Winston Salem Fitness

As the final runners stagger into the Oval, the announcers make a flat statement, “Every South African should run Comrades at least once in their lives.?
I agree, but there are a number of small obstacles to be overcome first.
• How fit are you now • Have you ever run previously • Do you have an understanding partner • Can you squeeze in the time required for training • Can you afford to enter progressively longer races until you qualify • Can you afford to travel to Natal and stay over for a few days • Are you really that dedicated
I started running late in life and my longest distance was 32km. To reach this goal I had trained for 2 years. I had risen religiously early every morning to follow the schedule prescribed by my trainer. There were days when this was the last thing I wanted to do, but each time you surrender makes it harder to get going again.
When I think of training for Comrades I wonder if it is possible. It is 87km or 54 miles. How many kilometres and how many hours will I need to devote to training before I feel confident? It is not only the running. There is cross-training of swimming or cycling and time in the gym for some strength training. This is not a race to be entered casually.
So I admire and envy the 12 000 hopefuls who started from Durban at cockcrow. They have probably not slept at all after driving from their home towns in a state of nervous excitement.
I am not sure how early it is necessary to get going in order to find somewhere to park your car and reach the start. For how long will you stand amongst the throngs in the cold dark of morning? What happens if you need to go to the toilet? Even if someone would keep your place, will you find it again in the turmoil? This waiting is probably almost as bad as the exhaustion at the end.
Finally the cock crows and you begin to shuffle to the start line. There is no chance of running at this stage until the elite runners positioned at the front move off and the pressure eases.
The adrenalin is running high and you set off cheerfully even although it is difficult to get into your stride while the crowd is still thick.
You still have the energy to talk to friends and fellow runners. The kilometers are passing at a satisfactory rate. And then you meet 45th Cutting, not a long climb, but a foretaste of things to come.
There are a few undulations through luxurious Cowies Hill. Although this is nothing serious it is classed as one of the Big Five because of the preceding 14km. The next of the Big Five is not until you have left busy Pinetown and encounter Field’s Hill. That rise will warn you of the effort required to tackle the hills ahead.
Then it’s through leafy Kloof and Winston Park ,the first cut-off point at 10.30. But you have avoided this embarrassment and your legs are still pumping and your breathing is regular. It is fairly level through sleepy Hillcrest and the energy of the crowds galvanizes you to greater effort. You slow for a few minutes at a water station to ensure you are sufficiently hydrated, and even have the energy to think about the thousands of litres of water and Coke and Energade that are being dispensed.
Also give a thought to those runners in the first Comrades on the 24th May 1921. They didn’t have watering points or seconds and were probably running in tennis shoes. It is strange to think that from that small, inconspicuous start the event has grown to the size and popularity it has achieved today.
Then it’s up again, this time Botha’s Hill, the third of th Big Five, but the cheering and encouragement of the pupils of Kearsney College keeps you positive and energised.
It is reasonably flat over the 7km to the halfway point at Drummond. This is an important station because it is the second cut-off where runners who have not reached here by 11.30 will be eliminated. For those also-rans this is heartbreaking. They have been on the road for 6 hours already so there is little chance that they would make the finish in time. Perhaps next year?
The experts say that if you are a novice you should rather run the first half slowly so that you still have the strength to tackle the rest of the distance. Have something to eat and make certain you stay hydrated.
(As an aside, there was a man with his portable braaivleis selling boerewors rolls to the spectators, but we wondered if any of the runners stopped to buy.)
You are getting tired and it is hot when the monster that is Inchanga confronts you. This is 2.5km but at this stage in the run it seems endless and even the short descent hardly makes up for the effort. It is only slightly undulating through the tiny villages ofCato Ridge and Camperdown and on to Harrison Flats.
You are still running • well on and off with little walks for relief • because you know Polly Shortts is just ahead. This is the final cut-off point at 16.50 and the last of the Big Five. Can you imagine the heart-ache of being turned away with only about 8 kilometers still to go to the finish.
Don’t give up. You can make it. The feeling of euphoria when you at last encounter the aisle of green and yellow balloons outside the Oval is inexplicable. The end is in sight and you are still on your feet. Nothing compares to the joy you feel as you cross the line. This is a day to be remembered and all the training and sacrifices fade into oblivion. You will probably hurt all over for a few days, but the pleasure of owning a Comrades medal overshadows everything. Will you do it again? The answer is still out there.
I have no idea of the number of people who line the whole route for the whole day, cheering and encouraging the runners.
For those thousands of us watching the race on TV, the struggle of totally exhausted runners forcing themselves, in the face of all odds, to crawl if necessary, to cover those last few virtually impossible metres is painful, especially now when nobody is permitted to offer assistance. We cry for them, and celebrate their determination and courage.
I was impressed with ‘the bus’, a group of about 2000 runners who had stayed together from the start and crossed the line in a bunch. Many of them were running for charities. Their camaraderie was obvious and they were still smiling. Perhaps I could make it if I ran with them.
A few statistics.
First prize for both men and women is R220.000 with a bonus of a 50 oz gold statuette for anyone who breaks the record. There is also a 25 oz gold statuette for the first South African to cross the finishing line and R10,000 for the first runner from Kwa-Zulu Natal.
There are also rewards for being the first at the three hot-spots, as long as you finish the race. R5,500 for the first spot, R11,000 for the first runner at the half-way point and R16,000 for the final one at Polly Shortts. There is usually a determined runner who runs his legs out to reach the first point and then takes it easy for the rest of the race. It is seldom the winner, although the Nurieva twins achieve these additional bonuses as well as their first and second places. They are truly amazing.
There is TV coverage from start to finish. This involves people on the ground, the motor bikes that follow the runners and the helicopters. Co-ordinating all these people is no mean feat.
As far as medical care is concerned there will be extensive medical, emergency and physiotherapy services along the route and an emergency resuscitation unit on the finish line as well as Medical Marshall along the route.
• There will be 16 Netcare 911 ambulances with satellite tracking • 6 Netcare 911 rapid response vehicles • 4 Netcare motorbikes with paramedics • 1 dedicated helicopter • 1 standby helicopter • 8 medical first aid stations on the route. These incorporate diabetic stations where bloods sugar levels can be tested • 8 physio stations • medical tent at the finish with 40 doctors and 20 nurses and a 2-bed fully equipped ICU-type resuscitation unit • an emergency resuscitation unit at the finish • St. John Ambulance tent at the finish for minor discomfort, rub downs, strapping and massage • Physio tent at the finish • Public first aid tent
Can you, in your wildest dreams, imagine the administration required to organize all this? Not to mention the Traffic Department who are available for the whole race, keeping the roads clear and who have to provide alternate routes for people on the move. They are also responsible for creating order out of the chaos of this huge number of people leaving the venue after the prize giving . I have no idea of the number of people who line the whole route for the whole day, cheering and encouraging the runners. They, too, require the services of the Traffic Officers to see them safely home once the roads have been re-opened.
We sit comfortably at home watching the event unroll on TV. We have food and drink available and don’t have to worry about traffic jams or negotiating the crush of people.
Added to this are the volunteers who man the water points, handing out thousands of litres of liquid and much encouragement. They have had to set up early in the morning before the roads are closed and still have time to decorate their stands and the surrounds with their company logos.
It is no wonder that Comrades is the biggest untra marathon in the world.
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