Wöstmann looking forward to Comrades challenge
Caroline Wöstmann says she feels no pressure to win the Comrades Marathon for the second consecutive time on Sunday.
Although the defending Comrades champion, Caroline Wöstmann (KPMG), is confident of running a good Comrades on Sunday, she is not prepared to make any predictions about winning the race for a second time.
“Comrades is a tough race where nothing is guaranteed. You can be in the best shape of your life but come race day you realize, right from your very first step, that it is going to be long hard slog. You have not won before the moment you are first to cross the finish line. I actually think the battle for the top five places in the women’s race will be a tightly contested affair, especially because the Russians are not allowed to compete. There might even be some ‘kicking and punching’ at the end,” the defending champion joked.
Wöstmann, who trains at the High Performance Centre (HPC), does not expect to be under any real pressure when she lines up for the race.
“I think the running public probably had higher expectations of me to win the Comrades last year because I had just won the Two Oceans. But it is a year later now and I think, actually hope, that people have had time to readjust their expectations to what I am capable of achieving on a perfect race day.”
As usual Wöstmann emphasized that she will not be racing against any specific athlete. She plans to stick to the race strategy she and Lindsey Parry (Tuks/HPC head coach) agreed upon. Then whatever happens happen.
While Wöstmann talks about Comrades, it quickly becomes clear that it is not just another race for her. For her Comrades is a true passion and there is nothing she would rather do on Sunday than run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
“Where else do you find people who come out to shout your name when you run past them? Yes it is true that there comes a time when your body starts aching, but it is a good kind of pain. It tells you that you are doing something worthwhile. You are putting in an effort, pushing the boundaries, and that is a nice feeling,” said Wöstmann.
One of the most common topics when athletes discuss running the Comrades is whether it is tougher to run up (Durban to Pietermaritzburg) or down (Pietermaritzburg to Durban).
“When somebody says ‘down-run’ your automatic reaction is ‘yeah’ because you are running downhill it is going to be a pleasurable run. Then you remember that the first 60 kilometres are in fact very undulating. When you get to the last 27 kilometres you are still basically at the same elevation you started at. Only then you start running downhills on tired legs. By the time you get past Fields Hill your quads are ‘screaming’ and your body is aching. You actually wish you were running uphill. In other words, running up is exhausting and running down is painful. I don’t know which one I prefer.
“To train for the ‘down-run’ you have to make some mental adjustments. Last year every time I was running ‘up-hill’ I was pushing hard. Now when I am running downhill I think about my form, floating down instead of pounding down.”
During the conversation Wöstmann dropped a ‘bombshell’ when she was asked for the umpteenth time about her chances of winning Comrades for a second time.
“I actually don’t want to run too hard on Sunday because I am planning to compete in my first major triathlon two weeks afterwards and I want to save my legs for it. So I will try to win to Comrades with the bare minimum of effort.”
Wöstmann said this with such a straight face that you are, for a moment, tempted to believe her. But then she said: “I don’t think people always get my sense of humour. I don’t even own a bicycle or a wetsuit.”
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