Cyclists with a "Running" Problem

[ScottCM]

The old comrades runners will tell you about the time when marathon qualifying time used to be 41/2 Hrs and the comrades cut off 11 hrs

 

 

Those were the days....

 

I remember waking up early, running down the road to "Old Main Road' in Gillettes / Kloof waiting for the runners to come past. I would spend the entire day helping who ever was manning the "Coke" table that year. Totally unauthorised but year after no one ever complained or got upset at this kid (8 - 14years old) getting in the way and spilling coke everywhere.

This was when my dream of running the big C started, and in keeping the tradition of old, why I want to finish my first in under 11 hours, hence my postponement for this year.

[Stretch]

Those were the days....

 

I remember waking up early, running down the road to "Old Main Road' in Gillettes / Kloof waiting for the runners to come past. I would spend the entire day helping who ever was manning the "Coke" table that year. Totally unauthorised but year after no one ever complained or got upset at this kid (8 - 14years old) getting in the way and spilling coke everywhere.

This was when my dream of running the big C started, and in keeping the tradition of old, why I want to finish my first in under 11 hours, hence my postponement for this year.

Same here... Was quite an emotional thing for me running post my house in Jesmond road last year.... Spent my youth watching Fordyce, bester, Robb, Briggs, mtolo and gang all sprinting down there... We used to collect hundreds upon hundreds of sponges for some reason too.

 

My feeling is that you should be aiming for 11 hours... Not saying 12 hours isn't an achievement or anything.... Just that it's always been 11 hours for me (despite 12 hours being around for 16 years already!).. Go for 11.. . If you don't make it you get the Vic easy... If you do.. You get the bronze!

[SwissVan]

Historically..... the original cut off time for the first few runs was 12 hrs

 

From http://www.comrades.com/home-about/history-of-comrades

 

....In fact many of the traditions that exist now, at the turn of the century, were established in that first decade. The starting time for the first race in 1921 was 07h00 and the time limit was 12 hours. In 1922, the race saw its first enduring change -- the starting time was altered to 06h00 to accommodate the back runners who finished in the dark. It was only in 1928 that the time limit was revised to its present day eleven hours. One could only imagine if there was any controversy on this issue. Certainly if the time limit were chopped by an hour to day, it would be material for an independent Presidential Commission of Enquiry. But fields were small in those days, and the world on balance seemed a more congenial place.

That never the less, would have had fairly serious consequences on the results between 1921 and 1927.

Of the 16 official finishers in the inaugural race, ten would not have finished if the current time limit were imposed. By 1927 the quality of the field had improved, but eight of the 21 finishers ran home between 11 hours and the cut-off, a sizeable 38% of the medallists....

[SwissVan]

Those were the days....

 

I remember waking up early, running down the road to "Old Main Road' in Gillettes / Kloof waiting for the runners to come past. I would spend the entire day helping who ever was manning the "Coke" table that year. Totally unauthorised but year after no one ever complained or got upset at this kid (8 - 14years old) getting in the way and spilling coke everywhere.

This was when my dream of running the big C started, and in keeping the tradition of old, why I want to finish my first in under 11 hours, hence my postponement for this year.

 

Me too, except not living in the area it was a case of waking up, getting the coffee and rusks out and moving to the lounge under a blanket to watch all day...strange how even in those days before i was interested in endurance sports how we as a family used to do this, year after year.

 

Its actually why i stated running after finishing national service in the 80's, but sadly never ever got around to actually running it due to injury and then wisdom

[Stretch]

Me too, except not living in the area it was a case of waking up, getting the coffee and rusks out and moving to the lounge under a blanket to watch all day...strange how even in those days before i was interested in endurance sports how we as a family used to do this, year after year.

 

Its actually why i stated running after finishing national service in the 80's, but sadly never ever got around to actually running it due to injury and then wisdom

 

back in the days when it finished at the harry Gwala soccer (then cricket and Jan Smuts) stadium we used to watch Fordyce go down jesmond and then rush inside just to catch him finishing.

 

Talking about the early days...a mates father can claim he once came 52nd in the comrades Marathon...even though he was second to last! Its actually an awesome story....three of them decided to run (as you do) over a beer 3 months before the event. Total training was 150km and on the day they ran in tomy takkie type shoes. They were seconded by a guy that was reading a technique of hydration through small sips..so he used to allow them a few sips of water every 5 to 10km. By late in the afternoon near the top of Botha's Hill he sat on a bollard and told the second he was done and that was it. In an effort to motivate him he told him that hos mate was just ahead of him and tired but plodding on (meanwhile he was sitting metres away in the rob Roy hotel eating a steak and drinking a beer)...In fact both of his mates were out. He told his second he would carry on on one condition...if he could drink the entire bottle!...and so he did. Early in the evening and with the sun firmly beyond the horizon he trumbled into Durban in amongst traffic of supporters leaving a sporting match. Eventually someone jumped out his car and stopped and directed traffic for him all the way to the finish

 

 

so yes Dracs...you can even do it with less than 200km training!

[ScottCM]

Same here... Was quite an emotional thing for me running post my house in Jesmond road last year.... Spent my youth watching Fordyce, bester, Robb, Briggs, mtolo and gang all sprinting down there... We used to collect hundreds upon hundreds of sponges for some reason too.

 

My feeling is that you should be aiming for 11 hours... Not saying 12 hours isn't an achievement or anything.... Just that it's always been 11 hours for me (despite 12 hours being around for 16 years already!).. Go for 11.. . If you don't make it you get the Vic easy... If you do.. You get the bronze!

 

Ditto, don't ask me why, but at the time it seemed like cool idea.

[dracs]

Me too, except not living in the area it was a case of waking up, getting the coffee and rusks out and moving to the lounge under a blanket to watch all day...strange how even in those days before i was interested in endurance sports how we as a family used to do this, year after year.

 

Its actually why i stated running after finishing national service in the 80's, but sadly never ever got around to actually running it due to injury and then wisdom

 

So must still be on the bucket list then surely?

[SwissVan]

So must still be on the bucket list then surely?

 

Jaaaa Neee swaar

I'm older and wiser now

 

Would like to..... eks bang...maybe one day

 

Me too, except not living in the area it was a case of waking up, getting the coffee and rusks out and moving to the lounge under a blanket to watch all day...strange how even in those days before i was interested in endurance sports how we as a family used to do this, year after year.

 

Its actually why i stated running after finishing national service in the 80's, but sadly never ever got around to actually running it due to injury and then wisdom

[Ferret69]

So on a Completely different topic

 

What's the Thoughts on these New Vitality Rewards points taking affect 2 April?

 

If you haven't seen what's coming yet let me know and ill post the new Structure..

 

Before you send me packing to the other forum I'm asking here as most Cyclists believe 4 x 90min cycles a week will get them their easy and no problem..

 

As Runners not so Much..  To start I haven't bought the watch, I have a national Virgin membership so get no benefits there...  and even though I do take advantage of my 2 smoothies a week it isn't the be all and end all.... however the Free flights were looking appealing. And obviously staying on Diamond is a Must so I need my 90 000.

 

I'm a pretty Decent Runner training for a Silver Comrades, i'm fit and have a very Low HR... Not blowing my own trumpet but setting the scene..

 

My Current Vitality Goal is the soft max at 1200 and has been from day 1.

 

Lets take a Hard weeks training in April.. based on the fact I run 6 days a week, 2 at High Intensity and 4 at lower intensity...

 

New Points HR value takes Moderate from 70-79% and Vigorous from 80% +

 

I'm 38 so my Moderate is 126+ and Vigorous 146+

 

Monday - 12kms - approx. 56 mins - 4.40 per km - +- 128 HR  - Moderate  - 100 Points

Tuesday - 15kms with Track/Intervals etc  -63 mins -  4.10 per km +- 140HR with rests - 100 Points

Wednesday - Midweek Long Run 22kms - 1h40 - 4.45 per k - 128HR - 300 Points

Thursday - 15kms with Hills - 67 mins - 4.30 per km - 140 HR with Rest - 100 Points

Friday Rest

Saturday - 15 km Easy - 5 min per km - 75mins - 123 HR - 100 Points (not for the 15km run as its below moderate so just for the 10 000 steps)

Sunday - 35-40km Long Run - 4.45 per km - 133 HR - 300 Points

 

So that's a 119km Week, pretty solid - 1000 Points???? I'm on the hub strava group so you can check that's about a normal week at normal paces and HR readings..

 

Even if I do my Gym at Virgin on my Rest Day ill get an extra 100 - still not there.

 

No Smoothie, No target , No Reward..

 

How is this fair when other people only have to swipe their card at a Gym to get the same 100 points I will get for a 15km run at 4.30 per km??

 

If I change my intensities to get over the 146HR or increase any of my midweek runs to get over 90mins this will play havoc with my base Training and is obviously not worth wrecking your Comrades fro a few smoothies..

 

Only way I see around this is making sire you do a Road race at least once a week for the Bigger event Points...

 

What's your thoughts once you have done the Math... Sorry for the long winded write up..

Edited March 3, 2016 by Ferret69

[Stretch]

Ferret - I was under the impression that you could benefits from walking x amount of steps per day...all that said - I am on Profmed and they use momentum multiply which is about as useful as tits on  bull

[NotSoBigBen]

The old comrades runners will tell you about the time when marathon qualifying time used to be 41/2 Hrs and the comrades cut off 11 hrs

 

 

 

Used Johnson Crane as both my qualifiers (finished around 4:10) then stressed to finish in the cut off for my 2 attempts!

 

[Ferret69]

Ferret - I was under the impression that you could benefits from walking x amount of steps per day...all that said - I am on Profmed and they use momentum multiply which is about as useful as tits on  bull

 

 

Used to be, New structure is just a basic 100 Points for 10 000+ steps

 

0 for anything less.

 

So pretty much the same as any Run over 70% Ave HR for more than 30mins. Or a visit to the Gym, a Round of Golf etc etc

 

See Multiply have amazing pricing on Garmins etc though... like the 920XT for 5k as opposed to us on the Discovery platform spending 8k and getting 25% in cash back to make it 6k.

[Stretch]

Used to be, New structure is just a basic 100 Points for 10 000+ steps

 

0 for anything less.

 

So pretty much the same as any Run over 70% Ave HR for more than 30mins. Or a visit to the Gym, a Round of Golf etc etc

 

See Multiply have amazing pricing on Garmins etc though... like the 920XT for 5k as opposed to us on the Discovery platform spending 8k and getting 25% in cash back to make it 6k.

 

 

yeah...when i needed a Garmin I joined..bought it...and then cancelled 

[SwissVan]

Used Johnson Crane as both my qualifiers (finished around 4:10) then stressed to finish in the cut off for my 2 attempts!

 

Comrades_Results.JPG

Well done, you did 2 more than me.

I entered in 89 or 88 kind of at the last minute and then got ITB and flu after increasing my training way to much in a short space of time

[SwissVan]

Used Johnson Crane as both my qualifiers (finished around 4:10) then stressed to finish in the cut off for my 2 attempts!

 

Comrades_Results.JPG

Well done, you did 2 more than me.

I entered in 89 or 88 kind of at the last minute and then got ITB and flu after increasing my training way to much in a short space of time

[dracs]

Jaaaa Neee swaar

I'm older and wiser now

 

Would like to..... eks bang...maybe one day

 

But in 10 years time, you might look back and think "Jislaaik, I was still young and stupid enough in 2017, and could have done it...."

 

 

Jis dooo iiiiiitttttttt.......