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I'm still in this here race.. It's been the longest 3 weeks and has upset my mental preparations to be honest. I'm very much a confidence player' and getting my head in the zone is proving difficult already. The good news is i did my first run in 3 weeks today- 1mile slow, but no problems. Its good news and i hope to try another couple of miles later this week. The injury has obviously upset my preparations but I am still tempted to go for it. I don't want to settle. It's a difficult call. I think I'll see what the conditions are like but pretty sure I'll there with you
1.43.44 for me....very comfortable the whole way. It was warm but there was a lovely breeze and it was great to run in. Did the first 7 miles in 8.10's and then quickened over the last 6 (around 7.40's on average with a bit of a sprint in the last mile)....pace felt easy and I was never out of breath, so I may be tempted with 7.40's for the marathon....or maybe I should play it a bit safer. A dilema!
Well done HH - that's a terrific time for a gentle run
TT - fingers crossed. I really hope you make it
That's certainly an inspiration to me as it's my first marathon at London next week.
Getting really nervous and struggling getting off to sleep. Partly the race and partly the baby. My wife is due to be induced tomorrow so don't expect much sleep tonight either! Going to get up early to sneak in run and then go with her to the hospital.
Ice cream recommendation looks fab Ant! Think that's going to be the pitstop on Saturday afternoon...
Mr S I don't tend to run the last few runs at any given pace, just head out the door and run for the joy of running.
Good to hear you're sorted for the hotel Howey, nothing worse than that sinking panic that something has gone wrong!
I may be slightly OCD with booking stuff but I save any booking confirmations, each in their own folder eg 'London' 'New York' 'gig tickets' etc. Also have a big concertina A-Z file that I keep any letters etc in, so London magazine, registration letter, train tickets etc are files under 'L'
Nice half marathon HH, excellent time for not pushing it!
I may now do the three four milers on the treadmill after reading that O4S!!
Glad you're still in the game TT, avoid any parks just in case
Well done on the half today Freemers, isn't it a good feeling being able to breeze round in a time that was probably a hard earned PB a few years back.
Excellent run today bassrun, I hope you are celebrating with something alcoholic! I don't know about the weather in Brighton but it's been scorching where I am, a huge WELL DONE for completing a marathon in such a good time
Final 10 miler done yesterday, glorious sunshine, ran past a field full of adorable lambs, ran a very negative split, ran too close past a bush and now have a rather fetching large scratch across my arm, all in all a very enjoyable morning out!
Off to check my documents and tickets for next week as I'm a bit worried that something might have gone missing. Definitely OCD.
Enjoy bassrun! Any more races in the pipeline?
My train tickets and hotel stuff is exactly where it was! Funnily enough... Also have theatre tickets confirmation and my oyster card to add to the pack of things to take.
Am also a bit miffed that in the PO10 rankings for 2011 female marathoners I've slithered from a not-too-bad 29th place back in March to today's place in the mid-40s, like some kind of forgotten X-Factor Z-list celebrity
Nice to see a North-East girl at the top though with an impressive 2:34:51 performance at Brighton today.
Carrot - my wife isn't particularly keen on any more marathons in the near future (maybe it's because I can't help with the kids if I'm out of the house for 3 and a half hours on the long runs...), but I think there's definitely unfinished business... this is the sub 3:30 forum, after all.
Doing Royal Parks half in the autumn, but in the meantime I think I'll aim for 5k and 10k PBs over the summer. Any suggestions for some good 10ks in and around London, anyone? Think I'll haul myself out of bed for a few more Saturday morning Parkruns - my local one in Crystal Palace is great for training, but isn't very PB friendly though - very hilly loop...
Well done Bassrun - I presume it was as hot as the rest of the country on Sunday - any sea breezes? A near 3:30 is great especially if its hot - can easily add 15 minutes to a time or result in a DNF. I would imagine there were a few of those?
Anyone seen a forecast for Sunday recently. I believe a cold front is on it's way - will it last till Sunday?
In Holland this week - perfect for a few gentle and very flat training sessions. Got here late yesterday after getting on a train that unexpectedly sailed right past my destination. Got off at next stop and reversed journey. I need to understand the difference between a Sneltrein and a Stoptrein!
Thanks again everyone . Hillheader - Brighton was indeed very hot and sunny. Have come back with a lovely sunburn to prove it...
Judging from the number of people I saw being helped by the brilliant St John's ambulance crews, there could well have been quite a few DNFs. I really felt for one guy who'd made it past the 26 mile marker and was then zigzagging across the course completely disoriented for a moment until someone helped him to the side - don't know whether he made it the remaining 300m....
Very glad I took onboard some of the advice offered on this forum - slowed to 9 minute miles when I knew I couldn't quite crack 3:30 (round about mile 24) and then soaked up the atmosphere!
After a near perfect winter training and some nice half marathon times, yesterday couldn't have gone much worse. From sleeping in the hotel bathroom to escape the stag/hen night noise from the pavement below, to the weather, to having the stitching in my gel belt come lose and losing most of them.
All in all, that was the toughest race I've ever run in. Despite collapsing with exhaustion and being helped by the race directors wife, I hated it and loved it at the same time.
I was miles away from my 3:30 target (3:55).
Despite everything, I'm going back for more next year!
Bassrun, that's an awesome performance in those conditions. You should be very proud of yourself.
Just catching up.
Well done Bassrun and Andyc.I wouldn't fancy 2 marathons in a week.Paris looked wonderful but hot.
Sounds like you've had a horror run Richard.What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.As HH says it's not wasted training you'll see the benefts throughout the summer.
I feel great this week.I've loads of energy and as can't wait for Sunday.I've had a game of golf this evening and had a real spring in my step.I played well too.Hopefully the weather will be kind to us but even if it isn't finishing is all that really matters.
Hi everyone, just checking in from Alpe D'Huez where I'm having a pretty awful final week. The sore throat that I was hoping was nothing much has progressed into a full-blown infection and so I've spent the last couple of days feeling rough as, not able to ski (at least I don't feel I'm missing out on much as the snow's rubbish and there's not a lot of it left! - it was over 20 degrees here on Sunday!), and starting to worry quite a bit about Sunday.
Hopefully, I'll be better by then, but it'll be hard to know how much the illness has taken out of me and whether I should adjust my pacing etc. Needed to lie down after climbing the flight of stairs to our room yesterday so the thought of running 26 miles seems impossible at the moment!
I am feeling a bit better today than yesterday though, so hopefully another day of rest will sort me out and I can make a full recovery. Hope everyone else's final week is going better than mine!
(((((Daren)))))
Take care!! I have the Physio this morning to try and release my tight hip flexor and podiatrist tomorrow about my recently diagnosed dropped metatarsal heads. Just a standard last week before a marathon!! Hope you feel loads better soon - at least you haven't got injured skiing. If still feeling a bit rubbish by Saturday try for 8.20 - 8.30 pace from the start and see how you feel
Eek - doesn't sound good Darren. Hope it's not contageous over the forum? Still 5 days to go so finger's crossed.
Discovered that the half marathon I ran on Sunday was 13.3 miles long (300m longer than it should have been)! They screwed up the turning point. Now we're getting a gun time, chip time and "probable half marathon estimate"! Can you imagine that happening at the VLM!
HH - that's like the one in Cardiff the other year, when they had to alter the course at the last minute because of some roadworks I think, forgot to re-measure and it was a couple of hundred yards short. Seems bizarre that it can happen, but there you go!
Daren - take care. Will you have a chance to run at all before Sunday, just gently of course to see how you're feeling?
O4S - good luck with the physio.
I had to stay over in London last night and so took myself out at 6am this morning for a run - over Tower Bridge and down towards Westminster. Ran past some men putting out the spectator barriers...all getting a bit close now!
Been well and truly stretched out and worked on. Hip flexor won't be great on Sunday, but will see me round, though not in any style. Starting to feel a few butterflies, but looking forward to the weekend - especially Sunday pm
No chance of VLM being a mile or so short?? I might manage my target time in that case..............
Hi Darren.
Had a very similar virus in 2009 just before the dublin marathon. Took my medication but never trained for almost 2 weeks before the run. Started to feel okish a couple of days before the big day. Target that year was sub 4 and got round in just over 3.40. Started slowish to ensure got round and gradually stepped up pace as confidence grew.
Best of luck
For those of us who'll be hanging around the green start and want to do some z-list celeb spotting:
http://static.london-marathon.co.uk/downloads/pdf/celeb2011bio.pdf
Can't say I recognise too many of them....although I have met one...