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Abingdon Marathon 2013
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The best atmosphere would be the 5/14/23 bit as lots of people hang about there plus they can cheer you on 3 times. Parking shouldn't be much of an issue assuming they get there before the runners.
Zirion- your supporters could go to the industrial estate at 10/19- 11/20. Its not busy there so they'd park up easily but I'm not sure there are benches there (?pack a few deckchairs). Plus any support is most welcome there.
The junction at Preston Rd/ Wilsham Rd is popular and crowded so they might not get such a good view. Plus its busy with traffic coming from 3 directions- a stress zone for the marshals! I know there are plans to put out some cones there to prevent parking make it safer for the runners. can't remember if there is a bench there
Thanks TickTock and ShadowFax - I'll take a look on Google StreetView (brilliant tool for this sort of thing). Given what Old ShadowFax said, I'll direct them towards the Industrial estate. Plus that's pretty good timing for picking up my 2nd and 4th gels.
(and while I'm at it - thanks to everyone on the thread for all their help, advice, support and banter that have helped these last few days pass by!)
Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow.
Have a good run everyone!
Good luck to everyone tomorrow, I'll be marshaling you all across the road in Stevenson.
Like many others; hair cut, nails cut, carb loaded, number pinned on and bag packed.
Hopefully I'll see the other 2.59's and maybe we'll be able pace and pull each other along to break that magic number 3!!
All the best and good luck everyone!!!!
Good luck everyone. Hope you all get the times you want.
Fingers crossed for some decent weather and good running groups to help us all round!!
xxx
I'm so laid back about this one I almost forgot to get my race pack out of the drawer. The one marked "Race Packs". I think that this is my 20th marafun.
Weather check is next. BBC and Met office (only).
Then I'll try and find some kit.
Bad news here. Car broke down on way to work yesterday and found to be a broken timing belt
. And probably anywhere between 1-16 bent valves. Haven't been able to organise any other transport solutions so will be a DNS for me.
It's a long shot but I don't suppose anyone is travelling from S Wales in the morning ???
Sorry to hear that T-Rex, hope you manage to make it.
Bag packed, number pinned and garmin charged. Off to bed now to hopefully get a decent nights sleep. Good luck everyone and see you all the start!!
On a positive looking out of the window the trees are still and no downpour as of yet. The forecast is also looking slightly better 11mph winds. I'd probably take that right now.
On the downside I'm not sure I needed those three courses although the ice cream was delicious lol feel so stuffed!!!!
I have indeed planned some sort of shelter for the boombox and will be more or less in the usual place. The hole in the wellies has been gaffertaped, two umbrellas and two rain ponchos are packed along with the mars bar and space blanket.
Do your best everyone, even if (particularly if) all the best made plans go a bit awry - if the devil cr@ps on your head and you still grit your teeth and keep giving it a bit of a go, you'll go home content at the end of the day. And when you're in a lonely stretch - remember you're not alone, we're all thinking of you and want you all to do well!
Well it's finally here! Good luck to everyone. May you all get the times you want, and if not at least the time you deserve.
Blisters: I nearly forgot my number too and my Garmin... Actually there's still time
Right, sleepless night done (thanks neighbours wtith fireworks!), porridge downed. Here we go!
Good luck everyone!
In the words of Delia "let's be having you". Good luck to everyone running and supporting
In the spirit of the sub 3 thread Don't be sh1te
Just off to catch my lift now
Well done MG15. I crossed the line in 2:55:45, so well chuffed that. Didn't like the wind and rain that came around the 15mile mark, but soon cleared and started warming up! Felt good up to the 21mile mark then the legs started to get heavy and tired, but managed to hang on and beat my target.
Nice to meet you Leebe at the start, hope you got the time you were after as well. Well done everyone.
2:40:22 for me for 5th place. Was on target for 2:38 ish until mile 23 when i fell apart and started running 6:30s as a mix of running and semi-jogging. Not really in line with shorter distance times, but much closer than it was, so hopefully I'll get it right one day. Still, pretty pleased, and think i'd have gone under 2:40 without that dastardly wind.
Didnt mamage to speak to anyone from this thread bar The Bus, so sorry about that. To be honest, after the race I left in need of somewhere to sit and, i feared, be sick.
Well done everyone. Still a great time MG, and impressively well under 3 by Jamie, great to beat a target with lots to spare.
Told you Jamie! You beat me (I think I saw you overtake me somewhere around 19) - I had a bit of a mare and ended up with 2:58:30 after the wheels started coming off very early in the day! Could hardly even walk back to the bloody car-park!! Way under target, but at least my unblemished record of sub 3's continues!
Met Dr Dan and had a bit of a warm up with Dachs. Great time and finishing place Dachs - don't be too disappointed by the 23 seconds (one for London?)
Likewise MG, excellent time - not sure how you can face a Magners at the moment though!
1.31 first half and 1.45 second (3.16 finish) my first ever bad positive split but don't feel too bad now.
I'll put it down to experience.
I did manage to have a chat with Lee in the changing rooms , well done on the PB.
Did anyone else see the girl in full make up who started right up at the front?
Well done guys, great times there.
Not quite on target for me. I came in at 3:03. It all started to go wrong at about 19. Still chuffed with my time though as its a pb and hopefully gets me a GFA for London in 2015. The rain and wind on the second lap was a pain but all in all I enjoyed the run.
Nice to meet you Jamie and really pleased you smashed the 3. Good to meet you too Millsy and have the post race chat.
Its been a year of 'nearlys' for me, just missing sub 60 for 10, sub 1:20 for HM and now just missing sub 3 for today. Next year will be the year! I hope!
Well done to everyone and thanks for the advice and encouragement.
I can smell a roast dinner calling!
Thats possibly the girl that my Oh described as "looking like a model who finished very fast and very early" - cow
Well done to everyone who ran PBs today. Sub 2:45 for MG15 is an amazing result and Dachs is in a different league. I am sure without the nasty headwind you would have a 2:3x time to your name.
Great run Jamie - was this your first marathon? If so I am sure there is lots more to come.
Today was not ideal running conditions with the mix of rain, wind, sun and mud but it certainly was a great race with superb marshals. The shower at the end was blissfull - I hope everyone managed to get pipping hot water.
I ran 3:01. Which I was happy with considering I was only able to get 4 weeks of run training before the marathon. I had thought I was going to run sub 3 up until about 23 miles then after a losing 15s decided to just try and enjoy the last few miles - pretty sure I didn't enjoy them though!
Sounds like some storming results. Didn't manage to meet any of you except Ballesteros (although ran with him for half the race, so a good choice of people to meet). I had a bit of a disaster - cramps at 20 miles, then every quarter to a half mile thereafter to finish in 3h26 something.
Always knew something like this would probably happen - my target of 3h05 relied on everything going perfectly to plan, which doesn't happen often in short races, let alone marathons. I got slightly carried away running at 3h03 pace, but there's no doubt in my mind even I'd gone dead on 3h05 pace I'd still have fallen well short. B target was sub 3h30, so at least I got that, although I really wasn't expecting to scrape it by such a fine margin.
Thanks for Fido for the boom box and for chatting to me as I stretched out a cramp. Much appreciated.
On the plus side, the cramp meant I couldn't push to my limits over the last six miles, so feel just fine.
. Just need to find my next marathon - I'm thinking a couple of slightly chilled races might help me to get my endurance fitness up to the required level. There's a distinct lack of ones nearby and disappointingly Luton's been cancelled this year.
If you want to see the story of my demise you can see it here: http://www.strava.com/activities/90250267 (don't believe the time - it doesn't count the time I stopped for cramps, so it's nine minutes short)
Awesome Dachs, congratulations. Agree with TT, had that wind and rain not decided to show up on the second lap a sub 2:40 would have been on the cards for sure. Good effort anyway though.
Cheers Bus, I think had your comments in the back of my mind so decided to go for it. Happy that that means I've got a GFA for London 2015, saves having to keep my fingers crossed for the ballot. I thought it was you when I came up beside you. Apologies for not speaking, but by that point I was saving all my energy.
Good running Lee, shame you missed out on your target. Milton Keynes in May?
Yep, first marathon for me today. Learnt a lot so hoping the next one (Milton Keynes in May) I can improve on todays time. Happy with how my training went. I followed a plan from the 'Run Less Run Faster' book which consisted of 3 runs and 2 cross training activities a week. I think my highest mileage week was around 35 miles, so if I put in some more miles next time maybe I could rival Dachs! Ha ha, not likely.