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Paris Marathon 2013
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Good Luck everyone today.......Runners and Supporters! Hope you all have a lots of fun!
I was thinking about you all this morning on my 10 mile run, with astounding views towards Hoy and over to Flotta. Now I know why I run that bloody hill every morning.......its the view!! Feeling very nostalgic just now........
good luck to all VLMer's you all be fantastic.
OO: stick with James Cracknell again and you'll be on for another sub 3
and fab for age!!!
Well St Andrews was fab although not much of a rest as spent all the time on my feet walking in horizontal rain - joy but oh such fun!!
Well taper madness has officially begun for me - calf;s feel tight so more orod - all in my head I know but last 14 miler tuesday (deferred from today as feeling tired) then really reeling it in and except for a week today (10 -12 miles) am running with the dogs for a max of 6 miles then dropping to 4 miles 3 times during the week. I know I've done all the hard work I just really must remember that I have
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Can someone please remind me why we do this ............
Great to see everyone in the restaurant last night. Thanks to everyone for being kind and welcoming to Sam. Special thanks to Audrey for graciously being subjected to the worst chat-up line ever.. "do you know which is the largest oil-rig in the world?". Bless him... I need to educate him in talking to women....!
So.. I have a story to tell... this may bore the pants off most of you, but I need to get this out of my system or I may explode... this has nothing to do with running, so feel free to stop reading now and to skip to the next message.
Most of us have a passion... something that we are interested in outside of our families, work, running etc... in my case, it is Genesis.. and specifically the 1970s 'Gabriel-era' Genesis. I first heard Genesis in 1974 when The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album was first released. It started a life long love for the band and they have been a part of my life in every way ever since. Even at my wedding we had one of their songs (Firth of Fifth) rearranged for church organ and played as an instrumental. Genesis, and specifically Phil Collins, was the reason why I learned to play drums and it was through my drumming that doors were opened for me to the inner sanctum of Genesis management and the guys themselves. That is another story...
In 1999 I happened to be at the Genesis studio in Surrey (also another story..) and discovered a box of 35mm photographic slides that I recognised as being from the Lamb tour. Prior to that time I had been flying to Montreal in Canada a few times each year to see The Musical Box. The Musical Box are a band that recreate the shows by Genesis from the early 1970s. Its not a 'tribute band' as such. These shows are an exact recreation of what Genesis used to do. A museum piece perhaps. What you see is what Genesis used to do. Everything is replicated... the stage, instruments, lighting... it is as close to having a step back in time as you will ever have.
It is impossible to do the Lamb show without the slides. 1120 of them! By this time, I was known and trusted by Genesis and was allowed to get the slides copied and take them to The Musical Box. Thus started a three month task of recreating the Lamb show. Three months of epic research, pain-staking attention to detail, $500,000 investment and commitment to putting the Lamb show back together. With the copy slides in Montreal and the original slides at my house we had to work out the sequence as they were unnumbered. It was a labour of love and took many hours..!
Legal fomalities were done and in 2000 I had joined the band as tour management and we took the show out on the road. We had a licence for one year and we played 49 shows, selling out 47 of them, and playing to theatres of 2000+ seats in the south east corner of Canada. It was such a success that we then got a worldwide licence and I brought the band over to the UK and Europe for the first time. Ultimately, we took them all over the world. I spent five years on the road. We played the Royal Albert Hall five times...! It was a fabulous experience and it changed my life in many ways.
Scroll forward to last night. This is the final tour for the show and even though I'm no longer part of the management I'm still very attached to it. Meeting everyone in the restaurant and having Sam with me really added to what would be a superb evening.
More to follow.....
Sam and I got to Shepherds Bush Empire, surrounded by people in their 40s, 50s, 60s etc... Sam, aged 9, was definitely the youngest person there by a long way. I didn't see any other children. I've been taking him to gigs since he was 4 and he knows a lot about Genesis and the music and has obviously been influenced by me... hopefully this will be a positive thing as he grows up....!
In front of the stage was a large screen and about 10 minutes after we arrived a film started that had been prepared by the band on how the Lamb show had been recreated. It included about 15 minutes of full colour high quality film of Genesis performing the Lamb (I'd never seen that before), together with short interviews of people involved in the original Genesis tour. It was a useful educational item for those not familiar with the show or indeed the efforts that The Musical Box go to getting it right.
From the very first note when the show started, to the very last drum beat the show was perfect. The sound quality, mix and balance, performance... everything was 100% perfect. I'm usually very critical of Genesis tribute bands and 95% right is actually 5% wrong. This was 100% right. I know every teeny tiny detail of everything Genesis has ever done and this was a flawless performance. In my lifetime of seeing shows, this one will stand out as being the best. I can't believe that Genesis themselves could ever have done it so perfectly.
This will certainly be the final Lamb tour and rumour is that The Musical Box will stop too. 20 years on the road is a long time...
I can take some credit for being responsible for helping bring the Lamb show back and showing if off to the world. For those who saw it, those memories will last a lifetime.
Sam has seen something special. I doubt he will ever get to witness this again. The music will live forever... but the passion of those who devote a huge part of their lives to bringing these shows to a live audience needs to come to an end one day.
Last night was an epic night. It wasn't just yet another gig/concert or random night out. It was special. It was a priviledge.
This Paris group of people has developed over the years into something special too. It is so great to see real friendships developing and life outside of the forum starting to take shape. Hence, to share last night with some of you made what was a very special night even more special.
Paris isn't just yet another marathon. It is more than that...
Genesis wasn't just yet another band.. they were far more than that.
Thank you for reading... I'll shut up now...!
Wow DV, thank you for sharing that with us. That is a great story. I'm afraid I didn't know about the Musical Box but listened to Genesis in my youth, well still do sometimes. Good on you taking your son who will treasure the memory. I never did see Genesis live (although did see Peter Gabriel), I had a ticket for their Dundee gig 1977ish but a heavy snowstorm meant I couldn't even get out our village let alone get to Dundee. I am off now to listen to a Trick of the Tail.
TP.. we played Paris Olympia about seven times I think..
Had I known then what I know now ....
Kaz - how's it going?
Maus - any update on your mum?
DV - that's a great story, thanks for posting. Have to admit, I know little about Genesis and nothing about The Musical Box. When you first mentioned Genesis, I thought you were talking about the bible.
ATM - hope you're having a nice time.
Am parked on the sofa watching the action. Is the flag just at mile 11 or will it be popping up at a couple of locations?
DV - your passion clearly shows through - it's wonderful. I hope Sam realises how lucky he is to have shared that with you.
Good luck to everyone today.
I am now officially entered in to the Shrewsbury Half Marathon.
Turn it o-ooooo-o-o-on, turn it on, turn it on again. Love that song. nice story DV. Slightly disappointed you aren't hairier. Would make the sight of you more authentic with the story
Am really disappointed not to have been able to participate in the VLM festivities and PM reunion. Bizarrely, found myself walking the seafront in Southend last night, not a place I expected to be. In-law family reunion done, now back in the land of chocolate. Someone I met yesterday seemed to think Belgium was a brand of chocolate, not an actual country. Wow.
Congrats to the people who completed VLM - looking forward to hearing your times.
Good luck with the rest of your wind-down to the MSM mara Princess Fiona. Hope you have a completely undramatic time.
Rolled in at 3:09. Very pleased given only two weeks since Paris, though slightly disappointed as my splits were good for another sub 3 until severe fatigue kicked in at aroundMile 20 ish. Can't complain though!!!
All in all a great day. Now waiting for the second wave of post marathon blues to arrive!
Hope all others running got on well.
+1
I survived Antwerp. Had a really strange day if I'm honest. I started to feel sick around 24km and stopped taking gels and tried to throw up to get it out of my stomach. Cue my knee hurting like nothing else and needing support in the medical tent (he wasn't as good looking as last week RS). Weather was stunning - not too warm, sunny.
But then around 30km I just fell into the rhythm and ticked off the km's and sped up and overtook people. Apart from a few twinges in my knee - I felt absolutely fantastic. Considering I had no additional fuel for the second half - I was impressed with how good I felt.
I was interviewed on Belgian radio (hello token Brit) and I can honestly say that I thanked as many Martials, police, supporters that I could. It was a wonderful day to give back to them.
Great running Sean, well done.
DV - I was Genesis fan in my youth ( a few yars ago now..), great story. My kids were brought up on Oasis, Neil Young, Pink Floyd. Didn't do them any harm.
Great stuff Emmy. Congrtats - another one under your belt.
Emmy - well done in Antwerp.
I loved my day in London. A special thanks to the support crew, complete with stool flag! Flashed at mile 11 and hugs at mile 23. I came home in 4:24. Took it easy all the way, felt like death between miles 22 - 24, but thankfully felt good enough to run the last couple of miles. Now fed, watered or Irn bru'd to be honest. A great weekend.
Well done the three of you
Championship material all of you. That deep tiredness is really something to overcome after 2 weeks. When I attempted it, I had to walk VLM 28 times in the second half. So you all did much better than me. Fab!
The stool has had it's inaugural outing. Keysersuze, Eggy and audrey saw it (AND WE SAW THEM!), seanB and OO? we didn't see you? Did you see us?
I am exhausted but had an awesome day! Brilliant to see yer_maj, DLR and Maus. THere were MANY more stool related comments. Best still goes to RR with: make sure it's the right way up...we don't want an inverted stool.
Special thanks to MM and DLR for helping me haul my gas up to Mudchute, even though every police officer on the way was making notes in their notebook as we staggered past.
And Emmy - you have to do London instead of Antwerp next year - a single wrapped prune? No one can resist that.
Well done everyone!
Can I just say that Master DV had clearly ramped up his chatting up skills by the time he got to my end of the table? I got "Every time somebody makes me laugh it makes my willy twitch" followed by a kiss....
What a day, truly. I'm still processing it to be honest as I wasn't expecting the sheer depth of emotion that I encountered at mile 23. The sight of some poor bloke flat on his back whilst DLR and JB stretched his hamstrings for him will stay with me for long time. It probably will with him too...DLR's hands were practically in his groin. The question of whether there was anything wrong with his hamstrings remains to be seen
I chatted to *loads* of runners on the train home - many of whom had seen us/heard us and one remembered us from the tube this morning. All said it was the best support they'd ever had
Now then, does anybody know how to get VLM vomit out of a non washable bag?
Oh and Sean - how exactly did I not know you were running today? We'd have flashed you too, you know....
And another thing....Emmy, you need to give that body of yours a rest. Just for a little while.
I'm sorry team I didn't see you on the course. But if you saw a bare chested old chap in sunglasses milking the crowd- that was me
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I knew from half way today that a pb was not on the cards and it was going to be a tough day. So experience kicked in and I slowed to a sensible pace and really enjoyed the race.
3:05:48 was my time which is pretty much what I predicted. I do love Paris but I have to say that the crowd support make London the best marathon I have ever experienced- you should all do it some time in your running careers.
Well done all runners - you really are an inspiration to me.
I am insanely jealous of you all getting together. You know, we do have marathons over here in the US - you could all come over..... We have a huge house - we'll put all of you up. Pleeeeeeez.