Valencia Marathon 2013

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  • Anyone hanging around after the marathon for a few days? Any recommendations of stuff to do/see in the area?

  • Sarf Landon here - Toying with the idea of entering, has everyone booked travel/hotel yet? Looking to do it on a reasonable shoestring if anyone has any reccomendations??

    Cheers

    Simon

  • GeeeMGeeeM ✭✭✭

    Valencia is a nice, open city - the absolutely bonkers City of Arts & Sciences is where you start & finish so you'll have done that to death by Sunday afternoon!

    It's really easy to get around - use the Metro, stations every few hundred yards - just like the tube really. It even goes from the Airport, so use it instead of a taxi! If you're wondering how to use the tickets - swipe them on the sensors like an Oyster card, (I saw loads of Brits wondering how to get through the gates image)

    I was thinking of doing it again, but haven't seen any cheap UK flights Sat/Mon so will probably save my pennies and head over to Lanzarote for the marathon in December instead!

    I was reading that they've changed the course from last year to make it even faster! Apparently they've taken out the underpass sections, (where the music was playing) and some of the tighter bottlenecks...

    http://maratondivinapastoravalencia.com/en/mejoras-en-el-circuito-para-2013/

  • Now that is a real shame about the underpass sections, this was one of the highlights of the whole course for me! What a massive boost entering those underpasses to that booming music it was!!!! Never even noticed the downhill to enter / exit the underpasses, for me the positives outweigh the negatives of the underpasses and music image The idea of a gentle slope downhill for the final 8.5km does sound rather appealing though. I hope this race continues to grow in stature, it is a fantastic flat course and the support was great and the start / finish area is a hard one to beat.

     

    edit: Have you done the Transvulcania, Gee?

  • GeeeMGeeeM ✭✭✭

    Yeah - I enjoyed the underpasses too, the music was fab image

    Haven't done Transvulcania - thinking about it for 2014 depending on other stuff and lotteries, UTMB, Western States, GUCR etc...Too many ultras, too little time, (and money)

    Am off to the USA, (Utah) to do a 100-miler in 2 weeks called "The Bear" - it looks amazing, can't wait!

  • As far as I know there is one direct easyjet flight from Gatwick on the sat morning, but we booked it ages ago.

    Not run it before, but if the underpass sections are anything like Paris then I am glad they have gone, a really killer to run up the steep uphill exits when you are 30km ish into a race!

  • A small video clip from the underpass section last year!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXFLLJ7cvTc

     

    Gee, good luck with "The Bear" image

  • Yay, all flights booked, €126 for wifey, two children and me, short hop from Ibiza. Start saving up now to have a splurge on gear at the expo image

    Hope everyone's training is going well?

     

     

     

  • Simon Whitrod wrote (see)

    Sarf Landon here - Toying with the idea of entering, has everyone booked travel/hotel yet? Looking to do it on a reasonable shoestring if anyone has any reccomendations??

    Cheers

    Simon

    gatwick return flight - saturday am.- sunday evening 115 quid on sleazeyjet. Hotel Something called expo hotel in old town ..... 49 euros pay on the day...

  • Training been OK - i'm in taper mode for Berlin so going a bit loopy loo - did a 1.25 pb at the GNR on Sunday and the legs are a bit raw so taking it easy now - no more speed just a couple of tempo-ish runs. Berlin in 9 days time and counting....

    Planning a half 2 weeks after and then just keeping my fitness simmering until Valencia - wil probabsly do 1 x 20 mile at the end of October just to keep the endurance up.

    oh i think there is a ryanair flight from stanstead as well ....

  • Hi everyone,

    getting closer and excited now as training is really kicking in (although not been going that brilliantly!).

    For those of you that have done this one before- can you remember if there were pacers?

     

    Thanks image

  • Yes, lots of paces at 15 min intervals. Remeber them well as I past 4:15 pacers at halfway, only for the same guys to float past me severl miles later! Then the 4:30 guys went past me a mile from the finish, they seem to have it nailed down for sure.

     

  • Hello again to this nice friendly, yet incredibly slow moving thread, (possibly the slowest on Runners World!)

    Just checking in after Berlin. I am having a bit of a come down after a fantastic all round Berlin experience. I am SO UP for Valencia. With just over 6 weeks to go, most of you will be in the eye of the storm in terms of your training, knocking out 20+ mile runs at the weekend and gearing up for tune up races, like halves etc? Who's doing what? how many of there are us here going to Valencia?

    Next Sunday 13th i'll be running at the Great West Run in Exeter if anyone's about, it's a half mara. I won't be training much, just keeping my fitness at a simmer, but i will be going out for a 21 mile run at the end of the month. I won't be tapering for valencia either but you guys will so you have the taper madness to come which is fun!

  • 6 weeks to go? Bugger, thought I had ages! Got the blenheim palace half this w/e, then a 33 km then the wekend after, a 19km, a 35km and then the taper begins!

    Just hoping the weather cools a bit more, I was going great a couple of weeks ago, but this warmish/muggy stuff is no good at all

  • The excitement is definitely building in our house, although we are in the UK right now where I am enjoying some great runs in sensible temperatures. Just about to setoff for a jaunt up Pen-y-ghent Plover Hill Horton back to start, should clock around 17 miles mostly off road and a lot of ascent ( approx 2,500') image Will have done 45 miles this week, will be happy with a few 20+ mile long runs, over next few weeks. Signed up for Ibiza trail HM 2nd Nov which will be a decent blow out.

    Sounds like jimbob is going to be flying around the streets of Valencia image Have tralked about Berling with freinds as a must do marathon. Was brilliant to see the record smashed last week, I'm sure we will see

  • just under 6 weeks to go, legs heavy from Cardiff but still time for hard work and improvement image

     

  • Pottermoss, did I meat you at the Paris marathon? You're the stoke supporter who lives near the Emirates? I'm the guy in the TeamGB shirt.

    Only 5 weekends left now - Blenheim Palace half was brutal, the hills were massive and went on for ever, so while it was not a 20 mile+ job, I deffo left I put the required amount of work in!

  • Yes I remember mate! Man that was such an intense time. The hour before my first marathon. More intense than the running in fact. Sounds like you are happy with your Valencia preparations? 

  • Going OK, longest run so far is only 27.5k, thougbh a few shoulder issues, so revised my target from sub 4 hours to just beating Paris' 4.28. How did you go in Paris?

  • Decided to enter this for the first time a while ago as I was looking for another marathon and Valencia is a fantastic city. First child being born in August has somewhat hindered training but looking forward to it nonetheless.

    Potter - how did you find Cardiff? Its my home half but this year was the first time I've done it for several years. They've changed the course significantly since I last did it and, despite running my slowest ever HM, I really enjoyed it. Enough people and support to encourage you but not too much as to create a hassle. I did the GNR for the first time a few weeks ago and won't be doing it again. I probably biased, but Cardiff was much better. Just too many people at GNR and far too much waiting around in the cold.

  • Sneaked in at 4:55 Dan. Had had a mare taper and race was enjoyable after about 3k and I let go of any time ambitions. Ive got a big target to aim at.



    I really enjoyed Cardiff runner, I was brought up there so nice ti run around my old town looking forward to an SA or two. The race itself was good. The bit round the barrier was gorgeous, but the sharp bottleneck and bay through out of rythm, then the sticky gel road, it was starting feel like an assault course.image However it was very well supported and I honestly enjoyed it apart from that middle 5 ten minutes. Never done GNR.
  • Dan, thats not you standing in between me and Pottermoss by any chance is it?! image

    /members/images/157400/Gallery/IMAG0353_0.jpg

     

     

     

  • Yippee ki yay! How did you go in Paris? Those sodding cobbles!

  • HA HA! bin chatting all this time and i didn't put 2 and 2 together! yeah had a great Paris, was only my second marathon, did london2010 in 5.16.14 - did Paris in 3.23.03 - before you say WOW a lot of that improvement is down to weight loss, dropped 3 stone between May 2012 - March 2013.  Since Paris, have pretty much kept the training steady .... and have been doing PBs at all distances with a new pb most recently at berlin 3.11.52. I don't do an excessive amount of mileage but i have been running for years at 14+stone - topped out at 15 before i went on the diet! i was putting cadburys out of business! But so used to running heavy, when the weight started dropping off i got a lot quicker.

  • El JB . This is what I need to do mate. I just did 1:56 at 17st . I don't think I cam speed up much without weight loss now. Funny you two didn't know.
  • 17 stone! seriously impressive with the 1.56.  it took me about 8 years to crack 2 hours and when i did i was inside 2 hours by about 10 seconds. Of course once you take off 25% of your body weight you will take off like an aeroplane.  We'll talk about your dietry arrangements when i see you next, i know you are a dab hand in the kitchen but it might be time to say couldbye to the evil cheese and large portions. You are a big tall lad anyway, tall and chunky legs, frame etc - but you would function a lot better at 13-14 stone .... and feel a lot younger - and find distance running kinder to your knees.

  • Potter, guessing that 1.56 is a hlaf marathon? Or are you the first man to do a sub 2 full marathon?!I've managed to knock off 10kg over the last 18 months (about a stone and a half I think) and managed to crank out a 1.51.30 half at 14 stone a few weeks ago but under 1.50 is going to need to see another half stone go. Not sure about a diet though, running is my excuse for bacon sandwiches. A sub 4 marathon is going to need a fair wind, no inhuries and everthing to go right!

  • ds2 with a 1.51 half you are knocking on the door of a sub4 marathon - it could be close .... better sign up for Paris as well image

  • Hmm - thing is it is not consistent, did the Bleheim Palace at the weekend and that was 1.59.50 although easily the most hilly thing I have ever run

  • Bleheim Palace is a tougher course ..... so well done on that one

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