What a feeling! It’s beyond compare

You see, the novice that was me had on the wrong shoes – new and hardly ran in when the opposite should be the case as I later found out. The socks were also new and not proper for running. But losing toenails wasn’t as painful as it sounds and, besides, they grow back on.

I went on to run and complete five more Comrades Marathons and the experience is never the same.

My first Comrades was special, moreso because it was my first attempt at doing something this crazy.

My second one in 2011 was better because I knew what to expect, I knew what to eat, what to avoid and also how to prepare myself not only physically but mentally.

While I was more experienced, the third one was arguably the toughest. I started getting flu symptoms four days before the race and I considered giving it a miss. The runner in me won and I went for it. Big mistake!

I began cramping 20 kilometres into the race and was feeling weak. I struggled throughout the race. I barely made the halfway cut-off and just managed to make it to the finish line in a time of 11hours 57 minutes – a mere three minutes before the final cut-off. Lesson here , if you are not feeling 100 percent don’t run, stay home and come back next year.

The general rule – don’t try anything new on race day. This includes what you eat on the road. Remember you are out on the road practically the whole day and it’s important to eat what your body is used to. After all you don’t know how your body will react to something you are eating for the first time. And trust me, the temptation to try new energy bars, race food and drinks is high as you are getting tired and hungry as the day progresses.

It’s important to have breakfast before the race and that should be a few hours before the start of the race, I know the thought of breakfast at 2am doesn’t sit well with many but you will at least have energy to push you through the first couple of hours.

Also important is to set targets – especially for the cutoffs because there is nothing worse than being told you can’t continue running because you didn’t make one of the cut-off points in time.

One year I was broadcasting from the halfway point and the tears and anguish from hundreds of people who were told they couldn’t continue with the run was just unbearable.

Always try to make all the cut-off points with time to spare, just in case you need it later in the race. I know it’s easier said than done but the Comrades is run more in the mind than on the road.

In my first one both my knees gave in around 77km. I had about 11km to go and though I still had three hours before cut off I was practically finished physically. But mentally I was strong enough to carry on and finish. I told myself I will get to the finish line even if it meant crawling.

For all those going for their first one, my advice is have fun. Make friends, laugh, join a bus and sing along. It is going to be a long day and at some point you are going to need a voice different from the one in your head.

Believe me, when you cross that finish line, no matter how spent you will be, the feeling is going to rate among the best you’ve ever had.