Comrades 2013

I always said I was just going to run Comrades once.  When I finished, one of the officials asked me if I was going to do it again next year.  I said 'no - this is too hard'.  He said 'give it a week and you'll feel different'.  Turns out he was right.  

After much deliberation, I bought some air tickets London to Johannesburg from 24 May to 3 Jun for my whole family.  Now I just need to enter this race

Nice qualification runs there Baljc and Safer.  Always good to qualify nice and early and then it's out of the way and you can concentrate on other things

Baljc - Nice run in Berlin. Also there is no need to walk, although feel free to do so if you wish. On the up run it's easy enough to get to Polly Shorts without walking and then you just have to make a decision on what's the quickest way up it, a slow plod or a run/walk. From then to the finish it's just a matter of running as fast as you can, it feels like 5k pace, but in reality is a lot slower.

I just realised anyone who finished last year doesn't need to qualify. Although I don't like where that puts me which means (a) I underperformed and (b) I will run a qualifier anyway....

Well done to Baljc and Safer for sorting out your seeding already and good luck to HansC and Kevin in Chester.

I feel like a real slowie here - now that we're in October I've finally started to think about where (and when) to run for a seeding in spring 2013 - when I've decided l will start to put together a training programme...

I received my copy of "Making sure of your Comrades medal" on Saturday from family in SA. Makes for very exciting reading and best thing about it is the training 'proper' can start in January. Am dead pleased about that as have 6 more marathons to get through this year so can focus on them - next one this Sunday at Clarendon - get them done hopefully with no mishaps and then full steam ahead with Comrades stuff. Great book and all makes sense so far..........very exciting. 

Baljc: Yes I emailed my time through as well so just waiting for confirmation now. Glad I am not the only one who is waiting for my entry to be confirmed. 

Slow Duck: Thanks. I now need to sort out my training schedule!

Possum Hopper: I am waiting for my copy from my folks back in SA, I heard it is a good book for the comrades novice so am hoping it will give me loads of tips!

Bike it: Thanks, yes I wanted to get it in the bag so it was done and dusted early.

Good luck to those aiming to qualify this weekend!

I'm IN - I entered last night

I've used Comrades 2012 as the qualifier which would give me a C seeding.  Hopefully I could get a B seeding at Abingdon.  Not that it really matters anyway as I'll be starting slow and saw a load of D & E seeded runners come haring past me last year despite starting at the front of the C pen.

I've got the receipt from the Card Service company.  This was all I got last year as well so that's confirmation as far as I'm concerned.  The 'confirm enteries' page doesn't seem to be up and running yet.

Can recommend the book, excellent information and gets the senses tingling when you read it.

Although not doing C this time, am running Amsterdam in a couple of weeks so if anyone on here is doing that and fancies a chat before, during or after the race, let me know. As for time, just looking to enjoy the race, probably around 4 hours ish.

Anyone still waiting for their 2012 badges, Sian Theron posted this in the Comrades Facebook page:

Hi all sorry haven't been on this page in a while, can International athletes email me sian@comrades.com and I'll get the office to send the badges. SA athletes results are delayed due to doping and will go out hopefully end of Oct/begin Nov. If you would like a badge please email me and I will ask the office to include it with your results. hope this helps (oh and for 2013 and beyond badges will be issued at the finished as in the past)

Jeremy - from memory you need to have run 8:15 for a B seed.

SD - good info thanks as I still haven't had my badge despite emailing.

Jeremy - Yes Warren is right - 8:15 Comrades to make a B seeding . I think its a bit easier to run a sub 3:20 marathon on a flat course at sea level though. For the last 2 years I've wanted to run sub 3:15 and not really been able to try firstly because I didn't have the capablity and then because of injuries. With a nice consistant block of training behind me, I hope that this will be the opportunity.

Fingers crossed on being able to do the TP100 Jeremy - I will ultimately try a 100 miler and that will probably be the one.

I just realised we have an ambassador for (apparently) Scotland, Northern Ireland and the UK. Maybe its time to get offended that the English are being ignored and could do with their own ambassador ! And quite rightly, the Welsh too. Although they already have the best flag, so maybe thats enough

I thought our Ambassador was SD!!??