​61 Countries. 90km. 20,000 runners. 1 Race - The Comrades Marathon.

Standing at the start as the last strains of Chariots of Fire fade away sends tingles of excitement mingled with trepidation down my spine. I’m surrounded by so many different people - old, young, large, small, talented, untalented, tall, short - yet all with one goal - to finish the race that means everything. Many have been called crazy to even try this. Many have been been warned of the dangers. Yet we stand together, determined but humble.

A loud boom signals the start, as we set out on the race of a lifetime.

From the sun rising on a new day to the burning heat of the midday sun, this brave cohort of runners marches on. Over hills and through valleys. Relentless. Determined. A Comrade from the past watches from the side. His race is now over, but his words of encouragement still making a difference.

Kilometres more. Sweat. Cramps. Nausea. Pain.

An elderly white man stumbles. A loud thud as he hits the road. Immediately a young black runner is there to help him up. No thought of colour or talent. One race. One goal.

Kilometres more. Sweat. Cramps. Nausea. Pain.

Loud sounds of retching from a young coloured girl vomiting on the side of the road. Her race taken from her. A white lady stops. Fumbles in her pouch, and tenderly whispers to her, handing her something to give her hope.

Kilometres more. Sweat. Cramps. Nausea. Pain.

Then there it is! The stadium. The spectators' cheers are deafening. My heart bursting with joy. Arm in arm we cross the finish line together - old, young, large, small, fit, unfit, tall, weak…61 Countries. 90km. 20,000 runners. 1 Race.

The commentator celebrates - Viva Comrades, Viva South Africa.

11 Languages. 9 Provinces. 50 million people. 1 country - South Africa.

Standing at the start as the last strains of N'Kosi Sikeleli fade away sends tingles of excitement mingled with trepidation down my spine. I’m surrounded by so many different people - old, young, black, white, able, disabled, rich, poor - yet all with one goal - to become the new South Africa that means everything. Many have been called crazy to even try this. Many have been warned of the dangers. Yet we stand together, determined but humble.

A loud cheer signals the start, as we set out on the journey of a lifetime.

From the sun rising on a new nation to the burning issues of a new democracy, this cohort of brave citizens marches on. Over troubles and through despair. Relentless. Determined. A comrade from the past watches from the side. His journey is now over, but his words of encouragement still making a difference.

Years more. Violence. Protests. Scandals. Crime.

A rich white businessman crashes his car. A loud smash as he hits the barrier. Immediately a young black student is there to help him out. No thought of race or status. One country. One goal.

Years more. Violence. Protests. Scandals. Crime

Loud sounds of wailing from a young coloured girl crying on the side of the road. Her purse stolen from her. A white lady stops. Fumbles in her bag, and tenderly whispers to her, handing her something to give her hope. No thought of race or status. One country. One goal.

Years more. Violence. Protests. Scandals. Crime

Then there it is! The dream. The worlds' cheers are deafening. My heart bursting with joy. Arm in arm we become the new South Africa together - old, young, black, white, able, disabled, rich, poor…11 Languages. 9 Provinces. 50 million people. 1 Country.

The world celebrates - Viva comrades. Viva South Africa.
​

A mix of smoke, deep heat and anticipation mingled in the early morning air as we waited for the gun to start the second running of the Mandela Day marathon. Earlier we had parked our car at the designated spot and been efficiently transported in a mini-bus taxi to the start, making the experience even more authentic. Music pounded from the speakers as the runners huddled together watching the sun slowly rise while waiting for the race to start. 

BOOM! There was no missing the start. Anyone not awake was audibly awakened with a mini explosion followed by a display of fireworks above the runners...which while fun did lead a few moments later to a rain of hot debris and empty projectiles. But then who said this race was ever going to be traditional?

Of course there was the ominous hill waiting to meet us, Just 8km in, when you are warmed up by the rising sun and friendly atmosphere, you are suddenly faced with over 10 kilometers of climb. Normally this would be a daunting spectre, but then this is Africa, where the pace is slow and dancing is the solution to problems. And so with singing from the supporters, many hanging perilously out of cars, we walked, ran and danced up the endless hill. 

Soon the route flattened and we were greeted with the lush beauty of the Midlands and the beautiful homes and hotels that grace this area. Winding through leafy suburbs with views down into the valley below the route headed on. 

The runs next surprise awaits the unwary runner at about 30km, as all of a sudden you are turned into a stadium, a bitter-sweet shock for the uninformed. Many a runner with a skip in their step races into the stadium looking unfathomably at their watch, and wondering how they have just smashed their PB time! Yet minutes later as they are spewed out the other side of the stadium the realisation dawns that this is not the end, but just another unique feature of this unique race. After all, who says there cant be a practice glory lap around some stadium somewhere on the route?

As the day began to slowly warm up, as it is want to do in Africa, the stream of runners still accompanied by the songs and cheers of supporters flowed past Midmar dam and headed towards the end. This time there was no doubt it was the end. Rock concert music bellowed out heralding the end from miles away as the commentator enthusiastically welcomed the runners in.

Adorned with an impressive medal we felt in some small way that we had experienced the spirit of Mandela's journey. From the valleys to the hills. From suffering to freedom. Alone but together. A journey ended but only begun. A legacy lived and now experienced.

Next year...we will be back, what a great run, what a great experience, what a great opportunity.

There are small things that can be improved:

• Opening up the end area so it incorporates the food stands. I felt sorry for the vendors as they were isolated from the people, and the end was very cramped. A problem if the race gets bigger.
  
• Have more showers. We had thought there would be none, but discovered by chance four showers.
• If SABC TV is going to be there, which was a bonus, it would be nice for the middle (and even back runners) if they had not all vanished along the route so early on. This is afterall everyone's race, as together we succeed.

Finally how about a creative idea. This race has already done some unique and interesting things. How about switching the direction of the race each year. The race epitomises Mandela's struggle, but his struggle brought freedom. Maybe one year we remember the struggle - the up run, and the next year we celebrate the freedom he brought - the down run. I think that including a down run would open up the race to a whole lot more people, plus it could also become THE race to do in South Africa for those seeking that elusive marathon PB! 

So, the verdict? I have only run it once, but based on that experience, and those who ran with me, this is one race we will do again, and if the organisers can keep up the professionalism, it will become THE Marathon of South Africa.

On the 25 August 2013 the Mandela Day Marathon will be run for its second time, and this year we are joining in. I believe this marathon may well have the perfect blend of things to position it as THE marathon of South Africa. 

In terms of epic, defining runs in South Africa the list is topped by the Comrades Marathon - 90km of epic human achievement. A race that holds the Guinness World record for the most people competing in an ultramarathon. It is followed by the most beautiful marathon, the Two Oceans 56km race, which runs along two oceans before winding through the beautiful Constantia winelands area. Yet both of these are ultramarathons - what about a standard 42km/26mi marathon for South Africa? Of course there are many standard marathons, as South Africa is a country obsessed with running, driven to a large extent by the Comrades Marathon. On nearly every weekend of the year you can find a marathon if you are that keen. Some of the popular marathons are the Maritzburg Marathon, the Kynsa Forest Marathon, the Voet van Afrika Marathon, and the Soweto Marathon. All of these have aspects that make them interesting. Either they are long standing marathons or take place in interesting places. However to me none of them really epitomises South Africa like the Comrades Marathon does for the ultramarathon, tagged as the "Ultimate Human Race".

The one year old Mandela Marathon may just be the race to fill the empty iconic marathon spot like the London Marathon does for the UK and the New York Marathon does for the USA, etc. Why do I say that? Here are some of the reasons I think this is well placed to become a great race.

Firstly it is run to celebrate one of the greatest icons for human freedom and love, Nelson Mandela. A race that is run to remember his struggle - which is why it is a particularly hard uphill race, but that celebrates his overcoming, carries in it a vital message beyond simply running. It is teaching us that together, as people working towards a common goal, we can achieve so much more - no matter how hard the hills are, and how long the journey. 

Secondly the race is running between two significant places. It starts at Manayi Hall where Nelson Mandela made his last speech on 25 March 1961 and ends at the Nelson Mandela capture site in Tweedie, just outside Howick, where he was arrested on 5 August 162. The capture site now has one of the most interesting pieces of art (see image above) to commemorate this event.

Thirdly the fact that the race starts at Pietermaritzburg and then heads up to Tweedie adds an interesting extra dimension for Comrades runners. Comrades is run, alternating each year, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and Durban to Pietermaritzburg. So this year which was the "up run" - Durban to Pietermaritzburg - runners of the Mandela Marathon can now continue their run and run the next section from Pietermaritzburg to Tweedie. No small accomplishment to have run all the way from the coast to Tweedie in just two races.

Fourthly I think the timing of this race is well placed. The Comrades marathon defines most runners' racing schedules in South Africa. This sees them training hard from December to mid May and then running Comrades in June. Typically this is followed by a drop off with most people not doing any marathons again until October/November. With the Mandela Marathon taking place at the end of August, the Comrades runners are well recovered, still have most of their fitness foundation, and hence are well placed to use this race as an entry back into running again, without significant training investment. 

The Mandela Day Marathon is a young race, and this is the first year we will be running it, so we will reassess after we have done the race. However, if the organisers can run it professionally, then this event has all the components necessary to establish it as THE marathon of South Africa!

"Stop running!"

There is one thing I believe and that is keep on moving forward in a race. Never stop. You can walk, in fact you should walk, but never stop. Never! And so how did I find myself sitting on a crash barrier on the side of the road at about the 70km mark in the Comrades marathon?

I suppose I could say it was the 30C heat and blasting desert-like wind. I suppose I could say it was the utter fatigue. I suppose I could say it was being in "no mans land" - that space far enough into the run to be exhausted, but far enough before the end to think you are nearly there. All of these are reasons, but still I have never before stopped, net alone sat down. It's a definite "no no" to sit in a race. I've seen people do it and never recover, and I passed many sitting on that day, hundreds in fact. Some even lying on their back with only 2km to go.

Yet there I was, sitting on the crash barrier, seemingly enjoying my Sunday afternoon watching the runners stream past. Why did I do it? There is no doubt I had fatigue, but despite all this I could have just pushed on harder. Yet something in our running easy philosophy called to me. "Try Easier". And so I decided I would reward myself with a 60 second "time out". I would sit on the crash barrier and imagine for a moment I was refreshing, resetting, renewing, as the runners went past. I would "try easier" not harder. And for just a moment I relaxed, I tried to reset.

One minute later I began walking, and a minute or so later I was running again. No, I did not feel like the race had just begun, let's be realistic - I'd been running for over 9 hours, my body is not that stupid that the brain can trick it like that. But I did feel a lot better. I felt like I had been rewarded for what I had done. I had a new resolve, a determination, and my muscles had received a small respite.

So...would I recommend this? Yes and No! It really is a high risk strategy. You could cramp if you sit. You might not have the resolve to continue on. You sit too long...so many risks, However if you feel like you are reaching the end of your strength, then rather take a break. But before you do make a deal with yourself as to how long it will be. I would not suggest more than one minute...and stick to the deal. Thereafter stand and imagine you are feeling much better. Rejoice in the reward you received and the greater one coming later. Then walk a bit to warm your muscles and slow return to running.

I suppose it's like music - without the gaps between the notes there would be no music!

Yours in running easy,
Craig

One of the things I have really had issues with in running is being able to stay hydrated. I am normally OK for anything up until a marathon mark, but that is because I am finished within just over 4 hours. The problem comes in the ultramarathons, and particularly the 11+ hour Comrades marathon.

Typically I start drinking well, trying to make sure I take something to drink every 20 minutes or so as I reach the water tables. However after about 3 hours of this I feel like my stomach is full of water and I don't feel like drinking. This feeling does not go away, and so I begin to dehydrate. The result in previous Comrades is that I have ended up in the medical tent, on a drip, dehydrated. My mouth is parched, I'm depserately thirsty, but I just can't drink. What in the world is going on?

Thankfully I heard about Prof. Tim Noakes and his research on hydration (see link to right for his book). I read his book and contacted him and discovered a simple truth. Drinking to drinking plans is not right. We must drink to thirst and we will be fine. The body tells us what we need and when we need it. You have been listening to your body all your life, why do we suddenly stop listening to it when it comes to running? And so for Comrades 2013, in the "hottest Comrades in living memory" I put his theory to the test, I drank only when I was thirsty.

The result? I finished feeling fully hydrated. No medical tent. No dry mouth. Nothing! It was truly amazing, and more evidence - for myself at least - that Prof. Noakes' method, which is now finally accepted by researchers, is the best way to go. I really encourage others to follow his wisdom, based on research, and not be taken by media hype and sports drink companies with profit-fuelled agendas.

Check out the video below where Prof. Noakes shares 3 really interesting beliefs that need to be challenged, including how we drink.

On Sunday I ran my eighth 90km/56mi Comrades Marathon but my first time testing the new Pebble smart watch on such a long distance. So how did the Pebble with the RunKeeper app handle a 12 hour, 90km race run in extreme 30+C conditions?

Firstly I realised that my iPhone 5 battery was not likely to last the entire 12 hours, especially if I had live tracking on. So I bought a 2800mAh external battery backup Power Bank cover that I slipped onto my phone to give it extended life. This worked amazingly well, and I ended the day with 50% batter power. However as the drama of the day would have it, I forgot to turn life tracking on at the start of the race, so was not losing additional power on internet activity. I could do nothing about it afterwards without restarting my RunKeeper workout - which would have messed all my race times. So it would be nice if RunKeeper had a way to turn on Live Tracking at any stage, even if an activity has been started. So friends and family were left to follow my progress via SMS updates sent via timing mats or using "Find my iPhone".

SO HOW DID IT GO?
For some reason my RunKeeper displays a strange block when displaying the distance on the Pebble. So instead of 10:27 it shows a block, as depicted alongside. This is a minor annoyance. What I am a little disappointed with, considering I really am a big fan of RunKeeper, is there support. As an "elite" customer (you pay to be elite), I reported this to them on May 15 (now 3 weeks ago) and have not heard anything from them!

Also I found as the distance got higher and higher it started to drop the decimal numbers and displayed, for example, 63:...km. However, this too was not a big deal as I mainly needed my pace, time and distance.

HOWEVER, at about the 70km mark...my brain is a little fuzzy of the exact distance due to pain and suffering, disaster struck! All of a sudden the RunKeeper app stopped displaying on my watch. I was suddenly without any information. I could of course have tried to look at my iPhone, but that is not a realistic option at this stage. Fatigue is so great that attempting to do this is just not feasible. So I was stuck with only the time of day and the distance markers on the course. This was nearly my undoing. With about 15km to go I realised that I could not, as with previous years, walk and finish, I would have to in fact do quite a lot of running in the final part. Not a thought I relished. And so the last part became an intense battle against fatigue, nausea, and blasting hot winds to reach the end.

THE VERDICT
This is new technology. I was so pleased that my Pebble arrived literally 2 weeks before the big event AND RunKeeper integration happened at about the same time. The timing was awesome, but the technology new.

There is still quite a bit of work to be done to make the integration of RunKeeper and Pebble robust. Besides the strange display and going off near the end, it also would not let me start and pause, which it has always done. Race day nerves for the app?

In terms of the Pebble watch - Pebble Rocks! One of the BEST things was being able to see text messages from friends and family on my watch during the run. You are too tired to grab your phone and read them but I could see their messages as I was running and this made a huge difference. It would have been nice if Facebook messages had also come through, but again this integration does not seem to work properly.

The future of Pebble + RunKeeper + SMS + Facebook + Other is amazing for running. It's still not stable and while cutting edge technos, like myself, love it, for the rest you might want to wait a few more months for the dust to settle and the shiny pebbles to emerge.

...and I finished...just, with about 7 minutes to spare! Crazy...until number 9!

Yours in running easy
Craig

We have always told you that Running Easy is about "try easier". And this normally means putting in lots of walks. In fact our philosophy is "Walk BEFORE you are tired" NOT "Walk BECAUSE you are tired". 

This was so true on the epic 88km Comrades Marathon this past Sunday. We following our normal running easy training approach, and arrived at the race day feeling fit, uninjured and ready for the task. HOWEVER - while all the days prior to this, and the forecast for Monday were all cool, today dawned baking hot.

The day would soar to temperatures around 30C but made much worse by a blasting hot wind blowing directly into us as we ran. It was so hot that every 10 minutes, after completely drenching myself in water, I'd have to do it again as I'd be bone dry.

There was only one way to approach this - and that was walk more, hold back, conserve energy. And that is exactly what we did. We walked much more, and ran much more in the first half, only coming into halfway (44km) in about 5h30. Quite a bit slower than we normally would. And even then the second half of this "ultimate human race" would prove to be extremely tough. In fact near the end as the 12 hour cutoff loomed I had to push more and more. Thankfully I had some reserves to call on unlike thousands of runners who collapsed along the road. If I had not approached this in a running easy way, I'm certain I would not have made it. But thankfully I squeaked in with just over 5 minutes to spare and joined 8,000 others who finished, while sadly 4,000 never made it.

The lesson - and I too need to keep learning it, hold back, try easier, and you can go so much further!

Comrades 2013 is now over....and it was my hardest so far. The running conditions were, to quote the veterans - "the worst in living memory" - with hot temperatures and driving hot wind. I would like to thank the many, many people who supported both Nicky and I on Sunday. We received so many messages on the day, and all of this is truly appreciated.

As for now I can relax again, stare at my blackened toenails, and nurse my sore muscles - but all of this feels good have accomplished Comrades number 8. 

Just 2 more and then maybe I can take running life a little easier and stick to marathons and more "normal" things ;-)

Thanks everyone....your support was amazing!

I am always a little nervous when I change my running shoes, but then again I’m always keen to try something new, especially if it is pitched from some tech, new-fad angle. I just can’t resist. So when I first laid eyes on Reebok’s ZigTech shoes I was immediately wooed. I could see me in a pair of these, computer designed with enough research to develop a fleet of shuttles, and so on. Quickly I was on the Web trying to see what people thought. But as is typically the case there were only a few reviews – but mostly by those who blindly followed Reebok and said “of course they will be great” or those who were anti-Reebok and said “they are junk (even though I haven’t tried them)” – of course the part in brackets was not included.

However, I could not take this decision lightly. I am busy preparing to run the big 89km (56 mile) Comrades Marathon in May. I can’t have shoes that will not work…but then again, the tech, the possibilities…so I took the leap and got a pair. Tentatively I took them out for a short 8km run, as this always gives an early indicator if something is not right…and my feet returned happy. But the real test is only when I run over 2 hours, as then any strange rubbing, weird footfalls will be revealed. So a few days later they got to go on their next big outing, a 30km training run. Once more my feet returned happy. Subsequent to that I ran in my Reebok ZigTechs multiple times as we prepared for our Comrades long training run, the 56km Two Oceans marathon. This would be the real test where my Zigs would be my close companion for nearly 6 hours.

How did they do? The Zigs went unnoticed! I did not even realise I was wearing them…not once. This is the ultimate testimony to a great pair of running shoes. They should not make themselves noticed. They should feel natural on your feet, and just do their job. And then I did notice, as I slipped them off at the end of the race. For the first time in all the years I have run marathons and ultramarathons, I had not a single blister – and no black toenails! This time my feet were really smiling.

So, in short, for me, my ZigTech Reeboks have been superb. I had the best race (and fastest time too) for the 56km Two Oceans marathon. The ultimate test is still to come, when they join me on the 89km Comrades journey – the ultimate human race. But I’m confident my feet will be in good company. If I have a complaint, its that the Zigs are not designed for off road running. They have a voracious appetite for stones…as small stones get embedded in the zig design and then you clunk along sounding like tap-dancing zebra. But, use them for what they are designed for – road running – and you’ll give your feet (and legs) a great party! These Reeboks Rock!

“The time has come…to say fair’s fair…to pay the rent…to pay our share…da da de dum“…go the lyrics of Midnight Oil’s 80s one hit wonder. Eish! Those were the days of pink shirts for guys, oversized sunglasses and the Walkman! Hmmm…It seems that nothing’s changed…besides maybe the walkman (which was always politically incorrect – it should have been Walkperson). It’s now been replaced by iPod, iPhone, and iPad…which I can well imagine future generations will also be clambering to rename.

But the bottom line is the time had finally come to get out there and do a real race. One of those ones where not only do you awake before the proverbial birds, but where you register, and get things pinned to you and join hundreds of other crazy runners doing the same thing. Stealth training is great…and we do loads of it…only appearing now and then to let our running friends know we still exist. But sometimes you have to do the real thing.

So the sleep of the innocent was shattered by the shriek of the alarm at 3:45am heralding our first race of the year. Following my normal transition from coma to consciousness, I once more berated myself for deciding to do this, berated the race organizers for starting so early, berated the person who invented the clock for not increasing the number of hours in a day, and so on. Armed with the energy of this, I was soon leaping around doing the runner’s early morning dance…dress, toilet, snack…and espresso of course! We’ve got it to a fine art now, but as the brain only wakes up a few hours later it is vital that I refer to my master list to check its all done.

Dressed…shorts and top?…Check! Are you sure…both? Yep…Check!

Shoes on?….Check! (I’ve had dreams about leaving these…and after seeing people running without shoes the nightmare continues)

Socks on?…Yeah, should be if shoes are on but just be sure…Check!

Vaseline?…down low where things rub and on the moobs (man boobs)…Check!…double check otherwise this will certainly come back to bite!

Sunglasses?…check.

Sweatband?…I need this or else I have to run with my eyes closed, which may be preferable sometimes…Check.

Garmin Running watch?…so I know we are actually moving forward when we are running…Check

Running Pouch for keys?….Check! But it feels tighter than last time I wore it. It must have shrunk over the Christmas period…probably from getting wet.

Cell Phone?…so I can take photos of other crazy runners and phone a friend if I get lost or bored or tired…Check

Before long we’re following the stream of runners’ cars…obviously they’re runners because who else is crazy enough to be driving around dressed like they’re going to the beach at 4:30am?

There is something electric about the start of a race. The familiar sound of the announcer’s voice, the music, the hundreds of runners with bleary eyes, the laughter, the smell of Deep heat and overburdened chemical toilets. It’s just awesome…even if it is 4:45am! After the usual hurried scramble to register, interspersed with the normal criticism of how it should be faster, better, shorter, earlier, later…we’re off to the start. to join the growing throng of tightly clustered runners all waiting excitedly And before we know it the gun sounds, and like a laxative released load, the runners spew forth.

It’s always amazing, how minutes later the tide of humanity seems to stretch off into the dark distance. How did I end up so far back? What did they have for breakfast? Do they have an urgent appointment? All these thoughts clamour for attention as we bob and weave like Mohammed Ali through runners, walkers…and seemingly some sleep walkers.

I always admire the bastions of courage who man/woman…the first table. The avalanche of carbo-loaded runners hits them in a surging rush. Runners grapple and lunge for water and coke as though they’ve run hundreds of kilometers or been deprived of moisture since childhood. Quickly we skirt the writhing mass knowing with firm resolve that we can make it…it’s only be 15 minutes…we will survive.

Finally the human snake starts to stretch out as you settle into the pace of those who run sensibly…like we do…slow and enjoying the smell of the roses…or sweat and gaseous deposits, as there were no roses Winding our way down from Hillcrest towards Winston Park we’re rewarded with smiling supporters, beautiful leaf covered roads, and incredible houses…obviously only affordable by government officials. The sun finally dragging its bulk above the distant ocean washes the roads in orange as it drips its golden light through the trees.

The kilometers seem to fall away as we are swept up in the amazing journey of running with so many people. Before long we are heading back up the gentle but long hill towards Hillcrest. “21 turn, 42 straight” shouts the marshall…”Aah, it’s half this time…” I think to myself, as we turn into the stadium “Half the distance but twice the fun.”

Driving home I lean out the window and shout encouraging words to some family who’re just heading around for their second lap…words that every runner loves to hear…”You’re looking good…You’re nearly there”… And then we’re off towards home and the welcome embrace of a cool pool and another espresso. But in the back of my mind is the thought…”We will be doing our marathon in 2 weeks time.”

Oh well, that time has not yet come!