My #asics262 Journey to Paris: Sub 4 James

Well what an amazing journey so far. I cannot thank everyone enough for the support. I look forward to representing the Sub 4 category. Every time I write Sub 4, I begin to sweat!

Over the coming months I will use this thread to track my journey to Paris in April. Having never run a marathon before, I do not want to underestimate what lies ahead. I know it is not going to be easy, but that's the point isn't it! 

This is not a road I have travelled before so I will be looking to the support of friends old and new. Advice, instruction and general words of wisdom will be welcomed at each step of the way.

And in return, I hope to inspire some of you to make the journey with us. Whether you follow myself, Malcolm, Roger, Isabel or Gareth there should be something here for everyone.

Let's do it.

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Comments

  • Trying to embrace all forms of social media do follow my on twitter @james_e_carroll, it is a good way of getting some pics up quickly. Also 140 characters means I do not ramble on too much!

  • Good luck James image

  • Many thanks Mr P, nerves are seriously kicking in and it's only December!

  • James, yours is the category that matches my own spring marathon aspirations so I shall be following your thread closely!  Do you know who your mentor will be yet?

     

  • MalcsMalcs ✭✭✭

    James - well done once again. I can safely say I am an expert at your time category having hit 3:59 on so many occasions. Sadly I was aiming for much faster every single time but if nothing I was consistent image

    I reckon you will do much better than that and completely destroy the 4 hour barrier. All the very best and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

  • Morning Xyloid, welcome to the sub 4 journey! Will find out who my mentor is today and will have it up here as soon as I know. What is your current on for the distance?
  • Morning Malcs, now I know who's brains to pick to ensure I'm sub 4! Not having done the full distance, it seems a bit daunting. But I'd like to thick I'm made of strong enough stuff to get myself there. I am impressed with you celebrity status on the forum! This is will need to get some tips from you on Saturday! Looking forward to it.
  • Early morning start nearly ended in disaster with a iced over driveway. That probably wouldn't have been the best start on the road to Paris. Morning training in winter is getting harder and harder, the colder it gets! Thermals?

  • Hi James, like you I haven't yet attempted a marathon run!  I regret that my 4 hour aspiration comes more from an ill informed ego than from any quantifiable previous results!  I have a half coming up this weekend which will give me a better idea of where I really am at this point and will then do another half before the marathon from which I will finally determine what a realistic pace is for me.

    The trouble with thermals is that they are OK at the start of a running shift but it doesn't take long before you start regretting it!

  • Congrats James!! Well done on making it through! Such an amazing experience! Look forward to following your journey!

  • Thank you RunnyRunRun, I now think I am in control of the nerves. Just can't wait to get it all started. An incredible experience so far, I am sure it will just keep getting better!

  • XX1XX1 ✭✭✭

    Hi James, congratulations on making the Asics 5...  Your thread will be the most interest to me because, although I haven't run a marathon yet, sub-4 is the time that I would be looking to get based on my HM time...  I'll be looking forward to seeing your training plan along with any other tips your might have image

    James Carroll 78 wrote (see)

    Early morning start nearly ended in disaster with a iced over driveway...

    I assume then that you've never seen the YouTube video of the good Dr Romanov running on ice image

  • Hi Xyloid, my only official timed half marathon was at the end of the IM70.3 in June. Felt like death but managed to post a 2.08, which on the day I was happy with. Looking back, I wish I had lest a bit more in the tank after the bike. Tried 15m the weekend after bootcamp and managed 2:25hrs. So, given some advice, I'd like to think the sub 4 is there for the taking.

    Where are you running your half this weekend? What time are you hoping for?

    Thermals - it is my toes that always seem coldest! The rest of me heats up pretty quickly! image

  • I am running in the Milton Keynes Winter Half.  Hoping I can get round in 1.55 and then see how it goes from there!

  • XX1 - just watched the vid, that is pretty impressive! New event for the winter Olympics. May need to head down to Streatham ice rink and address the pose method. Embarrassingly, I wasn't even out running, I was trying to get the buggy out of the car!

     

    I'll get the training plan up as soon as I am able. It seems all of us are going for our first marathon together at the moment! I reckon crowd support will get us there!

    image

  • I have to say the crowd was a major factor in my first half marathon. I didn't expect that many people to line the streets supporting us as we ran through.

    I always assumed the London Marathon would be the same.

    I hope Paris draws a good crowd - the crowd will cheer us through.

     

  • Good luck in the MK half Xyloid. You'll do it, just watch those ice patches! Let me know how you get on.image

  • Before I made the cut for Paris 2014, I entered the Endurance Life CTS Sussex half on March 22nd. Has anyone got any experience of this course? Seemed like a great idea back in August!

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    Good luck James. looking forward to following the threadimage

  • Many thanks DS2. Have you got some spring marathon plans?

  • Hi James,

    Congratulations again on getting through. Looking forward to seeing your training plan.

    Enjoy your day in London.

    Jon

     

     

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    I am doing London James! It is on my 50th birthday! I have a GFA place thanks to lots of help from people on these forums.

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    Meant to say - trust in the coaches and follow their schedules to the letter and you'll smash 4 hours.

    Dont be tempted to overtrain especially in the early days when a combination of enthusiasm and a lack of tiredness will make you feel invincible. It catches up with you in the middle months so you need to go into them feeling fresh.

    Completing your first marathon is the best feeling in the world! 

  • What an memorable 50th you have in store DS2. I am seeing very quickly the power of the networking that goes on, on this forum.

    I wouldn't class myself as a natural runner! The information that the coaches will be able to provide will undoubtedly be the difference between me finishing sub 4 or blowing out way too early. To date, the furthest I have run is 16miles, that was not easy. 

    I love to cycle as well as run, so i hope this can give me an alternative when a need a lower impact activity. 

    Over the past few years, since the children were born, I have always done my training between 5:30am and 7:30am. I think to avoid fatigue, I may need to mix these timings up a bit. I am sure that will be addressed in the coming weeks.

    Can't wait.

     

  • Many thanks for your post Jon, I hope you have continued with your training post bootcamp. Have you lined up any races in the Xmas period?

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    James - cycling can help a lot especially with recovery!

    i understand the difficulties of balancing family life - I have thee daughters including twins who are 14 in January! Only those with twins can understand how hard it is. the twin connection wS one of the reasons you got my vote!image

  • DS2DS2 ✭✭✭

    Plus living in Kent was a bonus!!! 

  • Hey James, so we kind of have a connection, and if you have any dirt please feel free to spill the beans.

    I entered this last year and from what I learnt from Bootcamp continued to help improve to a 21 minute PB at Brighton last year in 3.55:45.

    It can be done and sure you will suceed, just be careful of Malcs!

  • DS2, another proud dad of twins! I am glad to know there is someone else here with a similar experience. We had a pretty rough ride with ours at the start, in neonatal unit for 5 weeks. All good now though. Pretty much set the ball rolling for me to run and cycle. Haven't looked back. Boys are get big and very physical and i've shed a few pounds on the way!

    If you're local maybe you can join me for a longer run one Sunday!

    Thanks for the vote, I am sure it was the deal clincher!

  • Reg, those lukey days were a hazy blur!



    Having not run a marathon before I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew! A bit of coaching support will be such a huge advantage.



    I'll keep a careful eye on Malcs!!!! Thanks for the warningimage
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