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Paris Marathon 2013
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It's great to see people getting PBs. You can't ask more of yourself than to beat your personal best. Fantastic Dannirr on the 3.55. I really want to beat my PB in a couple of weeks at RTTB. It's been a quicker course for me than GNR over the last 3 years of doing them both back to back - and GNR is where i set my new best a few weeks back - but the high-fiving with Team GB and Paralympic GB Gold medalists on the start line really got me adrenalised and i nailed the first 4-5 miles as a result (i believe). Anyhoo we'll see - the main thing is to focus for the training for the big one on April 7th and don't do anything stupid. Bloody brilliant show today by us runners!
Kaz - Aye, that's me back home now. If you are looking for accommodation in Chicago I'd happily recommend the apartment I stayed in. It was in a handy location for most things, about a mile walk to the start line and maybe just shy of two miles from the finish. It was also about half the price of any hotels in the area. Like most cities marathon weekend means hotel price hikes.
For anyone thinking of running Chicago I'm more than willing to put together a guide. Just give me a shout and I'll get writing.
Ok, now I have a proper keyboard it's Chicago Marathon race report time.
The race starts in Grant Park, which is between The Loop (downtown Chicago) and Lake Michigan. The start area was well organised and included plenty of portaloos (please take note Paris!). The park is most noted for the Buckingham Fountain, famous for being in the starting credits for Married with Children! What?
This year for the first time they had split the race into two starting waves. The first wave was pens A to E, a proven sub 4 time faxed to them will get you in one of the first four pens. Pen E is charity runners! They start at 7:30am. The rest all start 30 minutes later, but still split on estimated time when entering. I didn't bother upgrading my start pen, even though my Paris time would have allowed me to do so.
I walked from my apartment to the start. It was bloody freezing. I grabbed an old jumper that was ditched at the start line, and I'm glad I had it. Even with the body heat of 45,000 other runners and supporters all along the side it was stingily cold that morning.
The start is a nice wide road that cuts through the centre of the park, which does give room to get going, but I still found the first couple of miles a little busy for getting into my stride. That may be partly as a 4 hour-ish runner I end up with a few fairly optimistic newbie runners! The first mile of race retraced my route back to the apartment, before turning into the Loop area. The first few miles are busy, but you do them running over bridges and between skyscrapers.
After those first two miles you then start to head out of the centre of town heading north and the scenery becomes more big city suburbs. This section of the race is where I found my only flaw in the organisation of the race. Pen E, charity runners or walkers! Yep a thirty minute head start, but between miles two to five there was a good bit of dodging lines of charity folk that were either walking, or running far slower than the on coming crowd. Made worse by the ones that where doing it side by side. It's was a small but annoying flaw to a well organised race. These folk should just be in estimated time pens, not a special charity pen. It was still crowded at that point and wasn't helped with numerous folk having to try and weave through the charity runners and walkers.
By mile five you enter another park on the northside of town to break up the street running, after you come out the park you do about another mile before turning back towards the Loop. This is both good and bad depending on how your race is going. The good part is you can see the skyscrapers in front of you, particularly the old Sears Tower standing proud in the distance. The downside if like me and you have an injury playing up is that you can see exactly how far away it it is!
You make your way back towards the Loop, great crowds all along the road and a good number of water/Gatorade stations (more than they officially marked on the race map). Also once again Paris please note, more portaloos on route! The crowds really pick up as you enter the loop, and not just as you head out of it going east you cross the halfway marker. It's worth pointing out all miles are marked on the route and they also mark every 5km point too.<
Excellent Eggy, its sounds like a very well organised race with plenty of facilities!! I am definately doing it in 2014 - I am not missing out on a paid for trip to Chicago even if it means only a rucksack and hiring a motorbike afterwards!!!
Second last work shift 'til HOLIDAYS!!!
Congrats on the pb Seanb- they all count.
Eggy that's an epic post. Did you need a sleep before the 2nd installment
Eggy - That's sounds like a geat race!
Well done to everyone else who ran yesterday. I must admit - i'm still in a glow
Did anyone else receive a mail last week about doing all of the registration details today for Paris, so that on Paris we just need to press "enter"?... or did google translate completely get the email from the organisers wrong?
Eggy: sounds like fun can't wait for next installment.
Am thinking of being able to take dogs for a walk this morning, will be the frist time I've been out side since friday afternoon. Exceptionally bad reaction to my birthday tapas lunch - nightmare haven't been this bad for a very long time. Will have to be exceptionally strict with diet for a while me thinks. Hopefully the fresh air will do me good, can't even think about running
durrell dash looking exceptionally unlikely for sunday, or if I do it will be more like a durrell doodle!!!!!!
Eggy - sounds great! More please....
Today's pressing question: Grey or Green on Wednesday?? Hmmmm....
Princess - hope you're feeling much better today.
Every bit of me hurts today
Nice sub4 there Dannirr - well done fella!
And yes, nice to hear of a man who is unwilling to take a pee inside his car and still turn out a PB. The culture has obviously risen in Swindon since i left. Interested to know the route for that Seanb. Good on ya. Emmy - Cologne is a great race huh?! Been there twice. Such a good atmosphere and massive food for afters and free flowing beer.
OO lets go. wrote (see)
By 'eck that's a first. OO parting with hard cash and not getting a humungously good deal out of it. You're losing it mister - it's the first crack in the armour.
Couldn't possibly be because you left....oh no indeed....
Hi TD, Yes - it's my favourite race. I've run there every year since 2007 and really enjoy myself! I'm a little sore today but nothing especially bad and no pain from the hamstring (touch wood). I'm now just getting myself ready for Amsterdam this weekend!
@Yer_maj - are you doing a recovery run today or a massage?
Emmy - I haven't had an email from the Paris bods yet but looking at the website this morning, we have to first register with ASO challenges it seems. But their website doesn't appear to be live yet either.
I smell a shambles on Wednesday morning!
ETA - nope, neither. I'm driving to Glasgow for my father in law's funeral
I did sleep in my compression socks though, much to Mr Maj's amusement and I'm taking OROD with me...
Well.. actually, I think you are mistaken... it is many years since I was there but my recollection is that it does rotate the opposite direction... and I found this on the BBC web site that would support the theory..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9758180.stm
Haven't had any email either. Doubled checked and I'm registered to get updates.
I just registered with ASO challenges this morning and registration for Paris starts at 11 o'clock on Wednesday.
The ASO website doesn't appear to work in Chrome - I've just signed up using IE though
The whole ASO thing is a mystery. I've just tried to register and at the end got two messages. One saying congratulations your account has been created. The other saying there has been an error please try again later...
It has worked - got an email and logged in ok.
DV, Orbutt: on BBC's website today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/9758180.stm
And, this hits home today!
http://youtu.be/m-hCuYjvw2I
Thanks everyone for the good wishes, and the loads of encouragement! What a great group of people!
YM: congratulations - brilliant and a great feeling to set the goal and make it.
Emmy - well done too!
RS - yes, Paris was 4.24 so this was quite a bit faster. Better, more targeted training to increase speed. And, it never hurts to throw in a few TD created weeks.
Now I have to figure out what to do for Goofy in about 10 weeks?
Not at work today... at home doing admin and a pub lunch with mrs dv.. I'm also getting my drum kit out..!!
It has been in the garage for years... too long in fact.. time to get it out and have a bash... you may be able to hear me later......
You're right Tricky, Certainly paying a heavy price for my sins.
Not too loud DV my head is still sensitive.
DV - sounds like a good day
yer_maj - you star we all knew you could do it!! Mind over matter - lots of hard work too a well deserved PB
Dannirr - again hats off to you what an amazing PB I am so pleased for you that you have gone sub 4 wow
So you were doing what just more intervals and then TD's plan? Genuinely impressed at a 29 minute difference since Paris absolutely amazing!!! Goofy in 3.30 then?
OO - naughty step for you ?
Have been feeling a bit cream crackered myself over the last few weeks and suddenely realised that I am training 7 days a week with no rest days at all now that I see my trainer on a Saturday... have slightly rearranged my remaining weeks prior to Luton..
PF - take care there Mrs sorry re the bday meal does not sound good
Massive congrats to Emmy, Dannir, Seanb, Eggy and Yer Maj!!! Yer Maj we knew you had sub 2 in you.... what's the next target?
Having had a 6 week lay off (yikes) both body and mind are now ready to get back in action. The worst thing is that my diet deteriorates with direct correlation to the amount of exercise I do and it hit rock bottom this weekend. So the sugar detox starts tomorrow and I think I'll lump all processed food in with that too. I'm also thinking I might rejoin a gym again to get some muscle rebuilt. I feel like a sloth but change is acomin'.
Dannirr - fantastic result, you too Emmy & quality reportage Eggy!
Welcome to my world HS
I think both the diet and the gym stuff are going to have to be long run endeavours.
Eggy - look forward to seeing the remainder of your report well done too and to Emmy!!
What's next....hmmm....giving that some thought. Quite a lot of stuff contributed to how grim I felt yesterday, some of it unavoidable, some of it could have been better controlled. I've surprised myself over the past 4 months and I'm not quite sure what to do now, apart from enter Paris of course
Emmy, Dannir, Seanb, Eggy and Yer Maj
Stars! * OO, naughty step, for you..*
HS, today was the first day of my ' must-get-back-to-that-gym' quest for some muscle-tone. Now, knackered...but it's the way forward. So, I'll join you in the better-diet and core-building. I'm inspired by the running on here. It's time to give the sub-4 dream another go.
We'll have to persuade Finn to drop by and give us advice. the woman's now on her 46-ish mara'...Yes, you read that right. Her first was Paris 2008...