I just received that dreaded email which basically confirms that It is that time of the year once again, the 31st of May is just 4 days away, the day for The Ultimate Human Race, the Comrades Marathon. The distance for the Uprun (Durban to Pietermaritzburg has been officially confirmed to be 87.72kms as opposed to the 89.28kms we ran last year, apparently this year is shorter than last year's distance, to me it all looks the same, the point still remains, there shall be pain, there shall be tears, there shall be horror. And this ladies & gentlemen will mark my first ever uprun.
The Month May ought to be the most horrific month for those runners taking part in the Big C. Everyone feels the need to share the countdown to the big day, everyone feels the need to share the horror stories, the negatives and a few positives here & there etc. No matter how hard u try to ignore it, it does catch up with u at times, u do experience those moments of weakness and doubt. Denial is the best part though because it allows you to just ignore everything around you and even lie to yourself on how the events of that day will unfold. When reality hits, you remember just how difficult the day is going to be, you find yourself praying away all the unknown factors that could possibly hinder your run.
At this point i am not sure whether it is even an advantage to have the experience of having run the race before, because the realities just hit you as hard. You know it will be tough, you know it won't be a walk in the park, you know you will feel pain, excruciating pain, you pray you don't fall sick during the run, you pray you don't collapse for one reason or another, you pray you don't cramp, you pray that all those horrific scenes you've witnessed happening around u during your previous runs do not actually happen to you because achieving that 12 hour finish on its own is a challenge.
I can't wait for the race to be over, so that one can function normally again, eat normally and have normal thoughts without having to worry about the big day everyday. I can't wait for the race to be over so i return to running without any goals in mind, just run to keep healthy and fit.
Receiving that confirmation email is basically a validation of the 5 months challenging training one has had to endure in a build up to the race. It is a ticket to the big day. It ends that denial process one has been in. I don't remember ever thinking that the race would be easy, but it seems each year the fear gets worse. The 5 months challenging training never leaves you the same, it builds your character, it teaches you priorities, it teaches you focus, it gets you new friends and unfortunately, inevitably many do get lost along the way too. Losing friends along the way is the confirmation that the priority is actually running, and not making friends. Bonds are strengthened when a run is shared with people with the same goals as you, bonds are strengthened when a run is shared with people who support you, bonds are strengthened when someone goes out of their way to assist you to take part in that long run or race etc. I've done some crazy runs in the last 5 months, the sort of runs i've never put myself through, the sort of runs that when i sit back and reminisce about, leave me smiling and even breaking out in laughter, ya, one surely got crazy this year. One thing for sure is,you can never put a runner's spirit down, i've learnt that where there is a will, a way surely shall always be found. Not everyone will support your goal, not everyone will support your victory, actually very few will support you, a majority will not, a majority will await your failure, the great thing about this is that it is the very thing that lifts your spirit, it is the very thing that picks you up when you are down and allows you to put more effort.
As we get closer to the day, my wish is to just have fun on the day. I pray for journey mercies and good health and great weather on the day. Getting to that start line will be surreal, hearing "Chariots of fire" will be special. While i cannot guarantee to get to that finish line, i sure as hell will do my best, and if i manage to pull that off, that will be just a cherry on top. May God be with us all taking part in the Comrades Marathon 2015 on Sunday, the 31st of May in Durban.
The Month May ought to be the most horrific month for those runners taking part in the Big C. Everyone feels the need to share the countdown to the big day, everyone feels the need to share the horror stories, the negatives and a few positives here & there etc. No matter how hard u try to ignore it, it does catch up with u at times, u do experience those moments of weakness and doubt. Denial is the best part though because it allows you to just ignore everything around you and even lie to yourself on how the events of that day will unfold. When reality hits, you remember just how difficult the day is going to be, you find yourself praying away all the unknown factors that could possibly hinder your run.
At this point i am not sure whether it is even an advantage to have the experience of having run the race before, because the realities just hit you as hard. You know it will be tough, you know it won't be a walk in the park, you know you will feel pain, excruciating pain, you pray you don't fall sick during the run, you pray you don't collapse for one reason or another, you pray you don't cramp, you pray that all those horrific scenes you've witnessed happening around u during your previous runs do not actually happen to you because achieving that 12 hour finish on its own is a challenge.
I can't wait for the race to be over, so that one can function normally again, eat normally and have normal thoughts without having to worry about the big day everyday. I can't wait for the race to be over so i return to running without any goals in mind, just run to keep healthy and fit.
Receiving that confirmation email is basically a validation of the 5 months challenging training one has had to endure in a build up to the race. It is a ticket to the big day. It ends that denial process one has been in. I don't remember ever thinking that the race would be easy, but it seems each year the fear gets worse. The 5 months challenging training never leaves you the same, it builds your character, it teaches you priorities, it teaches you focus, it gets you new friends and unfortunately, inevitably many do get lost along the way too. Losing friends along the way is the confirmation that the priority is actually running, and not making friends. Bonds are strengthened when a run is shared with people with the same goals as you, bonds are strengthened when a run is shared with people who support you, bonds are strengthened when someone goes out of their way to assist you to take part in that long run or race etc. I've done some crazy runs in the last 5 months, the sort of runs i've never put myself through, the sort of runs that when i sit back and reminisce about, leave me smiling and even breaking out in laughter, ya, one surely got crazy this year. One thing for sure is,you can never put a runner's spirit down, i've learnt that where there is a will, a way surely shall always be found. Not everyone will support your goal, not everyone will support your victory, actually very few will support you, a majority will not, a majority will await your failure, the great thing about this is that it is the very thing that lifts your spirit, it is the very thing that picks you up when you are down and allows you to put more effort.
As we get closer to the day, my wish is to just have fun on the day. I pray for journey mercies and good health and great weather on the day. Getting to that start line will be surreal, hearing "Chariots of fire" will be special. While i cannot guarantee to get to that finish line, i sure as hell will do my best, and if i manage to pull that off, that will be just a cherry on top. May God be with us all taking part in the Comrades Marathon 2015 on Sunday, the 31st of May in Durban.
