Abingdon Marathon

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  • http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/index.tlx

    According to the photo website, pics should be up about midday - I can't wait

  • Last of the time lords: I don't think that anyone was grumbling about the course being inaccurately measured. I understand that the computer chip in all the GPS units is the same one, the satellites are in the same place for everyone at the time of the run, and therefore the mathematical errors are going to be the same. If I look into the boring screens I can see the position error that the GPS has calculated. It can be 30m. Even at best a 10m error every mile will add up over the course of 26.2 miles to be (guess what?) en axtra 0.2 miles.

    Like I said to anyone in earshot: the Garmin may be useful, but the course Director has positioned the mile markers and the finishing line.

    PS

    Of course it's long. It's 26.2 bliddy miles.

  • Blisters / LOTTL - couldn't agree more. The fact that my Garmin couldn't pick up by heart beat accurately (I was logging approx 50 at the halfway stage) made me doubt its ability to receive a truly accurate signal from outer space. Either that or I morphed into some kind of reptile at some point in the race.
  • My Garmin said 26.62, but I've learned to ignore it - it was out from about mile 2.

     I couldn't believe the brilliant support from the marshals and spectators, all the time, even for us at the back - I finished in 4:54 - when they must've been as nearly tired as I was and the novelty of cheering runners must've long since passed. And even, in the last mile or so, some encouraging words from runners who'd finished and were leaving. Thanks everyone who had anything to do with this race.

    I faded horribly after about 18 miles and missed my target time but I also wanted to complete the course without walking, which I managed. Soon, I hope, the pain in my hip joints will subside! 

  • Great day and a great course thanks to all the organisers and marshalls
  • Oh and I liked that run round the block on the industrial estate at about 11/20 miles so you could see who was a few hundred yards ahead and then a few hundred yards behind.

    It was just before there, my first time around, that a car drove past with the large digital clock on showing the race time. And I thought 'that's nice of them' and then moments later it was followed by the the eventual winner, gliding along 9 miles ahead of me after, I think, one hour 52. Wow.

  • Brokie - I too am aiming for 3.xx one day.  I think to go from 4.11 to 3.59 in 6months might be a tall order but I do have a little trick up my sleeve - I carried a 1 stone spare tyre round with me on sunday, that must account for a lot of time!!!

    Regarding the garmins.  I always know that my garmin measures long for races.  If it measures long for races then I assume that it measures long for all my training runs.  I do go by my garmin when pacing in races though because I know what I can do in training according to garmin.  A lot of people talk about having a target time but that is no good if garmin measure long.  I tend to work out what I think would be a realistic target pace based on my paces in training.  obviously I have worked out what that would equate to if the course is 26.2 miles

    My target pace for sunday was 9.30 which works out at 4.09.xx.  I knew thought that 9.30 on garmin would not give me 4.10 on a course of 26.4 (which is what my last 2 marathons were), I had a secret hope that I might break 4.10 but didnt quite manage it.  Garmin Av pace was 9.31 but total time was 4.11.21. 

  • another method is to print out on of those pacing bands which give you a time for each mile, so when you get to the actual mile marker you can check your total time and see if you are on target. i started out with a pacing band on sunday but put it away about half way after it was obvious that I had slowed and wouldnt be able to hold 9:30 pace for the rest of the race.
  • You think the Garmins are out distance wise, acording to my Polar speed distance monitor I ran 27.4 miles! (no wonder I'm still knackered)

    I think my Polar is in need of some serious calibration.

    The way Witch Witch describes is the best way to pace assuming the mile markers have been positioned accurately like they were at Abingdon.

  • Hellen - I reckon you could go from 4.11 to 3.59 in 6 months - I took 15 mins off my time once and you only need to lose 12 - that's less than 30 seconds per mile!  Go for it!
  • Yes I also use pace notes for managing my performance. It's a shame that I can't run any faster when the wheels fall off though.

    A good point about the GPS and training pace/distance. However, not many people go for a 20 miler at mara pace in training.

    Hellen: good luck on the weight loss programe. It will work. I found that I lost weight most efficiently on steady runs between 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

  • My problem is I eat too much.  I started training for my first marathon about 20 months ago, at that time I was a stone lighter, it is because I now allow myself naughty treats because I am marathon training!!
  • Thanks for your comments Eva.  I was trying to smile at everyone that passed me near the end as i know from my own Marathon runs how nice it is tio have a smiling face and some encouragement when I'm feeling "cream crackered".
  • I weighed myself today and I'm 6lbs heavier than I was about a month ago. Rather than my usual careful self with food, over these last weeks as I stuff my face unnecessarily I've just been saying to myself  'carbo-loading'. 
  • can i have my legs back please -
  • hellen - I ran 4.11 for FLM 07 and then ran 3.58 in Luton in Dec 07 so it really is possible. The trick for me was to set out for the sub 4 only and nothing more for the day but if i could stretch myself during the training (I used RW Garmin 3:45 plan) then I would whihc gave me more confidence for the day.
  • great pics and so many to choose from
  • Is it just me or did other place-winners not have the event etched on their trophies? Sorry - I know only a few can answer this one. Mine just had "2nd Male50 2008" - I'll have lost all recollection in a few years time!!
  • Hi RJ ,Mine also had "2nd female 35 2008" But so chuffed coming home with a very unepected trophy!!!Hope everybody is recovering well and eating lots!!!
  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭
    Ask TippTop - he was 2nd overall!
  • oh Chidge that is genius!  Cheered me up at the end of a long day - oh I did laugh!  Hope you're gonna buy that one!
  • Chidge

    One dodgy photo out of three is ok
    If I might say so the other two look fine!
  • Well done to you Tipp top thats an amazing time!!! Like i said Joolska i was so pleased and happy to come away with a Trophy and so unexpected!!!! Love the photo chidge its amazing how running can really make you look goodHa ha!!!(bit of a pin up for the next runners world front page issue i reckon) image
  • I really am surprised to find I seem to be the only one who suffered due to the feed stations.

    I'm loathe to criticise the race given that if you list the Top 20 things you rate a marathon on, Abingdon probably nailed about 17 or 18 of them - a lot more than the FLM does.

    It wasn't so much the amount of water stations (though it could've done with 1 or 2 more) it was where they put them (ie you need them more frequently towards the end) & the lack of any energy drinks at all. Even just one stop with some lucozade sport poured into the cups would've been enough.

    I reckon once you allow for the water you spill trying to drink out of cups! you probably only drink 100ml per cup, and on the last 2 or 3 mine was only 1/4 full - 26 miles on roughly 650-700ml of water just seems a bit arduous to me & I'm sure caused me to lose a few mins late on.

    As I said though, no other complaints whatsoever, but ordinarily I'd have got through the fluids I had by about 15 miles.

  • Chidge - nice photo. They seem to have got quite a few stunners on Sunday!

    Nick P - great to see you just at the right moment (i.e. when I needed to stop!) The marshalls were fab.

  • Tuesday 21 October 2008

    I on my own Got some nice exercise in today after resting yesterday - this morning I managed 2 hours 30 mins speed walking and jogging , it was a pure blue sky with a nice breeze, it was pure perfect

    Groin is sore, but I feel good

  • Hellen, I have the same problem.  From my experience and 'The Competitive Runners handbook' you can reckon 10lbs = 20mins, so sub 4 should be a doddle.

    Little Miss Happy, seeing one of the photos of you, twas I that was trying to make some feeble joke about pirates and not walking on gangplanks as I passed you just after 20ml

    NickL, great to see you - once I'd recognised you. Shame I didn't see you to talk to at the end, but thanks for the support

    GA,  The great merit of the course and the two loops, made it very easy to stash drinks in bottles along the course.  On Saturday night I'd left two little bottles of Go on the wall in front of the smart house just after the corner turning S after Drayton, another behind the wall in the Waitrose Cp, and sent a couple plus spare gels to the Fetchpoint, courtesy of RichK, and it all worked splendidly.  But my one suggestion to make the race even better, is that they could take personal drinks from Tilsley to several of the drinks stations - as they did in 2006.  Yes I know its an extra hassle, but would be wonderful if they could do it next year.

    And someone said they didn't like the new course as much.  I thought it was great.  The last loop of the old course wasn't particularly nice, I liked the footpath bits, especially as the surface was perfectly OK, and I quite like recognising bits on the second loop, and it made it much easier for some of the drinks stations and the Fetchpoint 

  • Love the pic Chidge - need to find mine now!..

    I got to say I thought the drinks were plenty - I didnt drink at all stops, including the last one.  I wore a belt with lucozade sport drink - but didnt drink any until I'd finished. Also I only took 2 gels. 

    And maybe I'm a bit strange - but I thought the steps up to get the tea at the end were good - keeping my legs moving so I could cool down properly.   

    I'm really glad that I got a chance to do this one - its definately a marathon gold winner!  

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