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Sub 3:30 - Malcolm Barbour - Vote for me - ASICS262
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Is Liz McColgan Scottish then?
Tim - ha ha
DS2 - I'm quite shocked as you might have gathered. It has still made zero difference to my vote count.
Mr P - ha, yes apparently she has a hint of Scot in her, just a hint
Hi Malcs! How are you doing? Congrats on all the support you are receiving!
How was your first marathon? And have you improved a lot your time ever since? 3:33 is an amazing time!!!
Best of luck!!!
Hi isabelabos - you're up late too then?
I'm having to catch up with work missed by spending all day on the forums and Twitter!
I'm currently last in my group so I need to get a move on. But you're doing brilliantly, any tips? Feel free to pass a few votes my way
My first marathon was London in 2008. I was really well trained - at least I felt I was. I had no injuries either. However, I made a big error on pre race carbo loading and in race refuelling.
I didn't do proper carbo loading - I merely had a few big pasta meals. That isn't enough. Then during the race I drank too much and didn't have any gels whatsoever.
I was going great until 20 miles and then I hit the wall badly. I felt sick, I had spasms and tunnel vision and I could hardly move one foot in front of the other. I crawled home in 4:20.
Next one I did 4:04 I think, then I hit 3:59 for the next 4. It was only after learning from people on these forums and by following the Asics 5 that I managed to make the break to 3:33. That, I have to say, was the best feeling ever!
I told you before that your first is the best and despite mine ending badly I still think it was amazing. Everything is new. The training, the build up, the race itself. And up to 20miles it had been fantastic. You won't make those kind of mistakes I'm sure!
Hi Malcs! Yes, up late too
hehehe, I hope you don't have to stay up till very late, 
I keep my fingers crossed and you have received votes from Spain too 
And there is still plenty of time so best of luck!
Many thanks for the tips. I think moving from 4:04 to 3:59 is amazing and that shows very good technique. So I will try to learn that too.
Auch, I think I had the same mistake as you on my first (and only) marathon. I thought pasta was enough so I just had a fairly big plate of pasta the day before the race. I didn't have proper breakfast either. For the race, I had raisins every 20 min and I think that helped but I am willing to try gels and see.
Running a marathon in 3:59 seems really impossible for me at this moment! Not to say 3:33!
Yes, I think the first race is the best one. Well, I haven't run the second one yet, but I am preparing for my second half in March next year and I think the preparation is a bit different. I am looking forward to this race, it is the Monaco run in March so the weather will be great and the scenery too!
Good night!
Isabel
Really hope this whole thing is not stressing you out to much malcs.
It Does look like it is a whos got the most friends competition. Especially as individuals can vote more than once!
Hi Reg, how the devil are you?
Malcs- I agree with Reg and everyone else, it's getting to be a joke. Most of the others haven't even posted on the forum for over 24 hours....
I agree Clive and Reg! it isn't even about how many friends you have - but simply how wide you can cast your net!
i hope RW haven't shot themselves in the foot by saying it's only about the vote. Quite honestly if people can't be bothered to engage at this time why should we support them if they get through?
To be fair, I think whoever wins this category will engage and probably stay on the forums long after so I will follow and support the winner of this category!
if anyone wants to see how the power of the forums can help people progress the example of Choisty (Lee) from two years ago. He ran his first marathon in about 6 hours and his Paris one in 2:40ish. He still posts regularly.
Morning all.
Well it's hotting up in our category for sure. I was up late trying loads of things and managed to add a handful of votes.
However, it looks like there's a battle for first place emerging as Marcus has had a storming night and is now only a few votes off the lead. Very impressive!
Re. the forums. There isn't much incentive to post this year. However, despite this all the people in my group (and in others too) have made an effort. It's quite difficult to maintain though when nobody pays you much attention. I know what it was like last year when most of the time we were just posting to each other.
I'm very lucky this year that I have you lot to come and keep me company
Yeah, that's probably true, but the best reads last year were from the people that engaged at this stage ie. RRR and Ady.
dont give up yet mate. If 20 of your biggest supporters could canvas 20 votes each this weekend it could make all the difference! The others have slowed down a bit!
One finalists had got a retweet from paula radcliffe, prob by saying that he'd support asthma uk. Try that malcs, pick a big charity to support and get them to get votes for you.
DS2 - thanks, yes you never know. I'm away all weekend though so I won't be able to do much myself.
Reg - yes I saw that. I have been pinging famous scots and as you may have seen got an RT from Liz McColgan!
I'd prefer to keep charity stuff separate from this but appreciate you coming up with ideas.
isabelabos - sorry not much time to answer you now but I'm certain with the proper race prep you will see a big difference. Get all the little things right and it will all work for you on the day.
Monaco will be amazing I'm sure! Lucky you!
I'll get campaigning for you later.
One finalists had got a retweet from paula radcliffe, prob by saying that he'd support asthma uk. Try that malcs, pick a big charity to support and get them to get votes for you.
To be honest I think its a bit ridiculous this year with all the focus on social media and growing the awareness of Asics and RW.
At the end of the day we should all be talking about running and training, as these threads are meant to be about helping each other improve and stay motivated. All thats happening is talk of voting. You have no idea what any of the winners threads will actually be like if they get through, and little insight into their own running. Obviously there are exceptions like you Malcs as you've been on the forum for a while.
Just my opinion, just hope that the people who do get through take the time to use the forum to tell us about their training regularly.
Well said AW! I realised this morning that no one seems to be talking about the runs they've done this week. That would be the best insight as to what to expect!
how are you AW? Is your running still going from strength to strength. I missed your posting after it finished. That was the one I followed most and read daily. Probably because it was more in the area of where I was trying to train, although a fair bit slower.
Have you kept a similar training pattern?
Good Thanks DS2, been a very up and down summer as other things have taken over a bit at times. Still roughly same structure to running and still improving, but not as much as I'd hoped by this time.
I know this voting bit was difficult enough last year, but with the added pressure of tweeting, facebooking live vote counter etc etc its just mental!
Sometimes it takes some time to consolidate the improvements and when other things get in the way improvements can be slow, but you proved last year that you can adapt and make leaps forward.
I understand your sentiment. I was really hoping to go for Sub 3 at VLM in 2014 but six months injured have put paid to that. I'll be delighted to keep my GFA to be honest.
Are you running a spring marathon?
Taking eldest daughter hockey later and will try to get some votes there. Then at a dinner party tonight so should find another 10 there. The host is a runner so she'll help!
Hi Malcs, thanks for your note and advice, very much appreciated
I think I will try to set my goal at 1:55, learn from the advice provided here and fight for it 
A.W - I agree there is very little insight into our threads if get through and that these threads are meant to motivate and help. In my case I am trying to read as much as I can because I am new to this, and it has been this year when I realized I could very much improve my running and I hope that, if I am selected, I can make a good contribution. And I really think it will be the same from the people of my group. Meanwhile, trying to read and learn as much as possible from amazing runners here so thanks for sharing your stories.
Good luck again Malcs!!
(out of lurker status for a second)
Good luck malc s I hope you win it for the lurkers, as I know I follow your tips on here from last year and also through out the year as you are a regular poster. Your a really genuine helpful and knowledgable person and deserve to be included in the asics paris run as you were so supportive of Shady when he beat you last time
All the very best from a lurker
Isabelabos, whateveer happens, it's definitely worth staying on the forums. I only started on them around this time last year, and in that time I've slashed big chunks off all my pbs, and made some great friends. I met DS2 at the Halstead marathon, and he gave me loads of advice leading up to it, which meant I took 15 minutes off my best, and I was recovering from injury thru much of that training.
i joined Malcs and many of the other bootcampers from last year at TR24 and had a whale of a time, and this morning,I got a new pb in Colchester castle Parkrun, and for the first time ever in any race,I was FIRST LADY
so, the forums are worth their weight in gold
Woo woo woo, Angela! That is brilliant! You are making massive strides forward.
Hi Angela,
Congrats on being first lady!!!
Absolutely! 
I am staying on the forums whatever happens, and I think it is the same for many of us. And stories like yours give a good reason to stay!
Hi Isabelabos,
It's not you guys in the comp doing anything wrong, its just how the competition is set up this year. Last year, the enthasis was on comunicating with others on the forum and giving everyone a feel for who you are and what your goals and motivations were to gather votes. This year its more about gathering votes by casting the net far and wide by whatever means.
Like Angela says, whatever happens do stick around the forums as there is so much good advice and support on here.
DS2 - London as have GFA from Paris. I've had the odd spot of bother with injury too, but only weeks thankfully not months like you've unfortunately had.
Thanks DS2, we won't mention that many of the club runners weren't there because of the XC leagues going on. Although I beat one of the Colchester harriers and she was encouraging me to come along to their training sessions... I might pop along next week
isabelabos, i'll pop onto ur thread to ask u some questions.... Thanks for the
Well done Angela, so what is the time I have to beat then
AW - I guess injuries are just part and parcel of the sport and the more we push the training the more susceptable to injury we are. Having said that, I didn't seem to pick up too many injuries 20 years ago so must be because I'm old!!
anyhow I am on the way back and looking forward to running London on my 50th! Are you hoping to PB there?
Hi Mr P, it wasn't a 5k pb, as I've run faster at chelmsford Parkrun, which is flat, but today was 22:41ish, for the first time I overtook the event director, who is 71 years old! He came 3rD in his age category at VLM this year