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Any else gutted with their FLM performance?
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i fiinished in 5.43
my mara pw is 6.36
6.36 was potts last year
hopefully i can beat that this year
I cheered up today when i saw the Evening standard supplement, my name was on page 4 and there were alot more names and pages after mine. That somehow put it into perspective.
Never mind, at least you made it alive and still standing.Small consellation I know. I am at the other end of the spectrum hoping for 5hours managing 6 having walked/staggered the last 10 miles following a "hamstring incident" at 16 miles. Still, raised £1000 for charity, am alive, didn't vomit and I live to run another day rather than forcing on through and having to lay off for weeks. Did feel a bit miffed that all the mats had been rolled up by the Tower so we slow coaches had to slither over wet cobblestones plus the tumbleweeds rolling down the Mall as everyone else had gone home.......
i also started well and within my target pace but after 11 miles just didnt feel right. I think i was a bit overwhealmed with the whole build up and not just the day.
Adopted a run/walk strategy after about 13 and finished in 5.25.20, after aiming for 4.45
i was blubbering like a wreak at canary wharf as the support got to me.i was raising money for cancer research and after losing my dad and my sister it brought it home that all the people around me (and including me) were putting themselves through this to try and make peoples lives better.
3 days after and i feel fine. Will definately go for it again next year as i feel ive got a point to prove to myself
you did it for the right reasons
now do another (not FLM ) mara, and achieve your targets
I know some people can run marathons week in week out- but they are running them in a comfortable zone as training for ultras, when you go all out for a time it is a totally different experience and needs rest after.
will be doing it again next year but if anyone knows about a marathon around october / november in the west yorkshire area let me know.
I think the thing is not to let it put you off and vow to do better next year !!
cheers
pete
Looking back, all I could have done differently would have been to run a less conservative second half and push harder in the final six miles. That said, running strongly right through the race, despite the conditions, and finishing strongly with fuel still left in the tank have given me the confidence to know that I'm definitely capable of a sub-4.
London is an amazing experience but it IS very congested in places. I lost at least three minutes around Docklands (16-20) because for some reason a third of the road was taped off on one side and all the runners, many of whom were starting to slow, were channelled into the remaining 2/3 of the road, leaving the rest unused. Presumably this was supposed to be to contain the crowds, but as there weren't any at that point it could have been easily removed.
I loved the whole atmosphere of London, the support of the crowds and the efficiency of the organisation. OK, I was outside my 'ideal' time by 1 minute. BUT I ran 26.2 miles and finished still looking and feeling as fresh as a daisy - which means I'm in the right state of mind to come back for more!
Had hoped for between 4.30 and 4.45 and my times in training had suggested this might be achievable. Sunday just didn't happen. From the very start I felt as if I was running through treacle and at mile 4 an old knee injury which had given me very little trouble in training. Miles 5 to 10 were a real struggle but had a good phase from 10 to 16. Had some very short walks from 16 onwards and finished in a slow 6.13 - almost 90 mins after my only other marathon time of 4.45 in the 1992 London. Feel a little depressed about the time but then when I think about it I feel proud to have finished - as my non-running friends keep putting it, most people couldn't walk 26 miles let alone run the vast majority of it. I now know that the chest infection I had 2 weeks before hadn't cleared properly. I started coughing up lots of gunk in Horse Guards and haven't really stopped since then. I was probably lucky to make it at all.
But having realised early on that I wasn't going to make a good time I resolved to enjoy myself and I finished with a huge smile on my face as my photo testifies. What a day. The support was overwhelming. The crowds at Canary Wharf just blew me away - I still get choked up just thinking about it. And as for Birdcage Walk and turning into the Mall, well I don't imagine I was the only runner to be a wee bit tearful.
Planning to do the Mull half marathon in August and maybe a 10k somewhere. And I'll have to do another marathon at some point to beat that time. The great thing is that the FLM has made me realise how rewarding running can be with a goal. And finding this online community has been brilliant as well.
Back on the island now and going to my local tonight for a few beers with my supporters who won't give a XXXX about my time. I'll raise a glass to us all!
I'd followed a 3:45 training plan fairly religiously apart from a couple of weeks off skiing, and had completed a half-marathon in 1:38, RW Richmond Park 15 in 8 min/mile pace and Worthing 20 in 2:44.
I was even thinking of pushing for a 3:30 on the big day. However after the Worthing 20, 3 weeks before, one of my calf muscles caused me to abort almost all of my tapering runs apart from a few in the week before London. A combination of physio, heel inserts and pre-race massage
got me fit for the day though.
I set off feeling good and passed the RW 8:30 pacers around 4 miles in. I was having to weave a fair amount to pass slower runners but not excessively in my eyes.
Around 9 or 10 miles I started to feel the pace and purposefully eased off. This didn't help and by Tower Bridge people were streaming past me, including the RW 8:30 group and I had nothing there in the tank to respond with.
Miles 13 - 22 were the longest, most painful miles of my relatively short running career. I felt myself getting slower and slower and my only thought was to complete the marathon without walking.
Just past mile 22 I went for a water station but tripped on another runner's legs and ended up on the floor. I then couldn't get up. All energy had been drained from my limbs and I had been
reduced to a wreck on the floor.
Thankfully some nearby St John's helpers rescued me and got me on my feet. They obviously thought that my race was over but I was still convinced I would finish and kept telling them this. They persuaded me to get checked out in an ambulance first and I reluctantly agreed. I was laid out on a bed and a doctor put me on oxygen and took loads of readings. I had to concentrate really hard not to be sick as I knew if I became any further dehydrated they would not let me continue.
All thoughts of finishing times left my head and now the sole aim was to get back onto the course and finish the damn race. After much persuasion the doctor finally let me go. I was helped back to the
roadside complete with space blanket over an hour since I'd first fallen.
Rejoining was such a joy you would not believe. I walked 2 miles and suddenly started to appreciate the marathon day again for the first time since probably the Cutty Sark. My muscles started to loosen again and from mile 24 I ran all the way to the finish.
I felt like a million dollars crossing that line and the time of 5:31 just paled into insignificance against finishing the 26.2 miles.
Having analysed the race since I'm still a bit confused as to what happened to me. I guess it was a combination of going off too fast, weaving and losing some fitness (however small) in the 3 weeks prior to the race.
I totally agree with Jacqui Gray's comment. Despite everyone's congratulations I still feel like I have a point to prove. It's an incentive to keep running and I know I will be back!
A massive thank you to the St John's crew who helped me and everyone who cheered us all on. What a day!
I hope you do get your chance to come back and improve your time - but I suspect there will never be another medal that you'll have to work so hard to earn.
Wonderful! Well done!
Like you say I'm sure you'll definately be back and no doubt well under 4 hours , but i bet you won't appreciate any medal as much as you appreciate this one you worked so hard for.
I'll be expecting to hear you on next years sub 3.45 london thread, good luck with the future runs.
cheers
pete
Fantastic. What incredible determination not just to continue with the race but to get back enough to run the last four miles.
Hats off to you!