Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I dunno... I'm not sold on Comrades. The carrot is there as an achievement and bucket list race due to it's history and status locally, but that said, I would rather run Puffer or a 100miler. The views and the places you will get to/see/experience have more allure for the same amount of training. I'm not a roadie though, so I am immediately drawn towards races that tick those boxes. 1 x qualifier and 2 Oceans are the extent of my annual road running calendar!Definitely plenty prettier races, tougher races etc out there, that's not really what Comrades is about. If I think about it, probably the no.1 reason to run Comrades is that experience of doing something this hard with so many people along for the journey... All shapes, all sizes, all different backgrounds, all on the same team - all fighting that brutal route and the endless demons it throws at you as you run together dreaming of that finish line. Yes folks, the FOMO is real Hacc and Jewbacca 2
Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I know right. I can't wait to read what he has to say about Two Oceans........... Oceans is awesome, but it's not Comrades. It's far too sensible...
Iron Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 Join your wife next yeari cant run that far, then she beats me and i have to make coffee or something silly for a year a hear Andrew Steer 1
Edgar Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) You'll see I commented on that article. The fact that the author says he "blew" makes him come across as ignorant. It was like he had no knowledge of the objective the JW had in mind from the onset. All you had to do was look at his splits to see that. The author seems to have a very big chip on his shoulder about JW that it was clouding his judgement. Truth remains that the up run record is still held by a doper... But I agree with his comments that they're had been intensive drug testing in the last 10 to 15 years. I did see your comment on the splits, spot on. Unfortunately a lot of people take what journalists say as fact and don't interrogate it much. Cuan is conflicted as a journalist as he is involved in the nedbank team i.m.o. Although he does seem to try stay neutral. Intensive testing might be a little strong. (not insinuating any wrongdoing) AA also commented and states only 7 tests this year. Hardly intensive for a Elite athlete, we don't know how many times the others were tested. Blood or Urine. Further, he anecdotally says Cuan observed testing at the Dullstroom Camp with athlete tested several times. Can we assume AA had several of those 7 tests then? If an athlete was doping, unlikely that they would be doing it aggressively in the middle of race season and 6-8 weeks out from race day. Edited June 19, 2019 by Edgar Stretch and Andrew Steer 2
Stretch Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 If I was still in SA..I would be running comrades every year . Just because. I realised this year that I had zero FOMO and that I was content with my 3 medals. It is a great race and is very much part of who I am because I grew up on the route. I would never ever discount it's history, heritage and importance... But I still think it takes away the focus of other important aspects of running too much in SA Jewbacca and Odinson 2
Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I did see your comment on the splits, spot on. Unfortunately a lot of people take what journalists say as fact and don't interrogate it much. Cuan is conflicted as a journalist as he is involved in the nedbank team i.m.o. Although he does seem to try stay neutral. Intensive testing might be a little strong. (not insinuating any wrongdoing) AA also commented and states only 7 tests this year. Hardly intensive for a Elite athlete, we don't know how many times the others were tested. Blood or Urine. Further, he anecdotally says Cuan observed testing at the Dullstroom Camp with athlete tested several times. Can we assume AA had several of those 7 tests then? If an athlete was doping, unlikely that they would be doing it aggressively in the middle of race season and 6-8 weeks out from race day.Agreed People who were tested 50+ times a year were doping and never got caught... that's the unfortunate reality.It's near impossible to catch someone who is say micro-dosing on epo, or who has a team doctor keeping them within limits of a blood passport ping at all times, so as long as the money and prestige makes it worth it, you'll have cheats, and we can all guess til we're blue in the face as to who they may or may not be. JW could we be a doper, the Comrades winners could be dopers... but nobody knows.It's all just speculation until you find that runner his hand in the cookie jar. Edgar, Iron and Lexx 3
Stretch Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 Agreed People who were tested 50+ times a year were doping and never got caught... that's the unfortunate reality.It's near impossible to catch someone who is say micro-dosing on epo, or who has a team doctor keeping them within limits of a blood passport ping at all times, so as long as the money and prestige makes it worth it, you'll have cheats, and we can all guess til we're blue in the face as to who they may or may not be. JW could we be a doper, the Comrades winners could be dopers... but nobody knows.It's all just speculation until you find that runner his hand in the cookie jar.I think it would also be naive to think that Bruce and the boys back in the day weren't doping either......... Lexx, ScottCM, Andrew Steer and 3 others 6
Jewbacca Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 Agreed People who were tested 50+ times a year were doping and never got caught... that's the unfortunate reality.It's near impossible to catch someone who is say micro-dosing on epo, or who has a team doctor keeping them within limits of a blood passport ping at all times, so as long as the money and prestige makes it worth it, you'll have cheats, and we can all guess til we're blue in the face as to who they may or may not be. JW could we be a doper, the Comrades winners could be dopers... but nobody knows.It's all just speculation until you find that runner his hand in the cookie jar.It's also relevant to suggest that they don't know what to test for. A lot of EPO dopers were caught after the fact, once they knew to test for it. I'm almost certain guys are developing all sorts of methods that our doping agencies don't know how to detect yet. I'm going as far as suggesting soon we will be dealing with genetically modified athletes....... Andrew Steer and Odinson 2
Lexx Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I think it would also be naive to think that Bruce and the boys back in the day weren't doping either.........That's True. Charl Mattheus was stripped of his medal.
Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I think it would also be naive to think that Bruce and the boys back in the day weren't doping either.........Which is probably my biggest worry when one looks at very prominent running clubs and their management. The cycle is hard to break Edgar and Lexx 2
Odinson Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 It's also relevant to suggest that they don't know what to test for. A lot of EPO dopers were caught after the fact, once they knew to test for it. I'm almost certain guys are developing all sorts of methods that our doping agencies don't know how to detect yet. I'm going as far as suggesting soon we will be dealing with genetically modified athletes....... Like my food, I prefer my athletes non-GMO. Jewbacca 1
Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 It's also relevant to suggest that they don't know what to test for. A lot of EPO dopers were caught after the fact, once they knew to test for it. I'm almost certain guys are developing all sorts of methods that our doping agencies don't know how to detect yet. I'm going as far as suggesting soon we will be dealing with genetically modified athletes.......Anti-doping is the illusion of clean sport. Very sad, but true. Heard stories of the Chinese athletes being genetically boosted long gone... I'm just gonna stick my head back in the sand though and enjoy the spectacle Chris_ and Jewbacca 2
Andrew Steer Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 Like my food, I prefer my athletes non-GMO. You'll find any angle to bring in your diet Odinson Odinson and jdwet1980 2
Chris_ Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 .... being a donkey. .../3:40 marathon ... ScottCM, Andrew Steer, Jewbacca and 1 other 4
Fruity Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I think it would also be naive to think that Bruce and the boys back in the day weren't doping either.........I don't get doping. I would much rather be dopping, a few Amstel's, on a Saturday afternoon.
Stretch Posted June 19, 2019 Posted June 19, 2019 I don't get doping. I would much rather be dopping, a few Amstel's, on a Saturday afternoon.Beer mile it is for you then...4:24 is the current record.... Off you go Fruity 1
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