28 May '15: Comrades Entrants' Survey
Published by ATC Multisport on Thu, 28 May 2015Some of the ATC Members runningf Comrades on Sunday completed a short survey to tell us what there plans are for Sunday. Below is what they said:
Name: |
Colin Timmis |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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Because I can!
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How many Comrades have you done?
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More than 8!
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Your Personal Best?
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8:16
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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8:30
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Longest Training Week?
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106km
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Cross-Training?
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Weights, Bike
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Your biggest challenge?
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Too much Iron Man training and not enough mileage on the legs for an UP
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The least of your worries?
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Sunburn.
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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Nothing as I would just have done 30km of up-hill running.
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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Never again!
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And after 10 hours?
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That beer tastes good, Will my toenails grow back?
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Name: |
Graeme Saggers |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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I was convinced to do it in a moment of weakness.
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How many Comrades have you done?
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Rookie!
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Your Personal Best?
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Rookie
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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11 Hours
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Longest Training Week?
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Yikes, only 68.4km in 7h34.
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Cross-Training?
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CrossFit.
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Your biggest challenge?
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Undertrained.
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The least of your worries?
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Enjoying the start.
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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Breakfast time.
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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Lunch time.
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And after 10 hours?
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Dinner time.
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Name: |
Kevin Flanagan |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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Got a diesel engine, not a racing engine .
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How many Comrades have you done?
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Rookie!
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Your Personal Best?
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Rookie
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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Sub 9hrs
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Longest Training Week?
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80Km
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Cross-Training?
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Do beers count?
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Your biggest challenge?
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Tar as opposed to trail - surface of choice.
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The least of your worries?
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The ability to endure.
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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Can I hold the pace for another 4 hrs?
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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Only 2 hrs left.
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And after 10 hours?
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Needed to train more on the road and sh!t I'm a cart horse.
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Name: |
Cobus Stofberg |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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Because I made my brother-in-law ride 36One (MTB) with me, now I have to do Comrades with him, in return.
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How many Comrades have you done?
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Rookie!
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Your Personal Best?
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Rookie
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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11 H59 Min
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Longest Training Week?
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94 Km
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Cross-Training?
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Epic, Ironman, 36One (MTB / swimming)
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Your biggest challenge?
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None ;-) Maybe that we`ll be too relaxed along the road!
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The least of your worries?
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High Heart rates - we`ll be walking most of the way anyway, so we won't be pushing high hart rates at all ;-)
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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Jan van Riebeeck and other silly jokes!
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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Still, Jan van Riebeeck and even more ridiculous jokes!!!
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And after 10 hours?
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How easy this is and maybe we should enter MDS (Marathon Des Sable) or Spartathlon…
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Name: |
Victoria Reuvers |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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Am asking myself the same question right now....
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How many Comrades have you done?
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3
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Your Personal Best?
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8h36
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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Sub 10:30
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Longest Training Week?
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60km.... Eeek
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Cross-Training?
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Yip. 2 core strength sessions per week
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Your biggest challenge?
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Running up almost 2 table mountains for the first 40km... Hoping mind and body will still be strong after that.
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The least of your worries?
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Being emotional at the start.
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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Most probably how stoked I will be to have banked the biggest and baddest of the hills.
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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The blurry finish line.
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And after 10 hours?
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Hopefully how happy I am that I've finished it.
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Name: |
Kirsty Blackford |
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Why on Earth would you run 89 Kms?
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Good question!
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How many Comrades have you done?
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2
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Your Personal Best?
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10:52:13
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Goal / Target Time for 2015?
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Sub 11
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Longest Training Week?
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56 Kms - 5:29
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Cross-Training?
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Cycling & Swimming
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Your biggest challenge?
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DNF !!!!!
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The least of your worries?
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The great support along the way.
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What will you talk about after 4 hours?
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How far we have still got to go.
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What will you think about after 7 hours?
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The worst is over, I can still do this.
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And after 10 hours?
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I just want my bed.
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Name: |
Esther Patience |
Can you believe it??? Another year has gone!
If you’re still awaiting my finishing SMS from last year… Give Up! The SMS system failed quite a number of people in 2014. I’m NOT still running ;-)
I did finish last year’s race (my 4th one!) but not in that illusive Sub-11:00. I completed the race in 11:48:56, a comfortable finish but extremely painful.
I didn’t write back to you after the race as I didn’t want anyone (who doesn’t already know) to know that one can experience so much pain with something that can give one so much pleasure. Then when I didn’t finish my Half Ironman this year (for those of you who don’t know, my bike broke at 37km and I had to withdraw from the race), someone commented on my Facebook post regarding lessons learnt: “ Esther, thank you for exchanging your red carpet twice so that 1000’s could value the true spirit of IM, value the hardships, the shared pain and glory, and true friendships”
Comrades 2014 was indeed a true test of my Spirit over adversity! I shared in the pain and fortunately ALSO the Glory! I was cramping so badly that I was forced into tears twice in the race. Don’t get me wrong, I never felt like I needed to quit or wished it was over, I just wished the pain would go away. The great thing that I can tell you about the race is that I managed to overcome all the pain and hardships experienced on the day and I could still run the last 2km as if Durban was cheering only for me.
So, here I am on the evening before my departure for Durban, writing to you: my loyal supporters, friends and family; who encourage me to carry on. This time I want to dedicate this letter to you. You keep me going on race day and on cold mornings when I don’t really want to get out of bed to train. In 2012 we had the worst Two Oceans weather and I was so worried about cramping up because of the cold and get injured before Comrades. I thought about quitting many times. As I watched people getting into the bailing busses for no apparent reason at all (some looked a bit frozen and only some in pain!), I kept thinking “My Mom is sitting at the finish line in the rain waiting for me! What if my brothers didn’t quit and they finish?”
These thoughts kept me going in the horrible rain and cold wind on the day and helped me push forward.
So, I beg you, please keep on supporting and encouraging people to become more than what / who they already are. Your support goes a long way when things get tough. In the darkest moments when one has to dig really deep to find motivation deep inside as to why one has to carry on, it is YOU, the supporter, who helps us find courage to carry on. If you drive past a runner or cyclist on the road, hoot! Not so loud that he / she has to jump out of the road! Throw an encouraging wave or a thumbs up! The effect on the athlete is the same as taking an energy gel! The amount of energy one can draw from the crowd on race day is absolutely amazing! It’s because you make us feel awesome out there! THANK YOU!
So, as usual, I still need to pack! So off I go, with not much race planning done yet, but I have tomorrow night free ;-)
What I do know, is that I’m planning to really enjoy this race. Don’t worry, I won’t be sitting and chatting to people on the side of the road and hang out at any trees! I will move forward, not doodle, walk with purpose and make sure that every step is a step towards the finish line. However, I want to make sure that I take in the crowds, take a peek at the scenery, smell the flowers at Arthur’s Seat and shout an encouraging word to my fellow Comrades runners. And last, but not least, a thank you nod and wave to our loyal Supporters on the Day.
This is my last planned Comrades because I might be tempted to go for 10 if I continue after this year.
This is a link to the route map for the Day:
So, if you have nothing to do on Sunday or would like to follow my progress or are looking for an excuse to sit in bed with a bottle of wine, there are a few ways you can track me:
Download the Free Ultimate Live App.
SMS my race number, 19321, to 39174. You will receive 7 SMSs, indicating my location on the route map: 1. Start, 2. Cowies Hill, 3. Halfway, 4. Cato Ridge, 5. Lion Park, 6. Polly Shorts, 7. Finish
It will be tough! It’s an Up Run! If it wasn’t tough, anybody could do it!