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Paris Marathon 2014
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5 days off here And two LSR's to do - one tomorrow and one Friday. Wish I could say I was excited at the prospect!
Welcome everyone, Paris is great and I am gutted that I cannot do it next year. You will get lots of advice here - some relevant to running some not!- so stick around and join in the fun!
HiaHS - Loch Ness will be a doddle!
I know a few folk who have gotten their best times there - hopefully we will be added to that list! Remember to train for the downhills as well as the up, personally I think they take more out of your legs.
Emmy - late hugs. Enjoy your midweek day off.
1T - good luck with the canal run tomorrow.
Hello all and welcome to the new people! Lots of excitement for 2015 already - I fear Paris may be my nemsis so I'm going to try a few others and look for 2016.
I've been off for a while as got laser eye surgery - such a weird feeling now not having glasses / struggling with contacts! Sadly the surgery was the same day as London ballot and so I complteely forgot about it (I've entered for three years with no luck, so was hoping the odds were in my favour). Thinking of doing it for charity, but as people know I love running, I feel I should also do another challenge so I feel more justified in asking people for money, so I'm thinking London and then an ultra shortly after (maybe around 30-35 miles, so not a huge amount more than marathon training). Anyone done anything similar? I would just try Paris again but I think I need to wait a while before going back after the horrific weekend this year!
Hope everyone is good and looking forward to the Bank Holiday!! I'm STILL injured (not been able to run since mid March and the disaster of Paris 2014), but trying to keep my chin up and not worry too much - much better I'm completely better rather than make it worse.
It's taken two days of reading but I've finally caught up with the end of this thread. Hello to all new forumites signed up to Paris or considering the baffling French website.
Belated congratulations to RR - I loved your Boston race report......sounds like a tough, TOUGH, race though and I'm a bit of a wimp on the hills. Hmmmm.
Well done Emmy in Dusseldorf, I was thinking of you as I puffed my way round Hannover. I can't believe you only ran your first marathon in 2012! Really?!
Kaz - nutter.
Say no more.
Scott - ouch.
Hope the calf recovers very soon.
I've totally lost track of all the other things I meant to mention.....erm, Spitfire, yikes!! Unbelievable story.....I don't even know if I have a EHIC. I hope all is sorted swiftly for you.
So....late race report on Hannover marathon last Sunday. The full marathon is a relatively small field (2000 runners) but makes up part of a much larger event involving a half marathon, relay marathon, inline skating marathon etc etc. As a result it caters for a large field of runners (think portaloos), draws big crowds, has excellent support and a 'big race' atmosphere about it. The marathon starts earlier than the other races and as such there were only 5 people ahead of me in the queue for a portaloo!! A measley 5!! Can you believe it?! I was in portaloo heaven - if there is such a place.
Anyway, it was a beautiful sunny morning.....bit too warm for running, but great for supporters. The course is mainly flat and takes you through some lovely scenery, along a lake, around the historic old town, through beautiful gardens.....there was lots of lolly-gagging to be had along the way and I made the most of it whilst trying not to trip over (a personal speciality - still no improvement in nerve damage to face 6 weeks ago).
I set out at an ambitious 7:50 pace but after Paris just 3 weeks before this was a bit of a mistake.....by mile 10 I was feeling tired. Mile 10 for goodness sake! The water was supplied every 5km but in plastic cups....so I only achieved one gulp at each aid station before wearing the rest down my t-shirt. Waterproof mascara......never race without it.
Ignoring tiredness and dehydration issues I managed to cling on to my 7:50 pace for 21 miles but then started to slip back. The marathon course kept merging with the half marathon 'back of the pack crowd', bless their hearts, so instead of suffering congestion at the start of the race, it was a major issue for the last 5 miles when I was absolutely pooped and starting to hallucinate.
Despite Garmin, pace band and KM markers along the course I totally lost track of how far I had to go and stumbled over the finish line thinking I still had 2.2 miles to go. Lord, was I relieved it was over! Nothing hurt exactly....I was just tired of running.
It seems I was not the only runner to find it tough going. My OH tried to get a tram from the 11km point to the next cheering point and could barely get on; all three carriages were rammed with DNFs who'd abandoned the race already. Incidentally, most of them were wearing their 'finisher' t-shirts from the expo (always the kiss of death, no?).
The result...... Well despite my best endeavours I didn't manage to beat my Paris time. A whole 40 seconds slower at 3:30:23. I was, however, 18th woman to cross the darn line, so I've decided I'll take it and be happy to have clung on when the going got tough.
Would I do it again? Non. But only because there are other races to do. It's a perfectly pleasant race if you're not knackered from a previous marathon.
Have I signed up for Par
Have I signed up for Paris 2015? Hell yes! Wouldn't miss it for the world.
Congratulations Pickalilly!
Great time again, but that sounded tough. Really glad to hear you'll be back in Paris next spring, but why did I think you were going to be doing Boston then?
Because she could
.
Picklelilly - Great race report. Amazingly consistent running over both marathons.
Have registered for Paris 2015 very excited looking forward to all advice from here x have been injured for last week hurt " facet " joint in back ( think that is how u spell it ) having Physio so hopefully back running soon x suppose to be doing Cardiff Bay 5 mile on Monday and Porthkerry 5 the following Sunday !?! Will see how it goes x i am definitely going to meet up with u all pre and post marathon in Paris x
BM and ACP - The metronome thing DOES work, very well. And the results in your times will be amazing, at least they were for me.
I used a Metronome - ATM sent me through a brilliant guide on changing music tempo but I found the metronome was much clearer and more obvious.
My tip would be to increase gradually. So if your usual cadence is 150, then set the metronome to 155 for a week and get used to that. Then up it to 160. Then 165. You get my drift.
I'm now averaging over 170 on all my runs except recovery jogs, without a metronome. Not only are my times faster, but my recovery is quicker too. I've also now ditched the music altogether and learned just to take in the surroundings. Its been such a revelation for me.
I'd advocate it to anyone!
Wow I have finally caught up on all the posts x
RR THE Boston marathon sounds amazing def want to do an American Marathon on my bucket list x
Defender Ken I am doing the Cardiff half too just entered love the route have u done it before
I stayed in Monmarte found an apartment from trip advisor was brilliant x quiet street 2 min walk from metro x
Information notes from ATM invaluable x
so many new people u will love it x welcome x
this year was my first and I ran to enjoy the atmosphere not for a specific time but I have put myself down for the "Gris" pen this time x
felt I would have benefitted from doing a 22 or 24 mile long run in training only did 19 ( but with hills) and this time I will do at least a 22 xxx
loving all the comments x
where do u find a metronome is it an app on your phone ?
Mine looks like that, Mrs. B. £9.99 , Amazon..
Found metronome app for phone set it at 155 bum flip that is quick !?
ATM does it clip on anywhere ? Think I must run slowly after listening to my app ?!
Ordered Advanced Marathon Training Guide got Tenby in July so hopefully that will help x
Yes...it's a clip thingy...That photo makes it look huge
It's not. You can also change it to pulse...less annoying.
Great will have a look xx thank u x
I've been struggling with the cadence thing aswell,the lowest I can get it is about 170,usually about 166-168.Feels to much like shuffling.
Still not entered at the reduced rate. Decisions decisions. How much was full price ticket last year?
Stop dithering 15W. You know it makes sense!
I've got my metronome set at 160 which seems pretty fast but manageable. I'm hoping to increase it gradually. I just want to improve my ability to change 'gear'. Apparently people who have seen me run say I'm very one paced!
The pricing format is completely new for next year. The standard sale price is now 109 euros.
Jokeybhoy - Good to hear you are back out running. Just take care though if you are still encountering some pain on your runs. Maybe an extra bit of rest might not be the worst idea.
Jokeybhoy - I reckon faster cadence and the midfoot-strike that should come with it will help a lot with ITB and 'runner's knee' issues like ours. You still doing all your exercises?
Weedy - I'll throw my hat in the ring for a couple more races this year! 29th June - Torbay Half, 7th Sept - Cheltenham Half, 28th Sept - Loch Ness Marathon.
Oh I forgot I had one of those ATM.....Maybe I should go look for it.
Pickleliily - Great report, and brilliant running! Well done.
Anyone recommend any decent 10ks in the southern area in July/August?
Cheers
Benign: I'm still doing them once a week but I'm going to start doing them as often as I can.I tried to up the cadence today.it defo felt better on my legs,it just felt strange as if I was taking really small steps and my HR was really high due to the extra effort.
agentpenguin - two quality events, doing them both myself. Are you local?
Don't know of any august/july 10k's. Did you consider the Kidlington 5K series around the Oxfordshire villages in those months....sounds like a doddle but they're tough events.
Hi all,
Sorry to parachute in on the thread.....but I was wondering how you all found the Paris marathon, I have a ballot place for 2015 and wondered if it was worth the trip?
I have heard some interesting things about the fuel and water stops being pretty hectic?
Also, how flat is the course, does it have PB potential?
Thanks in advance and well done to all on the running, great work!!
Finally caught up, so many lovely new people
Paris was my first marathon this year amd it was amazing, as was the advice and general moral support, shared experience and of course wit of people on this thread. I did a 20, 21 and 22 mile LSR. I planned to follow a P&D plan, but didn't have time, or probably commitment I guess, to follow it. I took the principles and did stick to the long runs, which gave me a result entirely in line with my training. I'm hoping to improve on 4:49 in Chester this October.
In the meantime I'm going to give trail running a go, despite my difficulty with hills, living in very flat coastal Lancashire. Hoping this will toughen me up as well as make me even more enthusiatic.
I won't make Paris next year. Hoping for a London place but if not I'll go for Manchester or just head 5 miles or so up the road to Blackpool. For those of you going for the first time, you'll have a ball.
For the list, weedy, Accrington coppice 5 mile fell race 18 June.
Fell race? What the hell am I letting myself in for?