GREAT WAY TO KICK THE NEW YEAR OFF: PLUGGING AWAY FOR THE ULIMATE RACE.

This week's running has been relatively pain free with my back.  Still have to be careful.  For instance: on this mornings 20 miler it was so hot and humid and my strength is down that I was starting to lose form.  I had to really concentrate ,especially on the technical trails, to keep things stabilised.  Put a foot down a rut and I sure knew I was alive.  Actually, looking out over the hills is better much better way to appreciate being alive. I have also found that, if my back is giving grief,  it helps to stop completely and engage my glutes and feel my back with my hands until I feel my erectors spinae muscles relax.  And to finalise my coping strategies,  i must say that as we age it sure takes a long time to regain fitness.  All one can do is keep plugging away.

This week's training, and especially this morning's run, has bought home to me what a daunting task Comrades participants have ahead.  Maaaaann... at about 30km I was working one of the many hills on this particular run and my thighs were burning; my back was aching; the sweat was filling my shoes (59KG at start and 55KG at finish after taking on fluids) and I had mistaken the hill I just run up for a hill closer to the finish,  when i thought to myself: "If I feel like this at 30km at this slow pace, how the fudge am I going to handle another 60km in Comrades".  Daunting!!!

I tell you true, Donny Wallace used to run along these trails in his preparation for Comrades at a significantly quicker pace.  I ran with him a few times and his strength on hills is second to none.  His mental and physical preparation and strength has taken him, among other achievements, to two Golds and three sub six hours at Comrades.  And, as an aside, no one ever passed Don on the hills during the Comrades Marathon. This article below doesn't tell the half of it, but the photo is a great portrait of a Comrades Elite Performer. What an influence Don Wallace has been for hacks like me, local triers and elites alike. http://more.arrs.net/runner/13275

 Here's hoping all the good people in this world have a happy, healthy and the best possible new year.