose advice has been a big help to myself and a lot of runners). And that bloke Bruce "Digger" Hargreaves who has been a great help with the logistics of getting to SA. Bruce is the Australian Ambassador and an experienced Comrades participant. Anyway, that's it. Next week will be travel, recci, rest and race.
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| Lindsey Parry and Brad Brown are a great assett for Comrades runners. Their Webinairs have been so very helpful. |
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| Digger Hargreaves (the bearded runner) running with his 15,000 or so friends. |
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