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Sub 3:00 FLM 2005
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Absolutely demoralising though was being on for 2:53/54/55 and seeing it slip away in miles 23-26 and not being able to do a damn thing about it except pray for the finishing line (and the goody bag full of jelly babies & chocloate).
Does anyone know if James Cracknell ran the race and managed the sub 3hrs he was targetting - cannot find him on the results pages of the FLM website.
I think those were the right tactics for the day, with rising temps. Reading around, loads of people had problems from 22 miles out, not being able to speed-up.
Spot on, well done mate.
Photos have started going up, I'm number 20752 if anyone wants to take a look. I certainly look pretty happy crossing the finish line!
Zoe, how did your sister get on at Rotterdam?
Anyone else starting to eye up 2:45? It's a big big of a jump, but I reckon with a good year's training it might be possible... But for now, I'm very happy with what I've got.
Thanks for all the advice and banter over the last couple of months, hopefully you'll all be around for a similar thread next spring. And big congratulations to everyone, whatever your time was!
Looking VERY much like I was hyponatremic! Of course, I had heard of this condition - water intoxication - but I didn't think I was in any danger of this... In the final two days I was hyper-keen about my hydration - spent all day sipping away on water to such an extent that I was literally running to the toilet every hour. On top of that, I've never addedd salt to my food and int he previous two days, all I ate were pata meals WITHOUT meat... not exactly salt rich? And when I say I drank only water - I mean ONLY water - no fruit juices, no soft drinks, no alcohol, no tea, no coffee - JUST WATER and lots of it - 'cos its good for you innit???
Everything I have read on Hyponatremia - and google throws up some great articles - suggests I was hyponatremic. About an hour after the run I threw up twice - orange colured water (water plus carb gels and later int he race a puch of LS) - no solids... Whilst in the pub an hour or so after the run I became very, very dizzy and light headed (I'd only had one pint of guineess!) - at this point I had to head outside for some fresh air.
Interestingly - I may have even made the matter worse, inadvertently, with the use of Ibuprofen for my sore knee. I went to the theatre (first time for everything) on the Saturday night - BIG MISTAKE - actually very much enjoyed the show, BUT, sat in cramped conditions with my knee bent to 90 degrees made the pain unbearable - not to mention the fact I was bursting to use the toilet during the first two hours. Anyway - on return to the hotel I banged a few ibuprofen down my neck (washed down with, you guessed it - waer)... did the same on the morning of the race as soon as I got up, and a couple just before I handed my bag in at the start line for good luck. Most of the articles on Hyponatremia state that NSAIDs like ibuprofen make the matter worse!
On the plus side - apparently heavier runners like myself can tolerate hyponatremia better than the lighter folk! So that coulda saved my life - bit of melodrama thrown in there!!!
Anyway - you live an learn... I will certainly NEVER excessively carbo load again, nor will I exclusively drink HUGE amounts of water - and I dare say I might even enjoy a pre-race pint or two the day before from now on!
I say from now on - cos I've been told by the doctor that my pain is NOT cartilage related -its the rear of my knee cap thats worn out... apparently some fancy name for it but he said that I just have to accept that from now on marathon running is going to be a very painful pastime for me but NOT one I should stop. He stated that running is something I should continue to do to prevent the knee seizing up. Suggested that if I did stop running the pain would get worse not better. Apparently there is a surgical option but due to my being only 34, he wants to refer me to phyiotherpaists first... maybe I shoulda registered with a doctor and sought help 10 or so years ago and I might not be in this much pain now!
Anyway - I've centred my sights on the Blackpool marathon - June 19th... plenty of time for the legs to recover (not that they need much time to recover givent the fsct that they musta walked 8 of the last 13 miles!), plenty of time to put the long miles in and bury the psychological trauma of having to stop on a run for the first time EVER in my life - flat course, out and back - definite potential to hit the sub 3 and a guranteed place in FLM 2006????!
Blackpool here I come!
JH, interesting thoughts. I've never had so many problems with cramp before - and I too was real diligent on hydration and carbo loading before hand. First time I've committed myself to a pre-race regime like that. I've drawn no conclusions yet though, other than an inclination (like you) to keep to more of a normal regime next time.
(aaaaaarrghhhh....)
<goes to lie down>
Should that go to plan, I fancy a sub 3 in a silly costume, then to retire from quick marathon running and try to enjoy the FLM at a slower pace.
22 June 2003 was the hottest day you could imagine plus the wind made me feel as though I was in the Sahara. Not enough drinks stations made matters worse.
Not a good experience but I believe that the organisers have learnt their lesson.
With regard to drinks stations, in actual fact, after reading all these articles on Hyponatremia, I really do think there is perhaps too much empahsis put on hydration and I definitely feel that drink stops every mile (like in FLM) are overkill.. i think every 3 to 5 would suit me... During long training runs I have run with a 1.5L camelbak and found htat more than adequate.
Whn I was at my fastes, 1hr18 halves - I NEVER drank throughout the whole duration of the run... basically 'cos 10 years ago drinks were always in plastic cups and i could never get the water down my neck only up my nose! nd i never paid any attention to hydration pre-race either...
One of the articles on Hyponatremia suggested that carbo loading actually results in 2 litres of stored water in the muscles.
I did the fire services 10mile road race in 1999 in Lytham St Annes - and the wind there was horrific - was on for sub 60minutes on the outward 5 miles - finished up with, I think 68minutes - but that was February and not June! Didn't think wind would be much of a problem in June - given me something else to think aout thats for sure!
Anybody else able to suggest a fast marathon sorta late may to early september? I've looked at Nottingham on 11 sep - but knowing Nottingham (as I used to work in and around the route the marathon takes), I don't think i fancy it 'cos i think it would be rather desolate and soul destroying!?
Last time, I didn't go to the toilet until about 90 mins after the race. When I finally did, it felt like I was stood there for 5 minutes! Never seen so much liquid :-)
I know a lot of us (certainly me included) do our long runs with little or no water. Having it available at every mile in the race doesn't necessarily mean drinking at every station is a good idea. Definitely a tough one to get right though.
JH, how about October for a marathon? If you don't like the heat, one in early September might be a risk. Cardiff and Abingdon are both very flat. The downside though is that they're too late for a GFA time it would seem. You could always think of Berlin, very fast course, think that's September but not sure.
Just bought my Evening Standard results supplement. Here's the figures for number of finishers at each 15 mins:
sub 2:15 - 13
sub 2:30 - 69
sub 2:45 - 314
sub 3:00 - 1119
sub 3:15 - 2423
sub 3:30 - about 4350
All numbers include the faster runners (i.e. the 69 sub 2:30ers includes the 13 2:15ers)
I think that shows the sheer jump in class between sub 3 and sub 2:45. From 3:30 to 3:15, and 3:15 to 3:00, the number of finishers roughly halves. From 3:00 to 2:45, it _quarters_. Or to put it another way, going from 3:00 to 2:45 is akin to a 3:30 marathoner going to 3:00.
So, what that tells me is its gonna take a lot of work this year to try to make that jump. Definitely going to have a go though!
The articles on this page are definitely WELL worth a read;
http://www.usatf.org/groups/Coaches/library/hydration/
All articles are worht a read but be aware that some of them a re in .pdf format (adobe acrobat reader required)
I always run better in the cold and train mostly at 6am or 7pm. Guess I therefore need to do more training in warmer weather.
The 2 weeks before the 17th, I was constantly hungry and whatever I ate, I was never satisfied. From Thursday PM the only differenc in my diet was that I would snack more between meals - Friday was lots of fruit and rivita, plus 2 pasta meals. Saturday involved normal breakfast, big pasta lunch and light dinner.
I thought that my cramp was brought on by dehydration - my initial plan was to only take the lucozade, plus I collected about 400ml of SIS electrolyte at my special drinks stage (my house).
I did need the toilet right through the race and had to go straight after finishing - perhaps I could also have been overhydrated.
During my longer training runs I'd only get throught about 750ml of SIS Electrolyte, but they were typically of a very slow pace.
"... a 3:30 marathoner going to 3:00" is my target for next 12 months. I understand the bit about following a sub-3.00 training plan; would love some advice on how to train for the training plan (ie targets for next 6 to 8 months). Any top tips?
Is a very good programme, and unlike others, actually explains the benefits of training in this way.
I am convinced that if I had run my long runs with bit more intensity that the holy grail may have been within reach. So now I (might) wait until Berlin and have another crack .... although don't tell Mrs Crater !
My girlfriend (who's far better at maths than me) has just worked out this notional halfway point to be 2:52:06, which sounds reasonable. But that's very close to the simple halfway point of 2:52:30, which shows this whole concept is a bit of a waste of time!
This is in an non elite Club, and I'm 50 next year.
No pleasing some. Think I'll go back to playing golf.
It is flatter than London.
It has excellent water stations, but only two carb stops.
The problem would be the wind when it blows. The run out to the south is very exposed and would be straight into the prevailing South Westerly winds.
The millenium finish is superb, but the HM back markers were a problem especially on the narrow park paths near the end.
I'm even mulling over doing it again myself, as it was the most enjoyable run I've ever done.
Sounds familiar. This chap reckons I should be targetting 2.50 as my target time.
You have to laugh.
Mick Rice 2:50:20
Zoe t 2:54:48
Martyn Perkins 2:55:26
Anthony Waller 2:56:35
Triple B 2:57:13
venom 2:58:10
Christchurch jon 2:59:03
rick d 2:59:32
Mango 2:59:48
Batfink 3:00:42
OuchOuch 3:00:57
CapeParrot 3:01
Skinny Boy 3:02
asn 3:03:23
Crater 3:05:10
Running Bear 3:05:12
Dull Napoleon 3:05:20
alanpitt 3:05:27
MAd Rich 3:06:50
CRAB 3:07
Angus Aberdeen 3:07:40
Wyke Wanderer 3:07:55
Nutkey 3:09:58
HelenS 3:10:09
Bluerunner 3:10:25
Running Bhoy 3.12.52
JEJ 3:13:20
Magnito 3:30
Charles Howard 3.35.11
John Harcastle 3:48
Monique DNF
At 17 miles did a bit of supporting for a while as it was a sunny day, saw a club member go past he was surprised to see me on the other side of the barriers, then got the tube to the finish to pick up my kit and meet with the rest of the club. Quite a bizarre experience being on the tube in full race kit.
Had an x ray which has shown nothing untoward so it's off for physio and some time off, am allowed "non weight bearing exercise" which includes cycling - luckily I had planned on no running for two weeks and can afford nigh on 6 if I can do swimming and biking though which is good as I have Fred Whitton in 3 weeks!
I have always said I would never drop out of a race unless severely injured, and this classes as that as I am having real difficulty walking now. Walking 9 miles to finish would have been pointless.
How's the foot today?
at least you got some champagne - and as I said, hope you're back soon