Abingdon Marathon

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  • Lots of Man Bugs out there......I had a head cold 2 weeks ago when ran Clarendon marathon - bit daft really but I had offered a pal a lift so had to 'Man Up' and get on with it. Bit of a different run tho than Abo with lots of ups and downs with lovely scenary thrown in. One to be taken at a more leisurley pace than Abo so no lasting damage done to me thank goodness.

    Get well soon guys but if you do come along, please sneeze and cough well away from us slightly more healthy ones......I am down to do Beachy Head the week after which will be tough enough. image

  • Yeah, I'm down at Beachy Head next week too Possum Hopper - always my favourite marathon of the year - but then again I haven't done Abo before so we'll see if that changes come Sunday afternoon!  They are chalk and cheese though, right?

    Been following the thread for a while now, so thought it was time to contribute and wish everyone all the very best!  I hope you all have a great race and achieve your goals.

    Drinks-wise the race blurb states "orange squash and jelly babies at some of the later water stations and Lucozade Sport at miles 14 and 22", so hopefully that will suffice for everyone.

    As for the weather we’re now getting close to the point where a decent prediction can be made, so if, as currently forecast, it’s overcast, possibly a bit damp, with average temperatures and not too windy, that’s all good as far as I am concerned.

    Once again have a great race everyone and most of all remember to keep smiling, whatever the race throws at you!

  • 187       MG15                Black vest,shorts and socks          2:50
    844       TickTock           Orange vest/grey shorts                2:57
    774        Postie                Navy vest, blue/grey shorts         3:00
    141       Chillies FB         Red/Black vest                           3:30
    810       Joe Peacook      white & blue caerleon vest          3:58
    107       SR3                   yellow stragglers vest                 3:58
    389       EckyThump        CRAC vest                                  4:30
    294       WarrenK78       Black vest yellow/red hoops        2:59
    359       Aching Calves   Red Braintree AC vest,Black shorts 3.20
    994       Dart More          White/purple/blue Erme Valley vest 2.50
    306       Possum              Orange cap/black beanie?          3:59
    846       Barry B              White vest, black shorts              3:15
    462       MeeMeep          wargrave top/vest                    

     Gels bought and taper run now it's the waiting game.
  • I've this week developed a really horrible cold/flu, which kept me off work yesterday, although I'm perkier and at work today. Has anyone suffered this in the final week before a marathon, yet still done it? How has that worked out...?

  • I remember hearing if its above the neck you'll be fine but on the chest no, but if your over the worst, and you think you'll be fine maybe go off feel
  • Interesting. I do now feel ok below the neck, but still have a sore throat and I'm sneezing like nobody's business. The worst is over, but these things tend to hang around. After three months and more of training for this, I've had two bugs in the past three weeks. Very annoying. I suspect it's not that difficult to drop out of this one and find one's way back if the worst comes to the worst...

    Oh, and thanks Martin

  • SJ -  Bad news, I was out for 4 months with PF a couple of years ago so rest I found taping the best way to recover.

    Shadwell -  Hope your race finish is better than last year, I think I saw you just coming back into the athletics park, the bit that seems to go on forever, you were being "encouraged" by a female runner but I think you were already out of it.  I tried to get you to keep going but to no avail, then witnessed your finish, plenty of gels this year?

    My cold has n't materialised into anything serious, lots of First Defence and Vit C,  just a snotty nose in the morning,  my tooth seems better after half hour in the chair yesterday but still getting twinges which I hope is just where he dug so deep to get all the nasty stuff out.

    Fingers crossed for weather, was looking iffy but now looking better.

  • PC - I ran 2010 with a stinking cold and cough, which had started 2 weeks earlier during the Spitfire 20 miler at Dunsfold. I got round just fine, but perhaps coincidentally it took another 5 weeks to shake off that lurgy, and I had to give the Marlow Half a miss.

    Just off for my final run.

  • Cheer Blisters, if the pace feels easy and I get a tail wind all the way round then  sub 2:55 might be on, but I think I will set out at ~6:45pace for first few miles. How come you are not doing it this year?

    I did 3 slow miles today and will do 2 tomorrow. It never really feels worth getting changed for a run of that length but the neighbours will think it is a bit odd if a go for a jog in my jeans and shoes I guess.

    Good luck with the taperchrondia everyone. Stay calm and don't fret... and get eating those carbs.

     

  • 4 months Barry!!!



    Already going mental after 3 weeks image
  • TickTock - I'm with you on the going out for 2 / 3 mile runs......it take me longer to decide on what to wear than to actually do the run !! image

    WhiteWilford - alas have never done BH and was kind of 'persuaded' to do it with a pal of mine. Bad planning all aound 6 days after Abo ! Have heard great things about it but also that it is very VERY tough. Yes, chalk and cheese I'm thinking but that's good.....variety is the spice of life. image

    Good luck Sunday.

  • Last 3 miler done! Can't believe the training is over, just the small matter of 26.2 miles on Sunday to get through!



    Eckytump - just read your blog - you are an inspiration - you go girl!!



    Hope everyone is staying sane'
  • Still fighting off cold but getting better...

  • Tick Tock.
    On the 2009 race I pulled up at mile 3 with stabbing pains in the bottom of my foot. It had happened before during training, and 2 week's rest hadn't cured it. I eventually took more than 2 years out, just doing other things (like eating and drinking). This year I have gone over to the Dark Side, with a basic mantra of "complete, not compete". It's meant learning how to swim, buying a bike, and such a shed load of bling you wouldn't believe. Running has been a small part of the mix, twice a week, but I've got to do more. Yesterday was my very first 20 miler in ages. There will be no marathon races for me until 2013, and even then I'll be way off pace.

    Have a great run, every single one of you. I'll be thinking about you.

  • I'm feeling a bit better today. Still feel like something's lingering, but I'm also beginning to wonder if this is just (marathon virgin) nerves manifesting themselves. (Taperchondria is my new favourite word.) As long as nothing gets worse between now and Sunday morning, I should be fine.

    My Gu stash arrived from eBay last night so I spent the evening trying to wedge them into the tiny loops on my iFitness belt. I reckon that was as tough as the race is going to be. Doing some preparation for the race helped to ease the nerves a bit.

    Have also found a quicker way for me to get to Abo on public transport, so that's good. Fingers crossed for us all, from you sub-3ers to me at the back. image

  • I seem to be on the mend as well. Resting heart rate down to 56 from over 70 yesterday, so only 12 above normal. Hopefully by tomorrow it'll be back down to mid 40s, which should mean I'll be ok to still have a go at sub 3. If not though, I'll just be running at easy training pace and chalk this one up as a training run towards next year's sub 7 Comrades attempt.

    Glad to hear that the bugs are going for others as well. Good luck to everyone on the thread. Looks like we are in for perfect running weather. Cool and not too windy.

  • Barry B - Just caught up with forum. Thank you yes that was me !! The words of "encouragement" were about right. Learning curve that day. Cliff Shock blocs do not work for me as they require too much disolving and when that slows down so did I.I also read either use Lucozade drink or gels. Using both can slow up the carbs filtering through your stomach and despite having loaded up, you struggle to use it. In fact training runs I have used no gels and just squash and that has worked well. I will be taking gels just in case.

    Damp (not raining) and overcast here today, no wind, so in all pretty good conditions. Forecast is raining in teh morning easing around 9 and then coming back about 1pm. If so that will be just perfect !

    Now just need to keep away from all these bugs people have in the office and with a few hours of work left have become a bit OCD with the hand gel image

    Good luck everyone and as a customer said yesterday "Have a rewarding day" which also transpires to all of you...."Have a rewarding race ! "   Bring it on !!!

  • Last minute and I'm back in the race.  Revised finish time after 3 week lay off.  Managed a half marathon last weekend (conservative) so will be going for around 3.30.  Just looked at Met Office for SUnday, it reads...

    07:00

    2mph north easterly wind, 7C (feels like 7C) and fog.

    10.00

    2mph eaterly wind. 8C (feels like 7C) and fog

    13.00

    5mph easterly wind. 11C (feels like 10C) fog lifted but cloud.

  • Rain stops 9am, comes back 1am.... better do a sub-4hr then!!

  • I've been watching the forecast from 14 days out, it was up to 20 mph at one point. We really couldn't have hoped for better weather if this one is true, excuses out of the window. Hope everyone's carb loading is going well. Chicken fried rice X2 nights (homemade) and a big tub of chicken and pasta made ready to graze on the train tomorrow. Looking forward to getting going now, apparently there is a group of five runners tied together going for the world record 3:01 so that should be a spectacle!!
  • Martin -  Not if you are trying to get past them down the tight bits.image

    Shadowed -  Welcome back, you might surprise yourself with all the rest you have had.

    The weather does look perfect apart from the met office is showing fog early on so might need to set off a bit earlier.

  • Cheat!
    Start with the gun, the same as everyone else.

     

  • Thanks Barry B

    Well, I'm travelling later this morning, so "best of luck" to all!  I look forward to reading all about it on Monday here when I return.

  • Good luck to all.  Don't forget to wave at the turkeys on your left at 1.5miles.  They'll be cheering you on but it will be the last marathon they see!  Weather's looking better and if its anything like it is today in Abingdon, it will be good running weather.

    I'll be marshalling at 3 miles and will then head on to cheer at the 14.5mile turn

  • Just off now as well - good luck everybody - thanks for all of the motivation over the last several months - hope to meet many of you tomorrow

  • Done my 2 mile jog this morning, felt very sluggish... hope I feel better tomorrow.image

    Just off very soon too. Staying at Premier Inn at Didcot

    Best of luck everyone, and remember try and enjoy the race as much you are able.

  • We're staying at the premier inn, but its in abingdon, I'm guessing its a different one! Arrive at just after two no running today for me getting nervous now!!
  • Hi,

     

    I live in Didcot so about 8 miles from Abingdon but only about 3 from Milton Park area.Just back from 4 mile run and pleased to report ideal conditions,cool but warmer than has been recently,no wind,rain etc Def vest/shorts weatherimageForecast looks identical for tomorrowimage

    Hope you all have a great race.I will be marshalling somewhere in Milton Park and will try to encourage you all.image

     

     

  • Good luck to everyone else for tomorrow, conditions looking good!

  • For tomorrow

    if ure a beginner or old hand

    good luck and have a fabulas run

    we'll be around , at start and then Milton park to see u all twice

    pb's all round and stay safe

    Mick

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