Amsterdam 2013

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  • GoalpostGoalpost ✭✭✭

    I have yet to enter but have decided this one ahead of Dublin for various reasons. Does the race sell out sooner rather than later?

  • Just done my longest 22 mile run (with SweatySock no less) for Edinburgh then its all systems go Amsterdam.  Need a huge blow out after that.  Does anybody have suggestions for things to do afterwards - (on a Monday image)?

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭

    BigChief - you have to visit Rijksmuseum. Its just opened again after a 10 year renovation. Looks incredible and home to the worlds largest collection of Rembrandts. Lots of other museums such as Van Gogh, Anne Frank etc too

    Or enjoy the architecture wandering the streets of Jordaan or from comfort of a canal cruise. I can recommend hiring your own electric boat though - 20 times more fun!

    Or 'go local' and hire some bikes and explore, stopping to take in the cafe culture or coffee shop culture if you're that way inclined. A good cycle will help those stiffs legs too post marathon!

    Theres so much to do in this fantastic city that the biggest issue will be fitting it all in.

  • Thanks Johnas.  Sounds like I might have to run the marathon a few times as an excuse to see all of that!!

  • Ha Ha... True.  You have to do Ann Frank but for goodness sake book online so you can just walk straight in.  If you don't you'll stand outside in the queue forever.  

    Hiring a boat is great fun..  Try www.boaty.nl  

    Oh and hey Howey image

     

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭
    H. wrote (see)

    Hiring a boat is great fun..  Try www.boaty.nl  

     

    That's who I hired off last time. They were excellent and provide maps etc. We hired a oat for a stag do - I was the best man and had arranged for all the stags to turn up as pirates for the day. We obviously dressed the groom as a parrot image

  • GoalpostGoalpost ✭✭✭

    I am now officially in for my first overseas marathon and my second one in all. Travel and race booked, just the accommodation to book. image

    Off to put a training plan together, planning to try and get 3h20 on this one having hit 3h26 in Brighton last month.

  • Welcome aboard goalpost. You do know that foreign marathons aren't as far as the British ones.image because km's aren't as far as miles.

  • GoalpostGoalpost ✭✭✭

    With those km markers I am not sure it will feel that I am running faster at first and then that I am running further than ever before as we near the end of the race. image

    I may just leave the experience logged in laps of a mile for comparative purposes for UK marathons. No substitute for hard graft though so training plan starts on 1st July for me with a rest day.

  • I'm racing tonight. 4.2 miles over fields and through rivers. It's a local race that is every 3 weeks through til September. It's a cracking race and your times are recorded and stored. I'm still running poor but I'm hoping for a better time than last time but I'm still a fair way off by best. 

     

  • GoalpostGoalpost ✭✭✭

    Sounds good. I am working on the short stuff until the 10k in July which sneaks into week 1 of my plan. Trying to maintain a steady 20 mile week though to help me ease into the training plan.

  • I'm still struggling with my back and can't say I'm enjoying racing. I'm a minute a mile slower than I was previous. According to the physio I've to be patient and it will return but I'm thinking of seeing another as my patience is wearing thin.

    i 've still got to book a hotel . Has anybody got any recommendations?

  • GoalpostGoalpost ✭✭✭

    Patience is a virtue Howey - I had back issues last year, took time out, came back and dealt with ankle issues. I am more or less over the back although I get the odd nagging issue in my hip when sitting about.

    No harm in seeking a 2nd opinion though, a good time to get it looked as only six weeks before it is time to increase the training. You have time. Nothing worse than losing 3 weeks from your training in September as the issue was not looked at properly. Hope you get it sorted soon.

    Went out last night and ran 4 x 4 mins at 7:09 and 4 x 4 mins 6:56 with 90 secs recovery between each effort which was faster than when I completed the same exercise at the end of Feb. Would have been faster still had I not held back on the final sets of intervals owing to tightness in left quad.

    I need to keep something going before commencing marathon training in earnest after my 10k otherwise I will have to build up once again.

  • I've just bought OH an entry for both of us into the half marathon for his birthday present as we both love Amsterdam but if anyone's got any advice about the course and particularly the finish I'd be grateful.  I've got a vague recollection of someone telling me that the last mile or so are hideous for some reason but I can't remember why?  Is there a slope up into the arena or something?

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @lilytoo - How did you buy him an entry? Did you enter on his behalf? or how did you do it?

    Regarding the last mile - I would never call it hideous! It was crammed full of people and I don't remember any hills. The only hill is an underpass at km 38.

    The only hideous part for me is along the canals but that's because it's all open lands so the wind can really batter you.

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Hills?  In Amsterdam?  No such thing!  As Emmy says, you go down an underpass and back up, but that's it.

    Emmy, it's quite easy to enter someone else - you just put in their name and details, then pay with your card.  I've done it several times for various races.

    If you want to keep it as a surprise, put your own email address in rather than theirs.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Wilkie - I was planning to do that but was told that by entering for someone else -i'm breaking the T&C of the site because that person hasn't agreed to it?

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    The only thing to keep an eye on near the finish at Amsterdam is the tram lines, which can be slippy underfoot if you run over them, particularly around the last water station.

    The course is completely flat other than a small underpass at 38km.

  • Hi EmmyH  -  yes I entered us both without him knowing about it!  I hadn't realised that it was against the T & C but he'll be fine with it and he never reads our e mails anyway so no danger of him finding out about it from there.  I only have to keep it secret another week and a half.....

    It all sounds doable and I'll keep an eye out for the tramlines.

    We did the White Peak half yesterday and that one's so tiny (242 finishers) that there were whole stretches where we couldn't actually see anyone else so the idea of the finish being crammed full of people sounds quite fun image

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    Emmy H wrote (see)

    @Wilkie - I was planning to do that but was told that by entering for someone else -i'm breaking the T&C of the site because that person hasn't agreed to it?

    Having looked at the T&C briefly, I can't see where it prohibits entering on behalf of someone else, though.

    I've only ever done with the full knowledge and consent of the person I was entering.

  • No hills sounds like my kind of event.  

    Off for a 26.2mile jaunt around Edinburgh on Sunday, rest and pig out for a week, then start all over again for Amsterdam.

  • Same here Sweatysock.

    Just recovering from a rather disapointing time at Edinburgh yesterday. Going to keep things ticking over for the next 3 weeks with some light-ish running and then into the 18 week Amsterdam schedule. 

    Edinburgh wasn't my finest hour but it was always just part of the build up to Amsterdam and although my time was poor yesterday I know it wasn't so much caused by an issue with fitness as a bad decision to try and run the 1st half too fast and ending up with horrific cramp.

    Really lookingforward to this now!

     

     

     

  • Kenny - I too had a crap time in Edinburgh.  Lept along like a gazelle for 19miles then my right thigh went 'ping' and I limped home for then next 7.  The physio today confirmed it's a torn muscle (the very same muscle that I had Compartment Syndrome and a 9inch fasciotomy 3 years ago - it's a fascinating story that I could bore you to death with).  

    I now have to take a one and half week rest and some costly physio before I start training for the main event aka 'Amsterdam'.

  • Bummer that. Hope you get a quick clean revovery from it.

    Personally I think certian races are just to be avoided and Edinburgh is now top of that list. I get nothing but bad luck at it. 

  • I have paid a deposit on a 2 bedroom flat really close to the start/finish of the Amsterdam marathon from 18-21 October, but am no longer going to be running. if you are interested in taking it on, please message me for further details. Tim 

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Tim - just a note - on your profile - you cannot 'message' you. I wish I would have seen this last week!

    How much did you pay for it? Where is it? (i.e. is it close to metro lines etc)

  • *Biggles**Biggles* ✭✭✭

    Just booked the flights!!

    Really looking forward to it as I will be running with my son!  

    I've done a few marathons but for him will be the first one. 

  • Thanks Emmy H - sorry, I am new to the Forum so have just updated my settings image

    I have paid 142.79 EUR and the total cost is 666 EUR for 3 nights (18-21 Oct 2013). It has 2 bedrooms, is literally next to the Olympic Stadium (Stadionplein tram stop) where the race starts/finishes and the Expo takes place. I ran the marathon there last year so know the area quite well.

    Any more questions, let me know.

     

     

     

     

  • Hi all,

    I'm doing Amsterdam as my first marathon and looking for advice from those who know the event already.

    Just looking at flights and debating with myself whether it's best to get an early flight at 7.20, get there at 9.30 in the morning on Saturday and have the whole day to sort myself out, get to the expo etc. OR pay £15 less for the flights, get there at about 6.45pm on Saturday and grab my chip from the expo on Sunday morning before the race. I can see the expo is pretty close to the olympic stadium starting point, but I'm just not sure about leaving it 'til the morning of the race to get my chip and stuf.....

    Any advice from experienced Amsterdammers?!

    Thanks

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