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Paris Marathon 2014
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Running Frauds don't run. They choose being swallowed by a comfy sofa, eating pizza, drinking beer and laughing at 'mugs' who go out in Lycra clothing in the rain to train, then proclaim that it can't be that hard or they could do better. But never do.
One of the things that it's almost impossible to compare is how much time resource we have to devote to training. Some of us have busy family lives, demanding careers, other interests, whatever. There just isn't that much time in the week to train so we do our best. And then there are jokers like me who have plenty of time to train.
It's not a level playing field. So comparisons with others is a bit pointless, especially in mass marathon events where none of us are in the elite field. Our competition is ourselves. Did we make our best efforts? Did we refuse to give in to fatigue on a regular basis? Did we give it all when doing that tempo run? Did we refuse to walk in the last 10kms of the mara? Did we make a marginal improvement on our PB?
The very fact that we spend time on a forum with like-minded people, all pursuing similar goals, would suggest that we are ALL REAL RUNNERS. I hugely appreciate the sense of community, the encouragement and advice we give one another, so we can realise our ambitions (making it round, running without stopping, or breking that elusive hour mark goal....).
31 days to race day. Keep going everyone
Hoohoo, hello all!
Medical certificate - I'm lucky enough to know a GP who'll do it gratis, but the quote I got from my doctor's was about £60 before last year's race. £117 certainly does seem like a lot!
I have a couple of questions for you lovely lot.
1. I'm hungry a lot of the time. I'm also about half a stone heavier than feels comfortable. I'm running 40-50 miles a week so I can't see how I've managed to keep 7lbs on - normally I eat like a horse during marathon training and can't keep the weight on. Any ideas? Am I eating too much/too little/not having enough water? Is it more muscle? Or is it just the fact that now I'm 'in my thirties' my metabolism is slowing down? Is it because I don't do anything besides run? I don't mind changing the way I eat but I'd love to have a bit of expertise before I do that.
2. I'm a bit worried that my taper isn't taper-y enough. what does everyone else's last three weeks look like? This is mine:
Thank you!
March 17th Week 12 Rest Club - interval session 6M Club - 6-8M Rest parkrun 16M steady20? March 24th Week 13 Rest Rest 4M - warm up, then 1M at race pace plus 5 x 200m. Warm down Rest Rest parkrun 12M steady March 31st Week 14 Rest 8M easy Rest Club
5M easy Paris rest RACE DAY - Marathon de Paris
Oh dear, I'll try that table again - lost in translation...
March 17th Week 12
Mon rest
Tues club - interval session
Wed - 6M
Thurs - Club 6-8M
Fri - rest
Sat - parkrun
Sun - 16M steady
March 24th
Week 13
Mon Rest
Tues Rest
Wed 4M - warm up, 1M race pace plus 5 x 200m
Thurs rest
Fri rest
Sat parkrun
Sun 12M steady
March 31st Week 14
Mon rest
Tues 8M easy
Wed rest
Thurs Club 5M
Fri travel to Paris
Sat 5k breakfast run (v easy)
Sun RACE DAY
re medical Certificate - my doc has signed and stamped for £10 without an appointment.
so not too bad.
Eggy, Tinks, Orbutt - you have all just summed up every bit of what I am feeling..... I don't mean to,sound sorry for myself when really I am just jealous of what everyone is achieving just now.
I think your all doing amazing and not one of you is a fraud. Its on,y 4 weeks until I leave my wee Island and I can't wait!
JokeyBuoy - Those folk down there don't know what a storm is!
storms forecast for here tomorrow, boats have issued cancellation warning so I am thankful that I have pulled out of the Inverness Half on Sunday.
PC - I struggle with speed, unless on a treadmill or running wth someone else.... That is possibly the missing piece? This year isn't about speed anymore - well until Loch Ness Mara- so I'll just have to stick with my plodding pace!
KS - the patter of little feet....???
Hey gang, long time reader, first time poster. Paris will be my first ever marathon, scary times.
I just had a quick question about the 'convocation', namely, what the heck is it? I've read that I need to take it along with my passport and medical certificate to collect my bib but can't work out what it refers to? Any ideas?
Re: the medical certificate, I paid 15 quid for mine although I think I got lucky as I was originally quoted the wrong price by reception, they did honour it.
Hi Whereistherent,
Welcome, pull up a chair, make yourself at home. Convocation is the confirmation slip which you print off the ASO site. I don't think they are available yet. Like the other documents, print them off, scan them and send them to yourself by email. If you lose or forget something then you can access the documents at an internet cafe.
Paris was my first marathon last year, it's great and the people on here are fantastic. Tell us your bib number and which starting pen you're in. Tell us a bit more about yourself so we can get to know you.
Orbutt. If Tricky Dicky is our Yoda, then you are Mr Miyagi after that little penny in the jar story .....
Hi, thanks a lot for the info, and the welcome! About me: I’m 27 and live and work in London but I’m originally from Herefordshire. I’m never been a big runner but I do play a lot of team sports, prior to starting my training I hadn’t run further than 10k so it’s been…interesting. A marathon has always been something I thought I ‘should’ do and is on a list of things to tick off before I’m 30. I did my longest run so far of 15 miles on the weekend in 2:06 which I was immensely proud of!
My bib no. is 48608. To be honest I’m not sure what pen I’m in, how do I find that out? I seem to recall giving an estimated time when I signed up (although I signed up through a charity) would it be calculated based on that?
Cheers!
whereistherent - Hello and welcome
Its a pound in the jar day for me! I can finally report having run 20m.
It wasn't too tough but Wiltshire is a bit boring.
Ha, I ruddy hope not - something that has crossed my mind though! Everything seems to be 'in order' so I don't think so - maybe I'm just being a greedy mare!
Jimbob
BM - £1 days are brilliant
Hi, back to back 5 milers and now taking a couple of days out before a 16 miler Saturday morning. I was fortunate and got my med certificate filled out for nothing but my GP did ask me to have a blood test before he signed and stamped it. Must be because I'm over 50 and he felt sorry for me ha ha.. Hope everyone is achieving the running goals on the build up to Paris, for me it's just about completing it and moving onto London the following week as I'm being sponsored for my adopted children's charity. I then move onto the Edinburgh marathon which completes my marathon challenge. Love reading the posts on here when I flip on, hope I get the chance to meet some of you at the end, mind you most if not all of you will well finished before I plod over the finish line ha ha. Take care all and stay safe
Steve Ayling - Corcoran's.
Doesn't matter how late you finish, we'll be there all night - but you may want to be there before the "you're my best mate, you are" starts.
Hello Maxs Mum and WITR (Where Is The Rent). Nice to see people de-lurking. Please do tell more about yourself. In just over a month, many of us will be meeting up face to face, so it's best you reveal a little bit about yourself now so we can all work out who the axe murderer is..... although to be fair, this thread has been rolling on for maybe 8-9 years now (maybe more?) and everyone has just been thoroughly ace.
Yes, that was a great story Orbutt. I didn't put anything in the jar today but I had a nice walk in the sunshine with our Tinks. Does that count for anything?!? Well, it felt romantic and it warmed the cockles of my heart anyway.
KS - I hate to say much on this subject because it taps into the horrible media bias of making women feel bad about their bodies - and I hate that - but you may be fully aware of the effects of your trining, but much less aware of what you are putting in to your body Suzy. If it bothers you enough, you can perhaps try getting a Smartphone app that helps with counting calories. You don't have to change anything in your diet, but you can go a couple of weeks and just measure. Then you know if there is an issue to be dealt with or not.
Food can be so energy dense that you can easily undo all your hard running efforts. Godd luck with getting to a place where you feel happy and comfortable but don't be driven by the horros of the fashion mags and so-called 'beauty industry' please.
TD, thanks, that's kind of you - I don't think I'm overeating but that may well be possible! I started writing all my food and drink intake down but to be honest, didn't really know what to do with it so I stopped. I might try and do the smartphone app thing again.
I just don't feel like 'me' - I'm still basically the same size but I'm a bit denser round the tummy area. Hmm, I'll have a look. If anyone can recommend any nutrition type people/experts etc I'd appreciate it.
Thanks!
Tricky - that's a different jar and that could well be 10p worth, if not more.
Well done BM on your first 20 miler. A great achievement and one to be very proud of.
My training has gone off the rails a bit in the last couple of weeks. Long hours at work has fuelled my CBA. Need to get back on it on Saturday. 18 miles with 14 at MP to look forward to....
Welcome to the new folks.
Thanks MacPerky and good luck with that weekend run
Thanks Orbutt, I'm sure I'll make it before closing time lol
4 days- 51 miles. Why did I do 12 hilly miles at sub 4 hour pace tonight??? Legs are about to fall off.
Rest day tomorrow before Saturdays double - 11 miles pre-work, 11 miles after. Gojng out Saturday night so no running Sunday.
hi all,
good luck everyone.....went for a 4mi lunch time and felt pain on my foot again (it looks as if it is the tendon from big toe). longest run so far has been a 15mi....I am coming to the conclusion that I will miss the race and just enjoy Paris (4x nights already booked).....
Suze - Looking at your final three weeks it's very different to what I do, but then what I find works for me might not for you. I really drop the distances on my long runs when I taper, going 14/10/mara. I also wouldn't think of going as far as 8 miles on a training run the week of the marathon. One thing I see in your plan is you go from 4 runs to 3 runs and then back to 4. I keep the same number of runs that I've been doing all through training, but reduce the distance I do. The only thing I drop is my Monday night 7-a-side game with the lads, as one of them kicking me the week before the race might result in me killing them!
I'd say with the food thing it might not be how much you eat, but maybe what you eat. I have noticed the belly podge I had developed has reduced since giving up the sugary snacks. Although to be honest I had got into a bad habit of the frequency I was eating them and should have been well over weight.
BM - Well done on your first 20.
I rounded up my midweek runs tonight and the result is a happy runner. Three good runs the last three nights in terms of pace. Average minute mile paces of 8:47, 8:23 and tonight a short sharp 7:51. Rest day tomorrow and then 18 mile LSR on Saturday.
Steve - Sunday night in the pub is as much a part of the experience as running the marathon. Probably more scary too!
Spitfire - Sorry to hear about the injury flaring up.
Welcome whereistherent - good to see your training is going well with only 1 month till race day. The colour code that comes with your race number will relate to your start pen.
Spent the day doing DIY, assembling our 5yr olds new bed and dismantling our youngests cot bed. Then went on a 10 mile run so absolutely shattered.
Rest day tomorrow though
You can. Ditch all the high tech gadgetry and meaningless Garmin numbers that no-one knows what they mean anyway, and just go run. Who cares how fast? Or what your cadence is? Or what your vertical oscillation is? It's all nonsense. Keep your eyes on what's around you and don't give even a passing though to mechanics, form, speed, breathing or anything else. Run like a child.
Yay - Max's Mum!
I've been awol again, humble apologies - just too much going on.
Had a bit of a panic yesterday with bad back and sore calf. Saw the physic and he showed me that I was tilting badly to the left. That's not ideal running form!
So I've been a victim of the elbows of death tonight (man that is painful) but I'm happy to report that I am now officially upright.
Tomorrow I'll go back round the house and change all the pictures that I 'corrected' so that they're back to horizontal again
I've just bought a copy of Richard Askwith's 'Running Free' - its all about ditching the techy stuff and re-connecting with nature. I'm off to Exmoor this weekend so I may just have a 'naked' run (no Garmin) and maybe get lost.
Kaz - you're a nutter
Eggy - glad it sounds like its going well for you now