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London 2020
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My ballot place is very precious to me as I've been injured with several different issues since running York marathon in Oct 2017, I deferred last year and hoped to be fit for this year. I still have some lingering tendinitis and my training isn't as consistent as I would like but I am up to 12 miles and gonna keep sensible and do what I can before and then try my best on the day. I'm not giving up my ballot place for anything even if I crawl over the line ha ha!
Is it definitely late march with final instructions you find out, I thought it wasn't till the expo? Be nice to know a bit before if it is late march. I think I put 5 hours on my application and he put 5.30 so I think it's highly unlikely we will be anywhere near each other even if we tried to meet once on the course. Unless he catches up with me if my injuries rear their ugly heads of course. Fingers crossed not.
Thanks again all
DT19,
yep, DLR to Greenwich the follow the crowds. Most will be going to the red start, but the front of each start line is really close to the others. If you stood at the front of red you're just looking across the common to the other two starts.
Lucy, the is a final instruction magazine that is issued about 4 weeks prior to race day.
From that you will have your race number and within that magazine it will set out what number ranges start from where.
Here is a link to the 2019 mag;
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/final-instructions/
Click on 'where and when to start' and it'll show you the split so you will at this point know where you are running from.
If you then click on important timings it'll tell you when to arrive based on your pen. As stated above, your pen number will be on your race number. You probably could call vmlm helpline in early April and ask them what your allocated pen is. They are pretty helpful.
The route has changed several times over the years, sometimes if only to go around major building constructions - the Canary Wharf complex for example. I would very much doubt (although not certain) it will happen this year.
The only thing constant is the distance - so bring it on I say.
would they announce such a thing before this year's event? The course has changed very little in 20 plus years.
that I can recall since 1985
changes like:
Cobbles at Tower of London,
Isle of Dogs loop,
Mint Street,
Finish on Westminster Bridge
Up/Down The Highway
Just googling it, there is a page that walks you through the history of the course and the changes that have occurred.
'....that walks you through the history....'
That sums up my pace at times which I call running.
There has been numerous discussions on some running groups that this was introduced in the morning session as this year’s medal in the Meet the Experts event yesterday. But in the afternoon the slide wasn’t shown and they were told it couldn’t be revealed until the expo?
A medal is a medal but I expected more given the great improvements the London marathon has made over the years.
I don't think they send final instructions mags anymore, they just publish on line. That's what happened last year.
I think people tend to expect a bit too much from big marathon medals in that it should be so special to reflect the months of effort involved, but the reality is there is only so much they can do with them.
That said, having run 5 of the last 6 I always find it disappointing that the medal stays the same for 3 years, just with a change of colour.
I'm all about injury prevention after last years fiasco - deep tissue massage once a month, ice bath after long run, daily stretching, strength and conditioning, and swimming...... and sticking to the plan making sure easy runs are just that!
I got carried away last year looking at other peoples runs and and went harder and longer than the plan stated and ended up injured, more to the point i did none of the above, at the most very little stretching.
I guess with experience comes wisdom.
I am up to 344 miles since 1 January.
Despite a couple of injuries due to a fall while running training at roughly 52 miles a week - sadly my first marathon of the year got cancelled today due to Dennis but I have at least three fulls and two halves planned before VLM
One point I'd make is the ice bath thing. i dont get it. After my long run and after big sessions i have a warm bath with epsom salts. Inflammation is an essential part of the recovery process. It brings oxygenated blood to the damaged areas to help them repair stronger. i think ice baths and other inflamation reducing steps are only useful for those in a competition or tournament, where they arent there to adapt and progress, they need to recover asap at any cost. So an athlete at the olympics with multiple heats etc over 3 days or cricketer at a world cup playing every 3 days.
Like those who for some weird reason say they cannot run without headphones I can never understand it - never seen any elite marathon winner wear them.
Correction to my current running total for this year - it should be 345.55 miles.
I'm on 323 for year to date, which is a bit less than this time last year but still decent enough.
The most I've done is run the shower as cold as it will go on my legs, and alternate that with hot water.
Haven't decided if I'm joining you all in April this year or not - got a ballot place (first time in over ten attempts, though ran for charity in 2019), but I've got the paris marathon in early April, so I'm thinking of deferring London to next year
The ice bath thing was recommended to me by my physio, the one who gives me deep tissue massages. I don't actually have a bath so bought a plastic bin, fills that with cold water and stand in it for 10-15mins - only goes to my knees but i suffer from tight calfs - have now started wearing calf guards so hoping they will help. I don't know if the ice baths really help or not, but the thought of me doing all i can to try and prevent injury is giving me more confidence in my running. The placebo effect, well if it works and is not hindering me i might as well continue.
I've only just got up to a weekly mileage exceeding 25, so it's slowly increasing and i'm feeling good.
Got Cambridge HM, Eastleigh 10k, and then Reading HM all booked prior to London - if anything the HM's will just be MP and for more race experience. The 10k i can have some fun with.
Note taken DT19 on the importance of recovery - at the moment i am doing some swimming and then sitting in the steam room after... but the swimming is very gentle... more like working my arms hard and legs just dragging behind lol
Portlander - I agree with the others re ice baths, have a nice warm bath and go for a walk will do far more good for your legs. And as for deep tissue massage, they won't help either. Sports massage is good for those suffering from anxiety but there's no real evidence that will help your legs, get yourself a nice gentle and regular stretching routine, check your shoes are right for you and maybe get your running form checked too and save yourself the money you're spending on unnecessary massages.
Failing all that a nice hot cup of sugary tea is a treat in cold weather.
Agree with the stretching as part of the Cool/Warm Down although this too is getting harder at my age (will be 61 later this year)
After a session or a run of 10m or more I'll have a sis rego recovery drink asap then a zero high electrolyte drink shortly afterwards, usually whilst I'm in the bath. Then I'll have a cup of tea and some biscuits. That's all usually within the girst hour.
My training last year was disrupted hugely by injury, so i'm throwing everything at prevention this year and it's working well.
My recovery shake is a whey protein from sci-mx, B&M sell it cheap enough. But i also increased natural proteins in to my daily diet.
So yeah, training going well, ran 14 miles on last long run and finished fresh, 16 planned for this weekend finishing off a 30 mile week.