Comrades Marathon tips from Norrie

There are only four weeks until the 2015 Comrades up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg over a grueling 87.72km course. That’s over two marathons – it’s a long way in anyone’s language.  
 
The next one to two weeks is the final peak training time with three or two weeks of tapering from 10 May to race day on 31 May. 

The decision as to whether you do two or three weeks taper will be determined by how many and how high a peak you have managed in April. The higher the mileage the longer the taper. For most runners three weeks are needed.
 
Right now training needs to be specific to the requirements of Comrades and so focus on the following:
 
Your maximum weekly distance is related to your average training pace and best marathon time.

As a guide a 3 hour 30 marathoner targets 115km per week. While a 4 hour 30 marathoner does 86km and a 5 hour marathoner limits training to an 80km peak week.

Find your long training run pace by dividing your marathon time (in minutes) by 36.

A 3 hour 30 marathoner should run long and slow at 5 minutes 50 seconds per km, a 4 hour 30 marathoner trains at 7 minutes 30 seconds and the 5 hour marathoner at 8 minutes 20 per km.

Reserve at least two days a week for quality work – either short hill repeats, intervals over 200m to 1000m or a short times 4 to 5km time trial at 10km race pace.

Have at least one day full rest.
 
If you try to do more than this, you do not get fitter or faster – you get slower and more tired, because there isn’t sufficient recovery time.
 
Recovery is the key to training.

Training inflicts minor damage to the muscles – it is the recovery that allows the muscles to grow stronger and benefit from the training.

Insufficient training results in more damage being done to already damaged muscles - increasing the risk of overtraining and injury.
 
We all know to use RICE when we get injured – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation is standard initial self-treatment.

Training is just a minor form of injury so not surprisingly the same principles can be applied to speed up recovery between sessions.

Rest means recognizing the need to get enough sleep during this heavy training period.

Ice means – icing your leg muscles immediately after the long or quality training sessions.

Compression – this is just one of the specific uses for compression clothing – wear them under your trousers or sleep in the tights after training - they will increase circulation and assist muscle repair.

Elevation – this happens automatically when we sleep overnight.
 
For the next month add in a massage every week or 10 days. This will release tight muscles and joints helping to prevent the stress points that lead to injury.
 
It is important to understand that the training from January to end of March has been about preparing for the 3-4 weeks of peak training.

Go unscathed through this period and you are well on the way to achieving you Comrades goal.
 
Remember it is NOT about how much you do – it is NOT a case of more is better - it is training at the right pace, including a good balance between speed and distance - and vitally - adopting sufficient recovery strategies to ensure that you are ready for the next session and that you fully benefit from your training.

(File Photo: Gallo Images)

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