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Paris Marathon 2014
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KeyserSuze - I've put my name down for the ballot thingy. I love the course, even the tunnel was OK because its fairly short (there's a mile long one I run in locally but it has piped strings, not disco). I loved the mix of urban and wood and riverside. It was also less congested that I'd expected, except in the Eiffel Tour to B de B stretch.
I'm sure I've got a faster marathon in me although I'm wary of basing all my happiness on getting a PB. I hope enjoying the race will always be paramount for me. I can really see the benefit of the even split or negative split thing - it was great to still feel good at the end.
So I'll still be blabbering on for another year yet at least
Hatter... I'm contemplating Stratford. I got my PB there last year and so I reckon, with a slightly less warm day that sub four is mine. There's a couple of hills (same hill twice) but the fabulous greenway for miles and miles. I do love a compacted old railway line... My previous PB was on the White Peak marathon which is the same sort of thing.
i have slightly cheered up today. The car wash has managed to get a massive silver paint scratch out of my bumper which is great and I had a lovely day with the minis. Could I have gone 2:47 mins quicker on Sunday though...
get well tinker bel, no good feeling poorly.
what I keep coming back to is the congested water stops - I carry my own bottle but the heat meant I had to get some at each stop, the ridiculous orange peel idea and the walking... If you walk pull over to the side. I spent so much time dodging people. I enjoyed the woods of death, I was going pretty well at the point. Emmy - it was me that said hello and that it was looking a bit tight. So maybe I'm just feeling a bit gutted still that on a cooler day it would have worked out. I think I made my silver goal though.
Stuchbury
I know the area well I have my 10k PB at stratford. I appear to have developed a bit of a cold today
but still hope to be at circuit training tomorrow and running 10 or so at the weekend. I have several friends doing the half so going to see what the weather looks like and how I feel nearer the time. Agree with you about water stops, ended up using my arms as a barrier to stop people cutting across me and felt there should have been water at the end before medals and shirts as I was desperate for a drink !
All in all i thought it was a well organised and enjoyable event and have been raving about it back home !
I live. Just.
This illness has hit like a steam train. I went to bed feeling sore and poorly and I woke every half hour or hour through the night, getting gradually worse.
It's wonderful to hear everybody's stories from the weekend. Mine isn't nearly so interesting. It was a tough day, I gave it everything I had and I managed my bronze time and missed my PB by 16 seconds. If only I hadn't stopped for a Bristol break (as somebody else has so delicately described it).
I agree, Stuchbury, the drink stations were very congested. It has not been like that in past years.
Considering I wobbled to the start line, I'm very pleased to have finished. I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as previous years, but I've got my own brain to talk to about those issues!
Long distance running is a wonderful thing. It always challenges you to learn and discover yourself. Seeing everybody else's efforts is truly inspirational and there were wonderful displays of humanity everywhere you looked this weekend.
Nurse TD is doing a wonderful job. Not least because he looks rather fetching in a nurse's costume too!
Weedy: I'll just continue my recovery as planned and see how my training is going when I reach the Loch Ness deadline,1st of July I think.If I'm behind I'll just turn my attention to the 10k.
Hi Axel. Haven't heard of any of the problems being fatal.
Yer Maj - hip okay?
Kaz - foot okay?
I'm another one who hated the DJs in the tunnels. Felt like I was about to throw up. I've written to the French president to complain about them. I'll let you know what he says.
PC - I hit my gold medal target at Pasta Papas - carbonara. Was v nice.
BM - get your friend back as well.
Tink - Didn't realise you were that close. Gutted for you. But considering your training and build-up and the conditions on the day, you'd have smashed it to smithereens if everything had gone right.
Jokeybhoy - stick around and we'll let you know what the plans are for Loch Ness meet-up if you want to say hello.
Jokeybhoy - hail! hail! Really good of you to ask about me. Yes, Suzy and I completed it and had a ball. Every video seems to show us chatting or messing about. First time I've ever seen marathon photos where I'm smiling.
I liked the disco tunnels. Made the big one far more tolerable than in previous years. Also liked the fact that every other band was drum themed - much more inspiring than some of the crooners.
I thought the disco tunnels were pretty cool. Didn't like the bit after that though!
Speaking of London, where will the stool contingent be? Mr KS and I are coming down to cheer. I'm looking forward to paying some supporter dues!
Emmy, there are some cracking 'Call me maybe' photos of us in the official photos, hehe.
excellent to see some more pre-registrants! Yay!
Heroine - I've messaged you
Lol HinHS.... Drag it out as long as possible!
Complained about the heat on Sunday, first foot out of the plane today and f*** its freezing. Fire, oil heating and sitting wrapped in a blanket. 5 degrees outside. Brrrrr.
Rob/Suzy - missed you after the race.
jokey - met your wife, but not sure I met you.... Sorry!
Geen looking for events closer to home, but not many marathons to choose from - lochaber? Simon your opinion please? And another question I want to ask but do nit want to appear dumb - do I really need A road/racer bike for duathlon events??
Kaz1 - no need for a road bike for duathlon, seen many people doing them and tris on mountain bikes, go for it you will love it
Evening all. I've been a bit quiet on here - not because I haven't been reading all your posts, but because I literally didn't know what to say in response to all the stories and hearing some truly inspirational, as well as heartbreaking, experiences.
So this evening I did the only thing I could do in response. I put on last year's Paris t-shirt, and laced up my shoes. And as the sun went down over London, I did 7 miles of hill reps in salute to every one of you who crossed the start line on Sunday, whether your race went better than you ever expected, or worse than you could ever have imagined, and all the stories in between. Proud to know you all.
Weedy - my friend Dyanne does indeed intend to return to Paris with me next year. She is building up to a full Ironman before she is 30. Or should that we Ironwomen? We now have a bit of a history of her signing up for everything that I enter and then thrashing me.
HinHS - Mr BM has clearly already been mentally writing a list of things for me to do now that I'm not training for a marathon
Appalled by his lack of empathy 
Went for a recovery run with the club tonight. Really I there went just to show off and to encourage the recommencement of stool production. That Imodium is just too damn good
Ahhhh... RR, thanks. I had a really great conversation with a non-running very good friend of mine today. She asked how I was today and I said so so... and then she completely understood about the not getting under the four hours. Her husband had said it was really good and she'd corrected him in saying but I wanted to get under four and wouldn't be happy in not doing so. How well she knows me.
Anyone else completed the survey email that arrived today? I laughed at the pistachio question, not quite as much as I laughed at the packet of them with the picture of Mark Cavendish on the front. Really Cav? You don't earn enough at Omega?! I am eating the pistachios now. Clearly that is where I went wrong... if I'd eaten them before the race then who knows...?
Kaz - with you on the temperature! It is freezing here too!
Kaz - I really enjoyed Lochaber but it couldn't be more different to Paris. Very quiet (about 300 runners), out and back on open roads. No support! Pretty flat and has good PB potential. I was lucky with the weather - sunny, no wind, 0 - 5 degrees. No midges! And there is a Travel Inn 1 minute walk from start/finish.
And, as Hatter says, any bike will do for a Duathlon so give it a go. Practise the bike-run transition though....
Lurking for a while. first ever marathon, feel pretty bummed as I walked the last 5 with knee injury, real low point walking across the finish line. 4:58 In the end I know everyone says its the completing but having walked I can't say I feel that, feels a massive anti climax.
tired legs2: it's always a let down if we don't achieve our goals. Use that feeling to examine why that occurred. Were they realistic? Did you train properly? Did you eat and sleep properly? If the answer to all those questions is yes, then feel proud that you did all you could do and it just wasn't the day. If you answer no to some of them, then use that on which to base your future changes. But, and I really mean this, you finished your first marathon and that is a huge achievement! Feel proud in yourself, you've earned it.
When I was fretting over exam results in medical school, my father pulled me aside and said "do you know what they call the guy who finishes right at the bottom of your class? - they call him Doctor". The same applies here - you are a marathoner. No one asks nor cares about how much you walked or how fast you ran.
Tired legs2 - everything that Dannirr just said. My first marathon was a similar time to yours, walking loads and aching all the way. I know I'm moaning about missing a sub four - but look on that as a bit of positivity for you... the first one is the hardest but you've done the distance now, doesn't matter that you walked some of it. You have completed a marathon. Not many people can do that you know. Well done - you're amazing. And next time (there will be a next time, they're a bit addictive you know!) you'll go faster, and the great thing about marathons is you'll knock a massive chunk of time off because you'll have learnt from the things that didn't go so well this time.
Be proud - you have a medal, a t-shirt and funny walk to prove you're the greatest.
Thanks all for asking after me! I grossly underestimated the Metro and missed the Arc by about 5 minutes. Then the Mrs surprised me with an evening riverboat cruise and bistro dinner in front of La Tour Eiffel! She's a good egg
Firstly I'm sorry to see so many tales of woe
it was a bloody hot day with no hint of rain and it was tough going. That said, as has been alluded too, I'm on cloud nine still. Been busy with 2 days hobbling round Disneyland explaining the AWOL!
The first 18 miles I have to say I massively enjoyed! So much support it was unreal! Saw the stool flags at I think Bastille (thanks guys!), but wearing the GB vest got me so much support throughout the course I couldn't believe it. I managed to largely stick to game plan. Around 9m/m and even had the audacity to catch up and slow down when I missed a split. I played a blinder those first 18. Garmin started going a bit screwy after the first 18 though and had to revert to pace band. Saw Orbutt on the other side of the road (name on the back of his shirt) at some point along the seine after the disco tunnel) but was too far away to say hello. The disco tunnel was fantastic! And I have to say, the entertainment en route was just fabulous. I really enjoyed every pace of that first 18 miles. The missus was at every 6 miles giving me something to look forward to and these were perfect for me. Shame I didn't have her at 24 - more on that in a bit!
18 to 22 were obviously tougher but I managed to keep my pace there or thereabouts. Slowed up a bit. Water stops became tougher as people were falling by the wayside. It became tougher as I spent so much time weaving around people. Latched onto a fellow Brit for a few miles here too and we kept each other honest. Toward the 22 mile mark I started flagging. Mentally I was saying 'just one more mile at this pace and I'll let you finish with 9.30s...' And it seemed to work.
22-24 was utter carnage. Runners were falling by the wayside left right and centre. The last water stop was a standstill. I had to hydrate and fight through them and managed to clear through it OK, just.
24-finish was just a blur. I'd been responding to every cheer of 'Matty' for the whole race, but from this point I could barely raise a hand. Looking at my watch my pace had dropped. With half to go it was touch and go if I'd hit my target. When I passé the last sign I just gave it everything I had left. I crossed the finish line rocking the mobot and then stopped the watch. An unconfirmed sub 4 by about 40 seconds. It was enough I had decided that the chip time would be near enough to class it as 'goal achieved'.
Then I laughed. Then I cried. Then a mixture of both for the next 10 minutes as I made my way through the finish chute. I saw the missus who had been tracking me, along with my dad in the UK, with the app.
Final time of 3h59m12s. In the process I passed over 9000 people. I can't describe the elation I felt, it was like nothing I have ever experienced!
Thank you all for your support advice and encouragement on this thread. I couldn't have done it without you. Quite literally, every time I started flagging a bit I focused on my cadence. That got me through it!
The last 2 days my legs have somehow, painful gotten me through 2 x 12 hour Disney days and they still hurt. I suspect they will for a few days yet.
But on the other hand they did manage to get me down on one knee in front of the Disney castle... And she even said yes!
Anyway, we fly home tomorrow and I will catch up more on everyone's stories when I can.
Thanks again everyone for everything!
Congratulations Matty! As if the stories weren't already heartwarming enough.
Back to work tomorrow, taking my medal of course. The airport was great, little nods and thumbs up between the t shirt wearers. Legs much less stiff today although I also woke Monday with a bruised ankle? Will rest for a few days but certainly ready to look out for marathon number 2.
This thread has really helped so thank you all.
Other dates for the list:
23 April Birthday
18 May St.Annes tri
13 July Lytham windmill half
9 Nov Lytham Windmill 10k