ROAD RUNNING
The long road to Maritzburg beckons for Mike this August
A bit of icy water treatment for tired legs during training
then back inland to Cradock , Queenstown , Underberg and on to Maritzburg . “ I won ’ t be running on any highways and want to avoid some of the busy roads that we experienced in 2018 – the noise and stress was very tiring . That said , if you want to stay on tar all the way , there are not that many options in the Eastern Cape , but the route will be just about all tar – I think there is just the one gravel section of about 30km near Underberg , because the tarred option in that area was just too steep ,” says Mike .
He goes on to explain that he has flattened the route used in 2018 by removing some of the passes that they ran over that year . “ It won ’ t be an unbroken route , with the next day ’ s start exactly where the previous day ended , because then the distance from Cape Town to Maritzburg would be too long . I will do 90km a day , stay over in the accommodation we ’ re arranging all along the route , and some days we will need to drive to the next starting point . Most importantly , though , this time the stops along the way will mostly be rolling stops for a quick refuel , and then I will carry on . A stop for lunch will be maximum 30 to 40 minutes , and the only longer stops will be the three visits to CHOC Houses along the way , including the one in Gqeberha , which explains the slight route deviation .”
“ One of the ways that CHOC supports kids with cancer , and their families , is through accommodation and meals for those families who need to travel to treatment centres . So , they have 15 houses around the country set up to accommodate these families , including a stocked kitchen and an admin office for parents to still be able to work . That ’ s the on-theground face of CHOC , so I ’ m planning to visit a few of these houses along the way – in Cape Town , Gqeberha and Maritzburg – to meet up with the incredible teams that support these families , and meet some of the children that I am running for ,” says Mike .
Getting Essential Support
Of course , preparing physically for a 1800km run has taken priority in recent months , and Mike says he has worked very closely with his coach , John Middlewick of Carbon Endurance , to be ready for the long journey . “ You can imagine , what I am preparing for is out the proverbial box , not ‘ just ’ preparing for a marathon , and John has been so thoughtful and detailed in his planning , from shoes to nutrition to the impact of daily mileage , etc . He even sent me for blood tests before we started , to check my bloodwork and take that into consideration when planning my training programme and nutrition .”
“ Still , the training has been a bumpy ride for us both , and John has had to adapt my programme constantly since March , because I contracted COVID just after the Two Oceans Marathon , suffered two calf strains , developed plantar fasciitis , and caught the flu … That ’ s why we didn ’ t plan more than three days in advance , and I spent a lot of time talking to him as things developed . I ’ m pretty sure I was whatsapping him more than my girlfriend , so I am very grateful to him . Especially since I ’ m quite a stubborn person and don ’ t like being told what to do … but John had been amazing throughout the process ,” says Mike .
The other absolute essential for a run of this nature is a good support crew , and Mike says he is most fortunate to have a great team that will be accompanying him all the way . His crew of three will consist of his girlfriend , Kathryn Liprini , his friend Jeff Lomey , and sports masseuse Ingrid Corbett . The team will also have two cars sponsored by Tempest Car Hire , one to stay with Mike each day while he is running and provide a refuelling stop every 10km or so , and the other to be used as a utility vehicle for shopping and checking into accommodation .
A focused Mike training for a second stab at the Long Road to Comrades in 2022
“ This run will be a solo effort , but the task is so big that it needs the focused effort of a team to get one person over the line . Besides looking after me , the crew will be doing social media coverage while I am running . We ’ re still working out exactly what we will do , and what the sponsors will expect , but we will definitely do daily updates with some video clips , and of course , share the CHOC messaging and ask people to support their work by making a donation to my fundraising run ,” says Mike .
Time to Get It Done
With just a few days to go until he sets off on his 1800km challenge , Mike says he is feeling positive about it , as he feels he done all that he can to finish the run this time round – and he adds that he is wiser than he was four years ago , when things didn ’ t quite go to plan . Also , he says that he is inspired by this chance to make a real impact on the lives of children confronting cancer . “ This challenge is about unfinished business , and it will be a test of my physical and mental limits , but the cause is the important aspect , not my personal goals .”
“ This time , quitting is not an option . It was too easy to get into the support van last time , but that won ’ t be an option this year . I will just have to suck it up and keep moving forward ! We spent too much time in 2018 not moving forward , and that ’ s why this time , only lunch and a few short CHOC House visits will be static stops . All other non-running events in the day must be rolling . Overall , I have fine-tuned everything for success , from flattening the route , and adding a masseuse , to an acute focus on nutrition and even being aware of the road camber . But vitally , the charity element gives me an additional reason , if not the reason to finish this thing !”
Throw Your Support Behind Mike
Anyone keen to support Mike ’ s Long Road to Comrades V2.0 can make a contribution via his fundraising account at https :// charity . easyreg . co . za / comrades-marathon-2022 / mike-sewell / childhood-cancer-foundation-choc . You can also follow his progress at www . mikesewell . co . za .
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