Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[ScottCM]

Stay ahead of the buk's 12hour bus   

Sorry bud, i just had to. Honestly i think either could work depending on other circumstances

[Stretch]

My girlfriend has the small Tomtom gps watch. I'm pretty sure the battery will not manage a 12 hour comrades run.. My Fenix 3 will easily manage it so I haven't given this any thought.

 

Whats the best way to manage pacing? She's going for a finish.

 

Start at the race start and manage pace until it dies and then best-guess on the rest? 

 

Or I thought just now, maybe run to a point - say halfway and only start the watch there?

 

The last two years I had a 6 hour battery life garmin. I just used it as stopwatch (so no GPS) and then stuck my bike GPS in my back pocket to record the run...but i paced myself based upon the stopwatch according to set checkpoints

[Chris_]

Stay ahead of the buk's 12hour bus   

Sorry bud, i just had to. Honestly i think either could work depending on other circumstances

 

Agreed the bus is the obvious one, but I don't want her to be at that point when you hear the bus come steamrolling down the road behind you, mentally that can be a killer

[Hacc]

My girlfriend has the small Tomtom gps watch. I'm pretty sure the battery will not manage a 12 hour comrades run.. My Fenix 3 will easily manage it so I haven't given this any thought.

 

Whats the best way to manage pacing? She's going for a finish.

 

Start at the race start and manage pace until it dies and then best-guess on the rest? 

 

Or I thought just now, maybe run to a point - say halfway and only start the watch there?

If she is just going for a finish I would think the second half is more important to time. 

My first Comrades my watch also died with 8kms to go. The sun started to set and I had no idea what my time is, I asked one or two fellow runners, one was to buggered to answer me... I finished under 11 hours. It is very stressful to run without a watch so close to the finish.

Edited May 15, 2017 by Hacc

[Hacc]

Agreed the bus is the obvious one, but I don't want her to be at that point when you hear the bus come steamrolling down the road behind you, mentally that can be a killer

Personally, I don't like busses and they stress me out.

If you can catch one for the last 10km or so then use them.

A 12-hour bus is just too close for comfort to use. I have seen it many times that bus drivers do a sprint finish and the bus falls apart. ( I know Buks is a good bus driver and he probably won't do it)

[Fat Boab]

My girlfriend has the small Tomtom gps watch. I'm pretty sure the battery will not manage a 12 hour comrades run.. My Fenix 3 will easily manage it so I haven't given this any thought.

 

Whats the best way to manage pacing? She's going for a finish.

 

Start at the race start and manage pace until it dies and then best-guess on the rest? 

 

Or I thought just now, maybe run to a point - say halfway and only start the watch there?

 

I'm ignorant of these watches and what 'madness' is required to run the Comrades....so BikeHub qualified to offer an opinion then!

 

What's the bare min pacing info required if one of these fancy watches dies? Race time? Something else?

[Chris_]

I like the idea of using it as a stopwatch, or even just a normal clock could be easyish to work out, as long as there are regular distance markers.

 

This is the first comrades for both of us so I have no idea what will be available out on the road.

 

Also, I suspect any chance of doing mental arithmetic after 10 or 11 hours of running will be near impossible...

[Hacc]

I like the idea of using it as a stopwatch, or even just a normal clock could be easyish to work out, as long as there are regular distance markers.

 

This is the first comrades for both of us so I have no idea what will be available out on the road.

 

Also, I suspect any chance of doing mental arithmetic after 10 or 11 hours of running will be near impossible...

There is a km countdown. In the second half, you get very excited when you see the white and red boards! 

 

I like the idea of using it as a stopwatch, or even just a normal clock could be easyish to work out, as long as there are regular distance markers.

 

This is the first comrades for both of us so I have no idea what will be available out on the road.

 

Also, I suspect any chance of doing mental arithmetic after 10 or 11 hours of running will be near impossible...

Counting kms, working out pace etc is really impossible in the last 15km or so. 

[Ferret69]

I like the idea of using it as a stopwatch, or even just a normal clock could be easyish to work out, as long as there are regular distance markers.

 

 

 

There are Massive Big Board distance markers every single km in Comrades, however unlike other races they work backwards on Distance "To GO" so the first you will see this year will be 86 kms TO GO...

 

So I would suggest you keep a Log of where you want to be at each 10km to go marker.... 80/70/60/50/40 etc etc

 

Also Drummond wont be exactly "halfway" so don't use the Banner at Drummond as your exactly halfway goal.

[Fat Boab]

I like the idea of using it as a stopwatch, or even just a normal clock could be easyish to work out, as long as there are regular distance markers.

 

This is the first comrades for both of us so I have no idea what will be available out on the road.

 

Also, I suspect any chance of doing mental arithmetic after 10 or 11 hours of running will be near impossible...

 

Pretty much where I was going. If I think on the bike, if I knew I was going to lose my Garmin, at some point, I'd want a couple of time-distance markers in my head, written on my hand or wherever, and a elapsed time 'normal' watch.

 

Those who have gone before, are far better informed than me whether the distance markers are loud and proud?

[Barry Stuart]

I'm ignorant of these watches and what 'madness' is required to run the Comrades....so BikeHub qualified to offer an opinion then!

 

What's the bare min pacing info required if one of these fancy watches dies? Race time? Something else?

Buks often creates pacing charts that account for different speeds at different parts of the race. Perhaps pick some of the major points and write the ETA for that stop down so you know if you're ahead or behind. You can either do permanent marker on the arm or stick it on a piece of card. I've had my race number sewn onto my shirt with the top section left open so that I can use it as a pocket (thanks for the handy tip, dad). Would be a good place for a pacing chart. Edited May 15, 2017 by Barry Stuart

[Hacc]

All novices should read this:

https://m.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%23thebigfive&ref=content_filter&tsid=0.3711295575348943&source=typeahead#!/story.php?story_fbid=1923708677842596&id=100006104470292&refid=8&ref=content_filter&__xt__=12.%7B%22unit_id_click_type%22%3A%22graph_search_results_item_tapped%22%2C%22click_type%22%3A%22result%22%2C%22module_id%22%3A65%2C%22result_id%22%3A%22100006104470292%3A10158504934515386%22%2C%22sid%22%3A%221111123542%22%2C%22module_role%22%3A%22FEED_GROUP_POSTS%22%2C%22unit_id%22%3A%22browse_rl%3A6481cc325481e87192089131d98e76ec%3Ac1%22%2C%22browse_result_type%22%3A%22browse_type_story%22%2C%22unit_id_result_id%22%3A10158504934515386%2C%22module_result_position%22%3A1%2C%22result_creation_time%22%3A1493949012%7D&__tn__=%2As

 

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[linnega]

You can use those snap-on pacing charts as an indication of pace, or the watch as a stopwatch only.  Honestly, most of the other functions are pretty useless during Comrades especially when "one foot in front of the other" becomes a mantra.  The best alternative though would be to borrow a watch with a 12 hour battery for the day.

[Barry Stuart]

Pretty much where I was going. If I think on the bike, if I knew I was going to lose my Garmin, at some point, I'd want a couple of time-distance markers in my head, written on my hand or wherever, and a elapsed time 'normal' watch.

 

Those who have gone before, are far better informed than me whether the distance markers are loud and proud?

 

Born2Run has just released a couple of pacing charts. Here are the sub 12 and sub 11 hour charts that Trad Cruickshank put together. He's handily colour coded the areas where you should conserve and where you can push on:

 

 

Edited May 15, 2017 by Barry Stuart

['Kaze Pete]

So I have another noob question, currently I have a pair of inov8 shoes with a 6mm heel to toe drop, but they are almost at the end of their life.

 

What else would be recommended with similar to the same drop but a bit cheaper?

The new model of the one I had is nearly 2k and I'm not keen to spend that much on a shoe just yet.

I had a pair of Road-X 233's (6mm drop) which i loved to bits, but they were chewed to bits by the dreadmill at the gym due to a mist-step by me. I tried the road-xtreme 220s (4mm drop, very little underfoot support) but all that happened was that I got hurt running anything over 5km.

 

All I can say is that 6mm drops are scarce! I eventually settled for the New Balance Vazee's which has a 8mm drop, but a lot of cushioning. Luckily they are allowing me to pick up mileage again!

 

PS: what is the new model's name?

Edited May 15, 2017 by 'Kaze Pete

[shaper]

Print your own pace band http://www.runnersworld.co.za/tools/pace-band/