If you are one of the 20 000 lucky runners who snapped up an entry ticket to this year’s Comrades Marathon, you would have put in long runs and also lots of resting time ahead of the 90km challenge this Sunday.
The 96th running of the world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultra-marathon will take place on Sunday, 11 June. It will also be the 48th Down Run, starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing 12 hours later in Durban.
Among the 20 000 participants are over 2300 international runners from 84 countries, which shows yet again that the Comrades Marathon is on a bucket list for many international athletes.
If you need a little bit more inspiration ahead of this weekend’s race, international water activist, Mina Guli, who recently completed running 200 marathons in one year around the globe to raise awareness for the dire water crisis we are facing, has shared her top 6 tips on how to get through a long run.
“I am not a runner, by any stretch of the imagination, in fact when I was younger, I avoided doing any form of exercise, but I realised that to raise awareness for the very dire global water crisis that we are facing, I would have to do something very hard to make a real impact,” explains Guli.
“I have found that these 6 tips are the only reason I am able to make it through my runs when things get really rotten, and it would be so much easier to give up!”
- Stay in the moment!
It is really important to remember this is not a 90km race, it is 1km one step at a time. Focus on the kilometre that you are doing and the step that you are taking, really focus on just being there in that moment!
- Focus on your purpose!
Your goal might be to run Comrades, but at some stage along the route you are going to start questioning that – everyone does, it’s a 90km race! It’s very important to think in advance why you are doing this race, what your purpose is! It often helps to write this purpose on your hand or your wrist so that you can easily see it and remind yourself on the route why you are there!
- Think about good things!
There will always be something that hurts – be real it’s 90km – but equally there is always something that feels good, whether its your fingers, your hands or even the tip of your nose, focus on that and how good it feels! Remember how powerful your mind is and focus your attention away from the hurt to the parts that feel good!
- Be grateful!
Once again this comes down to the power of our minds. Phrase thoughts differently in your mind, instead of thinking – I have to do this race – rather think how awesome it is to be able to take part in this event and how grateful you are for the opportunity. Say hello and thank you to all of the volunteers along the route who make a race, like Comrades, possible. When you give positive energy out, its incredible the energy that you get back and the power that this gives to your spirit, your body, your mind and your soul in terms of lifting you up and powering you forwards!
- Eat and drink – get the basics right!
So long as you get these two basic parts right, your mind and body will take care of the rest! You need to ensure that you take on the right fuel to help your body get through an incredible feat like the Comrades Marathon.
- Have a mantra to repeat along the journey!
When things get really tough for me, I remind myself that we CAN do hard things, we are capable of so much for than we realise! I like to bring in all of the points above into my mantra to keep my head in the right space – I am able to do hard things, I stay in the moment – enjoying each step, I focus on my purpose, I think about only good things, I am grateful and I fuel my body to the best of my ability throughout the run.
Good luck to all the Comrades Marathon runners for Sunday!
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