Milton Keynes Marathon

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  • Owl- I found the 3:30 pacer after about 4-5 miles, I thought the t-shirt was easy to spot.  He had a train of about 5-6 people.  We pushed on and didn't see him again even though we crossed the line at 3:29:57 gun time.

    I'm a little wary of puddles I can't see the bottom of...

  • PiersPiers ✭✭✭

    I think the pacers were way out. I never dropped below 3:45 pace yet was overtaken by the pacer at about 12 miles as if I was standing still and then I caught her at about 21 miles. There weren't alot of runners with her.

    If the 3:30 pacer was the Reading roadrunner that I think it was then from the results it looks like he didn't make the time by several minutes.

    I assume they got caught out by the extra 200 yards or so we had to run because of the flooding.

    Never pace off a Garmin; I mostly use a standard stop watch and do the math's in my head as I pass the mile markers. 22 times table is always fun when your brain is fried but by the time I've worked it out  I'm at the 23 mile marker and it takes my mind off the pain.

  • Was speaking to 3.30 pacer at luggage and he was spot on at finish line but struggled with pacing because of mile markers. He was not a happy bunny image

    My Nike gps watch measured 25.93 which makes it out by almost 1/2 mile if course was long.my watch is really sh*t!!!!!
  • BirminghamOwl wrote (see)

    Question, why do so many people tip toe around the puddles ? I'm sure I was wet enough as it was and it would make virtually no difference (with the exception of a few that looked like the Vicar of Dibley could have gone down in them).

    I also have this question, some people were going to extremes to avoid puddles (even towards the end).  I even saw people veer of the path with hardly any water only to squelch through even deeper water on the grass at the side (which they onviously hadnt accounted for).

    The only bit I did avoid was the 100 yards or so about mile 14-15 along the side of the lake.

    Maybe im used to running with wet feet but did anyone keep their feet dry beyond 1 hour running?
  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    Ferret - saw the 3:30 pacer at 10 miles seemed ahead of time, then he stopped in front of me, darted off to the side and took a 'refreshment break'- waited for him to come past again but never saw him?
  • Well that was 'fun', wasn't it? As someone who'd done about 5% of the necessary training due to illness, injury and life in general, I was hoping they'd cancel. I learned that I can blag a half but not a full - I walked almost all the last 8, got in just the right side of 6 hours but finished at least.

    Respect to everyone who even got to the start line yesterday, it was truly grim.

  • PiersPiers ✭✭✭

    I was told that the 3:30 pacer was Dean Allaway from Reading Roadrunners and if that's correct from the results he missed 3:30.

  • It may well have been him cos he done reading half(mind you so did18000 other people) he may have been telling me porkies then?????
  • PiersPiers ✭✭✭
    It must be tough work being a pacer though especially in that sort of weather. I wouldn't want to do it.
  • He did say if he wasnt pacing he would have pulled out at halfway. I suppose they were lucky they didn't have the flags to carry round image
  • I couldn't find the sub4 pacer at the start but found him at about 7miles. 

    Respect to him as he delivered the goods for me... image

  • As my first attempt at a marathon i was really pleased with yesterday, i hadn't been able to train as much as i would have liked and so had to re-adjust my expectations. I was happy to finish in 5:38, not the fastest time in the world i know, but i kept a steady pace all the way round.

    The marshalls and the spectators were brilliant- top marks to them for putting up with those appaling condtions. It was a pity about the weather because that course would have been really nice on a good day and could have shown some of the nicer bits of milton keynes. I live here and some of those pathways through the parks and round the lakes can be really pleasant- as could the tree lined path along the canal between willen and linford.

    It was the first matahon in Milton Keynes so I'm willing to cut them some slack with regards to the organisation- hopefully they will learn from their few mistakes and improve on it for next year.

    Today I feel like c**p. but what is really worrying me is that i found yesterday to be quite pleasant and was making plans for a second marathon whilst i was still running. Is this a bad thing?

  • Phil, VLM ballot opened this morning ... you could give it a try. I did and I'm stil struggling with walking down stairs image

  • Here's the Pacers results:

    Adam Holland Sub 3 Pacer
    02:53:22

    Andy Nice Sub 3:15 Pacer
    03:13:31

    Dean Allaway Sub 3:30 Pacer
    03:30:45

    Sally Ford Sub 3:45 Pacer
    03:44:20

    Matt Dunn Sub 4:00 Pacer
    03:59:21

    David Bayley Sub 4:15 Pacer
    04:12:00

  • TenjisoTenjiso ✭✭✭
    Ross - any idea on the sub 4:30 pacer?
  • Never at any point did i see the sub 3 pacer, it only took me 5 seconds to get over the start. Think he just ran the race..
  • 3.30 pacer came past me at about 23 miles... tried to stick with him for at least... ooh, 5 seconds before calf and groin yelled "don't be so bloody stupid!"

    Before the hypothermia set in i also saw the infamous 3.45 pacer at the finish line and she still looked good soaking wet. image (No jokes please about looking better because she was soaking wet!) image

    Groin is incredibly sore this morning but legs are functioning fine and i'm not having to do the backwards stairs shuffle just yet, but the day is young?

    Have just entered VLM ballot so yesterday's torture can't have affected me that badly, and with the benefit of hindsight, the organisers did an admirable job in awful conditions, but i do hope that they take on board some of the comments on this and other forums about what needs to be improved. image

    Forgot to mention in yesterday's rant... a massive congratulations to everyone who ran pb's yesterday, regardless of whether race was long or not. image

  • Sorry missed the others:

    Jonathon Errington sub 4:30 pacer:
    04:17:32

    Stu Wilkie sub 4:45 pacer:
    04:43:28

    Davey Green Sub 5 pacer
    04:59:32

  • Going through the pictures my girlfriend took on course. I have one of Surrey Runner 2 places ahead of me around 9-10 miles!
  • TenjisoTenjiso ✭✭✭
    If the course was marginally long I ran a PB, if it wasn't - I didn't image My time was 4:38:59 against my previous marathon time of 4:38:23.

    I'm nothing if not consistent :/

    I swear I'm going to smash this next year!
  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    when i compare the MK race i always think of the first Chester marathon a few years ago. That was run on local paths as well so a good comparison.

    First thing i have to say is thanks to the marshals and supporters who turned out in the weather, always tried to thank them as i passed. Compare that to Chester where i did not see a sole for miles it was a great effort.

    I know they could not control the weather and we all knew what was coming so at the start i knew a PB was out of the question (after running Brighton on a busted calf i had to take two weeks off running so i could at least get to the start line). Still i wanted to run well and was doing fine up to 8 miles then just got pains in my groins from the constant turns and sliding in the wet, just had to back off and get to the end. My calf did its best to hold up but i just had no drive in my legs and just wanted to finish. did a 3:50, way outside my best but it was just a case of finishing for those last 18 miles.

    At one point i went through one of them large puddles and came out the other side with no right shoe. thanks to the runner who found itimage.

    the stadium finish is always great - like Amsterdam -but where was the finish line, crossed that mat and had to ask someone to make sure that was the end. Where was the big finish sign??? Chester did a finish at the rugby club on the first one and that had a good clear finish.

    saw the queues at the stadium at the start so headed straight to McDonalds to get ready so cannot comment on that bit was was puzzled by the exit from the stadium at the end crossing the course.

    But my main gripe is the course - maybe it was my fault for not understanding it properly but for a busy town/city marathon i thought more could have been on roads and not the constant up/down of underpasses - i was sick of them by the end - Chester year two moved onto roads so maybe MK may follow.

    Also why was no-one giving out the medals as you finished, seemed a bit naff having to find them in the bottom of what was the 'goody bag' and that was a major disappointment, should have at least been a cotton finishers t-shirt as well given the entry fee, it was not like loads of cost was used closing lots of roads.

    would i do it again taking the weather out of the equation, no, course is not my type of course and some big changes would have to be made, maybe they learn from round one like Chester did. With Brighton, VLM, Paris, Manchester all around the date it will have to really up the stakes in year two to be on the list.

  • TenjisoTenjiso ✭✭✭
    Thanks Ross - I thought the 4:30 pacer was going too fast and that confirms it.
  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    one footnote- the website deffo said

    'without any significant incline there is real PB potential for all participants'

    but forgot to mention the those damn underpasses - never want to see another one again!!;)
  • AndyC I concur image

    It is a shame about the weather because I can't remember any of the sights of MK and I'm sure there were plenty.
  • MarkD:  I think come Abingdon, if you are just training for the one marathon (and not 3 in 3 weeks!) you could definately go under 3:15. Have a good read of advanced marathoning, i followed it to the letter, did wonders for me.

  • I hope so old no7. I've got my copy. Which schedule did you follow?
  • Shame about weather..def slowed us.  Wet cold legs caused mine to go numb! Did a good time though! image

     Course was altered about 6 an half miles- Each mile marker from 7 was 0.31-0.39 ish LONG, measured 25.7 miles overall . But i guess they had to? I would of ran through ankle deep water but anymore? Maybe not. Did not know i had finished due to lack of finish banner or chalk mark? Or something, Had to ask photographers. Long walk round stadium & up hill to get a medal (goody bag crud, advertiser rubbish for womens/man run mag ,not even a free mag) but understandable.

    Great marshalls/spectators along the route (very brave!) This was advertised as a 'Flat' Mara .HOWEVER course was twisty and undulating. Little ups/downs along the many cycle type paths.  Although I don't fancy travel up fro Southampton again, i think overall it was a fine Marathon. Despite th ups, it could be a fast course on a 'No Wind/Wet day'.

    Enjoyed my bath at Novatel after , as had a late check out until 5PM! imageimage 

  • MarkD: I followed the up to 55 schedule. My advise would be to take the time to understand the different types of training runs, and what pace you should be running them at. I had to do a few sums to work it all out, but the preparation & training really paid off.

    I did London last year in 3:36:55, admitedly that was a disappintment on the day, so I improved by almost 40 minutes

  • BirminghamOwl wrote (see)

    I decided early on that I was not going to race it but go out at a training pace and save myself to fight another day. Saying that I found the going really hard - much harder than expected. I came in in 3.28 just behind Alun who I spotted by the pitch. He was really suffering at this point from the cold. I hope your feeling better now Alun. 

    Cheers, BirminghamOwl, I'm much better today, thanks for your assistance up the ramp. The marshall in the stadium asked me if I was ok, i said "I don't know" and she whisked me slowly to the seats whilst my wife and boys got my bag (eventually). Once I got to the medical centre, they stuck a temperature probe in my ear and it read low - apparently that's around 32C - on the borderline between mildly and moderatley hypothermic.
    Bouncing Barlist wrote (see)
    BirminghamOwl wrote (see)

    Question, why do so many people tip toe around the puddles ? I'm sure I was wet enough as it was and it would make virtually no difference (with the exception of a few that looked like the Vicar of Dibley could have gone down in them).

    I also have this question, some people were going to extremes to avoid puddles (even towards the end).  I even saw people veer of the path with hardly any water only to squelch through even deeper water on the grass at the side (which they onviously hadnt accounted for).

    The only bit I did avoid was the 100 yards or so about mile 14-15 along the side of the lake.

    Maybe im used to running with wet feet but did anyone keep their feet dry beyond 1 hour running?
    I wandered around a couple of the early puddles until it was clear that they were not going to be isolated obstacles and kicked into cross country mode. If the straightest route was through them then that's where I went, including the 100 yards monster, it was well over my ankles and would have made a great photo opportunity image
  • Morning everyone, wasn't really in much of a state to post yesterday afternoon after the atrocious conditions at Milton Keynes.

    Had planned to meet up with postieboy from Fetcheveryone at the start, but it was impossible as there were just too many "anonymous" black bags to be able to identify vests and I also missed the 3:15 pace group, instead I managed to hook up with them after about 2 miles and ran with them until they seemed to slow at about 5 miles (apparently someone needed a pit stop???). From then I carried on at what I thought was a sensible steady pace with a couple of others who were also looking for 3:15 and felt reasonably comfortable. I took on fuel at my planned distances, hydrated at regular intervals and tried to settle into a rhythm despite the blasts of wind and the rain that varied in intensity but never actually stopped.

    I still felt comfortable when I reached 19 miles but it was obvious that I was starting to show signs of slowing, my average pace dropping by just a second or two from then until around 23 miles when my pace slowed considerably and I began the long and painful 5K to home.

    positieboy seemed to flash past me at 24 miles, shouting as much encouragement as it's possible for one runner to manage to another without slowing and wrecking their race and all I could manage was a mumbled "good luck and thanks" as I succumbed to the fatigue that ravaged my mind and body. All I needed was some grey makeup and some raggedy clothes to wear and I could have shambled straight into another zombie apocalypse film.

    I finally made the stadium and lumbered to the finish line, attracting the attention of the marshals because of my unsteady progress. By the time I'd struggled back to the stadium entrance with BirmimghamOwl's assistance (Thanks again) and met my wife and family I was ready to fold, I was cold and shivering uncontrollably, I needed my clothes but the baggage truck was too far away (it was about 100 yards) and the queues were building. Another marshal escorted me to some seating and kept me warm until the medical staff arrived, they whisked me down to the medical centre and monitored me as I slowly warmed up from a chilling 32C towards a more normal temperature. Once more comfortable I made way for another "coldie" to take my place and the queues for assistance would surely build as the masses continued running into the stadium.

    Then came the bombshell, the pre-paid car park was full and there were no shuttle buses to the alternative so it was another walk before I got into the warmth and comfort offered by the car - why didn't I turn on the heated seat???

    Reached my sister-in-law's house a few hours later (double birthday weekend), had a glass of flat sprite, a shower and then a lovely roast chicken dinner washed down with a beer.

    So sub 3:15 disappeared over the horizon like the sun at the end of the day, I'll blame it on the conditions but perhaps my body just can't cope with the final three miles at the end of a marathon? I'll accept the 3 minutes and 8 seconds PB and write this one down to experience and the wonderful British weather that we love and hate in equal measure.
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