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Sub 3h15
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GD - really chuffed for you nailing that sub 3 - the pain was worth it!
Speedy - is that a PB? Fantastic result and well deserved.
SBD - that's an amazing time - so glad you went for it and made it despite the cramping. It was really good to meet you before the start and have a chat.
OO - so close to a sub 3 double! Pleased to meet you before the off and have a good laugh. I also had another chuckle at your white t-shirt - I'll let you explain - but it looked like you had a white tail
DT - congratulations. Massive PB and obviously a negative split. Well done, mate.
Stevie - you were looking good when you passed me - splits seem to indicate you struggled a little bit towards the end?
Badbark - that's frustrating about the 100 marathons, but you'll soon notch them up again. Well done on number 99 - annoyingly close to sub 3 but still great to bag your best time in 3 years
Feeling a bit under the weather today and discovered I am now 10st7lbs - so 7-9 lbs down on usual! Could be a low-level virus or bug perhaps that scuppered me yesterday. At least my legs feel fine
Gul was good to see you on course and sorry to hear you had to drop out. Sounds like it was the right decision though.
2.53.41 for me. Went through halfway in 1.23 so right on plan but was already feeling my quads. Wheels well and truly came off at around mile 16 and it was a struggle home from there. Enjoyed myself though and glad I gave 2.45 a crack, ultimately the limited build up and injury 4 weeks out meant the endurance wasn't there.
Great to see Speedy and the finish and to enjoy a beer with DT later on
OO, sitting on your gels is never a good idea, did you have a sticky bum for the whole race?!
Badbark, you get to run your 100th again, which actually sounds like a good thing in a way! Madbark indeed.
DT - bloody brilliant!
2.57.37 for me, which is a PB by 45 seconds. I found the last 8 miles into the wind quite hard, and not having done any real time on feet runs this time round I did struggle towards the end. No longer the queen of the negative split! I think there's more to come on a calmer day and with some more runs over 2 hours 40 in the legs. So... Manchester 2022? I did fancy Brighton (vegan friendly place) but that's likely to be windy.
Gutted I missed the small Chandos crew, but I did catch up with Charlie W at the Red Lion and with Stevie at the finish line.
Gul - gutting after waiting so long to go back to vlm. Find a smaller mara later in the year?
OO - top bombing backing up Berlin, i know all about the 3.00 pain though.
Speedy - good fot you, well run, youve got back to it well. There was a bit of wind but i only noticed it a couple of times.
Stevie- well done for giving it a good go, you have plenty more strong maras ahead of you yet.
2.54.33, with 1.26.32 second half, so posdible underperformed a bit 1st 1/2. But great fun on the embankment. Met pukie for a few minutes just after the finish line.
BB congratulations on (all but) making it. It'll be well deserved. The rules are tough aren't they - you can run 2/3/4/5 maras on the bounce, until your feet bleed and your brain melts and drips out of your ears, but it still only counts as one to the 100MC folk.
Gul- I hope you're taking it easy. An untimely bug maybe.
CC - Manchester is potentially a fast course. Not much to see, but pretty flat and usually not too warm.
OO I am probably in Keswick this w/e, what's the Parkrun like?
That's excellent TR. We do love a negative split 😉
It must feel good to get back under 3 hours Speedy and a PB as well. Despite how you felt, you didn't fade much over the second half.
You did well to give the Sub 2:45 a go Stevie and good that you enjoyed the day despite the pain. You'll have another opportunity to get under the milestone.
Hope you can make a quick recovery Gul and get back out running.
Sounds like a suitably mad event for the 100th Badbark. Bad luck at Belfast but 3:00:xx is still a good time to add to the record.
Given it was only a week after the Sub 3 at Berlin, to get close to Sub 3 at London was impressive running all the same OO. Perhaps the gel you squashed might have gained you those 9 seconds?
Excellent result and pb DT and even more impressive given the first half chaos. The big negative split shows there's more to come. A shame the champ qualification mark is no longer 2:45.
After meeting the family in horse guards parade we walked up to Baker Street where we had booked an Italian restaurant. Although a little painful, it was excellent post marathon recovery.
SBD - absolute class mate. I bet that WAVA must be quite high?
One thing that surprised me in Jersey when we both ran it was that an athlete could win multiple prizes which isn't usually allowed. I recall the guy who won my age category was also placed in the top finishers and picked up both prizes. Very odd, so I bet some locals had a very healthy pay day 😉
Happy memories all the same.
That said, I did manage to spot G-Dawg (difficult to miss a giant in a bright orange vest) and was delighted to see Gul charge out of the pack for a high-5. Sorry to every else - was sending good vibes all the way.
Gul - please don't give up on achieving the London dream. You were looking super strong when you came past but sounds as though you made the right (difficult) decision. We all want to be there for you when you crack it, which you will do.
I had a brilliant day. Having dropped the car off near Morden station (end of the Northern line) and seen MrsL off, I then ran the 11 miles or so through Tooting, Streatham and Peckham to Surrey Quays and got there just as the elite women were passing, although rather embarrassingly I was changing my top just as they came by so didn't want to shout too loudly and draw attention to myself. Spent a good 3 hours there (including some great banter with other spectators) until MrsL came past then made my way over to Canary Wharf where I saw her again at just after 18 miles. I then had the interesting challenge of another change back into running gear and trying to get to the Embankment before she arrived - due to a bit of a logistical cockup I didn't quite make it, and also managed to get caught in the downpour that suddenly appeared. By this time I had managed to get the map to work so was able to follow her making good progress along Birdcage Walk and onto the Mall and TBH was rather emotional when I saw that she'd crossed the line and then posted a photo of herself with a massive smile on her face, having beaten her target and most importantly really enjoyed her first London experience. Very proud husband!!!
Poacher / Speedy - I'm very tempted by Manchester, especially as elder Lorenzito is now living up there and the race itself is at the start of MrsL's Easter school hols so could be an excellent race / holiday combo. Might have to get the cheque book out tomorrow.
Less than 2 weeks to Yorkshire marathon, so started my taper this morning with a gentle 4 miler.
This was my third London Marathon and I was hoping for a better experience than 2013 (3:13:55) and 2010 (5:08:11). The training had gone well, I’d found some speed over the last six weeks and I had the magic shoes. I had a target time of 2:48 in mind, so 3 minutes below the pb from Abingdon in 2019, but planned to run to feel making sure the first half was no faster than 1:24, so 6:24/m and 32:00 for the 5 miles.
Arrived at the Yellow start just before 8:00am and managed to catch up with Gul before joining the toilet queue at 8:40am which was beginning to grow alarmingly long. This messed up the planned stretching and warm up but I managed to complete a shortened version and join the queue for the start pen at 9:15am.
Lined up about six rows from the front and crossed the line in 12 seconds. It was very strange having so much space and being so close to the front runners but I was just focussed on making sure I didn’t go off too quick. 6:27 and 6:22 for the first two miles was perfect and I was feeling relaxed and in control. 6:12 for the downhill third mile before we merged with the blue start. It became a bit more chaotic at this point with the faster runners from the blue start streaming past and a bit of discipline was required to hold the pace and not get dragged along in their wake. Splits of 6:10 and 6:10 for miles 4 and 5 to give 31:22 for the first 5 miles. So a little faster than planned but the effort level was controlled with the heart rate, at 161, a little lower than the expected 165.
The nutrition/fluid plan was for gels every 4 miles with water, plus electrolyte tablet, at very subsequent mile. This worked fine at 4/5 miles and then it was on to Cutty Sark just before 7 miles. With so much more space compared to 2013, this was great fun soaking up the support of the crowds. Spotted Lorenzo at Surrey Quays but he didn’t respond to my frantic waving! Second five miles covered in 31:37 and 1:02:59 for the ten miles. A minute faster than planned but the effort level felt right and the heart rate hadn’t increased.
Crossing tower bridge was as thrilling as ever and I managed to spot the family just after the 13 mile marker. Miles 10-15 covered in 31:38 and everything feeling good.
Mile 20 was a big mental milestone as this was where I suffered cramps in the previous three marathons and I was hoping the combination of the training, a conservative first half and the magic shoes would prevent this happening. Passing the 15 mile marker, I was just hoping the next five miles would be trouble free and I would feel strong at the 20 mile point and could pick the pace up for a strong finish. I was passed by a big group from the blue start at 17 miles which was probably a 2:45 unofficial pace group but resisted the urge to join them. At mile 18, I felt the calves tightening a little, so eased off the pace for the next two miles through Canary Wharf. Miles 16-20 covered in 31:48 and 20 miles reached in 2:06:25.
So aerobically in good shape at 20 miles but I could sense the calves were about to cramp. Reduced the speed a little and managed to avoid having to stop before reaching the family waiting at the 22.5 mile point. Almost came to a standstill a couple of times on the Embankment but once past Westminster, I knew I would make it to the finish and even managed to raise the pace down The Mall. Miles 20-25 covered in 33:54, mile 26 in 6:56 and the final 385 yards at 6:11/m.
Crossed the line in 2:48:36, a new pb by 2:38 minutes and 872nd place. Fourteenth in the age category and seventh UK competitor.
Really pleased with the time, having been chasing Sub 3:00 times since 2010, Sub 2:50 feels a bit surreal but a bit disappointed with the cramping issues. Maybe a slightly slower first half would have helped (1:22:27 at halfway and a 3:38 +ve split) but the effort level felt right. I’m not sure I could face another marathon with the prospect of cramp attacks so either I will have to run slower in the future or find another solution!
Speedy - excellent! I thought it was a PB. Really chuffed for you after all the setbacks you've had. Hearing about the headwind in the last 8 miles almost makes me glad I had to stop
TR - great work. Very impressive pick up on the pace in the latter stages. Dare I ask, who's pukie?
Poacher - thanks; taking it very easy. Still not feeling 100%. Resting heart is up to around 65, so definitely something up.
SBD - great report on an immense achievement. An inspiration for us old gits!
GM - hope the PF clears up soon and you can get back to the running.
Lorenzo - really pleased for Mrs L
I looked at my splits from the official timings and they showed everything was going to plan as I thought, until shortly after halfway. 5k 22:08 (deliberately slower first mile actually went to plan!), 10k 21:32, 15k 21:37, 20k 21:34, 25k 23:02 (started to slow a bit and finding the uphill bits tougher). Then the wheels came off.
Oh, and I forgot to say, that I am now back up to 11stone. I didn't think I had eaten that much yesterday!
Speedy, congrats on the pb, great effort.
TR, great work on the 2.54. I have questioned my split (which was similar to Dorney as well) however my pathway was extremely difficult in the first half and I was stopping, starting, weaving etc so the 1.25 first half seemed like the right effort.
Gul, hopefully this won't be the end of the line for you with marathons??
SBD, great work and nice report. I'll do mine tomorrow when I have a bit more time.
I wasn't planning to run a marathon now until Berlin next September, however London in all their wisdom have continued with gfa times only being valid for one year and the qualifying period for London 2023 is yesterday to August 2022. Great if running Manchester next week, but for everyone in London, it means if they want a 2023 place they will have to run a mara in that period. Seems crazy not to extend it 48 hours so people can use Sunday. With my GFA being 3.10 I could turn up at a low level airfield event and just sit at 7mm to bank a gfa without destroying myself based on current shape I would imagine.
I had decided a few weeks ago that Sunday was going to be my last marathon. Or to put it another way, I'm not going to be getting up to go running at silly o'clock any more. I think it's time to get my priorities right. So I was absolutely gutted on Sunday as I was rather hoping things would end differently. But I did achieve my initial goal from all those years ago which was to run a sub 3:15. And perhaps more importantly I have been given so much support and encouragement along the way from all you amazing people. So great to meet a few more of you in person too before (and during!) the race.
I won't be hanging up my running shoes just yet, but will have to find another way to make this work. Certainly at the moment, that means greatly reduced mileage and so no more marathons. Who knows, maybe I might now do a few more parkruns!
Gul - i was puking up for a few minutes, probably due to the effort level rising and rising and then stomach not being able yo digest the gels etc. Better out than in once the race is over.
It was a pleasure to meet you a couple of times, the last being at Rother Valley Marathon (super result for you, I recall; 8 + laps around there, with lots of the surface being stony track - not the easiest!!)
Next time you are over this way, you can relive , with just the one lap at parkrun
Hope you’re feeling better soon, Gul. There is a way to do this event with lower mileage. I probably run the lowest volume on here. I averaged 47 miles for the 16 week campaign with 7 weeks of 50-plus miles. Key sessions were Tuesday 10 to 12 milers which are varied speed sessions, a track session and a time on feet LSR every Saturday. Other runs are recovery or steady efforts. 5 sessions per week or 6 if I double up on track days. It’s worked well for me.
Have a think about a different marathon approach when you're setting those parkruns alight. There's a lot of talent in those legs.
Race Report – London 2021
Every time I complete a campaign, I look at what I can change to improve the next outcome. In 2019 I got a 3.01.47 PB in London when trying to beat 3.05. No point in doing London again to just PB, I had to go for the sub-3, a target I never ever thought I could achieve, especially as a v50 old git!
I looked at what others had done to go sub-3. I observed the sub-3 running of bigger lads like James Cracknell as well as classy running celebrities like Nell McAndrew. Unfortunately, the secret seemed to be extra volume. The varied quality sessions I was already doing seemed adequate. I upgraded the campaign to 18 weeks and ran over 800 miles, averaging about 47 per week.
After 2 years without a race, I needed to practice a race day process and gauge where my fitness was. A HM in August scored me a 1.25 PB on a long course, so I was sure I was 1.24 quality and borderline sub-3. I would need a good campaign finish.
In 2019 I applied a strategy the same as Team Sky cycling, the aggregation of marginal gains. It worked a treat so I did it again. I bought the super shoes to give me that extra 1% performance uplift, however I also knew that I had to lose a couple of pounds for another one or two percent. For the first time I was in a race just under twelve and a half stones. Calf sleeves to reduce muscle fatigue and better nutrition from 2 days out to build the race day fuel tank.
Carbo loading went well (good carbs backed up with Maurten) in race week and I ensured I slept well. I had my birthday midweek so allowed myself a couple of beers. This helped to calm me down. For some reason, this was the worst race week for race anxiety I’ve ever experienced. The nerves were unbearable at times. Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? I think the enormity of the prize and knowing it would be a tight call was doing my head in.
I was ready, but I needed the weather…
Race day came and we arrived by coach at the start. We were early and the weather was perfect. I was one of the first in the yellow area and waltzed straight up to the loos. I could even leave and go back in with no queue. I sat around for a while, taking it all in and then it the usual pre-race prep routine. Since mid-week I couldn’t swallow properly. I thought I was coming down with a cold bug. A dog walk the day before saw me wretching on the common. Didn’t feel great. Maybe just nerves.
Before I knew it we were off, I started at the back to ensure I didn’t go off with the quick folk. After the first mile I realised the GPS would be way off. That’s OK, I had this before in Chicago and ever since I’ve run with just elapsed time and mile markers. At least we know the markers are accurate in London. I needed the second marker to see what my real pace was as I know the super shoes could make me artificially quick too early on after a test run in them gave me a pair of 6.32 splits straight out of the door, something that’s never happened before.
The second mile came and I was calibrated, I dialed in. At the 3 mile merge, it was important to stay at my pace and not go with the obviously quicker blue start talent. I started wretching again as I thought about how I was swallowing water, yet not so bad when I didn’t think about t. Surely this was just nerves again?
I was now into looking forward to things mode, first being Lorenzo at 9 miles. Mate, what a great shout and a wonderful boost you gave me. Thanks so much.
Next up, Tower Bridge, always love it there and then the halfway checkpoint, 1.28 41, absolutely spot on. I had about a 2 minute fade which was standard for me in London but at a quicker pace, this would be tight.
We’re now into the ugly miles. As predicted, my hamstrings were tight and sore from 10 miles. Even on short training runs they’ve been an issue but at least I was prepared to have them in the pain cave with the other toys...
I just wanted to get through Docklands and see that I was still on pace. Boost number two came when DT came past me and gave me a shout. It was like cruising nicely along a motorway and getting a friendly wave from a Bentley Continental GT on the outside. Crikey DT looked smooth. I gave him a proper London “Go-oorn, Boy!” as he disappeared up the street.
Thankfully mile 21 came and like 2019, that’s where I would put the hammer down. By that I mean put in loads of effort early, and not try and do a crazy final mile split, just to maintain the pace and minimise the fade. A systems check and I was on course to break 3. I couldn’t believe it but I needed to work hard to see it through.
I noticed my number flapping about. I poured so much water over my head that the corner had disintegrated leaving a lonely safety pin. Annoying.
By the other side of Blackfriars tunnel, I was down to two safety pins, my number flapped down like a triathlete’s but my own pins transferred power to the tarmac and I felt good. I say that, my hamstrings were an extended stride away from snapping but it was under control. The benefit of running the same course is knowing what’s next. And next was that horrible false flat to Parliament Square. I kept doing the sums, I was on course for a sub-3 for 26 miles but what about that poxy 0.2 at the end? How long will that take me?
I rounded the turn at Big Ben and noticed I was down to my last safety pin. No! I can’t lose the number, that’s where the timing chip is.
That final 0.2 was playing on my mind. I saw the 1km to go marker. I have a Dutch mate, we sat next to each other on the coach and went to the Expo together, he talks in kms and said before that one of my paces is around 4.05 pace, I had 5 mins at this point. I think I’m OK, Pete says it is.
I power through, overtaking many, including a poor chap being helped, I later see them on the TV highlights. Well done to those that gave their race for him. I’m now holding my number in place as I turn into The Mall. I check the watch and give it everything. As I crossed the line I did my usual Alan Shearer goal celebration tribute whilst holding my number in place. My son noticed me do it live on TV! I checked the time, 2.59.18, I can’t believe it.
I bend over in exhaustion and disbelief, I’m immediately scooped up by a marshal which I thought was strange as I wasn’t in obvious trouble. I declared my love for him and thanked him over again. I look up and it’s one of my trail running pals. I couldn’t stop hugging him!
Pointless talking mile splits as mine were all over the shop but my official eight 5k splits show the fastest of 20.51 and slowest 21.57. Very pleased to have run so consistent, although the effort at the end was tough going.
My legs immediately seized which I was happy with, it shows I left it all out there, I couldn't even get up the kerb on The Mall. The race felt like it could go either way at times, especially after a bad wretching episode at 8 miles but experience helped a lot.
Birch - I might just take you up on that one day
TR - d'oh. I'm a bit slow on the uptake there!
Dawg - Nicely done, well done.
I hope you keep going Gul, but just taking the occasional lie in 🤔