Berlin Marathon 2006

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Comments

  • Bev, I live in Germany (close to Hannover) hence the German bias.

    YP1, that’s a hell of an improvement in one year, I'd like to see gains like that. Any secrets you'd like to share apart from "run faster"

    Yesterday was the annual Peoples Run in the town I live in and I set a PB for 10K at 48.59.
    I think I'll just call it 49minutes. It was very important for me to break the 50min barrier. I'm wondering how I'll do next week at the half Marathon. I had no real aim in mind when I registered but now numbers keep flying in and out of my head :)
  • Hmm, the only tip I can give for improving fast is to start off really slow, then you're bound to improve :)

    I've lost about 7 stone over the past year, so it was fairly inevitable I'd speed up once I only had to carry myself round the course rather than nearly a whole extra person's worth of fat...
  • YP1 - that's a lot of weight you lost - well done! How did you do it??

    FYI Taffy Runner has started another thread in General Running about Berlin as he lives there.
  • Mainly by running. I do eat a lot better now, but not a huge amount less. I've not bothered with counting calories or anything like that, I just try to eat fresh fruit and veg and beans and cook for myself rather than eating processed food. My approach has basically been to try to exercise enough so that I don't need to worry about calorie counting, and it's worked for me.
  • The best part of marathon training for me is all the food! Yum.

    Went for a run this morning...my first proper one since Paris Marathon. Only managed 5K but at least I didn't stop to walk.

    Can't believe I actually start my proper training schedule in 2 weeks (I'm starting a week early as I'm planning on going on at least one summer holiday to the beach where I can be pretty sure I'll have the best intentions of going for a run in the hotel gym, and then won't do it). Hopefully, for once, the fitness I managed to build up for Paris won't have dwindled away. I guess that's one advantage of doing races a little closer together.
  • Seems like there's a lot of us aiming for that elusive sub 4 hours in Berlin. I've been running for about 20 years now and have done London twice in pre-chip days in 91 and 92. In 92 my official time was 4:09ish and I know it took me more than 10 minutes to cross the finishing line. I didn't record my times on a computer back then (I don't think I even had a proper sports watch either, Everybody say aahhhh). But knowing I have probably done sub 4 isn't the same as having it recorded officially. So maybe Berlin will be the one. Like some of you have already mentioned, my 10K and half marathon and even 20 mile times suggest that I should be able to do around 3:45, but then on marathon day itself..... you know the rest!
  • I entered yesterday, thinking I'd take advantage of the discount but managed to miss it! Also does anybody else think it's unusual to be asked to pay for the race t-shirt?

    I'm aiming for sub 3.30. Anyone else?
  • Having had a couple of good hm results recently (1:24 at Hastings and 1:23 at Paddock Wood) I'll be looking to have a crack at sub 3 hours, although I'll be delighted to get anything under 3:10. Did the Whitstable 10k yesterday which went really well until 5k (in 18:15) and then turned into an awful headwind for the entire second half to finish in a pw of 37:48. However, managed a pb from the point of view of field position - 15th of 549 so think I'll concentrate and that side of things!!

    Swoosh - paying for the t-shirt does seem a bit odd. Thought I'd leave it until the expo before buying anything other than the entry.
  • Swoosh...well I did have a dream I ran a marathon in 3:26, although I'm sure it is probably more dream than propechy. As Bev says, my 5k and 10K times say I can do around 3:30...but, yes, "you know the rest". (fade)

    Mind you, I've got a couple of 5 and 10Ks coming up this summer, so if THOSE times have improved perhaps I have a better shot. I keep thinking, if flippin Nell McAndrew/Jonny Lee Miller/Gordon Ramsay can do it, I can do it.

    (I don't think I paid for the T shirt. Perhaps I can get one off Ebay after the fact if the race goes well!)
  • Oops. I don't think that's how you spell 'prophecy'.
  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭
    Myself and my BF are planning to do this (I have a half ironman 2 weeks before so I will run as long as I am not ruined!)

    I take it that they will have pacers there? Is the course nice and flat? I guess it must be as its a fast course (well depending on whos running it!)

    Cheers
    Pip
  • Word is there are pacers, although not sure what the time breakdowns are.
    Yes, flat and "fast".
    Good luck with your ironman...


  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭
    thanks, luckily its only a half IM!

    I am not sure how i am going to train for a marathon and HIM at the same time, but hey ho, in for a penny and all that...

    My long run two weeks before the marathon will actually be a long triathlon instead :-)
  • TRF, which IM? I'm doing Germany in July & Monaco in September. Are you doing Monaco too?
  • Oops. That was me, not Fen. TRF, which IM?
  • swoosh - seems to be a German thing, I had to pay for a finisher T-shirt for the Hamburg Marathon, at least you get your size (unlike the FLM) but you are usually able to buy them on the expo.

    Would be suprised if there weren't any pacers, had them in Hamburg.
  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭
    i am doing the Vit, there's no way in the world I could or would do Monaco as I am a useless hill climber and would die :-) If i could climb hills I would be tempted by the amazing location, but i cant and doubt I would make cut off!
  • Swoosh, I'm up for sub-3:30. I did 3:33 in London 3 years ago after injury-restricted training with no speedwork, then 3:46 last year with shin splints and virtually no training in the last 6 weeks. Something to prove!

    As an "older runner" (46) I will be following the 3 runs per week programme the RW published a few months ago. Anyone else trying it? It'd be interesting to swop notes, stories, bruises, injuries...
  • FWIW, I did Berlin last year and out of the ten marathons I've done to date, think it's the fastest course I've seen so far, including London and Chicago. I've no doubt that the pancake flat topography and long straights with few turns helped me cut well over 8 minutes from my PB.

    The race is also outstandingly well organised and runs (pun intended) like a well oiled machine - give it a go, you'll be glad you did ;-)
  • Alan M - I'm on the three times a week prog as well. (Although I hope to manage a fourth run at the track with my club and two cross training sessions). Aiming for around 3:30 at the moment. I'll have to decide whether that's realistic later in the summer.

    I managed 2:35 at the 30K mark in Paris on only one long training run of 12miles (!!) and an injury (then had to walk). So a bit like you -- kind of half quite fit, half quite not. Also, 30K doth not a marathon make.
  • Hi - lots of speedy people on this thread. Bit of a plodder myself (5 hrs 6 mins aiming for sub-5)

    I've just registered for Berlin. Does anybody know whether they have sports drinks and if so what they are?
  • I think so-called plodders make some of the best marathoners.

    I really must remind myself that a marathon is essentially a 10K preceded by a 20 mile warm up, not a 10K followed by a twenty mile torture session.

    Not sure about drinks. I tried PSP22 for Paris. I know it sounds like a class A club drug, but you make it from powder and it works wonders. Bit sugary. My mouth felt like a sweet shop.
  • I'm pretty sure it's Gatorade, but I'm guess someone who's ran it before will be able to confirm. If it is Gatorade, the only retailer I've seen who do it over here are Bourne Sports.

    I don't seem to have any trouble ingesting any drinks, gels etc. so not sure if it's worth making the effort to get some.
  • Yep it is Gatorade. They sell it quite cheap at the Messe also
  • BeetleBeetle ✭✭✭
  • BeetleBeetle ✭✭✭
    Tho` marginally better than the Lucozade they dish out at FLM.
  • Hi. just entered this online. is it really that simple? 70 euros it cost me. guess they will send me the stuff near the time. will be my first marathon. did a couple of halfs this year 1.35 was my best in hastings. any tips? spent a week in berlin in october, i love it.
  • Hi! My second marathon and my first visit to Berlin. Registering was incredibly easy wasn't it.

    Tips based on my one marathon so far - enjoy the experience and don't worry too much about your time - you'll almost certainly want to do another one.

    I've read that there is a really good post-race party as well - but I'm flying back that evening and will miss it.
  • the water in Berlin comes from the fire hydrants :-)
  • Hi folks - just enteredand sorted out flights and hotel. Hemmed and hawed for a few days over the latter and to my irritation flying out of Heathrow went up about 40 quid over the weekend! The hotel looks close by at least.

    Can't find any details of the expo on the website - anyone know where they stage it?

    Andrew
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