First Timer Tony: #asics262

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  • Race weekend report: part un

    Friday   

    We'd just got back from our hols in time to welcome Pocket Rocket Amy and Julie, her mum, on Thursday night. Next, it was an early start on Friday morning to meet up with the Runners World and Asics 26.2  team at St Pancras.   

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    We took the Eurostar to Paris and headed straight from the Gare du Nord to the Expo site at Porte de Versailles. This being my first marathon, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Queues probably. Long ones. It was all very civilised though and we picked up our race numbers without problem.  

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    It was kind of fun seeing our names on the race numbers and on a wall that had every competitor's name written on it (all 54,000 of them).

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    We did a bit of shopping including the obligatory official Paris marathon T-shirt. I know it's a bit naff - like buying an 'I heart Paris béret' or an Eiffel Tower fridge magnet - but it had to be done. I could have bought several but I suspect my wife might have had a sense of humour failure.  

    Then it was back to the hotel for a quick shower and change then out to dinner. Carb loading officially started on Friday night so we all stocked up on plenty of pasta (sans booze pour moi image).  

  • Race weekend report: part deux

    Saturday  

    Another early start, breakfast (predictably lots more carb loading) then an hour or so up by Sacré Cœur for photographs and an interview with Katie Hiscock (on the left holding the mike). At la Place du Tertre, just behind Sacré Cœur, we did the cheesy tourist thing of having a caricature drawn of us. Definitely a laugh and I think secretly Tim, Tom, Andrea and Amy loved their flattering portraits!   

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                                     Group portrait (me in the middle)

    Oh yeah, and after that we had a little run. Just a brief 2.5 miles easy through the rather congested streets of Paris. It felt good after two days of sitting around travelling on planes and trains to be out running again.   

    I met up with Chris Bramster and his wife Sandra for lunch and some running chat. Chris, like Gareth, was one of the sub-4 2014 bootcampers and, in spite of the disappointment of not getting through to the later stages of the competition, has been brilliantly supportive. It was a pleasure to catch up with him and to meet Sandra (who's just as nice).   

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                                                Chris and Sandra 

    I then met Sarah, my wife, at la Gare du Nord and we headed back to the hotel for drinks then dinner (and more carb loading). Despite the problems of getting childcare and a busy professional life, Sarah still took the time to come over on Eurostar on Saturday night to be with me for the race before leaving later on in the afternoon for the Eurostar back home on Sunday. It was great seeing her in the company of Julie, Amy's mum, cheering me on various points in Paris. It was also fantastic to see her cheering me from the Asics VIP balcony near the finish line but I'm getting ahead of my story now. 

  • Tony Bloody chuffing well done on your superb achievent. Anyone who has run a marathon before, will understand the concerns and nerves of a first timer. You have been an absolute trouper as we have gone along, Tony The Tiger has made sure everyone has been on top form in the group. And your times have come steadily down and now with the shackles off, who knows what you might achieve when baac running. Well done buddy,, cant wait to see you soon. 

  • Race weekend report: part trois  

    Sunday/Race Day  

    Hundreds of miles, dozens of tweets and thousands of words on the Runner's World threads all leading to this day. I felt strangely calm for most of the morning but in the taxi on the way to the starting line I caught sight of the Champs-Élysées and had a real heart in my mouth moment: race day was really happening. Yikes!  

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                                View from hotel window at 6:30am  

    We arrived at about 7:30am as Tom had one of the earlier starting times. I thought that time might drag but in no time it seemed that first Tom then Tim had disappeared to start their races and it was the turn of Amy and I to make our way to the 4 hour starting pen. We ducked and weaved through the crowds mistakenly entering the 4:15 pen before some more ducking and weaving to find our 4-hour starting point. It was great sharing the excitement of the race start with Amy. Since December, Amy has been a running buddy, friend and part-time adopted daughter/big sister to my kids. There was no way we were going to finish the race together - there's a reason she's called Pocket Rocket - but it was right that we should start it together.   

    We ran a steady 8:45-ish pace for about a mile and a half, passing through Place de la Concorde and the Rue de Rivoli before Amy said her goodbyes and pulled away. Just before Bastille I had my first Runner's World reader chat to me ('hello Tony, I've just been reading about you') which was a first for me. Donald, if you're reading this I hope you got your sub-4! A few more runners whose names I didn't get chatted to me too and I hope they all finished well.  

    What can I say about the course and its spectators? Beautiful and brilliant will have to do. This is a route that goes through Place de la Concorde, the Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Bastille, the Bois de Vincennes and the Bois de Boulogne taking in the Seine with views of Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the race course at Auteuil and the Roland-Garros stadium. I also ran through streets familiar to me from the year I lived in Paris (Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, Rue de Charente and Avenue Daumesnil) which  was a lovely trip down memory lane.

    There seemed to be spectators on every stretch of the 26.2 miles with some great banners. My favourite French one was 'Pierre, t'es où fainéant (Peter, where are you, you lazy git?) and the best in English was 'This is nothing compared to childbirth') image. Just fantastic: a race which really put a smile on your face.  


    But how did my running go? You'll have to wait for part quatre!  

  • Race weekend report: part quatre

    So, how did my running go? Well, the plan was this:

    • 6.2 miles at 8:55-9:00 min/mi avg
    • 10 miles at 8:50-8:55 min/mi avg
    • 10 miles at 8:45-8:50 min/mi avg


    I'd been able to do this sort of things on training runs and smaller events but a large city marathon with sometimes narrow streets and busy water stations proved a bit more tricky to navigate at the desired speed. Here are my mile splits for the first 18 miles:

    • Miles 1-6: 8:49/8:44/8:35/9:12/8:58/9:03/
    • Miles 7-17: 8:49/8:45/8:49/8:57/8:53/9:01/9:03/8:48/8:55/9:11/8:56


    So far so good. Not entirely on track but set for a decent sub-4 finish. However, at mile 19 I start to feel a kind of spasm/cramping is my hamstrings. It felt like something was going to go ping so I had to drop my pace a bit to make it go away. Every time I upped my pace to see if it had gone for good, I felt it again. Because I really wanted to finish and thought I might still sneak in at under 4 hours, I continued at the slower, safer and more comfortable pace. Here are the splits for the last 8 miles:

    • Miles 18-26: 9:23/9:25/9:03/9:24/9:18/9:08/9:16/9:40


    Sadly, I miscalculated and had an official finish time of 4:00:45. Interestingly, if I hadn't taken the two pee stops in the Bois de Vincennes (about 90 seconds) I would have finished just under 4 hours. C'est la vie!

    You know what though, in my heart I believe I am a sub-4 marathoner. I think that's the pace I can do. I actually felt strong and in control for the final quarter of the race; it was just prudence (or fear) that prevented me upping the pace. I do have one bit of proof for this assertion: my Garmin says I did 26.49 miles in 3:59:06 and that's good enough for me!

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                                               My Garmin race data

  • Race weekend report: part cinq

    Crossing the finish line was a beautiful thing. I see the photographers first to my right and then, on the balcony of the Asics VIP building, I see Sarah shouting and waving to me. I don't think I'm prone to blubbing, but I felt a bit choked seeing her and had to look away and concentrate and crossing the line. I should have gone directly into the Asics building but headed instead to pick up my medal and finisher's teeshirt. This was a pretext really as I guess I needed to have a bit of quiet time as I felt strangely emotional about finishing such a wonderful race. Sarah barged her way through the crowd to join me (with Dan, one of the photographers in hot pursuit) and we had a bit of a hug. It was then that I found out about Tim's stonking finish (kudos to that man but I'll say my bit about Tim on his thread), Amy's strong sub-4 finish (go girl, we knew you'd do it!) and Tom's really impressive PB that was 11 seconds short of his sub-3 target. In fact, Sarah told me Tom's story first and said that he needed a lot of love as he was very disappointed by his result. I'll say more about Tom on his thread too but he has an amazing story of dramatically reducing his PB (from an already impressive level) running hard through pain and physical discomfort. I understand why he's disappointed because he's set himself such high standards, but I think he's achieved so much in such short space of time that he has so much more to feel proud of. Finally, I had the pleasure of seeing Andrea cross the finish line. It was a wonderful thing to see one of your team mates complete the race (and bag a new PB) and we had to form an orderly queue to give her a celebratory hug. Andrea, you ran a blinder too girl!

    I'll finish my posts for tonight with a few thoughts about my first marathon experience. Ok, firstly, I am so happy to say I've done a marathon at last. I do consider myself to be a runner (it's not what I do; it's what I am) but have had a nagging suspicion that I wasn't really allowed to consider myself to be one unless I'd completed a marathon. After the race I met up with Chris and Sandra again for a drink and we discussed this. When you talk to other runners, they don't ask you what 10km races or HMs you've run; no, they ask you about your marathons. Chris, by the way, on the 15th time of asking, got the sub-4 finish he's wanted for so long. Well done Chris mate!

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              Enjoying a small shandy with Chris (and Sandra taking the pic)

    Secondly, marathons, although hard, are not the formidable beasts ready to devour you at mile 23 that I'd built them up to be in my head. If you train properly, plan properly and get the right nutrition, they really are just a long run. I know many will disagree with me and argue they're more than just two half marathons back-to-back, but my first marathon just felt like an extension of the longer training runs I'd done as part of the schedule. 

    Thirdly, because I was so well supported by the team (Sam, Steve, Sarah, Ruth and Victor), I was better prepared than many other runners. It's interesting to note that in spite of having hamstring problems and having to slow down I was still overtaking loads of runners in the last few miles. For example, at 25km when I was running without problem, I was in 21,771 place but by the end of the race I had overtaken so many people - even at what I felt was a horribly slow speed - that I'd gone up to 17,143 place.

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      All for tonight - a bit more tomorrow including thanks to you all. Bonne nuit!  

  • My top five moments from race day

    1. Sitting in the back of a taxi between Tom and Tim (Amy and Andrea behind) and catching my first sight of the Arc de Triomphe against the early morning sky.
       
    2. Feeling excited with Amy as we waited in the sub-4 pen at the start line (listening to Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk).
       
    3. Running down the Rue de Rivoli to Place de la Bastille and on to the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine with so many happy memories of Paris flooding back.
       
    4. Seeing Sarah cheer me on during the race and at the finish line and, crucially, getting that emotional post-run hug from her.
       
    5. The first swig of an ice-cold beer sat on the terrace of a café at Porte Maillot with Chris and Sandra

     

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                                        Last group hug for the cameras

  • welshgjewelshgje ✭✭✭

    Hi Tony,

    Brilliant account of your day - like with the others, the memories come flooding back to me and will stay with you forever.

    I hope they managed to film you crying at the end so my video can be consigned to the recycle bin image I remember it being quite emotional at the end with Louise (my wife) running up to catch me closely followed by Tom or Dan to take photos and film whilst trying not to get in the way.

    The memories you will have from the 4 months are to be cherished. Well done Sir.

    Gareth

  • welshgje wrote (see)

    Hi Tony,

    Brilliant account of your day - like with the others, the memories come flooding back to me and will stay with you forever.

    I hope they managed to film you crying at the end so my video can be consigned to the recycle bin image I remember it being quite emotional at the end with Louise (my wife) running up to catch me closely followed by Tom or Dan to take photos and film whilst trying not to get in the way.

    The memories you will have from the 4 months are to be cherished. Well done Sir.

    Gareth

    Hi Gareth, thanks for the post. Crikey - I'm sort of hoping Dan didn't catch me or that he decided against putting in the final 5 minute video! image I'm not sure what came over me on Sunday but it was a very intense emotional moment. I'm not sure what's come over me today either; I've still no muscle soreness (with the exception of my hamstrings to some degree) but I do feel a sadness that it's all over now.

    It was an amazing adventure though wasn't it? I suppose you could put a price tag on winning a car but not this winning this prize. Yup, I'll certainly treasure those memories.

  • Well done Ant - and thanks for the great write-up. When's your next marathon planned for?!

  • MalcsMalcs ✭✭✭

    Tony - many congratulations! What an awesome way to mark your first marathon. Poor Gareth had to spend his first one with me!image

    Awesome race report. So glad that it all went well for you. I know you were hoping to go sub 4 but a first marathon is all about enjoying the experience. You managed to do that AND bag a great time too. 

    All the best for your marathons to come!

  • Isabel Abos wrote (see)

    Dear Tony, I wish you all the best for Sunday!

    Time has finally come and I can imagine how excited you must be to run your first marathon. Running a marathon is just beautiful and you are about to do it with the best support!

    You have trained so hard and well that there is only one possible outcome: a superb sub 4 marathon.

    It has been great to follow your thread, great progress and pictures. I have carefully saved your plan and it is waiting for me once I am back to running. Enjoy every moment of your big day and well deserved success. It will be a day to keep in your memories forever.

    Can't wait to read your write up and see your pictures.

    Have a lovely weekend in Paris with the team and the lovely people from Asics and RW!!! Please say hi to them!!!

    All the best!!!!!!!

    Hi Isabel, thanks for your last pre-marathon post and apologies for not replying earlier. It was exciting and beautiful and I did run a great marathon. Sadly, I just missed the sub-4 bit by 46 seconds but I'm really ok about it. It's quite a nice story really - how I messed my sub-4 time up by having a pee in the Bois de Vincennes. There will certainly be other marathons and other opportunities to get below that time which certainly feels do-able now.

    I hope you like the race report - I sort of modelled it on yours!

  • Peter Foster 7 wrote (see)

    Well done Ant - and thanks for the great write-up. When's your next marathon planned for?!

    Hi Peter - thanks for the congrats. I think you've asked the $10 million question! I'm itching to do another marathon but I'm wavering between going for a PB or just sightseeing, enjoying the vibe and coming in at respectable 4:15 or so. I'm quite drawn to the idea of an Autumn marathon, especially as the summer training might suit me better than the gruelling winter regime. Even in the height of summer it's possible to get a good long run done in the morning before it gets hotter later in the day. Venice, Valencia and Palma all quite appeal. I spent a couple of days last week in Venice with the family and enjoyed running there so this one appeals most. It's also taking place on 25 October which is the weekend of my wife and I's 10th wedding anniversary (22 October). Sarah loves Venice but didn't seem very happy at my suggestion that we combine a second honeymoon-style long weekend with a marathon! image

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                             Me in St Mark's Square, Venice 

  • Gareth Davies 21 wrote (see)

    Congratulations again Tony! For your first marathon and in what sounds like tough conditions its a brilliant time!

    sounds like you had to be mentally tough to keep going with your hamstring issues so that was a real triumph. 

    it was been so enjoyable following your journey as right from the beginning you have embraced the experience and enjoyed learning and taking everything on board and have really took to the whole experience.

    I am sure you will run more marathons in much faster times in years to come!

    we will have to meet for a Regents Park run and I definitely owe you a celebratory pint! I have been on the running track before a few years back when I used to work on the other side of the park and am planning on getting back on it soon for some speed work so hopefully see you there soon! 

    Hi Gareth - thanks for your last post. You're definitely one of the runners I've met on this adventure that really gone the extra mile to support me. It's me that owes you that beer! I had a thoroughly enjoyable race and although maybe 5% miffed not to have an official sub-4 finish, I'm really happy with the performance. The training plan must have really worked for me as the last 6-7 miles when I was going slower to protect my hamstrings felt more like a cooldown jog rather than a desperate slog to the finish!

    Let's have a Regents Park run soon and maybe plan a marathon with the Bramster? I'd certainly be up for Paris 2016!

  • Not at all Tony I will you and Bramster a bit of time to recover but perhaps a beer to celebrate the Bramsters successful London run and a run at Regents Park when your hamstrings have fully recovered. Text me or tweet me and we will sort something out.

    The scrapbook idea is brilliant, a great way to capture your journey and remember your experiences, I could see it turning into a published bestseller?!
  • That 'thank you' post (part 1)

    It's Wednesday already and about time I said my thank yous. With the Manchester and London marathons looming, it will soon be time for the stories of other runners to rightfully take centre stage. I hope they will all post their times on Twitter or post them on to these threads.   

    Over the last six months, I've met some really wonderful people who have given me all sorts of advice and encouragement. These include fellow 2014 bootcampers, Runner's World forumites, Teddington Sweatshop Running Community members as well as, of course, the Runner's World and Asics teams. I should also add that my friends, family and other animals (e.g. the camels of London Zoo) have also been brilliantly supportive and deserve a big thanks here too. Sarah, my long-suffering and lovely wife, has been fantastic throughout the last six months and has added campaign manager and motivational coach to her already long list of responsibilities.   

    At the expo site in Paris they had a wall with the names of all the runners written on it. This is my small online wall with the names of all the new people I have met or who have posted advice or encouragement to me during this amazing adventure.   

    David Gillespie Charles Henderson Ian McLaverty Melissa McLaverty Angela Shepherd Eulene Gooden Tigger Adcock Harriet Burrows Adrian Livingstone Malcs Barbour Rhian Hall Liz Nocton Craig Jenkins Craig Bowdery Matt Manners Claire Taylor Steven Davie Roger Reid Sophie Ruffles Josh Hand Peter Wilkie Ai Lyn Tan LJ Hazzard Millsy Puffsta DS2 StewartC DaveRob seren nos Geordie Jo Darren Williams Laura Mountford Angela 1 Isabel Abos Tricialitt Barbie1976 DonkDonk Peter Foster 7 Mary Tibbotts Amy Lamont Kirsten Sharpe Baldrunnerman Sally Boulton   

    A special big thanks goes to Merilyn (Fairyclogs) for both her posts here but also for helping me on those long slow runs around Richmond and Bushy Parks. A really big shout out to both Chris Bramster and Gareth Davies for their support and encouragement too. I hope to be running with all three again soon.   

    The Runner's World crew have been brilliant - big thanks to Victoria, Andrea, Katie and Gemma for treating us like the VIPs that we (temporarily) were! Not forgetting the art and photography team of Ben, Dan and Tom who were really good guys in spite of making us stand around in freezing cold weather whilst they took our pictures! The Asics team of Gareth and Becky were fantastic and I will certainly enjoy carrying on wearing all the fabulous kit they gifted us. Last but certainly not least, the coaching team of Sam, Steve, Ruth, Sarah and Victor were amazing and made my first marathon seem easy and a pleasure to run (rather than the painful trial I feared it might be).  

    Am I forgetting anyone? Oh yeah, thanks and hugs to Andrea, Amy, Tom and Tim. A marathon first timer couldn't wish for a better set of teammates. I will definitely be running with these guys again. 

  • That 'thank you' post (part 2)

    In a tweet I sent in the last day of campaigning in December 2014, I posted the picture below and the question: end of the journey or start of a beautiful relationship?  

     

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    I think it's a relevant picture to look at again now. Does it depict the final stop of a journey and the end of a relationship? Or does it represent the beginning of a new phase? I'm a glass half-full kind of person and think it's the latter. I want to continue with as many of the relationships I formed over these last six months as I can. I'm sure that on some of the new journeys I will take, I'll be joined by some of the new running friends I've made during this amazing adventure.   

    Happy running guys and see you again soon!

  • So many congratulations, marathoner Tony!!!! I loved to read your write up image, very emotional and written from the heart. Thank you for all the details and pictures, the ups and downs. Cannot agree more when you say that marathons are not that formidable beasts. If you do the right training, there are something to enjoy from start to end, even with their difficulties. And you have been so fortunate to get the best support. It's been a real pleasure to follow your journey and I have taken very good note of everything as I hope to start my sub 4 training sometime in a few months. I think you can be really proud of yourself and keep in mind that Garmin time because you deserve it, with a brilliant training on your back, all those amazing PBs, your interaction with the forum and for bringing a camel to the scene! I will be glad to keep following your progress and perhaps share a run with you in Regent's Park in the future!!!

  • Isabel Abos wrote (see)

    So many congratulations, marathoner Tony!!!! I loved to read your write up image, very emotional and written from the heart. Thank you for all the details and pictures, the ups and downs. Cannot agree more when you say that marathons are not that formidable beasts. If you do the right training, there are something to enjoy from start to end, even with their difficulties. And you have been so fortunate to get the best support. It's been a real pleasure to follow your journey and I have taken very good note of everything as I hope to start my sub 4 training sometime in a few months. I think you can be really proud of yourself and keep in mind that Garmin time because you deserve it, with a brilliant training on your back, all those amazing PBs, your interaction with the forum and for bringing a camel to the scene! I will be glad to keep following your progress and perhaps share a run with you in Regent's Park in the future!!!

    Thanks Isabel - really glad you enjoyed the race report. It was quite an emotional process writing it too. Physically, I'm feeling really strong (bouncing up the stairs of the escalators on the tube) but I feel a bit of an emotional wreck! image Was it the same for you once you'd done Paris? I need a new challenge and I think Sarah may be softening on the idea of going to Venice in October. I would definitely be up for a Regents Park run, so if you feel in need of a running buddy to help prepare you for your Autumn marathon, count me in! 

  • Thank you, Tony. Sure I will!!! I will let you know once I am fully recovered. Would also love to run around Richmond. This injury is like never ending. I spent the whole day at the hospital on Friday with a terrible pain on the knee. Turns out I had lots of fluid. But I am positive and I will be back soon. The hardest part is watching all these runners happily running through Regent's Park while I am walking on my crutch. But I am confident I will be one of them soon.

     

    I was amazed by the fantastic recovery I had from the marathon and I felt very strong too. But as you say, very emotional. And you will be even more when you watch the Asics video! Venice sounds like an amazing marathon!!!

     

    Congratulations again.

  • well done Tony - great report and summary and excellent marathon campaign - you did very well in your first marathon and will obviously go much quicker should you wish.

    You may have been a few minutes down on Amy in the race but you thrashed her by days in writing up your report!

  • Steve Marathon Coach wrote (see)

    well done Tony - great report and summary and excellent marathon campaign - you did very well in your first marathon and will obviously go much quicker should you wish.

    You may have been a few minutes down on Amy in the race but you thrashed her by days in writing up your report!

    Thanks for the kind words Steve - it's good to be ahead of Amy of one thing! I think we might forgive her provided that she doesn't come out with any excuses like 'I couldn't write because of the hot weather' or 'I got cramp in my typing hand'! image

  • Isabel Abos wrote (see)

    Thank you, Tony. Sure I will!!! I will let you know once I am fully recovered. Would also love to run around Richmond. This injury is like never ending. I spent the whole day at the hospital on Friday with a terrible pain on the knee. Turns out I had lots of fluid. But I am positive and I will be back soon. The hardest part is watching all these runners happily running through Regent's Park while I am walking on my crutch. But I am confident I will be one of them soon.

     

    I was amazed by the fantastic recovery I had from the marathon and I felt very strong too. But as you say, very emotional. And you will be even more when you watch the Asics video! Venice sounds like an amazing marathon!!!

     

    Congratulations again.

    Hi Isabel - I'm rather fearing the Asics Target 26.2 video for 2015. I'm rather hoping that Superman Tim will be the sobbing marathoner on the finish line rather than me! image Sorry to hear that you've been in pain and hope that the recovery in time for an autumn marathon is still broadly on track. When you're at the long, slow run stage of your training, just let me know and we'll arrange a run around Richmond Park which is truly lovely. I might have a run there in a couple of weeks time now you mention it.

  • Tony, just to echo the thoughts of others that you handled your first (and definitely not last) marathon extremely well.  Even if inside you must have had a sense of trepidation, your calm exterior definitely helped the others.

     

    As for some of your other points:

    • I agree that if you've trained properly there really is nothing to fear about the marathon.  You've loaded the body appropriately it's time to go have fun, just reign it in at the start as too quick comes back to bite you.
    • Emotional come down is definitely normal.  After the time (physically and mentally) that you invest it's perfectly normal to feel completely drained, even if you feel ready to run again the next day.
    • Autumn marathons are very tough, for a mid-October race you'll be doing guts of 20 miles in August, and even with an early start it gets hot out there.  The one benefit is race day is easier.

    Well done again, hopefully we'll bump into you again soon, when I can cheer you on to yet another pb (you're two for two when I'm watching image)

  • CDUB72 wrote (see)

    Tony, just to echo the thoughts of others that you handled your first (and definitely not last) marathon extremely well.  Even if inside you must have had a sense of trepidation, your calm exterior definitely helped the others.

     

    As for some of your other points:

    • I agree that if you've trained properly there really is nothing to fear about the marathon.  You've loaded the body appropriately it's time to go have fun, just reign it in at the start as too quick comes back to bite you.
    • Emotional come down is definitely normal.  After the time (physically and mentally) that you invest it's perfectly normal to feel completely drained, even if you feel ready to run again the next day.
    • Autumn marathons are very tough, for a mid-October race you'll be doing guts of 20 miles in August, and even with an early start it gets hot out there.  The one benefit is race day is easier.

    Well done again, hopefully we'll bump into you again soon, when I can cheer you on to yet another pb (you're two for two when I'm watching image)

    Hi Chris, thanks for the post. It was great chatting to you on the weekend and I can see why Andrea has been so fulsome in her praise of you on her thread! Good advice and humour all the way. image

    I will certainly see you both soon - I'm pondering which of the London 1-milers to do (Sweatshop used to give its running community members free tickets to the Westminster Mile and will check with them on Sunday - and I will definitely be doing Paris 2016. I missed out on the 80E places but even at 99E it's a steal. I'm still thinking about if I should put myself down as 3:45 or 4:00 (does it make very much difference really?).

    This next bit picks up on your first point and is really for any potential first-timers who might still be reading this thread. I'm still a bit in shock about how do-able marathons are. When I did my first half marathon (Reading 1 April 2012 1:58:32) after a year of being a runner, it felt that I really fight to finish under 2 hours. I was drained at the end of it and I had sore muscles for days after. In fact, I was shuffling down the stairs on my backside on the Sunday and Monday!

    Fast forward almost exactly three years, I felt full of energy and have experienced no muscle soreness. It's got to be down to the training schedule and the advice on nutrition, stretching and strength work. 16 weeks of training involving no more than 5 runs a week, combining hard and easy, throwing in some hills and speed work and not forgetting a weekly long, slow run - that's got to be possible for most runners?

    The challenge for me now is to maintain as much of my marathon-ready fitness as I can until my next marathon as I'm guessing the 16-week schedule might be easier - or maybe I could follow a more ambitious 3:45 one instead? -  from a higher level of fitness.

    I think my days of Monday-to-Friday junk mile run-commuting may be over and that pre-work runs on Regents Park track and the inclines of Primrose Hill will be part of my new routine (based on my old one really). It might seem strange for the first few weeks to be running on the track or past the camels without thoughts of my first marathon in Paris ahead of me. I've already had my first post-marathon run when I turned up to my first lunchtime Runner's Need (Waterloo) running club where speed work looks to be the main thing offered. Yesterday was a 35 minute interval session of 1 min fast (5 min/mi - although I was more like 5:45 min/mi) and 1

  • ... 1 min slow. Already had some interesting comments from Ian, who runs the session, on my running (I land too heavily and don't lift my feet enough).

    Gotta keep moving on ... image

  • Crikey Tony That's pretty impressive recovery. How come you got away without suffering the dreaded DOMS? I think this means you are capable of pushing yourself harder and achieving a new PB. I can't believe you are already up and running interval sessions. You truly have the running bug.

    I am having a very lazy 2 weeks rest before London but plan on doing a slow parkrun on Sat and jogging Sweatshop run on Sun. May see you there?

    Well done again.  

  • Fairyclogs wrote (see)

    Crikey Tony That's pretty impressive recovery. How come you got away without suffering the dreaded DOMS? I think this means you are capable of pushing yourself harder and achieving a new PB. I can't believe you are already up and running interval sessions. You truly have the running bug.

    I am having a very lazy 2 weeks rest before London but plan on doing a slow parkrun on Sat and jogging Sweatshop run on Sun. May see you there?

    Well done again.  

    Hi Merilyn, I shall definitely be at Sweatshop (Teddington) on Sunday and may even join you on that slow 10km.

    Re: running bug, yup, got it bad now. Re: DOMS, my legs definitely felt that they'd had a long run on the Sunday and even the Monday but there wasn't really any soreness. I was brisk walking up the escalators on the tube come Tuesday without any discomfort for example.

    I think the fast recovery was really because I ran within the limits of what I'd trained for (faster pace for final miles and a negative split). Because of hamstring concerns, I ran the last 7 miles at  9:20 min/mi (i.e. my very comfortable chug pace) and it felt like the last part of the marathon was a cooldown jog. I feel a bit jealous of the other 4 runners because they really pushed themselves in the final stages; I held back for fear of cramping up and not finishing at all. I've definitely some unfinished  business with marathons; not so much the finishing sub-4 - I know I can do this - but really seeing what sort of running I'm capable of in the last 5 miles.

  • It was great to get to know you better too Tony, having impressed from those early days at Bushy.

    Glad to hear you're doing well, and working on that speed, a vital if underestimated component of marathon running.  The easier it is to run fast, the easier those long runs will feel.

    For the 3:45 or 4:00 start, it won't make a major difference, 3:45 will mean marginally fewer people in front of you that could slow you down in the narrower sections, and less chance of walkers, but no guarantee.  More important is that you stick to your race plan, and do not get sucked in to going quicker than you want at the start.

    Between now and the next marathon (or race target, as Sam said, it doesn't have to all be about marathons), the main objective should be to enjoy it.  I find the best way is to make sure you do the sessions you enjoy, and if you don't feel like a run, skip it.  It's when it feels like a chore you add little value.  3 to 4 runs a week is probably plenty, with the long run being 60-90 minutes. 

    Besides that mix it up, speed, tempo, off-road, hill and track sessions are all great fun and complement those steady / slow runs, especially if you can get others to join you.

    Have fun.

  • I should really stop reading the race day accounts, I'll end up crying again!

    Just popped over here quickly to let you all know that I'm helping with baggage at VMLM next week.  I'll be manning the RED lorry, covering race numbers 45101 - 49500.  Please come and say hi xx

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