Comrades training - June 2012

With Comrades 2012 just behind us we look forward, even at this early stage, to next year's Comrades marathon.

I'm sure many a novice has been inspired by watching the TV coverage of the Comrades, to attempt to run the Comrades marathon next year.  This training column is designed with just such a runner in mind.

Over the next twelve months this column will provide advice to both the novice and the seasoned Comrades runner on how best to prepare for the upcoming Comrades Marathon.

We look at the road race calendar, and structure our training around actual races available.  While the suggested road races detailed in this column will mainly be for those around the Gauteng area, if you live elsewhere in South Africa, you should use the schedule given, and replace the races with others in your area of similar mileage.

Every single day's training is scheduled, on a month by month basis. The aim of the programme is to provide a training programme that will prepare you to run a comfortable Comrades marathon next year, while at the same time exposing yourself to the minimum risk of injury.  The distances provided are to enable you to comfortably run the Comrades marathon in a time of between 9 and 12 hours.

The training programme presented in this column has been developed largely from my experiences of being a Comrades runner myself (as far back as 1978), a "Run/Walk for Life" Branch manager (over a 12 year period), and a Physiotherapist with a special interest in running injuries related to long distance running (qualified in 1979 and in Private Practice since 1983).  The programme has been finely tuned ever since 1999, when I first began writing this column.

Training for the month of June 2012:

The training is split into two groups of runners:

1. The complete novice, who would like to start running from scratch, and run next year's Comrades marathon.

2. The regular runner, who has completed at least one Comrades Marathon, and who would like to finish next year's Comrades in a time of between 9 and 12 hours.

Initially the training for these two groups are two completely separate programmes. As the training for the novice catches up with that of the veteran, the training programmes will become more similar, and will eventually merge at the end of November, where the training for both novice and veteran will be identical.

The Novice runner:

The training for the novice starts on the 1st of June!! This allows the novice to take a full year to build up to the point where he/she can run the Comrades.  That's only for the novices!  Those of you who have just run the Comrades should be resting for at least three to four weeks before putting on your running shoes again.

The novice should start out running for a set amount of time, as opposed to a distance.  Running for just 10 minutes is sufficient for your first few runs.

If your training is based on how you perceive you are coping with the training, you could well break down with injuries. Let me explain:

We could use the analogy of the human being being compared to a motor vehicle, with an engine and a chassis.

The "engine" of the runner (muscles, heart, and lungs) adapts relatively quickly to training with signs of increasing fitness being present after only 2 or 3 weeks, and with good levels of fitness possible after only 4 months.  A rapidly adapting engine gives precise messages about its inability to cope long before injury to the engine occurs - there is breathlessness, a pounding heartbeat and/or muscle pain.

The "chassis", or supportive tissue of the runner (the bones, joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue) tend to adapt to the stresses of running through a slower process which takes 9 months or more to develop adequate 'hardening'  Not only that, but these tissues almost always give messages of failure to cope, only when it is already injured.  In fact, in most cases no warning signals are given.

It is thus illogical to use signals from the engine to determine whether one is at risk of injuring the chassis.

So the first few months of the training programme will place emphasis primarily on conditioning of musculoskeletal tissues.  To this end training should be done at a relatively slow, consistent pace, on routes that are not too hilly.  Running on a flat grass field or on a golf course should be encouraged. Distances should be kept low to start, and the weekly mileage should be increased gradually.

Run slowly and comfortably, at a pace you feel you could maintain for the whole 10 minutes.  You should be able to comfortably talk to a fellow runner whilst running.
 

Goals for novice runners - June 2012:

1.  To put on your running shoes and go for your first run
2.  To run around a flat, grassy field, for just 10-15 minutes each time.
3.  Make a commitment to run regularly at least three times per week.

Total weekly mileage: 30 minutes (5 km), 40 minutes (6 km), 50 minutes (8 km), 8 km

Total Monthly mileage:  +- 27 km

Road races:  None

Highlight of the month: To make that first step towards training for next year's Comrades marathon
 
 
 

The Regular runner:

If you have just run this year's Comrades marathon, as mentioned above, you need to take a full three weeks to a month to rest up!

Studies show that muscles are damaged by severe, prolonged exercise like running the Comrades, and that recovery from this damage takes a long time.  Muscle cell damage starts at 21 km and becomes progressively worse, the further the distance.  The inflammation and muscle cell damage results in muscle soreness.  It would seem that the greater the muscle pain after the race, the longer the recovery time required.

So believe me, you have earned this rest period, and it will only do you good in the long term.  As the Comrades marathon was only run on 3 June, you should take the rest of the month of June off and only start up again during the first week in July.

Goals for regular runners - June 2012:

1.  Rest!! You had a great Comrades and you deserve the "Rest".
2.  Recover!! Your body certainly needs the chance to recover.
3. To start up again only in July with some easy, relaxed running..

Total weekly mileage: 100 km, Nil, Nil, Nil

Total Monthly mileage: 100 km (all in the first week of the month, up to and including the Comrades)

Road races:  The Comrades Marathon!

Highlight of the month: Aside from the Comrades? Taking that well earned rest afterwards.....