Paris Marathon 2019

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  • I got two copies of the email! No .pdf to print out this year, I guess they're trying to save paper.

    One says: "As a reminder, your medical certificate has been validated by the organisation on your personal time to account. You don't have to come to the village with it to pick up your bib."

    A second sent eight minutes is exactly the same, but the above is replaced with: "To pick up your bib, you will have to present: your medical certificate only if it has not been validated by the organisation on your personal time to account or if you didn't download it."

    My Timeto page still says "Pending" four days after I uploaded a .jpg of the certificate.
  • Carol4Carol4 ✭✭✭
    So has mine. I was beginning to get concerned as I wanted to print it out before I leave. I fly tomorrow night. It is all getting so real. 
  • RammpantsRammpants ✭✭✭
    I've got that 'convoction' email mentioned earlier by @Carol4 and others. Seems to be just a QR code and a few details. 

  • <blockquote class="Quote">
    <div class="QuoteAuthor"><a href="/profile/jxmitchell">jxmitchell</a> said:</div>
    <div class="QuoteText">I uploaded the medical form on Saturday afternoon and it still says "Pending". Anyone else who submitted around the same time had theirs checked yet?</div>
    </blockquote>
    Me too. Give it a few days. Or take it to the expo on the day. 
  • StephAStephA ✭✭✭
    I've printed off my convocation - its all starting to feel very real!! My new aims are:
    A) to start!
    B) to finish
    C) to drown my sorrows in wine and patisserie!!

    Still feel something up with my foot and there is a feint area of bruising even though I haven't gone over on it or anything - so staying off it as much as possible - not even walking the dog myself! I've got a physio appointment on Saturday - feels too late to do much but I'm just hoping for confirmation that I won't cause permanent damage if I run through the pain!
  • KhanivoreKhanivore ✭✭✭
    Hope it turns out to be nothing serious @StephA.

    easy 5 miles for me today through the desert - was about 21c so not too hot :) Not looking forward to going home from hols but AM looking forward to Paris. 

    Am totally paranoid about picking up a cold in the final week.
  • I have developed a very nasty tickly cough that feels like it is going down to my chest. It came on suddenly yesterday morning. So no running for me until it is gone. But at least it's after the main training and with a bit of luck will be gone in plenty of time. Bit worried about the long range weather forecast, it looks like it's going to be a tad warm at the moment :(
  • OuchOuchOuchOuch ✭✭✭
    Khanivore - 21C run, well jel.   This is a good week to get a cold.  Convocation arrived, just 101 details to arrange now as taking the family and add-ons with me,  running the marathon currently looks the most straightforward part! BBC forecast seems to be 9c at 9am and 11C at midday, which if true is pretty ideal. 
  • @OuchOuch the one i saw said 14-18 degrees in the afternoon - which will be right about when I will be doing the toughest part of the race :(
  • Webby4216Webby4216 ✭✭✭
    I've already got into the paranoid weather checking every day stage!!

    Over the last 4 or 5 days I think the forecast has changed 3 times already. It's gone from 13 degrees with thunderstorms to 14 degrees with a couple of showers to 17 degrees today!

    So if it keeps getting warmer each day it's looking like a 40 degree heat wave! :D
  • StephAStephA ✭✭✭
    @clairejones there is still time to get lots of early nights, healthy eating and lots of vitamins to get rid of your cold - I hope you feel better soon and that it doesn't go onto your chest!!

    I keep checking the weather too - not that there is anything we can do whatever happens but you just can't help it, can you?!
  • Hello again everyone, it's so nice to see everyone getting excited and pumped up for the race, 10 days left. I just felt like sharing part of my story. It's going to be my first marathon and I'm also getting very familiar with maranoia over the past couple days :).

    I have been running for around 6-7 years now, have some 10kms, 15kms and half marathons and trail races under my belt but have been very inconsistent because of my hectic work and life balance (or let's say imbalance) in the last 3 years. I have again started consistently training for this marathon after my wife and friends signed me up for it as a suprise 30th birthday present back in December :)

    I have followed the My First Marathon programme on the Paris Marathon as it felt like a good way of getting back into without overtraining. However, I had trouble with some knee pain during the programme, especially after long runs. Switched to track instead of asphalt for most of my training and managed in properly until 2 days ago, when I felt sharp pain on the outer side of my right knee while running on track. Anyways, went to see my doctor today, he said my knees are OK, nothing huge to worry about, but I have been suffering from iliotibial band syndrome, very common after over training, adding that " it will be very painful but you will be able to finish". He advised using ibuprofen and neopren knee supports and constant icing, and not running on asphalt until race day. Although, his advices helped my maranoia quite a bit, I am still little unsure about how to manage the pain when it strikes during the marathon. The goal is definitely to finish it at this point, no matter what the time is.

    I would love to hear back from anyone with a similar experience over managing pain before and during the race. Last 10 days, I am flying to Paris from Cyprus on Thursday and looking forward to seeing everyone at the start line :)
  • I had terrible ITB trouble a few years back but ran 2 marathons and all the training with it. I found the best things were regular sports massage and while running every so often stopping and doing the glute stretch where you put your ankle across the opposite knee and sit down into it (but not actually sit down). I found it would ease the tension in the hip and knee. I still do that quite regularly now even though I no longer have the problem. Good luck!! 
  • FRG2FRG2 ✭✭✭
    Good luck in Vienna, Eggy. I’m packed and ready!
    Hope everyone’s niggles are just maranoia, and don’t develop into anything serious. 
    Good luck to you all in Paris next week! 
  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭
    mentes - I hope you can find a way to run the race as pain free as possible. I’ve never suffered with that issue. I’m not sure if trying a run/walk strategy would help control the pain?

    FRG2 - Thanks! Good luck to you as well. I’m in Vienna now. Looking forward to Sunday. It’s a beautiful city.
  • @mentes - I have a story but not sure how helpful it will be! I hurt my leg a few weeks before Chester marathon in October (on my last long run). It was a little better by the time of the race and my physio said I could run it but there was a good chance it would become painful. I was ok until 18 miles in, and then 20 onwards was very painful. I had to walk/shuffle jog. I went out at training pace when really I think I should have slowed it right down. The main thing that got me to the end was knowing I *would* finish, even if I had to walk the entire last six miles. So I'd say it's possible, but take it really steady (run/walk suggested is sensible) and be prepared for it to be mentally difficult once the pain kicks in.

    I originally came to post a message asking WTF the convocation was as I hadn't had it and was panicking, but somehow it ended up in my spam folder. All the other marathon promotional rubbish made it to my main inbox, but the most important email...
  • baldstanbaldstan ✭✭✭
    Good luck FRG and Eggy in Vienna. Enjoy the Sachertorte. racaheltoon, glad you found your Convocation. I've printed mine off, just in case... Now hoping for some warm weather over the next few days so I can try to acclimatise in case it is a hot day.
    mentes, I injured my knee about a month before Brighton Marathon last year, and couldn't do much training in the last 4 weeks, so I knew wasn't going to be able to run the whole way. I did walk run all the way (slow jog 9 minutes, walk 1 minute) right from the start and whilst my knee was definitely protesting it didn't get any worse during the race. In fact it's the only time I've ever managed a negative split and I was passing a few people in the last few miles. I did take painkillers with me in case I needed them during the race, but I don't think I took any during the race in the end. As I remember it the day after was far more painful than the marathon, but that was partly because I had to work and couldn't rest and ice it.
  • StephAStephA ✭✭✭
    @mentes sorry to hear about your ITB - last year when I had knee pain, I used a Deep Freeze roll-on a few times during the race - it didn't make it better but each time gave a few minutes of blessed relief which really helped mentally too - if you have support on the course, maybe you could arm them with these?!

    Good luck Eggy and FRG!
  • I'm in the green start zone. What's everyone fuelling strategy? from the emails it looks like there is quite a bit of food at all the feeding stations
  • OuchOuchOuchOuch ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Mentes - in addition to what others have said, an interesting article in RW recently saying  to resist pain affecting your run, adopt a positive mindset, try and blank it out and focus on 'external' stimuli, the sights/happy memories, a mantra that works. Easier said than done and most of us will be in pain at some stage.  :#
    Ben - Surprised to see no energy gels or drinks.  For me, my tried and tested, a big carbo-load Friday to Saturday evening. White bread and jam for breakfast 3 hours before the off,  250 ml of caff/ energy drink 15 minutes before the off and then 3 gels @10m, 15m & 20m) and another just in case.   
  • StephAStephA ✭✭✭
    @OuchOuch - I think the positive mindset is great advice! I read an article which suggests that singing releases endorphins which can help relieve pain - so if you see some crazy woman singing her heart out through 26.2 miles, that might be me!!
    @benchurch - I'm using mostly gels and Shot Bloks (Ginger Ale is their amazing new flavour!) - the aid stations were bonkers - bananas, orange segments, dried fruits (apricots and raisins I think), mini pretzels, ginger cake, and my surprise saviour - sugar cubes! I couldn't eat for the last quarter of the race last year so sucked on some sugar cubes - I've actually been training with them in the later miles of my long runs!
  • phronesisphronesis ✭✭✭
    The above profile might be useful for some. The marathon starts with a downhill section which might encourage you to go at it too quick. Then km 6/7 is a bit steep but the tough one is km 33/34 and the last two km are uphill a bit. 

  • @phronesis having done it 3 times before I don’t remember any gradients- the course is pretty flat, those variations are extremely slight. But then I live in a very hilly area so I am biased.  :D
  • phronesisphronesis ✭✭✭
    Good to hear clairejones. I hope that I have the same experience as you. 

    I got the info from this: https://www.google.fr/amp/s/www.running-addict.fr/conseil-running/parcours-du-marathon-de-paris-2019-analyse/?amp            

    And looking at Strava records of people who've done it seems that 33/34 slows people down. 

    But now thanks to you I am more optimistic and going think positive. 
  • @phronesis no worries. I do agree the first mile is downhill (ever so slightly) and coupled with the nerves it’s definitely tempting to go too fast so definitely avoid getting carried away there. But looking at the scale on the graph you can see that really the differences are tiny compared to a graph of a proper hilly run where the difference between the numbers will be in the hundreds not a couple of tens. The only uphills I remember are coming out of underpasses along by the Seine so really very short (but yes feel like mountains!) . If there is a climb at 33-34 I really don’t remember it! I expect it’s so slight but coupled with fatigue probably has a bigger impact on pace than it otherwise would. I hope that helps. 
  • phronesisphronesis ✭✭✭
    Yes clairejones it does. Thanks. 
  • @phronesis you’re welcome. I’d say the hardest bit to watch out for is the loneliness and same-ness of the last few miles, from 20 or thereabouts. It’s through a country park, very few spectators and the road looks the same for what seems like forever. Definitely save some good motivational music for that bit (if you run with music that is)  
  • phronesisphronesis ✭✭✭
    I’ve got my last 10k playlist prepared. Hope it will help. 
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