ycowley Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Huge congrats to all the runners. You did BikeHub proud. Andrew Steer, Hacc, Bloukrans and 2 others 5
SeaBee Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Awesome! Well done all!  Now rest... Celebrate the momentousness of a major mission achieved - and rest! Stretch, Hacc and Andrew Steer 3
Khronis Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Its a big achievement just to get to the start line so well done to all that finished ! Hacc, Andrew Steer and Stretch 3
Bloukrans Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 How is everybody feeling? I am stiff as hell.. Snd very sore in some places.Well done everyone!! Andrew Steer 1
Stretch Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) How is everybody feeling? I am stiff as hell.. Snd very sore in some places. took two myprodols last night to ease the stifness and one sleeping tablet...my wife tells me i was moaning that the tablet wasnt working and then suddenly went quiet. Slept without budging for 9 hours! only real issue is a sore upper palette - which is a sign of slight dehydration. I was trying to balance being hydrated without being over-hydrated and obviously got it slightly wrong. Edited June 5, 2017 by Stretch Andrew Steer, Bloukrans and Lexx 3
Stretch Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 days like yesterday...i think of my favourite saying....and what comrades is all about "I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions, facing the blind, deaf stone alone with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."Primo Levi in this case...your legs and your own head! Bloukrans, Hacc, Lexx and 2 others 5
b-rad Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Completed my first Comrades. What a fantastic event. The spirit on the route is awesome! I was running on Bill Rowan pace and went through half in about 4h29 intending to run Bill Rowan or as close as possible to it. All was going well until my groin started niggling slightly in the 30s. I thought it would be temporary but not to be. Tried to stick with the last sub 9 bus in the 50s but running was becoming rather uncomfortable so from there on it was mostly walking till the finish...walked the last 12 or so kms Was frustrating watching everyone running past but at the same time I got to take in the terrific support on the side of the road. No negative splits here...second half took me about 6h10 to finish in 10h38 Glad I pushed on to finish as quitting wasn't an option. Â Well done to everyone who participated- Comrades is a truly special event and something everyone should attempt. Tubehunter, Chris_, Bloukrans and 9 others 12
ScottCM Posted June 5, 2017 Author Posted June 5, 2017 took two myprodols last night to ease the stifness and one sleeping tablet...my wife tells me i was moaning that the tablet wasnt working and then suddenly went quiet. Slept without budging for 9 hours! only real issue is a sort upper palette - which is a sign of slight dehydration. I was trying to balance being hydrated without being over-hydrated and obviously got it slightly wrong. Could be that you got your hydration spot on, as i find whenever i take an anti-inflammatory, painkiller or sleeping pill that i always have a dry mouth even if i haven't done any exercise that day. once again, massive congrats on your bill dude. Stretch and Tubehunter 2
Barry Stuart Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL? Those of you who have done that more than once are nuts. That was without doubt the toughest thing I've ever done. I went through some serious dark patches at about 50km and spent the next 37 kays in constant negotiation with myself. Every part of me wanted to quit. Running downhill and flat was no less painful than running uphill, it was only faster. I was behind the clock for a Bill with about 25km to go and I was nearly crying at the realization that I wasn't going to make it but my wife told me to woman up, bite down and keep pushing. We managed to get some really decent km splits heading towards Polly's. Wherever it was flat or downhill we were able to stick in 5 minute kays but at the slightest hint of an uphill there were loud pops and smoke pouring out of my legs as they came to a grinding halt. But we banked enough time for me to run/walk up that godforsaken hill. My wife charged up Polly's and I had to watch her disappear, the legs just had nothing. All I could do was spot a tree and swear through gritted teeth as I ran to it and then enjoy the reward of a short walk. Rinse and repeat. Once over, the adrenalin kicked in as I realized a Bill was still an option and I pushed hard for the finish, eventually catching the first Sub 9 bus on the grass of the final straight and finishing in 8:54 (Jess had smashed sub 5 minute kays the whole way from Polly's and finished well ahead of me. Women are ****** tough!). I will NEVER forget the experience. The idea of seeing that finish line felt like a surreal impossibility for most of that race. The payoff line for Comrades is so perfect; it takes all of you. It took everything I had inside but, more significantly, it took every runner that gave me advice on training or joined me for a run, every supporter that called my name on my Bib, every runner that came past and gave me encouragement, every random person on the side of the road offering their own oranges or water. Without any of those people there's just no way I could have finished. The spirit of the Comrades is finally something I understand. This is a pretty special memory. Edited June 5, 2017 by Barry Stuart Chris_, candz1, Stretch and 11 others 14
candz1 Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 We were waiting for our friends at top of Pollys, missed most of the Hubbers because I forgotten my numbers of Hubbers running at home so couldnt track them but was v happy to see Stretchy going well and most of my other mad friends.  We were running up and down Pollys in the last 10 mins trying to get people to walk faster to avoid the cutoff time...was so sad when the gun went at the top of Polly's to see the disappointment in the runners and relief in others.  Lots of tears shed with them but if they couldnt get to Pollys cutoff they wouldve made it to the finish.  Well done to all of you for even getting onto the start line..you guys are all heroes (albeit mad in the head heroes) in my eyes! Andrew Steer, Tubehunter, Stretch and 3 others 6
Stretch Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Â Â . All I could do was spot a tree and swear through gritted teeth as I ran to it and then enjoy the reward of a short walk. Rinse and repeat. Once over, the adrenalin kicked in as I realized a Bill was still an option and I pushed hard for the finish.That is the only way to do comrades. Well done! Barry Stuart and Andrew Steer 2
Lexx Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Is it only me, or do you guys/girls also think the finish venue was crap. There was no directions on how to get in or get out, and Parking was a disaster. SwissVan, Hacc and Andrew Steer 3
ErenR Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Hi guys and girls, I'm Eren. Having been following this awesome thread for a few months already. Congrats to all the comrades finishers and some that didn't, who could like me, have been following this thread but have not responded. My bad for not posting sooner  Initially stumbled across this post, when trying to select a good watch for comrades that would last 12 hrs with gps on. Eventually made a choice on Garmin FR 935, but sadly not available in SA yet. I had to do comrades using my Applewatch stop watch. Was tough not having access to the metrics I'm used to in training. I finished in 11:46 yesterday for my first comrades yesterday. Started training on the final day of comrades registration and put in around 800km on the legs since then. I don't think I would have done this had I not found this thread. I read every single post, some more than once. This got me through yesterday's suicide mission. Thanks again....and sorry for being one of those covert readers  Eren Barry Stuart, Tubehunter, Stretch and 14 others 17
Tubehunter Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Hahahaha! Welcome Eren!!!! Stoked you had both the courage to tackle the Comrades and gutspah to post up about it here after! Hopefully you'll share more race reports as you progress! CONGRATS on your finish! WELL DONE!Â
Stretch Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Is it only me, or do you guys/girls also think the finish venue was crap. There was no directions on how to get in or get out, and Parking was a disaster.Being discussed over multiple beers here at stokers SwissVan and Lexx 2
ScottCM Posted June 5, 2017 Author Posted June 5, 2017 Welcome Eren, and congrats on your brilliant achievement. Now dont be a stranger and go join the Bikehub group on strava  https://www.strava.com/clubs/bikehubsa Hacc 1
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