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Where are we now?

We have only 144 days to go for the 2009 Comrades.  If nothing else, you must spend every day wisely, doing whatever is required to improve your chances of comfortably finishing Comrades.

The things to be done to train for a race as far as Comrades, is to constantly bear in mind what is needed on the big day.  Above all, you need the will to succeed whatever happens on the day.  Confidence will be a big factor to handle the hardship during about 11hours and 89kms run.  If you feel confident you can do it then all things on the way are just minor interruptions in achieving the final reward; that medal.  If you follow a successful plan, that will build up your confidence each and every month.  If you avoid major setbacks such as illness, injury, loss of form and failures to complete targets during training and build up races, you will be feeling good about yourself on May 24th.  Train each and every day as required by the programme but rest on the days that are allocated.  Be flexible however and adjust your effort when you feel tired.  Handle an injury first by rest and then with professional help.  Stay off the road until the injury has healed.  Keep yourself as healthy as possible with good balanced meals and supplements that you find keep you feeling good.  Look at the programme and join in the fun to meet the targets that are set each month.  Nothing better than meeting targets.  Nothing worse than failing.

In each run this month, finish feeling with a bit in hand.  Training runs in particular are the most important because you do many more of those than the races. It is advisable to read the Gauteng January training programme which offers some additional tips.

January’s Plan

The plan for January, remembering that you have to run a qualifying standard marathon in February, is to train sensibly and honestly for the standard.  The details are clearly set out in Phase 1 of the main programme.  To qualify in a standard marathon you must run 6 days/week now and complete two shorter build-up races over 30km (Bay to Bay) and then 36km (Redhill Classic 36km).  The target times for these two races are sensibly a shade faster than the speed you expect to run the full 42km standard distance.  The 30km is run at 6,1mins/km, the 36km at 6,2 mins/km and the 42kms at 6,2mins/km.  The Red Hill race is on an infinitely tougher course than the Peninsula marathon, so the speed for both these races is the same 6,2 mins/km.

The other requirement for running a good standard in February is to complete a sensible overall distance for January of 306km (5 week month) varying between 59km and 66km /week. 

The January programme is attached here again:

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
w/c	29/12	05/01	12/01	19/01	26/01
Monday	REST	REST	REST	REST	REST
Tuesday	8	8	8	8	8
Wednesday	8km T/T	8km T/T	8km T/T	8km T/T	8km T/T
Thursday	5	5	8	8	8
Friday	10	10	10	5	12
Saturday	8	5	8	36km race	8
Sunday	20km club run	30km race	15km club run	REST	15km club run
Total	59km	66km	57km	65km	59km

Total kms for January 2009 = 306kms (equivalent to 245km for a four week month.)

Many runners have no idea how fast or slow they are running during training runs and get a shock when they are accurately measured in a race.  It is wise to measure your training runs courses with the car odometer and note your training times in your logbook.  You can adjust your days to have alternate hard days and easy days.

Enjoy January and lay those foundations firmly for Comrades in May.
 
Don Oliver
Cape Town. December 2008.