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Edinburgh Marathon 2014
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Tried out the new bumbag on my 8 miler this morning with the water bottle filled - not a success. Had to take bottle out almost straight away and carry it in my hand- got enough junk bouncing around my trunk without that thing adding to the problem! Will revert to default - I'll carry a bottle of water in my hand to start off with, chuck it when empty then drink as and when using the water stations. Will still have to wear stupid bumbag for gels etc though- grr. I hate being encumbered with extraneous crap - completely at odds with the feeling of freedom that I usually enjoy when running.
Moaning aside, run went fine. Dodgy leg a bit stiff but eased off quickly. 13.87km in 1hr 19, if anyone's interested. Only other notable feature was the couple I encountered enjoying some energetic, er, cross-training. Wouldn't have thought there was that much room to manoeuvre in the back of a Renault Clio but there you go. These flexible friends clearly thought they were safely off the beaten track but said track is actually well used by dog walkers, runners, cyclists etc. Ah, the folly of youth...
According to the schedule it should be 3m Tues, 4 miles Weds then 2 miles Thurs for me- then lots of eating? Does that sound about right?
This time next week...yikes!!!
Good to hear everyone made it through the weekend. Ali anytime I've worn a water bottle to stop it from bouncing it needs to be worn tightly to the side.
RP... With a fairway to go.... Golf mad.
I really wish my runs featured egg attacks and strangers dogging, unfortunately it was a plain old 9m bang on pace at 7.25 accompanied by Rocky IV soundtrack; no easy way out and burning heart were the stand outs,
went to my girls swimming gala as we'll she picked up a gold, silver and bronze but more importantly gave it her best shot.
it feels good to have reached this point.
I am unable to run next week. Does anyone want to take my place in the Edinburgh marathon 2014? Email me on lucybaker87@hotmail.com if you do, or know anyone interested. Email ASAP so I can send you the number / chip.
Can't believe how quick it has come.
STEVE - My first marathon too. My time goal was four hours but a recent injury has scuppered any ideas I had of finishing in that time. I'm looking at anything between 4.30 to 4.45 depending how how it goes.
Enjoy your 1st marathon!!
Gels are also a problem for me. Small pocket in my shorts for keys and about 3 gels
I bit the bullet and bought a karrimor bum bag thing that's meant for your phone, had a run with it with 3 gels this afternoon. Fairly comfortable, unobtrusive and cost a fiver at sports direct. Not perfect but I'm yet to find a better way as the gel belt I tried was crap
James, i have bought an SIS marathon belt that holds 8 gels and has a pocket at the front for keys etc, i'm not a fan of carrying anything when i run but due to a bad experience of not carrying enough gels at the manchester marathon then needs must! To be honest i haven't tried it yet but it doesn't seem too intrusive.
RP2, would the crap gel belt you bought be the one that i have just mentioned? lol
Yorkie, no that was a high 5 one. Utterly awful, but oddly had great reviews on Amazon
Morning all, almost there!!!
Good to see everyone is pretty much on track and noone having last minute disasters!
I got the last of my key runs done this morning, was only 4 miles with 2 @ tempo but was a good feeling nailing it. Happy to report my calf is much better this week. I think the combination of the icing and "resting" has really helped and although still a wee bit tight, feels so much better than last week and so nothing really to concern me going into the race apart from going off too fast as I normally do and if it's hot!
Anyway, re gel carrying, I'm with Yorkie, I use the SIS belt too, it is a pain in the ass to have something strapped round you but used to it now. I've also been training with the High 5 gels so only need to have 4 strapped to me and will take the freebies. The wee pocket bit is good though for emergency tenner / keys etc. Make sure whatever you go for though that you have a few practise runs with it, even if its just a few hundred metres to get used to tightness / weight etc. First time I tried it it fell to me knees after 200m / gels fell out as I never had them in right / also now wear it back to front as I find it more comfortable.....
Another option for carrying gels (if you're not taking a phone / ipod) is a phone carrier on your arm. It's easy enough to get 5 or 6 in there, depending on the type you use. I've got a wee Nike one I've had for years and I can get 6 High5 gels in it.
Did my "carb loading" shop last night, plenty pasta / rice / Haribo / porridge / low fat rice pudding / bagels / Lucozade Sport etc so ready to pig out on Thursday. It will be nice getting a couple of long lies this week after all these early morning starts!
Hi
I have a transfer place available for the edinburgh half marathon on Sunday if any one wants it?
If anyone's wanting a recommendation for a belt I got this one - a bit pricy admittedly, but I have used it happily on all my LSRs. It fits 6 SIS gels and has a zippy pocket for other bits and pieces. It is neoprene so is quite stretchy and not sloppy, so I can strap it low on my hips and it doesn't budge at all.
It worked better than my previous one where the one gel I was carrying fell out during the Reading Half and I didn't notice until it was too late.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A49VYNO/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item
I had a lovely weekend's running with a short 3 mile on Saturday and then The Royal Berkshire 10k race yesterday. Probably not the best thing to do the week before a marathon, but I wanted to support some friends who were racing for the first time. It was very hot, but it was a nice route and I was extremely pleased to get 52:17 for a 2 minute PB. It also brought it home to me how much less of an impact a 10k race has on your day
Hey all, just writing the list of things to take to Edinburgh, leaving tomorrow,....woo hoo! Running gear will be in hand luggage of course, don't want to tempt fate.
Did a 14k race on Saturday with an extra 4k w/up, (Mara plan called for 18 k's). Sat on 5 min pace which was a bit quick, aiming to do Mara at pace at 5.30 pace, just couldn't help myself. As you say MacFinbob, probably not the best thing to do at this stage.
Glad to see everyone's on track, rapped that the calf is com'n good Migitto. Not long now until that next ale mate.
Next post will be from sunny Portobello.
Any serious weather report yet?
Getting nervous now!!!!!
Good luck
Steve
@macfinbob: oooow you have that one! Is it any good? i have been looking at that one with the bottles or the quencher. Does it stay put, no movement at all?
RunningMax, I've found it not to budge at all if I'm wearing lycra t-shirt & compression leggings which have a bit of friction between them! But wearing shorts that aren't a knitted fabric, there's a bit more movement at the start of a run before we find the optimum place to be
. I hope that helps a little!
Not sure what a quencher is though!
Been out for a few wee 10k's over the last few days, they were a bit slow, but I'm on pre-marathon diet and the lack of the (junk) food that usually fuels me was showing, calf is feeling much better though!
Got all my stuff picked out for on the day, just need to find a pair of sandals to pack into my bag-truck-bag for the journey home... I shall be committing the sin of 'socks and sandals', but I suspect I wont care and will just be happy to be able to take off the trainers!
I don't want to curse us... but the forecast is looking pretty good at the moment. Warm but not too hot and a little bit of rain heading into the weekend. Looking like pollen levels should be staying reasonably low too for those of us who worry about these things too!
Toastie - you may already be cursed. Noticed that your last posting was number 666 on this thread. The mark of the beast.
On a lighter note, a little 5m today. Still not figured out how i'm getting through from Glasgow to Edinburgh on Sunday or how to carry Gels etc. But like Mac, i know what I'm wearing... somethin tight.
Currently liking the weather forecast... Relieved, cos it's been SO HOT here. Bring on the rain and the race!
I've had a last minute change to transport. Now getting dropped in city center before they find a good spot to park and support, before moving onto musselburgh. Can anyone advise on wether I can get dropped off easily enough near to start.
Been reading some of your posts on what to wear, I've ran 85% of my runs in running tights, but have changed to shorts in last 3-4 weeks, is there a benefit to wearing something tight???? Was worried about it being hot and wearing tights?
And finally, does anyone know if theres any chance of a shower after, I see there is showers at the finish, but don't know how many would want to or bother with a shower, journey back to Aberdeen might be a bit Funky in the car for my wife, hopefully I will be fast asleep after drinking something alcoholic at the end.
Thanks Steve
I find tights restrictive and so thinks shorts are better.
4 miles for me today, intervals at 3k pace, though probably not, still not feeling 100% running wise, hopefully will start getting better as the week goes on.
Hi all, Not contributed for a while but been popping in for a read now and again.
Glad everyone seems to be doing ok
Did my last longish run on Sunday, 10 mls in 9's nice and steady then it's a 6 Tuesday, 6 Thursday then roll on Edinburgh.
Like a lot do, I've had a few niggles that the physio has had a rub at. Tight right hamstring ended up with that kinesiology tape on it (don't know if it did any good though) and a sore'ish left calf needed work. All seems ok now and heavy legs getting fresher so I guess that's the taper effect !!
On the gel / nutrition debate. I wear shorts with a mesh pocket on the side and a zippy pocket on the back and they take 2 gels each and don't wobble at all. Don't forget though that there's stuff being dished out on the day too. I plan to have mine at 5, 10, 15 & 20 miles and a late one when am feeling like dead man runnin' !!
Will have a normal 'ish brekkie, cereal, toast and juice. Will probs have a banana about an hour before and will be sipping a sports drink in the hour before the gun.
Make a list and check it and if your traveling, take clothing for each weather possibility and decide on the morning . Take a crap top to wear at the start that you can chuck away if it's chilly.
Then go to the loo and when you've done that join the queue again for another try!
Oh how many times I have seen people rushing off into the bushes 2 miles into a race ?!
Above all folks, enjoy yourself. Getting to the start is an achievement and getting to the finish line is brilliant.
p.s. ... don't forget to have a wee
Just a quickie, I wear Skins three quarter shorts. Great for stuffing my four gels in and because they are next to my skin, the contents get warm and runny, making them easier to swallow.
Steve, I would think that it would be no problem dropping you off near the start, but I have no idea what the road closures will be like at that end of Princes Street.
As for shorts or leggings, I'm most likely going to be wearing my shorts, but will have my capri leggings if the weather heads back to winter by Sunday!
I have never been at a race with shower options, but after my half marathon I took a change of clothes to avoid getting cold (it was early March) and didn't actually use them except for the sweatshirt. This time I'll just stick on my long Skins and maybe compression socks & open the window on the way back to my parents' house
Steve hope the run went well?
Did a 5 mile today in 22?? which was nice. Although my pace was all over the place. Supposed to be running 9.30 / 10 minute miles.
Ended up with a 9.12 / 8.37 / 8.45 / 9.30 and a 10.15 (WHAT GOING ON) haha. Run like that on sun and I will be knackerd by half way.
Race kit for me is always v running shorts with built in compression. And the lightest running top possible.
I only run in tights when the snow is falling, gets way too hot for me
Thanks for all the advice on gel belts etc guys.
On to transport. I have an EMF bus pass but was thinking of getting the train back into the city instead. Anybody done this before?? Is it even possible or too congested?
I'll be wearing my normal shorts, non-compression, and my British Heart Foundation vest. I'll be taking a hoody and jogging bottoms just in case though. I'm also going to be taking my older pair of running shoes up as well, just incase something happens to my newer ones or the laces break.
May be too late to be helpful.
Asics mostion dry twin cargo shorts are good for storage 2 pockets each can hold a few gels plus the have the inner compression short. Ron hill do an equivalent with gel loops integrated.
I dont see the benefit of carrying locodate sport, 500ml gives you the same carbs as a SiS gel so under race conditions i'd rather carry an extra gel or 2 than 1lt of lucozade. In addition to the gels i'll carry a SiS electrolyte tablet top into water after 15miles.
As for wearing a vest. Personally I never wear one when training so dont really see the point of wearing one as a one off.
Last year the traffic was bad enough that I had to drop my son at Jock's Lodge (east of the start at London Road) and he had to jog the last 1.5 miles or so to the start, which was ok for his warm up. Road signs are already up warning of congestion from 7 am. I expect a repeat of last year, so I doubt very much if you'll get anywhere near the city centre. You might be better considering a train to Waverley station and walking to the start (about half a mile)
Parking at Musselburgh is also pretty bad. I have given up taking the car to the finish and usually ask my brother to pick us up at Wallyford and take us out of the area. If you are lucky you may get parked around Wallyford, although very unhelpfully the park and ride at Wallyford is closed for the day.
Even trying to get parked near the route in Prestonpans or Longniddry may prove a problem if your friends or family leave it too late to get a parking space.
I will be doing my second marathon, but it doesn't get easier! And I have a PB to chase.
Comparing the two training years, I have run less miles this year, but have cross-trained more. I feel ill-prepared but will just have to wait until the actual day to see how I go. I suppose every one is different and you don't know how it will be until you experience it.
One20Four has some good advice. I found that drinking plenty but stopping, apart from a few sips, two hours before the start worked for me. Then I drank according to thirst. I also went to the toliet as many times as I could beforehand, and did not have to stop then to queue up during the marathon.
Looking forward to Sunday now. Just got my last few easy runs and thats me. Got a session booked in with the physio on Friday, just for a last massage and taping of the legs and then that's me ready.
The foam roller has helped massively over the past few weeks and legs feel better already, wish i had invested in it earlier.