Race changes leave many perplexed
Surfers may bring some cheer for the Road Warriors as new season draws close
THE 2016 running season gets under way in early January and with only three weeks left of 2015 there are likely to be a few nervous folk out there. There is huge excitement among runners for their targeted races, some trepidation at times no doubt, but also a fair amount of disappointment at some changes made, both to the calendar and to one of the most revered marathons in SA.
The Hemingway’s Buffalo Marathon that was due to be run for the 43rd time in February, only three of which were not run on the famous MacLeantown route and then due only to roadworks on the N6, is scheduled to be swallowed up by an ASA championship on a new route as yet not officially revealed.
Gordon Shaw and Bruce Fordyce produced arguably the best Buffalo Marathon ever in 1983 when both men set what was to forever more be their fastest times.
Fordyce, who was in town for the launch of the new Three Silos parkrun last week, was aghast when informed of the move to forsake The Buffs in its purest form.
Thousands of runners countrywide have come to know and respect the Buffs with its famous finish up Willasdale, Galway and Buffalo Park Drive.
Indeed Fordyce must be wondering what is in the East London air or water given the fun and games surrounding the world renowned Nahoon Point parkrun and now an unsolicited demise of the best marathon in the land. He will however be pleased to know that the Discovery Surfers at least remains unchanged for what will be his 10th appearance in 2016.
The 42nd running of the Surfers Challenge is but nine weeks away and is being run on February 13 2016.
This is a huge wakeup call if we have done precious little since the last Surfers, something that some folk surprisingly tend to do.
For the runners who take their events a little more seriously and who are at least 14km running fit then the next nine weeks will in fact be rather exciting provided there is a plan, a goal and the self-discipline to run through the festivities that lie ahead. Given that most runners are party animals the balancing act can be quite intricate.
The main Surfers race, it is being argued is now one of only a few races to still be run on the same course and in the same direction. The only change down the years has been the deviation behind Gonubie Beach as opposed to over it.
Just as the Buffs has attracted some of South Africa's greatest marathon and ultra-marathon runners down the years, so too has Surfers, albeit that many in the community at large do not appreciate how good many of them have been as they are more removed from the sport than is the case with marathoners.
Whether it is Surfers, a marathon or one of the two big ultra-marathons, Two Oceans, now just 15 weeks away, or Comrades then running at least five days a week is a prerequisite to delivering an optimum performance.
A weekly programme should look something like: Monday – rest; Tuesday – 10km inclusive of a hill session; Wednesday – 12km very easy; Thursday – speed session; Friday – Rest or 8-10km easy; Saturday – a 5km parkrun; Sunday – long run done at a pedestrian pace. If any runner requires more detailed sessions they can contact me on bobnorris@mweb.co.za and an arrangement can be made.
Last for this week let it be said that many runners race too much. They race too much in training and they run too many races, which impairs performance. It is a fallacy to believe that the Kenyans run flat out on every session, or that Paula Radcliffe, in setting the World Marathon best time ran all her training runs hard. The Kenyans do not and Radcliffe certainly did not. Often less is more.
It is holiday time, it is hot and humid and there is quite simply no better time to train. Get out and enjoy!