What's amazing is also that enough people were along the track to send you enough videos to create a compilation. That should tell you about your impact on others Sage
It’s amazing how running is all so relative to one’s own abilities. 4:11 per km would kill me at about 5 or 600 meters. For an elite runner it’s not fast enough for an ultra. Running has to be the most humbling of sports.
There will always be people who are younger, skinnier and faster, but there's not many people who are as inspiring as you. Teaching people how to be competitive while enjoying the sport at the same time is what I see in you and Sandy. You have an amazing balance in your life and you figured it out. You really took a chance when you moved away from Hanson Brooks to pursue ultra running and I really think it paid off with amazing youtube footage and it's made it my favorite youtube channel! Enjoy beer, life and the process :)
Great job Sage! True competitors are never satisfied. There is always room for improvement. Screw everyone who thinks you should start eating meat. Stay true to yourself. If anything step up the B12, L Arginine and Beet juice.
A word or 2 about CRITICS! Everyone is a critic. Most critics have one thing in common, they have no idea what they are talking about! If I listened to all my critics I'd have had blown knees, shot hips and either died of starvation or a heart attack years ago. I haven't! I've had 1 issue with my achilles, that was last year. I'm going on 69, been running for more than 50 years. Used to run 150-60 miles per week. I've run more miles than most people drive. I don't run so far anymore but I can still run 10K under 50 mins. And I'm a vegetarian! Maybe, as you suggested, it would be wise to listen to Sandi. Keep up the good work, even at my age I've learned a lot from you and Sandi, thanks, from the land down under.............
Well done Sage. Despite it not being the result you wanted, you still did really well. You are an inspiration to the rest of us. I hope your post race recovery went well, and we look forward to your next video. Keep up the good work, and remember, you're a work in progress and ignore the online criticism. So don't beat yourself up!! Take care buddy. Henry
Just wanted to say thanks! Got second place in a local 50k here in AZ and I give you a great deal of the credit, both for the performance and for getting me into trail running. Your successes, your failures, and your willingness to publicly share them and your analysis of those performances are priceless! Your helping the running community in a huge way, I know im not the only one with you to thank. Don't listen to the haters, all of the people hating and arm chair quarter backing haven't accomplished a fraction of what you have. They have no idea what it takes to compete at that level. Much respect, thanks again, and keep up the good work! You are appreciated!
I watched a video last night of Jack Daniels talking about traits of good runners. One thing he said that surprised me was that the best runners tend to internalize success and externalize failures. If they won, it’s because they worked hard and trained correctly. If not, they must have been jet lagged, or the course wasn’t suited for them, etc. It reminded me to try to be more cautious of how I talk to myself about results and progress.
yeah this is why Sage kinda sounds weird to me, everyone fails at times and its better to see where you can improve rather than focus on external things u cant change
As a South African and brand new runner, you are an inspiration. You've inspired not only me but thousands of other people to someday attempt this race someday.
I ran a 50 mile road ultra a couple months ago, I remember my legs were trash afterward. The hard road service can make your legs more painful than trail ultras. Great job!
Sage, look at all the people you inspire myself included! Thank you! ...and thanks for expressing your thoughts on flying. most people dont ever consider the impact of their activities.
You shouldn't have to address any of these criticisms. I cant believe people could be so rude! You have shared a wealth of knowledge with us and I always wish the best for you in these races. And regardless of the results, I am always inspired by your achievements!
Sage, there is nothing wrong with making your own training plan. In a lot of countries and sports, the athlete makes their own training plan and chooses their own goals. The coach is only there to give advice and help. Love the youtube channel. Great job at Comrades 22nd place is still frickin amazing and good luck in your next races!
Awesome run Sage. As a 11:54 finisher myself this year, i have nothing but respect for you! I think you’re being way too hard on yourself but one should not be too comfortable with one’s efforts or else you stagnate I suppose. Truly is the most beautiful race
Hi Sage. It was great seeing you the day before Comrades during the warm up run. Your comrades run is something to be proud of none the less as comrades is brutal. Hope to see you back for the down run. They say you have not done comrades unless you've done the up and down run. I also think that in order to do well in Comrades it has to be you're sole/primary focus as it is brutal. All the best
Hi Sage - Big fan of you and the channel. I have learned a ton from you. It’s ok to struggle a little, we are supposed too. I am a fellow vegan and I agree any issue that comes up people blame your diet. People in general don’t like vegan and have no idea how much protein is in plants! I am a fellow exercise physiology nerd. It might be time to return to the drawing board. Maybe try a completely different approach. It may be refreshing for your body. Maybe even don’t think about a training plan and just go out and run big days in the mountain every day. Just keep grinding.
Man... you where 22nd within 20,000 runners in the biggest ultramarathon in the world! You don't have to explain nothing at all!!! You are a fucking bad ass!!! Congratulations!!!
Cheer up Sage, still an amaizing race. You are a great inspiration to lots of people, even an old fart like myself 😃 My only criticque would be the long flights, but they are quite unavoidable when racing at your level. Good you discussed this issue in the vlog. Keep up the good work.
Hey Sage great video, Comrades is an amazing race filled with tradition and love from the public. It is amazing how the people of KZN comes out in numbers and spends the whole day on the road cheering runners, it is a type of race that once you do it you always wanna come back and do it again.
Sage you are one the best all round athletes in the world. Just put this behind you quickly and be excited about the next race. Coming 22nd in a very tough field this year is not as bad a result as you think. David Gatebe , 2016 record breaker and winner came 19th, just ahead of you. He gave it his all . It happens . . You inspire so many and this sadly can’t be seen on a watch or Strava , because it would be very impressive if it could. Go with you gut feel and forget about the negative comments. 👍🏻
Wow, you are so honest, sharing deepest feelings and you deserve our respect for being so! A real inspiration! There are so many trails in SA, and life in SA is tops, not only in Capetown!!!!
Congrats Sage. You might be dissatisfied with the race result, but know that you’re an inspiration to people! Totally cool of you to share your journey with us :)
Thank you for taking us on your journey. You did great. You rock! Love that you are vegan 👍🏼 And yes you should lay off the processed food, but they are so yummie sometimes, I get it. And listening to Sandy is always a good idea 😄 Good luck on your next endeavour. 🍀
Keep it up Sage. I really like your attitude and your realistic no excuse analysis of the race. At the end of the day you did what you could at Comrades this year.
Congrats Sage, comrades is totally unpredictable. I was 30 minutes off my target but I am not going to complain, people had it worse on the day. You'll make it sooner rather than later.
Well done for toughing it out and getting the finish. Lots of wise words here. What you say about being dissatisfied with most of your races rings true for me. I’m trying to congratulate myself more on my successes these days, rather than just thinking about them as stepping stones to better things (which may or may not materialise).
Well done from someone who finished 4.5 hours behind you, though a little older at 49... The climbing on the up run is quite something. None of the hills on their own are all that challenging, but the combination of all of them together creates an epic challenge. Personally, I found Inchanga just after halfway the most intimidating. Looking forward to your return to Comrades! You know that there will be two consecutive down years now? (In order to facilitate the finish at the huge Moses Mabhida stadium for 36k participants to be allowed for the race's centenary celebrations in 2021)
Oh Sage! I'm sending you a virtual hug and high-five for finishing this beast of a race! Try not to pay attention to each and every advise people give you. And don't be so hard on yourself about traveling via airplane… the important thing is that we are all well aware of the impact we are having on the environment...you and Sandi are great role-models in many ways and even so, we all still need to live this life and get to places and bring awareness to what we want to protect and/or achieve. So stop apologizing! You know I mean that in a very kind way... The best to you ~ always! Go Sage! 😊
Hey Sage ❤️❤️❤️❤️ im from South Africa and also run for nedbank ❤️❤️❤️❤️ will hopefully be running comrades next year ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ hope to see you there ❤️❤️❤️
You’re a hero to me for being a vegetarian and an amazing runner Sage! Keep up the great work and putting out encouraging videos that help me to continue running. I aspire to be as fast as you.
Hi Sage amazing that you saw and took inspiration from Xolani Luvuno (guy with the crutches and one leg ) , huge controversy about him doing the comrades as he was not allowed to do it or even finish it , although in my mind he is a amazing man and def a inspiration and what you can set out to do if you set your mind to it . Great race , hats of to you
Hi Willie he was not the only one there was a kzn runner that ran in crashers to but did not get a head start like Xolani. But yeah you right lots of controversial issues this year.
Keep you head up Sage. Placing 22nd out of 20,000 (top 0.11%) may not have met your goals, but remains inspiring. We learn from your willingness to share your challenges and doubts, on a road to ultimate success. Stay to true to yourself, including your vegan ethic, and be proud. As for the question of a coach, perhaps you need a sounding board to give you a gut check instead of someone giving you precise direction, e.g. someone to review your plan and play devil's advocate once in a while. That person can raise questions and spark ideas that you may not have considered. Probably best it's not someone you have a close personal relationship with. Whatever direction you take, know there are people on the sidelines rooting for you!
Comrades is a tough race, especially the up run. Even the best can have a bad day, but the true champions keep going no matter what. You finished and that makes you a winner in my eyes.
Just my 2 cents, Sage, but I’d just stop acknowledging those people who are just bringing negativity. You seem to do a fine job of not letting yourself getting away with anything in your training. All these other folks are just noise and talking about it repeatedly just highlights and amplifies it.
You got to love how a bunch of non pro runners want to argue with a Professional Runner, who get's paid to run, because he is that good. People who can't run around the block at Sage's marathon pace, telling him how to eat, train and prepare for a race. Humanity kills me. Great job Sage, ignore the idiots.
Hi Sage, started training... preparing... listening to your clips today in full swing... good to see you came to my home Province KZN. Belated welcome. Started the local parkrun... now want to do the Comrades... please say i am not nuts.
Well done Sage. It's a tough race I ran it against doctors orders I was sick. Just finished it before the 12hrs. Don't feel bad walking those hills we understand we human too.
Epic Effort Sage! Well done mate. You inspire me to push harder with my running. Focus on the positives and work hard for your next race. All the best.
hey sage, great vlog. you are super competitive and have tremendous talent. just keep on training and tweek your nutrition. I was a vegetarian for 20 years and ran comrades and suffered terribly in the early years. one year after comrades I craved animal protein. I had fish and since then my running improved. at age 45 i ran my best comrades. when everybody was carbo-loading i was fat loading. truely it worked for me and is a more effecient form of energy. perhaps look into it and I'll see you at comrades in 2021. all the best
Just wanted to say thank you Sage! You have been an inspiration for me and your videos are one the main reasons I started with this sport running..keep un dreaming and set high goals and keep up the good work with your videos! ;) ciao Johan
Well done Sage, was great being in the same race as you even though I was far behind. Have a look at keto for Ultra running - changed my life both marathon PB and comrades PB'S this year by big margins.
Sage, you are being too hard on yourself, I suppose that comes with being an elite runner and/or setting really high goals for yourself. You really did well, I cannot imagine what it takes to run a 6:02 comrades. Having ran it twice (obviously very far from your time), I know its a seriously humbling experience. Continue inspiring us and giving those valuable tips.
Sage, I have been following you for a while now and there are 3 consistent themes in many of your post race reviews: One, your spending too much time mentally focusing on what other people think of diet - that seems to be getting into your head whether you admit it or not; Two, It sounds like you over trying to over analyze every little detail and constantly second guessing yourself, which is never good for your confidence; Third, you under estimate the power of mental push both negative and positive. Historically you see athletes achieve great feats on their worst physical days. I was not blessed with the physical skills to be a pro athlete, but I had good coaching and mentoring that helped me over achieve in tough situations. I was able to carry this mental toughness into my career as an engineer which allowed me to excel even when set up for failure. I'm certain not trying to be critical of you, only to tell you what I'm hearing from you so that you can hear yourself better. Best of luck in all that you do.
I hope you enjoyed the uprun. It's my favourite race,sadly this year I had to miss it due to injury. I believe it was nice weather. I was also able to catch a glimpse of you during the race.
Man, be confident that your "bad performances" has nothing to do with your diet, you're totally heading to the right way. Trust yourself and keep going!
Bro, Comrades is a different animal. You can come prepared and feeling 100%, and on race day everything just changes. Don't beat yourself too hard, we all suffer at that race. Even the Top 10 feel like they are dying when approaching 80km. It is tough and it is a very selfish race, it takes quite a bit to prepare for it. All I can tell you is that it is a race where you can adjust plans a few times during the run. Keep your head high, I was quite impressed with your run
Don't worry about diets or anything like that, stick to your guns on that one. You came top american and for a "bad day at the office" you came in 23rd in a stacked elite field...give yourself some kudos there. I'd love to see you set your focus on a specific distance for 6 months and see what you could do as I bet you could get to the top of your game if you set an A race then did some shorter tune up races focusing on the same discipline (ie road/trail/mountain)...I bet you would excel!
I live in South Africa and know LJ van Zyl (400m hurldes record holder) and his wife Irvette van Zyl (long distance runner) and saw they run together with Gerda Steyn. Didn't know you know Gerda. Great picture of you runners. Sage you had a great run and I'm sure you are a roll model to us all. Maybe I will try the comrades some day.
“Got some child bearing bearing hips, those bones aren’t gonna be shrinking anytime soon” 😂😂😂 great race sage, way to tough it out on a hard day on a even harder course!!
That stretch you struggled on from Cato Ridge to Umlaas was tough on most people all times I’ve looked at show that most people ran the grueling first half uphills faster than that ‘flatter’ stretch of road. Xolani Luvuno is the name of the runner on crutches. Inspiring story
I had a similar experience at this years race. I also saw Xolani(the guy on the crutches), and then started to push myself to get across the line. Finishing is important, you have more 'data' to work with to improve next time. Well done.
You should reach out to Lionel Sanders, similar self-coached athlete who had disappointing results and decided to get an outside coach. Might be an interesting conversation
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, you're an inspiration for a lot of us, and I'm pretty sure you will evolve a lot more in the next years! Keep pushing!
Your expectations were to high! I tried to warn you before. SA runners are tops and they put a lot of training and time to compete in the Comrades. I am so happy that you did not quit (Camille Herron, she lost my respect; Comrades is all about not quiting and reaching the finish line) and shared your experience. It was cool (cold) and I also ran the Comrades and your performance was tops, but expectations were too high! This is a tough race! I missed you at the expo, but hope to meet you next year!
Grueling course. Appreciate the analysis here with that mindset in the race and your thought process (or lack thereof) during the race. Mindset is everything. Get some; go again, Sage.
Sage! Great channel bud! Have a look at the racing schedules of everyone that has beaten you in Comrades and you will most likely find that they all specialise in road running. Edward has only raced one big race this year and Bongumusa has raced two. Gotta put all the eggs in one basket if you want to excel in such a taxing race. Still, 22nd is one great achievement!!
Your a super inspiring runner Sage. I totally understand you're aiming to win and you need to be hard on yourself but I think your performance was amazing. I'm currently training for my first half and watch your videos daily! I know you're sponsored by my spring energy one and one thing that would be super helpful as a training talk would be a guide for nutrition both right before the race and during the race since you touched on that in this video.
Super impressed by Henri Ansio. He beat so many faster guys and even though he wins like every ultra he does here in Finland didn't know he would do so well against the best in the world.
Comrades is a really tough race, many international athletes underestimate it. Your result is awesome. A key to really good Comrades is to hold back as much as you can. If you are feeling great, dont speed up, slow down so that you feel even better. 1st half on both the up and the down is the hardest. So maybe try for around 3:00 half way, get to half way feeling fresh like you have not even run yet. And then race for a 2:45-2:50 second half?
great video, the battle became mental at one point but also it is just a bad day! It is good to be critical to yourself but don't take it too far. As long as you are putting everything on the line, then it is what it is. Cheers.
So well done, Sage. Congratulations, no matter what you expected of yourself. I would have been more than thrilled with an average of 4.11min/km over this crazy distance, Amazing! Also Sage, there will come a time with advancing age that you will have to accept for yourself that you might be reaching a natural peak. I have been running for more than 40 years and my ultimate goal was running a marathon under 3 hours, which I achieved on 3 occasions out of 35 marathons. I am now content to cover this distance under 4 hours. Also, it would not be a shame to be overtaken by a leading woman in a race, as you might have felt. And finally, something that really bugs me is seeing top runners dropping out of special marathons (i.e. Olympics, big city marathons), only because they realise that they will not finish among the top 3 runners. My motto is finish what you have started, unless you have a very good reason not to (i.e. an injury).
'Climate change being the real ultra'. You live up to your name, Sage. Inspiring to hear you being open about all your experiences, even if they are disappointing. Also i don't think you need to be defending your diet
Well done on the race. You don't need to always respond to the 'haters'! The regular listeners know and don't care what you eat or if your race strategy isn't perfect. Who's perfect anyway?
So how about some advice for those aspiring to run Comrades? .. amazing time and race even though you walked a bit. Your honesty and humility make you a great coach..I'm sure you'll figure it all out in the future.
Well done Sage Comrades is a difficult race,think some outside perspective on that race will help you alot because of it’s nature. You can also admit it if it didn’t go well in my book you are way better than Jim Walmsley he is to scared to even try.
Very good analysis, Sage. Been following your videos for a long time. Your description of when you started bonking is spot on, and many marathon runners can relate to it. And how the sight of the athelete with crutches, kind of gave you an impetus is also so familiar at so many levels. Thanks for sharing. You set your standards very high, so the disappointment. Maybe you should get someone to Coach you. It can help you with perspective.
Hi Sage, firstly congratulations on the result, whether you view it as such or not it's still a phenomenal achievement. Wanted to make an observation that I think you're already aware of but perhaps don't give sufficient credence to and that's the inherent contradiction of the truly world-class expectations you put on your performances and your "any distance, any surface" mentality. As you're no doubt aware, as you get older the course/distance specific adaptations that you need to make in order to perform at your absolute best will take longer than they did 5 years ago or so. I think an important question you'd really need to ask yourself would be what's more important to you, holding your own amongst the best in the world in a highly diverse and full race calendar but routinely failing to meet your own lofty expectations or prioritising a hand-full of races or more select race-types for a given season to really see what you're capable of? I also understand that given this is your profession, you may not be afforded the luxury of such a decision given sponsor expectations, the demands of your channel and other issues related to where your bread is buttered. For what it's worth I hope you do stick to the multitude of race types as your content is a fantastic window into what professional running across all long-distance takes and provides. That said, don't lose sight of the fact that on any given race you're probably lining up against pros that have earmarked that event or that distance as their sole focus with a far longer training and development block than your own calendar could ever allow. From a grateful fan that's definitely learnt a thing or two from your content, you're an inspiration!
Anyone who gives time to the african penguins in their race report vlog are awesome in my book! 😉 I get that your race fell short of your expectations, but you owe no one any excuses. If races like this were totally predictable no one would bother doing them. Even perfect preparations are not a guarantee for perfect results. There is one common denominator with your Rotterdam Marathon race report though; nutrition during the race. For Rotterdam you had a great plan that circumstances sabotaged, for Comrades you possibly had a less then perfect plan implemented properly. A great nutrition plan implemented properly might be a silver bullet that kills some of your demons.
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You are too hard on yourself Sage. You ran well and were first American which is still awesome. You inspire me
Never settle
Yea but if he wasn't that hard on himself he wouldn't be where is his. It's a difficult conundrum.
What's amazing is also that enough people were along the track to send you enough videos to create a compilation. That should tell you about your impact on others Sage
Hey man I know it’s difficult to be satisfied with your result if you have high goal set for yourself but you really did still have a great race.
It’s amazing how running is all so relative to one’s own abilities. 4:11 per km would kill me at about 5 or 600 meters. For an elite runner it’s not fast enough for an ultra. Running has to be the most humbling of sports.
too right, id only last 3-4km at that pace.
There will always be people who are younger, skinnier and faster, but there's not many people who are as inspiring as you. Teaching people how to be competitive while enjoying the sport at the same time is what I see in you and Sandy. You have an amazing balance in your life and you figured it out. You really took a chance when you moved away from Hanson Brooks to pursue ultra running and I really think it paid off with amazing youtube footage and it's made it my favorite youtube channel! Enjoy beer, life and the process :)
Great job Sage! True competitors are never satisfied. There is always room for improvement. Screw everyone who thinks you should start eating meat. Stay true to yourself. If anything step up the B12, L Arginine and Beet juice.
A word or 2 about CRITICS! Everyone is a critic. Most critics have one thing in common, they have no idea what they are talking about!
If I listened to all my critics I'd have had blown knees, shot hips and either died of starvation or a heart attack years ago. I haven't! I've had 1 issue with my achilles, that was last year. I'm going on 69, been running for more than 50 years. Used to run 150-60 miles per week. I've run more miles than most people drive. I don't run so far anymore but I can still run 10K under 50 mins. And I'm a vegetarian!
Maybe, as you suggested, it would be wise to listen to Sandi. Keep up the good work, even at my age I've learned a lot from you and Sandi, thanks, from the land down under.............
Well done Sage. Despite it not being the result you wanted, you still did really well. You are an inspiration to the rest of us.
I hope your post race recovery went well, and we look forward to your next video.
Keep up the good work, and remember, you're a work in progress and ignore the online criticism. So don't beat yourself up!! Take care buddy. Henry
Just wanted to say thanks! Got second place in a local 50k here in AZ and I give you a great deal of the credit, both for the performance and for getting me into trail running. Your successes, your failures, and your willingness to publicly share them and your analysis of those performances are priceless! Your helping the running community in a huge way, I know im not the only one with you to thank. Don't listen to the haters, all of the people hating and arm chair quarter backing haven't accomplished a fraction of what you have. They have no idea what it takes to compete at that level. Much respect, thanks again, and keep up the good work! You are appreciated!
That's insane for 54.25 miles
..uphill
The first 26.2 miles in 2:47 with 2,232 feet of elevation gain. You are a monster.
absolute BEAST
Well done man love your work!
Greetings from the blind marathon runner in Johannesburg South Africa
It’s so moving to see all your non American fans cheering for you and filming for you. Keep going Sage, you are a great athlete.
I watched a video last night of Jack Daniels talking about traits of good runners. One thing he said that surprised me was that the best runners tend to internalize success and externalize failures. If they won, it’s because they worked hard and trained correctly. If not, they must have been jet lagged, or the course wasn’t suited for them, etc. It reminded me to try to be more cautious of how I talk to myself about results and progress.
I have watched this series of videos and this is spot on!
yeah this is why Sage kinda sounds weird to me, everyone fails at times and its better to see where you can improve rather than focus on external things u cant change
As a South African and brand new runner, you are an inspiration. You've inspired not only me but thousands of other people to someday attempt this race someday.
I ran a 50 mile road ultra a couple months ago, I remember my legs were trash afterward.
The hard road service can make your legs more painful than trail ultras.
Great job!
Sage, look at all the people you inspire myself included! Thank you! ...and thanks for expressing your thoughts on flying. most people dont ever consider the impact of their activities.
You shouldn't have to address any of these criticisms. I cant believe people could be so rude! You have shared a wealth of knowledge with us and I always wish the best for you in these races. And regardless of the results, I am always inspired by your achievements!
Sage, there is nothing wrong with making your own training plan. In a lot of countries and sports, the athlete makes their own training plan and chooses their own goals. The coach is only there to give advice and help. Love the youtube channel. Great job at Comrades 22nd place is still frickin amazing and good luck in your next races!
Awesome run Sage. As a 11:54 finisher myself this year, i have nothing but respect for you! I think you’re being way too hard on yourself but one should not be too comfortable with one’s efforts or else you stagnate I suppose. Truly is the most beautiful race
Hi Sage. It was great seeing you the day before Comrades during the warm up run. Your comrades run is something to be proud of none the less as comrades is brutal. Hope to see you back for the down run. They say you have not done comrades unless you've done the up and down run. I also think that in order to do well in Comrades it has to be you're sole/primary focus as it is brutal. All the best
clearly eating cheeseburgers wouldve produced a better result Sage..
in all seriousness epic race man you're an inspiration!
Hi Sage - Big fan of you and the channel. I have learned a ton from you. It’s ok to struggle a little, we are supposed too.
I am a fellow vegan and I agree any issue that comes up people blame your diet. People in general don’t like vegan and have no idea how much protein is in plants!
I am a fellow exercise physiology nerd. It might be time to return to the drawing board. Maybe try a completely different approach. It may be refreshing for your body. Maybe even don’t think about a training plan and just go out and run big days in the mountain every day.
Just keep grinding.
Well done... bro... i stayed in PMB for eight years... your time is magnificent
No improvement without being critical......well done Sage!!!!! Even if you’re #1, you should still find ways to improve ...that’s the spirit.
Man... you where 22nd within 20,000 runners in the biggest ultramarathon in the world! You don't have to explain nothing at all!!! You are a fucking bad ass!!! Congratulations!!!
Cheer up Sage, still an amaizing race. You are a great inspiration to lots of people, even an old fart like myself 😃
My only criticque would be the long flights, but they are quite unavoidable when racing at your level. Good you discussed this issue in the vlog.
Keep up the good work.
Hey Sage great video, Comrades is an amazing race filled with tradition and love from the public. It is amazing how the people of KZN comes out in numbers and spends the whole day on the road cheering runners, it is a type of race that once you do it you always wanna come back and do it again.
Sage you are one the best all round athletes in the world. Just put this behind you quickly and be excited about the next race. Coming 22nd in a very tough field this year is not as bad a result as you think. David Gatebe , 2016 record breaker and winner came 19th, just ahead of you. He gave it his all . It happens . . You inspire so many and this sadly can’t be seen on a watch or Strava , because it would be very impressive if it could. Go with you gut feel and forget about the negative comments. 👍🏻
Wow, you are so honest, sharing deepest feelings and you deserve our respect for being so! A real inspiration! There are so many trails in SA, and life in SA is tops, not only in Capetown!!!!
Congrats Sage. You might be dissatisfied with the race result, but know that you’re an inspiration to people! Totally cool of you to share your journey with us :)
Thank you for taking us on your journey.
You did great. You rock!
Love that you are vegan 👍🏼 And yes you should lay off the processed food, but they are so yummie sometimes, I get it.
And listening to Sandy is always a good idea 😄
Good luck on your next endeavour. 🍀
Keep it up Sage. I really like your attitude and your realistic no excuse analysis of the race. At the end of the day you did what you could at Comrades this year.
Congrats Sage, comrades is totally unpredictable. I was 30 minutes off my target but I am not going to complain, people had it worse on the day. You'll make it sooner rather than later.
Well done for toughing it out and getting the finish. Lots of wise words here. What you say about being dissatisfied with most of your races rings true for me. I’m trying to congratulate myself more on my successes these days, rather than just thinking about them as stepping stones to better things (which may or may not materialise).
Well done from someone who finished 4.5 hours behind you, though a little older at 49... The climbing on the up run is quite something. None of the hills on their own are all that challenging, but the combination of all of them together creates an epic challenge. Personally, I found Inchanga just after halfway the most intimidating. Looking forward to your return to Comrades! You know that there will be two consecutive down years now? (In order to facilitate the finish at the huge Moses Mabhida stadium for 36k participants to be allowed for the race's centenary celebrations in 2021)
Oh Sage! I'm sending you a virtual hug and high-five for finishing this beast of a race! Try not to pay attention to each and every advise people give you. And don't be so hard on yourself about traveling via airplane… the important thing is that we are all well aware of the impact we are having on the environment...you and Sandi are great role-models in many ways and even so, we all still need to live this life and get to places and bring awareness to what we want to protect and/or achieve. So stop apologizing! You know I mean that in a very kind way... The best to you ~ always! Go Sage! 😊
Hey Sage ❤️❤️❤️❤️ im from South Africa and also run for nedbank ❤️❤️❤️❤️ will hopefully be running comrades next year ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ hope to see you there ❤️❤️❤️
Great effort Sage! I know it's frustrating not to quite hit goals, but don't lose the perspective of how good you are in the big scheme of things!
You’re a hero to me for being a vegetarian and an amazing runner Sage! Keep up the great work and putting out encouraging videos that help me to continue running. I aspire to be as fast as you.
Incredible performance, amazing time. You're an absolute boss, keep it up.
Hi Sage amazing that you saw and took inspiration from Xolani Luvuno (guy with the crutches and one leg ) , huge controversy about him doing the comrades as he was not allowed to do it or even finish it , although in my mind he is a amazing man and def a inspiration and what you can set out to do if you set your mind to it . Great race , hats of to you
Hi Willie he was not the only one there was a kzn runner that ran in crashers to but did not get a head start like Xolani. But yeah you right lots of controversial issues this year.
Well I think u did incredibly well you got me in to running and inspire us all ! My first 100 miler in 3 weeks ! Keep the vlogs coming there ace !
Keep you head up Sage. Placing 22nd out of 20,000 (top 0.11%) may not have met your goals, but remains inspiring. We learn from your willingness to share your challenges and doubts, on a road to ultimate success. Stay to true to yourself, including your vegan ethic, and be proud.
As for the question of a coach, perhaps you need a sounding board to give you a gut check instead of someone giving you precise direction, e.g. someone to review your plan and play devil's advocate once in a while. That person can raise questions and spark ideas that you may not have considered. Probably best it's not someone you have a close personal relationship with.
Whatever direction you take, know there are people on the sidelines rooting for you!
Comrades is a tough race, especially the up run. Even the best can have a bad day, but the true champions keep going no matter what. You finished and that makes you a winner in my eyes.
Just my 2 cents, Sage, but I’d just stop acknowledging those people who are just bringing negativity. You seem to do a fine job of not letting yourself getting away with anything in your training. All these other folks are just noise and talking about it repeatedly just highlights and amplifies it.
You got to love how a bunch of non pro runners want to argue with a Professional Runner, who get's paid to run, because he is that good. People who can't run around the block at Sage's marathon pace, telling him how to eat, train and prepare for a race. Humanity kills me. Great job Sage, ignore the idiots.
Hi Sage, started training... preparing... listening to your clips today in full swing... good to see you came to my home Province KZN. Belated welcome. Started the local parkrun... now want to do the Comrades... please say i am not nuts.
Well done Sage. It's a tough race I ran it against doctors orders I was sick. Just finished it before the 12hrs. Don't feel bad walking those hills we understand we human too.
Epic Effort Sage! Well done mate. You inspire me to push harder with my running. Focus on the positives and work hard for your next race. All the best.
hey sage, great vlog. you are super competitive and have tremendous talent. just keep on training and tweek your nutrition. I was a vegetarian for 20 years and ran comrades and suffered terribly in the early years. one year after comrades I craved animal protein. I had fish and since then my running improved. at age 45 i ran my best comrades. when everybody was carbo-loading i was fat loading. truely it worked for me and is a more effecient form of energy. perhaps look into it and I'll see you at comrades in 2021. all the best
Just wanted to say thank you Sage! You have been an inspiration for me and your videos are one the main reasons I started with this sport running..keep un dreaming and set high goals and keep up the good work with your videos! ;) ciao Johan
Well done Sage, was great being in the same race as you even though I was far behind. Have a look at keto for Ultra running - changed my life both marathon PB and comrades PB'S this year by big margins.
Sage, you are being too hard on yourself, I suppose that comes with being an elite runner and/or setting really high goals for yourself. You really did well, I cannot imagine what it takes to run a 6:02 comrades. Having ran it twice (obviously very far from your time), I know its a seriously humbling experience. Continue inspiring us and giving those valuable tips.
Sage, I have been following you for a while now and there are 3 consistent themes in many of your post race reviews: One, your spending too much time mentally focusing on what other people think of diet - that seems to be getting into your head whether you admit it or not; Two, It sounds like you over trying to over analyze every little detail and constantly second guessing yourself, which is never good for your confidence; Third, you under estimate the power of mental push both negative and positive. Historically you see athletes achieve great feats on their worst physical days. I was not blessed with the physical skills to be a pro athlete, but I had good coaching and mentoring that helped me over achieve in tough situations. I was able to carry this mental toughness into my career as an engineer which allowed me to excel even when set up for failure. I'm certain not trying to be critical of you, only to tell you what I'm hearing from you so that you can hear yourself better. Best of luck in all that you do.
I hope you enjoyed the uprun. It's my favourite race,sadly this year I had to miss it due to injury. I believe it was nice weather.
I was also able to catch a glimpse of you during the race.
Man, be confident that your "bad performances" has nothing to do with your diet, you're totally heading to the right way. Trust yourself and keep going!
Bro, Comrades is a different animal. You can come prepared and feeling 100%, and on race day everything just changes. Don't beat yourself too hard, we all suffer at that race. Even the Top 10 feel like they are dying when approaching 80km. It is tough and it is a very selfish race, it takes quite a bit to prepare for it. All I can tell you is that it is a race where you can adjust plans a few times during the run. Keep your head high, I was quite impressed with your run
Don't worry about diets or anything like that, stick to your guns on that one. You came top american and for a "bad day at the office" you came in 23rd in a stacked elite field...give yourself some kudos there. I'd love to see you set your focus on a specific distance for 6 months and see what you could do as I bet you could get to the top of your game if you set an A race then did some shorter tune up races focusing on the same discipline (ie road/trail/mountain)...I bet you would excel!
Oh Sage, you’re a great runner. Go easy on yourself
Love the anti negative thinking drink! A great way to get back.
I live in South Africa and know LJ van Zyl (400m hurldes record holder) and his wife Irvette van Zyl (long distance runner) and saw they run together with Gerda Steyn. Didn't know you know Gerda. Great picture of you runners. Sage you had a great run and I'm sure you are a roll model to us all. Maybe I will try the comrades some day.
You're nuts dude, crazy performance
It's impossible to ever be satisfied competing in time based sports! Every run is different! Thanks for sharing your journey Sage. You're a gun!💪
Good work sage! Also had that exact diet conversation with my mom this weekend! Funny how that happens!
“Got some child bearing bearing hips, those bones aren’t gonna be shrinking anytime soon” 😂😂😂 great race sage, way to tough it out on a hard day on a even harder course!!
i laughed so hard at that part
That stretch you struggled on from Cato Ridge to Umlaas was tough on most people all times I’ve looked at show that most people ran the grueling first half uphills faster than that ‘flatter’ stretch of road. Xolani Luvuno is the name of the runner on crutches. Inspiring story
I had a similar experience at this years race. I also saw Xolani(the guy on the crutches), and then started to push myself to get across the line. Finishing is important, you have more 'data' to work with to improve next time. Well done.
Don't be disappointed... well done... this is Africa... join me next year for the down run
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your honesty and respect that you are true to yourself. It looks like an awesome performance to me.
You should reach out to Lionel Sanders, similar self-coached athlete who had disappointing results and decided to get an outside coach. Might be an interesting conversation
Love Strava: "Nice Work! Run this route again to see how you're progressing." Nice run. Encouraging to us slow guys.
Great effort Sage!!! Well done on getting the job done and to keep on going when the going got tough! 💪
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, you're an inspiration for a lot of us, and I'm pretty sure you will evolve a lot more in the next years! Keep pushing!
Your expectations were to high! I tried to warn you before. SA runners are tops and they put a lot of training and time to compete in the Comrades. I am so happy that you did not quit (Camille Herron, she lost my respect; Comrades is all about not quiting and reaching the finish line) and shared your experience. It was cool (cold) and I also ran the Comrades and your performance was tops, but expectations were too high! This is a tough race! I missed you at the expo, but hope to meet you next year!
Looking forward to ur next race. Thanks to all who shared footage.
Job well done Broer. From someone who ran the same race you did amazingly well. Hats off to you 😉. Hope to see you again next year 😊
Grueling course. Appreciate the analysis here with that mindset in the race and your thought process (or lack thereof) during the race. Mindset is everything. Get some; go again, Sage.
In my eyes you're totally crushing it!! I totally enjoy the videos!!
Sage! Great channel bud! Have a look at the racing schedules of everyone that has beaten you in Comrades and you will most likely find that they all specialise in road running. Edward has only raced one big race this year and Bongumusa has raced two. Gotta put all the eggs in one basket if you want to excel in such a taxing race. Still, 22nd is one great achievement!!
Your a super inspiring runner Sage. I totally understand you're aiming to win and you need to be hard on yourself but I think your performance was amazing. I'm currently training for my first half and watch your videos daily! I know you're sponsored by my spring energy one and one thing that would be super helpful as a training talk would be a guide for nutrition both right before the race and during the race since you touched on that in this video.
Super impressed by Henri Ansio. He beat so many faster guys and even though he wins like every ultra he does here in Finland didn't know he would do so well against the best in the world.
great perspective as always, Sage, don't stop helping raise consciousness through your experiences and beliefs!
I think it’s the nature of long Distance running. I took 18 mins off my marathon time and was still annoyed I didn’t run faster.
Comrades is a really tough race, many international athletes underestimate it. Your result is awesome.
A key to really good Comrades is to hold back as much as you can. If you are feeling great, dont speed up, slow down so that you feel even better. 1st half on both the up and the down is the hardest. So maybe try for around 3:00 half way, get to half way feeling fresh like you have not even run yet. And then race for a 2:45-2:50 second half?
great video, the battle became mental at one point but also it is just a bad day! It is good to be critical to yourself but don't take it too far. As long as you are putting everything on the line, then it is what it is. Cheers.
So well done, Sage. Congratulations, no matter what you expected of yourself. I would have been more than thrilled with an average of 4.11min/km over this crazy distance, Amazing! Also Sage, there will come a time with advancing age that you will have to accept for yourself that you might be reaching a natural peak. I have been running for more than 40 years and my ultimate goal was running a marathon under 3 hours, which I achieved on 3 occasions out of 35 marathons. I am now content to cover this distance under 4 hours. Also, it would not be a shame to be overtaken by a leading woman in a race, as you might have felt. And finally, something that really bugs me is seeing top runners dropping out of special marathons (i.e. Olympics, big city marathons), only because they realise that they will not finish among the top 3 runners. My motto is finish what you have started, unless you have a very good reason not to (i.e. an injury).
Hell of a report. All aspects - props for putting yourself out there as you do man! I think about stuff you discuss on a lot of my runs. 👊
Well done on your run. I am plan you enjoyed yourself. Come to South Africa again
You're an inspiration - thank you 😊 🙏
'Climate change being the real ultra'. You live up to your name, Sage. Inspiring to hear you being open about all your experiences, even if they are disappointing. Also i don't think you need to be defending your diet
Well done on the race.
You don't need to always respond to the 'haters'! The regular listeners know and don't care what you eat or if your race strategy isn't perfect. Who's perfect anyway?
Great run Sage. I love your work and the penguin footage is cool :)
Its good to analysis your performance critically but no point at all beating yourself up. Just start from here and go again!
So how about some advice for those aspiring to run Comrades? .. amazing time and race even though you walked a bit. Your honesty and humility make you a great coach..I'm sure you'll figure it all out in the future.
Well done Sage Comrades is a difficult race,think some outside perspective on that race will help you alot because of it’s nature.
You can also admit it if it didn’t go well in my book you are way better than Jim Walmsley he is to scared to even try.
Very good analysis, Sage. Been following your videos for a long time. Your description of when you started bonking is spot on, and many marathon runners can relate to it. And how the sight of the athelete with crutches, kind of gave you an impetus is also so familiar at so many levels. Thanks for sharing. You set your standards very high, so the disappointment. Maybe you should get someone to Coach you. It can help you with perspective.
Hi Sage, firstly congratulations on the result, whether you view it as such or not it's still a phenomenal achievement. Wanted to make an observation that I think you're already aware of but perhaps don't give sufficient credence to and that's the inherent contradiction of the truly world-class expectations you put on your performances and your "any distance, any surface" mentality. As you're no doubt aware, as you get older the course/distance specific adaptations that you need to make in order to perform at your absolute best will take longer than they did 5 years ago or so. I think an important question you'd really need to ask yourself would be what's more important to you, holding your own amongst the best in the world in a highly diverse and full race calendar but routinely failing to meet your own lofty expectations or prioritising a hand-full of races or more select race-types for a given season to really see what you're capable of?
I also understand that given this is your profession, you may not be afforded the luxury of such a decision given sponsor expectations, the demands of your channel and other issues related to where your bread is buttered. For what it's worth I hope you do stick to the multitude of race types as your content is a fantastic window into what professional running across all long-distance takes and provides. That said, don't lose sight of the fact that on any given race you're probably lining up against pros that have earmarked that event or that distance as their sole focus with a far longer training and development block than your own calendar could ever allow. From a grateful fan that's definitely learnt a thing or two from your content, you're an inspiration!
Good job in Sierra Zinal!! Go Big Red!
Anyone who gives time to the african penguins in their race report vlog are awesome in my book! 😉 I get that your race fell short of your expectations, but you owe no one any excuses. If races like this were totally predictable no one would bother doing them. Even perfect preparations are not a guarantee for perfect results. There is one common denominator with your Rotterdam Marathon race report though; nutrition during the race. For Rotterdam you had a great plan that circumstances sabotaged, for Comrades you possibly had a less then perfect plan implemented properly. A great nutrition plan implemented properly might be a silver bullet that kills some of your demons.