Thames Meander Marathon

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  • Starting to get seriously nervous about the heat too now.  Managed a really gruelling 17 miles on the Isle of Wight last Friday, that was tough.  Planning a 20+ miler tomorrow on a pretty flat course so I'll see how it goes.  Definitely taking my Camelbak bag with me to keep hydrated!  

  • Planing to leave at 5.30am for my 20 miler on Friday. Going to leave some bottles of water on the route night before. 

  • Got back from a week on Hadrian's Wall yesterday, where the temperature hovered round about 30C all week. Major geological features and archaeology are all very well, but seriously hard work to do long runs on, especially in those temperatures. I ended up walking the last 2 miles of my long run (also interspersed with walking breaks for health reasons obviously) cos otherwise I was going to fall over. I keep telling myself it's the time on the feet that's important.image

    Just back from an 18 miler, thank god it's cooled down slightly ...

  • Well done for going out there and doing it in this heat. I'm getting a bit bored of getting up at 5.30am image

  • 5.30 am ....WOWimage

    i've been starting work at 7am so most of my training has been afternoon runs apart from the weekend but even then the earliest i leave is 8 so hats off to you both!

    hope everyones training is going ok im finding the weeks are just flyng by now

    think ive realistically only got 2-3 more long runs in me (peaking 20 miles) if i wanna make it to the start line in one piece my legs are really feeling it.

  • Hi there,

    Just saw this thread and am glad so many of you are doing it. I took part last year and did experience the water situation. However, it would never put me off as the organizers are just brilliant and I have every confidence in them. The scenary is just lovely and a great route, even with the hill at the end...but hey, if running marathons was easy then everyone would be at it !

    Hermes also do another event - Bewl Water marathon, which I also did this year. That was extremely well organised, loads of well stocked stations, crisps, flapjacks, gels, oh and water!! Another gorgeous medal as well.

    I am not running the marathon this year as I offered my services to marshal by way of thanks as I was very kindly allowed to enter Bewl at the very last minute due to excessive fannying aroundon my part - so - am looking forward to cheering you all on and hopefully encouraging you on your way. image

     

  • Be glad to get all the lomg ones out the way too RollerBladeRunner. Running in all this sun got me some serious tan lines not in the right places!!image

    Always seem to be covered in scratches from brambles and stinging nettles too. Funny how they don't hurt until you spot them.

  • Know what you mean! I'm covered in insect bites in annoying places, I have one mysterious backened toe nail (happily free of sensation) and my lower legs look like I'm wearing short socks - tan line about half way up the calf. Roll on the end of next week - the final long run, then I start tapering. Training without an ipod (running to a rhythm) goes against the grain, but I'm practising for the marathon where ipods are BANNED. image

  • Another long under my belt. I very rarely train with an ipod Redheadraver really enjoy letting my mind wonder. Mainly because when I started running there was no such thing! Guess it's what you get used too. 

  • Think i will take a page out of your book Redheadedraver, i tend to run with music ( so much so i try not to listen to music outside of running) , ive slowly been easing back on the tunes to get used to it for the big day . Also looking to use the opportunity to talk to other runners as it would be nice to make some new friends / meet some localsimage

    wimped out on the long run over the weekend will try and put it in somewhere over the midweek , and it will prob be my last before the event now

  • thanks for all your comments guys, we are looking forward to meeting you all on the day. The decision regarding earphones was not taken lightly as I also enjoy running with music. But due too the fact if we allow them it will affect our insuance and may prevent us from gaining permissions in the future we just cannot risk it. I am sure you will agree that a race with no earphones is better than no race atall.

    Possum hopper are you still up for marshalling? if so email me on melcelt@hotmail.co.uk

     

    thank you

    Mel

  • Totally understand Mel, and I'm just about used to it, really! I'll just miss Mr Blue Sky bouncing through my brain as I cross the finish line. Always puts a spring in my step that one. image

  • I thought most races these days have a no headphones rule.

  • I think your right jacs t. i've only been runing for just over a year now and the events i've done were very commercialised and had no rules against headphones,ive heard of someone winning a race only to be disqualified at the finisih for having music.. no complaints though, this course looksvery scenic so i can't see it getting too boring.

    Entrants list available : http://www.hermesrunning.com/pages_v4/TM_marathon_entrants.shtml

  • You are doing really well to get up to mararthon distance. Took me a good few years to pluck up the courage to enter a marathon and then a few more to get a place at VLM. Having done it twice never again so over it. Going to stick to smaller marathons gettingimage quite excited now. 

  • cheers jacs t, i remeber watching the vlm when i was about 9, from start to finish and i said to myself im going to do that one day,  i was overweight from a young age( peaking 19.5 stones) and suffered an ankle break in 09 ( keyhole surgery in 11) so after all that i said to myself well... its now or never!

    I still dream of running vlm but i wouldnt be heart broken if it never happens , made the schoolboy error of missing the ballot this yr (DOH!)...why you say never again and prefer the smaller ones?

     

  • RBR some people love it and one that every runner who wants to do a marathon should do. it's very well organised and a great atmosphere.

    I didn't like never having my own space to run in having to weave in and out of people. When there are that many runners if someone in front of you decides to stop you have to stop too. This makes it hard to get into the "grove". Once you get to last few miles there just lots of poeple in trouble (and plenty of poeple to help them) which I found hard.

    The other thing I found difficult is doing all the training in the cold weather and then come race day it's warm.

    Hoping this time that my body is used to the warm weather and it's actually a bit cooler on race day.

    Have done Edinburgh and Abingdon which I really enjoyed.

    With smaller races you have less hanging around time at the start and finish. I guess I just like my own space.

  • I have to say I didn't realise you couldn't use headphones on the run - I run solo 90% of the time and find music a great motivator, real shame.  Thanks for posting it though otherwise I wouldn't have known!  Last Loooong run this Sunday - 22-23 miles I think the route is - so I'll try it without music.

    Training is going OK - set a half maraton PB rather unexpectedly on the Up Tow Down Flow last Sunday (with music image ) but did bail at 17 miles a few weeks back and had to jog walk to the finish at 22.5 miles in the 30c heat.  Doing the same route near enough this Sunday to prove a point to myself - I will run it!

    Good luck to you all with the final few weeks and I'll see you all fighting fit and ready on the start line!

  • Didn't see you there g baker, tho I expect you were miles ahead of me. I was just enjoying the fact it felt like a short run(never thought I,d hear myself say that!)

    last big run tomorrow, the 20 miler, then tapering, hurrah! Spare time, won,t know what to do with myself. image

  • Redheadedraver - if you were the one doing some yoga moves before the start then I saw youimage  Not too many red heads at the start (although a few pink heads at the finish!)

  • Did my last long one yesterday off on holiday for 10 days next Friday will have to do a couple of small ones while I'm away image 

  • pinkbugpinkbug ✭✭✭

    just come across this event but its fullimage if anyone has a place going spare due to injury etc let me know, would love to run itimage 


  • just come across this event but its fullimage if anyone has a place going spare due to injury etc let me know, would love to run itimage 

     

    Same for me... Please contact me : justfredinuk@gmail.com

     

  • Woo hoo!! Just finished my 20 miler, and can now consider myself to be tapering.image

    In the spirit of careful tow path prep I ran most of it along the Slough arm of the Grand Union and then up a bit towards Watford before turning round (even managed it to be an out and back with a hill at the end). Need to fine tune my avoidance tactics for swans, dogs and anglers image

     

     

  • Well done Redheadedraver - I had less success on my run today, did the middle part too quick and ran out of juice at about 17 miles again - shame the car was at 23 miles so had to jog / walk the rest.  I need to think about eating on the run I think, gels aren't cutting it image 

  • What's everyone doing training wise in their taper phase?

    Off on holiday for two weeks a bit worried might not get any runs inimage

  • Finally got that last long run in (FINALLY!!!image), 2 days rest / light cross train now

    So yeah taper talk , erm im looking to run every other day(ish) . Most runs will be anywhere from 3-6 miles and one longish run of  10 miles , then 1 week prior going to really cut it down and do 1-3 runs at snails pace for aided recovery. Similar to the taper i did for spring mara which went ok but any advise/hints/tips would be appreciated

     

     

  • We'll have GU Energy gels, bananas, crisps, jelly babies, flapjacks and water by the truck load. People were filling hydration packs last year so that's the reason we ran out of water only on CP3 as far as I'm aware, but we've remedied this by getting evenmore water containers (we had 4 per CP we'll have 6 now). Regarding MP3's we cannot allow these due to the UKA regulations, which affects our Race licenses so unfortunately we have to adhere to this - it's a lovely course though so at least you'll hear the birds and parakeeks in Richmond Park as you run through it.We will be marking the course thorougly so no-one should go off course, and as this is a trail marathon we're not using mile markers, so please use Garmins if you want to get your mile splits, this will be fully Chip Timed though so you'll have accurate times recorded. We look forward to seeing yo in less than 3 weeks time.

    Carpe Diem    

  • Hello all! Hope I can jump in image I'm running this for the first time and super scared to run without earphones lol! 

  • Hi. I'm running the event so just thought I'd come say hello to a few other folk. Am really looking forward to it.

    My last long run will be Friday and then taper. I've done all my long runs with my daughter cycling alongside chatting non-stop so I hope this is a friendly race and I'll have someone to talk too image

    David, it all sounds great!

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