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Valencia Marathon 2014
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Feels like we are talking to the elites here with all this talk of sub 3 hours, you guys will have had a couple of pints by the time we arrive!
How much % to you guys think the big day makes? Personally it seems to add a decent bit of improvement to my race times. Atmosphere/ crowd support, regular drinks, regular fueling, being in tip top shape after a good taper week etc etc..
Race day always adds that vital ingredient - adrenalin. Can be a dangerous drug though if you set off stupidly fast. I remember at Barcelona, feeling great flying along at that time at 7:15 pace. After 16 miles the daunting realisation occurred that I was knackered and still had 10 miles to run. They were pretty miserable miles.
After so much trouble with injury/time out I managed to do last 16 mile long run this eve. Tried not to push too hard as had no idea how I'd bear up. Avg pace 9m37/mile with pretty even splits. The good news is my ankle appears to have held up & my cardio felt ok, bad news is I'm in absolute bits everywhere from hips down! My hamstring very tight but everything else just feeling like severe DOMS (although not sure that's the right description if it comes on instantly haha). Felt very tough, more like doing 20 miles or more. But guess that's what happens with the injury break.
So I think Valencia will be very painful but hopefully I can do it without too much damage
Ice and foam rolling will continue to be my closest friends
PC.. my B.I.L told me you were training for another marathon, now I know which one! All the best for it, hope the weather is kind. You may have noticed elsewhere that I'm in for the Barca marathon in March so training begins soon.
Good news Nicole, hope you get round in one piece.
Barca's great Wardi, I loved it apart from setting off too fast. I took in a game at Camp Nou the night before, massive contrast to watching Middlesbrough. I'm hoping to have a more comfortable run in Valencia than I did in Frankfurt although I am not sure we are likely to have a round of beers bought for us by the locals like we did in that pub.
It'd be great to catch up at some future marathon. I note Brass Monkey entries open 8/11 so maybe we'll bump into each other there.
Next after Valencia for me is Tokyo
Hello All, not long to go now. Typing from my phone which won't let me view previous coments to this thread. I'm booked into Vincci Lys Hotel which is a short walk away from Sorolla Centro which someone recommended but I was unable to book. I can't remember if it was indeed this forum so forgive me if I've confused you all! If anyone is staying at either, would you mind picking up my bib number and goody bag please? My flight doesn't get in until 19:30 on the Saturday. The option to collect the number (without goody bag) on race day is there but I would much rather have everything the day before. I will need to email through authorisation plus a copy of my photo ID to anyone willing to help me out.
We can arrange to meet on Sat evening or it can be left with reception at my hotel. Thanks.
So could be interesting....
Read some recent evidence suggesting carbo loading a is a waste of time which was my hunch - putting on extra weight even if just 1kg and the gastro stress it can cause can ruin your race. So eat as normal and have some gels.
The Irish bar for a pint sounds good!
That is very true Nicole. However, remember that the blue line isn't necessarily the shortest distance it is just the exact 26.2. So at various points it is possible to make up some distance, particularly at turns, by seeking a tangent.
Will pm you later with some pacing thoughts. Just did a 13 miler and made some, hopefully good, decisions.
You are right to take it into account Nicole. The best way of avoiding misjudging it in my opinion is to turn your auto lap off on your watch and press lap manually on your watch at every km marker. It gives you something to do and to concentrate on and if you miss a km marker you simply press the lap button twice at the next one. That way you will know exactly how long each lap has taken it, no matter what the Garmin sate light tracker says. I found it very important when I was aiming to go under 3 hours. I am only just and I mean only just capable of squeaking under that barrier at my peak so I could not afford any margin for error. Both VLMs I did were 26.6 and 26.7 according to may Garmin. That extra half a mile takes me 3.5 mins. I needed to know exactly where I stood.
Also my google researches have unearthed a Valencia Marathon blog from a runner who did it in 2012. He states that there is a tunnel that lasts 1km. If that is the case then the sate light signal will be lost and an over reliance on the pace calculator could be a problem,. Lapping in the way that I suggest will avoid this panic. Even without sate light the lap time will still be accurate from point to point.
I hope that helps. If you want me to post the link to the blog I will see if I can unearth it again.
Good news PC! Course changed in 2013 - no more tunnels, removed because they had slopes. Also last 8.5 km slightly downhill.
The extra distance from the Garmin can come from simple inaccuracies with the Garmin when the signal is disturbed by buildings etc.... all major marathon courses are of course measured to the correct distance.... so even some weaving is not down to you running the extra distance recorded but inaccuracies in the gps itself ... hence the manual lap time would make sense - however there are many races where km markers etc are not placed in exactly the right spot as there might not be something suitable to ties it to etc....
Best to run by feel - ditch the watch and run like you were born to
...course profile does look very kind
Was planning to go for a last 16 miler yesterday but bailed owing to suffering from a migraine. Having rested for a couple of days before, it now means I've gone three days without running - the longest I've gone without any exercise in 2014! Cripes. Feeling a lot better than I was and hoping it shouldn't really affect things to much as I've already been tapering. Going to run an extended route home tomorrow night just to get some confidence in, and then go down from there.
Hi Nicole, that would be brilliant, thank you! Could you enable the messaging facility on your profile so I can message you please or you could message me via my profile.
Really pleased today as managed pain free 7 miler at marathon pace (avg 8:48/mile) which felt good.
Still no real idea of my marathon shape but after some thought am leaning towards this kind of strategy:
Miles 1-6: 8:45/mile
Miles 7-12: 8:50
Miles13-18: 8:55
Miles 19-22: 9:00
Miles 23-25: 9:05
Mile 26-26.75 (am assuming an extra 0.5 mile to be safe!): 8:50
That would get me in at 3:57:45 so still a couple of minutes to play with. If I don't have to run so much further then maybe a sub 3:55(BQ time!) would be remotely possible - but now I'm dreaming haha
I expect the reality as always will look quite different but I do think it's realistic to plan for pace drift especially considering all my time out, injuries etc.
Banksy - I'd love to be able to run just by feel but think I would have to learn this over time. I only did my first half a year ago so still very much a newbie! Also I've done all my training with my Garmin/running app/music so guess now a bit late to change
Bob - great news re the downhill at the end!
Have sent 2 messages Nicole - but not sure if they've got to you!
Evening All, just dropping back in to see how you all are.
I really enjoyed post race beers last year with JakeUK and all the marafunners from the UK. He'll know where we were, it was an irish pub that served many cold beers and burgers and chips. I was back at Aeropuerto for the easyjet flight to gatwick and a wee bit sozzled after me and Pottermoss quaffed a few more in the departure lounge as we blew the last of our euros.
Nicole - glad you are shaking off injury. Still more weeks to recover
Wardi - ello mucker, didn't expect you round these parts. Good luck for the Barca campaign
Banksy - use the force. You and I have similar stats on our PBs, I just knocked a few more mins off my Valencia 2013 a couple of weeks back in Abingdon but it was not enough for a sub3 this time - it was a great run tho' and no regrets, I had a ball. I'm enjoying the journey and maybe Boston will the One, or maybe Amsterdam (all signed into that also). Main thing I say, Enjoy it!, it's a great course, spacious and flat, with your fast half and good training you are knocking on the door so just pace it sensibly.
Tiddy - you did Paris last year also! (good times)
PC - I can just see that Frame Mount over the fireplace with the 6 marathon major medals in there ..... telling the grand kids all about it. Then the organisers add Sydney to the championship and make it 7 -
. You talk about running around parts of North London, like Crouch End / Hampstead etc I'm based up that way - (Finchley) - run with Heathside (Crouch End based). I was fortunate to be running on the heath in the torrential downpour on Sunday with a club mate. It was fun, all the runners out in the same boat - soaked to the skin and making the best of it.
Good Luck everyone - i'll stalk back from time to time to see how the taper madness is affecting and see how you all got on. Hope you get the same fabulous conditions as we had last year. Cool, Sunny no breeze .... and I hope you get the free Amstel at the finish.
Oh yeah, as Bob says, no tunnel - and last few k were nice and quick.(relatively speaking)
Thanks Nicole, I've messaged you.
Jake UK has recommended Finnegan's as the post race venue. It's central and serves beer. Sounds ideal.
What are your current PBs Jimbob?
Mine are 10k - 38:05 .... but feel a low 37 is possible on a flat course
HM: 1:24 ..... a 1:23 prob now possible....
and Marathon: 3:06 in Barca in March.... was on for close to 3 until 21 miles where the heat and cramp set in.
Thinking about a 33% chance of a sub 3 this time
...
You are right most important thing is to enjoy the experience and a PB or goal time is very much a bonus.... although will be a little pissed off if I run 3:00:xx
Finnegans is apparently fairly close to where I'm staying, so I'm very much on board!
Finnegans is apparently fairly close to where I'm staying, so I'm very much on board!
We'll try and drop into Finnegans post race too...
Banksy I'm 1.24 half / 39 10k. did a pb 3.05 in Valencia last year and knocked it down to 3.02 a couple of weeks back at Abingdon. Got half way in 1.29 but started to wilt around 18 miles. Still a strong run and a strong finish, but miles 25 and 26 in the high 7s before a final burst of energy for the finish line. It's such a different animal, the marathon. I reckon a bit more quality training and I'm knocking on the door.
With a 1:24 half I think you are more than capable Jimbob. My best half is 1:25:45 which converted at London to a 2:58:30 marathon going through half way in 1:28:30. Im a little way off that shape at the moment and I guess I will see how far off it on raceway. Don't lose faith though.