Amsterdam Marathon 2009

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  • Excellent - nice to see lots of Paris vets signing up. Sorry you can't do your 'home' race though. Just in case you hadn't worked out the dates yet, if you are doing a 16 week training programme, then you are due to start in just under 2 weeks now. Am already putting myself on the scales to think about what is ahead.  Have put on 2½kgs since Paris.

    image

  • BeetleBeetle ✭✭✭
    skygirl wrote (see)

    I'm looking at signing up having just completed Edinburgh on Sunday. Flights look ok, just wondering how expensive the hotels are?

    I ran Amsterdam in 2007. Great race and a great city.

    We stayed at the Best Westen Delphi http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=92591

     Pluses: in a salubrious bit of town - slightly outside the centre so v quiet. It`s about a mile (or just under)  from the start/finishin the stadium. Access to centre of town : 15 mins walk or 3 mins on the tram. It`s also about 5 mins from Vondel Park - which is v pretty. Staff were very friendly.

    Minuses: it doesn`t provide an evening meal BUT within 3 mins walk of the hotel are a selection of v good bars and resturants. Rooms q small.

    Prices are q reasonable: non-cancellable rooms form about 95 euro.s/night. Flexible rooms from about 120 euros.

    Basically, a quiet civilized place  which was close to the start. Would defy return.

  • Hi Tricky and John M!!

    Tricky if you go onto the Amsterdam website they have four categories of races for kids 6-7 yrs, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13 yrs.  They call it the 1km Runaway and its under the Kids part of the main menu on the left hand side of the Home page.  I emailed them as there was no booking category on the site for the kids and they said that this should be added sometime in July or alternatively they said you can pick up a bib for them when you collect yours at the Expo.  Master NGUG had real medal envy at Paris so to get his own will be a real big deal for him.  The race takes place in front of the Olympic Stadium and finishes on the official finish line. 

    Ms NGUG has just started running too Tricky and was going out for sneaky runs.  I was hoping to book her into a race too to inspire her to get out and really go for it.  Unfortunately being 16 she seems to have slipped between the kids and the adults races so wouldnt be able to compete as far as I can see.  I suspect your daughter might be wanting to do a bit more than 1km so might also have problems running too.  If you email the organisers via the link on the website they might be able to help - when I emailed them re booking for Master NGUG they came back to me within 48hrs and were v.helpfulimage

    John M - I thought that you were doing Helsinki?

  • TD- im going to use one of the runnersworld programmes that download straight to the garmin, any hints on how you do that.

    NGUG- not enough miles done for to attempt Helsinki. What a day here, torrential rain and thunderstorms!!

  • John - just download the file from the RW site, save it on your PC.  Open up Garmin Training Centre software and from the first menu open the Workout file (something dot WKT). Make any changes you want then choose the option to Upload to Your Device.

    It's as easy as getting ill on a Mexican holiday image

  • Neil MacNeil Mac ✭✭✭

    Hey folks! I'm also having a pop at Amsterdam marathon this yearimage! Flying from Edinburgh on the Saturday, staying at the Ibis near Centraal station and going home Tuesday. My girlfriends doing the 7.5k as well. Looking forward to it.

    Take it getting from centre of town to the Olympic stadium isn't much bother, either by tram, bus or jump a cab? Will prob go to the Expo on the Saturday to judge how long it takes. Breakie pre race will be whatever I can find that's suitable in a supermarket!

    Cheers. Have a good one everybody!image

  • TD- do i need to put training centre on my PC? i have judt been using the online version. my pc wont open the wkt file, do i need to download something??
  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    They close off the roads (even to trams) around the stadium, so be prepared to walk the last half-mile or more.

    Don't leave it to the last minute, or you'll get more warm-up than you bargained for!

    (like I did a couple of years ago) image

  • Neil MacNeil Mac ✭✭✭
    Wilkie, BIG cheers for the infoimage. Will prob just jump in a cab and get as close to the start as I can (½ a mile aint bad), though will ask at the Expo on the Saturday.
  • Yes John, install Training Centre on your PC and then you can open the .WKT file no problems.

    I received this email yesterday from the race organisers so may well see if my daughter would like to participate!!

    =================================================

    Dear Richard,
    Yes children may also participate in the 7.5 km run!
     
    Met vriendelijke groet/With kind regards,

    Yvonne Calf
    Secretaresse
    Stichting Sportevenementen Le Champion
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    Postbus 5029, 1802 TA Alkmaar
    Berenkoog 54, 1822 BZ Alkmaar
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Tel. +31 72 533 8136 (Le Champion)
    Tel. +31 20 663 0781 (Amsterdam Marathon)
    Fax. +31 72 533 9398
    E-mail:yvonnecalf@lechampion.nl
    ------------------------------------------------------------

  • Cool Tricky - will mention it to Ms NGUG and see if she is interested.  They do seem v.efficient re replying to emails etc.image
  • Hi All

     I'm looking into Autumn Marathons at the moment and Amsterdam is top of the list right now. Not signing up till payday at the end of the month so that might change but reading all the notes on here make it sound well worth the trip.

    I would be asking on suggestions for Hotels but it looks like there are plenty on here to have a look at. Will post up if I stumble across an unmissable deal which hasnt been mentioned yet.

    less than 2 weeks to go before 16 week program starts, good luck with the training everyone!! I'm afraid I'm a bit of a babbler when it comes to talking about my training on here but hopefully others will join in. Always nice to hear how its going for others doing the same race.

  • Hey Doodler we all babble - thats what its all about - most of us learning curve.  You are quite right the training program on its way in a couple of weeks - what program are you following and what have you done before?  Me, Tricky and John M did Paris in 2009 - me madly did FLM 3 weeks later all wow experience,   Am not the speediest person in the world but there you go...

    Am quite keen on getting the kids involved too - Amsterdam great place been there quite a few times before when younger seems like a scenic and flat course.  Paris was great re: short break - even having to run a marathon didnt seem to spoil that holiday feeling!!

  • is there a countdown to training starting type thing going on!!Doodler we all babble i think we got up to well over 12,00o posts on the thread for Paris!!

    Heading onmy chi running course this saturday, will deliver the verdict!

  • Cool JM re Chi course - let us know how you get on - must get myself booked on one - have stopped reading the book and finding it difficult to get back into.  Think the course would help focas on posture etc.  My start date re training is 18th July... at least there shouldnt be snow on the ground this time!! Hopefully!!!image  How about you?
  • Training Day 1 (or -112) is Monday 29th June, 16 week programme. Have a running mad colleague aiming for a sub3:00 and bumped into another colleague on Tuesday who is a very casual runner but she is going to do the half.
  • 1st july for me, according to the preogramme for my garmin that i downloaded from runnersworld, mileage seems a little low at first but im sure they know what they are doing!!!like running in the daylight but not a fan of heat when running!!! starting to feel like im getting back into the groove running wise.
  • Not sure how my trainer has worked out 18th July - still doing 10 milers every week in preparation for race on 4th July (10 miler unsurprisingly) may be its that training that has something to do with the slightly later date.  Will ask him tonite.  Looked at some of the RW sub4 mileages and they seemed v.low in the first few weeks..
  • yea they are low, but then climb pretty quickly. when you put then into garmin training centre all the detail comes up, looks pretty cool

  • i presume you could add a little more to the early stages yourself??
  • Head is getting round to the possibility of proper running again, now just trying to drag my body in the same direction. Lovely 10.5K tonight, starting off with a 50m hill. Achilles feels a bit tender now... image
  • Tricky - achilles??? You had probs with this before?  Whats the girls reaction are they keen on the 7.5kms?  Ms NGUG wishing she had never mentioned running - will work on her gently....

    John M - trainer seems to be getting speed up again - not quite sure how it will work out this time quite different in that I have done 2 marathons now (feel like its really one as only 3 wks apart) almost like the learning bit re the first slow weeks is almost unnecessary as doing much more now anyway i.e. almost like I have to go into taper to start on the planimage  Wot was happening re your other races you seemed to have loads booked?  Need to get the list up again on the Paris Marathon website see what everyone is doing...  Must suss out my Garmin being a real girlie about thisimage

  • NGUG - What's to be said about the Garmin that we haven't covered already?! I thought your man has a grasp of these things - can't he talk you though it?

    Yes, had major op on my Achilles in April 08.  This time last year I was just starting physiotherapy. So I'm not worried about some post-run stiffness; I'm still recovering. My youngest is dead keen to run in a big race - she's very motivated to have her own medals... as i was at her age.

    image

  • thats great TD, im a PE teacher and so many kids now dont want to knoiw about running, some can only manage 100m without stopping!
  • Are my maths wrong? Im gonna follow a 16 week program of sorts but Im sure my training starts this Monday.
  • Tricky - he has the basics - which is far more than I doimage Not downloaded any programs etc. so really need to have a good look at it.  Re: achilles - sure you have mentioned this before my memory is rubbish sorry - cool re youngest medals do have a certain appealimage Master NGUG keen to get hisimage

    JM - Master NGUG's school really into getting them to run.  He is very keen.  Comes back from cross country running hot and sweaty but r.enjoying it.  Ms NGUG think she likes the idea too but wants to do it on her own without parental input etc.  Having caught a bus with her where we had to run for it seeing her sprint she is really quite fast - well okay much faster than I am!!.

    Thorneey - hi not sure a week or so really make that much differenceimage

  • How difficult do u guys think it would be to walk/run/stagger a half marathon?

    The wife is just getting back into running - previously she did the GNR and the Reading half.

    I can surrenly manage 20 mins with no real pain and had a massively long run once of 3 miles.

    Anyway - Amsterdam marathon is in Oct - they have a 3 hour limit on the half.

    So we are looking at a little over 4 mph

    Is this doable for a newish starter?

  • go for it slow joe, get a program and build up to it!
  • Thanks John

    Did 5 miles - run 4 walk 1 in under an hour - so assumin i can keep going shld be able to get there in under 3 hours image

  • Hi Slowjoe. It's great to have challenging goals. The body is capable of almost any kind of improvement.  The only issue, is in what time frame you want to achieve it. It's 118 days until the marathon (16 weeks and 6 days!).

    A reasonable brisk walking pace of just over 4mph/ 7kph can be sustained for 3 hours by most people with average fitness.  By average, I mean, no physical handicaps, no particular fitness regime or regular exercise and say, below 55 years old.

    Have no idea whre you are coming from but if you've already run 3 miles, it sounds like you could complete 21km in 3 hours. Why do you start to feel pain after 3 miles of running?  Do you have any special challenges to overcome?

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