Comrades Race Report 2018

Welll, although I said my 'farewells' to my Dubai life and ... well, I guess I have to nearly say farewell to this blog! Awwww :(

As I mentioned previously, this Comrades run was the icing on the cake to my Dubai life and this was one of those 'universal signs' that was leading me to leave Dubai this year, to finish with this amazing run and with my besites. 

Comrades, June 10th -  “downhill” run, the “back to back” run. There is a lot of discussion among Comrades runners who have done both of their preference. Some say “uphill” easier; downhill we know is harder on the legs and recovery is longer, but still coined “easier,” everyone has an opinion, which makes discussions about it fun.

Going into it, I think because so so much going on with leaving Dubai, I actually didn’t dwell too much about it. Newbees asked me questions, the occasional person asked how I felt and I always answered “eh, I’m just doing the training" and that was that. And it was! As soon as a training run was over, it was out of my mind. I didn't dwell or comment on trainings, like what we had in store, why we did X amount of km and not XX (I have the tendency to want to overdo it, hehe). I didn’t study the course map, the hills, anything. When I was asked what I expecting, I just thought I would be between 10 and 10 and a half hours. I am heavier (wah!!) than last year, have had a lot more recent stress, and honestly, this run is more about finishing than time.

Anyhoo, the night before, we all had the usual pre-race jitters, pre-race pep talks, some humor, and also some amazing prep by Team SA and their 'med kit'  - everything from anti-diarrhea, anti-nausea, headache, all recommended by the experts!

Omar is too funny! 

And so it began:

So our Pen D (sub 4 hour qualifier) was with Nic and Tim (aiming for 9:15-9:30 and noooo way was going anywhere near them), Kieran, Irish John, Ram, Liz Anderson, Mel, Manish, and Sandra (from DRR). 

Am so glad went into it super relaxed and with no expectations. Almost last minute advice from “elite” Noel and Nes all said to take it out slooooow. Just go slooooow from beginning till 60-70km. Then if juice left over, just go for it. Allll righty then! Flashbacks to last year and I guess I did take it out “too fast” and who knows if it was not having a cap/vizor or not hydrating, or forgetting to take Hammer endurolyte and/or salt tab beforehand and that first 20km, that rigor mortis cramping I got was horrid. So this year was prepared with a Vizor AND no joke, from start to just about every hour had prepared mini packets of Hammer Endurolyte AND a salt tablet - took 10 of them! 

It was really dark to start and almost within the first 5-10km, lost Tim, Nic, Kieran and Manooj, who went ahead (which in hindsight was actually good because they were going faster than I would want to and didn't want to have any kind of demise). But saw a fab sunrise!

                                 

Liz A and D disappeared and then it was me, John, Ram and Mel, who was not feeling well and was in/out. Well, whether intentionally or unintentionally, ended up with Ram and John up till halfway mark! 
45km! 

Ram was doing a run/walk (30 sec - 1 min walk) strategy and I joined them although admittedly it was quite slow and... a bit boring (Shhh... don't tell him that). Felt bad to leave them though and figured it was better to go slow than too fast and held back. The weather was gorgeous and actually was quite crisp and chilly for that 1st half although had pockets of warm air, had my throw away shirt for quite awhile.... 50km?We ran super relaxed and even they were surprised I was hanging with them. I kept saying, “I got DCS Runner of the Year, I have nothing else to prove,” which really was true. Not to say I was giving up before I started, buuut I dunno, just didn’t feel like being competitive. That was until Ram was saying he would love to get sub 11 hours. Umm... what? I literally never dawned on me to NOT go between 10-10:30 and then I started to get antsy. 

Well, thank gawd the 10:30 bus creeped up behind us and they were going admittedly at a much “faster” pace. Ram said to hang on to them “for a little bit,” but in my head I thought this was the perfect escape. So yes, I started with them and didn’t look back, which of course Ram and John noticed and were like “gee thanks.” Whoops. Can’t remember where this all was exactly, buut more or less around halfway? And mind you, up to this point, the km were just passing by... almost surprising how quickly they were passing. I felt totally fine and was just going along. 

After I “lost” Ram and John (hehe, byyeeeee, thanks for pacing me the 1st half, hehe), actually didn’t last with the 10:30 pace bus as they were ONLY running (not walking) and seemed to be going fairly quick! So decided to just let them go and continue on my own. Saw Nikki around that time and she too commented at how relaxed I looked and I said was taking it super conservative. She said to continue that way to about 60km and then pick it up if I could.  Okay dokey! BTW, have I mentioned the FAB support crew? They were AWESOME!! They strategically placed themselves throughout the course with all goodies you can think of... and even individualized goodie bags that we could pick up if we wanted. Too good to be true! 

I think it was around 55km or so when I ran into Sandra. She is tall and quite long legs and we went back and forth a bit, then ran together, chatted... both commenting on how it was night and day compared to last year, meaning better, and how the weather was holding up amazing for us, and how ... good we felt! We were going back and forth passing one another for about 20km and then I ended up ahead of her and stayed there (she finished 10 min behind me). It was actually great running with her as nice to have a familiar face and someone just at your pace and... again, the km were just ticking by. And I was just feeling better and better and stronger and stronger. There were NO signs of cramping, no signs of anything. Felt mild chafing at my inner thigh (booo! From my weight gain!), but lubed up when i could and had no issues.

Nutrition wise, didn’t stuff myself like i did last year. Actually ran with a water bottle till 86-87km and just kept refilling it as liked having it handy. Didn’t take anything (besides the hourly Hammer endurolytes and salt tabs) until 25km when I had a racefood. Then started with the gels maybe around marathon mark? Or just before? At one point felt really hungry, prob was around 50km and had a salty potato and some crisps. Then 20km or so later had another potato. Had another racefood around 65km (funny how all the km blend in) but more or less was listening to my body and didn’t force anything I didn’t feel like. Likewise intermittently had coke, but not all the time, and because had water bottle with me, skipped some water stops. Kept conscious that needed fuel for the remaining bits till the end, and hence made sure to fuel. Also, Nic and Tim’s family were super stars and we had 3 DCS tables with things we needed or or own little bags, which I only used at the last one - had an empty throw away water bottle with protein powder in there, and that was just what I needed at 60km.

Here are some random pics....

Sooo, with 30km to go, I felt great. I really did. Was enjoying it, having fun, absorbing the atmosphere and the km just kept ticking by. I still kept it a wee conservative as you never know when the “wall” hits, but just felt like that wall wasn’t going to happen. Come the last 20km picked it up and was just passing people left and right. Almost laughed to myself as that first half, all around me only saw Pens F, G, H... the later (slower) ones, but now all around me were Pen’s C and D. And, lo and behold, stormed past that same 10:30 bus on an uphill, which they were walking. So I guess they did a purposeful faster 1st half to give some give the 2nd half. NYET! I loooooved the feeling of feeling sooo strong at this point. I defo walked more that 1st half and yes, the legs felt tired, but nothing bad and definitely had strength to carry on and really plow through those km’s. Hardly felt I walked at all the 2nd half. Definitely felt the course was a lot “easier,” again, maybe because my race strategy was better, but a couple of long stretches of downhill and felt a bit jiggly quads BUT to counter that, ran the uphills or power walked and all was okay again. 

Come that last 10km, things seemed to flatten a bit and I just went for it... was clipping 5:40’s, 5:35’s, less than 6. Felt strong and confident and really was thinking that at this rate, it’s not that far fetched to run a 100km. Really! The last few ticked by and was running and running strong and really, all felt good! The Durban stadium kept getting closer and closer and we went through this tunnel with this bright light shining through and it really felt like I was Rocky or something. Entering that stadium was phenomenal, the noise, the people, i looked all around and just couldn’t believe how awesome it all was! 

                                  

This is down the final stretch. Soo funny because in my head I thought I had my head the whole time absorbing everything, buuut apparently not! 

Then saw the clock, 10:17:39! Ha! That was exactly what I got last year and thought, Wow! I think i did an even split or even a smidge into a neg split!! Woooww!! Crossed that finish line and... got overwhelmed and almost teary, I did it! Shame no one was there, but such a relief to be finished yet to be feeling soo soo good! Yes, legs were tired, but nothing crazy and ... shall I dare say I could have run a bit more? Gasp! 

WOW WOW WOW!

Everyone was running soo well! So many happy faces!

Then made it to International Tent and Nic, Tim and Kieran were there, all ran together at a 9:50 or so (which they were disappointed in, but my gawd, soo amazing!!! ), and then one by one, everyone came in... soo happy and everyone made it!! That makes me the most happiest of it all, last year was sooo devastating that Chandra stopped at 50 something km and Sujeet just missed it by a km or so. So EXTRA happiness that EVERYONE FINISHED!!

Let the celebrations begin! 

LOVE LOVE LOVE all the camaraderie!!!

Overall thoughts on Keys to Success:

• Starting off sooo slooowwwwwlly. Although was mentally hard to hold back, was such the right thing to do. Ram’s walk strategy worked, and in general, when literally everyone else was walking, I walked! 
• Downhill running and making big o effort on being light on my feet - REALLY made a conscious effort of this. Remembered my super running friend Jody’s advice of running as if you were pushing a stroller, slight forward lean and SHORTENED stride (as I am a long strider), and just ran light! 
• BodyHealth and Amino Acids, used 4 roctane gu’s and had up’d my intake of Body Health Amino acids a few days and up to the morning of. 
• The protein powder at 60km was great, felt was just what I needed and a change from all the sugary/carb stuffs. 
• Placebo effect? Who knows! Religiously took Hammer extreme endurolyte and salt tab at the start and every 10 km after. Yes, it wasn’t as hot as last year, buuuut didn’t cramp and felt well fueled elecrolyte wise, so will stick with this formula! 
• Nurtrition/hydration by feel - Didn’t force anything and ate and drank as I felt I needed.

Overall, SUCH a successful run! Loooved the atmosphere, the energy, the Comrades spirit. Sounds bratty as I know it seems like I’m bragging, but means so so sooo much to me that had such a good run despite high high stress these last months. Yet committed to the runs, did the runs, and probably was a blessing in disguise that was distracted by so many other things to get nervous about it. Going into it super relaxed and as an”take it as it comes” attitude was the right thing to do. Yes, had expectations to finish between 10-10:30, which i did, but anything less or more was welcome as finishing is the main thing.

P.s. People always ask how the recovery is, and I actually didn’t feel that much different than a marathon, maybe even better than racing a marathon. Was walking totally normally 2-3 days later and 110% by 5 days later, enough to do hiking and feel great. Maybe should have pushed harder? Nahhh, would rather have it this way any day!