March is the transition month that shifts us from the early training of January and February toward the heavy training months of April and May. In coastal provinces the heat still make this a month too soon to increase distance, but it can be a time for novices and those who still have to qualify to do an easy marathon. Remember this does not have to be a hard race, but simply a qualifier to legalise your entry if you havent run a marathon since June and / or never ran Comrades last year. If you already have a marathon qualifier then rather hold off running another, particularly if you intend doing Two Oceans or one of the other short ultras over the Easter / April period.
In an ideal world this is the time to be hitting a hard half marathon on a fast course or a 10km (or 15km) race looking to extend your short distance speed to the next level. Do not worry about distance there is still ample time to build up to the peak which will last from roughly from 24 April through to 26 May. If you make the increase too soon you wont be able to sustain the distance without over training.
So (synicaly) if you have to be injured then March is the chosen month to be injured as it will keep your distance to a reasonable level without infringing on yur Comrades preparation. Consistenty of running is the more important feature of the month.
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