Comrades Training - April 2010

This year, like last year, with the Comrades Marathon being run so early, there is a very limited "high mileage" season,

I personally think that not such a bad thing.  The longer a runner maintains "high mileage", the greater the risk of injury. It is usually at this time of the year when Physiotherapists such as myself see the greatest number of overuse injuries related to Comrades training.

On the flip side though, you do need to get in a "good few weeks" of high mileage training so that you can be fit enough to get through Comrades.

Usually, the "high mileage" season lasts for the whole month of April, as well as the first three weeks of May. With Comrades being run on the 30th May 2010 (as if you didn't know the date!), the "high mileage" season is in fact cut by three weeks. So that leaves just the month of April for "high mileage".

With your "Comrades qualifier" behind you, I usually recommend doing a further two standard marathons as well as one Ultra marathon during this "high mileage" season.  This year, with the shortened "high mileage" season, all you need do, is just one standard marathon and one Ultra.

There are a lot of marathons and Ultras to choose from. Make sure you have at least 14 days between any two runs over 42 km in length.

For those living in Gauteng I would recommend this year, running the Johannesburg City Marathon on the 28th March, and the Loskop 50 km Marathon, at the Loskop dam, on Saturday 17 April.

For those living in the Cape, or who still can afford the petrol to drive down to Cape Town, the Two Oceans 56 km Marathon is always a wonderful occasion, this year run on Saturday 3rd April. You can then do the Springbok Pharmacy Jackie Gibson Marathon on the 25th April.

So, April is a very busy month where we need to run a marathon as well as an ultra marathon, and all the time maintaining our weekly mileage above 60 km.

Goals for April 2010:

 1. to run the second standard marathon of the year
 2. to follow that with an Ultra marathon !!
 3. to average about 60 - 70 km per week
 

Some tips on how to run during the "High Mileage" Season

1.  Set your peak weekly mileage at a realistic level

My rule of thumb is no more than 70 per week.  Novices and "12 hour" Comrades runners should be especially aware of not doing excessive weekly distances in this "high mileage" season, as this is also the "high injury" season.

2. Concentrate on "L.S.D"

The emphasis of training should be shifted from Time trials, "Fartlek" sessions, hill sprints and track work, to running "Long, Slow, Distances".  This type of training allows the body to get used to spending longer and longer periods "on your feet".

Typically a long Sunday club run with plenty of time spent standing around chatting during water stops is most beneficial.

3. Listen to your body signals

Don't be scared to take a day off.  Despite the need for high mileage at this time, if you feel tired, unmotivated, sore, "fluey", lethargic, or generally listless, take a day or even more off.  These are all sure signs of over training and indications that your weekly distance expectations were not realistic.

Be flexible, cut down on your weekly mileage if you feel a little unwell, and build a few more rest days into your training schedule, to allow the body to cope with increased distances.

Catch up with you in May for the Comrades "wind down" .....