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Rotterdam Marathon 2008
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Thanks! I shall come clutching passport & emails from race organisers!
OK - I shall add@
Little Nemo PB: 4:55 Aiming for: (Just making it to the start will be brill!) 5 hours-ish
H PB: 4.06 Aiming for: Sub 4 would be a dream come true. In reality based on training around 4.10/15
Neil: PB: 3:34 (2001 Chicago Marathon) Hopefully new PB: 3:30.
HB: PB - Aiming for 4:30, would be very happy with under 4:20. (Have scaled ambition down a bit)
TC: PB n/a – Aiming for 4:19 (overtaking HB on the finish line?)
Brookie: PB: 4:43 Aiming for: 4:40 - don't want to be too ambitious! Anything less than 4.40 and I would be over the moon.
Welcome Brookie.
Last day of work this week tomorrow and then it's off to Rotter! I'll take 13'C and a little bit of rain any day. I just hope the wind doesn't get out of hand.
My vital stats -
TS PB: 3:53 Aiming for: 3:29:59.
I can't wait to be running over that bridge.
What a mission trying to stay away from sick people. The sound of a sneeze near me gives me the shivers! I even spent a night on the couch as my girlfriend was sick and I didn't want to risk it! LOL.
Hopefully see you lot there.
Hey, it's nice weather this morning here in Rotterdam - cool but not cold - no wind - sunny - shame the weather forecast isn't quite so good for Sunday !
I wear a (fairly ridiculous) skull and crossbones bandanna and will be in an orange recycling sack walking to the start, so say hello if you feel like it...
Cheers all,
Vitalstats
Just tidying up the list
Little Nemo PB: 4:55 Aiming for: (Just making it to the start will be brill!) 5 hours-ish
H PB: 4.06 Aiming for: Sub 4 would be a dream come true. In reality based on training around 4.10/15
Neil: PB: 3:34 (2001 Chicago Marathon) Hopefully new PB: 3:30.
HB: PB - Aiming for 4:30, would be very happy with under 4:20. (Have scaled ambition down a bit)
TC: PB n/a – Aiming for 4:19 (overtaking HB on the finish line?)
Brookie: PB: 4:43 Aiming for: 4:40 - don't want to be too ambitious! Anything less than 4.40 and I would be over the moon.
TS PB: 3:53 Aiming for: 3:29:59
I hope I do get to run because I've been carbo-loading like a nutter!
Today's useful tips: cut your toenails and check you know where your passport is
I know - it's a good job I like pasta!
I'll be running in a bright turquoise running top covered by a bin bag on way to start - I'll watch out for the skull & crossbones! Anyone else have any distinguishing features we can look out for?
Can't be bothered with work today - too excited! and too easily distracted by weather reports, toenail cutting, packing, carbo loading, race planning etc etc....
If I make it I'll be in a red and yellow Serpentine top. Probably a T-Shirt now looking at Sunday's weather!
3 days to go
Hello all.
LN - sorry about both the cold and the cat. It's really hard to see an animal going downhill adn having to take decisions about that. Sympathy.
Still no pack, so I'm heading down to the expo on Saturday too. Frankly I'm just terrified now. I know come the race I will be able to control that, but I keep thinking 'why on earth did I let myself in for this!' Hip still problematic, but I will run, just know I will be slower than I want to be.
Havent' decided on top, but I'll be wearing a boston red sox cap and a very silly bum bag contraption with a water bottle. A sort of comfort blanket.
And my phrase at the end will be 'Ik wil graag een biertje'
Tot ziens,
HB
'Ik wil graag een biertje'. My internet translated that into 'I want gladly a bier' which
sounds about right. Mine will be "Kan ik nu ophouden? Bugger de energie drinkt, het wany bier van I!"
Hopping Bunny: a Red Sox cap, heh? Well you are now my sworn enemy. I will be the Ny'er wearing the Yankees cap. JK.
Anyway, if anyone is flying from Heathrow to Rotterdam Saturday morning, I will be the New York looking guy with the midwestern looking wife (blond, blue eyed) with the screaming 14 month old. I hope no one plans on sleeping on the flight, cause my sons piercing screams will definitely prevent that from happening.
Did my last run today, 5 miles at 7:40 pace. I'm relatively confident regarding the race, but I've been confident before (and the end result was no PR).
Now I just pray that I can at least get 3-4 hours of sleep on Saturday. Unfortunately my son doesn't like sleeping in these temporary cots, so chances are he'll be up crying all night. Ahhhh, the joys of fatherhood.....
-Neil
You won't miss me. I'll be in full South African flag coloured running kit with South Africa printed on the back.
All you guys and girls are getting me so excited I can't concentrate at work. Not a bad thing I guess? : )
From now to the end of the 42.2kms it's all in the mind. Get that strong and you'll be fine. Best of luck everyone. I'm going to try remember what everyone's wearing but I can see myself going up to random Rotters (people who live in Rotterdam?) to say hello and getting very strange looks.
Give it horns people. We're a special breed. It's time for the feet to do the talking!
Troy
Cheers, HB. Cat has perked up a bit now so I'm happier about leaving him over the weekend. Luckily I share a flat with my brother and his wife so both of them will be taking good care of him while I'm away.
Sorry to hear about your hip, hope it doesn't give you too many problems on the day.
Did a trial run of 4 miles at marathon pace at lunchtime. Not too bad but still a bit of a cough. I think it's coming down to how I feel when I wake up on Sunday morning. Maybe I'll start and if it doesn't feel right after a few K I can always DNF. Found a backup marathon next month in Essex to do if it all goes pear-shaped.
Time to start my checklist
GOOD LUCK to everyone flying out today!
See you on the other side...
2 days to go
The weather forecast has changed again. The latest one states heavy rain before 11:00 and then no rain during the run. Better take a bin liner just in case!
Good luck all. I fly out (to Amsterdam) at the crack of dawn tomorrow.
My latest paranoia is (again) worrying about where the toilets are. How am I supposed to remember "Gelieve te kunnen u me vertellen waar de toiletten zijn, snel heb ik één nodig!"
If you're English just try the following:
"Where are the toilets?"
"WHERE ARE THE TOILETS?"
"T-O-I-L-E-T-S-?-!-?" followed by some sort of mime. Then just get exasperated and start muttering "Why doesn't everyone speak English?"
Hello from a cool and windy Rotterdam. (Hotel has free internet - RESULT!)
Fear not everyone, most people here speak really good english and are super friendly and helpful. The Marathon Expo is quite small by London standards but ensures you don't hang around for too long.
Just done a bit of shopping with the girlfriend. It's her birthday day. Yip, she sacrifised her birthday weekend to come and watch me run.
Wé're in the Golden Tulip Hotel, on the course, just before the Erasmus Bridge. We met another couple on the plane who've also come over from the UK, so I reckon there are going to be loads of us.
It's nearly time! : )
I haven't made it, in fact I've not even got to Rotterdam! Knew last night I wasn't going to be able to run and couldn't face the journey over just to mope around feeling sorry for myself. So I'm going to have a quiet weekend of recovery and probably take another week off running to get over whatever I have. Then I'll have 3 weeks to try and get myself ready for a marathon in Essex.
Gutted
I'm hoping all you guys have better luck than me and all have a fantastic race tomorrow. Please post how you get on to cheer me up.
GOOD LUCK!!!
1 day to go
Meanwhile I'll be wearing either my union jack vest (- know!!) or my runners world vest. Undecided. Hope to see some of you.
Just been to expo and getting giddy! Good luck!!!!
Bad luck LN, but it sounds like the right decision. Feel better.
Neil - for me, it's a cap, not a way of life. I like Boston and I look good in blue. I only ever saw the Red Sox play once, on TV in Provincetown last summer in a cocktail bar. I was considerably more interested in my appletini!
Hmm. Ended up with a men's large t-shirt. Wandering round the expo with boyf, everyone assumed he was the one running, which he found hilarious.
And overnight went from fear nerves to excitement nerves, which is probably much better. Good luck everyone, even if I don't see you. (Troy, it sounds like I'd have to be blind to miss you, but I think I will be a long way back!)
HB
My watch time was 4:25, a bit under the 4:20 I wanted.
Now, back to the bar!
Hope everyone did ok.
TC
Well done all!!!!
Somehow (and only the lord can tell me how) I managed a 3.44!!!!! Way beyond any expectations. I'm still delirious.
Fab day, weather was perfect, had a nice gym to change in courtesy of a friend of mine, didn't need to keep stopping for a pee. Only down side was lots of men spitting on me. I've noticed that happens a lot in Holland!
How's everyone feeling today?
LN, so gutted for you. You made a brave decision. It could have ended really badly if you were still sick. Keep us updated on your Essex quest.
So, I achieved my target. 3:28:47! Can't explain how stoked I am. Everything just clicked on the day.
Well done everyone. Really impressive times!
Bleak I never saw any of you! Post your running numbers so we can see the pictures. Mine is 873.
The photos were there last night, there is a link on the page with your splits on it. Odd selection of photos of me, as I am only in half of them! There is a video of every 5KM too, glad I was running each time.
Did you wear your union flag vest? I was passed by someone wearing one around the half way point.
I didn't realise it was going to be such a small field (under 8000) or that there would be so many fast runners.
Well done everyone - LN - so sorry you couldn't make it - but yes, keep us posted on Essex marathon.
I did a massive PB too (albeit slower than all you other speedsters) - 4hrs 28mins which I never thought I would do this time, am absolutely over the moon!
I saw HB on my way around, but didn't spot anyone else - then again, you were all miles ahead of me! Wasn't the weather perfect?
My bib number was F400 - so can confirm that I am female - HB thought I was a bloke - so just wanted to make that clear!
Well done TC, first marathons are always hard. That's still a great time to finish in and you'll probably have learned lots of things for your next one!
H, that's exactly what I did. Curled up with Spike, coffee and toast feeling slightly smug as the rain came down at FLM. Watched long enough to see James Craknell finally make his sub-3 time and them met up with a friend who force fed me chocolate cake to cheer me up. Must remember to stop carbo-loading now! Well done on your time, hope it was worth all the men spitting.
TS, super time.
Well done on your PB, Brookie.
Glad to hear you were lucky with the weather. So what was the course like? Were there lots of people cheering you on?
I've taken the plunge and signed up for the Halstead and Essex Marathon on 11th May. Slightly smaller than Rotterdam - there were less than 500 runners last year and there's a very real chance I'll be the last one home! It's only £18 so it won't be too tragic if I don't make it. I can get there by public transport on the day and my brother will come down and pick me up once I've finished. I may try to get him to come down slightly earlier so I can have someone to wave to on the last few miles.
WELL DONE EVERYONE!!!
Hi everyone. Meant to find the thread before I went but didn't get round to it.
Congratulations to you all. Was a great day. Only thing they could improve on is to have penned starts - lost a couple of mins in the first couple of km but otherwise a great course. I finished in 3:15:55 - a PB ove over 6 mins and a Boston qualifier so very pleased.
Was a bit odd leaving my hotel in the morning as the woman's London race was starting and returning as the rest of the coverage was still going and thinking "I've just run one of those"
Nemo, sorry to hear you didn't make it. You must be gutted. Hope you recover quickly and get back out there.
Well done everyone.
3:50 for me, inside my target of 4 hours so I was happy with that. I'm liking the free videos on the website as well, very nice touch.
I think this is the first time ever I've enjoyed hills in a rac. There weren't many at all, but it was a nice chance from the flatness and broke the race up a little. I found the course very narrow quite early on, but looking at my splits it never slowed me down at all. The best part though was the amount of fruit I was given during the race, I don't think I've ever been so well-fed before.
Good luck with Essex Nemo - you did the right thing by resting and running refreshed so hope its a good one.
Congrats on everyone finishing and all those who got a PR.
I too got a PR and finished in 3:27. Happy with that time, but I think I could've done better. That's why I'm going to rest up for the week and consider doing the Edinburgh marathon on May 26th. Anyone else have such crazy thoughts?
Anyway, I thought the race was well organized and course was definitly flat, but my main problem was the whole water thing every 5k. Why do they do that????? At some points in the race, I really could've used some water and at the end even started to feel a bit dehyrated. They really should have more frequent water stops. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
-Neil