The world has fallen in love with marathons. We signed up at a record levels for hundreds of marathons across the world. They sell out quicker than ever and races that only had 5 thousand runners a year ago now have 15 thousand. Some people only want to run one, others want to go faster, but if you really want to take it to the next level, you do Comrades. In the world of long distance running, Comrades is the ultimate race. Comrades is an annual ultra-marathon held in South Africa. The course is 56 miles of challenging hills with nearly 90 years of history. To South Africans, Comrades is a national treasure, a race where folklore is made. Every runner who finishes is considered a hero. One native runner had this to say:
Cooling off
As a lifetime running experience, this is probably it. It has 90 kilometers of huge hills, steep descents and long, never-ending flat stretches. This is a race that will test not only your legs, but your mental tenacity. Expect temperatures of about 30°C (86°F) when the sun is up. Enjoy the best, most inspiring spectator support you will ever receive in a race - these people get up at 5:00 in the morning to catch the front runners and pack up their bags when the last runner has passed them. Picture a stadium resonating with the sound of cheering when you eventually cross the line. A truly inspirational race that will leave your running career changed for life.
One unique attribute of Comrades is its strict time limit. You get 12 hours and 12 hours only to finish. If you don't finish when the 12 hour gun goes off, you never existed. No medal, nothing recorded in the books. Except for the "torn to shreds" muscles and blisters all over your feet, nobody will have ever know you ran a mile. Watching the last few minutes of the race at the final mile marker and the people trying to get in before 12 hours brings tears to your eyes.
Medals are awarded as follows:
| Gold |
First 10 Men and Women |
| Wally Hayward |
Position 11 to sub 6hrs 00min |
| Silver |
6hrs 00min to sub 7hrs 30 min |
| Bill Rowan |
7hrs 30min to sub 9hrs 00min |
| Bronze |
9hrs 00min to sub 11hrs 00min |
| Vic Clapham |
11hrs 00min to sub 12hrs 00min |
Also, the course is reversed each year to change things up. This leaves you with an incredible uphill run one year and the downhill next. Which leads to the inevitable question that one asks if someone says they have completed Comrades. "Uphill or downhill?" A downhill usually gets a "good for you" type response because until you've finished an uphill you've only finished half of Comrades.
Every year 11,000 - 13,000 thousand runner participate in the race, a staggering number for such a difficult run. According to the race website, the best times ever recorded are:
|
Time |
Name |
Year |
| Women's |
06:09:24 |
Elena Nurgalieva |
2006 |
| Men's |
05:25:33 |
Valdmir Kotov |
2000 |
Garmin Forerunner 405
I've waited for this day a long time. My Garmin is my baby, giving me information about my running that only it can give. The problem: I have a VCR on my wrist. I have long anticipated the day when the receiver chip and battery would be small enough to fit in a regular-size watch. That day has come
.
The Garmin 405 is a GPS-enabled sports watch packed with impressive features. It records an array of measurements, including your distance, precise maps of your routes, speed, pace, time, calories burned, elevation, and (optionally) heart rate. All of this data is stored in memory so you can review and compare your past performances, and the watch is even capable of sending it wirelessly to your computer.
Garmin says the GPS receiver sustains satellite reception whether you’re on a rural trail or surrounded by skyscrapers. The is also water resistant and has a simple interface to make on-the-fly adjustments easy. It can also be used indoors with an optional food pod that clips to your shoelaces.
Virtual Partners
Racing a Virtual Partner
One of my favorite features is the ability to challenge a virtual partner. Few things motivate me more than competition, even if it is with a computer. You can choose a pace for your virtual partner to run and the watch will keep track of how far ahead or behind you are compared to the partner. But this is even better: if your friends have a 405 you can exchange routes and performances wirelessly. So, someone you know can transfer a map of their favorite route to you along with their performance data for that route, and you can race against them on that route when they're not even there! Lastly, you can download workout templates designed by experts and use those to supplement your training.
The Forerunner 405 is available in either black or green, and with or without a heart rate monitor.
For Midwest runners and those who are forever scared of the Chicago Marathon heat, there is good news. Indianapolis, IN is going to host a new fall marathon. Those who have run the Mini Marathon know that the city can handle big crowds and does a great job as host. The half marathon usually has over 30,000 runners in the spring.
The inaugural marathon and half marathon will be held on November 1st, 2008. This race is not affiliated with the ill-fated Indy Classic Marathon, which was delayed and then canceled last fall.
Total entries for the first year will be limited to 5,000 runners. Registration is now open and costs $60 for the full marathon and $50 for the half before June 30th.
The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon will benefit local public schools and offer a total purse of $10,800 in cash prizes.
It seems like scientists figure out another reason why running is good for us every week. Spark, a new book by John J. Ratey sets out to prove that exercise makes us smarter. He explains how muscle activity produces proteins that play a role in our brain development and daily thought processes. Case studies prove that exercise can change our mental state and boost our creative capacity. As a runner, I already realize this. After a run, I rarely feel tired; only invigorated and refreshed.
Spark demonstrates that exercise is a key combatant against a variety of ailments such as ADD, aggression, menopause, Alzheimer's, and depression, the leading cause of disability of the U.S. With the ever-growing list of bonuses, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to run. Spark has great reviews on Amazon and looks like a good read.
Just a quick reminder that registration for the Chicago Marathon starts today. The Chicago Marathon is very popular event and traditionally a fast course, so Boston hopefuls often try to qualify there. Other details:
- Race Date: Sunday, October 12, 2008
- Start Time: 8:00am (CST)
- Participant Capacity: 45,000
- Registration Fee: $110 for U.S. participants; $130 for participants outside the U.S.
Update: The race has reached its 45,000 runner capacity and general registration is now closed. That was fast!
