Great North Run 2009

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  •  Hi everyoneimage

    Yeti - how was you're trip back yesterday?

    Vixx - whereabouts in Halesowen do you live? My sister lives there too!

  • Not feeling too bad thanks Vixx, considering I worked pretty much 8-8 after driving 450 miles and running 13.1 miles image

    Evening Liverbird!! How're you today? image

    Night Parmo.

    Time to find something smart to wear for tomorrow's audit and hit the sack.  Roll on Wednesday night when it'll be over for another 6 months (oh, apart from Ofsted next week as well image )

    Catch you all later imageimage

  • Oops, missed you there EO.  Journey back was pants for the first 2 1/4 hours, crawling at 20mph on the A1 image Put my foot down after Sheffield though so still made it back in 4 hours image  How was your trip?  Shame you didn't make the meeting point, but you probably almost live closer than our pens could have been at the start!

  • Jovi

    No - sorry , we are at Abingdon FM - it'll be our 31 st Marathon together

    it's our pb course of 4.03 , now we want sub 4 ,

  • Hi MickNPhil

    I have seen you at quite a few races over the past few years

    If I could give you any advice on doing the GNR I would say def NO!

    In the last seven years I have done this 6 times only because the start line is 2 miles from my house.

     If I had to travel 50 miles or so I wouldnt even think about it !!!!!!

    When your going to a race you have got to ask yourself how appreciated are you

    In races that are oversubscribed and can treat their entrants like fodder. Stay well clear!!

  • Yeti - motorway was nice and quiet, left about 10 this morning and was back through my front door by 1. Went straight to back to bed!

    I knew I was going to struggle with the meet. The combination of my mate being a bad time keeper and the metros only running every half hour from his local station was always going to make it tight. Was looking out for the green ribbons afterwards but couldn't see any!

  • then again, every year, almost 40,000 runners think it is worth doing
  • EO - I live toward Cradley Heath. If you know where the Lutley Oak pub is then you are in the general area.

    Where does your sister live?

     YETI - good luck with the audit image

    MickNPhil - good luck for Abingdon. I'll keep my fingers crossed you get your sub-4 image

  • Definitely only for the atmosphere though XL - and that view at the top of that hill..... image

    Planning to have Monday off next year...

  • Hi folks - Wow I have such a lot of reading back to do, not only on this thread but the 2008 one as well since I've only just got home having been away since early Friday.  It's going to take me a while to read back on all your race reports so sorry for not comenting on them yet -

    Finished in a very slow 2hrs 45 and a bit !  That's slow even by my own standards.  Just ran out of energy.  May have gone off too fast as I seemed to be on schedule for a 2:20 for the first 3 miles!   Never mind, there's always next year - 

    Great to meet up with so many folks at the Expo and post GNR

    Got my FLM pack too - I love the range of Adidas 'Official' marathon tops -  Great wording - specially love the one that says -

    "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" 

    image

  • Nogr8nrg wrote (see)

    If I had to travel 50 miles or so I wouldnt even think about it !!!!!!

    When your going to a race you have got to ask yourself how appreciated are you

    In races that are oversubscribed and can treat their entrants like fodder. Stay well clear!!

    I travelled over 150 miles to do the race and I intend to come back and do it again because I personally think it was a great race.

    Yeah, there is a lot of people there, but to be part of that is quite a feeling. Looking back at all the runners was pure amazement and I was in complete awe at it.

    Did I feel appreciated? Maybe not by the organisers, but everyone who was cheering you on made me feel appreciated and it was them that make the race special.

  • Nogr8nrg -- if you dont like GNR why do you enter. If you dont enter the ballott that would make one more space for those of us who do love GNR. I know the entry fee is high but it really is a great day out and event and I I for one felt hugely appreciated by the crowds of people who come out to cheer and support.

  • Nogr8nrg wrote (see)

    When your going to a race you have got to ask yourself how appreciated are you

    As there are many thousands of people running for charities that are close to their hearts I imagine that they are well appreciated, though personally appreciation is not what I'm looking for by running.

    Are you implying that people run races like the GNR with the intention of being appreciated by the organisers?

  • Vixx - I know the general area. I've got a mate who lives close to the leisure centre on Barrs Road. My sister lives in Lapal, very close to the Royal Oak.
  • Nogr8nrg wrote (see)

    If I could give you any advice on doing the GNR I would say def NO!

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       

    When your going to a race you have got to ask yourself how appreciated are you


    Nogr8nrg  - Generally I don't go to a race to be appreciated !

    At GNR I feel valued, and inspired, and uplifted, and driven by thousands of kindred spirits, and hugely supported by every single person who stands out there to cheer me on or pass the orange slices.  I feel exhilerated by the red arrows and amazed at all the people who run in costumes when I struggle to run at all.  I am overwhelmed by the generosity of those who appreciated my efforts and sponsor me. 

    It's big - it's loud - and it's fun

    and  I'll be ttravelling from Oxfordshire again next year because it's the greatest half marathon in the world !

    image

  • Well the legs are starting to ache and I'm now actively avoiding the stairs.

    Firstly I have to thank Shielsy for organising such a wonderful night out. OH and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Thankyou Shielsy for all your hard work. You are the perfect hostess.

    I'd also like to thank XL, Pengwyn and WTS for coming to meet us all at the start. I'll always remember my first GNR when I started on my own not knowing a single person. It really makes a difference to see a friendly face!

    A quick hi to Slow and Steady and Yeti. Thanks for joining me in Zone G. I hope you both had a great race - I'll have to catch up with the forum tomorrow and see how well you did.

    It was wonderful to see you all again and meet a few more forumites: Vicki, XL-Man, Pengwyn, RLTW (hope you got back to the hotel alright), WTS (gutted you couldn't run),  RTG, Scotish Mike, Mandie-R+bro (sorry I didn't get a chance to chat), Mr.SJ, Stoxy, Stoxy's Mum, MOTR, RSPT, CC2 (again sorry I didn't get a chance to chat),  Paul CooperWee Col, Mick the Mackeem, Hairy Airy.. If I missed anyone out it's because my brain is still addled! I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to meet Vixx.

    I really enjoyed this year's GNR except for the actual race. I thought I was over my cold but my chest was really tight after 6 miles (is that Shielsy *coughing*?). I had to struggle over the last three miles just to finish. I had the usual problem of people in the way and someone stopping dead infront of me! Was it me or was that sign that said 'now it's 3 miles downhill' slightly misleading?

    As usual the people of Newcastle did themselves proud. There was the odd ruffian squirting water into runner's faces and throwing bottles into the crowd however but you get those kind of people in every city.

    The highlight of my race was running past Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and hearing her calling out my name! 'Go Russell'. I couldn't believe it!

    I finished in 2:06:23 which is 3 minutes 19 seconds faster than my first two attempts at the GNR but a long way off my PB of 1:48 earlier in the year. I'm hoping my chest will clear up so I can get a couple of long runs in for Dublin or I might have to defer.

  • Russell Nimbus wrote (see)

    I really enjoyed this year's GNR except for the actual race.


    Awe Russell !  Go back and do it again then, and make sure you enjoy it next time !

    I got back to the hotel fine thanks - though the cabbie hadn't got a clue where I was going, not helped by the fact that nor did I (at least - not how to get to it by car !)   He did stop the meter though, thank goodness!

    Oh, and did you really meet Hairy Airy? image

  • Got back from a very busy and tiring weekend at about 2 this afternoon, couldn't believe how many posts already.

    Went to football saturday which got a little boozy, then straight to Townhouse pub in Whitley Bay, after getting off train/metro, what was supposed to be a couple of pints turned into a right royal session ending with me discussing the merits of films with the late bar barman at the Rex around 1.30am, so therefore the noise from club didnt bother me too much and got some sleep.

    Wifes alarm then went off at 6am  WHY ??? 

  • To be fair, despite having had two bellyfulls of beer, a pie, pasty and a kebab as my food intake, i didnt have hangover just felt a little groggy and woozy.

    There was a group of 14 of us for the race, and we all had a great weekend, with over half gaining pb's despite the temptations of W. Bay.

    Unfortunately I wasn't one of them, though didn't expect to in honesty. I found the race a real struggle from the Tyne Bridge, breathing was not 100% following the cold, left calf/shin was painful, and i dont suppose i did myself any favours on saturday night.

  • I have already promised to behave on saturday 3rd october 2009  image
  • I've skimmed through and noticed some good times and pb's aplenty, well done to you all
  • Hi Andy - I'm almost glad that I'm not the only one who found it tough this year!   So was all that food your pre-GNR meal? (as usual!)
  • Right I have finally finished what has to be the longest blog I have ever written image I think it's time I head to bed as I unfortunately have work tomorrow.

    See you all laters

  • Pie was half time at football, pasty was on train, then kebab was post pub on way to hotel bar  image
  • Great South Run in three weeks time....I'll soon have done the set  hahahaha. Hopefully leg will have settled down by then, and maybe have a right go at it, with sensible preparation
  • image  -  all that, and he has to be one of the best runners on this thread !  Maybe that's where we're all going wrong !  Follow the Andy Sly pre run diet - pastry, meat & beer a plenty!
  • Bring yer mackintosh, wellies and so'wester !
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