Did anyone else NOT enjoy yesterday?

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  • Do Loch Ness!!!!

    I did it in 2005. It is completely beautiful with the cleanest air ever. Yes it is hilly with a massive hill at 17 miles just outside a village (Dores?) BUT it is my favourite marathon so far. No way did I get pb but I had only done a 16 and 20 miler beforehand. The scenery was gorgeous and everyone so friendy.

    FLM and Loch Ness are two completely different running experiences.

    Trust me you will love Loch Ness.
  • Thank you so much for posting this. I did yesterday and struggled from mile 10. I am an experienced runner with a FLM under my belt already but yesterday just got me. I felt sick and tired and seriously considered dropping out. in the end i came in an hr slower than previously.
    The crowds are amzing and the whole event worth the effort but I struggled yeseterday to express how i felt when i had finsihed. I couldnt understand how it had taken me so long but reading these forums today I feel so much better and i think all the emotion has just come out this afternoon. I can admit now that it WAS difficult.
  • The friend I started running with yesterday has done over 30 marathons and she kept saying how much I'd love the FLM. When she asked me at the end did I enjoy it and I said 'no it was one of the worst days of my life' she looked horrified :0( In retrospect it wasn't one of the worst days of my life. It was the worst run I have ever had but then I wouldn't run 26.2 miles in that heat in a training run as it wouldn't be sensible and there would be not water stations or showers on the way... it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done and I conquered it which makes the medal all the more sweeter to wear :0)

    WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY THAT MAKES YOU FEEL PROUD????? The FLM in 2007!!!!!!
  • mmmmmmm

    I never EVER do a good time at FLM

    but i seem to keep going back
  • Trishm...the Dartmoor VALE marathon is fine..not hilly at all...note the VALE.I wouldnt have done the half more than once I can tell you..... if it had been hilly...
  • Little Kitty: it's on 7th October (what would have been my Gran's birthday so would love to do it in her memory). I'm sure you can get flights from Luton - Inverness. I will probably go on my own and hopefully meet up with some forumites. I hear you get a great goody bag at the end...
  • I found this thread so reassuring - I have a HM pb of 1.51 and was shooting for 4.15 yesterday so my 4.44 came as somewhat of a disappointment. I still had a great day but considering all the training I had put in it was a bit frustrating! I am thinking of Dublin to lay my 4.44 to rest. Still had a great day as it was first marathon, and was pleased with my age ranking (251 out of 750 women in the 20-24 age category). Have a look at the rankings if you're disappointed with your time - you might be surprised.
  • Trish - it's on 21 October - will be nice and chilly by then!!!

    NN - They only call it Dartmoor 'cause that sounds nicer than back roads behind A38 or clay pits road! So, outskirts of Dartmoor rather than over the tors.
  • moo LOL !!! thats one way to put it..bit like the Teinbridge 10 BORING but nice and flat...and I got a pb there the other week !!!
  • Hippo - is that because you won't let FLM beat you? x
  • Lol, you're tempting me. It's just in the first week of the autumn term which is a bit of a pain but I'm sure with a bit of planning, I could fit it in....
  • moo - october sounds good to me, although whenever I enter anything over 10k it seems to produce freakishly warm weather for the time of year, you have been warned!
  • I have the same curse trishm
  • I certainly did not enjoy the physical pain I endured from about mile 16 onwards, and the outcome of a finishing time about 25 minutes slower than the time I had hoped to achieve.

    However, during the ten miles that I found the run a massive struggle, I was also able to take on board the crowds' support in a way that I had not done last year and as I ran into Pall Mall, I was overwhelmed by the enorrmity of the occasion.

    Crossing the line was just as satisfying as last year (my first ever marathon), and I am itching to get out and take on another (but not for a few months, mind!).
  • hippo - was it our combined hexes that led to yesterdays soaring temperatures then? ;-)
  • This was my second and probably last FLM as planning to emmigrate to New Zealand later this year.

    I trained as hard as I could considering I work as a nurse and have 2 children under 5. My goal was a sub 4 and I felt that I was absolutely on target, I could not have prepared better. Alas, it was not meant to be, I finished in 4.32. If someone had asked me last week how i'd feel if I finished over 30 minutes outside target I would have said I'd be absolutley gutted!

    But I'm not! I ran as hard as I could all the way - without stopping! I did my best and I feel that it is an achievment to be proud of. Conditions were far from ideal and and I got through it and survived, I give thanks for that.
  • yes Trish
    it must have been

    you arent at stratford on sunday are you

    va va voom-well done-thats brilliant
  • no the participants of stratford can be saved the double whammy of lovely weather
  • Ok so it's a trip up to Stratford this weekend!
  • To be honest, once things start to go even a little bit wrong in a race, I find it really hard to think positive. In a way, I feel that a positive frame of mind would be as big a help to me just in general racing terms as the physical training. Any thoughts or tips?
  • Hi All

    So sad that so many of you didnt have a great run. One of the guys we were running with had a really hard time too, physically, and I hope you all feel better soon.

    Yes, good for you to find a blog with like minded people, but dont miss out on a bit of sensible advice or wallow in self pity...

    Also, a little bit annoyed about a couple of things...

    My friend got knocked over by some sad blokes who got caught on a broken down train so missed their pen and ended up at the back. To make up for it and to try to get their own good time they ruined her run. What planet are some people on?

    Also for the person who moaned about people run/walking in faster pens than them, maybe those people feel better than you now because just maybe their strategy worked better, and maybe they even got a faster time than you?

    London isn't about times is it? Do the 500,000 spectators on the day and the millions at home care about the difference between 4 and 430? Surely anyone who has run it before knows with that many people there is no way you can bank on a good time unless you are an elite runner?

    I am so glad I took on board all the advice about aiming to finish and not go for a specific time, cos I had a fab day.

    The crowds were astonishing, the weather really made it for them, and most of the time I felt I was on cloud nine, especially when I saw my little boy's face in the sunshine on tower bridge.

    Yes it was hot, not really a shock though given the forecast and the weather in the weeks before? I had done a 5hr 20 mile 'ramble in the countryside' run in the heat just over 3 weeks before to get used to it, and it helped hugely to set my expectations. I also ran races last summer, and did lots of running in the sun on the basis that I want to be an all round runner. For eg the Colworth challenge (marathon over 3 days) - last year I ran the 5 miles in the evening on Friday and it was about 28 degrees then!

    This Sunday was the only time this novice runner has not felt like a slow runner or felt desperately useless, and the only time I was able to overtake blokes, in fact possibly hundreds of blokes (mostly in the last 6 miles). First 10 was a breeze, the middle bit was hot and hard, I turned off my watch by accident, and it was probably a good thing. Counted down from 10 miles to the end, so as not to focus on The Wall, it worked. Felt like I stormed the last 6 miles and I felt so great at the end I wanted to do it all straight away again.

    I think the lesson for me was exactly what the ads say about the tortoise and the hare. Yes, some of you might scoff that I took just over 5.5 hrs, but believe me I slowed up in the last 2 miles because I just didnt want it to end, and given that so many people were half an hour slower than 'usual' in my head I ran it in 5hrs, which is 15mins faster than I had hoped for, and feel a million dollars.

    My hubby ran in 3 50 and said next time we are doing it in fancy dress cos London is just not about times - I'm going to be princess leah in the metal bikini if its that hot again. Anyone want to join a star wars storm trooper troop??


    Viki B
  • I’ve been devastated twice in two days, firstly FLM – done plenty of training, last long run 24 miles close to 3:30 pace on a fairly hot day . In March a couple of 1/2s looked spot on for time plus plenty of swimming/biking (well pool is 26C) but on the day just under 3:52 darn. I uncontrolably slowed to walk through the second long tunnel because my brain wanted to hide from the sun. Lesson to be learned – don’t go out on Saturday afternoon canoeing 8 miles with competitive marine mate followed by gentle 2.5 mile run.
    Secondly Night Nurse informs me Abingdon cancelled, double darn my favourite marathon off.
    Off to cry or check out Dartmoor
  • m.ittenm.itten ✭✭✭
    (((((Viki))))

    Fantasic :-)
  • L.K.
    Ihave run three marathons, this time i took some really good advise from a mate,

    1.set yourself 3 goals ie,
    4.00 great
    4.15 good
    4.30 ok

    2.have somebody at halfway with a 50 cl bottle of water & dioralyte,the latter was brill advise got this at 14 miles it really helped so much, still finished outside my goal of 4.30 but didnt feel to bad.
  • m.ittenm.itten ✭✭✭
    Never thought about doialyte. Silly really as I always have when SCUBA diving to replace salts but never thought about when running!!!!!

    Taking some next time :-)
  • I was so depressed at the end yesterday too. But then i saw my friends after the finish and they still almost idolised me, the fact I was well off my target made absolutely no difference to them. None of them have ever done one, and probably never will. And there are still so many positives.

    There's that cheesy slogan that addidas had on a billboard I saw at about mile six, but it's so true - "It's a marathon, not a race." That's why people are in such awe that we did it. If it were easy, if it didn't take courage and grit and sheer guts and verything you have to throw at it, then it wouldn't have such kudos. And that's in good conditions.

    So you were slower. So you missed your target time by an hour. So it was hot and hard and horrible. All that means is you EARNED your medal when you crossed that line.

    You think the pros get better each time they run one? The only person who had no complaints with his/her performance was the one who crossed the line first. So many of them were way off their game too yesterday.

    Speaking of which, you BEAT Haile Gebreselassie. How's that for a positive thought?! How many people can say that?!
  • Vicki I saw a Chewbacca at the start. That man was CRAZY to run in that heavy outfit. I don't know if he finished but that full fur, madness. Saw Darth Vader as well. I bet he was breathing heavily throguh the race!
  • there was a whole star wars posse actually

    but that blooming chewbacca was at my pace for at least 10 miles-fair play to him, but the crowd kept baying "oooooooooooooooo" when he appeared and i just wanted him to go away
  • Thanks for the tip mikos. My husband gave me some rehydration salts when I got home but that was only an afterthought. We lived in Africa for a little while so they were a standard part of the first aid kit ;)
  • hello everyone - thanks so much for this thread. It was my 1st marathon and i have been training so hard and over-achieving (but not overtraining) all my sub 3.45 targets (even a 20 mile race in 2.39) and i dared to hope i may just be able to get a Good for Age time. I watched the weather the week before and got increasingly worried as i know i just 'cant do' heat. The temp at the start was ok-ish it seemed but by the time i hit Tower Bridge i knew things were going wrong. I was drinking more than i ever had in race but felt exhausted and not at all like i did at my 20 mile race- and everyone was getting on my nerves. My slower pace just felt twice as hard as my normal running pace. By 19 i had tears streaming down my face but just about kept going but the crowds couldnt lift me and the smells of barbecues and food from pubs/restaurants just made me want to gag. Around this time some beer swilling spectators were shouting 'what do you want to do this for' in a jeering way- or maybe i was being over sensitive. I recovered for a bit then- i think the tears released some pressure but then at at 23 looking ahead and seeing more relentless sun i just stopped running and broke down in complete sobs. i never have walked in a race but there was nothing more i could do. if i had seen someone i knew there i would have asked to be taken out of the race. The coolness of the big tunnel just before 24 helped and i gave myself a big talking to and started running again and finished in just over 4 hours- but i so wanted a 'sub 4'. Reading all these posts i know so many others were affected in the same way as me too. Will i do another marathon? Yes to see what i can do when i'm battling against the distance rather than the heat. Will I do another FLM? Not sure. i didnt really notice it was 'london', i didnt like the start,stop,start of the start. We'll see but at least i feel a bit better abut everything having read other similar stories. Thankyou.
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