Comrades Focus

The Ultimate Human Race
With just over a month to go to the Comrades marathon, things are heating up quite a bit for our FFA runners as well as for our coaches!  The attraction of the Comrades marathon is such that runners, and non-runners, from various walks of life, take up the challenge to see if they have what it takes to go beyond what they previously thought possible.  Even for our non-Comrades clients I hope this analysis will provide some insight with regards to those testing and demanding parts of your sporting challenges. 

Our training programs are designed in such a way that it will get you safely and powerfully up to marathon and ultra marathon distance.  This entails grinding out the miles at ever-increasing intensities to condition your body’s aerobic capacity to the full.  It’s important to understand the difference between training and conditioning.  Training could be going for a run, or to the gym, or to do a quality session on the track.  Conditioning on the other hand, is a slow process by which one meticulously develops the energy and other systems of our physical bodies in order to cope with the demands of marathon racing.  It’s possible to go for some quick training sessions, but it’s impossible to get fit quickly.  Conditioning is a process that needs to take place just about daily, and involves a significant number of months before you are ready for that first marathon.  This is the most important reason why, unless you have been working towards it since October, we don’t advocate doing an “early” marathon qualifier in January just to “get it out of the way”!  You can’t give what you don’t have and by doing a premature marathon the half-developed systems are set back substantially, as are motivational levels.
Having said that, by the time you are ready for a strong qualifier, or even better yet, a confidence boosting Loskop marathon in April, it’s difficult to hide the excitement of having advanced to those levels of fitness!  It’s most exciting for us as well to get stirring messages of success as our runners improve from strength to strength with the emphasis on showing restraint and saving the best effort for Comrades day. 

As much as the nature of marathon training entails consistent increases in weekly mileage and long runs, sports science tells us that maximum benefit is derived from long runs lasting in the region of 3-3½ hours.  Anything longer becomes counterproductive as systems start breaking down and progression is not only slowed, but you might be forced to take a few steps back rather than a continuation of the smooth progression to date.  For this reason do we discourage members from doing 3-in-1 challenges, 65km preparation runs, etc. 
As much as the Fitness From Africa marathon conditioning program will get you into peak marathon and ultra marathon shape, there is not much that will prepare you for what waits at the 60km mark of the Comrades marathon!  I know, I know, it does sound a bit negative and could be enough to terrify the most enthusiastic novice.  But the reality is that the real race starts with just about 30km to run.  No amount of mileage, no amount of pills, water, Coke or Energade will be enough to get your head around what your body will experience at that stage.  In fact, this may well be compared with the point in any sporting situation where you have a choice to back off, to admit it’s a bridge too far, or a downright bad idea to attempt in the first place.  Or, it could be that opportunity that you have been waiting for to prove what you are made of, and to show that you have got what it takes no matter what is thrown at you!!  The reality is that you know it’s coming, and there is still time to prepare for that moment.  Various studies have been done which indicate that the head gives up before the body gives up.  It’s the recognition of and the association with the signs of fatigue that cause us to fall into a pit of despair and to back off as we get so close to that which we worked so hard for during the preceding 5 months.  Suddenly a Bill Rowan will do fine instead of that sought-after silver, or a bronze is fine and the Bill Rowan can wait until next year, or a sub 12-hour is still a finish instead of that sub 11 hour goal which is stuck on to the fridge at home. 
Instead of dreading the last third of the race, it should be seen as the essence of the challenge.  You know it's coming, so expect it, and welcome it when it arrives.  Here are some tips to cope with the business end of the race:
• Ensure proper pace judgement and hydration during the first 2 thirds of the race to ensure you are in the best position possible to succeed towards the end of the race.
• Focus on one kilometre at a time, don’t think too far ahead (like Dory in Finding Nemo – “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming....”).
• Team up with someone else and grind out the kilometres together.
• Remember the great achievement that you have signed up for and focus on the positives!
• Have faith in the training you have done.
• Know that you are not in it alone, those around you are also struggling with you and some have already given up.
• Don’t give up at the entrance of your breakthrough!  Toughen up and take hold of what you have trained for!