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Paris Marathon 2014
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8:45 start race
8:30 last pee in the pen
8:15 wee in side street
8:00 make way to pen
7:45 meet at Arc (will have to avoid dropping a bag off)
6:30 RER from DLP to Arc
6:00 try to deliver a Stool
5:30 breakfast
5:00 wake up get ready
is that about right??
Don't know if Disney Hotel New York will provide breakfast that early?
mmmmm....... i think the aliens have invaded Scott.
TBH I was soooo bloody ill last month it scared the **** out of me....... I have never been so ill - even when my appendix ruptured - and then again maybe I am just getting soft and lazy!! 
I've never been in a bromance before. The nearest I've got is giving Jimbob a man-hug. It was kinda nice, but I'm not sure I'm ready to take the next step. I don't want to be rushed into anything. I think we should just give each other a handshake, maybe a fist bump if that goes well, and see what develops from there.
Kaz - the day you go soft and lazy is the day hell freezes over. You're just learning to look after yourself better
Melly - the finish is a bit of a bunfight, but you basically get funnelled up towards the Arc de Triomphe, you get your medal, then T shirt, then there's tables with food and drink, then you go past the bag drop area. The first section's fenced off, so family and friends can't enter, but farther up towards the Arc, they can. The only thing I'd say is don't just loosely arrange to meet "at the finish", especially if you won't have a phone on you as there'll be thousands of people milling around. Arrange an exact spot to meet, eg by the last bag drop tent on the left, or level with a shop, on the right side of the road.
Good luck Matty at Yeovil today
Melly - there is space not long before the finish line that the public can easily get to. It's behind fencing and it wasn't too busy when my support peeps were there in 2012. I really didn't expect that they'd get there and it was a great surprise. Have a look at this picture. You can see the green public areas on the right and left just before the finish line.
I'd suggest a reconnaissance mission with your family on Saturday if you can. That way you can decide on a spot to meet afterwards and all know what it looks like.
Weedy makes a great point. The crowds milling around the runner's exit at the end of the race is just terrible. No chance of seeing anyone unless they've got flags high ip in the air. I think it's miuch easier to arrange a rendez-vous point at the end of Avenue Foch, closer to the Arc d'Triomphe. It's less dense there. Personally, if i get to run and finish OK, I will peel back to be with the Cheer Team around km41, after having got my clothing/ recovery food bag from the drop off.
It's Day5 of my lurgy and it's been simply awful. Haven't moved a muscle. Feel like I have razor blades in my throat. But Tinkers is off for a run so I am going to see if I can muster a little ride alongside; staying indoors all this time is driving me crazy!
I've returned from foreign climes to a family smitten with colds. All coughing and sniffling. And I have just sneezed, so I think I must have contracted acute man flu. Hopefully there is enough time for it to run it's course before Sunday.
I'm thinking of using the bag drop this year as Mrs Mac has resigned from bag carrying duties. Some dry clothes to change into might be in order. What time should I aim to be at the bag drop so I can still get to the Arc for 7:45?
BM - C&A (aka Cheap & Awful) should have what you're after. I paid the princely sum of 6 euros for a sweater (that I happen to like so much I kept it - thanks to the support crew last year). Have a look here for the branch nearest your accommodation.
Just a reminder of the best print it yourself pace band on the internet - allows miles or km's, and allows you to factor in a slower start and/or finish:
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Marathon_Pace_Band
TD - take your own advice - the work is done - going for a run with Tinker, while appealing, will do no good. Please don't go.
Thanks Dannir, I was just about to go looking for one of these.
Just finished a 10m run. Lovely morning and everyone on the canal smiling and happy. BUT my Garmin has chosen today to produce some mental data that makes it look like I must have had 7 heart attacks. Average HR 132% of max
! I think that I must have shifted the band when I was shedding a layer of clothing. Clearly its nonsense data but it doesn't help my confidence. Secondly my feet ache, especially the foot where I have a bunion (my feet are a real mess) Its never been a problem before about 18 miles before. I think that I will take pain killers with me on the race. This doesn't feel like a healthy strategy to start out with though.
It all feels like a taper madness conspiracy
Tinkerbell - Thanks for C&A suggestion. A really strict nurse would give TD a good talking to and hide his running shoes
Having two nurses in this group bodes well for some strict, but sensible advice
Nearly time for my last 9 miler, thinking of trying a vest - Welsh Dragon
- kit on day is Welsh dragon vest c Rob on front.
Lots of questions to you Paris veterans - is there an official family meet up area , with letters ABC etc as London Berlin , or is it best to make way to meeting point further away? It's only my second visit to Paris , 1st was equally significant -honeymoon 33yr ago !
Lis there a goody bag c food at end , or should I put banana or butty in my kit bag , how easy is it to find luggage at end ? My first Berlin took me ages!
Pare there official kit bags ? Or do we take own ? Are there number stickersfor should we add own - I do a mean number c parcel tape & indelible pen ...
Will there be a stalking device that can be used on mobiles this year? If there is, let's hope that it is more accurate than last year's attempts.
Thank you all so much for all the useful advice, top tips and general sharing of the stress. By the way why did I not realise about the adding the hour on next week too? It's bad enough today when I woke up tired out through losing an hour and then stressing out bigtime thinking about next week. Then I realised that as I cross to France I lose yet another hour. No no no. I need every ounce of sleep I can muster thanks.
Orbutt - you are an absolute star giving that link to get iron-on letters ordered. I have ordered two lots lest I mess up again. Plus I can use the spare on other shirts.
Les Champs - merci for the compliment, that photo was taken in my 20 mile race a month ago. The longest distance I have run to date I might add.
I have also ordered an extendable pole off ebay as suggested. My family will be sporting the Lincolnshire flag and hopefully be very visible. Looks very eyecatching as I'm sure you'll agree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Lincolnshire
Also ordered 3 different types of running socks from Wiggle thanks to all your recommendations. I didn't notice a problem up till now but last week I ran a half marathon in my newest pair and about 9 miles in I felt that my right foot was slamming into the tarmac such that the ball of my foot was killing me. Lasted quite a while but then mysteriously disappeared. Strange.
So. Hope you're all putting your feet up. I may go for a leisurely swim later. My children are treating me beautifully today so I don't have to cook the Sunday roast. Hooray.
Yeovil Half Marathon accomplished unscathed. Ran with my two mates who were in Rabbit onesies. Such a hot day, one really struggled but we got him round. Plenty of walk breaks, a few opportunities for strides and some light hills. It was an ideal final LSR. 2h22m00s.
Had a fantastic sports massage afterwards too. My legs feel heavenly. They found a really tight sport on one of my calves and the quad on the opposite leg. It was painful and funny for everyone else getting a rub down apparently!
This time next week we'll be done!
There's a thought, next time this week we'll be done...!
Haven't been in much of a mood to think about the race for the past week thanks to being refused a medical certificate by my GP on the grounds I might be anaemic, then being told I might be able to get one if I pay the full medical fee of £117. After a week of panicking I've decided to take matters into my own hands. Enough said.
On the up side, some excellent strapping of my ankle by a physio friend meant I could go out for my first run for weeks. 4 miles nice and easy, nothing much but good for the soul.
Echoing LeEggy nice to hear all the great tips. Emmy's notes were fab. ATM thanks for nos.
TD rest up. Should be a speedy recovery once you get rid of the germs with your level of fitness.
Good luck with the packing everyone!
Sorry to hear that Tricky, you are having a rough old time matey.
15 miler for me to end my 2014 campaign. Cotton wool time...
my Garmin also can't cope with the taper madness has trown a wobbly and won't let me download data... hmph!
last LSR of 10M yesterday incorporating parkrun, worked out well and I even manged a new pb... looks like this training is working!
thanks for all the info and tips, packing list is made up and missing items bought (including a travel kettle!) but hadn't got round to sorting timings, so good to have the tips!
BenignMurmuring - ignore the HR spikes today - it is a failure of the heart strap to deal with the electrostatic combination of the weather and whatever clothing you had on. The data means nothing at all.
Good gracious I couldn't have run today Danni. Just impossible. But I did go alongside on a mountain bike. It didn't raise my HR much but it gave me a chance to actually use my muscles and it feels much better - after 5 days of pretty much sitting down doing nothing, I felt like everything was seized up and aching. My lungs are nowhere near supporting moderate exercise yet, so don't worry, I have no intention of pushing myself. If I can't run next week, I can't run. That's all.
WrexhamRob - there is food after the mara, mainly fruit. I always pack extra grub and drink in a recovery bag anyway. You'll get a plastic sac at the expo and a number to go on it. The bag pick up is pretty easy. As for the family meeting points, even with the lettering system, it's pandemonium, much too crowded. I think it's far more pleasant and simple to arrange a specific meeting point towards the end of Avenue Foch, before you get to the Arc D' Triomphe. You can pick out a spot the day before.
My Garmin won't upload to Garmin Connect either. Anyone else having problems?
Have just uploaded couple of runs, no issues....I've got the 305
Simon - had a similar problem when I changed my laptop recently, I ended up going into settings ant+ computer and turned pairing on, seemed to work for me
Same Q from my side...I am staying at Paris 12er area and using line 6 to arrive at Kleber station, for a short walk to Ave Foch. In theory a 35min metro journey..
My right foot still aches (extensor tendon I believe). Will see a physio tomorrow at 9am, wish me luck.
Less than a week to go...
7:30am at the bag drop. 5mins to drop bag, 10 to walk to arc. Big note: the arc roundabout will be open for traffic. Either take your chances with cars or use underpass on the right (when facing the arc)/north side of start of champs elleysses.
The Hobbit - Desolation of Smaug. Nearly 3 hrs worth of resting. Great stuff. Hope u are better soon TD xxx
Thanks Hatter. My Garmin has sprung to life again without any help from me. Must have been the abuse I gave it this morning.
Thanks RS.
PC - Meh, I'm not thinking about it. And what's this distant cousin nonsense?
Wrexhamrob - you could always stick a 10 euro note in your bag or shorts - there's loads of shops nearby to buy stuff from. There's loads of makeshift takeaway stalls at the far end of the finish funnel near the Arc, but I'd really not advise getting anything from them.