Great Welsh Marathon 2013

Been checking every now and again for months to see if the 2013 thread had begun (I think it's started in August in previous years!), so thought I'd start it myself.

Signed up for the Llanelli Half in March, and after another rejection letter for VLM, I'm considering doing the Great Welsh Marathon in April. For those who weren't regulars on the previous years threads, I did this as my first marathon back in 2011. I fell apart at mile 18 and had to walk most of the rest coming home in 5:04:08. Very pleased I completed a marathon distance, but I've always felt I should give it another go and try sub 5 and hopefully have enough left in the tank to run more of the latter miles.

I'm sort of 'secretly' training for it as I don't want to commit to it 100% just yet and want to see how I get on with some of the long slow runs. Did 14 miles this morning and felt reasonably good at the end but obviously still a long way to go.

It's been a friendly and very helpful thread the last couple of years. So hope to hear from some of the GWM regulars on here and hopefully a few newbies as well.

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Comments

  • stutyrstutyr ✭✭✭

    Hi legend, I also ran this in 2011 & fell apart about mile 18 image.  

    I won't be doing it this year as I was lucky and got a ballot entry into VLM, but have signed up for the Half as a tune-up race.  

    I'd say you should defnitiely sign up for it! If you were followng the Pfitzinger & Douglas schedule this week's long run would be 15 miles,  so your "secret" training is spot-on for getting you prepared for the GWM.  

     

  • Hey everyone. I crashed and burned 2011.as well. I put it down to the boiling weather. Sunburn in april. Since doing double marathon december 2011 my running very hit and miss. I want to get back to running but when you let it slip its hard to get motivation to start back running as those first few weeks getting back into swing are killer. I may do the ha.lf but doubt i would. be able to train for fu
  • My phone playing up for change. Good luck to everyone training for this one. Are there two half marathons. One in march like normal and one in april? April woyld suit me better as gives me time to get but in gear. Best half time is 2hr 36 seconds
  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    I've entered this one for the first time.  Better start some training.

    Though of course there can only be one 'Great Welsh' marathon which I'm afraid isn't this one.

  • T Rex wrote (see)

    Though of course there can only be one 'Great Welsh' marathon which I'm afraid isn't this one.

    ??

    I can only assume you mean Snowdon? or is it that our Capital City should be putting a marathon on?

    I signed up for this having done that London one 4 times, last year I found it too overcrowded and the finish was appallingly organised (in that there was no organisation or consideration for those that had just run 26.2 miles).

  • This was my first marathon in 2011, missed it last year but did the Llanelli Born to run Ultra instead. Thinking of doing both this year. Have to say I have never applied for London nor do I intend to

     

  • Hello!

    Just seen this thread & thought I'd post, even though I won't be running it this year.

    I remember some of you from previous forums - lovely to hear from you again (Stutyr, TF, YoD and Legend)

    Historically, I haven't have much luck with this race - ran it in 2010 (first year running of the event)... struggled with a bad stomach and finished well over 4 hours, 2011 & 2012 I was a 'DNS' due to injury.

    Although I 'd love to have another crack at the marathon am struggling this year with energy levels due to various things, so I'm going to race up to halfs this year, & will be doing the llanelli 10m and half in March, but not the full.

    Good luck to everyone doing this & will be great to hear about your training progress. Hopefully see some of you in Llanelli half. all the best!

    LTS

  • was I the only one to have a great race 2011..............it was a bit hot though.I believe it was the hottest day of 2011.......despite the heat i got a 28 min PB............and hubby got a PB last uyear as well.........

    would love to do it this year but decided i'm not doing marathon 2013....

    Sue..T-Rex means Snowdon.which is amazing............but for a PB LLanelli is the place to go image

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Oops.  Hope I'm not upsetting anybody ..

     

    I chose this event because it covers a bit of the Wales Coast Path the entirety of which I intend to run before I hang up my running shoes.  A couple of short sections are missed out which I'll have to go back to after the marathon, or perhaps before, to warm up.

  • this one only covers a small park of the coiast path as it does 2 figures of 8 along it..

  • T Rex wrote (see)

    Oops.  Hope I'm not upsetting anybody ..

     

    not at all T Rex. I do think it's a shame that Cardiff don't stage a marathon, it's possibly the only capital city in the known world who don't image

    Snowdon looks to be the business I agree, if it weren't for all those hills I may even be tempted myself!

  • i done this in 2011, got burnt and mentally scarred for a year. hence maybe a return this year and try and beat the 4hr 30 min slog of last time. bit worried i left it to late tho, only up to 10 miles at mo. Have i got enough time to train these 45 year old legs to run for 26.2 miles?

     

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    keith c - you'll be fine as long as you get at least one 20+ miler in.

    Did all 5 Cardiff marathons 2002-06 before it was pulled because of local opposition.  It was a two-lap route and only the one lap is now run as a half marathon.  It is a shame.  Finishing in the Millennium Stadium was quite something.

     

    Must try to focus on this but got a couple of ultras first and I haven't run since 14 Nov!!  Badly broken collarbone and some nerve problems down my left arm.

  • Keith - I think you still have time. I was at a similar stage to you in 2010 & completed it. Ok it wasn't in a pb time, but I still finished it near 4 hours. As T Rex says if you can fit in a couple of long runs in the next month & build up the mileage of the long run. Good luck!

    Just entered Llanelli 10 mile & half image

    T - Rex. Injury/accident sounds nasty - hope you recover soon.

  • Hi,

    Ive just done 6 months training for my first marathon marathon and never got to the race due to a bereavement. Was thinking of this race as its fairly local and fairly soonish - not sure I can coax myself to keep going past April. Can anybody please tell me hoe  'undulating' the course is

    Thanks

     

  • Hi CC. APart from the odd 'hump' over railway bridges the course is flat.
  • Thanks Kev, thats encouraging. Im sure I ran a 10k down there in a previous running life

  • I'd better get registered then. Will be a little different to the marathon that I was meant to be running in Florida last week!!

  • CymruCrawler - I can also confirm it's very flat. One elevation profile I've seen of the course suggests there's just 49 meters of climbing throughout the marathon. To put that in perspective, the London Marathon which is considered 'flat' has around three times as much climbing if the data I've looked at is correct.

    How's everyone getting on with the weather conditions the past week or so? I've only done treadmill the past week as the snow or more to the point, the ice, has made it near impossible for outdoor mileage. A bit concerned as my longest run lately is only 14 miles. Hoping we've seen the end of it and the milder temperatures over the next couple of days in South Wales will see most of it go as I really want to try a 16-17 miler this weekend which could be make or break for whether I sign up for the full or not.

  • Thanks Legend, again thats very encouraging.

    The weather has put stop to most of my running  at the moment but t cant go on forever....can it

     

  • Managed a 16 miler on Saturday. Living in the South Wales valleys, its difficult to do a long run without it being quite tough so taking that into account I was pleased with the run although I do feel I'm way off being able to do another 10 on top of that at the moment. 

    I rarely check my pacing during runs which I definitely need to start doing as looking at the data afterwards, I did the first 6 miles way too quick and got continuously slower throughout. No aches / pains / niggles after which is great, and looking to go a mile or two further again this weekend.

  • I haven't committed myself to this one yet, but I've done all three of them so far so it would be a shame to miss out on one. Currently training for the pendine sands ultra which is two weeks before the marathon so hopefully I'll have time to recover. I've enjoyed every one of the races so far and they always have plenty of support out cheering you on.

    Glad to see most peoples training is going well, it still seems like a long way off yet though.
  • Hi All - sorry, I've been a bit slack with this one! I'll be running this year, one of 2 marathons in 6 weeks (Kent Roardunner in June) but I've been staying off as I had a bad experience at VLM last year which I put down to anxiety from putting too much pressure on, so I'm keeping it all low profile.

    But good to see the old regulars and some newbies on here. I always enjoy it (whether running or marshalling) and I'll be there on the day, I just may use it as a training run - also due to being injured since November!

    But hope all the training is going well and I'll keep checking in!

  • Very tempted to run this as keen to go for a GFA for London in 2014 (to celebrate! my 50th year). Did the half in 2007 and remember this as a fast and flat course and yes greatly lament the passing of the Cardiff marathon. Only doing 30 miles per week as nursing a dodgy knee.
  • Hello, Glad training is going well for everyone. For those of you still undecided about this race, I can definitely recommend it and happy to help with any recomendations of acommodation or local re-fueling estalbishments image

    Well this is the 4th year in a row my winter training has been put on hold...this time not an injury but constant, tiredness, shortness of breath and generally feeling cr4p. Think it may be anaemia, so docs apointment made....anyway, cut a long story short, probably wont be running a fast time in the llanelli 10 miler next weekend or the half in March.

    Cable - the kent marathon sounds interesting - have you got any details? My parents live in Kent so it's v tempting.

    Good luck to everyone with the training image

  • Lifes too short, sounds like how I felt all the time untill I discovered that yeast was causing my problems and within a week of not eating any I felt much better.

    P.S. I dont have any medical background apart from my 1st aid at work certificate.

    P.S.S. also went to the docs had loads of tests found nothing wrong he said " its my age" cheeky devil, I was only 55.

  • Hello!

    How is everyone's training going? This thread has become quiet. Guess things are busy with half term this week. image

    RS - thank you for your advice. Been to docs and I have hyperthyroidism and anaemia. it's put my racing plans on hold for a wee while, but I'm still training at an easy pace. For once, it's nice not to be injured though! Hope you get your health problems sorted soon, being fobbed off like you have is not nice - we pay enough into the NHS!!

    Good luck to everyone doing the 10miler on Sunday. Weather looks good. image

    For those of you living in West Wales, who dont already know, a Parkrun has just been established in Llwyn Lech Owain county park near Cross Hands. Every Saturday morning at 9am. I'm hoping to make it in 2 weekends time.

  • I think I'm going to give the marathon a miss. Struggling to fit in the major mileages and want to just concentrate on half marathon and getting PB's at the shorter distances.

    Signed up for the Llanelli half on March 3rd and I think there's a very good chance I'll be there on April 21st... but to do another half marathon.

  • Legend - disappointing for you, but sounds like a good plan B. Concentrate on the half and the shorter distances. The Llanelli half is a good race.

    While it's disappointing not to do the marathon, there will be other races. There's a marathon Tenby way in the summer I think? You're doing better than me - past 3 years I've DNS'd 3 marathons and DNF'd one. Never had such bad luck with racing before!

    They do a good 5k series in the summer too starting from Llanelli leisure centre.

     

    Hope training is going well for everyone. Weather is improving...spring is almost here image 

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