It’s 11 days to the Two Oceans Ultra and everyone in Cape Town is getting excited – either because they’re running it or because they know someone who’s running it.
The Two Oceans is a 56k (35 miles) race with some very nasty hills in the second half.
75 runners from my running club are participating. To brief the newbies, the committee organized a special evening with two “Two Oceans Legends”: Tony Abrahamson (72) and Mark Wagenheim (65).
Tony has done this race 44 times and Mark 41 times. Coach Chris came along too, he has done this race 27 times. Together, they have done it 112 times!
For two hours, we peppered them with questions.
There were some anecdotes, too: Tony’s best running friend was his dog Roo, an English Foxhound. In the 1970s, he ran this race five times with Roo, who even wore a little vest with his own bib. Three of those races were under 4 hours!
These tips stood out to me:
- Nutrition: Tony uses 11 gels during the race – one every 5k. It helps him to keep the fatigue at bay and to stay clear-headed and focussed. He also drinks coke at the aid stations.
- Training volume: In 1984, Tony achieved PBs for the Two Oceans and the Comrades (a legendary 89k (55m) ultra in South Africa). He did that averaging only 73k (45m) a week. Both Tony and Mark only run one or two marathons a year. In between, they focus on shorter races between 10k and 21k.
- Coaching: both recommended 1:1 coaching.
- Race strategy: Mark said we should be very careful when we get on a “bus” (following a pacemaker). Only join if you feel that the pace is truly right for you.
- Splits: For this race, a negative split is unlikely, even for the elite. Both Mark and Tony write their key milestones on their arms with a permanent marker pen.
These were some great tips to think about and try out. I got a chance to test a “bus” on a recent long run:
We were about 40 runners. I joined the first group of runners for about 8k and then realized that this bus was too fast for me. I let them go and ran alone. By kilometre 12, the second bus had caught up with me.
This group consisted of three people: Shen, Melissa and Elaan. All three were very focused and there was no talking. Shen was an incredibly consistent runner and he took over as our bus driver.
However, we all struggled up that last hill, even Shen. I was so relieved when he took walking breaks. We finally made it, crossed the “finish line” at the top of the hill and happily congratulated each other.
This training run helped me to get a better feel for the physical and mental struggles that we will experience on race day.
Having said that, after having done this 46k run, I can’t imagine running another 10k on race day!
- Did you ever join a “bus” in a training run or a race?
- Do you know anyone who has done a race 30 or 40 times? Could you imagine doing that?
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs and Laura Norris Running.
I don´t have any first hand experience, but I´m sure it´s super important to listen to yourself and run your own race. One thing I´ve heard from people who have run several marathons is that you can sometimes “under-pace” yourself in fear on running out of energy, do you agree?
Mhm, that’s a great question, Riitta.
I have certainly done races where I underpaced myself in the first few kilometres. I remember a race that was supposed to be a training run. We started at an easy pace and then suddenly switched into full race mode. It turned out to be a great race strategy!
Personally, I think it’s better to underpace yourself than overpace – there’s nothing worse than crashing in that second half! 🙂
Liebe Catrina,
wow, der letzte lange Lauf ist erledigt und jetzt darf sich dein Körper ausruhen (und dein Geist Purzelbäume schlagen) bevor es an den Start des “großen Laufs” geht! 😀
Wie toll, dass der Verein sich da so engagiert und “Neulingen” mit guten Tipps und Vorbereitungsläufen hilft. Und dass da solche Lauflegenden mit dabei sind – einmalig! Du bist sowas von gut vorbereitet, dass der Lauf selbst sicher einfach nur ein Mega-Lauferlebnis für dich werden wird.
Liebe Doris
Genau! Ich bin froh, dass ich diesen langen Trainingslauf hinter mir habe. Diese Woche sind noch ein paar moderate angesagt und dann geht’s an die volle Erholung. Plötzlich so viel Zeit! 🙂
Das fand ich auch. Es ist so wertvoll, wenn man von so erfahrenen Läufern profitieren kann. Gerade bei diesem Lauf ist es sehr schwierig, so zu laufen, dass man in der zweiten Hälfte die Hügel gut schafft. So oder so wird es ein Erlebnis! 🙂
I cannot believe the number of times those 3 runners that done that race! Simply wow! I am sure that evening and long run provided great tips and confidence for your race. I love how everyone is excited about it. I think that is how it is when during the Chicago Marathon.
Isn’t it incredible, Zenaida? I have never run a race more than 5 times.
Yes! It really helped to build my confidence – although I’m still quite scared of running the full 56k on race day.
The buzz is tangible! I bet that’s how it must feel when the Chicago Marathon is on.
I’ve run the Chicago Marathon 5 times. I would like to run it again because it is a great race but I don’t know when.
Oh, I hope you get to run it again soon!
Maybe. It isn’t on my list since I’ve ru it before. I do like spectating!
How amazing to be surrounded by such legends!! Goodness – in over 100 Two Oceans runs combined they have truly seen it all – the good, the bad and the ugly! Such useful tips as well – I love the one about the bus. It’s so important to be in a bus that is matched to you. I’ve had to hop off the bus that was too fast but also push ahead when I’ve felt it was too slow. It’s making sure its the “goldilocks pace” for you!
It was awesome, Shathiso! I think we could have spent all night together. Listening to their stories and anecdotes was so fascinating – they had some hilarious ones about the Comrades, too.
Mark offered that I can ride his bus on race day as he is aiming for a sub-5. It would be awesome to run with someone that experienced. However, I am afraid of committing as dropping out of a legend’s bus would feel awful!
All that advice is so spot on! I love it! I also love when there’s a briefing like that for a race.
You’ve got this, Catrina. I have no doubt you’ll do great — which doesn’t mean it won’t be hard.
I felt that way about my first half, LOL, after I ran my first 10k, I thought really? You’re going to run TWICE that distance? If I hadn’t already been signed up I might’ve backed out!
I think so too – it was such solid advice.
Thank you, Judy! There’s going to be a point up that last hill where I will be cursing and swearing, but I do hope that it will go well overall.
Haha! Exactly! That’s what I think after every 10k, too – how could I ever run double this distance?!
Race day is almost here!!! When the time comes you will own the last 10k.
I love the group spirit of “riding the bus”. I’ve taken a few “buses” that were too fast for group runs but I’m always amazed at how much faster I can run with the group as opposed to alone.
No I can’t imagine running the same race 30-40 times but I’ve got 7 years straight in my local marathon (distances ranging from 3 miles on the relay team up to the half).
I hope so! It’s all about the mind – once it knows we’re in for the full stretch, it will hopefully cooperate. 🙂
Isn’t it funny how that works? Without Shen driving our bus, I’m sure our little group would have been a lot slower.
Seven times! I can see a legend in the making! Get ready to brief some newbies in 40 years’ time, Birchie!
No never for both questions.
I think the gels is right on. I need to fuel more often rather than wait until I need it.
I’m still in awe that I ran 26.2 miles. But I did somehow.
I’ve run a 5k like 15 times but haven’t been running long enough for more.
I think you are more than ready. You will do great.
I always thought gels were useless, but since I actually used them a few weeks ago and saw that they work, I have made a complete u-turn. I’m now planning to take 11 gels with me for the race.
15 times, Darlene! The way you are going, you can easily add another 30 times. I think you are already a legend with running so many races at 69!
Hopefully! I’m now at the point where I just want to get it done. 🙂
No I can’t imagine doing any race 30 or 40 times, let alone an ultra. Wow! That is amazing and I love that there’s a canine runner as well. So fun! It’s so interesting reading the tips. I think it all boils down to you have to figure out what works for YOU an an individual. With social media it’s so easy to watch others run back to back to back races and that is not necessarily right or smart for others. I love that he keeps his mileage relatively low and runs only a marathon or two per year. Awesome!
A very good point, Marcia. Social media can be motivating, but it can also push us too far. I tend to be the over-motivated, competitive type, so I really have to stop myself from getting sucked in. It was comforting to me to hear their comparatively low mileage.
I also liked that they recommended a 1:1 coach. Maybe that’s something I will treat myself to one day!
Liebe Catrina,
das finde ich prima, dass so ein Vorbereitungstreffen organisiert wurde und die “alten Helden” den jüngeren mit Rat und Tat zur Seite stehen! Das war bestimmt sehr hilfreich, vor allem, wenn man das Rennen noch nicht bestritten hat. Auch ein gemeinsamer Trainingslauf ist super! Das alles liest sich für mich wie der GP Bern, den läuft man auch besser, wenn man weiß, was unterwegs auf einen zukommt. Wobei der GP ja gerade mal die Warmlaufdistanz ist… 😉
Wieviel Starter wird es geben bei Two Oceans?
Du wirst sehen, am großen Tag, im Kreis deiner Vereinskamerad/innen wird das bestens, und auch die letzten km werdet ihr bestehen! Ich denke, das Gemeinschaftsgefühl gibt nochmals eine große Portion Motivation und Kraft. Ich drücke jedenfalls ganz fest die Daumen!
Laufen in einer Pacemakergruppe kann hilfreich sein, wenn das Tempo passt. Es gibt einem eine gute optische Einordnung, wenn die Tempoläufer gut sind und gleichmäßig laufen, finde ich.
Ich kenne niemand, der schon mehr als 30x ein Rennen bestritten hat. Wohl aber 2, die haben ihren Heimatlauf schon 19x absolviert, du kennst sie auch ;-): https://monschau-marathon.de/moma-club-10/.
Ich denke, das spricht immer für einen Lauf.
Ich freue mich mit dir auf dein großes Abenteuer, das wird super!
Liebe Grüße aus dem kalten Rheinland!
Elke
Liebe Elke
Es war sehr hilfreich! Alleine schon diese selbstsichere, bescheidene Ruhe, die die beiden ausstrahlten, war wohltuend.
Der gemeinsame Trainingslauf war genial. Ich kannte ja die Strecke von meinem ersten Solo-Lauf, als Kai Verpflegungsstelle spielte, aber das ganze jetzt nochmals mit Laufkollegen zu machen war wieder eine andere Erfahrung.
Für den Ultra erwarten sie 11’000 Läufer (17. April), für den Halbmarathon nochmals 16’000 (16. April). Das ist der grösste Halbmarathon in Südafrika und nebst dem Comrades der grösste Ultra in Afrika.
Ich hoffe es, Elke! Es macht schon viel aus, wenn man mit Tausenden von anderen läuft, viele Zuschauer da sind und die Strassen gesperrt sind. Da fällt es wahrscheinlich schon etwas leichter!
Ha, klar dass Marion und Wolfgang den Monschau schon 19 Mal gelaufen sind! Die werden da auch noch auch local legends in die Geschichte eingehen. 🙂
Ich bin schon in der Phase “ich will, dass es endlich anfängt!” 🙂
Liebe Grüsse aus dem ebenfalls kühlen Cape Town!
Ach ja, lernen von den alten Hasen, das ist immer gut, habe ich in meinen Anfängen nicht genug davon haben können, heute gebe ich das weiter, was ich am eigenen Leib erfahren habe. Warum gefällt mir das ??
Die ” paar ” Kilometer mehr in 11 Tagen, das machst du mit links, du hast die richtige Einstellung dazu, das Training passt – alles wird bestens, ich bin sicher, wenn der Kopf mitmacht, dann laufen die Beine wie ein Wiesel – YES !!!!
30 oder 40 Mal den gleichen Lauf – puh – das ist eine Frage des Geschmackes, es gibt ja auch Leute, die fahren 30, 40 Jahre oder mehr immer an denselben Urlaubsort, wenn es gefällt !! Auch ich habe den einen oder anderen Lauf 1, 2 höchstens dreimal mitgemacht, aber zum Glück gibt es ja immer genügend neue und auch tolle Läufe im Angebot.
So, und jetzt die letzten Tage bis zum großen Event – Daumen sind gedrückt – alles wird gut, ganz sicher, viel, viel Glück, liebe Catrina und liebe Grüße von der kalten Ostsee, für mich zum Laufen ideal !!🍀🍀🍀🏃♀️
Zum Glück sind die alten Hasen da. liebe Margitte, die ihre Weisheiten mitteilen! Wir waren alle sehr dankbar, vor allem wir Neuen.
Ich hoffe es sehr. Es ist genauso wie du es sagst – “wenn der Kopf mitmacht”. Die letzten Kilometer von jedem Lauf sind hart – das Gehirn beschliesst, dass jetzt Schluss ist und macht alles zu. Wieselbeine werde ich gut gebrauchen können!
Oh, ich könnte es auch nicht. Ich habe den Zürich Marathon einige Male gemacht – vielleicht 8 Mal? Aber 40x mal stelle ich mir ein bisschen eintönig vor. Ich probiere gerne neue Läufe aus.
Danke dir! Ich bin schon ganz zappelig… am liebsten möchte ich, dass die 11 Tage schwupp vorbei wären und ich an der Startlinie stehen würde! Das Warten macht mich noch wahnsinnig! 🙂
Geniesse deine Läufe an der kühlen Ostsee! Bald kommt der schöne Frühling!
My b ig brother has run the full oceans 13 times and the half a host of times too. I also felt astounded that after finishing a marathon I would go on and run another 14, and his words were that your body knows what it is doing, you’re running 56, not 42. The last 2-3 km’s of any distance feels =terrible, and generally at the end you don’t think you can take another step – whether it is a 10km, a 21, a marathon or an ultra. So, you’ve got this.
I did oceans on 32Gi caffeine shots, coke and water. My tummy wasn’t the happiest and the mere thought of food gave me cramps, so that is all I had. I was out there for way longer than you will be, so I know you will be just fine.
I think your brother nailed it with that sentence: “your body knows what it is doing”. It’s amazing what your mind and body can do once you are focused on a goal. And you are so right about feeling terrible in the last few kilometres of ANY race.
You will not believe it, Birdie, but so far I have only met men who have done the race. It’s comforting to know at least one woman who has finished this race successfully!
One of my best girl friends came 9th the year I ran it!
That’s amazing! 😀👏🏻
WOW!!! They’ve done that incredible (tough) race that many times? They are power-houses of strength and stamina (as are you for all of your training!). And, they drink Coke, LOL!! When I ran the Des Moines 13.1 (last October), I tried staying with the pace for the 2-hour group. I’m used to walking through the water stations, and the group did not…so I felt like I had to speed up (for just a few seconds) after every water stop to keep with them. I think I bailed after maybe four (or five?) miles. I finished around 2:05, so I was still in the game, LOL. but it’s tough for me to succumb to someone else’s game plan.
Incredible, aren’t they? I was so happy when they mentioned the Coke! Yay! 🙂
Oh, I hate that when I have to rush through an aid station. I need time to swallow water. You only finished 5 minutes later and were probably in a better physical and mental state, too. It’s a good thing you are experienced enough to know when to do your own thing.
I’m so excited about your race! I can’t wait to hear all about it. What an incredible opportunity to get tips from these experienced runners. 11 gels- that is a LOT! What’s your nutrition plan?
I love the pic of the guy running with his dog. I can’t believe the dog completed that distance!
Overall it sounds like you’re very prepared for this race. I’m sure there will be some difficult moments, but I think you’ll do great!
Wow that is a lot of times doing the same race. Not any race. Sounds like that is all they do? Takes a lot if training for that. No thank you. I have too many other life activities. Wonder if they are single? Well kudos to them if that is what they enjoy. ✋
Nutrition is so important all such a path. Like they say, avoid anything new race day. What brand of gel did you decide on?
You know you did the training. Start slow. 56 km is a long way. But you are prepared. The real work will start at km 50 or so. 49.9km running is just to get to the 50km real start so you can get to km 56 finish. Remember you can walk or even crawl. This will be a PB for you. I know you will finish strong.
You got this without a doubt.🏃♀️💨🌞
I thought the same!
They both mentioned how grateful they are for their supportive families. I think what would bug me most is that it limits my opportunities to experience other races. Having said that, Mark did mention that he ran the New York and London marathons.
I would like to use the SIS gels – they are very liquid and easy to digest. But now they are sold out in Cape Town! I’m hoping to miraculously find some at the expo next week.
I will remember your words at kilometre 49.9! You are completely right – it’s all about the last few kilometres. What’s nice is that these will be mostly downhill, so that will help. But I don’t think I will manage your strong fast finishes! 🙂
Thank you, Yves!
I’ve probably repeated a race a handful of times. I can’t imagine running one race that many times, especially a long one! I am looking forward to hear your experience as it does sound like a super technical race. I think it’s pretty neat that Tony ran with his pup too! My pup is more of a sprinter than endurance runner!
I think a bus can be good but you have to be super honest with yourself and know when it’s better to drop back. Sometimes it can be the push you need or it can just be your ego telling you to take on more than you can handle!
Me neither, Virjinia. I’ve run the same marathon maybe 8 times, but not more. It’s a difficult race in the sense that all the hills happen in the second half when you’re really tired.
I was amazed to learn that a dog can run that far! It depends on the breed, I guess.
Exactly! You need to know yourself well and strike that balance just right. That can be difficult in the heat of a race with all the endorphins flying around!
Your question and answer session with the experts sounds like time well spent. Good luck on your actual race! It sounds like you had a solid training run and got to experience group pacing. Did you make plans to run with those same three people on race day?
I’ve not heard pace groups called a “bus”, but I love it. I’ve hung around with pace groups for a few miles in marathons, but never for never for a super long distance. I’ve run the Marine Corps Marathon ten times and that’s the most times I’ve run one of the longer races.
It was a great session!
Mark even offered to join his bus on race day, as he is planning for the same time as I am. However, I am scared of committing myself to something I can’t handle on race day. So I will just simply start off alone and then join a bus that feels right.
Ten times! You could make it to over 40 times, Debbie! 🙂
Your preparation for this race is going to pay off! I always get so anxious before a big race. I think running on the course would be a huge help. Not driving it. We did that with Big Sur and it made me even more anxious, lol! At that race we got stuck behind a huge ‘bus’ and it had the most annoying driver. I was running with a friend and we stopped to walk for a while to get away from them. I have to say that while I understand the benefit of pace groups, they are not for me.
I am so excited for you to do this!!!!
I also get so anxious! So many things could go wrong before and during the race.
We happened to drive on the race route last Sunday… every hill seemed so huge. I kept on saying to Kai “oh, look at this one – how big it is!”. It’s much better to run it.
That must have been awful with that annoying driver! One of the legends, Mark, offered to be my bus driver on race day. But I’m too scared that I will need to drop out. That would destroy me mentally. I think I will just run on my own and join buses haphazardly.
Thank you, Wendy! Me too!
That’s really great to be able to learn from runners who have done the race so many times! It sounds like a challenging course but it also sounds like you are well prepared. Good luck!
Thank you, Lisa! I’m in tapering now, which is nice. Can’t wait to finally be at that starting line!
how cool to have a chance to gain so much insight from these guys! I am always interested in hearing about different fueling strategies and honing in mine. Usually, the pace runners are either slightly too fast or too slow for me so it generally does not work out for me. I am excited for you!!
It was very insightful – I’m going to try out the 11 gels strategy. On my training run, I used a gel every hour, but every 30 minutes sounds like an interesting idea.
Yes, exactly that is what I’m wary about, Deborah. I will only join a bus if it feels right for me. I’m excited too!
11 days only – wohoo. You can think through your strategy while tapering! In summer fall I always run with a running group and we stick together in our little pace group.
The last couple of years I was the pace group leader so the pace was always right for me :). That said – there sure are some compromises to make to keep everybody together as we are the slowest group with a wide spectrum of abilities. Traffic lights can be very helpful to let people catch up with you.
That’s exactly what I’m going to do this week, Roni. I’m going to figure out my pace for the first half and for the marathon milestone. And then write it on my arm with a permanent marker. Kai suggested a tattoo… 🙂
Ah, a bus driver! That takes a lot of skill – especially if the paces are so varied among the group. I can imagine that traffic lights and zebra crossings can be quite helpful!
Liebe Catrina,
wenn es sich anbietet, kann man sowas gut mitnehmen und evtl. von anderen profitieren. Ich finde es oft von daher schön, als ich ganz gerne mal solche ‘Typen’ kennen lerne, die Atmosphäre schnuppern gehe! Da kann ihre Ruhe beruhigend wirken, aber auch, dass sie gar nicht mal ‘Trainingsweltmeister’ waren! Ihre bevorzugten Wettkampfstrecken bestätigen mir, dass man nicht unbedingt nur die Langen machen muss. – Bestimmte grundlegende Tipps sind auch gut, wie z. B. zur Strecke und Streckenführung, Windeinfall etc. Da hast du jetzt selbst schon mal ‘vorgeschnuppert’! 🙂
Vorsicht ist meines Erachtens geboten bei der Verpflegung, bei Splits und der Rennstrategie. Wobei es mir sinnvoll erscheint, dass man nicht zu schnell angeht. Gerade bei solch langen Strecken kann es sich rächen, wenn man die Körner zu schnell verschießt! 😉 – … und wenn dein Kai sich an die Strecke stellt, ist das ja auch schon fast die halbe Miete … und zur eigenen (inneren) Sicherheit, Weste aufsetzen. Hatten wir ja gerade ‘besprochen’ und es macht dir ja nichts aus! 😉
Toll ist, dass der Trainingslauf so gut gelaufen ist! PRIMA und schon dafür mal einen HERZLICHEN GLÜCKWUNSCH, vor allem für deine Fitness! – Ob ein ‘Bus’ am Renntag angebracht ist, musst du sehen und von den Verhältnissen, deiner (Tages)Form und den anderen Läufern in dieser Truppe abhängig machen. Du hast aber jetzt tolle Erfahrungen gesammelt, die dir Sicherheit geben! – Bitte jetzt geduldig bleiben und das Tapering ernst nehmen!!! … auch wenn du jetzt am liebsten schon gleich starten wolltest!
Zu deinen Fragen:
Die Trupps von ‘Zugläufern’ habe ich eigentlich nicht genutzt. Bei den großen Stadt-Marathons sind sie mir eh viel zu groß. – Umgekehrt habe ich schon öfters anderen meine Begleitung angeboten und sie gezogen. Nur in einem Fall ist es insofern misslungen, als der Freund, den ich auf eine bestimmte Zeit ziehen sollte, das Tempo dafür nicht halten konnte, obwohl mein Tempo passte.
Läufer, die 30 x bis 40 x ein und das selbe Rennen gelaufen sind, kenne ich nicht, nee, fällt mir nix dazu ein. Ich selbst bin einen Firmenteamlauf 20 x gelaufen, aber mehr aus Gaudi und fürs Firmenteam, habe unsere Truppe(n) als Teamcaptain organisiert. – Unseren Stadtlauf bin ich 18 x gerannt. Da ich oft als Helfer an der Strecke gestanden habe und nicht immer beides zu realisieren war, kamen nicht mehr Teilnahmen zusammen. Ich selbst finde es nämlich gar nicht schlimm, im Gegenteil, wenn ich einen Lauf erneut mache, weiß ich worauf ich mich einlasse. … und obwohl ich noch an anderen Wettkämpfe über 10 x teilgenommen habe, sind bei mir in etwa 100 verschiedene Wettkampfstätten und Strecken zusammen gekommen (mit knapp 300 WKs). Konstanz und Abwechslung halten sich also in etwa die Waage! 😆
So weit heute Abend und
liebe Grüße Manfred
Lieber Manfred
Tony und Mark sagten beide, dass diese eher tiefen Wochenkilometer und kürzere Wettkämpfe ihnen geholfen haben, so viele Jahre fit und unverletzt zu bleiben. Ich fand es auch sehr eindrücklich. Ich weiss gar nicht, ob ich es am Videocall erwähnt habe – letzten Sonntag ist Tony mit einer Gruppe 42km gelaufen. Meine Laufkollegin Lynn war auch dabei. Bei Kilometer 35 stürzte er derart blöd, dass er sich vermutlich den Finger gebrochen hatte. Und tiefe Schrammen am Kopf. Er hat den Lauf natürlich abgebrochen. Lynn meinte, er wird trotzdem am 17.4. Start stehen. Knallhart!
Yep, zu schnell anfangen kann verheerende Folgen haben. Ich muss darauf achten, dass ich mich nicht mitreissen lasse. Gerade habe ich erfahren, dass ich in der zweiten Welle eingeteilt wurde (aus acht). Die Strategie, wie und wo ich Kai an der Strecke treffe, müssen wir noch austüfteln. Mit dem Auto ist es unmöglich, da alle Strassen gesperrt sind. Da muss er sich wohl irgendwo ein Velo ausleihen und ein bisschen strampeln.
Gestern bin ich einen letzten hügeligen 30km gelaufen und heute nochmals 12km. Jetzt wird alles runtergefahren – ist auch schön, wenn die langen Läufe gebunkert sind. 🙂
Uff, ja, die grossen Gruppen um den Pacemaker sind sehr mühsam. Ein Minibus mit nur zwei Personen ist eigentlich das Schönste! Ich war mal Pacemaker am Zürich Marathon – bei Kilometer 35 haben wir die Hälfte unserer Gruppe verloren. (Ziel 3:45).
Den Stadtlauf 18x? Und dann noch ein paar Jahre als Helfer? Das ist ja auch schon sehr viel!! Ich habe viele Läufe vielleicht so fünf, sechs Mal gemacht. Aber je besser ich eine Strecke kenne, desto nervöser macht es mich – da weiss man genau, wo die schwierigen Stellen sind! 🙂
Das ist eine gute Idee, die Wettkampfstätten zu zählen! 100 verschiedene Orte! Sehr cool! Wer weiss, vielleicht kommt dieses Jahr noch ein paar neue dazu? 🙂
Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Cape Town!
Congrats, this sounds like an amazing experience! And so cool that you were able to gain so much wisdom from the pros!
It was a great opportunity to learn all about the race and also how to stay fit to run when you’re in your 70s!
Liebe Catrina,
neue Tipps von alten Hasen erfahren und gleich noch in einem Vorbereitungslauf umgesetzt. Es läuft bei Dir, Der Two Oceans kann kommen! Die Zeit läuft!
Den einzigen alten Hasen, den ich richtig gut kenne, ist Manfred, der ja auch schon etliche Male den Berlin-Marathon gelaufen ist. Ich glaube, Du kennst ihn auch 😆
Liebe Grüße aus dem abendlichen Berlin
Volker
Nur noch etwas mehr als eine Woche, lieber Volker! Ich freue mich auf den Start, habe aber gleichzeitig etwas Angst. Das wird sich dann hoffentlich nach dem Startschuss verflüchtigen.
Hoffentlich rennt Manfred auch dieses Jahr den Berliner Marathon. Wir haben ihn mit aller Kunst überredet, sich anzumelden. 🙂 Das wird ein schönes Wochenende.
Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Cape Town!
Soll ich, oder soll ich nicht?
Das ist hier die Frage! 😆
Noch ist Zeit, um noch ein paar überzeugende Argumente zu sammeln. 😛 – LG M
Haha! 😂 Mache einen Post darüber Manfred und dann kannst du alle Argumente sammeln! 😄
I hadn’t heard a pace group called a “bus” before — or as having a bus driver. This sounds like a great experience. I am sure race day energy will get you through that extra 10K.
I loved that expression! It sounds so comfortable, as if you could just board the bus and relax.
I hope so, Coco! 😄
I’m so excited for you and can’t believe that the race is so close!
Tony, Mark and Coach Chris are rockstars! I’m amazed at how many times they have each done the race.
I’m feeling nervous about it, Kim! I wish I could get it behind me. 🙂
It’s incredible – staying fit enough for so many years is awesome. Such great role models for younger runners!
I am in awe of anyone who takes on ultra races even once so 40+ times makes my jaw drop! I’ve never heard have a pacer called a bus before. It’s quite expressive. Not usually my thing. I have a friend who was once a pacer for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. This was years ago and instead of the little signs they use now she carried a huge sign (like 2’x3′!) and kept it with her the whole race.
Isn’t it amazing, Debbie? Staying fit and healthy for over 40 years and doing that race as an older runner is awesome. I hope I will be that fit when I’m 72!
Carrying a huge sign as a pacemaker sounds quite cumbersome. I was once a pacemaker for the Zurich Marathon and had to carry an enormous balloon. It got in the way and was quite annoying. But not as bad as a huge sign! 🙂
Wow, those guys are legends. I have only been running for 8 years. So I don’t think I’ll ever come close to completing a certain race that many times. This will be my 5th time for Pick Your Poison in Copeland Forest. Unfortunately the last 2 years it was cancelled because of COVID! 🙏
Aren’t they amazing, Carl?
Doing a race 5 times if you’ve only been running for 8 years is awesome! I can’t wait to hear how your 50k Pick Your Poison in your favourite forest will go. Looking forward to reading the recap!
Thank you, Catrina. You are very kind. Ran a 20k yesterday including one of the 12.5k loops of Pick Your Poison.. Came in from the back side of Copeland Forest closer to home. Over 3.5k each way to get to where the course is. The course is in pretty good shape, but on the ski hills where they make snow throughout the winter there is still a half a meter of snow. Sinking lots & slow going, it will be very hard to stay ahead of cutoffs. Will see how much of it melts over the next 2 weeks! 😀🙏
Oh dear, you still have half a meter of SNOW on the trails! That’s going to be very tough, Carl. Let’s see how much of it will melt in the next two weeks.
In any case, your training sounds solid! Running 20k through that kind of sloshy mud and snow requires a lot of muscle power and endurance. You are well prepared for this challenge!