Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Paris Marathon 2013
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
IM2 theres so many factors (ark at me going on like i'm an expert) - i guess the most important things are you train well and recover well so that you line up with no aches or pain on the day in the best condition you can be in the give it a go. The marathon is an unholy distance - those guys&girls that do Ironman or ultramarathons - they are not human THEY ARE NOT HUMAN
Jimbob - it was one of my greatest regrets as a child that when my neighbour came round and asked if I wanted to go to ballet classes with her I said no, because I was buried in a book at the time (Swallows and Amazons, if I remember rightly). Ever since I've always thought I could have been the sugar plum fairy one day (although I suspect if I had gone I would actually have hated it!).
I aim to have done 10 x 20 mile runs before Paris...........but done as back to back 20 miles on a Wednesday and Thursday every 2 weeks?? So Hopefully my first will be sometime in January...........and all will be done very slowly!! Then after Paris increase the distances...........
RR - You are the ultra queen!!!
Kid us not!!!
RR: good advice girlfriend, but its not working
I can still hear her pad around that Island of hers 
Kaz you freak me out!!!
I have just accepted a charity place for London and will also come along to Paris - my plan is to keep trotting around about half marathon distance at the weekends and worry about 'real training' after xmas.
RR: has your confidence to dance suffered as a result of that? Are you only good at the groove if you've had a few strongbows? (or are you one of those crazy white wine girls that goes through the rollarcoaster of every emotion in one night on the sauce)!
COME ON!?!
But, after 2 weeks of taper, I am starting to have taper induced doubt that I can even survive a Mara.
Mrs D is in Japan. So youngest and me are heading out for some food. Wish he liked the vegetarian restaurant but it'll probably be Mexican tonight.
Audrey - Paris and London.......ooooooooooh!!!
My job is too freak everyone out.......I've scared everyone in this house to an early bed and they only read the 'to -do -list'........I actually completed it!!!
Normal services have resumed.....or almost!!
Highlight of today......My mum actually admitted she was telling someone about my running, but the way she spoke was in a proud parent kindo way..........theres a first time for everything!!!
Jimbob - I don't have 'taper - guilt' either as I am recovering from illness. I can cope(now) with rest imposed by being ill!!
Hi guys - I know this thread is about Paris but I am wanting to check out what would be the best 1st marathon - I am currently thinking about Edinburgh or Amsterdam. I am a 40-something who is 'big boned' (fatter than I would like!!) and I have done 7 half marathons (pb in this year's GNR 2:48) so want to try the next stage. Didn't get through to London for 2013 so turning my attention elsewhere. Thought Edinburgh would be good as it is downhill/flat but them people have put me off by saying it is boring/no scenery/is windy/is too hot etc. But I am attracted to the 6hrs 40mins time limit (my predicted time based on the GNR is 5:50hrs). It was suggested I look at Amsterdam but I'm scared cos the time limit is 6hrs which is cutting it a bit fine.
Please advise x
Karen,
Any reason you did not include Paris in your options?
Hi Dannirr - don't know too much about it. I am not good on hills so want to look at the flatest I can (if possible) to make sure I can do one. Then, if I like it, might challenge myself with a more difficult/undulating course. What is the elevation like for Paris then?
Hi Karen,
Paris is about as flat a marathon as you could hope for. The only "hills" are the couple of times you come out of the tunnels - and those are short and not very steep at all. Flat, flat, flat.
It's a wonderful marathon, and many people do it as their first marathon. I dont know off hand what the cutoff time is as you are concerned about that. Crowd support is excellent.
And, it's Paris!
Iain - I'm anything but a seasoned pro. I must just sound better than I actually am. I am a marathon newbie in many senses. Like many things, the best part of running is the community of people you find yourself in. And I try learn from all those people.
Just looked - cut off time for Paris is 5hrs 40mins ..... = too scary! I will be stressed out all the way round for my first marathon
TD - excellent. It looks very similar in function to the CompuTrainer. I use mine quite a bit. I added one other option to it - a unit that tilts the front of the bike up or down so that hill climbing allows you to position yourself on the bike as you would outdoors and allow you to build arm and leg muscles more specific to hills, especially when standing. It tilts the bike automatically as the course you are riding dictates.
My pedalling technique has improved a lot with this thing as the analysis really tells you what each foot is doing throughout the stroke.
Karen - I'm not a fan of the Edinburgh marathon at all. Paris is a wonderful event, I really like Amsterdam too. Paris is pretty much flat. There are a few undulations, but no real hills. Amsterdam is the very definition of flat, bar one underpass at about 37km.
On the long runs subject. I did five runs of 20 miles or more for Paris. I only did four for Chicago due to this injury. I've found that getting five in really helps me in the later stages of the race.
Morning All.
Howz the Big Apple Eggy?? Envious
JimBob - Never done an Ultra Before, August will be my first and probably last although I really want to do the Berlin Wall Ultra........someday!! As for Fat there is plenty of it here, the reason I started running was to cure an 'eating disorder', so I try not to think about that side of things and just eat what I feel I need!!
After taking my anti-biotic I seem to feel very 'strange' ( no laughing please!). I fell down the stairs last night and have a very bruised lower back.
I was crying like a baby!
Speaking of which, Dannirr - how is the wee one??
Karen - Paris is Ace! I have never done Edinburgh as I have heard some awful reports
Berlin is good although very big, and last year was very hot
Amsterdam.........I will let you know in a couple of weeks!!!
KAZ - wooooohooooo!!! Sounds like yo've had an awesome day! 2 extra hours per week child free!! YAY! (you'd only be a bad mother if you got it because they had community service or something) AND your mum was boasting?!!? That's awesome!
Can everyone please note that Kaz is doing an ultra next spring...hence her mega miles but she's pretty mad in general so watch out for keeping up with her kms.
Hello Karen, the last person to finish Paris this year was in 6 hrs 41 chip time and 6 hr 55 mins from the gun. The cut off times are when they re-open the roads and send around the bus. The course will still be marked and support stations out. Don't worry about the cut offs!!! Think about what city you want to run around (flat, great support, a mad bunch of forumites to catchup with) and when you can fit the training in. For at least the last 2 months of training you will be a bit of a running bore having to do 3 runs during the week to do and one 3hr+ run at the weekend which will leave you pretty zonked (that's a proper medical term, honest). Have a look at this simple plan: Hal is a sexist prick but does good free plans
Go for Paris (spring), Amsterdam (autumn) or Berlin (autumn).
and just reading more closely...KAZ, you fell down the stairs?!?!? we really do need to wrap you in cotton wool!!! WOuld a safety harness for the stairs be too much?
Thought I'd join the thread as planning to sign up for Paris when it opens. It'll be my first race there.
Karen - read your post. I've done Edinburgh twice (mainly as I'm Scottish and there's not a lot of choice) and both times have said never again. It is a pretty boring course and the organisation leaves a lot to be desired. Weather is uncontrollable so although there have been a couple of very hot years there's not a lot can be done about that. I did Amsterdam as my first and found it much more enjoyable. The finish in the Olympic stadium was great!
Welcome Clag. We seem to have an uncanny knack of attracting Scotts to this thread?
Agree with you Eggy- the more long runs the better. Try one at 22 miles and make a section of your run at race pace.
Club grand prix tonight- not sure my bod is ready speed.