Don Oliver's September 2009 training programme for Comrades 2010

“Where are we now?” We have made a start and that is the most important thing you have done in this last month. It is not suspicious that you find it so easy. All the Comrades training programmes are equally easy because you will always be doing things you are prepared for. Secondly it is 271 days to go. Plenty of time to prepare well. You are already a whole month ahead of a lot of other people who are not on the road yet but are only at the dreaming about it stage.

It wasn’t that easy to get off to a good start with your Comrades programme. The weather was cold and wet and the company of other runners was a bit sparse. September will be a jump up in training but not too much to produce disappointment. The 3days/week start off was gentle and we will now be going up to 4 days/week and then 5 days/week for the last two weeks. The total kms to run will go up as a result. It is Spring but it always seems to be a bit late here in W.P. The mornings are getting lighter and the rain will be getting less so you can use both those conditions to do a bit more training. I am introducing a pattern this month that will be consistent for each month up to May next year. Monday will always be a rest day and Thursday will always be for a slightly longer mid week run. At the weekend you do a long run on either Saturday or Sunday depending on your club’s programme and local race fixtures. There you will be setting up a work pattern that will be real Comrades training. Finally you will never lose your rest day. That is probably the most important day of the week.

The people who have already run Comrades can enter the 2010 race from September 1st until October 31st 2009. If you are a novice your chance to enter comes from November 1st 2009 and will close on November 30th 2009. At this stage a novice needs to think about the commitment over the next two months and be warned that you will have to make a formal written commitment on this website. Next month we will give you details of what is involved to train and enter Comrades and be sure of bringing home the medal.

In September you should enter two races. One at 10km and another over 15km. This is the first objective for you. "To run a 10km road race in 60mins and also a 15km race in 93mins”. In the long term Comrades training, we measure where we are each month to make sure we are on track for the overall target of a Comrades bronze medal in May 2010. Here is September’s target and if you achieve it you have taken the first step in being successful. Each and every month from now on you will be successful so that on Comrades Day you have become so accustomed to succeeding that you will succeed in running further than you have ever run before.

Here is your second training programme for 2009.