The Comrades Up Run

The up run

It is evident from the profile below that what lies ahead in the up run is no trivial feat.  You will climb for 40 km tackling 3 big hills in the first half of the race, namely Cowies, Fields and Botha’s Hill. The first half of the up run will probably be the toughest standard marathon (42 km) you’ll ever run.

Comrades Up run route profile, it is evident that you will star climbing from the first kilometer. 
Picture Credit: J Hanna

The night before the race

The night before the race you will not sleep at all. You’ll plan, like all of us do, to be in bed by 7 pm with the intention of being up by 2 am the next morning. In bed you will be for sure, asleep NO.  You will toss and turn, waking up to go to the bathroom and checking your watch. The time will be moving, at around 1 am sleep will come and it will come in a form of a deep sleep,  you will go into a deep sleep for about an hour or so and then it’s time to wake up.So it is advised that you have enough sleep (at least 8 hours) during the nights leading up to the race. Sex before the race? As Bruce Fordyce puts it “There’s nothing wrong with having sex the night before Comrades as long as you don’t stay up all night looking for it”.

The Start

It is much easier to get to Durban than it is to get to Pietermaritzburg, there are more roads leading into the city and more accommodation. By 3 am the mood is very festive, the streets resemble a Brazilian carnival or a modern day jamboree, you could easily mistake it for a rock concert, Woodstock or a Soweto football derby (up the Bucs) no guessing where my allegiance lies, okay back to running now.

There are long queues at the toilets, bright lights everywhere, music playing. It is important not to be overwhelmed by the festivities, they can be energy sapping and that's the last thing you want before running a hilly 87 km race. In 2015 I witnessed one runner being overwhelmed by the music, he started dancing and as he was walking on the pavement he missed a step and twisted his ankle and that was the end of his very short comrades. Talking about being overwhelmed by the atmosphere, I witnessed another sad soul who decided that running on the beach the Friday before the race was a good idea, come Saturday morning he was limping to the breakfast table needless to say that was the end of his comrades marathon.

You need to get to the start very early, the toilet queues are along so you want to get that sorted out so that you can be in your hard earned seeding pens in time.

On the up run, in Durban the streets are wider and there is more lighting than in Maritzburg, so you can cross the start line quicker (remember Comrades is gun to gun and not mat to mat). In Durban it will take roughly 8 mins for an H seeded runner to cross the start line whereas it will take them 10 mins in Maritzburg every single minute counts.

The official ceremony will start about 5:00 am with the singing of Shosholoza and then the National anthem you will witness a few teary eyes and then finally Max Trimbourne’s cockcrow. The city mayor will fire the gun off at 5:30 am sharp, A and B seedings start running immediately C and D a trot E downwards it will be a frustrating walk for them for at least 4 mins. Average expected temp is about 11 degrees Celsius, 2013 was an exceptional year where we saw temperatures in the mid to late teens degrees Celsius.

This is the start of the 2013 Comrades Marathon, it was an exceptionally hot year this was also my maiden run, so I knew no better.

Max Trimbourne sounding the cockcrow in the 1948 edition of the Comrades marathon

First Half

The first half of the Comrades up run is tough really tough and it's scary just have a like at the route profile, and you’ll understand why. It is energy sapping and requires a lot of energy to conquer those hills. The first 1 km in Durban is flat, but then you on ramp onto the motor way and you start climbing, so you literally start climbing after a kay or so. Historically the up run used to start way up in Berea because the organisers thought it was too a steep hill to start the race in Durban. Climbing at such an early stage of the race is a disheartening and my offset your average race pace, but the trick here is patience and confidence in your training and pacing strategy. I’ve seen pacing charts lying (assume thrown) on the road as early as Cowie's Hill (16 km into the race).

45^th cutting comes at about 7 km  into the race, it is a decent hill but you probably will not feel it as it’s still early in the race and  it's still dark too. At about this point you will off ramp the motor way and get into Jan Smut Avenue, Mayville/Sherwood (7 km). The leading runner will go past this mark in about 25 minutes (average pace 3:35) the first lady in 29 minutes (average pace 4:08). Bill Rowan bus (usually lead by Johan van Tonder) will go through here at 44 minutes (avg pace 6:17).

There is a bridge just over Jan Smuts Avenue in Mayville you’ll find a lot of runners under that bridge fertilizing and watering the soil, so do tread carefully if you need to make a "pit stop" as it's still very dark. From 45^th cutting to Westville are rolling hills which feel very good on the down run but now not so good on the up run, by the time you get to Westville you would have been climbing for about 12 km.

Cowies Hill lies 17 km in to the race and is 366 metres above sea level (now that’s some serious climbing there), it is the first of the big five hills and the first "hot spot", there’s also a mounted TV camera there, so please do smile at the camera as this is probably the only chance that you still look decent. The first elite athletes will go over Cowies 17 km at just under an hour, this will typically be your “rabbits” or TV runners, the main contenders will be about 2 mins behind and in this group are some of the fiercest ultra-marathon runners.  The first ladies will crest in 1:13. (average pace 4:13).

Cowies Hill will take you into Pinetown where the mood is festive and there’s a lot of support. The stretch through Pinetown is a 4 km long, in 2015 there was an additional 800 metre loop due to road works (that loop added an hour to my finish time hehe).

   

After Pinetown you get on to the motorway to tackle Fields Hill (the second of the BIG FIVE) it lies 480 m above sea level and is 3,2 km long. You are 21 km into the race, up to now you would’ve done a half marathon which can be compared to the “king of the mountain” Pirates 21 km,I hope you get the picture. Those long hill repeats you did in your training run are going to come in handy now. Patience is the name of the game, there’s no shame in walking, walk before you need to walk (remember Caroline?), don’t forget to breath, shorten your strides and have a deliberate conversation (even if it’s with yourself) to gauge your thermometer. Remember how painful it was running down Fields Hill last year on the down run?  Now this is where the up run starts. Patience is key do not panic. You will start asking yourself a lot of questions, self-doubt will visit you numerous times you need to keep calm and trust your training. You are not the only one hurting. I’ve seen a lot of pacing charts already lying on the road as early as this stage of the race. This is where the damage gets done, the quads are going to work overtime, but you would have done the necessary strength and cross training to tackle this beast isn’t it? In order to conquer the up run you need to do a lot of strength training, I find hill repeats and cycling a good way to get strong. Bruce Fordyce always liked the up run and he’d do hill training on Sweet Hoogte in Auckland Park with the former world marathon champ Mark Plaatjies. You’ll climb from Fields Hill 21 km (3.2 km) going through the villages of Kloof and Hillcrest all the way to Botha’s Hill. I love the part of the race because of the support, but it’s also tempting to stop for a chat when your see a familiar face, don’t stop just keep moving forward.

Here you see the elite warriors leaving Pinetown and are now about to tackle Fields Hill

Caroline Worstmann doing strength training which helps in avoiding injuries and to use all your muscles optimally when running.

Fields Hill  - In this running bunch are some of the fiercest ultra marathoners in the world tackling one of the toughest road races on earth.

Botha's Hill - Botha is pronounced differently in KZN the “th” is an English “th” like how you would pronounce the “th” in "throw", my friend from Hillcrest always reminds me of this. You will climb from 21 km to 37 km to Botha's Hill. Botha’s Hill lies 37 km into the race, is 2.3 km long and 740 metres above sea level. You will be greeted by the boys from the prestigious Kearsney College. By now you would have tackled 3 of the big 5 hills, you should ideally be feeling “strong”. There’s as a little bit of rest from the top of Botha’s Hill.

From Botha’s Hill there’s a long downhill into halfway mark –Drummond, you need to get to Drummond “fresh” the hills in the first half need to be approached with caution, walk, walk, walk. Don’t be shy to walking we saw what Caroline did in 2015. Guys leave your testosterone at home, mind you the competition is getting quite tough and at times nasty amongst the ladies too {say no more}.


Second Half

The second half is easier than the first half, however given that you’ve being climbing for an odd 42 km and have completed your toughest marathon with another marathon and a park run to contend with, easy is relative.

Drummond 43.7 km is a hype of festivities, a lot of the clubs will have their gazebos there. If your family and friends are supporting you, this is the best place to be, it’s tricky to get to, but this is probably where you would need them the most. It can get congested at times, make sure your tell your seconder to keep an eye out for you and give them them your ETA (to the closest hour at least haha).

I call Drummond the "belly of the beast" its a nice dip into it, the crowds spur you on and you feel good, or at least you should, given that you’ve covered half the distance of the race. But getting out of the “belly of the beast” is a task and a half. You have to contend with the mighty Inchanga which is a 3 km climb. Inchanga has got a lot of twists, turns and false summits. I remember driving this route with my friends in 2015 and we counted about 13 turns. I then cycled the route in the Amashova Cycle challenge (DBN to PMB) it was a scary ride going down doing speeds of close to 70 km per hour, now imagine running up Inchanga. In the second half, the gradual slopes are more forgiving if you’ve been patient in the first half. Out of Inchanga 50 km you would have conquered 4 of the big 5 hills, pat yourself on the back, 37 km to go now. There's a nice gentle downhill for 4 km towards the Ethembeni School (a school for children with special needs), very inspirational for me personally.

Peter Molapo, Gift Kelehe (2015 winner) and Harmans Mokgadi going through halfway

We are heading to Harrison Flats it is dry and lonely, theres no shade not many spectators or support. This where you can get you momentum going, provided you’ve been patient in the first half. There are a few climbs, you can have a faster leg turnover, so your track  and fartlek training will come in handy here. RAC, one the biggest and oldest running club in the country, hosts a 10 km run 2 weeks before Comrades. Now you may wonder why such a big club would do that, it is purely to fine tune your legs for Comrades. The high mileage during March and April would have devoured you speed, your legs would have been used to running at slower paces for longer runs. Urban legend has it that back in the days if you couldn’t run the RAC 10 km under 37 minutes you were better off staying at home and watching the race on TV or better yet seconding the other club runners who had run sub 37 minutes. It is also no coincident that the Cross Country season starts in May and by the time you go to Comrades there would have been 2 or 3 cross country races. Cross country is a good way to fine tune those legs for the last kilometers of the up run.

Cato ridge is about 57 km into the race a little over Two Oceans distance, so if you’ve done Two Oceans and/or the RAC 60 km long run the body would be familiar with such distances. Anything beyond this is unfamiliar territory so brace yourselves. Cato Ridge is characterized by two things 1.bridges that start to meander and run parallel to the N3 highway and 2. the long haul trucks lining the side of the road. The climb from Cato ridge to Camperdown village is about 6 km, you’ll run on an undulating course between the sugar canes ,this is a popular site for “pit stops” fertilising the soil for the sugar canes before the last hill at Polly Shortts. I remember running beside an American runner who said to me "There's something liberating about dumping in the open air."  (TMI).

The rolling hills between the sugar canes of Cato Ridge and Camperdown.

From Camperdown Village you head off to Umlass road which is a 4 km slog and lies 827 m above sea level. Once you get to Umlass road it's about another 18 km to the finish. This was Bruce Fordyce’s hunting ground, this is the area he would start reeling in fatigue runners. From Umlaas it’s a nice gradual slope for about 6 km into Ashburton/Little Pollys. Do not mistake Little Polly for Polly Shortts, however it does serve as an appetiser for what lies ahead. In 2006 Brian Zondi surged up Little Polly mistaking it for Polly Shortts. He was finally caught by Oleg Khoritonov at the bottom of Polly Shortts, Oleg sumitted Polly Shortts first and breasted the tape in Maritzburg to win the race.In the words of the famous Bruce Fordyce “The one that summits Polly Shortts first will win the Comrades up run”. Polly Shortts is longer (about 1,7 km long), steeper and has more turns. 

Remember how you ran down Polly Shortts last year and how steep it was going down, now imagine having run 79 km and now having to tackle this beast of a hill. No one runs up Polly Shortts, well except for a few maniacs (Bruce Fordyce and recently Gift Kelehe). Once you crest Polly Shortts you’ve got Comrades in the bag you have 8 more kilometres of undulating course to go.

This picture needs no caption

The finish this year is in Scottsville. Getting into Maritzburg is a hype of festivities lots of supporters on the road, you can hear the cheering, the music and the loud speaker from a distance. This is the home stretch embrace the moment, let it sink in, capture this moment and save it on to your mental hard drive. Embrace the hardship you’ve over come and recall this moment when you're faced with challenges in any sphere of your life. Scottsville is a race course so the grass will be heavy under your feet so tread carefully and suck up the atmosphere.

Euphoria - noun - a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. Derived from "euphoros," a Greek word that means "healthy."

GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY THE RACE!!!

Comrades Marathon lessons from Alberto Salazar

It has always been thought that in order to win Comrades you need to feed off the bunch (a bus for elite athletes). Comrades is too a long race to do it on your own. The other myth was that you need to do as many long run as possible and another was that you need to training on the terrain that you’ll be racing on i.e if you going to be racing on asphalt, then your training runs need to be on asphalt.

All of the above where dispelled by Alberto Salazar. When Alberto Salazar lined up for the 1994 Comrades Marathon he had come out of retirement and hadn’t run a single race in 5 years. Despite boasting a 2:08 marathon time, he’d never raced beyond the distance. In preparing for the Comrades Marathon he did one 65km run on his treadmill, in fact all of his long runs where done on a treadmill and were never further than 30km (he clocked 200km per week). When lining up for the race he had all intentions of winning the race and not just being competitor.  These are his own words ‘I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win … the race is in the hands of God’.

This is how the 1994 race unfolded.

At the starting line were Charly Doll 1993 champion, all time Comrades great Bruce Fordyce, Ironman and former para-trooper Nick Bester, Two Oceans record holder Thompson Magawana  and the  young effervescent Theo Rafiri of Rockies. Yes it was a very competitive field. In typical style, the “TV runners” or “Rabbits” set out first while the gold contenders sat in the pack getting out of Durban.

By the time they got to Westville there were two distinct buses the “Bester bus” which included Thompson Magwana and “Fordyce bus” slightly behind. Ahead of them was Philimon Mogashane (former gold medalist). By the time they got to Cowies Hill Mogashane was still leading. Getting out of Pinetown Dirkie Moolman (a mountain running expert from Escout) was ahead, he crested Fields Hill first, 1 minute ahead of Alberto Salazar.

At the bottom  of Botha’s Hill Salazar started catching up with Dirkie Moolman and he crested Botha's Hill first, he went through half way in just under 2:45

I guess everyone was waiting for Salazar to crash, after all he was now in uncharted territory beyond the 42 km mark, but he did not. He devoured the mighty Inchanga (with a 3:45 minute lead time) like a man possessed and showing no signs of fatigue.  He went through Cato Ridge and Camperdown Village and crested Polly Shorts without any challenger insight. In Bruce Fordyce's famous words “Whoever crests Polly Shortts first will win the up run” and so he did breasting the tape in a time of 5:38:39.

Alberto Salazar at Inchanga with 39 km to go.

Take aways from the above.

1.    In order to do well at Comrades (aiming for a win or “just a finish”) you need to run fast, fast over shorter distances i.e. 5km, 10km, 21km and standard marathon. Salazar’s personal bests include:

o   5 000 meters 13:11

o   10 000 meters  27:25:

o   Marathon 2:08:13

There’s a reason why Rand Athletic Club (RAC), one of the biggest and oldest clubs in South African, hosts a 10km run just two weeks before Comrades Marathon and that is to “fine-tune” your body for the journey between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Urban legend has it that if you couldn’t run the RAC 10km under 37mins you were better off staying home and watching the race on TV or better yet seconding the other club runners who had run sub 37 mins.

2.    Do not do too many long runs, now this is a tricky one. How many is too many? I don’t have an answer to that, however what is important is that Long Slow Distance (LSD) should be exactly that, they should be run at a slow pace and should not be confused with racing or fartleks. More often than not we see runners week in week out racing marathons and failing at comrades (I too have fallen victim to that, numerous times), it is because the body has not been trained to run at anticipated Comrades race pace.

3.    Lastly, do not shy away from training on different terrain. asphalt is probably the most common yet unforgiving that most runners train and race on. Go run on grass either on a golf course, grass track or a parkrun, run on gravel or tartan. Most Kenyans do their training on gravel even the famous Kamariny Stadium has a gravel track, it is the unevenness of terrain that makes them strong and not prone to injuries. I am not a fan of treadmill running and only run on it when there’s inclement weather and won’t run longer than 40mins.

Kenyan runners training in the famous Kamariny stadium on a gravel track

Running Gear

After witnessing runners kitted in all sorts of gear at this past Saturday's Om Die Dam Ultra Marathon, I was prompted to write about running gear. This article is just about my personal preference for different gear for different training/races and weather conditions. At Om Die Dam, by 8:00 am the temperatures were already in the mid 20 Celsius degrees, yet I saw runners geared up in long sleeve compression tops and long tights. By 11:00 am temperatures had soared to high 20 degrees Celsius, I saw a runner wearing a drimac under his running vest streaming in after 12:00. I am not one to judge or dictate what people should wear when, the above were just observations. I am also not endorsing any brand but merely sharing what has worked for me thus far. However is important for one to be as comfortable as possible if you’re going to be slogging kilometers and kilometers on the road in adverse weather conditions.

Capestorm A3 -  I a particularly like wearing these shorts when I do my long runs. They have 3 zip-able pockets (two on either side and one at the back). So I find them quite handy when I do my solitary unaided runs over 25 km. I just stash my gels, rehydrat and money for coke and energade. It’s a pity CapeStorm does not make them in maroon (my club colours), this would serve me good for ultras like Om Die Dam, Two Oceans and especially Comrades. They also have breathable inner wear which negates the need to wear under wear.

Cape Storm A3 5 inch shorts

High cut shorts – I remember my first pair of high cuts was when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I remember them being very comfortable and wore them as casual shorts, but then again when you’re 6 all you do is play and run around. I am not sure of the brand or the material that they were made of, the material was very shinny and smooth probably a derivative of silk I guess. I probably owned about 3 pairs at any given time, my favourite colour was blue. In the township we called these shorts "skhindi" or "V-trunk".

My second encounter with high-cut running shorts was when I my parents shipped me off to an all-boys boarding school in Johannesburg. One of the items on my clothing list were Polly Shortts running shorts, by then I had starting following the Comrades Marathon religiously and I could identify with the shorts. I could not understand why this piece of item was mandatory to have. A few days into the school term I would find out why they were mandatory. My hostel master was a seasoned Comrades marathon runner, a green number by then. What that meant was that at least 4 times a week, all the boarders,  after our afternoon sports activities would do a 4 km run before supper and prep. Hence the Polly shorts being a mandatory item.

Varsity years, after my 1^st year of indulging in alcohol and artery clogging food I had picked up a lot of weight, 12 kg to be exact. I decided I needed to do some jogging over the December holidays. I had been doing some vacation work as a waiter and had saved up some money to by myself a pair of Nike Pegasus and high-cut Polly Shortts running shorts.

Years went by, when I started running around 2009, running gear had drastically changed. Only elite athletes wore high-cuts and the rest of us wore anything from 3 inch square shorts to long tights and everything in between, I've even seen runners running in basketball shorts. I too, shy’ed away from high-cuts up until early this year. I thought they were reserved for elite athletes with their lean cut quads.When I did eventually pluck up the courage to buy them, the intention was to wear them on my track/speed work out and I did exactly that. I found them very comfortable with minimal material and little hindrance from me pounding asphalt, grass or gravel at high speeds. I have even decided to wear them when I run marathons.

Adidas Supernova High-cut running shorts.

This is me at the Pick n Pay Marathon wearing my Second-skin high-cut running shorts

Singlets – I love training and racing in singlets it’s the closest thing to running bare-chested (which I only do on track). In South Africa especially the Highveld the temperatures can get as high as 32 degrees Celsius, so singlets are perfect to wear.

Adidas Singlet

T-shirts – I have a bucket loads of T-shirts accumulated over the years and the range is wide from pure cotton material to the sophisticated quick dry technology. My number one preference is singlets, but as the temperature dips I then pull out my T-shirts.

Tights – I prefer short tights when I am doing speed work or hill repeats, I don’t have to worry about chaffing while doing those quick short strides. I never race in tights purely because finding tights in my club colours (maroon) is a mission. 

The only time I wore tights at a race was at last year’s Two Oceans Marathon. I actually wore them under my maroon running shorts so that they do not overwhelming the club colours. Two weeks before Two Oceans I picked up a hamstring niggle so I decided to nurse it by wearing tights to help with the compression.I also find them good for recovery, after a hard or long run I usually wear tights the following run. 

Long tights a best left for chilly mornings or evenings between May and August. I’ve seen runners wearing long tights and 7 inch running shorts over them in the middle of summer, now that’s a good recipe for hyperthermia.  I quite like the First Ascent long tights because they have multiple pockets to store gels and other goodies. A friend of mine ran Comrades in long tights he started battling with cramps halfway into the race. It became a bit of a mission when he needed to be massaged at the medical tent ...say no more. 

Under Armour short tights and First Ascent long tights

Two weeks prior to the 2016 Two Oceans I picked up a hamstring niggle. I immediately sought the assistance of compression tights which helped me a lot. This is me going up Constantia Neck confident that my hamstring is well nursed by my 5 inch Nike tights.

Long sleeve compression tops – again these are better left for the winter months. I generally don’t wear them unless the weather is really cold. They are good insulators of heat and are quick drying. I like the First Ascent brand which is made from bamboo. They are very durable and I sometimes wear them with my casual wear as under garment during the chilly Highveld winters. Both the long tights and long sleeved compression tops are a mandatory items when I travel to Europe or the United States where temperature can drop to -10 degrees Celsius.

First Ascent long sleeve top

Caps – I don’t particularly like caps and seldom wear them, I find they restrict blood flow to my head and I sometimes get dizzy spells especially when I am running at a fast pace. Incidentally elite runners also don't wear running caps, I am not sure why though. However the Comrades Marathon includes in their goody bag a nice breathable cap.

Comrades running caps

Bargain hunting - I am thoroughbred bargain hunter, quality running gear doesn’t come cheap. I generally look out for sales and factory shops were I can get good deals. Race expo also have good deals ON THE LAST DAY, the trick is to not be running around a the expo a day before the race. I sometimes shop online, but this can be a bit tricky if you’re unsure about your size as different brands have different cuts.

Shoes, Shuz, Shooze - Lets talk about shoes

Asics Nimbus 17

Asics are the Toyota of running shoes, incidentally they too are a product of Japanese engineering and reliability. They were the "obvious" shoes of choice when I started road running  a few years ago. However my association with the brand dates back to my high school years when I was able to save up for a pair of Asics spikes. I was the coolest dude back then, I ran 100s, 200s , 400s and did long jump with the intention of emulating my school boy hero, Olympic Gold medalist Carl Lewis.
I initially started running with Asics Cumulus but found them lacking the support that I needed (I weighed 83kg and I stood 1.72cm in my socks so I took up running to lose weight).I then consulted The Sweatshop, a specialist running shop and they advised me to try Asics Nimbus. I was pleasantly surprised with its support, it has sufficient cushion, it is  flexible and durable. I am able to get close to 850km out of each pair. The other plus about the Nimbus is that it comes in a broader cut (2E), which helps as I have slightly broader feet.
When I buy running shoes I tend to buy two pairs at once and rotate them on a daily basis. Sometimes I run in the rain and my shoes get wet, but that doesn't stop me from fitting in a run the next day with a pair of dry shoes. The other advise that I received, was that I should  buy an"outgoing version" of shoes. I should buy shoes when they introduce a new version, in that way in can negotiate a really good price. You'll see the shoes in the picture have different shoes laces, it's just an easy way to track which is which, if I do a long run with green laces this weekend then I'll do a long run with black laces next weekend.

Asics Nimbus 17

Nike Pegasus 32

I bought this pair 2 years ago with the intention of using it for gym, but as soon as I wore them with a pair of jeans they really looked good. So I did exactly that, I wore them as casual shoes for some time. However I soon put them to they intended use, gym. I knew the cushioning was light and didn't have as much support as the Nimbus, but I had lost a considerable amount of weight, was a more efficient runner and didn't need as much support and cushioning as before. I then ventured out in them on a 8km RAC time trail, that was worst thing I could have ever done. The idea was that,because they were so light, I could potentially shave a minute or two off my 8km time trail. That I did, I crossed the line in a time of 35:20, shaving a whole 2 minutes off my previous personal best. However that came at a price, I woke up the next morning with shinsplints.After that stint I no longer use them on the road. Early this year I plucked up the courage to try them on a grass track for speed training. The grass session went like so:

• 3km warm up at 5:30min per km pace
• 8 X 800m at 4min per km pace
• 3km cool down at 5:45km per km pace

Results:

• No shin splints or any other injuries
• I felt my calves had really been worked hard
• My quads were rock hard

Now I have found a new use for these babies, speed and track work on grass. In later articles we will talk about the importance of speed work as well as different running terrains.

Nike Pegasus 32

Asics DS Trainer 19

I bought this pair of DS Trainers at the Two Oceans Marathon Expo for close to half their retail price, that's probably the only reason why I bought them. One can find really good deals on the last day of expos, but the trick is not to be on your feet the whole day trying to chase bargains, you will pay dearly in the race the following day. These are typically worn by those guys with protruding cheek bones and shoulders resembling coat hangers, the really fast guys who strike the ground with their forefoot. They have a very low heel drop and I felt their lack of heel support when I ran a parkrun in them. Nonetheless I do intend running cross country in them once the season starts, the grass will be more forgiving than asphalt.

Asics DS Trainer 19

Leboka Ernst Noto - 4 time Comrades Gold Medalist

Leboka Noto is a Lesotho national  and a serial gold medalist at comrades. He boasts an incredible record indeed. He has completed 11 comrades marathons and has collected 4 gold medals, 1 Wally Hayward medal (awarded to runners from position 11 to ones that completed under 6 hours)  and  7 silver medals all run under 7 hours.Below are his gold medal times:

2006   5:47:29  10th position

2007   5:35:27    5th position

2010   5:48::45  9th position

2012   5:33:31   3rd position (and 1st veteran home)

Now those are pretty impressive times aren't they. However what impresses me most is the fact that this is a guy who holds down a full time job as a miner and does 12 hour shifts at least 5 times a week. Despite this, he's able to fit in 70km long runs alone unassisted and with no scheduled water breaks. In future posts we will talk about solitary long runs and how they contribute to mental endurance especially for ultra marathoners. One can attribute he's impressive results to his background, coming from Lesotho (a small Kingdom in the heart of South Africa) which lies 2000 meters above sea level, high altitude training has definitely benefited him. In my future posts I will talk about high altitude training and how it has contributed to superior results by Basotho, Kenyan and Ethiopians runners.Boulders, Colorado lies 1600 meters above sea level is a favourite training destination for a lot of American middle and long distance runners.

Willie Mtolo - New York Marathon

Willie Mtolo breasting the tape at the 1992 New York marathon in a time of 2:09:29. Winning himself $20 000, an additional $30 000 for running under 2:10 and a Mercedes Benz to top it off.

Photo credit : Sports Illustrated Magazine
*My first blog more to come