P&D spring marathon 2017

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  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    If Lit is pacing I will have to change mine again!
  • A definite buzz coming from this thread for this weekend. Good luck everyone.

    Westy - Not sounding as keen as you used to! - watch out for Mr Periscope Snorkel!

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    All sounding positive from the thread.
    feeling a bit nervous seeing so many people have put me down for a 2:53:xx. No pressure!  

    Picked up my number at lunchtime. Very disappointed that there were no trail shoes on the Hoka stand. I'd been saving up my pocket money especially. 

    Hope everyone makes it to the start line in one piece. 

  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    Haha Tommo that gets me every time. It's like a personal vendetta between the two. Fingers crossed that won't be you vs Millsy on Sunday. 

    5M with strides this morning then the journey to the expo, parking at the world's most expensive car park. Expo with a toddler was surprisingly fun, a great excuse to get any good freebies and have a go on the various games and challenges, but then immediately leave without giving details when the little one sprints off somewhere. She loved the trampoline in the running bra section - I looked a bit dodgy staying in there for so long. 

    We're lucky to be staying at a friend's flat overlooking the river. 20 metres from the course at mile 16. Getting very excited now. Little trot with the wife in the morning before heading to Mudchute Farm Park and possibly over to Greenwich Park. Good luck to all those on mega tourist duties. Don't be afraid to pull rank tomorrow if necessary!

    Jooligan 3:00
    Joe BR 2:48
    Millsy 2:54
    Tom 2:38 SBC

    Stay chilled everyone and don't eat massively more than you're used to. Can't wait for the race!
  • JohnOzJohnOz ✭✭✭
    Great to read about everyone's build up to Sunday. Really looking forward to reading about how you all do, it's a great way to wrap up everyone's journey u starover the last 18 weeks. Unfortunately I won't be able to watch live as I'm in LA enjoying the delights of Disneyland so it will be a bit like when you used to record the cup final and try not to find out the result before you get to watch it. 

    Anyway some really strong training from many of you so here are my FML predictions:

    Tom13 2:37 SBC
    HA77 2:38
    Millsy 2:54
    Jooligan 2:59

    I'll also post a quick report before the rest start flooding in. 
  • Look forward to the report John - enjoy disneyland!

    Went to the expo last night - didn't stay too long. Easy 20 minute run this morning. Got a couple of bits on today - going to watch the girlfriend run a 10km in Hyde Park this morning. Then tonight I've got a wedding (!) - I haven't disclosed this yet but actually think it'll be good to take my mind off the race - it's so close to our house (Charing Cross), so starts at 7 and I've already told the groom I'm leaving at 9 - he's very understanding and we're only evening guests. Should be tucked up by 10 and I certainly will not be on the dance floor! 
  • Tom13Tom13 ✭✭✭
    Morning all. Had a great day yesterday although spent far too much time on my feet and far too much money! Very impressed with Natural History Museum. All of these FML predictions are scaring me a little......talk about pressure! Got some time to study the form and will post mine later. May have to reconsider predicting a time for Joe after his wedding tonight disclosure! Take it easy today folks.
  • JohnOzJohnOz ✭✭✭
    Boston Marathon 2017

    I wanted to do this as my first big city marathon and also because I'd heard so many runners say this was the one to do if you wanted to experience an amazing and historic marathon. It also fit in perfectly with school holidays so was an easy sell to the wife and kids. Training went relatively smoothly except for a couple of short injury spells (cut my inside sole walking on shells and shin pains after some aggressive downhill runs). I got almost all the sessions in but the Sydney weather didn't make any of it feel comfortable and my MP and LT paces were all slower than the previous cycle. This left me feeling like I was just about in sub 3 shape even with the hills in Boston, although I had frequent doubts that I could pull it off. Seeing the snow on the course a couple of weeks before raised my hopes it would be a cool race day but as we got to race week it was only going up. Clearly it would be touch and go whether I could do it and I'd need to rely on a forecasted tailwind. 

    Boston is such a great city to run in as everyone is encouraging and friendly when they hear you are running the marathon. There was a real sense of anticipation the whole weekend and there are so many events going on that it's hard even for non-runners not to be drawn in. 

    Race day for me started at 2am as I was suffering from a mix of jet lag and nervous excitement. I was also probably feeling a little bloated after doing more carb loading than in my previous marathons. With the race starting at 10am, I didn't feel tired but who knows how my body would respond over the next 12 hours. 

    Getting to the start line involves taking yellow school buses from Boston Common along with 30,000 others out to Hopkinson. You then have a couple of hours to kill before you walk another mile to the start line. Even here the locals are lining the streets cheering you on. It was at this point that it felt a bit too warm for a marathon and seeing the hordes slap on suncream meant the sensible thing to do was reign back the targets. However I figured the tailwind would offset the heat so it was game on!

    Following the national anthem and an ear splitting fly by from a couple of USAF jets we set off downhill back towards Boston. 

    5k 21:40
    All downhill so in theory should be under target pace as I was planning even effort. Instead I was slightly disappointed to see the first few k's slower than expected. I didn't up the pace yet as I figured it was still me warming up. However I made sure to take on water every mile, one cup on my head and a sip from another. The sun's glare was starting to make itself felt. 

    10k 43:16 (21:36)
    It flattens out half way through this 5k and I managed to speed up a tiny bit but overall I was now 45s behind target. Even this early on, at the effort levels I was applying, I slowly realised sub 3 was slipping away. I consciously made a decision to stop looking at my watch and see how my legs went. The cheering crowds were helping but not enough to speed me up. 

    15k 1:05:18 (22:02)
    Subsciously I may have slowed but once I made the decision not to loom at splits. Maybe it was also the heat starting to get to me. However every 5k split got progressively slower from here. Whenever spectators were handing out ice I would grab some and stuff it down my back. When I saw a water spray station I would run through it. Despite all this I still felt a dry mouth and hands. There were plenty of high 5s for the kids though. 

    20k & HM 1:28:31 (23:13) & 1:33:35
    The Wellesley scream tunnel of girls is in this stretch. They're all angling for a kiss (and some guys as well, one had a sign "Kiss me, I'm queer!") but I stuck to the high 5s. By this stage I was definitely aiming to enjoy it as much as possible rather than killing myself. Even before halfway there were runners already walking. Going through the half in 1:33 I suddenly thought - now I've saved myself maybe I can still negative split and to close to sub 3. That lasted about 5 seconds before reality kicked back in. 

    25k 1:52:45 (24:14)
    Don't remember much about this except that I still felt good whenever there were a few downhills. Maybe I could salvage something in the last 8k downhill. 

    30k 2:18:05 (25:20)
    The infamous Newton hills... everyone talks about them in fearful tones but to be honest at the pace I was going at I hardly noticed them as they didn't slow me down that much. The medical tents were starting to get busy though, with runners on stretchers and lying flat out. I later heard quite a few had to be put into ice baths, some forcibly, with the highest temp being 108.8F :o

    35k 2:46:55 (28:50)
    Going up the steepest and longest hill, Heartbreak Hill, is like the TdF mountain stages, with the crowds seemingly closing in on both sides. It's electric! and loud and quite awesome. It keeps you going as you just don't want to stop and let these people down. By now my legs are burning though and I just can't get them going on the downhills. I'm still overtaking a few people though and we're now into the outskirts of Boston so the crowds are 3-4 deep. I've never heard anything like the noise they are making and a couple of times I have to hold myself together- save it for the finish!

    40k 3:18:53 (31:58)
    Calf cramps hit me around 23 miles and I have to stop to stretch them out. Whilst I get going quickly, I have to slow to a walk through a couple of water stations as the effort is now feeling very hard. Plenty of walkers by this stage, some with low bib numbers who must be having even more of a shocker than me. Crowds are now 5-6 deep and I can't even hear my watch beep. 

    Finish 3:31:47 (1:58:12)
    Despite my shuffling along, plenty of people tell me I'm looking great and that I've got this. I know this is ridiculous but it does help me imagine that in fact I am running like a Kenyan even though my feet are barely off the ground. Looking at my photos though, most of them show me grinning like a Cheshire Cat despite the pain I remember being in. I must have been enjoying myself more than I realised and now I look back I do remember wanting it to end but also not wanting it to end. Play up to the cheering crowds on the last straight and cross the line shellshocked, exhausted but also exhilarated. No collapse, no celebration, just stumble forward through the various stations to collect my bag.
     

    And that's my story of Boston 2017. Certainly disappointed at the time but only very slightly. I'm proud that I kept at it and finished, plenty who were faster than me didn't and many walked it in from a long way out. Afterwards I heard some missed their targets by up to 50 mins. The weather was a key factor but maybe I also need to do something differently in my training. So I'm going to do more S&C for the next one and try to go faster at shorter distances. 

    I would definitely come back if it wasn't so far to travel but maybe I will return in a few years. I know many of you rate London highly but I would recommend Boston without hesitation as a unique and unforgettable experience. So if you can skip VLM one year or go for the double then do it!
  • Tommo81Tommo81 ✭✭✭
    Great report John.

    I do envy people who manage to look like they're having a great time despite being in a lot of pain! Unfortunately I always seem to be gurning even when I'm enjoying the run. 

    S&C? 
  • Great report John. That medal in the photo does have a certain aura about it.  Glad you've taken so much from it positively.  

    I felt guilty but that IM finish had me crying.  

    Not unrelated but Joe, where are you going to pin your number ?

    Spied on another thread, it appears if you register with a fullers pub online they email a voucher for a welcome drink. Coupled with the expo voucher that should set me up for the Arsenal game nicely.
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    Tom13 2:39:04
    HA77 2:38:48
    Joe 2:48:49
    Millsy 2:53:28
  • Great report John. 

    One of the drawbacks of suddenly not running 100 mile weeks is the massive backlog of podcasts I have now. Finally listened to the MT after Brighton and gutted to discover if I'd have submitted my time I'd have been top of the listener podium! Oh well...

    Stepped on the scales for the first time since Brighton today, I've put on almost a stone in less than 2 weeks which I think is more impressive than the sub-3!!  :p
  • What????     Are you sure your scales are OK?!  I got on my scales for the first time since Manchester and I've managed to keep my weight gain to just 1lb, which I'm very happy with.  I have tried to be a bit more disciplined this time.

    Good luck everyone tomorrow.  Hope to find time to do FML tonight, but with such a big field, it's going to take some time!
  • Tom13Tom13 ✭✭✭
    Have feet up and been studying the form. FML Predictions:

    Jooligan 2:58
    Millsy 2:53
    HA77 2:38
    Joe 2:44 (SBC)

    Great report John-fantastic that you could smile like that throughout!

     Impressive weight gains (for different reasons) Spoons/NE
  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Enjoyed the report John. Even though you didn't get the time you wanted you still looked happy in the photos. Boston is definitely a race I need to do. 

    Incredible weight gain Spoons. 

    Went touristing at Southwark parkrun earlier. Did 2 very easy miles with the wife and then the last 1 at MP pace. That came in at 6:38. I'll take that tomorrow. 
  • Enjoyed that John. You do look fine all things considered! 

    I am especially curious about the kissing tunnel. I guess it's a place for friends and loved ones to discharge a smacker? If not and it's like an extreme form of speed dating I hope the practice extends to other races!
  • Tommo81Tommo81 ✭✭✭
    edited April 2017
    I'm not sure the tunnel extends to discharging, Muddy. The tunnel as Freudian symbolism would be apt though. 
  • Fantastic report John - made me want to do it even more. 

    Spoons - very impressive, that's a target for me to aim for!

    macca - will be on a triathlon number belt, hiding the fact that I have a tiny.. also wearing a HRM topless - going to look like a right tw*t. But that was never in doubt.

    Tom - that was the boost I needed - finally someone predicting a sub 2.45. I think it's a stretch but I'm going to give it everything.

    Millsy - nice PR, I've got an immense amount of confidence in you tomorrow. 

    I'll be in the the lord moon of the mall or the roundhouse in convent garden/probably both post race. Anyone around for a drink?
  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Great report JohnO.
    JoBloggs no more of a twat than most triathletes!
    Well done Millsy.
    Little too enthusiastic at Hackney Marshes parkrun myself this morning, followed by a fine Turkish breakfast. Stupidly had the coffee too so very twitchy all afternoon. Not helping the nerves.
  • JohnOzJohnOz ✭✭✭
    Muddy - it's random teenage girls from the local Wellesley College and plenty of guys do stop to get a smacker! They line up for about 400m and you can hear them screaming literally from a mile away. I still harboured faint hopes of a good run but on another occasion I might have stopped myself  ;)

    Best of luck everyone for tomorrow, it's going to be a cracker!
  • AWCAWC ✭✭✭
    edited April 2017
    Hi guys - weather looks great for London/Southampton tomorrow. Nice easy 4 miles this morning to freshen up the legs. 

    Tom13 2:38 SBC
    HA77 2:39
    Millsy 2:54
    Joe BR 2:45

    Good luck all! Feeling nervous, excited and worried all at once. Really trying to put last years demons out of my mind and am so desperate to get started!! Key is not to go off too fast and just be sensible until he later stages. 
  • Tom13Tom13 ✭✭✭
    I'm feeling incredibly nervous now. .....not sure how much sleep I'll be getting tonight!

    Good luck to everyone tomorrow-hope you all have a great race and enjoy!

    HA-Will be keeping an eye out for you at the start. Hope to see you then and then hold onto you for as long as possible in the race!
  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    Great report John. Good to see the photos too. 

    Do swimmers ever train by HR, Joe? Got to play by the rules!

    Easy four miles this morning, running through the tunnel and then a lap of Cutty Sark. Exciting to see the barriers and mile markers up and the blue line on the road! Oh, and also saw the world's biggest goat in Mudchute. Scarily tall. 
  • Quick one - been busy in London with friends/family. Great report John.

    Best of luck to everyone tomorrow, hope you all have fun!

    JoeBR 2:44 
    Tom13 2:34
    FBT: 3:09 CSB 
    Jooligan 2:59

  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Great report and photos john. Sounds awesome.

    Tom - I'm keep an eye out too, I'm sure we'll see each other before the start. Not sure it'll be you holding onto me though. 

    Getting nervous too and worried that i've eaten too much or not enough. 

    Just pinning numbers and putting tags on shoes now.
  • Just popping in to say best of luck to everyone running at London or Southampton tomorrow, weather is looking perfect for fast times  :D

    Great report John, the conditions at Boston definitely weren't good for marathon running so recover well and set yourself a new target

    AWC - 3:28

    Tom13 - 2:37 SB Captain

    Westy - 2:48

    Mattywarr - 3:02

    The week for me has been a 50min run on Monday, rest day Tuesday. Spin bike session followed by a lovely 40min run in the forest on Wednesday evening, plenty of deer around. Followed it up with 2 45min runs on Thurs/Friday and today a 40min run this morning followed by a quick hour on the bike before the gym. Longer run tomorrow whilst hoping to watch some of the Soton marathon then home to watch VLM!!

  • Good luck all in Soton and London tomorrow.

    FML predictions
    Tom 2:37 SBC
    Joe 2:45
    Millsy 2:54
    Tommo 2:55


  • Good luck everyone!  Bricking it now. Late kit change as club vest chafes a little - flimsy bright orange 2xu vest chosen instead.  
  • RamjetRamjet ✭✭✭
    Good luck tomorrow everyone!

    Will be tracking many of you. Enjoy your big day.

    Tom13 2:38
    Muddy 2:46
    Jooligan 3:01
    Joe Blogs 2:44 SBC
  • RamjetRamjet ✭✭✭
    Oh, and great report JohnOz. Really enjoyed it.
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