Category: The 16 Facets
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2013 Taper day 9
Staleness Woke up easily for my run but felt stale and uninspired. Unusual. I didn’t look forward to running as I normally do. I worked through whether I have been running too much. not really. The alternative of going to the gym and cycling a bit, or doing the circuit didn’t inspire me either. When…
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Notes from 1946
Notes from 1946 For 6 years through the World War II years, the Comrades Marathon wasn’t run. In 1946 it started again with a field of 22 of which 8 finished. Winner in a time of 7:02:40 was Bill Cochrane, who had also won the 1935 run. Morris Alexander in his book The Comrades Story…
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Fear
You can call it Fear. It’s more. It’s the real you, the you that has to do the hard miles, asking the ego-you that one that likes to talk and dream and take chances: Are you doing the right things now? Do you have the right run-day plan? Can you handle a hilly 87 km…
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2013 Taper – 3
Tapering – tweaking the power Day 1 rest Day 2 easy 8 km (mapmyrun.com says its 8.72) Day 3 the same 8 km. This time pushing harder in the last 3.5 km, surging on the 6 little hills, easy on the 30-50 m between. Not too much but faster than yesterday. 1 min 20 faster…
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1922 Winner’s thoughts
Arthur Newton Winner of the second Comrades race in 1922 Arthur Newton commented after his win: “It isn’t my fault I won. If Phillips and Rowan hadn’t cut out at such a terrific pace at the start they would both have finished in front of me, because they are both better runners.” Isn’t that a…
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The taper idea
The taper theory Having built distance into the legs and reaching the peak mileage week, the next and last phase of Comrades training is the taper. The idea of the taper is to lessen the weekly distance run (mostly the long run of the week) while increasing the intensity of running, so that the effort-demand stays…
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The longest week done
Comrades Training Theory The short version of the theory of the distance part of Comrades training is this: Starting with what you can cope with in January run weeks of increasing mileage so that first 10 weeks average is rounghly 10% less than the second 10 weeks average with a once a week long run…
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The longest week
So it begins … The only way really to simulate the demands of Comrades without running it and without breaking down: The highest mileage and hardest work week, at the end of 4 weeks of increasing mileage and effort work. My target is the Comrades run distance of 87 km. There are still 5 days to…
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Pushing the limits
Peak Distance Weeks The idea of Comrades training is always to push your running limits closer of the demands of the run, even to meet the demands if we can. Running lots to make you stronger, without breaking you down. My plan is always to build to a peak-distance week 3, preferably 4 weeks before…
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Reaching my limits
I must be getting to my limits. I’m not sleeping right. I go to sleep early to get a proper sleep and wake, after 4 hours feeling awful but unable to sleep again Nor am I eating right. I pick at food, eat junk and less healthy food because its easier and don’t make sure…