GrumpyOldGuy Posted April 12, 2012 Share neither elite or lucky, just survived both times I did it but went for a gentle post Comrades club run the week after but I admit it was more of a hobble - Yeah, its very tough on the body, I cant remember any Comrades I have done where I didnt lose at least one nail and blackened three, but the worst for me is the joint ache afterwards, my hips and lower back take at least 6 weeks to recover even with the "healthy" use of anti inflammatories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted April 12, 2012 Share I am not asking for a apples vs apples comparison, but which one was tougher to prepare for, actually do and recover from, surely you can guage it, if you have done both. Training for comrades is easier (for me anyways) running is more sociable than cycling.Ttraining for epic was hard (for me...) winter training was not fun here in europe way to many hours on the IDT and long outdoor rides in the cold mostly alone cause no one else is interested in riding all day in winter...IM training is hardest of all if you are a normal working person, trying to train for 3 different sports aint fun then... Still maintain on the day comrades is harder / more painfull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoBigBen Posted April 12, 2012 Share Training for comrades is easier (for me anyways) running is more sociable than cycling.Ttraining for epic was hard (for me...) winter training was not fun here in europe way to many hours on the IDT and long outdoor rides in the cold mostly alone cause no one else is interested in riding all day in winter...IM training is hardest of all if you are a normal working person, trying to train for 3 different sports aint fun then... Still maintain on the day comrades is harder / more painfull +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummibear Posted April 12, 2012 Share Why not, they are both endurance events? I am not asking for a apples vs apples comparison, but which one was tougher to prepare for, actually do and recover from, surely you can guage it, if you have done both. Comrades is one day and you go shower and go sleep.Next morning you are as sore as hell but you get to sleep in and relax.Epic after 3 days you are as sore as hell but when you wake up in the morning,you have to get your sore backside back on that little saddle. If you want a comparison then compare Epic to Augrabies Marathon which covers 250km over 7 days.I would have to go with Augrabies then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOldGuy Posted April 12, 2012 Share Training for comrades is easier (for me anyways) running is more sociable than cycling.Ttraining for epic was hard (for me...) winter training was not fun here in europe way to many hours on the IDT and long outdoor rides in the cold mostly alone cause no one else is interested in riding all day in winter...IM training is hardest of all if you are a normal working person, trying to train for 3 different sports aint fun then... Still maintain on the day comrades is harder / more painfull Yeah, true, and you can train for a running race on a treadmill if its cold. In fact Alberto Salazar won the Comrades in 94 (I think) training mostly on a treadmill in his lounge. He lived up north in the US and was under 6ft of snow for months before Comrades. He says its the toughest race he has ever done and been a devout Christian said the only thing that kept him going over the last 20 odd kilometers, was prayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Drongo Posted April 12, 2012 Share I would think epic, but it all depends if you dont have the natural running ability you going to suffer. Ya don't RUN the Epic ya clown ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rouxtjie Posted April 12, 2012 Share Ta thanks Van Gummi I get it, you cannot equate 1.12121km of comrades to 15.2312312km of epic, its never going to be an exact sience. But from what I can gather from the guys who have done both is...the epic is mental vasbyt with some soreness, whereas the comrades is a sufferfest with some vasbyt in the end. I am using the comrades since there is a bigger likelyhood of someone to have done both here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted April 12, 2012 Share Maybe the google xspurts and statisticians (sp) can figure out the ratio of DNF's between Epic and Comrades, that could be a good indicator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garfield2010 Posted April 12, 2012 Share Epic much much tougher.... especially on the wallet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azonic Posted April 12, 2012 Share Toughest 7 days I ever had in my life. A certain Sunday in April 2010, Ironman SA. 6 days later, Saturday, 80km offroad trail run. Was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochain Posted April 12, 2012 Share Training for comrades is easier (for me anyways) running is more sociable than cycling. Ttraining for epic was hard (for me...) winter training was not fun here in europe way to many hours on the IDT and long outdoor rides in the cold mostly alone cause no one else is interested in riding all day in winter... IM training is hardest of all if you are a normal working person, trying to train for 3 different sports aint fun then... Still maintain on the day comrades is harder / more painfull SwissVan, Have also done all 3 and agree mostly with you. Training wise Ironman is a big problem but on the day it is "easier" on the body than the Comrades. Training for the Comrades is easier in terms of hours per week needed, with the Epic probably the most demanding in terms off hours you need to do on the bike. Mostly because the recovery from one day to the other is so important. In terms of physical Pain nothing comes close to the Comrades for me, never really have I experienced something like that before. But I do have to add that after years and years of training on the bike 12 months a year it really is hard to hurt yourself because your body is so adapted to the stress that it handles almost anything. Did this year’s Epic and never really had sore legs, you do feel the damage but it is not that bad. The big thing for me was the long days, day after day so mentally you do get tired and if something goes wrong it has got a huge impact on your race. There is so many factors to having a good Epic it is scary. I would however say that if I was a gifted athlete enough to be able to say race Comrades, Epic and Ironman at the same level it might change my point of view. I think the only way to really compare is to ask someone that is either bad at all 3 or very very good at all 3 because only then would he be able to really judge the effect it had on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochain Posted April 12, 2012 Share Maybe the google xspurts and statisticians (sp) can figure out the ratio of DNF's between Epic and Comrades, that could be a good indicator Comrades will be much higher i think??? but then they do allow anybody to try and run the thing that can run a 5 hour Marathon. Epic I think this year was under 20% and then some guys still finished without a partner. You have to also take in to consideration a lot off the guys that did not finish was due to crashes and mechanicals. Ironman I think would have to be the lowest but that I think is because nobody really shows up at an Ironman without being in very good condition. At the Comrades, Especially if you run at the back where I was you see hundreds off runners that really never should have showed up in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breezer Posted April 12, 2012 Share Comrades is one day and you go shower and go sleep.Next morning you are as sore as hell but you get to sleep in and relax.Epic after 3 days you are as sore as hell but when you wake up in the morning,you have to get your sore backside back on that little saddle. If you want a comparison then compare Epic to Augrabies Marathon which covers 250km over 7 days.I would have to go with Augrabies then.+1 and you run in the sand Edited April 12, 2012 by Breezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berry Posted April 12, 2012 Share Yeah, true, and you can train for a running race on a treadmill if its cold. In fact Alberto Salazar won the Comrades in 94 (I think) training mostly on a treadmill in his lounge. He lived up north in the US and was under 6ft of snow for months before Comrades. He says its the toughest race he has ever done and been a devout Christian said the only thing that kept him going over the last 20 odd kilometers, was prayer.and he never came back to run it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissVan Posted April 12, 2012 Share Comrades will be much higher i think??? but then they do allow anybody to try and run the thing that can run a 5 hour Marathon. Epic I think this year was under 20% and then some guys still finished without a partner. You have to also take in to consideration a lot off the guys that did not finish was due to crashes and mechanicals. Ironman I think would have to be the lowest but that I think is because nobody really shows up at an Ironman without being in very good condition. At the Comrades, Especially if you run at the back where I was you see hundreds off runners that really never should have showed up in the first place. Good points no chain Plus comrades has all those Avis (or is it imperial....) bail busses following runners which make it easy to give up when u hit a rough patch.Epic you have your partner who can motivate or help out when your sukkeling Lots of different connotations to consider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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