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Valencia Marathon 2016
Rob Jones 2
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Just about to organise my place for this November. Understand that it's fast, flat and warm!
Anyone else planning this one? Or perhaps got some good tips and experience from years gone by?
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It's a great race Rob! Wife and I ran it last year and have already booked to go back this.
We liked being in a hotel within walking distance to race and near the metro so we could get to and from the beach easily.
Thanks buddy. Can you tell me when/how you collected your numbers? Can't find info on the website. Planning to fly-in the day before and assuming that would be ok?
I did this last year and agree it was an excellent race - fast flat and warm about sums it up. You collect your number from the Expo in one of the amazingly funky buildings at the start/finish area (Google 'city of arts and sciences'). Flying in the day before should be OK, as long as you don't leave it too late.
Snap Kamoshika I am doubling up with Amsterdam to! I doubled up with Abingdon last year and although I was not fully recovered for Valencia was still only 4 minutes slower And was able to really enjoy the run without as much time pressure.
As RR said the expo is where you pick up numbers and they also do a mean free Paella party day before race for a little carb loading. Expo is pretty big as the 10k which starts at the same time (on adjacent bridge) picks up their numbers to. we are flying in on Friday as last year and collecting number when it will be quieter on the Friday.
Hello all - just found this little corner of the forum! Not too much noise here at the moment, perhaps my bump up the list will attract some attention...
How's everyone's training been going? I'm getting there, though have a slight Plantar Fascitis niggle that's a bit of a worry, but currently trying to deal with it by icing and rolling and hoping for the best. Very much looking forward to it though, well, the Valencia bit anyway, the marathon part is just a means to an end
Hi Nells! I've been meaning to post something on here for a while, so thanks for reminding me! My training's going OK-ish. I'm carrying a slight calf niggle that I've had on and off for ages. My main aim for the year was Amsterdam Marathon in October, but I had to have a couple of weeks off in August to get my calf under control so I've decided to treat Amsterdam as a long training run, and focus on Valencia instead. I'm doing the Great North Run at the weekend, so that'll be a good test of how my calf's doing. I did 28km (albeit at a much slower pace) last weekend, so I know I can do the distance, but it's just combining the distance and pace. My plan is to try and do a couple of twenty milers between GNR and Amsterdam which, all being well, should set me up for a good run in Valencia. And if it doesn't, well, I'll be in Valencia and there's more to life than running right!
That's a good attitude kamoshika! I'm similar, though I'm not really sure about a time goal as I'm a bit of a straggler, but I'm hoping to pick up a bit for this one. I've got 17 miles on the plan for this weekend, so just under 28k (yes, I did have to look that up!) and after that I've got 3 20 milers, and one 21 miler (gulp!) to do between now and Valencia. In the past I've been a bit useless at getting the long ones in, so I'm hoping that following a plan that has a few of them in there and gets to the big numbers soon er than I normally would will push me to get them done, and at least it also gives me a bit of time to catch up too. I've got a vague idea of the pace I'm aiming for, but we'll see what sort of shape I'm in come November...
Christmas tree - you're the sensible one I think, being able to enjoy a visit to what looks like an great city without the stress of a marathon! I was originally staying on till Wednesday until BA kindly cancelled my flight, so have opted to stay a few days extra rather than hurry home. Looks like I'll have to pack my laptop as well as all the other tonnes of stuff!
I had PF problems in my right foot last year, this year that one's decided it's fine but the left one has turned all attention seeking. Trying to get the weight down a bit, so hopefully that will help me more than anything!
Valencia's great. We've got a friend who lives there (so, accommodation sorted
) and went out there for a few days at Easter. My wife's coming out there with me for the weekend, but we're leaving the kids at home with granny and grandad so just a short stay for me - Friday-Monday. We're flying in and out of Alicante as we can fly there from our local airport, and the connection is easier at that end than this.
Spent far too long researching various things about Valencia last week and planning the trip, that coupled with the fact my training is going well for the first time ever and I'm doing longer long runs than I normally would at this stage, I feel like it must be about next week when I'll be flying out! I'm sure it will suddenly creep up on me, but keep having to remind myself there's ages to go yet...
How was the weekend training for everyone? I managed a 17 miler that felt much more comfortable than the previous weeks' 15 miler so that was a nice ego boost.
Well done Nells
That's a good distance to be running this far out from the marathon. Sounds like the training's working
I did the Great North Run, aiming to run it at my target marathon pace. Felt like I was well within myself for the first half. Got to 2/3rds distance and realised I was on my half PB pace, and still felt really good, so went for it in the last 4 miles. Finished with an 80 second PB, and feeling like I could have gone further / faster. Really good confidence boost for tha marathon
I'm doing Valencia this year, having done it in 2013. Loved that one and have been itching to do it again. Read that the course has been changed for this year to make it even flatter. Not sure how that could be possible given that the only slight inclines I remember were the very slight rises on the bridges over the Jardín del Turia.
Its a great city and a great race.
After my supreme confidence a week ago, I've finally hit a slump! Didn't manage to fit in my long run this weekend due to bad timekeeping, but after a few days of berating myself and trying to think how I could fit it in somewhere on a weekday morning in what is already a really busy week work-wise, I've managed to talk myself down from panic mode and realise that I've only got so many hours in the day. I'm already at quite a high mileage (for me anyway!) so it won't kill me to miss that one. I may live to regret it! I've been a bit flexible with my plan in general - moving days around, and not sweating about missing a mid-week session, it's just the long ones I've been a bit religious about, so we'll see if I manage to regain mojo for next weekend...
Life gets in the way sometimes. I'd planned to do a long run Friday morning, but my daughter was off school sick, and my wife was away for the weekend, and before you know it I'd not run at all for four days
. I try not to let it bother me and just get back to it when I can. Worrying too much about missing a run and putting yourself under pressure to catch up is only going to make it worse and lead to picking up injuries I think.
Speaking of long runs, I'm planning to do my first 20 miler on Saturday!
Indeed it does kamoshika! I had a very lazy week last week as I had a bit of a stressful one work wise, so running was on hold for a while, but managed to get back to it this weekend. A parkrun PB on Saturday, followed by a long slow slog of 20 miles yesterday. Phew. Glad to have ticked it off, and just need to do it a few more times now before the day itself... I'm running a half next weekend, no idea of what time to target, but considering trying to aim for PB pace and hope for the best!
How's everyone else coming along?
Running the Cardiff Half this weekend as part of Valencia prep.
How did everyone find getting hotel accommodation in Valencia? Maybe its because i left booking until late, but prices were astronomical compared to previous years. Have ended up booking an apartment for two nights through AirBnB, which was much more reasonable.
Does anyone know what time race starts? Can't see a start time on website.
Hi runner1980 - I hope you weren't aiming for a lie in... From the Regulations page on the website:
I'm staying in an AirBnB too - tend to use these more than hotels anyway, and the prices in Valencia are very good so that's a bonus. Will also be running Cardiff this weekend, have wanted to do this one for a while but it always clashed with something else. I've no idea what time to aim for... All my runs longer than about 7 miles have been at quite a slow pace lately an it's a while since I raced a half so it could be interesting!
kamoshika - a big city marathon as part of training for a big city marathon?! That's true dedication! I've got another 20 miler and a 21 miler to do, I've missed one 20 miler, so not sure if I'm going to try and add another one in before taper as well, will have to see how the weekends pan out in the meantime.
8.30 is good - means more time at the zoo or Oceanographic with the wife and kids later in the afternoon.
Will be my first experience of AirBnB. I've always found Valencia hotels very reasonable but they've obviously woken up to the marathon this year.
I'm local, so probably biased, but Cardiff is a nice race.
Its very flat and usually very well supported all along the route.
Just hope the weather improves - it's miserable in Cardiff today. The Cardiff Bay Barrage (about mile 5) is not a nice place to be if its wet and windy.
Best of luck - enjoy the Welsh hospitality
Thanks runner! I'm not local, but from the top half of Wales (although I've gone on a bit of a wander from there in recent years) so looking forward to running round my capital
. Glad to hear it's a flat one, I'm considering aiming for my PB pace (which isn't very fast, but could still end badly for me!).
Looks like a bit of a strange and sad day there today from the news...
I did the World Half Marathon Champs in Cardiff earlier in the year. I think they use the same course. Mostly flat and an interesting route. If you don't get the hail storm that hit us in March it should be lovely
I'd crossed the barrage by then. Felt really sorry for the people who were on there at the time!
I've used AirBnB a couple of times, and have had really good experiences with it. I think it can be a bit of a mixed bag - very much depends on the people you're renting from. I think it's quite competitive, especially in cities, so people are usually keen to protect their ratings and not upset their guests, so hopefully you'll be fine.
I'm glad of the early start. It'll be good to get the run done and have a bit longer to enjoy the city
runner1980 - if your legs need a bit of a rest from walking round the zoo (which is lovely by the way) after the marathon, there's a bar / restaurant with expansive views over the giraffe enclosure. It's so nice our friend who lives there bought a zoo membership just to be able to go to the bar and drink beer watching the animals
Funny enough I was probably sat in that bar when you were dodging hailstones on the barrage in March! It is amazing - totally understand your friend's doing that.
The lemur enclosure was our favourite!
I miraculously managed to take 4 minutes off my PB in Cardiff this weekend. I had no idea if I could do it, but went out at roughly just under PB pace and luckily it worked! Last mile was the fastest, with the mile before that second fastest so a big boost that the training is working as I haven't pushing myself very hard on longer runs. It was such a nice day too - nice and sunny but not too hot so if you'd been in the shade for a while it was nice to be back in the sunshine, and vice versa. Crossing the barrage into the bay was one of my favourite bits, so beautiful with little sailing boats bobbing about in the sunshine. I'm glad I was doing this time round rather than earlier this year!
Well done Nells - that's a brilliant PB
It's great to get a confidence boost like that with a marathon coming up.
I did my second 20 miler at the weekend (actually 21), which felt pretty good. An easier couple of weeks for me ahead of Amsterdam on the 16th, then I'm planning to fit in one more 20 mile+ run between then and Valencia.