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Amsterdam Marathon 2009
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Right then, i have now read it.
It contains a letter confirming your entry details, which is what you need to take to registration to get number, chip, T-shirt and so on.
It also has a map of the course (and therefore, Amsterdam) which is so big that it is almost a 1:1 scale
the course is about as flat as the map as well!
Hi Everyone - hope you are all beginning to enjoy the taper and feeling of getting some life back in to tired muscles. I picked up Swine Flue at the end of August and only managed to runs in the whole of Dec - a 10K and a 17K. Not enough to do a marathon on.
Feels like my immune system still isn't up to strength as my throat felt like I'd been swallowing bricks this last weekend and my neck glands are up. Pathetic.
I wrote to the marathon organisers to see if I can postpone until next year but will be very surprised if they agree to that. This will be the first race that I've failed to make.
On the bright side, I was accepted to do London Marathon next year and I think I will run Paris Marathon a couple of weeks beforehand. But it still feels bad in that all the training effort over the summer won't have any fulfilment for another 6 months. Wishing you all a great race.
Got my race pack yesterday too... number 15475
Neil - what kind of food are you after? There are a couple of nice italians, casa di david on the Singel (www.casadidavid.com) and Toscanini on the Lindengracht 75, all home made pastas etc.
Another nice thing to do (especially if you like your wine) is to go to a place called Vyne (www.vyne.nl) on the Prinsengracht. They do 'flights' of wine where you get three glasses of different wines and they talk you through it all. You can also order tapas to go with them. You can get any type of wine and the flights are around 15 euro which isn't bad at all. Then it would be nice after to go for coffee or to one of the nice hotels like the Dylan round the corner on the Keizergracht for coffee/ a brandy or something...
There are a few nice places to go for cocktails first such as the bar at the American Hotel on Leidesplein, or Door 74 near Rembrandtplein (they don't even have a sign or an entrance, you have to call then they come and let you in a black door...super cool). Also the college hotel on Roelof Hartstraat.
It all depends on what you fancy and where you're staying...
I might be doing a daftie but where does it say your race number in the pack?
Anyways, just wanted to say this will be my first marathon so am just wondering if anybody is leaving Edinburgh at six in the morn? (why did i choose this again?) And staying around the white tulip hostel? To make company and all that as I ain't flown by myself or stayed away by myself etc.
Really throwing myself in at the deep end. Though training has been infectious, my last twenty miler was 2 hours 50 minutes but just can't wait to hit the full thing
Anyone else doing it for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland?
Michael
On the confirmation letter, underneath your name and address, it has Race Number , followed, oddly enough, by your race number
Simples
Hope my race pack is n my doormat later
Not many days to go now....
Jings, the map is SO big, I've actually just ran round that instead!
I've just written to the organisers asking them to send my medal and t-shirt over in the post!
H. cheers for the heads up on the places to eat and drink (of a romantic nature heh heh!), read a wee bit about the 2 Italian places on TripAdvisor actually. They sound good. That Vyne place sound the bizz though, BIG Cheers for the tip off, like that idea, tasting various wines and chomping Tapas. Will take Mrs Mac there, plus somewhere nice for a nightcap. We're staying bang in centre of town at the Ibis, so everything's in reach.
Michael, we are going over on the 7.10am flight from Edinburgh on Saturday, staying at the Ibis 5 mins away from Central Station.
Don't suppose anyone else is going to the Ajax game on Sat evening are they??
NM. Race No 5009. Can't miss me, lanky Scottish bloke, legs whiter than an anaemic ghost!!
Simon/Musky, did your receive your stuff in the post yet?
I did another load of speed stuff yesterday 4 x 800meter fast and 8 x 400meter fast, felt good, and will stick in another 6mile slow today.
Anyone else on the 7.10 flight Saturday from Edinburgh? Red eye job that, probably full of stoners going to Amsterdam for a marathon of another kind - mara dope sesh!!
Cheers!
Nothing arrived for me yet but the friends that I am going with have received their letters
On 15:20 Easyjet out of Lulsgate (Bristol International)
Zone C, so anyone running about 3.20 look out for me in an orange t-shirt.
Were getting the Eurostar and Train up on the Thursday, then appropiately seeing athlete at the Melkwieg on Friday.
If i remember from last year, the water and energy drinks were just plastic cups, rather than bottles, and only every 5k with a slightly bigger cap between 35 and 40k when really I could do with one every 2.5k or so - so I recommend making sure you've got some on yiu, or spectators with extra refreshments!
Thanks for pointing out the blatantly obvious, big bold letters out to me Ian, bit silly to miss them!
Neil Mac, where did you pick up your Ajax tickets, was thinking of the game myself, but can't seem to acquire tickets?
Total downer for you Londoners who havent received mail! I lived there for a few years and have plenty mates whose post is totally up the wall, mind you, with imminent national strike, all our post will be going awol soon
!
Simon - cheers for the tip off re enrgy drinks, did you mean that between 35 - 40k the drink sizes were bigger then just placky cups? May have my girlfriend give me a Powerade on that 1st loopy part when we come back, near the stadium. Going to see a band at the Melkweg as well, nice one, (I'll hold forth my views on Athlete, all I'll say is, I'm not that too fond of them lol!) I looked on their website to see if anyone was playing the nights we're there (staying sat-tues), but doesnt seem to be. Wonder if any venues round town?
Michael - yeah, you cant really book them on the Ajax website unless you're in Holland, but they sell them at these booths in town apparently, and you can normally get them on the day at the ticket office at the ground. I've some details on this from a mate but at my work email, I'll post it up tomorrow. I got another mate who lives in Belgium to get ours, so will just pick up at the ticket office. It's only Willem iII theyre playinjg, so it wont be a sellout, so my mate, and other guys I speak to on the Hearts chatboard who've been there have told me.
Cheers!
The www.paradiso.nl has some varied bands on. The jazzy sunday eve at the Kobolt cafe I recommend - nice post race food, beer and muzak. Opp Centraal Station.
Just a note on Vyne Neil, the food is small tapasy things, so don't go thinking you'll get a huge dinner. It doesn't take long to fill up on those though. That said there are quite a few places close by if you wanted to do a seperate dinner and wine thing. Either way it'll be nice. We went the other night when there was a classical concert on the canal outside. Lovely!
Had a dream about the race last night....anxiety...had just a few minutes to do the last 10k. Oh dear!
Got my number yesterday - 6868 zone 4.
Simon - there will be a lot of people in orange shirts
Here's a Londoner who's got my race info! Number 1962 in zone E, but going for sub-4.
Training was going fantastically well up until Tuesday when I started to feel an ominous twinge in the knee - have had problems with the old IT Band Syndrome before and really hoping it's not that, as it's going to be a painful run otherwise.
Haven't gone anything since a 4 miler on Weds as I'm in the Royal Parks half-marathon on Sunday - intention is to jog it no quicker than 2 hours. Fingers crossed no more knee pain.
Hi all.
Am looking forward to next weekend. I ran it last year, loved it, and am back for more this year.
To anyone who ran this last year - can you remember if at the drinks stations the drinks were in paper / plastic cups or bottles. If the former, then I am thinking about carrying my own bottle as all I can manage with cups is to make myself look like I have been sweating more than I actually have - I never seem to manage to drink much from cups, but manage to spill most of it over me!
Talking of food&drink, thanks H. Yeah, kind of get the idea on Vyne, sounds fab. Think we'll go there early doors, get some decent wine down us, maybe a couple of tapasy things, then head for dinner nearby. As for pre race nightmares, think we all have those, mind you, biggest nightmare of all is the reality of having doen 20 miles with still 6 to go - ooh ma aching feet/legs/erm whole body!
FAO Michael M: Here's a copy form the email my mate sent me. The boys sister lives in the Dam and emailed him this info. Sounds like those wee ciggy shops are a good bet for tickets. Good luck getting hold of them:
This is the link your friend requires to purchase the tickets on line, <a href="https://ajax.voetbalticket-shop.nl/web/show" title="https://ajax.voetbalticket-shop.nl/web/show">https://ajax.voetbalticket-shop.nl/web/show</a> he won't need a club card for this match so needs to click on one of the links under Supporters zonder Ajax (Seizoen)ClubCard: The site is all in Dutch which I can't help in but if he call the club they will guide him through.
Alternatively he could buy the tickets at and Ciggy shop called Primera (which are all round the Dam!) or at the ground if it's not a sell out (it's in the school holidays so it may be).
Hope this helps.
Not long now. Yes, my orange top might not standout as much in Amsterdam! RE: Drinks, I also seem to remember the AA stuff not that great as an energy drink, so recommend taking your own bottle. Personally I also going to pop a small bag of Haribo in my pocket - 80% carbs. You can also get Jelly Belly Sports Jelly Beans which are great.
10k last night - last 8m on Sat then let the ol' legs rest on a train till teh 'dam!! Bring it on!
Aye, Simon, reckon I'll have my girlfriend hand me a bottle of Powerade when we do that 1st loop bit and end up going past the stadium cos from what you and others have said, that AA stuff disnae sound too good, plus, Haribos, always a great idea, I've kinda gone off them a bit and am on the wine gums lol! Will be stashing some of them on me, as well as a coupla gels (not lucozade, they're flipping rank). I've tried those Jelly Belly sports beans, managed to snaffle a few free bags at the Chicago mara expo last year, they're good, but I scoffed them yonks ago.
Good luck wi the race.
I'm doing Royal Parks on Sunday and similarly aiming to jog round in just under two hours. Im really looking forward to it, should be a great last training run. Still no race pack but then again no contact lens pack or oyster card for my son either. What a shambles. At least my daughter's student grant finally came through!
Into the final week then folks. I like this idea of getting a powerade hand out at the loop back, nice one. Not sure about gels as I've never used them and wouldn't want to risk a dicky tummy on the big one, more likely to be secreting painkillers in the zippy pocket of shorts. Up in Stoke last year there were plenty of people handing out Jelly babies on route - is that something we can expect in the 'dam?
Pack safely received - 3532 in the D zone. Wil be in a black vest with orange/white stripe, notionally representing the Worcester based Black Pear joggers, but running for Adoption UK. Training had been going okay until a week ago when the back decided it had had enough. Off to the docs for painkillers, which in turn lead to blacking out on a packed commuter train last Thurs. Ooops. Since that 5 day break I've managed to work back into it with 5, 8 and 10 milers over the weekend so confident I'll make the trip. Flying out from Brum on Thursday to make a long weekend of it. Should be fun.
H. - thanks for all the tips - you should be on commission from Iamsterdam, definitely doing a better job of promoting the place than they are. We're close to the Vondelpark, so will be trugging round there a-plenty (forecast doesn't look dire so hopeful of some dry spells) and the Nemo museum looks like a goodie to keep the littlies entertained. Just need to fix up a baby-sitter for the Friday night and we're sorted.
Finding laying off the alcohol the toughest of all - trying to stay dry for the last two weeks, but you know what its like, long tough day, kids playing up, wine rack beckoning....... beetroot juice just doesn't cut it, and the side effects of Mateus Rose output just increases the yearnings..... now that is desparate!
Good luck everyone, glad to see so many heading over there - lets hope its a good 'un.
Clark1e - 'on the wagon for 2 weeks' - Oops a daisy, I fell off the last 2 weeks (being Scottish, that's no difficult!) with a few pints here and there and a few glasses of vino, also there and here lol! Mind you, I was out on the Friday night before the Glasgow half marathon on the Sunday this year. I got utterly trollied and was violently ill on the Saturday and it took me till 2pm to feel OK. Whizzed round Glasgow the next day with a new ½ marathon PB! Ah, alcohol, my worst enemy, my best friend.
Good luck wi your race = agree, great to see so many folk fae over here running.
Here's the latest 10 day forecast for the Dam, looks OK for Sunday: http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day-Amsterdam-NLXX0002
Neil, Edinburgh.
Thanks Neil, weather forecast looks pretty much ideal. Not counting my chickens, wagon likely to hit a rough patch of ground with a friend coming over tonight, may well be thrown headlong into a vat of Shiraz (such a wonderful recurring dream).
Wfie's birthday the night before the race too..... expectations will be high.