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Talkback: ASICS Target 26.2 Team: Emma
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Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
I am - break time to catch up! Off to lunch meeting now!
Missed the champers in Paris
Sleepy - just got my update email from Lakeland Trails re the marathon on 1st July - course maps and profile now up, looks fantastic - are you and Ben still doing the half that day? notice that the route goes very close to Langdale in the first few miles so you will get a taste for your Oct marathon
mcs - you really ought to think about doing this one - "the most picturesque off-road marathon in the UK" by RW
call me the tempter
Hello all...
Just back from Paris and what a trip it was - so pleased and proud of all my chicks!
And let me tell you... spectating a marathon is nearly as stressful as running one! Expecially when you're looking out for five people (plus your husband) at various parts of the course! Did really well to see Rosie, Lee, Colin and my husband but didn't maange to see Emma o Rcraig till the home straight at which point I was yelling myself hourse with excitement!
And still excited for all of you with your marathon challenges still to come in next few weeks. Has been great being part of this project and 'meeting' you all.
Hey folks - just me running oscarr - Ben's Rascal sitting but he's coming for the weekend anyway! Bring Mrs mcs with you mcs - they can keep each other company! Checked the map - looks lovely doesn't it! Can't wait...
Emma - boo! Think Craig drank yours!
Emma - I am so happy for you, what an amazing journey
Hope you day went well, take care of that ITB, but most of all, wollow in your success
Sam - it must be an amazing feeling for you too
Sam - welcome back and agree wholeheartedly that this project has been a fantastic experience (to be continued hopefully) with a real running family feel to it, marvellous. You and your chicks must be so proud and pleased.
Well done to Mr Sam as well - quite a catch there me thinks
!! Need to pitch Mr Sam against Mr Sleepy (Fleet half winner) which could be a good race ?????
Emma - i will say it again in the hope that one day it sinks in - you can and DID do it !!! frame your medal and proudly display it.
Sleepy/mcs - sounds like a good lakes meet brewing up with a group running and some not - Funny Hat from Rosie's thread is also doing the marathon and taking his family for a break there as well - Mrs O may come to the area but depends as you know.
Sister in laws present for wedding anniversary sorted this morning!!! A certain running ladies book ordered from Amazon......do I get a commission Sam????
Congrats to Mr Sam............
oscarr - LOL - I wish I could get him to do a marathon - he says not this year! He wants a sub 30 10k first! Looking at his predicted time is just lunacy! It'll be interesting to see how he does get on when he does one - I think he'll get bored - he's just too hyper for 2 + hours! He likes going fast too much. We shall see...
Am really looking forward to the Lakes already - they've extended the places in the half if anyone out there wants to join in! Think there were about 30 left still as of yesterday.
Brilliant indeed wasn't it Sam - I got a text just as we were driving back from the Sustrans route where I'd been for my long run (with OH as my domestique) - it was like getting exam results all over again! Thanks again oscarr
How's the leg doing today Emma?
It was my pleasure to do that on Sunday - i was nervous and wanted to find out and mcs was doing the same and you could feel from the forum posts that a lot of folk were on the edge of their seats having followed their progress for 16 weeks - technology is great when it works that way. Really enjoyed the time.
Hills for me today (10x2mins with jog rec). Loving the taper so far.
Emma - have you woken up yet?
Am reading Sam's latest book, will be tapering with more of same, and was just out for my last track booster [6 x 400ms in howling winds and driving drizzle, but hit 1:47 pace just about, OK once!]
I took metronome along, not for the track part, but for the jog each way, and it really helps with the floaty easy whoosh thing, so much so I even considered taking it along for brief reminders on Sunday.
Thank you Lee!
I will write a proper race report - hopefull this evening but I am so so tired that I may go to be at the same time as the boys!
Can't believe it's finished - Paris next year anyone?
London would be cheaper but how amazing to do Boston!
I prefered Paris to VLM as I found the crowds less daunting!
Thank you, I've really appreciated sharing this with you. As have the others. You humour, smile, grit and determination has been inspirational. I've enjoyed all the sessions we have shared and this may sound odd, but I've run further with you than anyone else (ever). Thank you.
BTW, love those flapjacks.
That reminds me flap jack recipe ...
Equal proportions of butter, soft dark brown sugar and honey eg 250g as it is one whole packet and I make enough to feed an army usually!
Then double that of the oats - I like to use Jumbo oats and normal cheapy oats mixed together (about 2/3 posh chunky oats and 1/2 cheapy small oats) - so 500g
Then I throw in a combination of my favourite fruits and seeds - about 1/2 the amount by comparision with the butter. Typically 130g for this quantity and my favoutites are pumkin seeds, currents, sunflower seeds and Raisins. You can put in whatever dried fruit and seeds or nuts you like. Its just that these are my favourites - have them on yoghurt and my porridge too!
Then bake at 180 degrees for about 20 mins - if they are thick may take slightly longer.
A little tip - let them cool for some while before you try to remove them, once quite cool prise them away from the edges, compress the middle to help them stick then leave for a little longer. Then turn them out on to a board and allow them to cool fully. Finally cut them up when pretty solid with a sharp knife and devour!
They are high cal but do contain good stuff too and I think they are great for the digestion - add some turbo power!
Evening all - Right race report time!
The end of last week was a bit of a flurry, looking after the boys as it was school holidays and also packing for their trip away with Grandma and Papa and also sorting out all their school uniforms for this week as I wouldn't be at home on Sunday afternoon to sort it all out.
So after all the washing, ironing and packing we set off to walk to the station 9am on Friday morning - then got to St Pancras at about 10:45am. We met Craig, Colin and Stacey and then the rest of the RW team. I was feeling sick with nerves already at this point ... pathertic.
So off to the Eurostar - very easy (on the way out anyway!). When we got the hotel - there was a mix up (by the Hotel) but Stacey remained very calm and eventually it was sorted out.
Then we went off to the Expo and out to dinner. The Expo was great - much more relaxed than London and I was able to change pens really easily. As Lee posted on his thread we all did a bit of shopping - I purchased by first ever hoodie! The only downer was that I couldn't get any supportive running capis so I had to take the plunge and decide to run in the risky capris (the outer stitching had come undone and so it was held together over the backside by a single layer of stitching). I decided to wear black pants and if my derrier was exposed on the Champs Elysee then I probably wouldn't notice anyway!
We had dinner at a lovely restaurant and then late home to bed - couldn't sleep ... part nerves and part a noisy Hotel. Every toilet flush and tap run seemed to have to run through the pipes in our room. I put cotton wool in my ears but nearly got it stuck - typical!
Saturday we had breakie - I was the only one not to go out for a run. Rosie, Lee and Craig went together but I would have been too slow to run with them and Craig had been at the crack of dawn so given that I had a sore throat and headache thought I'd give it a miss.
So we went off to the Notre Dame - I was very, very jittery by then and feeling rather unwell. We met up with Lee, Jayne, Rosie and Craig and had a bite to eat at Esmereldas before making our way back to the hotel ready for the photo shoot.
The photo shoot and video were pretty good fun apart from when I was getting my photo taken and having my interview done we kept on getting stopped by a Park Warden on a bike - she was not ery happy with me ... however, thought I might get deported and not have to run the race
.
We went out for dinner (earlier after the runner's mutiny) but unbeliveably it was my meal (and Lee's wife's meal) that didn't turn up! Somehow got forgotten - I got quite upset - I usually am crabby when I am hungry but I also felt poorly and, as those you of you who have been following this thread, I get really ill during races if I haven't digested my food properly! And it is agony! Lee bless him knew how nervous I was feeling and the importance of getting the food right and went to complain on my behalf - he is such a lovely chap!
Anyway - risotto was perfect (bean, pea and asparagus!)
Home for an early night leaving the Asics and RW team to let their hair down (again
).
I managed to sleep on and off (the earplugs purchased during Saturday morning helped) and was up very bright and early to get ready but also pack our bags as we had to check out before the race arghhhh!
Taxis off to the finish line and use of the bus - along with our own convenient portaloo!
Before the race I felt sick with nerves - I was not good company! Then it was time to walk to the start line - I was terrified but so so pleased to be with Rosie, Craig, Colin and Lee. They are all just such lovely people and I thoroughly enjoy their company ... what are the chances?!
Its a very relaxed affair with runners and supporters all in together - we only had to separate once we entered the pens. Very different experience from London. Rosie and I resorted to using the gap between two lorries for a pit stop as the portaloo queue was massive!
So we nervously waited and after about 30 mins the gun went of .... we however didn't cross the start line for 40 mins! When Craig and I got in to our pen we bumped into Orbutt and another lady who had read the magazine. It was so nice to talk to them and try and dissipate the nerves a little (didn't really work) nor did the hour stood around in the cold help!
I eventually got over the line at about 9:30 rather than the 8:45 advertised - luckily there was a little park about 1 mile out so several of us nipped off for an additional pit stop!
It took me quite a while to relax in to my running but I pretty much hit the pace targets that I had discussed with Sam. Where I had to enter the bun fight of water collection it took a bit longer but I decided not to try and play catch up. Between mile 5 and 6 I saw my OH which was lovely and really spurred me on. I saw him again at mile 11 and I was feeling pretty good although aware that I had let the pace slip in a coulple of miles.
At mile 16 I saw Neil and Alice from RW - they were so so noisy and it was a great boost. Shame that my ability for basic calculation had gone by this point as I shouted out 9 more to go .... mmmm no actually Emma 11 more! Anyway I felt pretty good and was optimistic that I wouldn't hit the wall with quite such a bang as previous years. Tummy was also feeling pretty good although I had popped in extra immodium instants at about 9 and 15 miles.
All was going very well until mile 18 when my IT band started to hurt - not great. I was mainly cross as I had finished a 20 mile race feeling great with no twinges at all! I bribed my self with a gel and then dug in for the next 4 miles - where I had promised myself that I could have another gel!
I had to stop and stretch as my leg was really, really hurting and that seemed to help for 1/4 mile or so! Miles 18 - 24 were pretty tough and for some of them I looked like I was boxing a gerbil (shoulders rounded and fists up high close to each other!). At that point I did question why I was running such a long way but I was also feeling really sad that soon the whole thing was going to be over!
At mile 25 you could get red wine! I dug in and kept up with the positive self talk and managed to maintain pace. At just before 26 miles the course widens out on a cobbled section and the crowd were so so noisy - amazing. I'm glad I was wearing glasses as I started to cry a bit!
The run up to the finish was amazing - I saw the team and my hubby shouting and it was fantastic - I also heard Lee! I managed to really run in to the finish and it felt great - I loved it!
I walked up to collect the T shirt and my medal (very cool yellow jersey) and a much needed bottle of water. Then on my way back to the Asics van I was stopped by a chap who tried to take my medal off me - not a chance!
So I eventually got back to the van and met up with the amazing team to find out that they had all smashed their targets - great job everyone .. amazing stuff!
We walked back to the metero and get changed at the hotel and then Michael and I set off for an 8 hour journey home!
So disappointed not to have gone out for champers in Paris and so sad that I didn't get to celebrate with the team - hopefully we shall meet up again and celebrate then!
Back home at midnight and back to work by 7:30 am!
But I've managed to knock 22 mins of my previous best and managed a negative split - HOORAY! 4 hours 22 mins and 24 secs.
Thank you to Sam, my wonderful target 26.2 running pals, Ruth, Sara, Victor, Alice, Neil, Stacey, Richard and the rest if the fantastic team and the wonderful people on the forum who have given me such courage! Bravo!
Not ready for this to end so what shall we call the next thread?! ...