Chicago Marathon 2006

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  • had an insanely painful massage session yesterday with a guy whose clients are in a different class to me. His 12 o'clock appointment was a 2:10 runner who is hoping to get into the US olympic squad and who is running NY at the weekend. Remind me, is one of our number planning to run NY as well this week?

    Looks like I won't be running London, but I am down for Sacramento next month, where I'll aim to crack 3:30, or fail miserably in the process.

    Well done everyone on some great times at Chicago. Best wishes for swift recoveries. My next race is Saturday's Stinson Beach 25k (I shall avoid the marathon), which climbs 1800' in the first 3 miles. Mmm.
  • Ooof! Lots of marathons still on the cards for all then? Not me. I'm doing shorter stuff this next year, but aiming to get (much) faster.
    Doing Epsom 10miles on 19th Nov. Its hilly, but I always seems to enjoy it!
    Good luck with |Boston/NY/Sacramento all!
  • Speedwork with the running club last night.

    Calfs (or is it calves?) felt like they were going to explode!

    That is all


    Jim
  • I find that the calves (calfs ?)feel a lot better when they are rested firmly upon the sofa

    :-)
  • Did the Stinson Beach marathon today by accident.

    I was entered for the 25k (supposed to be a long run in training for Sacramento marathon next month), but the organiser made it plain at the start that if you registered for the marathon and wanted to drop down to the 25k during the course (possible) you could. I went and asked him if you could do the opposite, and he was cool with that. We started at Stinson Beach, feet away from the Pacific surf, and on the shout of "go" made out way across the soft sand, towards the mountains of Marin County inland. The first 3 miles were heading, up, up and away into the thick wooded trails of Muir Woods. We followed the legendary Dipsea trail to Steep Ravine, where we traversed a wooden ladder, marched up natural rock and wooden staircases and scrambled under tree trunks. The first 3 miles were a killer, and took me 40 minutes. Solid climbing, gaining 1800'. We then started to descend again, gaining some speed. I managed to slip on one of the many wooden bridges in the forest, which were covered in treacherous green slime, almost ending up falling down a creek but just saving myself. The route was almost entirely on single track mud trails, with plenty of roots, rocks, and fallen tress to negotiate. Quite tiring. Somewhere around here we started climbing again, 1,600' back to Pan Toll. At the 12 mile point there was a choice. Go on and finish the 25k, or turn right for a 10 mile "out and back" add-on to the route, to turn it into a marathon. The decision had to be made in a split second, and I turned right. Within 100m I was wondering whether to turn back again, but I continued on. Eventually the front runners appeared, heading back the opposite way having turned around ahead. Passing such oncomers was difficult on the narrow trail. But there were so few people running the thing in any case it wasn't really an issue. A complete contrast from Chicago two weeks ago, in almost every way: very few participants, almost zero supporters, just wonderful views, not a building in site, amazing landscape, alone on the trail with giant redwoods, and hills, hills and more hills. Enventually getting to the turnaround was welcome, now I was heading for home at last, but my legs were very tired and I couldn't climb up any of the vaguely challenging gradients, so I fast walked up them and saved my legs for the descents, where I gained some time. The last 5 miles or so were solid downhill, twisting back and forth on switchbacks through sequoia groves. I didn't see another runner during this entire descent, and had to ask the occassional walker I passed whether they had seen any other runners, and was I on the right track. Fortunately I was, and arrived back at the beach at Stinson in a time of 4:21:31. Picked up a medal, t-shirt, then stripped down to my sorts and stood under the beach shower for a few minutes. The local pub, the Sand Dollar, was offering free drinks to anyone wearing a finishers shirt, so I availed myself of that and enjoyed some good conversation with a few other finishers over a pint of IPA. Met some great follk there, including a mother of 5 from Kodiak, Alaska, who had come down for it. She home schools, and finds it difficult to find the time to train. Also some folk from Colarado who were complaining that their altitude training didn't seem to have made the ascents any easier! It would be difficult to make them easy, I think. First race where I have had to do part of it by climbing a ladder up a cliff face. Total ascent for the marathon is supposed to be 4,400'. Enough for me for that distance. My legs are aching again. Why should that be?

    Brings my mileage to 53 for the week. Not that I had planned it to be quite that much. Hope the tendons hold out now.
  • Blue Wombat - you're amazing! I can't believe you can pull off a marathon 2 weeks after the previous one. Well done - it sounds like an amazing experience as well.
  • Anyone know how big 5 dreamer did in the NYC marathon - presuming he beat Lance that is?"

    Blue Wombat - you are officially mad!

    Haven't run since Chicago - played indoor softball yesterday and ache all over!!! Knees sore walking downhill still so another week of rest and then some swimming and gym classes for a change.....

    NYC next year is tempting though...

    Zed
  • Do it! NYC was amazing - in a totally different way from Chicago but you've got to do it. Don't think about it - just go for it.
  • PadamsPadams ✭✭✭
    Can't disclose B5D's time obviously due to forum etiquette, but he did beat Lance! Not surprisingly he wasn't as quick as Chicago, but still a good time. Looks like he struggled a bit towards the end though - can't blame him!

    Pretty much back into normal training now - did about 50 miles last week (all slow though) including a 16 miler at the weekend, and hoping to do 65ish this week. Don't want to lose all the fitness I've built up! Going to try my first track session since the race tonight.

    Doing a 10K on Nov 26 and a HM two weeks after that, so hoping for at least one PB ffrom all the marathon training.
  • Hi All hope everyone has recovered. Managed to surive the NYC marathon now back at work. Finished NYC with a time of 2:53. Stopped 3 times in the last 10K and took it easy as had no need to push it. The course is a lot harder than I had expected and from my expeirnce I would say that Boston was an easier course.
  • PadamsPadams ✭✭✭
    Well done B5D - you'll have to change your name soon! Think I am going to do NYC next year, but will be five weeks after Berlin, so will probably just do it for fun, not to get a good time.

    I knew NYC had the bridges, but didn't realise it was that undulating on the rest of the course until I watched it on TV at the weekend. I didn't find Boston easy, so it must be a pretty tough course.
  • I founf New York a nightmare last year - it was my first marathon, it was hot and the hills killed me.

    B5D - congrats on NY. Good time!

    Wombat - you're a nutter!

    Padams - I'm doing Boston and Berlin next year, so would be interested to hear your views on the course, how to train for it and whether I can realistically aim for sub-3 there.

    I've done a few runs since Chicago, but generally taking it easy and doing some core strength work in the gym, which is tougher than I thought it would be

    PB
  • PadamsPadams ✭✭✭
    Paul - Boston was a great race, although quite tough. Someone told me the other day it's not as hard as NY, but similar I think.

    You could definitely go sub 3 there if you train enough/correctly. I reckon it is around 3 minutes slower than Chicago all other things being equal. Basically it is net downhill (sounding good so far!), however, you reach the low point at about halfway, and most of that descent is in the first 2 miles, which are quite steep and pound your quads. This will cause problems later.

    Then at around 16 miles you reach the hills - there are basically three of them with short downhills in between. They are not really that big, about half a mile each and not steep, but at that stage they hurt a fair bit. The third hill is the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" which is still not too bad but the other two hills (and 20 miles) mean it does hurt a lot. I was running at 2:50 pace and there were a lot of people walking up it.

    After the hills it is downhill to the finish - however, I couldn't take any advantage of this, probably due to the early downhill miles and just generally hurting. I did 2:51 something (beaten by about 10secs by B5D!) with a 3min positive split, so didn't die too badly.

    It is quite tough but a great race - nearly all serious runners, Wellesley College was awesome and seeing Boston as you crest Heartbreak Hill.

    Do lots of hill running in training, including some downhill running!
  • Thanks Paul

    I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully I will get some good training done in the new year. For now I am giving my legs a break!

    Must say I'm concerned about what this does to your quads!
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