Comrades Training - January 2010

center>Training for the Comrades 2010 - The January  programme

 The start of the 2010 Comrades campaign

This year sees the celebrating of the 85th running of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday 30 May 2010. My, how things have changed over the last few years!
A few years ago, you could simply decide to enter the Comrades Marathon a short while before the race, send in your entry form, and you were on your way. No need even to qualify!

Nowadays, you have to decide about running the Comrades Marathon at least 9 months before the event. Moreover, you have to make sure you send your entry in as soon as the entries open, otherwise there is a good chance that you won't be accepted at all, as the quota of runners allowed to run is very limited.

Initially, the organisers were only going to allow 15 000 previous Comrades Runners, and 5 000 novices.  That would have made a total of 20 000 runners.

I have never seen anything like this year's frenzy. The moment the entries opened, there was an overwhelming response from previous Comrades Runners (September 2009), and Novices (November 2009) alike. The available 20,000 spaces for the 2010 Comrades Marathon were snapped up in record time. The CMA was then inundated with requests from runners to reopen entries.

After weighing the appeals from hundreds of runners and interest groups, the CMA decided to reopen entries, but for a limited number of 2,000 additional entries only. Entries will open on Saturday morning 30 January 2010 at 09h00 and will ONLY be accepted at Mr. Price Clothing, Sport and Home Stores countrywide. Entries will close as soon as 2,000 entries have been received. This means that if the 2,000 available spots are taken up within the first hour, entries will then close as and when the 2,000 mark is reached. This is the FINAL ENTRY INTAKE and no further opportunities will be created after this period. What excitement!

The Comrades marathon 2010 is to be a ‘’down run” from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishing at Sahara Kingsmead Cricket Stadium.

Lets look at the training for January 2010:

Coming off the December holiday period with a steady  40 km per week average, the weekly mileage now gradually goes up to 45- 55 km per week over the month of January.

In the Gauteng area, the are some lovely races on offer in January. In fact, they are exactly the same as last years races.

There are three 15 km races.  The Varsity Kudus on the Sunday 3rd, the Berg & Dal Nite Race on Wednesday 13th as well as the Pick 'n Pay Aston Manor Nite race on Wednesday 20th.

There are two half marathons.  The Dis-Chem Half Marathon at the Bedfordview Country Club on the Sunday 10th and the Johnson Crane Half Marathon at the Benoni Harriers Athletic Club on Sunday 24th.

There is also a 10 km race. The Bobbies10 km race on Sunday 17th.

Finally, if you are feeling well, and have no injuries, there is another half marathon at the end of the month on the 31st January, the Johnson Crane Marathon and 1/2 marathon. This is organised by the Benoni Harriers Athletic Club, and run from the Old Benonians Sport Club.

One should look to be doing these longer races on most Sundays.  If you do run one of the Wednesday nite races, then you have earned yourself a shorter run on the Sunday. January is the time where you start to build up your mileage, and so doing them is excellent preparation for February.  February is when we will be taking in our first 32 km race (Springs Striders), for the year.

In March, following on from your first 32 km race, will be the first of three standard marathons! But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Goals for January 2010:

    1. To increase the weekly mileage to 45 - 50 km per week
    2. To run at least 5 days a week, nice and easy.
    3. To have one long run a week of at least 10 -15 km
 

Here is the complete race calendar for January 2010 for the Gauteng region:

Date                 Race  Name       Distance                   Club                            Time    Venue
Sun 10  Varsity Kudus 15 km               15             Varsity Kudus Athletic Club        07h00   Wits Club
Wed 13  Berg & Dal Nite Race            15             Krugersdorp Road Runners        19h00    Key West Shopping Centre
Sun 17 Rehidrat 5 km Dash                                   Bedfordview Virgin Active Club
Sun 17 Dis-Chem Half Marathon         21              Bedfordview Virgin Active Club
Wed 20  Pick 'n Pay Aston Manor Nite 15            Kempton Road Runners             19h00    Barnard Stadium
Sun 24 Bobbies                         25 km & 10 km                                                                   Arthur Bloch Park
Sun 31  Johnson Crane Marathon 1/2  42.2& 21.1  Benoni Harriers Athletic Club     06h00   Old Benonians Sport Club

See you in February ....