My Last Run

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  • DaisydooDaisydoo ✭✭✭
    Well done Will ☺ 
  • Fantastic Will, I tracked you as much as the tracker would let me and sat here with a big grin when I saw you had finished.  Have a good journey home!
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Well done,Will,fantastic effort,enjoy your post race dinner.

    That's a great effort,Hazelnut,unlucky about not getting a age grade podium finish.You'll nail it next time.


  • Excellent work Will! Congrats!

    I managed to get round in 4:17. Super chuffed with that for my debut marathon. 

    The day began with a bit of unwelcome chaos. My wife managed to cram into a tram with our son and pushchair but myself and our friend did not manage to get onto the same tram. A steward suggested we hot footed it "5 minutes" down the road to another station. We did just that but unfortunately missed the next tram. We did eventually meet up with my wife again in Trafford but I really could have done without the stress!

    As for the race, I started in Pen H (the last pen with the 5hour pacer) which meant I had a lot of overtaking to do over the early stages of the race. After battling my way through wave H I then caught up with groups from waves G, F and E. I passed the 4:45, 4:30 and 4:15 pacers over time.

    Each of my first 16 miles were under 9min/mile pace. Unfortunately though at mile 18 my legs started to go and of course I hit the infamous wall around mile 20. After that my pace dropped off considerably but I was delighted with my time in the end. An amazing day all in all!


  • Great result alipat well done! How was/is the foot? 
  • Thanks Hazel. The foot was surprisingly fine the whole way round. It was my knees that were my undoing today. My right one is a little swollen at the minute but I'm sure it's nothing a bit of ice and rest won't sort out. 
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Great runs Will and Alipat. Under your target range Will, you must be delighted. I’ve made a mental note to eat fish and chips before any long race, it clearly works!

    Just got back from Istanbul and bumped into a woman from Texas on the plane who completes her set of marathons on each continent in Antartica next March. Something to aim for lol.
  • That's a great run and result, Alipat -  congratulations! Glad your foot held up and you survived the tram mayhem. I'm sure our paths crossed at some point. I ran most of the way with 'Madonna' :)

    Fish + chips (mushy peas and pickled egg) is defo the perfect pre-meal, envr, and I will have to have it before all big races now! It's got everything you need :)

    My first good move was rooming with my Dad on Saturday night, while Mum went in with my wife and kids. Much less stressful and I got a pretty good, though slightly nervy, kip. Then headed out early with Dad and we managed to meet the rest at the starting pens. Weather conditions were nice for the start - cool and cloudy. Despite good wee planning I inevitably was desperate for one by the time we shuffled down to the start line. I waited in the queues briefly before worrying that I was going to miss my start and so got back in the throng, still bursting! So, my classic start included a dash into the bushes after a mere 200 yards. It was all much more comfortable after that though. 

    i got into a good early stride but had to keep reigning myself in as the occasion kept seeing me get ahead of my target pace. Lots of great support and banter from the locals and visitors. It was rather emotional in places - it's been quite a turnaround in lifestyle to get here - and it was the music in parts that tugged at my tear ducts (can't quite believe I welled up at 'Don't stop me now!') Some great Manc tracks.

    Looking at my splits, I kept a really consistent pace between 9:45 and 9:55 for almost every mile. Funnily, mile 13 and mile 26 were my fastest by some way. From 17 to 22 was where most of the pain happened and, as they say, I learnt a lot about myself. Concentration was key, trying to keep my form tidy and my feet light, with short strides. I did a fair amount of talking to myself as well and made sure I took loads of high 5s from the kids lining the streets. People give you a huge lift.

    20-22 was okay and then the pain really hit from 22-24. More shouting at myself and water over my head as things got warmer saw me through.

    I think adrenalin took over from there and I actually did quite a bit of overtaking in the final 2 miles. You could see the finish line from a long way off and it seemed to take forever to reach. I did manage a pretty cool 'sprints' finish though and that was some feeling! I spotted all my family just over the line and joined them for hugs and lots of tears from me. That is definitely only my first marathon!  4:19:09. 


    I run, therefore I am.
  • DaisydooDaisydoo ✭✭✭
    Lovely photo and well done again Will! 

    And well done Alipat. 

    Hope you both have a restful Monday. 


  • Will ClennellWill Clennell ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Thanks, Daisydoo! A bit sore this morning....
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Great report and photo Will. Lovely your family were able to join you.  Hope the (alcohol free?) beer tasted good (I recognize the brand...)

    The tracker didn't give out much information on your splits just for 10k, half and 30k if I remember correctly.  I saw based on those that your were moving at a constant pace and was quite nervous for you for the last section if you would keep going like that.

    The soreness might hit you harder tomorrow. 

    Recover well and enjoy your achievement.
  • Definitely feeling sore today, but i'm already eyeing up what my next race might be. My favourite pic from yesterday...

  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭
    Well done alipat,great result,I'm sure the sore legs are worth it.Hope your foot is ok.

    Great race report Will,you're family must be really proud of you.I went out Saturday evening and bought fish and chips,no pickled egg though and then did 15 miles Sunday morning,I think you've started something now Will.
  • Well, I see someone is living life to it's fullest. My morning mostly involve sleeping up until 12.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Well done Will and alipat! Great photos!
    Vienna....well it was a good trip (aside from my friend losing his wallet which lead to all sorts of stress and unhappiness) but I'm not sure combining racing with a sightseeing trip works that well. For me at least. I did far too much walking around Vienna and the warm weather on Sunday lead to a less than optimal performance.
    I was going well until about 16 miles but then started to struggle, and the wheels well and truly fell off after mile 18. Up until that point I'd be on track to beat my Chester PB, but in the end I came in at 4:14:17 - nearly 4 minutes outside. It is my second best marathon, so I'm not completely disappointed (any marathon finished is an achievement) but I do have concerns about my goal to beat 4 hours now.
    My injuries mostly behaved (achilles niggles for a bit but then gave up) but my feet were killing me for the last third of the race and still hurt now. Other than that, I don't feel too bad.
    The medal is nice, anyway!

  • Lovely pic Alipat.

    Well done of course to Cal too! Your 2nd fastest marathon is a result to be proud of, 4 mins isn't much over 26 miles. I tracked you on Sunday and thought you were finding it tough over the last miles. Which shoes were you wearing? Have you done a mara in them before? (that model at least?). That's bad for your friend losing his wallet. I agree on sightseeing and marathoning, had to be careful in Berlin last autumn.  A good option is a bus trip or if relevant to the location a boat trip.

    Two runs to report for me: a progressive 10 miler yesterday afternoon having finished my ahem armchair marathoning.

    Today just short of 7.5 miles @ 8:35/m with some strides. More humid than of late, can do without that.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    Well done Cal,you should be really pleased with your second best time.The temptation to walk round sightseeing must be great if you haven't been there before,I couldn't be disciplined and not see the sights.

    Will and alipat,lovely photos,I couldn't see them at home but I can in work.Your pint looked like it was going down well.

    Just a 7 mile run this morning,rather misty and cool.Canal was busy with boaters though.



  • Will ClennellWill Clennell ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Great pic, Alipat! Lots of families making a day of it on Sunday. Lovely to see. Have exchanged knowing looks with lots of tender looking people hobbling around various parts of Manchester today! I really get the marathon 'thing' now. Which one to book next???

    Good consistent miles, Hazelnut , as always. What's your next big event?

    Nice 7 miles, JD. The pint went down well - an alcohol free one, that tasted like real beer (from what I can remember). 

    Cal, that's a time to be proud of, especially in the warmer than expected weather. Races rarely go exactly as planned and I'm sure you'll look on it as a damned well earned medal in a day or two. A marathon is a huge thing - I know now! So well bloody done!

    Just pigged out on a massive burger and ice cream at Almost Famous (highly recommended if you're in Manchester). Back to being good again tomorrow.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Hazelnut - Zoom Fly flyknits. I did Chester in my old Zoom Flys, but these had less than 50 miles on (although I'd done one 18 miler in them and three half marathons so I thought they'd be broken in enough). The fat pads on the balls of my feet are very thin (unlike the fat pads on my arse, alas) so they tend to get battered easily, and I think the combination of warm weather and too much walking around Vienna did for me. But I did speak to a couple of runners on the flight home and they said they also suffered. Maybe Austria's roads are harder? I don't know!
  • enrvukenrvuk ✭✭✭
    Great race reports Ali and Will, it sounds like you both had a ball. I hope your recovery goes well. Cal, well done on a 2nd best Marathon time. I don't think you should give up on your 4h goal based on that. Heat and not being as rested as you could have been would have taken a toll, but you still ran within 4 mins of your best.

    What in race fuelling did you do Ali, Will and Cal?

    Could runs Hazel and JD.

    A first real run since my half, a slow starting, but quick finishing 5k. I've run the same Strava segment 32 times now (it's about 800m) and have hit my PB on it three times on different runs. Slightly annoying that I didn't go at least 1 second quicker! I can feel a twinge in my left knee after. Given the week of rest I had, that's a bit of a concern.
  • Shame about missing out on the PB Cal but that's still a great time! Well done. 

    Enrvuk....I took 4 gels on my way round. The first one around 6 miles in and then around every 35 minutes or so after that. I also had a jelly baby every couple of miles when I wasn't having a gel. For the last 10k I didn't touch anything. My stomach had started to feel a little temperamental so I wasn't risking needing an emergency stop in the bushes!

    I'm definitely feeling the post marathon blues a bit today!
  • I haven't got the blues today, but in bloody agony with the DOMS!!! Took a relaxed drive home, stopping at an amazing place in the Peak District for a picnic and some rock-climbing - Curbar Edge. A stretch of the legs seemed to do me good, but then 4 more hours driving with the legs in fixed positions messed that up. 

    I was more of a pig fuel-wise, enrvuk. 3 caffeine bullets, 6/7 gels, loads of jelly beans + babies and 1.5 litres of SIS juice. Maybe it's because I'm a bit older/large build :) probably it's because I'm a greedy sod!

    Planning my next marathons now! Bring it.
    I run, therefore I am.
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Will, it gets better (as in, the more marathons you do, the less disabling it is). Took me three days before I could walk down stairs normally after my first. After Vienna, I was walking down the underground escalators no problem. That's not to say I'm not a bit sore, because I definitely am, but I can move without difficulty. The virus thing seems to be back though - just the scratchy throat and mildly crappy feeling. Not really surprised after two dreadful night's sleep and being on a plane (those things are germ cans). I just need to make sure I catch up on my rest.
  • DaisydooDaisydoo ✭✭✭
    Well done Cal.....hope the bug stays away. 

    Hope your legs loosen up soon Will. Which marathon are you thinking of?

    Alipat....hope the blues pass. 
  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    Another rubbish sleep but I actually felt more or less OK by morning so I've been for a gentle 3 mile bimble around the common. Hammies are a bit tight but I feel surprisingly OK, considering. I stuck to softer paths where I could as the feet are still rather tender.
  • Seems like an explanation of the sore feet Cal.  Hope you can get some decent sleep soon.

    Maybe it is because of the week's rest that your knee twinged enrvuk.  Maybe your legs need to get moving again after the break.  I do the odd bit of segment chasing as well. 

    alipat I think the mara blues are normal though looking at Will they don't get to everybody - all that effort and focus on the one goal and once it is done - what now?  For me it felt like someone had taken away my favourite toy.  Maybe have a look around for an autumn race you can target on (not necessarily another mara!) but give yourself a good few weeks to recover before you dive back into focussed training.  It is good to have a phase in which you can go out and run how and when you feel like it rather than be dictated to by a plan.

    Ouch Will - driving or sitting at a desk for hours is terrible for DOMS.  First mara I had trouble with stairs for something like 5 days and my first shuffle jog of around 2 miles was agony (Friday after Sunday mara).  A good feast you had there but if it stopped you from hitting the wall and your stomach could cope with it why not.  I love your motivation.

    10 miles yesterday evening with my Tuesday group - a few on my own then met up with the others.  Nice chat to our M65 - he is really fired up for racing having come fourth in his age group in the same hill race I ran in on Friday.  He used to be a 54 minute 10 mile racer.  Twenty years older than me and I can just about beat him in races.
  • alipat1990alipat1990 ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Hazel you're spot on. Everything all seems a little pointless now (which I know sounds extremely dramatic) but I also know the feeling will pass before long.

    I'm considering signing up for a half marathon around late May/June time. I want to capitalise on my current fitness and go and smash my PB. My official PB currently stands at 2:02, but I've ran 1:54s whilst training for Manchester and even managed a 1:54 during the marathon itself on Sunday. So I know I've still got a lot to give over that distance. After that, who knows, maybe I'll sign up for an Autumn marathon but I don't know if I have the drive to jump straight back into that distance again this year.
  • JD1JD1 ✭✭✭

    alipat,I'd look at 5,10k and HM races,they don't need the hard training like a mara but they give you something to focus on.

    Cal hope your feet are getting better.See your sport scientist,Helen Hall was mentioned in the latest issue of RW,she got a good review.

    Hope your DOMS is easing up Will.That's some troughing as well,you could march a small army on that!I know my stomach couldn't handle that sometimes I struggle with sipping water.

    That's a good 10 miles Hazelnut.There's some really good M60 - 65 runners at my running club,one even has a national vest goes all over Europe competing.

    8 miles this afternoon,4 x 1k sandwiched in the middle,hoped to do each km in 4 minutes but they were coming in about 4.20,legs didn't have any go in them.Going to take the rest of the week easy as I have my 10k Sunday.




  • Cal JonesCal Jones ✭✭✭
    alipat, where abouts are you based? I'd be tempted to do a half, but also remember it'll be warmer so that will affect speed.
    JD - yes noticed that.
  • Cal, I'm in Leicestershire. I've got my eyes on the Milton Keynes and Draycote water halfs at the minute but they may be a tad too soon.
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