Luton Marathon

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  • Hi Laura sorry to hear training hasn't gone to plan but pleased your getting through it. I'm sure you will be OK on the day with 27m / week in training. I don't do do that much and seem to get away with it. image

    KP  if I don't see you at this one might see you at Gloucester, good luck with the marathon on Sunday image

    I've not run since last Saturday but have a10k cross country on Sat and Cornish marathon on Sunday.

  • wow, Woody and KP sounds like you are really regular marathon runners by the sounds of it, this one will be number 10 for me but tend to do just the one or possibly 2 a year, looks like I will be surrounded by hard core marathoners (well I will probably be behind you)!
  • well, 17.5 miles done this morning, bit of a shambles as was only my second run this week and just haven't got enough volume/strength miles in the tank for this marathon. It was also fairly horrendous when I finished knowing that this would be about the point that lap 3 starts in Luton! but feel pleased it is over and it means I can have a guilt free lie in tomorrow and a few glasses of wine this eve image

    Hope all is going well for you all!

  • Does anyone know if it's cups or bottles at the water stations?

    Last LSR of the campaign today with a 22 miler, not feeling very well prepared for the mara at all so the 5th should be interesting. Hope everyone's remained injury free and enjoy the taper!

  • RikVercoe - think still accepting relay entries and organiser has posted that relay can be one person doing all 3 laps so you could still enter this way I think

    Tom20 - looked on the event website forum and think it said cups of water - also hi5 drinks - not sure if bottles for these though

    Last LSR for me today - 20miles and felt like I'd run 26 - legs were tired though so probably ok after a couple of weeks taper.

    All the hard works done all - enjoy the rest image

  • Hi all,

    Laura, I'm not that far ahead of you.  Today was my 18th marathon.  I generally did 2 or 3 a year until this year when I went a bit mad.  I've got 2 more to go, which will bring me to 20.  I've decided to go for 100 so need to throw a few more in as and when I can.  Well done on your 17.5 today.  I'm sure if you keep to a steady pace you'll be fine on the 5th.  Hope you're enjoying your wine!

    Woody, how did your cross country and the Cornish go? 

    Well done on your long runs Tom and Juggling Junky, and enjoy your taper.

    I enjoyed the Newcastle Town Moor marathon but found it tough going today and had to grind it out in the end.  I started off with a 1.5 mile warm-up and intended to add the same on the end to get just over 29 miles, however, once I crossed the finish line that was it!  I'll have to remember that for future reference and add all of the extra at the start.  It was pretty cold out and I just plodded round.  Still, it's the furthest I've ever run, the volunteers were fantastic and it was a good training run, next up Luton. 

    Hope you all have a good week.

  • Hi All, 3 lapper at Luton is good for the mind. Have done it 4 times and can describe the course in my sleep, as also run a lot of it as I work in Luton. Thing to remember, is that you break it down in your mind into 3 specific laps and you dont think about the distance.
    Any marathoner should be able to knock out 8 3/4 odd miles, which is one lap. You will knock off the first lap really without thinking about it, push yourself around the second lap thinking your not far from starting the final lap and then you are on the final lap. Thinking about the third one as the final lap really helps me to break it down. Just a little tip that works for me that might work for others.
  • KP, it'll be my 21st!

    First time running this one. Fancied 3 fairly flat laps to normal cross country south or north downs routes I tend to choose. Was planning on a good time but in reality have not been running much more than 10-15 miles a week since Beachy Head last month and now have horrid chesty cough and cold to contend with - at least I'll be well tapered and will aim for 3.50-4.10. 3 laps should help with pacing at least...

     As to comments on cold, sleet forecast for end of this week and I can't imagine much improvement before race day so will be wrapping up warm - have run Doyen of Downs twice in December before so undaunted whatever the weather throws at us!

  • Long range forecast for race day, -3C and snow,  should be fun image.
  •  Oh dear, very icy two years ago which caused the car on route to flip over, which led to race being cancelled. I had driven down the exact spot 30 mins before as well. By the time I got back to the spot after the race was cancelled (running it anyway) the car had gone. Fingers crossed no repeat this year. Cold not a problem.  Wrap up and then discard stuff with a supporter at end of lap one. Blew a gale the other year and that was much harder, but equally have run this twice in just a vest. What will be will be.

      Anyone else from Bedfordshire doing this I might know?

  • Keith L wrote (see)

    Not sure if this will come out OK but link is to my Garmin Connect record of last years run (poor run as didnt have speed i thought I had and last six miles were hard)

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20131134

     But shows both the route and the "hill" as accurately as garmin can. Depends I think on which way teh wind is blowing.


    Thanks Keith, this is what I've been hunting for for a while now! 

    It looks reasonably hilly, but thankfully some of my training runs have had a similar profile so I'd like to think I'm prepared...

  • Hi everyone

    i think Taff boy advice about breaking the race up into lap targets sounds like good advice,Your training sounds ok to me laura, especially the wine bit.Its my 3rd marathon this year and i have yet to go mad and attempt loads like you KP but i might catch this bug next year as it really does keep motivation at a high level, good luck in going for the hundred !

    Not too keen on the long range forecast though

    Good luck everyone and dont overdo it before race day

  • well my training may not have been the best but residing in yorkshire for the past ten years means some bad weather, cold and hills are par the course for me on any run, my last mara was San Fransisco which was a bit hilly so bring it on image
  • Laura until April last year I'd only done 8 but had the idea to start running one a month with shorter races in between to maintain fitness, which seems to be working I do very little training as such. Well done on the long run, I'm sure with an easy 2 weeks you will feel much stronger on race day.

    Tom 22 miles seems good prep to me image

    JJ I'm sure (as you say) your legs will feel fine come the 5th.

    K.P XC was hills, mud and little else very tough. Marathon went as well as I could have expected 6 Min's down on last year and started to cramp in my right calf at 21 miles to the end but managed to keep going by easing off when I felt a slight twinge, My right Achilles is a bit tender as a result but I'm sure with Ibuprofen ice and calf drop strength exercises it will clear up in time for this. Well done on your first ultra distance.

    Taff Boy could agree with you more

    Yeah Mick n Phil lets see if we can both run a better on here image

    Phillip Get well soon hopefully with 2 weeks to go you should be fit for the race, fingers crossed.

    Douglas EEK  hope it's wrong as long rage forecast often are.

    Cheers Peter

  • Having fallen of my bicycle on the ice last Monday I happily join the 'hope the long range weather forecast is pants' bandwagon !

    Mrs W still not quite right with muscle problem so another weekend with no long run - must be starting to put the run in doubt.  Made up for it myself with 18m round trip to work yesterday - whilst it is broken into 2 parts I think carrying work gear on my back and a 1m steep hill around 6/15 mile mark on way back add's up as a good indicator of fitness and have to say I felt very good.  Following achillies problems over last 12 months (hope yours is ok Woody) I have been cross training on cycle with less running and so far looks to be working.

    LH - I am also in Yorkshire so thinking these hills in Luton are probably not 'real' hills as we know them (prepares to be shot down in flames ...)

  • whats a hill??....i am from suffolk image
  • I have just checked the long range weather forcast and as others have said, it still says snow for the 5th in Luton. Yights!

  • Dilemmas dilemmas, the snow forecast for the weekend jaunt to Luton is now 'heavy snow' in Sheffield on the Saturday, I am booked on specific trains down on the Saturday and am having visions of not making it down to Luton due to cancellations!

  • Ahh - dilemmas too.

    Mrs W still got leg problem, thought about coming alone but suddenly costs of travel / accom etc. sound steep for me on my own.  Especially if risk of weather being a problem.  Decided therefore to give it a miss for this year (reluctantly) and have notified organisers.

    Good luck to those of you still running, and I hope the weather does come out ok !

  • Am still feeling rotten but slowly improving to the extent I can now be up and about all day so should still be running on Sunday even if will be relying on Beachy Head as almost last time in trainers. So much for a fast 3 laps. Looks like I will have plenty of time to get to know Luton better. Mental note to wrap up warm!

    Laura

    Which one are you in the picture?

  • I ran eight miles today (first run in a week) and it was on tightly packed snow and ice so legs are tired from using different muscles. Really hope Luton doesn't get cancelled, its my last hope of getting a marathon in this year and I made a promise to do at least one a year.

     Wharfy, sorry to hear you will be giving it a miss, I am lucky I have a friend down in Luton to stay with!

    Phillip - I am the taller one, thats me and H after Amsterdam   will probably be wearing glasses on the day, having contact issues at the moment.

     What do people think about running with music, I usually don't so I don't miss out on the atmo and banter etc but with three laps of mental torture am considering it for the first time?

  • Laura,
    I strongly recommend not wearing headphones. As previously stated it is a road race and a significant portion of the race on roads that are not closed. The marshalls will do their best, but we all need to be fully aware.
    There isn't normally massive support, but all the marshalls will be up for some banter and they love to get to know the runners as they come by.
    Good luck, hopefully see you there.

    Paula
  • apologies, I ididn't realise it had already been discussed.
  • Wharfy sorry you can't make it image I live in Lancashire if we'd lived closer we could have shared the costs.

    10k XC yesterday which went quite well Achilles is easing up nicely and should be fine for Sunday .

    I'm with you Laura, Really hope Luton doesn't get cancelled,  I'll run it no matter what the weather is like.

  • Personally never wear earphones and agree with BTA which disqualifies people for wearing them in events. I find they tend to put people in a bubble and accordingly they are much more likely to run into you/ not give way/ get run over. I do find that the people running by you around 10kms will generally finish round you and so there is normally someone nice and your pace to have a chat with to pass the time.

     That said, what times are people aiming for? Have managed a 1km swim today - still not braving running so my chances are improving, on which basis am predicting around 4hr30-5hr depending on how slippery things are, how cold it is and how ill I feel.

  • Not sure I share the same view on headphones but looks like its not an option anyway, I would have liked them for the last lap only, (not really a chatter in the last 10K of a marathon)  but cest la vie image

    In terms of time, realistically for me this is not about trying to run fast, there will be no PB here except possibly a PW, its just about getting round, so assuming normal running conditions 4.10- 4.20. With snow........ pick a number cause I have never run one in snow - but then what ever it is would be a PB in snow!

  • I'm always hoping for a sub 3:15 but I'm not fit enough for that, I'll be happy with 3:30 in good conditions not a clue in bad.
  • Dont know what ill be going for in luton. Hope the wind is better than last year, it nearly killed me on the back part of the course. I ve done 3.25 and 3.27  the last 2 weekends so im a bit tired at them moment. Proably decide on the morning what pace to do. Probably somewhere around 3.25 all going well.
  • Hey guys - good to see the forum thread alive and kicking - I've not posted for a bit - work issues.

    I got my PB in Abingdon earlier this year (finally broke 4 hours!) so am DELIGHTEd and now Luton is just for kicks.  Slightly anxious about the cold - I'm a hot weather girl - but hey, I have my reindeer antlers and tinsel to wear (along with loads of layers!) so it should be fine.

    I don't care about my time now, will aim for sub 3.55 next year, but this one is my 13th marathon so I just want to have fun and get it done!  If I do under 4.30 I'll be pretty chuffed.

    I'm getting really excited now - will read through all the posts later and look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

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