Brighton Marathon 2012

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Comments

  • sound much more reasonable thanks Giant Elf
  • I jjust enter it again for the 3rd time running.
  • Everpresent Speedy! Glad to see you again image
  • Sorry, I just have to do one more post so i can untick the 'e-mail me' box as my inbox keeps filling up!
  • Nerves almost ruined my big day!

    Just wondered if anyone has experienced what i did during Sunday's marathon. This was my 1st ever race and had trained all year for it trying to do everything by the book. About 10 minutes before the start my legs felt so heavy and i started to panic. By mile 2 i started to get cramp (never suffered from cramp during training) and had to start walking and was stopping to stretch. Things didn't improve and by 8 miles i was mentally broken and couldn't see how i could finish. I kept plodding along and at mile 16 i suddenly felt strong and was a different person managing to finish in 6 hours 20 with a strong last few miles.

    I had looked forward to this day for so long and desperately wanted to enjoy the whole thing but the beginning was so awful that i keep trying to work out how it all went so horribly wrong. Is it normal for nerves to have such a devastating effect? Any thoughts or advice would be great.

  • Jenny - try Hal Higdons plans, just Google it. I did the beginners plan this year which got me round in just over 4 hours. Max of 4 runs per week and a day of cross training that I didn't do, 18 week programme too.
  • Distinct feeling of Deja Vu.

    Hi Julia T - knew you wouldn't be able to resist!!!

    Won't be posting for a while as I have to let the rest of my life catch up but looking forward to sharing the inch by inch, mile by mile with you all.

  • Julia T - I was going to reply in the 2011 thread but I was worried that I might have receievd the same treatment as you so wimped out. Anyway, I totally agree with your point of view.

    Still deciding about 2012 and gettinng my hat trick and ever present credentials... Shame we can't know the weather for the day 12 months in advance image

  • Yey, I'm signed and paid up for 2012 .... bring on the sub 4hr this year... that will be a 23 min improvement so not sure if thats feasible but I can dream....image
  • This is like a parallel universe. Not sure I can handle two threads!
  • i have now disabled the auto response for the 2011 thread as i already have 4 threads on the go and could not keep up with a 5th
  • Hi toby3!

    JuliaT - Don't worry about NLR.  I know what you mean and think most will.  All about context and grasping what you were getting at, which I did.

    Must amend my 'God' comment on 2011 thread.  I am, of course, only A god, not THE Godimage.  If I were then I would have summoned up light rain showers for last sunday!image

  • will get rid of this years number when they will let me update my profile
  • Julie T

    I think another Month and this event will close early like last year and this year.I hope there put extra waterstops at the final 4 miles  near the coast.This year was unsupriseing how many peaple pass out. But the crowds cheer me on and on.There SpeedyBrear agin from last Year..Nice to see you again.Will you do it in 2012?

  • morning.. well enthused about signing up yesterday i went out last evening and knocked out a pb over 5 miles.. only a year and 3 days to go now!!
  • Julia - excellent news that you've entered again for next year, I posted this on the 2011 thread, but thought I would re post over here, so you will see it, as I don,t suppose you will visit that thread again!
  • whoop whoop- here's to 2012 already!!

    SoupDragon- did you say you're doing it next year? and i had the same thought of you as i wa running around about a supoprt group think its takes massive effort to get it sorted!  but realised how lovely it was to collect stuff enroute last year at london rather than carry it all with me!!

    I'd say Hal Higdin or email Shades off here I followed her 3 runs a week programme this year and it helped me no end!!

  • Well done on the 5 mile PB Bootsie!  Way to go! image

    Sorry the other thread left a bit of a bad taste, Julia T  image  You are always so supportive and encouraging, so stay just the way you are!  Let's hope there's no silliness on this thread, eh?

    Gayle - take it from me that your sub-4 hour goal is entirely possible!  Prior to Brighton I'd done four marathons and my PB was 4:24 set on a world record breaking flat course in ideal weather conditions (Berlin).  I followed the "Break 4:00 or Bust!" programme on p69 of this February's RW and, as a result of sticking to that, knew that a sub-4 was in me.  Having the knowledge that my dream was achievable was one of the biggest differences this time around.

    It's quite an intense 16 week programme with 4 or 5 runs per week but I stuck at it (it helped that I was made redundant in December and had a bit of extra time on my hands image).  I just didn't think that given the hot weather a sub-4 would be in me last Sunday.  Maybe I sub-consciously relaxed a bit and that took the pressure off? 

    Anyway, I would say that a combination of focused training, attention to nutrition and hydration, an even-paced strategy which gets you to the half way point feeling relatively fresh (I ran moreorless even splits - 1:58/2:00) and a clear fuelling strategy for the race itself will produce the result you want.  I also used mantras during the race (I AM RUNNING FAST AND STRONG) and went into denial mode about how much pain my feet were in from mile 10! 

    Anyway, this approach worked for me as I PB'd in 3:58:35, knocking a full 26 mins off my previous best AND I now believe there is better to come on a flatter course in more favourable weather conditions.  Good luck in your training. The hard work and investment is soooooo worth it to achieve your goal image

    Good luck to everyone else who has signed up for BM2012 and hope your training goes to plan.  Surely the weather HAS to be cooler next year? image I'm doing Abingdon in October and feel like I'll need a break after that so won't be signing up, but may come along and do a bit of shouting from the sidelines!

  • What is everyone doing over the summer/before the start of training programs? I’ve got at least one (sometimes 2) 10k races a month from May – August; the South Downs Relay Marathon in June; Paris-Versailles 10miler in September and Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.

    I’m going to sit down with a pile of training plans over the weekend and try to cobble together a plan that incorporates all of these, and give me a good grounding to start marathon training once Royal Parks is out of the way. I’m not sure if I’m being too optimistic/foolish to want to achieve a PB for each distance category over the next 12 months or if it will fit nicely in with the bigger plan to run the marathon next year.

    It would be interesting to hear what events other people are planning to do from now until October image

  • Xine267 - I have a 70 mile ultra on 12th August and then a HM on 18th September, so my training starts again next week if my legs stop aching, for me brighton training will start at the beginning of december I think
  • Morning all, thank you for all your lovely comments, I am looking forward to another year of anticipation, motivation, inspiration, laughing and crying with you all image

    We are MARATHONERS!
  • I'm heading back to the gym tomorrow, need to find my motivation & enthusiam again. it seems to have vanished in the last few days & i can't let it slip away from me!

    Hope the music for the latest release of Body Attck is good & motivating.

    I think i might run my village's fun run & also a large local village 10K which attracts about 1500 runners apparently, although i might need to make a move soon if i want a place on that one! very popular. 

     I think i want some nice light hearted runs, i know i'm not really a runner but i also want to keep things up between now & the start of training. I would also like to do some kind of challenge/sponsored thing at the gym - something like every class on the time table for a week!

  • i'm doing 3 tri's between now and september and working on my stretching and core strength so i'm in good nick for my marathon build up!

    Julia .. i ended up leaving the brighton marathon thread last year cause people got a bit cranky.. sorry you got the pointy end of someone's mood too/! 

  • Gayle - I think Im right in saying that Brighton was your first marathon?! If thats the case, and you got a 4:23, then a sub-4 is definitely an achievable target. I found I took lessons from every marathon I ran. Whether that lesson related to tweaking the training plan a bit, or changing the approach to the taper, or just how you approach the race day with regards to pre-race nutrition, mid-race fuelling or pacing. Next time you'll know where you can improve, and that only comes with experience. It might even take a couple of marathons to get there, but you can definitely get there. My first marathon was a 4:13, my second was a 4:10, but my third was a 3:55 (a 15 min PB) and it was the most comfortable of the 3. Its just a case of knowing where you can improve.
  • Gazza I agree, I shall try not to drink so much in the first half next time so I don't need a wee stop. I'm sure my legs fell apart after that....
  • Oo yes, what to do now ?

    Well there's London this w/e, then will try and get the ol' 10k time down while I'm still fit and then I have been ordered to put some weight back on !image I must admit tht I was quite shocked by a pic Mrs Lemur took of me as I changed shorts after the race. I look like a pink toast rack ! Oops.

    Julia - didn't read that negative comment, whatever it was, but I know there were a few people disappointed, more frustrated by the heat on the day. Oh well. As my mother used to say "If you can't t say anything nice, be cranky!". She once slammed the glass door of M&S shut on my nose because I made her miss her hair appointment.

    Ah - just went thru the 2011 and saw the negative comment. I don't think I understood it. Well, I am a primitive primate.

    Inappropriate hugs to all !

  • SL you've made me laugh all year! Nice to see you're carrying on in the same vein image
  • C&I Dad - wow, just wow! Best of luck with the Ultra - I can't even imagine running for that long. What kind of distances will you start off your Ultra training with, or was Brighton part of the training?

     Jenny - as you say, I think its important to get your motivation back first, keep reminding yourself that you are doing it because you love it (even if it doesn't feel like it at the moment!). I've entered a few fun events over the summer as well (Race for Life, Beat the Banana, Boutique Run and Nun Run) ... I love it when the weather is nice enough to spend the day outside without waterproofs, billions of layers and reflective gear.

    Bootsie - I'm in awe of triathletes, let alone tri-triathletes! How far apart are the events? The running and cycling would be ok - but I have a real fear of deep water (actually a pretty rational fear of drowning and completely irrational fear of what lies beneath ... Jaws music plays in my head, even if I'm swimming in Devon). I can only imagine doing the swimming part if I was allowed to take a snorkel or diving mask and oxygen tank image

  • Ha ha ! Just realised that I made a dreadful typo !!!

    "...by a pic Mrs Lemur took of me as I changed shorts after the race..."

    I meant SHIRT !!!imageimage

  • xine.. my tris are a sprint on may 15th, oly in windsor on june 12th and oly in hever on 25th september.. hoping to improve by the hever one!! I love the swimming.. not fast at it but I enjoy it alot so lucky there.. its the bike i struggle with ! They are great for cross training though!
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