Comrades Marathon 2025 – Novice training
Novice – definition – “Haven’t run much before but want to be part of the action in Comrades 2025, and get a medal.”
Based on training schedules of the late Don Oliver, Comrades Coach. Adapted and edited by Tom Cottrell.
Now at last you are finding yourself and where you fit into the scheme of things. The club seems to be made up of very fast lean serious runners, fatter slower ones who support the bar, some who are friendly and others who seem to run in a world of their own. Some are really competitive and ask your times and tell you they beat you in the race on Sunday. They are all good people – road runners.
During this period we are beginning to prepare ourselves for some fairly serious training next year. The kilometers go up and the objectives are slightly harder but still really quite easy. We didn’t realize training for Comrades was this easy. Well, wait for April next year and speak to me then. The idea of achieving an objective and moving on to the next slightly harder one is called “biteable bits and chewable chunks”. You get used to being an achiever.
Note 1: Sorry that I took away the second Rest Day. You will need to get used to six day a week running from January next year.
Note 2: If you go on holiday, don’t do more than the programme, but and also don’t do nothing for the month. Road runners never have a holiday from running. They would miss it too much.
Thought for the month: “I am feeling better about everything in life!”