Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Paris Marathon 2014
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Kielder good thanks. Wet, but I bumped into and had a long chat with Steve Cram (who's behind the event).
Me: "Great race you've put on Steve."
Him: "Thanks."
Well, okay, it maybe wasn't that long of a chat, but it beats the time I met Pete Waterman in a public toilet (wasn't a pre-arranged meeting, honest).
Weedy - you need to elaborate on meeting Pete in a toilet... :P Does anyone else have a claim to fame? I know that Jimbob has met with Mel C and Colin Jackson.
I once spilled a drink over the teacher from Glee but had no idea who he was until a bunch of screaming girls followed him.
Pete Waterman story's even duller than the Steve Cram one...
Both of us standing having a number one.
Me: "Hi."
Pete: "Err, hi."
And no, I didn't look
I high fived Mo Farah at last years GNR - kept me on a high for days!
Good on you PF - clearly the right decision.
Ok then, The Cardiff Half. Forgive me as this is going to be a bit of a brain dump and therefore probably self absorbed nonsense.
Firstly, the race itself. I have taken aginst this race, this is the third year I have done it and I associate it with pressure (from myself) so I don't like it. It was my first ever half, then it was the one where I got my first sub 2 last year (pressure) then it was the one where I needed a fast time to start off the sub 4 training ( pressure). It's a nice course, mainly flat, very congested. With 19000 runners it's second to GNR in size now.
I've had a hip adductor problem for the last week so I wasn't feeling great. Left leg feeling painful and unstable. My lovely massage therapist saw me on saturday afternoon (well he's not lovely, he's a sadistic git but he came in to see me on saturday so he's currently lovely) and patched me up enough to be able to run.
I was over the line (with Pottermoss who I had caught peeing on the castle walls) in under 4 minutes, first mile was horrendously congested and it didn't really get much better all the way round to be honest. It was only in the last mile I felt like I had enough space to get my pace on. There's a hill at mile 3 but that's fine because it's early on. The comedy small ones both in mile 12 are a different matter!
By the time I got to mile 4 I was feeling the heat - it was boiling yesterday. About 18 degrees at 9.30 am...and it just got hotter. Blazing sun, not much shade. Everything I hate. My mental state was atrocious - all I had going round my head for the entire effing race was "This isn't going to be good enough to even dare think of a sub 4 in Paris". Which is helpful. I didn't seem to have the wherewithall to knock those thoughts out of my head.
Pace wise I was pretty consistent. Looking at my garmin stats I slowed a bit in the last couple of miles, but not significantly. I had fuelled well, but by the time I got to 11k I could feel a blister starting on my inner right foot - a sure sign I was foot striking in my old gait. I suspect I was guarding my adductor and the photos Nick took of me at mile 11 confirm that - the upper body twist that I thought I had got rid of was back, which explains why my left arm was hurting all the way round too. As far as I am aware I haven't run like that for a long time but that has added to my general feeling of crapness about yesterday.
Overall, it was shite. Really shite. I wanted a 1:57, I came in short of that. I realise a pb is something to be celebrated and that I am being very unkind to myself but right now I'm tired, fed up, injured and completely daunted. I'll get over it, but right now I am ready to hang up my shoes. Oh the drama....
Andy W - both
It's a gorgeous city with some fabulous architecture, iconic sights and great support - in the bits that are well supported.
There are two sections through the parks at around km 9-19 and km 33-42 which aren't too well supported. The last one could benefit from more support.
There are 4 tunnels - which are fun to run through - but the exit hill, while not long, can be hard on the legs.
Aside from that it's pretty much as flat as a very flat thing.
There can be the usual 'big city marathon' congestion but generally, there is enough room to get past people.
So, PB - go for it - but don't forget to look around.
YM - reading that report makes me think you will have no problem with sub 4! All the negatives yet you still pb'd. Long time to go before Paris so rest up, let your injuries recover and then fingers crossed for a good training period.
YM - Take a few days, rest, sort out your niggles and come back. You will achieve sub 4 in Paris and you have plenty of time to do it and train. You did amazing to achieve a PB and if you were mentally struggling - that's a tough enough thing in itself to overcome.
Having not run since last Wednesday I'm desperate to get out and do some miles. Will be running tonight but planning on fairly easy runs this week in prep for the half on sunday. Is there much benefit on doing a little speed work say tomorrow or Wednesday?
None whatsoever, Trev. Nice and easy if you have a race at the weekend...
Agree with YM. Take it easy and relax. I''m hopefully going to be doing a jaunt with the runners from work who apparently i've scared sh**less about running with me. I'm nice and friendly, right?
You are both of those things....amongst others....
Thanks YM and Emmy. Think I already knew the answer but having not trained as well as I planned is easy to feel you want to squeeze more in before the race.
yer_maj, no one died and you now have the sub-4-or-die-winter-training-T-shirt-to-beat-all. It will make you feel better, run faster and let you speak in tongues...
You'll get fed up being fed up, pretty soon. We can wait.
Sounds like it has been a good weekend of running, it certainly has been nice weather up here in the North West.
Great race on Saturday at the Rivington Trail half near Horwich great scenic course around the reservoirs and not as hilly as I expected, a nice introduction into trail racing.
Then spent Sunday watching RunningRaRa and everybody else in the Chester Marathon, looks a well organised event (apart from the carpark) I'm sure RaRa will be along when she's recovered to dissect her race.
Sorry you didn't enjoy Cardiff as much as I did yer_maj. I agree that the early parts were quite congested and a wave start would probably have been more suitable. The hill at 12 was crap timing! But you can still train up for sub 4! My Asics reckons on my performance my predicted time should be 4:05 and yours will probabnbly be just shy of that as your VDOT is probably a bit higher than mine. So call that 4.02 and thats a mere 5s a mile difference to make up on race day. You can still do it!
Well done to everyone else racking this weekend! My next one is the Weston Super Mare Christmas Cracker 10k on 15th December, so I'm doing some speed work before I start my 16 week (I think its actually more like 15) training plan in a desparate bid to have a good crack at training for sub 4. THough after my fade yesterday I'm probably going to go for sub 4:15 target. Paris is my first mara so in truth I'll just be happy to finish!
Andy - Congratulations on the PB. Any PB is always hard earned.
On that note yer_maj you have plenty of time to start get training and work towards your sub 4. One thing to note when ever we push for a PB or something that is at at the extremes of our performance the slightest thing can cause us issues. You ran a PB with an injury/niggle. That will have cost you time. I think unless you're new to running, or have started training much more seriously in terms of intensity and time commitment then expecting improvements when not 100% is unlikely.
I'm going to enter the Templeton 10 which is at the begining of next month. I'll get to chase a lovely young woman through the woods, and by chase I mean be left in her dust!
Yer Maj: just imagine what you could achieve in a clear, obstacle free half. Hit 21 degrees here in Jersey yesterday at 9.30, by the time I got home was 24 degrees & rising so oh so much the right decision. But nothing went wrong just very unenjoyable and I know that if I had got to half way on the course would have run to the end and probably have suffered and still hated it
. Yer Maj you're fab and will stonk another course ...... remember to enjoy
.
Great reports folks - a mixed day of running by all accounts...
YM - you were carrying an injury, it was hot, it was congested, and mentally you wre miles away from 'being in the zone.' That lot probably cost you 5 minutes at least. So don't you dare hang up those running shoes.
Anyone fancy a a bracing 5k in Edinburgh in January? Defender Ken put the idea in my head...I blame him. It's on Arthur's Seat so cold, windy and not at all flat....* I should sell insurance...* It's http://www.greatrun.org/events/event.aspx?id=2
Yeah Yer_Maj: Drama Queen
Good call on joining in with the supporters Pri-Fi, especially after your near death experience. Glad you can see all the fun in it and aren't taking it just a little bit too seriously (like claiming a HM in 1h58 is WAY OFF your target of 1:57) - hypothetical example.
ATM - I can say without a doubt that I do not fancy a 5k race in Edinburgh in January. I'm too skinny. I would certainly croak if I had to put shorts and a vest on in those conditions. I aim to take full advantage of the winter duvet that Maus is threatening to buy soon.
I'm sure with a good winter training plan you'll be set for sub four or die
Runners world and Macmillan calculaters both say I should be circa 3:36 for the marathon ,, they've obviously not seen the way I collapse during the second half of the marathon , it's all about heart and desire Kate , two things you have in abundance , so don't worry about being slightly under pace when you've still got six months training to get through , I'm sure you'll coast it and be bragging in cocorans all bloody night about getting under four
If I get under 4 I'll be on the table making a speech. You have been warned.
Ooh.. who wants to be the csttle prodder behind yermaj to get her sub 4
Scott - it sounds like you need to work on your endurance... i hsve a great workout for you
I am going to chase your arse around Paris. That'll sort your endurance quick smart, I'll wager
So that's me, DefenderJo and ATM entered for the Great Winter Run, Jan 11th.
My mapping software shows its 458 feet of ascent in the first mile, which is twice the height climbed yesterday over the whole 13 miles..........it might be malfunctioning though.
One of my running friends who just ran the Great North Run in 1:36 and has done marathons said "Great Winter Run? Never again, hardest thing I've ever done"
Selling was never my strongest point, but have I sold it to any of the other Scottish contingents?