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Walt Disney World Marathon 2013
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One last thing to note about Rome is they had without doubt the worst finishers t-shirt I have ever received in my life. For some reason that still escaped me it had a magic lamp on it.
The picture doesn't do justice to how bad it acually is as the fit of an xl t-shirt was a bit figure hugging even on me and I'm a skinny git. It is so shocking I wouldn't even be seen dead decorating in it lol 
Doffs cap at GG ..... 3h15
top effort!!
C33... I ran Barca too, was my 2nd mara, enjoyed the course. Gave me my BQ time, but I'm a bit older than you so sub 3:20 was good enough then, until they made it tougher this year. Happy I haven't done Rome, that Tee is nowhere near as good as the orange Tee from barcelona
Hey, I'll wear anything that reassures me I made it to the finish line of a marathon!
(Couldn't run 100 yards 4 years ago......)
Ditto GG - 30seconds for a bus killed me until I started running at the end of 2009. All credit to you guys.... Maybe in a few years I'll be sounding that confident
Barcelona was an odd place i thought. Spectacular to see but I never felt all that safe there. I have never been stopped by random folk in the street and offered illegal drugs so often as I was in Barcelona. The day after the marathon I limped down the rambles (my knee went bang mid marathon) 5 people stopped me and tried to sell me cocaine and heroin. I don't know where the b&stards were on the sunday morning when I was knackered and in a lot of pain. I needed a lot more than powerade to see me though the last 4 miles.
Minnie I wasn't much better myself when I started running by accident in 2002. I hadn't really played any sport properly for about 3 years since 2nd year at uni other than the odd game of 5-a-side footie. I'm just gobbling up marathons at the moment because I can and I want to tick off the must do ones on my list (unfortunately every time I tick one off I seem to add one to the borttom). Fortunately my life allows me to see a bit of the world and run an average of 3/year in different places and do the one sport I have not been absolutely dreadful at thanks to it not requiring me to hit or kick moving objects. You never know what is round the corner and when family/job/health priorities might change my ability to do what I do at the moment or when I might just think sod it I've had enough like I nearly did last year. Until that time comes or the "must do" list has all the races crossed off it I will keep going.
Good for you C33. Unfortunatley I left it until I was 44 and very overweight before starting but im getting better. Here's a question for you. Do you ever get to the stage whereby the last 6 miles stop feeling like torture ? or have I just got to live through it and learn to love it ??
MM - the last 6 miles are always going to be tough but experienced runners make it less tough by pacing the first 20 miles correctly. It took me 5 marathons before the last 6 miles felt better - however I also felt maybe I had not pushed myself hard enough - you can't win on that one.
Problem is my 'must do' list always seems to have Disney at the top of it - every year.
Ha ha Bearsted experienced runners make it less tough by pacing the 1st 20 miles correctly. You haven't seen my crash and burn strategy in action then lol
The last 6 miles always suck Minnie although on about 3 occasions in 17 attempts I have managed to hold it together all the way to the finish. On a good few other occasions it has really not been pretty. That is the biggest problem with my Boston fixation that I keep trying to chase the impossible dream and more often than not I go bang a long way short of the 26 mile marker. In halfs you can grit your teeth and get through a few miles 30-60s or there abouts slower than you were trying to for a few miles. Unfortunately when you go bang in a marathon you just haemorrhage time all the way to the finish and you start running km in mile split times which isn't good.
Pacing is of course all important (which could be my downfall big style in Disney) and my head being a scrambled mess for the last 3 years post chicken pox where I kept training well and either hitting sunshine or a mental block at races didn't help. It is an amazing feeling though when you get to 18 still running comfy, get to 20 which is as far as I normally train still OK, venture into unknown territory from 20-23 and somehow come out the other side still running and by that time you know its going to hurt but you really can't cock it up from there or you will kick yourself for months after it. A marathon is so much more than just a race and when you get it right it feels bloody brilliant at the finish. Goofy medal would go great with a goofy smile for a few days afterwards.
I think Disney is possibly the best marathon to do for taking your mind off the pain of the last 6 miles. On the previous course, the last 6 miles were absolutely packed with entertainment - running through Hollywood Studios and Epcot, roadside entertainment, characters, chocolate treats, crowd support, etc., so it was easier to not think about the pain.
I'm hoping that is the case with the new course layout too.
Rome it is for me. Not sure whether disappointed about London or pleased about Rome!
Ahhhhhh the annual sod off letter. Its the 1st time since 2005 I haven't got one of those apart from the year they "lost" my entry and reduced my number of consecutive unsuccessful entries back to zero. Rome's a good choice Goofy I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Yep me too the annual no thanks ritual from London. Did it in 2009 and had 4 years of no thanks now. Never mind means I do not have to do 2 Marathons in 2 weeks as was committed to Manchester next year anyway.
I got 2 magazines from London. I got a "your in" because you have good for age one and on the doormat alonside it was a "feck aff" you have not got through the ballot magazine. I think they just enjoy sending me one every year. I've always fancied getting into London and instantly applying for a deferral just to let the organisers know what rejection feels like lol
Bearsted don't know if you ran Manchester this year. If you didn't don't believe all the bad things you read about it. I thought it was a great race. It was just unfortunate the horrific weather highlighted in glorious technicolour everything that could have gone wrong and that the organisers may have got away with for years without anybody noticing there was a problem. I don't tend to run marathons more than once so I won't lie and say I'd rush back but I've certainly recommended it to others since the event and the Old Trafford start and finish should make it even better this year.
Caniggia - Manchester was on my list of possibles until I saw your comment about start and finish, although if I wear a Suarez shirt I should be guaranteed a sub 3:15 time
C33 - Yep ran it and agree the course would have been OK without weather issues. This year should be even better as taken out the cross country bit so even if bad weather will not be a problem. Left in the bit through Altrincham whish was awesome last year so really looking forward to it with the new start and finish.
JPenno - would be worth doing as per my above - atmosphere was brilliant and crowds were awesome
Jpenno bearsted is right the crowd support was great especially when you entered altringham. I was expecting it to be really sparse support like edinburgh but was amazed how many folk were out on the course on a horrifically bad morning.
Bearsted the infamous cross country section would have gone unnoticed almost any other year. Apart from one pothole where I almost did a dr foster and disappeared up to my middle and a couple of massive puddles the course held up pretty well. I stayed in salford quays when I was down and even that was flooded in places. If that kind of of water hit the great north run everybody would have to run through the tunnels in the 1st mile up to the tops of their socks and you wouldn't look to relocate that course. At least the finish at old trafford should allow the baggage all to be kept under cover and for runners to find shelter quickly as I suspect it may rain in manchester again. Again I think the organisers took a bit of a hammering unfairly. If they had left the bags where they were and everyones dry clothes at the finish got soaked they would have got hammered. They moved them fecked up the order they were stacked and got hammered for not being able to find them. Again a slight teething problem on a normal day that went horrifically wrong in biblical conditions.
As a plus I'm hopeless in sunshine and went to manchester for its rain. It never disappointed infact it exceeded expectations lol
Oh. I got into London again. I don't want to do London, I want to do the Goofy
.......So your point is caller????
Defer London if you really have to if for no other reason it will let the organiers know what rejection feels like lol
C33 - family logistics may mean Paris rather than Rome - have you done Paris and, if so, what's the verdict?
LOL C33 !
Okay, okay, I want to do London. AND I want to do the Goofy. Although when I last went to Disneyland in the US, Goofy stood on my friend's foot.
I've never done Paris Goofy. Now if it was around Eurodisney..........lol
From what I have heard great course, loads of runners, crap crowds, terrible finish up some side street near the Eiffel tower. Its never been one that has jumped off the page as a must run event and Paris never really strikes me as a very single blokey holiday destination.......but then again neither in Disneyworld or Rome
I have done Rotterdam which was my 1st foreign marathon in the race that never was. If you are looking for some springtime sunshine I'd go there. It was 37 feckin degrees by the time the organisers ran out of ambulances and stopped the race with me having 2k to go and we were all told to stop and walk in. I know Rotterdam is maybe not the nicest place on the planet although it was better than I was expecting it is a great weekend. The whole city catches marathon fever, throws all the museums open for free, doesn't ramp the hotel prices up really gets behind the race and makes the visitors to the city really welcome. If the family commitments mean what week can I sneak off without the family it is well worth a look. I had a couple of days in Rotterdam and a couple in Amsterdam (I actually preferred Rotterdam it didn't seem quite as sleazy drugs and hookers isn't really my thing) and had a great wee trip. A marathon, a bit of culture, lots of sightseeing, heineken brewery and a couple of footie games including the dutch cup semi-final at the amsterdam arena. It doesn't get much better than that
I also did Dusseldorf last year which probably seems an unusual one but it was the only one that appealed at the time I could have a holiday. Not as big a race as Rotterdam but a really fast course if it is not hot.; Unfortunately it was later in the year than usual due to the eurovision song contest rather bizarrely. I know Rotterdam has a reputation for being fast but you can get really bogged down in the crowds unless you are Kenyan and starting at the front. If you are chasing a time Dusseldorf is well worth a look.
I always fancied Hamburg and Vienna too but not ever got round to either yet.
I'll see you on the start line in London and Orlando Nykie
C33 - The family commitments mean when can I take the kids without taking them out of school - they would never forgive me if I went away without them - they like the holidays too much!!! (You are so right to do the marathons before family commitments restrict freedom a little!) Rome would be a bit of a rush but Paris is during the Easter period. I will have to look at the dates of the ones you suggested - many thanks for the info.
C33 - Hope everything goes well in Munich.
Good Luck C33.
Hope everyone elses training is going well only 13 weeks before we fly out
Good luck C33.
You lot me me so jealous I have only been back 3 weeks and I need to go again!!