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Loch Ness marathon 2014
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Woooooooo hooooooooo
!
Well done folks, that's one hell of a tough course! Good to meet some of you at the start line. I took off to fast, totally underestimated the Dores hill, and hobbled home in 3:39. It's a bronze, so very happy with that. Fantastic race - well organised and beautiful scenery.
Enjoy your whisky Ecce.
great day out, Silver goal for me 4:29:30, missed everyone at the start ue to the toilet que but had a quick chat with Heroine in a Half Shell on route, may do the 5k next year to get the green for full set of t-shirts!
A massive well done to you all for getting round. Rest well, and spoil yourselves. I reckon we deserve it!
It all really went pear shaped at Dores though! Had to stop for the portaloo and really couldnt get going after that. Walked a bit towards the top of the hill and despite knowing it was mainly downhill from that point just couldnt get back into a faster stride. Had the energy fine, but my legs were like lumps of timber and my feet were really sore.
A few things I learnt on the day, from my first marathon:
1. It's very very hard to run slowly downhill when you have lots of energy at the start of a race and everyone around is carrying you along. I tried numerous times to slow down to a 5:05 min/km pace from 4:45 but just couldn't do it!
2. Those small hills are not small after 20 miles!
3. The last couple of miles are hellish. Everyone said "oh you'll just steam home in the last 5km with all the support." This was nonsense for me! I had lots of my family come up and cheer me home, as well as the family who I've been fundraising for and even seeing them did nothing to boost my speed or energy levels. Some of the most mentally tough minutes I've ever encountered. Ever!
4. The banter on the bus/start/during/after was great. I was by myself and spoke with some really interesting people during the day. It was super friendly. This alone is a positive reason to run again next year!
I'm off to burst some under toenail blood blisters now...
With you Munter. I wondered what all the fuss was about until THAT hill.. Having made it up THAT hill, I assumed it would be plain sailing, however I didn't anticipate so many small continual undulations.
As for running downhill I find it easier to keep my strde the same and free wheel.I rarely feel any different tired wise when the ground levels out, but you easily pass more runners than you would imagine
. My problem in general is when I do slow up I slow up quickly.At one point yesterday i was looking at 3.30 but ended up as a 3.50 ,such was the state I was in..My only other marathon was a 4.20, so although I should have been elated, I was annoyed for finshing in so much distress..
A big pat on the back for the organisers .Logistically you could not ask for a more unusual start but everything they stated on their timetable was done to a tee.
Congratulations to anyone who completed, it truly is a test which creeps up on you very quickly.
Yup, it was a silver for me (had to check) and a PB by 9 seconds. Believe me,that was more by luck than judgement, went through halfway in 2:11 feeling great and finished in 4:42:42 not feeling so great. More stamina training this winter and will be back next year
Oh dear, wheels fell off. 4:13. 3 positives. 1 I didn't walk (some how) 2 I've completed another marathon and 3 nice to meet up with some of you before. Well done to everyone and look forward to bumping into you in abother forum of on an event sometime in the future. Good luck in whatever you have planned.
Absolutely loved every second of this one, fantastic scenery, great running surface, didn't feel the hills at all (honest
). I did indeed speak with Banana Feet and I can confirm that his shoes are THE most yellow shoes I've ever seen! My husband had a great race up until mile 21 then it got a bit painful, but we had a small idea that we could go sub-4 so we went for it and I'm glad to say that we got in at 3:58 so I was ecstatic, he killed my buzz a bit because he was quietly dying for the next 30 mins but I'll take that for a sub-4!!
Awesome running Heroine in a half-shell
Ecce I'll get a bottle back from you next year in sub 4:30
AndyRuns 3:45:20 is fantastic
Thanks Booktrunk given how my legs feel after I gave it everything I had. I'm more than happy with it and when I can go up and downstairs or get out of a chair without pain sure I'll enter another marathon, but maybe a flatter one!
Maybe you and ecce need to do double or quits with a sub 4:30. Sure without a 50 mile run the week before we can see a nice sprint finish between the two of you.
Gr8 times Mr & Mrs Heroine
Alastair, no walking at all is a great achievement!
Andy, you'll have no problems shaving that 20 seconds off on a flatter Marathon
BT, in a years time if we can't go under 4:30 I think I'll give up so happy if you want a rematch?
As for sprint finishes I managed the last .23 mile at 5k pace (9:07mm's).
Ecce: game on
just enjoy choosing my bottle.
Great running you lot
Did anyone else go the pasta party? I would be interested to hear your thoughts. I'm not writing mine first, just in case RW ban me for using rude words.
Will be hard to be as creative as you were BT! Talisker from Skye, might let Skye the doglet try a tipple
Nursey, I went to the pasta 'party' last year, £10 poorly spent imho. Adequate might be too kind a word and was hungry 30 minutes later!
Based on Ecce's comments in 2013 I skipped the pasta party
I have a feeling it was a good idea.
I had fish n chips as my carb loading, and no breakfast on the day, so a few things I can improve on next year
Every review i read online said the pasta party wasn't worth it. We went to Zizzi's for my carb loading that was shockingly bad pasta, the beer was nice though. I can recommend The Mustard Seed for post race beer and protein loaded dinner.
Was asked twice by airport security if I had a tin of soup with me, love the fact that was one of their standard question today.
Am in ballot for VLM and already entered for EMF next year so maybe see some of you guys hanging around those forums. Happy running!
Good to see some of you at the start , the pirate flag was inspired thinking
Tough race , I think I got silver (sub 4:15) 4:07:59 but it was the hardest race I've ever had ,, brutal at times
I'd like to say never again , but id be lying
Maybe we should consider trying to either book a large party into a restaurant Saturday evening or just warn somewhere a lot of us might descend
lol...I've just seen my official marathon photos...ugh! some sights can not be unseen!
Did nobody warn you Pete? NEVER look at marathon photos!
And, on the subject of 'never', no more marathons for me.
(give it 1 week max. and I'll have changed my mind).
Some great times there folks. Ecce - I saw your sprint to the line. Very impressive!
That is the case for all running pictures, they shouldn't really be allowed to exist!!
Still hurts to walk downstairs yet I've already entered another marathon! Haven't told my wife yet though...
In my whole life I have 1 or 2 good running photos none from races though. There's one at LN that wouldn't have been too bad if it wasn't for the bleeding nipples!!!! I have no idea how marathon photos make any money.
A couple of my pics are actually not to bad.
I've also been looking around for another marathon, thing is, where is going to be as amazing as this race?!
I came in in 4.14, pb, ran the whole way and felt great! Think this was because I was very restrained for the first few miles. Was expecting a 4.30 - 4.45.
Fantastic run Pingu, well done! People underestimate how important it is to run an even race, taking it easier at the start pays dividends at the end. I don't know of any non-trail runs that would be as lovely as Loch Ness, everything else would be a big city marathon which is a completely different experience, fantastic in a different way.
Andyruns - come on then, what have you entered?!