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ASICS Super Six: Alison (Sub-3:30)
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Congratulations Suze! 21 mins is an amaxing time to knock off. Well done! And the conditions looked so tough too. Are you feeling ok today?
My thighs felt a bit stiff in the night but I'm managing the stairs better than last year. Think I might go for a walk in a bit just to loosen up.
Wobbled - depends - if you drop out like USB did in Paris before halfway or if something stopped you running hard like illness or a niggle then it is possible you could be ready to run another one in 4-6 weeks. if you had a bad one because of heat or poor pacing then the chances are you will take longer to recover than normal and need as much as 5-6 months before the next one.
Also if it was heat affected then definitely better wait to Autumn as it might get hotter in next few months.
re Multi marathons nothing too difficult about doing them slowly - many of the top runners do 200km a week and run virtually a marathon every day but marathon racing is destructive - I have only survived doing a marathon for each of last 35 years because I only now run one a year which I usually prepare for thoroughly.
Because of injury though this year I just did it off less than two runs a week and run a hard first 13 pacing someone in their first marathon and then eased my way to the finish and got inside my minimum target which was 3:15 and it hurt.
Well done Steve. How are the injuries today? I'm definitely going to use my good for age in next year's VLM.
How did your "pacee" get on? I trust she broke the 3 hour mark?
It's a hard one and depends what you want to do for the rest of the year. Is there an autumn marathon you can enter? I know of one!
Steve, well done on your run yesterday. How is the injury feeling today?
My pacee ran 2:55 and pulled calf badly in last 2 miles which cost her a few minutes as she limped in and stopped for stretching. Quite a few Pbs in the group - put on Alex's thread.
My toe throbbing now and calfs and hamstring sore and legs like lead weights but did manage 20k on bike last night and will be on bike all week as unlikely to be able to run much.
I have twice done marathons in the same week - in 1996 - Boston on Monday and London on Sunday in April and then in September Battersea one Sunday and Windsor the next and all 4 were much much quicker and easier than yesterday but slower than I was running over more recent years until yesterday. I probably didn't run that well that year but I can't see too many bad runs at other distances but think it was because I didn't run all of the marathons flat out (in order they were 2:48, 2:56, 2:55, 2:46)
The plan for the rest of the year had been to concentrate on shorter distances and no autumn marathon, but the issue is I don't really feel like I ran a marathon yesterday and want to put my training to better use while I still have the fitness. But I've looked around for events and there's not really anything that takes my fancy in the UK in May/June. There's Boddington in Gloucester which is a possibility but it's two miles laps which is quite unappealing. I wouldn't push for a PB so I don't think it would have to put me out for the rest of the year, I just want to get back on the horse really.
I'm hoping VLM will confirm the GFA rules for 2012 soon. If it's still a qualifying time from the past two years then I might just tell myself to get over it but if I've now lost my GFA I might be tempted to fit something in before the deadline as me and London have unfinished business now.
Ruth - lovely to hear from you. I'm quite keen to do a nutrition course (and I'm determined to bring lunch to work more regularly as I seem to end up giving my salary straight back to my employer in the office canteen!).
Can you recommend a course or basic qualification? Alternatively, any decent literature (i.e. not "Dr" G McKeith!)?
I am similiar to Wobbled in not feeling that I have run a marathon. I have ached more after a hard HM than I do now. Went swimming and walked the dog for a couple of hours yesterday with no problems but will play it safe and not do any running until later this week. I think that is mainly why I am quite disappointed because I know I am capable of a much faster run.
Going to focus on improving my HM PB for the rest of the year as a build up for another crack at a marathon next year somewhere. If not London then I fancy Brighton or Edinburgh.
Thames Meander is something I have on my list to do in the next couple of years.
Hows the 12 in 2012 plans going Alison? I am now toying with doing 12 races next year of varying lengths with one being a marathon and the rest will be HM and 10ks.
Rob - I hope your daughter is OK.
Sorry its taken a while to post, my legs have only just recovered enough to get to the computer...
Something happened to me during the marathon that hasn't happened before in any 15, 17, 18 or 20 mile training run...both my legs really cramped up!
About mile 8, my right calf was starting to cramp. By Tower Bridge both the backs of my legs had started to tighten and I thought I better stretch...but the stretching only helped momentarily before the tightening came back even stronger. I got a massage from the St John's ambulance but still did not resolve the issue. So for a painful 13+ miles I ran for 2 minutes until my legs cramped up, walked for 2 minutes for them to ease...and repeated this until the finish...
Finish time, a massively disappointing 4.28.35
The disappointing thing is just a couple of weeks a go I ran a 20 mile training run in 2.46. I expected it to be difficult beyond 20 miles but not before half way! I didn't set off too fast and in fact I was running a pretty steady 8.20-8.30 pace. Even at low 7 min/mile I would not have expected to get problems before half way.
I don't know what caused such bad leg cramps...the heat, hydration, anxiety of such a big occasion...who knows...
I guess like FH said, when you see people collapsed at the side of the road you count yourself lucky you finished at all.
Well done everyone!
Dan - I;m glad you posted. You almost wrote my race report for me! I, too, had the hamstring & calf tightening and cramping experience from quite early on. The only difference was that I was determined to not stop, even to stretch, as I was worried that stopping might make it worse. I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience. With the training runs you had posted on here over the last few weeks, your 3:45 target seemed much more realistic than mine of 3:40. It seems that something affected us both that was outside our control.
Thinking it through, my theory is that the sheer numbers of people in such close proximity meant that it was impossible to get into a steady rhythm like you would do on a training run. With people weaving across you, stopping in front of you, with you speeding up to get into a gap and having to slow down again straight afterwards, and all the tension and stress of constantly monitoring for what everyone else was doing and trying to find an empty piece of tarmac to put your foot down on, it's no wonder that our muscles had problems, don't you think? I even ended up with cramp in my groin that I think was caused by my own weaving from side to side to get into spaces and past slower runners.
I'm glad that you found a strategy that enabled you to finish. Mine was to grit my teeth and alternate between my two mantras: "I can do this" and "It's supposed to hurt". I was right. It did. It still does! If I ever do another marathon, I'm going to make sure it's not one of the world's most popular ones.
Well done Time for a nap for getting thought it, it’s not easy.
You’re right I thought 3:45 was going to be well within reach and actually should have not been a max effort as I didn't want to run the risk of blowing up at mile 22, but...I just couldn't fight the cramp. I think if it was more like general muscle fatigue I could have carried on thought it.
I definitely agree with you on the whole crowded running...people were stopping in front of me or darting across to get a water which just aggravated my leg cramps causing them to spasm even more.
I was determined to push through the twinges early on as well and not stop but it actually came to a point where I could not physically maintain any sort of for straight line forward motion with my legs kind of having minds of their own.
Anyway, that’s my first marathon out of the way...I have got a time to beat now and a relatively easy one at that.
Do I want to run London next year? Yeah...go on then...
Agree on the space and pace issue at London. I found it hard to go at a pace I wanted to go at and instead the crowd dictated the pace especially when red and blue merged. I even saw the 3.30 pacer struggling to get through and resorting to running on the pavement about 3 miles in.
Am interested to know what Ruth and Steve's take is on why so many of us struggled on Sunday. I was probably dehydrated and lacking proper energy before I set off due to tummy troubles the friday before but several people seem to have suffered cramp for the first time and oddly very early in the race as well. Time for a nap theory on it being caused by weaving sounds good.
Maybe we could all club together for the next London marathon to bribe Steve to be our personal pacer
Been great reading all your race reports
Hope to join you all again one day
Alison - 8th May not 18th! It's Halstead marathon. Not entered yet.
Steve is right about the multiple marathons - I did 9 plus an ultra last year. I got PBs over lots of shorter distances until May but after that my speed didn't improve at all. I'm very undecided about what to do for the rest of the year apart from the 2 ultras that are already paid for
HI everyone
Taking a rare break from the intensive care unit, so thought I'd say hello. My daughter is still on a ventilator, but doing ok. She's a realy fighter; very proud of her.
Dan - sorry that your race didn't quite go to plan. I've spoken to loads of people this week who said they were a lot slower than they'd hoped.
My theory is that
a) for the masses, it's longer than 26.2 miles. If you're quicker, you can probably stick to the blue line. But it's impossible if you're among the crowds. My ipod read 27 miles
b) a regular stride was also very dificult. I really struggled to hit my rhythm, particularly the first half.
c) the heat kicked in about 2 hours into the race, which was a point most people would start to struggle anyway.
I checked my pacing today. I was doing really well until 23 miles and then the wheels came off. I slowed up quite considerably until I collapsed at 25.5 miles. Looking back on the race, I'm amazed that I did it at all. I hadn't slept, didn't eat much and wasn't in the right frame of mind to do it. But I'm glad that I made it, albeit in 3:42 which was slightly outside my original target. But I guess that's ok for my first marathon, all things considered.
My plans for the rest of the year are as follows:
a) take some time out with the family...
b) aim for a good sub 1:30 by September (PB 1:30:55 last month)
c) put my name in the ballot for next year's London marathon
d) Join my local running club in Dulwich, focusing on quality interval sessions
And lastly, take up Coups' suggestion of bribing Steve to be our personal pacer...
Rob - My plans now are similar to yours (except the marathon part)...to be honest, I didn't enjoy the marathon training all that much nor really racing/walking that distance either. I didn't like it because of the time it took me away from my family and the 18/20 milers really did take it out of me. It does consume your life for a third of the year.
Before the marathon I agreed with my wife (and kids) that I would concentrate on my 5km/5m/10km races after VLM and slowly move up to marathon distance again in 3-5 years.
My PB for 10km is 42.36 so I would love to get that down as much as possible, then once I feel I have achieved what I can at that, only then will I step up and aim for the benchmark 1.30 half marathon and throw in some fast 10 milers for good measure. After that I will consider marathon training again.
I chose to do a marathon this year because it's my 30th year so a kind of milestone in my life to achieve a life ambition but I don't think yet I am that well suited to the distance.
Do we do it for PBs or for the experience?
I have only heard of one person who had a good race on Sunday. I have heard of at least 10 who had to walk the last four, felt dizzy, had to sit down, were sick, collapsed, or any combination of these.
Dan - please don't be put off by Sunday. I hated my first marathon. Really really. And swore blind I would never do such a ridiculous thing ever again. I am 6ft tall and it has been mentioned more than once that I "do not look like a runner", but I can run further and faster than those people that care to pass judgement. I enjoyed every minute of my second marathon - everything went right. I don't know if I'll ever have such a good race again, but I can't encourage you enough to enter another marathon and see how it goes. Take the pressure off (don't enter the Super Six - ha!). Don't have a target (ditto!). Do it for, seriously, fun! Take the family to Paris or Berlin or Venice or Florence.
I do know what you mean tho about concentrating on the shorter distances for the time being - I will do same whilst I figure out what to do next.
All that said, I am having some real trouble with my left hip. Even walking can make it twinge. Any advice on hips? I've never been injured so am not sure what to do - I take it I go to a physio, yes?!
Great running Minni, just saw your mile splits, they look awesome!
I don't think I would run a marathon for the experience... its too much hard work not to be doing it to achieve something like a PB.
Then I say pick PB courses!
I've pb'd 3 times at London now. On Sunday I clocked up 26.5 miles. Yes, I would always go for a marathon without too many hills.
Its a personal thing whether you run a marathon for 'fun' or a pb. For me a pb is the ultimate reward for months of hard training, commitment focus.
Dan, I'm sorry I haven't followed your training but wondering about your cramp. Had you run many MP miles in training?
The reason I ask is that I have suffered from cramp a lot on 10k races (and recently a half where I went too fast). I put it down to trying to run too far at a pace untrained at. I think the reason I managed to keep relatively even splits on Sunday was because I'd done a lot of marathon paced runs, the longest being 14 miles as part of an 18 mile run. Does that help?
Rob
Hope the daughter is ok.
I don't think Garmin's cope with the tunnels particularly well but agree you run more than 26.2 miles unless you run on blue line all the way which is impossible unless you break 2:45.
London is not the best course for PBs if you take more than three hours, but it is the best marathon experience in terms of crowds, atmosphere etc for most people. I have done 30 London's now and do fancy a change to perhaps prepare for a different marathon but would still like to do London as a run, if I have the qualifying time as it starts less than a kilometre from my home!
I heard that Edinburgh is a good PB marathon course but I did London for the experience knowing whatever I ran would be a PB. I was disappointed by last Sunday because I hadn't done my training justice on the day but on reflection did enjoy the whole experience. Will run London again alot wiser and will beat that PB!
I used to be a member of a running club but work, kids and the clubs sessions times didn't mix well so had to drop those sessions. I think training for an autumn marathon would be easier as I could get home, see the kids to bed then head out for a run whilst it is still light. Also in the summer I can park at one of our other offices, run 7 miles to the main office and then back again in the evening.
Minni - many congrats on that cracking new PB last week!