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.