The comparison with a roller-coaster describes my Comrades experience both from a mental and physical perspective! In addition to the highs and lows of preparing for 2014, the impact the race had on me in 2013 weighted heavily on my shoulders.
Those who know me from a running perspective know that I plan and analyse meticulously before races to make sure I have the best chance of achieving my goal – in 2013 that planning came crashing down spec- spectacularly at the half way stage when I realized that my race was over and that 8 to 6 months of training will not end in a medal. I ran on until the 80k mark in 2013 knowing that I will not make it in time and little did I know back then that that resolve to carry on until the organizers tell me to get off the road will define my race in 2014!
It is for reason that I mentioned to my fellow Com- rades runners at the “aches and pains” party – take heart in your performance. You should train and plan for the race BUT – it all comes down to what happens on the day! That is what makes a Comrades runner lining up at the start already a CHAMPION AND WINNER – you go through this roller coaster and yet you have the COURAGE to start knowing that with all your planning it might come to nothing! So those runners that did not achieve their goals – wear your Comrades cap and sweater with PRIDE! Everyone that started deserves it as much as the winner who finished the race in 05h28 minutes.
So back to my roller-coaster...I can bore you with pages and pages of it but what stands out for me will be the last 16k’s of the race! I was really feeling the effects of the race at that stage and still had to climb (more like walk – LOL) the 2km’s of Cowies Hill. On the way up I saw runners with the C and B seedings (meaning they are the fast runners) sitting dejected along the route – so the thought crossed my mind that if they believe that there is not enough time left...what about me that is a “back runner”! This is where the experience of 2013 kicked in...you see - in analyzing my race of 2013 I realized that I lost the mental battle more than the physical battle – I gave up before my body gave up! And just as those thoughts crossed my mind the last “12 hour bus” of the infamous Vlam Pieterse came past me (in 2013 when I couldn’t keep up with it I thought my race was done!). At that point I told myself that you take whatever you have left (mental and physical) and made myself a promise that no matter what – I will not lose sight of this bus..and there were stages where the bus was about 1 km ahead of me in the last 10km’s BUT I still finished ahead of it!!! So my novice advice to anyone that will be attempting this great race (and it is true what they say! Nothing compares with Comrades) – prepare yourself mentally as well as physically for the race to me the mental preparation is just as important as the number of kilometers you will log in preparation for the race...What your mind can conceive you will indeed achieve!
Finally...Shukran/Thank you to the ARD family for all the support along the route and at the end – only when you are a runner would you truly fully understand the positive effect your mere presence have on us!
To my friends – thanks for all the support (Firozah and Yusuf – shukran for carrying my goodies and mixing my drinks - which I thought was sport’s rehydrate but it was 32Gi – guess it helped!)
And most importantly...To my family (Gadija and my 4 boys) – shukran for accommodating my grumpiness for the past two years and allowing me to the time and space to train for this race.
Abduragmaan Jacobs(July 2014)
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Those who know me from a running perspective know that I plan and analyse meticulously before races to make sure I have the best chance of achieving my goal – in 2013 that planning came crashing down spec- spectacularly at the half way stage when I realized that my race was over and that 8 to 6 months of training will not end in a medal. I ran on until the 80k mark in 2013 knowing that I will not make it in time and little did I know back then that that resolve to carry on until the organizers tell me to get off the road will define my race in 2014!
It is for reason that I mentioned to my fellow Com- rades runners at the “aches and pains” party – take heart in your performance. You should train and plan for the race BUT – it all comes down to what happens on the day! That is what makes a Comrades runner lining up at the start already a CHAMPION AND WINNER – you go through this roller coaster and yet you have the COURAGE to start knowing that with all your planning it might come to nothing! So those runners that did not achieve their goals – wear your Comrades cap and sweater with PRIDE! Everyone that started deserves it as much as the winner who finished the race in 05h28 minutes.
So back to my roller-coaster...I can bore you with pages and pages of it but what stands out for me will be the last 16k’s of the race! I was really feeling the effects of the race at that stage and still had to climb (more like walk – LOL) the 2km’s of Cowies Hill. On the way up I saw runners with the C and B seedings (meaning they are the fast runners) sitting dejected along the route – so the thought crossed my mind that if they believe that there is not enough time left...what about me that is a “back runner”! This is where the experience of 2013 kicked in...you see - in analyzing my race of 2013 I realized that I lost the mental battle more than the physical battle – I gave up before my body gave up! And just as those thoughts crossed my mind the last “12 hour bus” of the infamous Vlam Pieterse came past me (in 2013 when I couldn’t keep up with it I thought my race was done!). At that point I told myself that you take whatever you have left (mental and physical) and made myself a promise that no matter what – I will not lose sight of this bus..and there were stages where the bus was about 1 km ahead of me in the last 10km’s BUT I still finished ahead of it!!! So my novice advice to anyone that will be attempting this great race (and it is true what they say! Nothing compares with Comrades) – prepare yourself mentally as well as physically for the race to me the mental preparation is just as important as the number of kilometers you will log in preparation for the race...What your mind can conceive you will indeed achieve!
Finally...Shukran/Thank you to the ARD family for all the support along the route and at the end – only when you are a runner would you truly fully understand the positive effect your mere presence have on us!
To my friends – thanks for all the support (Firozah and Yusuf – shukran for carrying my goodies and mixing my drinks - which I thought was sport’s rehydrate but it was 32Gi – guess it helped!)
And most importantly...To my family (Gadija and my 4 boys) – shukran for accommodating my grumpiness for the past two years and allowing me to the time and space to train for this race.
Abduragmaan Jacobs(July 2014)
Click here to submit your story!
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