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VLM 2017 !!
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Nice one Shedboy - I hope you do join us for next year
It was about this time last year I was inspired to put my name in the ballot. Having got my place and almost got there this year, then watching it this morning I am so much more determined to do it properly over the next 12 months.
The slow build up continued today - I actually did 1/7th of a marathon before spending the rest of the morning on the sofa watching you lot actually run the whole thing !
I'm really up for this next year. Does anyone know if the GFA times will remain the same..?? I heard they might be making it more difficult. I ran a 3.04 at Manchester so there is little room for manoeuvre with my time.
Did you enjoy it by any chance Shedboy ?
TR22, can't help you on good for age I'm afraid - my running pace is not good for any age, especially not my own
TR22 - Sub 3:05 for GFA, assuming you're between 18 and 40 years old :
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/good-age-entry/
Oh, and the ballot opens next week:
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/ballot-entry/
Deferred entry instructions here:
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/deferred-entry/
Hi trigger, welcome - and good luck for the ballot !
If Harmander is doing the RW pacing again next year, stick with him and he'll get you round in just under 5 hours
More newbies - yay
I'm in Chelmsford.
Trigger2 - not sure how many ballot places there are, probably around 5000 or so? Last year they had about 250,000 applicants, I'll let you do the maths. Your odds of getting a place via the ballot are not good. Sorry but if you really want to run next year, you realistically need to be thinking about a charity place.
17,000 ballot places. 250,000 applicants last year. So about a 7% chance. And it's the same for everyone, whether you've entered 20 times before, or just once. The old "5 rejections in a row guarantees you a place" rule doesn't apply any more.
Not bad odds really
I'd run a charity application (or 2) alongside your ballot entry - I think the charity applications begin before you get the ballot results (in fact, I notice some already have their application forms online), so if you leave it until after the ballot results you might be too late for a charity entry (and that's the point where everyone else who's been unsuccessful in the ballot also applies for the remaining charity entries). If you get a ballot place, you can always tell the charity you don't need their place, but you can still raise money for them.
Don't think I'm running for a while. It has been 5 weeks of nothing so far but it appears a hip bursitis diagnosis may have been wrong. X-ray tomorrow to see if I have a stress fracture, if not I am having an MRI
My charity have rolled my place over to next year so thats ok but all I am allowed to do at present is swim...
itching to get my trainers on. (Im in the Forest of Dean, Glos)
Hajolli - that's good of your charity. Hope you get things fixed - you have a whole year to recover and build up again, no panic yet
Hello!!! I am proud to say I have just ran VLM 2016 and loved every single moment of it. I was given outstanding advice from my club colleagues and followed the Hal Higdon Novice 2 Plan to the T. I didn't deter from the plan or advice and I am pleased to say it worked. I ran 27.2 yep not 26.2 as if you don't follow the blue line you can soon clock up more miles. And all of those miles were pain free and enjoyable. Sounds hard to believe doesn't it but its true. BUT.....the training (17 weeks of it) was hard and gruelling so don't be fooled by most post into thinking its a doddle - it isn't! But the blood sweat and tears from training paid off. Put in the time and respect your body and mileage and you can all do it like I and many others did on here.
So..ballot opens 2nd May...then October you find out.
I started my training the last week in December. But had ran steadily prior to that.
If I could give one word of advice... DONT OVERTRAIN So many do and result in injury. You don't have to.
Good Luck guys xx
PS: These guys on here are amazing. Met Harmander and he is a star!
With regard to the charity place I've got a "contact" so there shouldn't be an issue if I want the place.
Hope everyone's ok and any stiffness is wearing off!
I echo sicknote. Overtraining is bad. I was undertrained and had not run for 2 weeks prior to the day and was ok. Well I felt OK at the time- clearly not now.
For injury prone folk, I highly recommend run/walking. It gets you round with enough in the tank for a strong finish. Not for everyone I am sure but I am a big fan for long distances.
Hello all,
Yes Kieran,
I am all set for pacing again next year. - Will be practicing it during my planned 10 marathons and an ultra before then -what is overtraining? lol)
Did 10.63 miles as recovery run last night making it 687 miles since 1 January this year.
Would it help if I re-posted the 24 week plan for under 5 hours marathon now so if people repeated each week tey will in effect have a very slow but steady (48 week) build up with a nonth spare to fine tune their pace next April?
Am skipping Milton Keynes next weekend because 'er indoors has said I got to finish the garden in time forour grand daughter' 2nd birthday party. Will be doing Halstead the weekend after though.
Hope to see all the Essex people there - including two friends who I will drag along in 5:10 to get them their PBs
All
Good to see Blithe, Shedboy and Sicknote with the other Marathon veterans on here.
Well done SickNote, and love your pics on the other thread (now officially closed by Her Majesty Queen BlitheSpirit !).
Midlands Lass, please at least come and watch next year - a rucksack of tea at Tower Bridge would be fab !
Harmander you are a legend. Note to everyone else - do NOT copy Harmander's mileage, he is a complete nutter and can pace a marathon to the second because he runs an obscene amount (mostly to escape the washing up I think
).
I can chuck slices of battenburg cake at you as you all fly by. Would love to come and watch and give something back. My friends and family had a fantastic day out
I'm not sure that "chucking battenburg" at competitors is good etiquette, but the sentiment's there
Hi everyone! Another 2017 hopeful here. Entered this years race through a charity the day after VLM 2015 and had been getting on really well with training through the summer months, but let it slip over the winter and nowhere near marathon ready! My own fault! But as motivated as ever after watching on Sunday and ready to dedicate the next 12 months of my life to the marathon.
Hi Elliott, welcome to the marafun madhouse.
12 months is a good timescale I think. It helps to know early if you've got a place.
Start off by reading some of the 2016 first timers thread if you haven't already - the stories on there are great, the likes of Blithespirit, Midlands Lass, Shedboy, DB7X and SickNote2 to name a few - their achievements this year have been fantastic and shows what can be done with a bit of determination.
Some of them have promised they'll pop in here to keep us going, or chuck slices of cake at us
Yep 4 miles yesterday morning, went very well actually nothing hurting so really pleased. 5 miles for tomorrow now but must admit it feels very odd having a weekend where I'm not spending hours and hours running.