Sub 3h15

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Comments

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    KR - How did you go? Did I miss that??

  • Bit of sh!t of bust marathon for me today and in the end it was sh!t. Limped through the line (quite literally) in 3.14.45.

    I felt I paced it okay and went through halfway in 1.30.10 and 20 miles in 2.18.34. By then I was beginning to fee it and my pace was dropping. Till then I was averaging 6.54/6.55 then boom I hit the wall. Around 16 miles I started feeling small twitches in my calf. At about 22 miles I had to stop to stretch and then the last 4 miles were immensely tough. A combination of walking, limping with calf cramps and trying to jog the rest. Last 4 miles were 8.45, 9.09, 10.27 & 10.45.

    As this was (probably) going to be my last marathon I wanted to give the sub 3 a real serious attempt. Even though I was 10 minutes down on last year I'm glad I can say I had a go. I could easily have paced it a lot slower and maybe taken 1 minute off my time, but being so close a 2.5x time it had to be worth a go.

  • New Marathon P.B in 3:14:07

     New HM P.B 1:36:14!!

    Everything went well the night before and the morning up to the start. 10:50 in my car looking out at the rain and thinking what am I doing??

    Anyway I jumped out the car, on with the belt and garmin and had a 5 min warm up and then we were off!

     Started quickly as you do jostling for position, dodging through the crowd. First mile in and 7:01 I'm thinking better slow down a little, but subconscious self is still pushing me on! 7:11, 7:19, 7:12, 7:23 I'm comfortable but soaking by now and thinking I wish I'd more volume on my ipod as I'm running solo now.

    The field is spacing out nicely, A triathlete pulls along side me and chats for a wee bit about how he is going for the 3:15 too and then ponders off in from.

    7:18, 7:12, 7:20, 7:16, 7:18, 7:21, 7:19, 7:23 and then we are half way! Like a flash two guys in front of me have slowed right down! The half way curse! It gives you a great feeling running past all the folk that are behind you at this point. Feeling fine at this point and I power on from this point I have noticed no-one has passed me in at least 3-4 miles and in fact no-one else passes me in the whole second half!

    7:17, 7:18, starting to feel the legs getting tired!! “Who was that I just passed? It was the tri guy!” Don't think he noticed me deliberately upping my stride as I passed?? 7:24, 7:24, ”Cramp? It'll be all right!”

    7:18, feeling strong as I'm starting to enjoy passing a few more people. One cramped, one being sick- ouch 7:24, 7:20, hitting mile 20 I pick up my last lucozade, I have to dig in now as my legs are feeling heavier!

    7:36, 7:24, 7:26, 7:30,I'm soaked and turn to run into a full on gale(strong wind) in my face, this is a real challenge as I was almost blown off my feet,

    I drive on conscience of my dying pace, thanking my earlier self for faster earlier miles. 7:35 ouch, ouch ouch, 7:45

    I pass a few more casualties to the wind and driving rain!, 2:53 and I hear my name over the tannoy as they comment on the torrential rain. I stop my watch and am delighted with what I see (after I wipe it to view the screen) 3:14. I stop and walk and there it is! CRAMP.

                               Absolutely delighted!image

     

      Good luck everyone racing next week and well done to all the great efforts today!!

    PMJ- rain and wind did keep me cool and I guess that training in the wind and rain helped me! very hard race though!

    KR- that's really tough on you! that's what used to happen to me last year when I was going for a 3:15ish, You had great pace till 16! just try another race later in the year maybe? you can do it! your definitely a sub 3 man!

     

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    KR - Sub 3:15 under the circumstances sounds like a decent result to me! If it's any consolation I've had a similar experience in the two marathons I have run! Recover well and hopefully you can take away some positives from today.   

    Rich - Great report there and an equally great result! Well done!

     

  • MsEMsE ✭✭✭

    Great report, Rich!  Well done.  And KR, I think you made the right decision in giving it your all and it just didn't materialise for whatever reason today.  Still a damn good time!  Best go immerse yourself in SoundCloud and find solace in some fantastic toons. image

  • MsEMsE ✭✭✭

    OO - there is plenty of life in the old dog it would seem! image Outstanding result in Paris.  So encouraging for us all to see that age need not be a barrier to excellent performances.  I look forward to seeing where you go to next!

  • OO54OO54 ✭✭✭

    I would say in defence of the pacers that hanging on to the back of the train got me going again in the last 1/4 of the race- so they did a job, just not a very accurate one. I heard the 3:45 pacers were also 15 minutes out. So a lesson not to rely on them for anything other than a bit of a lift when the going gets tough.

    Tough one KR- gave it your best shot, amazing you got sub 3:15 with those issues.

    Congrats on the PB Rich, chuffed for you.

  • Gul DarrGul Darr ✭✭✭

    Dodds - good MP run.
    Lorenzo - nice easy run.
    Ant - excellent run and no niggles - hurray!
    AR - sorry to hear that.
    GM - good racing - short course must so annoying.
    Mennania - amazing time! Just awsome. Congratulations. Shame it wasn't 2:44.
    Speedy - take care this final week.
    Jools - sounds like a tough 18 miler.
    Rich - congratulations on the PB and qualifying for Boston.
    Yhsif - excellent racing and a negative split is impressive!
    Birch - brilliant you VOGIT! Many congratulations.
    SB - congrats on the PB and spot on with the pacing!
    6JT - excellent PB - well done and the sub 7 last mile bodes very well.
    OO - great racing and good to finish so strongly. Well done.
    KR - unlucky, but great effort and well done on giving it a go. Shame it didn't pay off.
    Great weekend of racing - hats off to all of you.
    10 easy miles plus some subway slope sprints for me.

  • JoolskaJoolska ✭✭✭

    KR: sounds like conditions just weren't quite what you needed on the day, so well toughed out in the last few miles.

    Rich: congratulations on the PBs.  Great report and sounds like you paced it really well to still be overtaking right up to the end.

  • And the great performances just keep rolling in!

    Hats off to OO51 for pulling such a time out of the bag - what are you aiming for on Sunday?

    Big congrats to Tarts and Rich - impressive pair of PBs there.

    Kudos to KR for digging deep - sounded as though it was a tough day all round.

    Strange eating on the run from Gul this morning - sloping off to Subway?! image

    8.5 with 4 at MP for me this morning. Thought I might be able to churn out a few sub 7s without it feeling too difficult but running to feel resulted in them being in the 7:05-7:10 range so I guess I need to structure my expectations for Sunday at that pace.

  • Ok my first ever race report...

    The night before: Staying in a beautiful holiday cottage in Eastbourne. Everything is going well, nice chilled evening with family, small glass of cider and a lot of fig rolls. Hit the sack early feeling really relaxed and know for the first time ever before a marathon I'm going to sleep all night. Close eyes and I am gone.

    Next thing 'Ding dong', 'Ding dong'. Look at my watch, 4am, wtf? Realise it's the doorbell. Go to door, some young guy staring at me weirdly. Asked what he wanted, said he needed to come in and sleep on floor. He was acting very weird. Took a while to get rid of him. Wife and daughter  are understandably spooked and don't want me to leave them when I get train at 6.30am to Brighton. New plan, we all get up, pack, they drive to Brighton and I get train (as to not get there late).

    Get to Preston Park, knackered, stressed and really not feeling it. Hit the Portaloos a few times, go and watch Paula Radcliffe giving an interview about the marathon which she has never been to before. Was a bit cringey, what was she meant to say about it?

    On the bright side, weather is good. Overcast, coolish and maybe just a bit too windy. I get to start pen early to look for the pacers. There are two 3.15 pacers and this year they are not wearing flags, just orange caps. Look around, no chance of finding them. Ask around and a lady says she knows where one is and points to a tiny orange speck 50m or so behind me. A few of us shuffle back. We stand behind him and I start thinking, no disrespect but they guy doesn't strike me as a pacer. I mention to him we are running with him. He looks confused. Yep, he's not a pacer, just wearing an orange hat! I told him to expect a following image

    Too late now, gun goes off and we are away. My injuries are niggling and feel stiff but ok. About a mile in I spot a couple of orange specs quite away ahead. It had to be the pacers. I surged a bit and caught them within half a mile or so. It was them! There are 2 groups going on, 10 metres or so apart. I join Daves  group and everyone seems friendly so start feeling happier.

    Dave is very good, every mile telling us how far off target we are and the plan for the next mile. The pace is a little bit sporadic, 7.32 one mile, 7.02 the next but this seems to be good prediction before hills, running into wind etc.

    First 8 miles and I am happy now. Into a nice steady flow, few chats with other pacer runners. Impressed with the course. Cool little water pouches that don't spill everywhere when you drink, Gatorade and gels on hand every few miles. I'm taking in the scenery and finally believing I might be having a good run!

    Occasionally the two pacer groups merge (but people are definitely sticking to their groups, team rivalry!) and I am conscious we are taking up the whole width of the track. I try to let anyone pass from behind, but to be honest there aren't many.

    Halfway, if anything I feel even better now. Full of beans and really enjoying the day. The cool breeze is lovely but not feeling  too hot and my niggles have all but disappeared.

    Mile 17, our pacer explains some of us (group of 10 maybe?) will hit the wall soon. He gives us 3 options, slow down and change your target, start getting angry and shout to release adrenalin, or preferably go against all common sense and sprint as fast as you can to get the fast twitch muscles going again. I'm still feeling perky and wonder how long it will be before I hit the wall.

    A mile or so later, a few in my group start the getting angry method. Made me chuckle the stuff they were chanting, but they were sounding angry!

    Mile 20 and we are in the dull industrial zone I had been warned about. Was fine to be honest, at that point you are not real

  • really looking at scenery. I'm scared now, this is the furthest I have been without hitting the wall. I notice our group is shrinking as people drop out. Pacer says we are ahead of target and going to slow it down a few seconds. We are running into wind and feeling a little tired.

    Mile 21, bang! Here it is, instantly feel that familiar feeling overtake my body. Legs go to nothing. Build up all my courage and go for the sprint method. Maybe make it 20 metres before I'm done, but surprisingly Im running ok again. I'm ahead of the pacer group now but there is no way I can slow down out of fear of stopping.

    Mile 23 and I am really feeling it now. The mental battle has really started and everything is screaming for me to stop. I can see the pier in the distance but it feels an eternity away. I don't give a crap about a PB anymore, I just want to stop. I feel like I am crawling along but look at my watch and I'm doing 7:14. Really? I wonder if my mind is playing tricks.

    Mile 25 and I hear my wifes voice! For the first time in a marathon I see her. I have nothing in me, and can't muster a wave or a smile. I want to die.

    1 mile to go, but the thought of running a mile is distorted and seems like an impossibility. I focus on the pavement as the pier doesn't seem to be getting closer. I look up and see the side gates converge! The end, I can't believe it. I look at my watch. 25.5 miles, crap that can't be the end. It's not. This destroys any last string of mental strength I have left. My pace is 6:57, this honestly doesn't make sense to me, not sure what's happening anymore.

    0.2 to go. I can't take it, I start walking. The crowd starts shouting for me to go. I don't care anymore. They keep shouting, I start running again and want them to shut up. Finally I see the finish. I don't even look at the clock as to be honest at this point I just don't care!

    Over the line, collapse on the grass. Medical team come over tell me to keep moving. I can't. Everything cramps, body starts tingling everywhere and I am craving for sugar. Eventually they lift me up but I am a real state. Can't hold a bottle to drink from and can barely shuffle. Finally I manage to shuffle on my own, make the long walk to meet my wife and daughter. I see them and start to cry like a pansy. No idea why, but I am not feeling right at all.

    Wife tells me I got 3:13:36, finally feeling good and big feeling of acheivement!

    30 mins later I am in the pub with a nice cool pint. Feeling well again and already planning my next target...

  • GerardMGerardM ✭✭✭

    SJT - Brilliant report, if this report had not been written by you I would have said, that was a very brave run but shame he kicked the bucket at the end!image Miraculuos recovery 30 mins later. Well done on what is a great time and a very strong finish.

  • PoacherPoacher ✭✭✭
    Rich, SJT, OO, super stuff SJT that report captures the pain, desperation and sheer misery of the dark miles at the end of a mara.



    That has to be the best weekend of target hitting/PB busting/adversity overcoming/laying it on the line/and most importantly not-being-sh*t that's ever been recorded on here. Magnificent work all round from newcomer through to VOG. Take a big bow everyone.



    This piles the pressure on those toeing the line in London....
  • Leslie HLeslie H ✭✭✭
    Brilliant report Jam tart I can feel the pain .
  • AbbersAbbers ✭✭✭

    Wow, just wow!

    6JT, Menn, Rich, Yhsif, Birch, Sporty B, OO-51 & KR - amazing running, and some truly fantastic performances. PBs, GFA/VOG/Boston qualifying times, brave targets and heroic finishes. Stunning stuff, and you all have my admiration.

    Rich - great to know our mutual schedule worked for you! If I get anything close to that on debut next weekend, I'll be extremely happy (and not a little bit surprised). Great mental strength in what sounded like tough conditions, and running it pretty much as a time trial with so few runners around you.

    Loving the reports - keep them rolling in! SJT - sounds like you had a lot on your plate at the start, so not surprised all the emotion came out when you met up with your family again.

    I should also congratulate CC2 and Jools on their runs at the relays, Marrows & Lorenzo for very impressive Parkrun PBs, and GM who still ran a pretty decent race considering recent niggles and lack of training.

    I feel like a bit of an imposter, as I can only post a 12 mile run on Saturday morning, mostly nice and controlled at over 8m/m but with the last 2 sub-7, and then an easy 4 yesterday. In full on worry mode about my impending debut at London!

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    To reiterate - great work by Menna, Rich, Yhsif 

    SB – good call to realign target, and perfectly judged! 

    Tarts – brilliantly executed  . . .. congrats on the PB, and a wonderful report  . . . 

    OO51 – fantastic effort, sir - well played !! 

    KR – tough luck, KR, but absolutely the right approach, imo,  to go for it – if this was your final mara, then you went out on your shield, not timidly slipping off the stage . . . 

    Rich – great report, and superbly paced – just small positive split – and not many post 2 pb’s within one race !  Great stuff  . . .. 

    Must say, after the excitement of the mara reports, very reassuring to see Gul post of “subway sprints “   . . . . . .image

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Blimey where to start?  Usually the marathon reports just before my own marathon help psych me up but this time they are terrifying me!

    Menn - great time in Paris! Looking forward to the report.

    Rich - brilliant run at Lochaber - you must be thrilled with that?

    yhsif - You well and truly blasted that one.  3:12 - brilliant and even more so with the issues!

    Birch - amazing marathon time.  Well done.  Hurray for WAVA!

    (starting to think everyone is making this marathon lark sound far too easy...)

    Race Jase - hope you are feeling ok today and making marathon plans.  Edinburgh saw you good a couple of years ago - tempted again?

    Sporty Badger - well done on nailing the readjustment. I bet you're glad you weren't a second slower?

    SJT - sounds like you were a bit of a slacker for the first 25 miles.image

    OO - great effort!  I was stalking you and couldn't work out why there appeared to be two of you - one with your shortened first name and one with the full.  The race numbers were different and the other one of you finished with 34 seconds, rather than 33.  I know I had a mega hangover and was again in the rugby club bar but I'm sure I wasn't seeing double!

    Sorry it didn't go so well for you KR but remember when you would have given your right arm for a sub 3:15?  Shows how much you've improved. What was different in your training this time.  You seemed to get on top of your cramps when working with Steve?

    Well done to everyone else on parkruns, relays, long runs, short runs, MP runs, plods.

    I'm not sure what to make of that Sheffield HM.  I guess the organisers did the right thing if they couldn't guarantee the health and wellbeing of the runners by not providing water but if I'd travelled the distance and been told on the start line it wasn't going to happen I would be furious.

    I just wonder how there are so many cock-ups these days with events.  Are people trying to make things too big and grand?  It makes me want to stick to the low key runs where you pay a fiver to the club hosting and you get a pen and paper finish time.

    I ran 12 miles yesterday with a monster hangover.  Very annoyed with myself about that.  (The hangover, not the run)  Everything felt ok but I now have a gammy toe.  I've had a blister under the toe nail for months and it finally decides to start bursting.  Its swollen and sore.  Do you want a photo....?

     

     

  • TRTR ✭✭✭

    Minni - no !

    well done to 6JT and Rich, excellent

    OO - very strong run, shame about missing the sub3 though.

    KR - I was pretty convinced that you'd sub3 given the training you were posting. maybe keep going and do an Autumn sub3 attempt ?

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    Great report from SJT. There are so many similarities with my Brighton experience so I’ll keep my report shorter.

    Thanks to a couple of mates paying their entry with Amex cards, we get into the VIP area at the start. This helped with the relaxation and we got a picture with the lovely Paula Radcliffe. Dean Macy and TVs Jenny Faulkner were also knocking about.

    Get to the start line, fairly relaxed but I’m in the zone and not so chatty, game face on! Was wondering where the forecast rain was, it never came. The gun goes.

    First mile was all uphill and was at 8.23 pace thanks to narrow roads and volume of runners. A pal further back in the field later reported a 10+ min first mile and plenty of walking.

    I don’t panic and decide to just pick up a few seconds each mile until I’m back on track. During this process I use gut feel and decide to go for sub 3.20 rather than 3.15. During one of the loops in the early miles I could see how far behind the 3.15 pacer I was, so decision made.

    My pre-race planning told me I had to better 7.38 pace for the trip. I would have to get ahead of target as I know I fade at the end. The Garmin came into its own on this as there were not many mile markers on the course (well I didn’t spot them). I pick up the seconds I need with some regularity, giving some back to the course on the inclines and being a little braver on the descents and flats. Don’t be scared!

    It was all fairly standard stuff until the road to hell out by the power station. Would I hit the wall? I’ve never run so quick in a marathon before. I get a bit worried. I start to feel ill too. This was due to a mistake I made 3 miles earlier. As I showboated my way along the main drag giving high fives to the kids in the superb, noisy crowd, I forget to take a gel. From 17 I had one and another at 22. What with the Gatorade, I start to feel sick but the show must go on.

    So, no wall. This is good but the thighs are starting to complain. We turn at the end of the road to hell and make our way back, runners start to slow down, walk and stop. Plenty of walls elsewhere but not for me.

    With each step my thighs not only complain, they’re absolutely livid, wild with rage! We come out of the industrial hell and back to the crowds and the main drag. I can see the pier.

    I see two sets of supporters I know which really gives me a boost. The watch is confirming my fade. Holy sh!t! Is this going to end in failure after all this?

    I scream at myself, you’ll never have to do this again, it’s just 20 more minutes of agony and it’s all over. Forever.

    The pier looms large. As I approach it the road seems to empty in front of me. I get ahead of the bunch I’m in and it feels like I’m leading my own race. My thighs are like over inflated inner tubes, just one more pump away from oblivion. My contorted face is grimacing badly, I’m uglier than Nigel Farage in a gurning competition. The crowd can see the effort and and go wild. What a fantastic feeling, utterly superb (thank you Brighton).

    A glance at the watch, 7.38 pace, I’m on the money but fading bad. Legs want a divorce, I start to get light headed and I’m losing feeling in my now tingling hands. Again, I don’t panic. Experience of others’ tales satisfies me that this is...erm, normal?

    Where the fugg is that line? Finally it comes into view. It says 3.20 on gun time but that’s OK, just don’t let it get to 3.21.

  • G-DawgG-Dawg ✭✭✭

    One final big push at 6.40 pace and I was over. My watch said 3.19.58. No cause for celebration as the chip time could award me a 3.20 which would still be a PB but would still suck. What if Roger Bannister hit 4 mins dead? Nice running Rog, a good PB but...

    I get my bag, find my phone to check the app but my son has sent me a text I won’t be deleting for a while “3.19.59 Wow!!”

    I lean on a crowd barrier, covered in my foil blanket lean my head on my forearms and my eyes leak a bit. (I hear ya SJT)

    SB 

    For those that like this sort of thing, here’s the story in splits:

    8:23 7:32 7:33 7:32 7:25 7:41 7:41 7:24 7:39 7:28 7:32 7:27 7:23 7:32 7:33 7:34 7:36 7:45 7:36 7:49 7:48 7:49 7:42 7:52 7:34 7:28

    Final 0.2 was 1:41 (6.40 pace)

  • Race JaseRace Jase ✭✭✭

    Minni - I have got a place at Edinburgh. Sorted that yesterday. image Just need to get a physio to look at this leg and see what the damage is. Luckily I have Private Medical so I should be able to see someone this week.

    It is a bit of a shame as aerobically I was running really well. My HR was suggesting I would have ended up with a high 2:25 despite the blustery conditions.

    OO - not too far off and still a cracking time.

    KR - Sorry to hear you didn't have the race your training deserved.

    Rich - nice one fella.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Just in the nick of time RJ. A couple of weeks ago I wondered about switching to Edinburgh after hip issues but I've not enjoyed it that last two times so decided against it.   I'll be there watching though so will cheer you on.

     

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Manchester marathon 2014

    Before departing for the train on Saturday, I had a listen to Richard Thompson’s “Wall of Death” – I use this as a metaphor for the marathon – maybe explains why I keep trying to run the things - -

     

    “On the Wall of Death all the world is far from me,

      on the Wall of Death it’s the nearest to being free  . . . .

      ----  you can waste your time on the other rides,

       this is the nearest to being alive  . . . .” 

    Anyway, arrived at (shabby) hotel in Salford/Eccles area Sat mid afternoon, not much to report now until Sunday. Taxi to Old Trafford (although had to drop me a mile away,due to closed roads).  Bag drop, toilet visit, then off to the start. The great man himself, Dr Ron Hill started the race (then jumped in and ran the first 7 miles apparently). This had resonance for me, as I had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago.  Just before the gun, I discovered watch had packed in! Didn’t let this bother me, as I had a loose plan to run near the 3:30 pacer, as long as pace felt OK, so off we went. First 2 or 3 miles felt a bit out of sorts physically, couldn’t get in a proper rhythm, and was sweating up quite a bit, but fortunately this soon passed, and I was able to settle in. Quite uneventful through to 10 miles – great support, though. A PA system was bellowing “motivational” messages – “remember the reasons you’re doing this” !!”   etc – to which the natural response was “hmm, why exactly are we doing this” ? Went through halfway in what the official results show was 1:44:42, so that’s OK. Feeling normal –i.e. working hard now, but still on top of things. Crucially, no bad thoughts yet. One aspect of the course (which actually helped me) was the fact that the many of the mile markers were not in an elevated position, so were easily missed. As I was still following the pacer, I was just concentrated on running, and after halfway, the next marker I came to was 17 miles. Was having to push on harder now, but still in control – as 18 went by, I remembered the Mablethorpe experiment (when I entered on a whim with no campaign to back me up, just one or two 20’s, and I baled out at 18 feeling nothing left) – big boost to realise I still felt strong here.  Went through 20 in 2:40, and remembered that once upon a time this was my pea-shelling easy pace LR!  Ah well, press on . . . .It was just after here where my 3:30 goal was lost, I believe. There was some congestion at a water station, and when I’d got through, the pacer was about 100 metres further up the road. This didn’t affect me negatively, but maybe the “elastic” being broken didn’t help. Nevertheless I was now into “count down the miles” territory.  The markers were now more easily spotted, and I was feeling good mentally, as I knew I would finish and be able to call myself a marathon runner once more. 21,22,23 went by, I was hurting now – left calf tight, lower back gyp. Holding thoughts of my son & daughter now as I propelled myself onwards. Finally came to mile 25, and the long, long straight towards Old Trafford . Now, call me unworthy, but a clubmate who had passed me in each of my two build-up races with a couple of miles to go, and had finished a few seconds ahead on each occasion, was there in front of me ! Well, the competitive urge was there – I’d like to claim I surged by, but the truth is he was fading and I just maintained my pace and went past. 

  • BadbarkBadbark ✭✭✭

    Menn- Brilliant running achieving the sub 2:55. We are both 2:54 marathon runners now

    Yhsif – Cracking 3:12 time especially because of your problems. Nice report

    Birch – Good VOGIT target achieving!

    OO – Fantastic running but a pity about the pacers.

    KR – Ouch, sorry to read you didn’t get a sub 3 but a sub 3:15 is still a great achievement. I feel your pain with those last wall hitting split times. I still think you have a sub 3 in you though!

    Rich– Brilliant sub 3:15 and well held together when the going got tough. Nice report.

    SJT – Super performance and an excellent report. You really did give it your all! Great 30 min recovery too.

    SB – Excellent performance made all the sweeter by the narrow margin! Great report.

    Well done to all the relay racing and Parkrunners as well, especially the PBs! Solid running by everyone else.

    I’m happy to report my ITB issue seems to be well under control. I ran 15 miles on Saturday including a 19:00 Parkrun after 10 miles without any ill effects. The Parkrun is a new local event only 2.5 miles from my house but it’s a very twisty course. Despite my 10 mile warm-up I still managed second place.image

    I hope to run about 90 miles this week including 24+ on Friday and 28+ on Saturday. Gulp.image

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    It then seemed to take forever to reach the turn into Matt Busby Way and the final 2 or 3 hundred metres to the finish.  As I crossed the line I gave it the one raised arm, clenched fist salute in my own tribute to Ron, who crossed the line as winner of the 1969 European Championship marathon with the same gesture.

    3:32:15 official time

    splits 1:44:42 & 1:47:33.
    1,200th place (10,000 approx started)

    22nd V55

     

    More to the point, though, I felt that I did all I could, gave all my physical resources to the task, and so I’m pretty content with that. 

    24 completed now from 27 campaigns .  

    Postscript 1 – massive cramp attack which necessitated emergency massage from my friends caused consternation & amusement in the pub last night as I bellowed in pain whilst my hamstrings were pummelled !! 

    Postscript 2 – I can now wear my Boston shirt – not permitted myself to don it until I banished the DNF.  

    Postscript 3 – Yhsif – I though it was a great event, really well organised, good course, good support.  

    Postscript 4 – no energy drinks, so I only took water en-route (there were gels available). Had done the training, done the carb-load, so not an issue – felt strong all the way. 

  • BirchBirch ✭✭✭

    Jase - good to hear from you again; best wishes with the physio, and good luck with Edinburgh. 

    TR - how are things going into the final countdown?  

  • Loving all these reports!

    6JT's great run after the night from hell, if you'd had a good night sleep and pushed on yourself and went ahead of that group you would have got under 3:10. especially if you had enough energy to chat to all the group, he he.

     SB That first mile would have sent me into a bit of a panic!! well done to hold on and great speed at the end there!

    Abbers- The schedule definitely did the trick. I had a little problem with the garmin in that every mile on my watch was slightly shorter than the course! so by mile 26 I was .2 of a mile behind. kind of put me off slightly and had me worried for a bit. So hard to believe I'm officially a sub 3:15er and sure that next year I'm going to chase the VLMGFA time?? Wish you the best of luck next week and hope you get what you deserve!image

    Just checked the Boston web site and I missed out! Argh I misread. needed sub 3:10. maybe next year. or maybe LochNess, Edinburgh??? who knows! 6 weeks to prepare!

     

  • Race JaseRace Jase ✭✭✭

    Top reportage Birch.

  • PoacherPoacher ✭✭✭

    Marvellous effort Birch. I was nearby in the office looking out over the grey Salford/Trafford sky and willing you on. Boston is history.

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