The Plan - on Global Running Day

It's Global Running Day, so to commemorate it, I am planning my Comrades run.

I entered this picture in a drawing via Twitter for a new pair of shoes...

To qualify for Comrades, you have to run a marathon (42.2 kilometers, 26 miles) in less than five hours.  It can be any marathon, hilly or flat, hot or cold, etc.  Not all marathons are created equal in how hard they are.  The only marathon I've run is one of the hardest in South Africa, the Mandela Marathon and I ran it in six hours, an hour over the time limit.  Now, in this marathon, I didn't push myself. I wanted to finish with a smile. I wanted to savor the moments and I wanted to take it all in.  And that I did.  I loved it. I didn't struggle. I didn't waver.  I was barely sore the next day -- probably because I walked a lot.  But, I took six hours.  To qualify for Comrades, you have to do a marathon in less than five hours.  

Guess what marathon is again on my list and that I am currently in training for? Yep, the Mandela Marathon.  Why you ask? Why choose such a hard marathon to run? Well, there are a few reasons.  First, IF and I only say IF I can miraculously shave an hour off of my time and qualify with this marathon, I am rather confident that I can complete Comrades.  The Mandela Marathon has almost as many hills as Comrades in half the distance.  Second, even though I am training to run 89 kilometers and consider myself a runner, I don't want to hate running.  I know I won't hate the Mandela Marathon.  It was such an amazing experience last year.  There are few people who run it and the first ten kilometers of running through a township is rather amazing.  Third, this is a test.  I can gauge how prepared I am because I have something to compare myself to.  So, the first part of the plan for Operation Complete Comrades 2018 is to run the Mandela Marathon and love it.  Running it in under five hours would be an amazing bonus.  

I've put together a running time table for myself to achieve this goal.  The running portion consists of 3-4 runs a week.  A seven, ten and long distance run are mandatory. If I have time and am feeling strong, I want to squeeze in a fast five kilometer time trial.  I will also be swimming twice a week and doing yoga at least once a week if not twice.  I use the Asics Run app and also have consulted other programs online to make a calendar that works for me.  My first long run of 17 kilometers is on June 25. My maximum distance is 30 kilometers around the end of July.  I will be running the Savages Supa Mamma half marathon on August 13.  I ran it last year two weeks before the Mandela Marathon and because it is ridiculously hilly just like the marathon, it was a great training run.  

So this is step one.  Step two are two other marathons -- both in October.  We will see where I am in August after the Mandela Marathon before I decide if I am going to do the Township to Township Marathon or the South Coast Marathon.  In the back of my mind is also the Soweto Marathon on November 5 -- though it's at a high elevation level in Joburg so I might struggle with the elevation, but it would be a great excuse to visit Joburg.  But I have to enter by June 30 so I need to get going on that decision! I am lucky in that there are lots of marathons to choose from... I just need to make sure that I start training early and keep up my training.  

I'm Putting it Out There

It's three days after I sat and watched the Comrades Marathon and cheered from the sidelines for the fifth time.  It's five years since I ran my first ten kilometer road race.  It's nine months since I ran my first marathon.  And it's hopefully just 368 days before I run 88-89 kilometers from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on June 10, 2018 and complete a five year old dream. It's time to make that dream a plan.

It might be a big dream plan.  I might fail.  But, I think that if I write about it and tell about my goal and the plan I have to achieve it, then it might just be a bit more attainable.

So here's my story.

I'm Stephanie.  I'm a regular person.  I've never been an athlete.  I became a runner five years ago -- well in the sense of running over five kilometers.  I really only became a runner, as in someone who really likes to run and isn't tortured by the thought of it, two years ago or so.  I used to hate running and thought why run if someone wasn't chasing you?  But, something inside me has shifted and well, my legs get a little antsy if they don't run. It's odd. It's inexplicable. But, I'm happy it's happened.

Four years ago, in 2013, I first watched the Comrades from the sidelines as a friend was running the race.  Before, I'd just heard about it and thought people were very loony for even attempting to run that far, but I began to think about running.  Here I am four years later and I know even more people who have run the race and survived.  Luckily, I don't actually know anyone who has had to give up on the day. May it stay that way as I'd like to remain positive. Though I did just read that on Sunday, 17,031 runners started the race and only 13,852 finished.  That means that 19% don't finish.  That's a big number! But, we aren't going to dwell on it and instead keep on telling you about my motivation for doing this race.

When you watch Comrades, you feel like you could do it.  You see people of all sorts of shapes and sizes (even blind people) and you (well I do at least) think, "damn that could be me." I've seen a couple of friends who were novice runners set their mind to it and complete it. It's such a nice feeling to be on the sidelines and witness an event that shows no color or socioeconomic boundaries.  Comrades is an event for everyone.

I want to be a part of the race.  I want to know what it feels like to run for 88 kilometers and cross that finish line.  I don't just want to be a spectator anymore.  So, help me out.  Check in with me every now and then. See how my training is going.  See if I am keeping on track to accomplishing my goal.  Follow me here and I'll keep you posted and try not to bore you too much.  I'll post my plan of action and my running plan. Let me know if you have any tips.

Wish me luck and hey, if you want to join me on June 10, 2018, on that start line in Pietermarizburg at 5:30 to run a quick trot down to Durban, let me know.  The more the merrier!