ultramarathon

A Texan’s Journey to Comrades 2017

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Hello, and greetings from Durban, KZN South Africa.  This Texan’s journey to Comrades 2017 is an epic quest for a back-to-back medal in the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon. It all began in March 2015 when my dad mentioned he’d like to chase a 30 …

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Comrades Meet Up: Austin Edition

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Comrades Update: The Costs of Running Comrades

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] This time last year, I had already committed to running Comrades with my dad.  The big unknown of this undertaking, however, was just how much it would cost for this adventure.  I could ballpark the biggest expenditures– the airfare and hotel– but there were some …

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Comrades Update: What to Wear Pre-Race, Early KMs, and at the FINISH!

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Packing for Comrades (and the other 15 days of my trip to Southern Africa), was a challenge. For the Down Run, the start in Pietermaritzburg is known to be chilly.  Now, what’s chilly for a South African (or Texan) and what’s chilly for my New …

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Comrades Run: Race Day Support Marquee Service Review

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text use_border_color=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.20.1″] As an international runner at Comrades, I received a lot of perks: a non-existent queue to collect my race number and goodie bag, endless enthusiastic cheering on race day, and access to the international tent at the finish on the grass of …

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Comrades Route Bus Tour

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text use_border_color=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.20.1″] In our planning for Comrades, my dad and I learned that the Comrades Marathon Association hosted a bus tour of the Comrades route aimed primarily at international novice runners.  My dad was keen to take the tour to familiarize himself with the terrain; …

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Comrades Update: Post-race Redux

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Here for my 2016 Comrades story?  Make sure you first read the Getting to the Starting Line and Race Report posts! Crossing the finish line of Comrades, I was elated and exhausted. I spied my husband, and I leaned in for a super sweaty hug.  He gamely complied, and I …

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Comrades RACE REPORT

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Read the preamble post Getting to the Comrades Starting Line to get the full understanding of the traditions and emotions leading up to the start of the race itself.  Then come back here for the Comrades Race Report. Comrades.  Time to do what we came …

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Comrades Update: Getting to the Starting Line

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] I had two goals going in to Comrades: 1) Finish. 2) Feel not completely terrible doing so. I’m here to tell you, I achieved 1 1/2 of those goals. If we start the story from when I awoke on race day, that’s really when I went …

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Karen’s Ten Commandments of Comrades

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]   When one spends as much time training for an event as is required for running Comrades, one has a lot of time to think.  And plan….and think some more. In all of this time, I have devised Ten Commandments that I shall follow on Comrades race day, May 29th. …

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