Dear Comrades Runner

With only 2 weeks to go, we know everyone is starting to feel a little nervous energy starting to churn inside. This is a good thing, as it is the competitor inside each of us, just starting to itch to get on the road and conquer The Ultimate Human Race. Just remember to stay focused on the goal, and stick to your final preparations. If you are feeling a little anxious, breathe deep and shake it out, you have the training complete, now enjoy your final preparations for race day.

In this edition

• Top Contenders 2009
• Amabeadibeadi Charity – Win a Chevrolet Captiva
• Action Photo
• National Youth Run 2009
• Comrades for Dummies part 3
• Medical Tips
• Tips for Carbo loading by Rowena Curr RD (SA) Dietician
• Track your Runner
• New Sponsors
• New Technology

Top Contenders

From the 12 890 entrants lining up on race day, we have identified a couple of contenders that will be competing for line honours this year. Obviously Leonid Shvetsov is a contender, as defending Champion and record holder. Leonid will be running in the colours of Nedbank Running Club this year. South Africans to look out for include, from Nedbank Running Club, White Modisenyane, Gift Kelehe, Joseph Maerman, Harmans Mokgadi (1st SA runner home in 2008), Lucas Nonyana, Frans Kutu. The Nedbank team has many other top athletes who will all be competing for top honours.

The Mr Price stable is equally strong with a former Champion in Jaroslaw Janicki, from Poland, as one of their international runners. South African men in the Mr Price stable include, Fusi Nhlapo, Sipho Ngomane, Butiki Jantjes to mention a few.

The top ladies include the twins Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, and Marina Bychkova, Mr Price athletes and from Nedbank running Club, Lindsay Van Aswegan (SA). One can never forget Farwa Mentoor who is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Farwa will be in the colours of Bonitas running Club.

Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive : SMS “Captiva” to 38275

On the 30 April the CMA launched its annual Charity drive. General Motors SA, have kindly sponsored a top of the range Chevrolet Captiva, valued at over R320,000. This in aid of raising funds through a SMS competition which one lucky Comrades runner / spectator can drive away in after race day. Get the full story on www.comrades.com.

SMS cost is R10, and all proceeds will go to the 4 charities that Comrades supports. We urge all runners and spectators to get involved with this worthy cause, and who knows, you could end up being the winner of the fabulous Captiva, and it would have only cost you R10. The CMA raised approximately R1 million in 2008 and we hope to raise R2 million this year.

The winner will be announced live on television at 17H00 on race day.

Action Photo are the official Comrades Marathon 2009 photographers, who will have in excess of 30 dedicated photographers at the start, finish and on the route, capturing action images of the day. Not only for the elite athletes but all athletes throughout the day.

The KZN Department of Sport & Recreation National Youth Run

Following on the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural event, CMA in conjunction with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, will again be staging the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport & Recreation National Youth Run as a prelude to the 2009 Comrades Marathon.

The event, which is sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport & Recreation and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, will be staged on Saturday 23 May 2009. It consists of a 10km Road Race/Walk and a 5km Fun Run/Walk, aimed primarily at exposing young people to the joys and benefits of running, while also providing them with a tangible opportunity to participate in the “Comrades Marathon experience”.

However, while the main focus of the event is on youth, both the 10km and 5km components are open to participants of all ages and present Comrades Marathon runners, their families, friends and supporters, walkers, joggers and exercise enthusiasts with an ideal opportunity to get into the “Comrades spirit” with a relaxing and festive run the day before the “big race”.

The organisers have however managed to secure an extremely pleasant venue, (Riverside Sports, 12 Soofie Sahab Drive / Radar Drive, Durban North) with a glorious sea-view at Riverside Sports and have put together an attractive and enjoyable route through Durban North suburbs, which is very gently undulating and takes in occasional glimpses of the sea.

Entry fees for the event are nominal at R10 for the 10km (minimum age 15) and R5 for the 5km (minimum age 9), making it affordable entertainment for the whole family. Our thanks to the generosity of sponsors, KZN Department of Sport and Recreation and Umsobomvu Youth Fund, there are prizes to the value of over R80,000 prizes to be won, including over R20,000 worth of fabulous lucky draw prizes which will be awarded at random to participants of both the 5km and 10km.

The 10km Race/Walk starts at 09h00 on Saturday 23 May and the 5km starts at 09h15, with an official cut-off time of 10h30 for both races. In keeping with the traditions of the Comrades Marathon, official finishers of the National Youth Run will be awarded medals as follows:

T-shirts will be awarded to the first 3000 finishers of the 10km.

Entries are open now with entry forms available through schools, sports shops and at the offices of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics or download the entry form from www.comrades.com.

Comrades for Dummies – Part 3

Medical & Emergency Services

Q: Are there medical facilities and where are the medical teams situated?

This will be controlled from the Medical Joint Operations Control Centre (JOC), based at the finish, where there will be 8 computers, a full complement of staff to operate and record all details and dispatch vehicles as and where required.

CALL 911

All calls for medical assistance for runners should be made to the Netcare 911 medical emergency number 082 911. These calls will then be routed directly to the Medical JOC.

• Q: Should I need to be rushed to hospital for any reason, which hospital will I be taken to?
• A: Before half way, St Anne’s in PMB, and after half way St Augustine’s in Durban.
• Q: Will CMA contact my family?
• A: The CMA will contact the person who you identified as your emergency contact person on your entry form.
• Q: If I do not have medical aid, and I am taken to a private hospital, who pays?
• A: The CMA has arrangements with the two hospitals that for the first 24 hours for patients who do not have medical aid and are admitted will be treated free of charge, and thereafter you will be transported to a state facility. Patients who do have medical aid will be charged at normal rates. The above mentioned service is for emergencies ONLY.
• Q: How will the CMA know if I have medical aid or not?
• A: We will have this information on our data base, from your entry form.

Medical Tips

Do's and don'ts

Tips for Carbo Loading

– part 1 by Rowena Curr RD (SA) Dietician

What is carbo-loading?

Since the 1920’s, scientific studies have revealed the performance-enhancing properties of carbohydrate, especially before and during exercise. It has been shown that a relatively high carbohydrate intake delays the onset of fatigue during endurance events. Carbo-loading is a strategy involving changes to training and nutrition that can maximize muscle and liver glycogen (carbohydrate) stores prior to endurance competition. The extra supply of carbohydrate has been demonstrated to improve endurance exercise by allowing athletes to exercise at their optimal pace for a longer time. Anyone exercising for 90 minutes or longer is likely to benefit from carbo-loading.

Carbo-loading guidelines:

• Plan an exercise taper. Reduce your training load by 50 percent going into the last week before the event, and reduce it by another 50 percent over the last 3 days.
• Three days before the event, consume 7-10g of carbohydrate per kg body weight. For a 50kg athlete this means consuming 400-500g carbohydrate per day and for a 70kg athlete 560-700g carbohydrate per day (use the list below).
• Carbohydrate must form the bulk of all meals and snacks.
• Have smaller servings of protein foods at meals, so that you can leave more room for larger serves of carbohydrate foods.
• Sugar and sugary foods, including sports drinks, can provide a compact carbohydrate source.
• Be extra careful with your fat intake – save the calories for carbohydrates. Don’t get tricked with high-fat foods such as chocolate, ice-cream, rich desserts, and takeaways. These foods are a rich source of fat rather than carbohydrate and should be avoided.
• Be careful of getting carried away and don’t see this as an opportunity to ‘pig-out’.
• Over the final 24 hours you may wish to reduce your gastric contents so that you race feeling ‘light’. To do this, switch to lower fibre foods and make use of compact sugar foods. You may even like to use a liquid meal supplements or energy drinks to supply some of your carbohydrate needs.
• Drink plenty of fluids. You will need to be well-hydrated for a long event, especially in hot weather. It is a good idea to carry a water bottle around with you as a reminder.

To continue next week...

New Sponsors

The CMA has been working tirelessly to complete the Comrades sponsorship family. In a tough economic climate of late, we are proud to announce and welcome the SA Post Office (Final Mile) and the SA Road Accident Fund, (Halfway) to the Comrades Marathon.

New Technology Developments

As promised last week, here it is... Hope you all have been holding your breath...

As the Comrades Marathon strives to set the trends and standards for Ultra Marathon running, not only in SA but globally, this year each runner will be able to purchase parts of his / her race. There will be fixed cameras at the timing mats and at the finish line, which will record you as you go on your journey. (So remember, smile at each of these points as it may look like you are not having a good time). After the race you will be able to order and purchase a DVD with your personal footage from race day. We will let you know in due course how you will have to go about purchasing your personalised footage.

Wow – But wait that’s not all... Should you not have access to watch the television broadcast, but have access to the internet, you will be able to watch all the finish line action on our web site. Simply log onto www.comrades.com to view all the finish line action, let your friends and family all over the globe know. This is yet another first in SA, and Comrades Marathon.

Track Your Runner

Track your Runner is available again this year. Please take note of the SMS number and have your friends and family register, so that they can receive an update as you cross each mat along the route on race day.

SMS YOUR RACE NUMBER TO 38132 TO REGISTER, only one race number per sms. SMS costs R10.

Closing

In next weeks edition we will have the final part of Comrades for Dummies, more tips for Carbo loading, Bonitas Expo information and final preparations for Race Day.

Keep fit and healthy!