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the Marathon of the North
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Sounds fun ! Bib number 0518, clothes will either by last years MOTN or this years VLM (weather dependant oh edit maybe also my Guide Dogs for the blind vest....will update as and when I decide...), prediction is harder, I'd go for 3.55-4.10 - really depends on my recovery over the next few days....
What were the VLM t-shirts like this year Adrian? That was the one major disappointment when I did London in 2011 - the finishers t-shirt was totally underwhelming, like no thought had gone into the design of it at all.
Plus it was absolutely massive and is like a dress on me (I'm 5 foot)
Shielsy - huge disappointment. My only negative comment that I said on Sunday was about the tee shirt - an odd coloured, regular tee with a graphic on it that looked like it hadn't be sized right.....sounds like every year this is a consistant moan..?....and yeah, only a 'one size fits all' lol as if....
Adrian - it's like they put so much time and effort into everything else (I love how slick the organisation is - you get your medal actually put around your neck, I got my baggage handed to me at the end as the volunteer saw me aproach, clocked my race number, and got my bag ready in anticipation, water at every mile, fantastic heavy medals etc etc) ... and yet they just knock out any old t-shirt.
I mean, come on ... the t-shirt is the one visual way of letting people know what you've done, but there was no way I was turning up to work the following week in that piece of oversized tat.
Here is a list of numbers, times etc. Please feel free to fix and edit
hellsbells74 - Number: 0973- Purple Vest/??? - Time: 04:10 - 04:20
Adrian - Number: 0518- White Tee?/??? - Time: 03:55 - 04:10
Tim - Number: 1538 - Yellow Vest/Blue Shorts - Time: 02:50 - 02:58
Shielsy - Number:????- Yellow Vest/??? - Time: 04:00
Oliver - Number: ???? ????/??? - Time: 03:10
Hi Tim,
No idea what my number is (or where it is, come to that). But I'll be wearing red.
Time:3:29:59
@capples Thats the hardest thing is holding back at the start! And the reason I managed to run the last mile fastest, was down to me pacing it as a marathon rather than just(?) a 20 miler, and turned the screws at the end because I needed the toilet hahaha! Last mile was 6.50!
hellsbells74 - Number: 0973- Purple Vest/??? - Time: 04:10 - 04:20
Adrian - Number: 0518- White Tee?/??? - Time: 03:55 - 04:10
Tim - Number: 1538 - Yellow Vest/Blue Shorts - Time: 02:50 - 02:58
Shielsy - Number:????- Yellow Vest/??? - Time: 04:00
Oliver - Number: 1351 Orange vest/black shorts/yellow shoes - Time: 03:05
Capples - Number: ???? Red/??? - Time: 03:29:59
I am bib number 764, plan to wear NSPCC green t shirt and hope to finish in about 5 hours!
The finish time is debatable as my tooth pain, then reaction to painkillers (v ill) and antibiotics (sleepy) have completely drained me. I have no energy. I will run on Sunday but any tips on ways of helping get my energy back would be appreciated. To complicate things I am also a vegetarian! My dentist has sorted me out so am recovering but the thought of running 26.2 miles in under 5 days is scary!
hellsbells74 - Number: 0973- Purple Vest/??? - Time: 04:10 - 04:20
Adrian - Number: 0518- White Tee?/??? - Time: 03:55 - 04:10
Tim - Number: 1538 - Yellow Vest/Blue Shorts - Time: 02:50 - 02:58
Shielsy - Number:0760 - Yellow Vest/Black shorts - Time: 04:00
Oliver - Number: 1351 Orange vest/black shorts/yellow shoes - Time: 03:05
Capples - Number: ???? Red/??? - Time: 03:29:59
Lily of the Valley - Number: 0764 - NSPCC green t-shirt - Time: 5:00
Lily - so sorry to hear you're poorly following the toothache.
I think you just need to rest up, be kind to yourself, eat well and hope that a lot can happen in 5 days (which it can!)
What's the advice with regards to gels? I used them on 18-20 milers, taking one at about 10 miles and another at about 16. I suspect this is probably too late based on my admittedly limited knowledge of digestion. What do others do, particularly on marathon races?
thanks Shielsy for your sound advice
will try a mile or so jog tomorrow as a confidence booster and to keep my legs moving and trust in all the training I have done.
Capples, I take a gel about every hour and a dextrose tablet in between. Will take my own for the marathon, as I experienced them running out at Manchester last year.
Sorry to hear you're unwell Lily.
Love your little table Shielsy!
Went for a run last night - 3 miles and felt surprisingly good at the end. Off out in 20 mins for another - beginning to lose some dread that I had yesterday and looking forward to Sunday much more.
Got to love Sunderland City council. Went for a run last night from the two mile point to the Stadium of Light and back and found that the main shopping street (Fawcett Street / Mowbray park junction about 1.5 miles from the start) is being dug up for road works. Holes and barriers on both sides of the road and it is quite narrow.
roball -
what are they thinking?!
hellsbells74 - Number: 0973- Purple Vest/??? - Time: 04:10 - 04:20
Adrian - Number: 0518- White Tee?/??? - Time: 03:55 - 04:10
Tim - Number: 1538 - Yellow Vest/Blue Shorts - Time: 02:50 - 02:58
Shielsy - Number:0760 - Yellow Vest/Black shorts - Time: 04:00
Oliver - Number: 1351 Orange vest/black shorts/yellow shoes - Time: 03:05
Capples - Number: ???? Red/??? - Time: 03:29:59
Lily of the Valley - Number: 0764 - NSPCC green t-shirt - Time: 5:00
Daisybrain - Number 1049 - blue vest with "Kate" on the front - Time ? about 4.15?
Shielsy we are time twins, I did Kielder (my last marathon) in 4.28! All the best people eh?
Am very unsure given my rocky training as to what I can manage, but my plan is to keep the first half comfortable, then see what I can do on the second half. Complex huh? 
Lily I hope you are feeling a bit better now, what terrible timing
. I tend to have trouble eating, let alone carb loading pre race because I get nervous- so I've just been up to Sainsbos to get some of their own brand energy drink which is hi carb. I did this pre Kielder and it worked well for me, sipping a couple of drinks the day before and on the morning too. If you can stomach such drinks it might be an option to pep you up a bit?
Adrian that's my gel plan too. I look forward to the gels and they break the race up a bit. My plan is to carry my own gels but use the water provided.
Best of luck with your goal Capples! And everyone, hope you're all cool calm and collected ...
Lily - just a thought - do you get your iron levels checked being a veggie runner? Low iron can really make you low, but conversely getting the iron intake up again can lead to zebedee-like behaviour
I take iron all the time now and it's helped me a lot.
Thank you for your kind words and for the helpful suggestions Daisy (zebedee-like would be good!). I was back at the dentist today, v traumatic but feeling more positive. Even feel like eating again
and looking forward to Sunday. I saw the press conference clip on itv and it said 5000 runners, I wondered if that was in all the events? Or just the mara.
Edit
Nope, over all races. This was a reply to my question of how many marathon runners ran last year as well ;
more than a few. Well over 1000. Expecting somewhere between 4000 - 5000 over all races
The GFA times for my age group a few years ago was sub-3 so I've had to revise my target for sub-3! I don't know if I'll manage that! And even if I do it might not be enough! Argh!
Sorry to hear that Oliver. If you think that's beyond you right now, have a look for other marathons. Use the MOTN as a test run. It's certain that there will be another marathon available after a feasible recovery period. Don't be disheartened, you've worked hard and seem to be in great shape.
My taper madness imploded yesterday. Had a truly awful (easy!!) four mile run after which I was sick- overeating?, body reaction to rest? Who knows? The outcome is that I am now in a state of utter Zen calm and all the psychosomatic aches have vanished. I have to say the tapering has been the hardest part of the entire training process.
Evening everyone.
Daisybrain ... I would love to think that we were indeed 'time twins', but your 4:28 for Kielder is much more impressive than my 4:28 for London, as I've heard Kielder is really tough, so well done you!
Lily - good to hear you're feeling a bit better.
I've done no running since Sunday, and am now torn between going out for an easy run, or just continuing resting. My left leg is still very niggly and I'm scared that if I can feel it on an easy run then it'll put me in a negative frame of mind for Sunday. I wouldn't mind a bit of Zen calm though.
I have however been 'cross training' by spending the day assembling a massive flat-pack wardrobe largely single-handedly (only needed the OH's help to lift it into an upright position). Love doing that sort of thing - and it's helping taking my mind Sunday. My back'll be breaking tomorrow though, lol.
Shielsy- well done. Those flat plack things are certainly not conducive to Zen like calm, for me at least. As for your leg, I've had all manner of niggles up to the "incident"- taper madness in my case.
Lily- good news that you're feeling better
The weather looks like it will be helpful...Oh, sorry, that's probably jinxed it
Don;t give up hope Oliver. I set off on my first road marathon a Sunderland last year thinking about 03:10 and finished sub 3. I am plugging for about 02:55 this year as it is only 4 weeks before my next ultra and don't want to thrash my legs too much. Hoping to try dedicate more time next year to a fast marathon PB, possibly at Boston which was my motivation for running sub 3. Now I am v45 I think I get more time allowed as well
Hi guys (first post! Eek!) I'm doing the half marathon on Sunday so kind of an imposter in this thread, but I wondered if anyone could help me out about parking/public transport - those who've done it before, what did you do? And was it straightforward?? I'm coming from near Durham, so will need to drive part of the way at least, but can anyone recommend somewhere to park then get the metro or will I be OK driving all the way and finding somewhere nearby?
Not an imposter. I'm also doing the half and am travelling from Houghton. I will be parking in what is known as the Debenhams multi story. Address is The Bridges, Green Terrace,Sunderland SR1 3PZ. It opens at 8 am. £1.50 all day.
NB the A690 at Barnes park closes at 8am so you may need to make a de-tour along A19 after Houghton then down the A183 (chester road) all the way into the city. This car park is about 20 mins walk from the Stadium but it's location is such that you can get back out of the city after the race. Some roads are closed until 3pm.
madbee, I drove over from Durham last year and there was loads of parking. I was there early because I was giving a lift to a marathoner and it was much earlier start for marathon than the 10k last time, which isn't the case this time - but still I'd hope that as long as you arrive in a "timely fashion" it shouldn't be too bad. The parking was all marshalled so quite stress free.
Lily good to hear you're feeling better and also positive
I need a bit of that positivity please, I've got a knot in my stomach about the whole thing now. That's the trouble with taper, I lose the confidence that I can run 6 miles let alone 26!!
Oliver if you hit your first goal it will be a huge achievement I think, for a first marathon especially. I hope you do get your GFA place since you've worked so hard, but as you said yourself you're young and spritely
There's always Paris! And about a million others for that matter.
Shielsy don't put yourself down - VLM you have to work through all those crowds of people, which certainly isn't the case at Kielder!! You should do Kielder, it's a stunning run. I'd do it again this year but it's a bit close to York.