Virgin London Marathon 2011 First Timers

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  • Hi all

    Can I join in too? 

    I've been skim reading through the previous messages on this thread. Some have been really inspiring and some of you are running for some really great causes. What happened to Geordie Nick? I welled up when I read his last post but then he stopped posting. If you're still reading Geordie Nick - good luck with the run - it's a great cause.

    London will be my first marathon... I'm excited but also ever so slightly terrified. The cold weather, snow and dark nights seem to have played havoc with my motivation recently (anyone else having this problem?) but I'm planning on getting out there this weekend again. I nice longish slow run on Sunday (hopefully)!

    I've run three 10ks this year and the Great North Run so it's a big step up and I'm running for Help the Hospices.

     Good luck with the training everyone!!

     Andy

  • Hi Andy

    Its my first time at a marathon and I know what you mean about this cold weather. I've been getting the wife to kick me out of bed in the mornings to do my runs. This last week i've only managed Monday morning, the rest of the time its been too dark, cold blah blah blah.

    Poor excuse i know but once the snows gone i'm back out there.

    I will be going out on Sunday morning for a long slow cross country run, aim to be out for at least 2 hours.

    Have been looking at the training plans on here and need to get one sorted so at least i've a plan to stick too.

    Andy

  • Hi guys - keeping warm??!!

     Decided to take Miggito's very wise advice and use the enforced running break to do some useful things, so now have a running plan (start 27th too) and a healthy diet to follow (no jammy dodgers!!) image  Good work with the champagne truffles - I managed a whole chocolate orange last week!

    How are the injuries?? Hope the rest is helping and that everyone is keeping positive.... I also have a frustrating husband, but for different reasons! He's a big cyclist and has done events in the alps and all that, so my marathon (although a huge deal for me) is fairly small fry to him, so I get no sympathy with my running worries and niggles, just a 'do the training, you'll be fine'!!

    Planning a good run on Sunday morning - try to salvage the week somehow.

    Take care all!

  • imageHi folks!

    Thanks Mattys Mum & Miggito for you wise words & sympathy! I'm fighting the desire to get out on Sunday by indulging in Chilli & Red wine tomorrow eve with friends. Next Physio is Wednesday, so maybe I'll venture out for a trot a week today.. How exciting!image

    Welcome Not so Great.. oh for heavens sake, Welcome NSGNR! Good to have another Virgin, Great cause too, well done you!

    Nik - I've raided the Christmas stock & done damage to a box of allsorts this evening.. God I love Liquorice, can't eat it the day I run though, has an alarming effect on the old tum when combined with excercise.image

    So Miggito, I have a running plan.. Nutrition is sorted (apart from the liquorice)..& I'm going to nurse the calf through the first 4-6 weeks training with a nixture of cross training & walk breaks, so all is not lost. Thank you.

    Come in Geordie Nick.. Where are you?

    Squeaks, I'm jealous..  

     I recon we're gonna be a

  • Hi AJ10 and Nik40 - I've been looking at training plans too. I've been looking at the Ultimate schedules on the RW website. Problem is I'm really good at the planning part - not quite so goos with the executiion...

     I'm thibking of a short gentle run tomorrow morning to trst the snow followed by a longer one on Sunday.

     Helen B - I'm in suspense "we're gonna be..."?????

  • Hi Not So Great North Runner

     Have you thought about visualisation boards etc?  (don't laugh) but I have a board with things on it that I want to be - including a group of marathon runners at the finish, a woman running and breaking free of injury and er....wonder woman.  That way I am constantly reminded of my end goal and getting there...  It doesn't necessarily kick you out of bed at 0530 though but it plants the seed...

     I've put training on hold here in Kent as the snow and now ice has been ridiculous - it went over my wellies yesterday when I went out to get supplies!  I also have a nose infection (picked up on the plane back from Hong Kong) which am now having antibiotics for image grr!!

     My friend has also recommended this training planLucozade Plan which she used last year when she was in a similar situation.  

  • we're gonna be..."?????  Yeah well it was bound to be very profound.. But can't remember what.. I say all sorts after the 1st glass of red!

    Jo, Loving the Lucozade plan.. Looks really varied & the nutritional info is interesting, worth a look folks if you're yet to choose a plan.

    Love the visualisation board.. No nuttier than me & my PMA.. If someone had told me I'd be running along talking to myself and saying things like "oh there you are tired feeling, I've been waiting for you, run along with me.." I'd have said they needed their bumps read.. But I do & more..

    Anyone done any deep water running??image  

       

  • Loving the fact we're all talking to ourselves on our individual runs!!  Brilliant!

     I'm also assuming that we are all ballot place winners - has anyone signed up to run for a charity and if so, have you started any fundraising yet??

  • first it was the man flue now the snow am i ever going to get a good run in image did 11k on the treadmill on tuesday night might have to resort to going to the gym tomorow 
  • Well I've just found out I've got in - through my club ballot - and my first words were ''oh my god''.

    Never done a marathon on it's own, but done an IM tri with a 4h 35m run, but my 'A' race was going to be Austrian IM in 2011.

    So now it looks like April 25 London then July 3 Austria.

    Really not sure where to start re the training.......

    Have to keep doing some biking and swimming but need to put in more runs - and then lay off the run after London.

    Any advice gratefully recieved. 

  • Hi Jo Smith 29 - visualisation boards are a great idea. There are things I think about when I run to inspire me. Some are personal to me but others include Eddie Izzard running 43 marathons for sport relief. That was amazing!! I'd be pleased with completing just one!! If i could think of these things before I run that would be great. Thanks for the tip - it should help my motivation.

     Hope the nose infection clears up and I will check out the Lucozade plans too.

    Helen B.- I'm also in the talking to yourself group. Mainly it is singing to myself though. I think it's usually in my head but I get caught out singing aloud from time to time!!

    Foofighter - manflu is tough!! I don't know how you can run 11k on the treadmill? I am envious. I really struggle on treadmills. Well done!!

    Fez- Please don't turn up on April 25th. You'll be over a week late!! Or you are even slower than me if it takes you eight days to run a marathon!! 

  • Hey fez, We're all a bit terrified if we're honest! image 

    Hey Jo, I was lucky enough to get a Golden Bond place from Breast Cancer Campaign, so yes I've started fundraising. My Company will donate £250 & some friends who run an online gaming company have donated £100, so a decent enough start. I've also sent out a little festive begging letter with the Christmas Cards so I'm hoping I'll get a few cheques back in the post or pre Christmas online donations.

    I've also asked my girlfriends to donate an item of clothing from their wardrobe & I'm auctioning them on free listing days on e bay. I did this earlier in the year - Sold a load of junk in aid of Asthma UK who I ran the Royal Parks half for & raised £433!image  I've got a whole bunch of items listed at the moment 6 days to run & already £50 in the kitty!

    I've also got a sweapsteak running on my finish time. selling £2 a time - £100 prize fund, from memory there'l be another £250 ish there..image  

        

  • Have managed to get a ballot place for 2011 on my 5th year of trying, very excited! 

    The snow is a nightmare, but has anyone noticed that since they have picked up their training they keep getting ill?  I seem to constantly be getting sore throats whenever I take the training up a step, despite taking multi vits etc to help, it's making progress slow??

  • Not So Great North Runner wrote (see)

    I've been skim reading through the previous messages on this thread. Some have been really inspiring and some of you are running for some really great causes. What happened to Geordie Nick? I welled up when I read his last post but then he stopped posting. If you're still reading Geordie Nick - good luck with the run - it's a great cause

    Helen Bainbridge 8 wrote (see)

    Come in Geordie Nick.. Where are you?


    Hi Helen & Not So Great North Runner

    Full of cold & bad sore throat today, so I had chance to look in at thread. Felt really, really bad for not being on for such a long time.

    Had very busy time with big house renovations - then knacked my back/ IT band & hamstrings at Brampton-Carlise 10 mile race 2 weeks ago ( & not run since - nightmare !!), and also been busy helping organising a Santa Run for Sunderland Parkrun ( coming up  this sat.11th dec )

     Excuses, excuses I know - so will try harder to keep in touch with you guys more.

     Haven't read back over many posts yet , so unsure of your news - but just hope everybody is OK & progressing with their training.

    Back soon - promise

  • Hi all,

    I am running my first VLM in April and I think I have made a a bit of a boo boo.  Downloaded the ultimate marathon schedule from RW and have kinda started already, so I am going to be getting to my long miles and tapering week way before I need to.  Don't really want to go backwards and start all over again, currently on week 3, but not sure what to do.... 

    I know I am a dumb a** but any suggestions for how I can keep the momentum going and not go backwards or too far ahead would be great!

    Thanks image

  • M-JM-J ✭✭✭

    Hi delirium and all

    Like you I've started my training . I downloaded a 16 week plan from the Garmn website onto my 305 way back early November...I've just extended it by several weeks to allow for illness/ general tiredness etc. So some weeks I'm repeating weeks . I didn't want to leave all the training until after Christmas.

    My long runs are 10 miles at the moment (very very slow today due to ice) and this is my second 10 miler in training. I don't know if it's a good thing or not starting training early but I need the motivation to go out and run. I also love the fact my 305 tells me each day what it is I'm running...no more thinking..;-) Just running.

    M-J

  • HI all, just been reading over this thread - do you mind if I join in?  

    Finally got into London on the ballot (4th year trying - so very excited & nervous) - this will be marathon 9 for me (and also doing Shakespeare marathon 3wks after!!!).

    Like some of you, I have started my marathon training early as I know I will miss a few weeks due to colds & work stuff. Am desperate for a sub4 (PB at mo is 4hrs 2 mins) - this time I going to try not to over train. Hubby brought me a book '4 hour marathon in 4 months' and a lot less miles than what I have trained on previously - so hopefully the book will be the answer???? So feeling abit nervous, what if the book is wrong and I haven'tdone enough miles???

    Well I hope everyone is keeping well and the snow hasn't caused too many problems to training schedules

    J

  • Hi Helen - some great ideas for fundraising there - I will definitely do a sweepstake!  Not sure about my company sponsoring me but I can ask people at work to do so.  Your idea about free listing on eBay is also a good one, I am sure someone has something they can give .  I was also thinking about doing a quiz night - what does everyone think about this?   

    I have also created a blog which has links to my fundraising page which I am promoting throught Twitter and Facebook at the moment - but I haven't asked anyone to sponsor me as yet...!  Blog is here if you want to read! 

    Nikki4 - as well as supplements have you actually looked at your diet?  It sounds really basic and almost silly but until I kept a food diary for a couple of days I had no idea where I was going wrong.  My sugar levels left me bombing loads and I realised that I don't eat enough protein either..  So a radical rethink of my diet has been undertaken.  Things like having hard boiled eggs as snacks are really easy way to sneak it in.  Just a suggestion!

     I don't quite talk to myself when I'm running, but I do tell myself to keep going things like "there's no reason to stop Smith, keep going" in a stern internal voice.  I love listening to music when I'm running and sometimes can't resist waving my hands in the air!  I wonder what others must think lol!

     Fez there are a mountain of different training plans out there, but you need to think about what training you can commit to and also what you like doing.  Then go seek...!  My friend is an advocate of the Lucozade one (see my previous post) but I know others who have done Runners World plans too....!  Each to their own and as long as you're feeling good, fit and getting the miles in that's what matters right?

    My nose is feeling better thanks and am going to try the gym tomorrow!  Already got my gym buddy lined up too - my boss!! 

    Have a good start to the week all!

  •  

    Didn’t run today after three days of moving snow my back has finally given in and the thought of running when it’s hard enough to walk didn’t appeal to me very much hope to be running again on tuesday

  • I'm in too! First London Marathon for Asthma UK, 3rd ever having done Boston (2009) and Walt Disney World (2010).

     Jayne Bevan- I'm also aiming for sub 4 hours current PB 4:07 so i have a few more minutes to knock off!

     Unfortunately starting training with an injury as had shin splints when I ran the Royal Parks Half, but as others have said I hope by easing into the plans with crosstraining it will recover by itself! I'm actually more nervous about raising the money for charity than the run right now, I think it feels a long way off still..... famous last words. Happy training for next week everyone

  • Hi all you new people image

    I guess we are all finding the snow a bit of a drag eh? Hopefully some of it will thaw this coming week.

    mattys mum - excellent time for that 13miler last week!

    I have to confess that I spent the day lazing around rather than running.

    But I've put a lot of time in on the treadmill this week to make myself feel a bit better about it.

    Here's to a good week of training.

    vds
  • Hey Smileyk8 know how you feel! Been nursing a knackered soleus since Royal Parks. Just won't give it up! Have had a few days off & I'm gonna give it another week just to give ot the best possible chance.

    I've got a great sport Physio who treats proper bonafide athletes, she's warned me to take it very steady on treadies as the belt causes you to snatch your foot forward which puts a huge pull on the shin, so no speed work until you are pain free.. image Olyptical trainer is aparently the way forward for us poor sods with dodgy shins & knackered calves!

    vds - we've missed you, step away from the sofa! 

      

  • Delirium and M-J what a great idea to start a training plan early. I'm bound to get ill or injured at some point so starting early seems like a sensible thing to do. I was planning to start after xmas but I think I'll start sooner now. After the snow goes of course!!



  • Hi!

     I (crazily) went for a 7 miler in the snow thinking i might freeze- but it was great, the air was so clean and it was just so peaceful  I loved it image

    I do agree about starting sooner rather than later though, I got stuck in as soon as I was given the place- Although my fiance and work colleague (who also does sports massages) have banned me from running as I think I may have pulled my IT band. image So unimpressed, im going stir crazy sitting down so much!!

  • Hi everyone,

    Anyone running that wants to have fun and not too worried about time?

    I am looking for someone to join Superman and myself to dress up (any costume will do) and carry a bucket to raise money for my charity www.advanceinternational.org

    We usually run between 6 -7 hours depending on the weather. If it is fine we stop and entertain the crowds outside the pubs and have great fun.

    E mail me if you are interested. 

  • Hi All,

    SmileyK8 - i had a nightmare with shin splints a couple of years back, I found ice-packs every nigh tfor about 4wks eased some of the pain & I even attempted an ice-bath a couple of times!! 

    Training plans - I've used the ultimate training plans from Runners world - and been happy with those. As I mentionned earlier Ive got a new book (early crimbo pressie) so I will see how it pans out for the next couple of weeks.

    Aimee - you snow run sounds divine, I think I would looked like bambi on ice!!!

    Happy training everyone (ps I've started on the Xmas chocs already & done a part tub of peanuts!!!! - not agreat start to a training plan)

    JB

  • Wow! I go off for a couple of days and loads of posts - should maybe stay away more often - lol!

    Good to see everyone getting their Mojo back, even Helen has cheered up image good on you!  

    Hello to the newcomers as well, good to see such a lot of people on the board, I do enjoy reading all the posts.

    I went out running in the snow yesterday at 6am before the madness started (I live in Central scotland!)  The roads were clear but by the time I got ready to go to work it was a total whiteout! Decided to shut the office at half 11, sent everyone home and decided to work from home (after I had taken junior Miggito sledging!) so I know what you mean Aimee -  it felt great and I also felt superfit afterwards!

    Can't go out today though as roads are treacherous but thankfully my official training plan doesn't start until the 27th! I'm not going to beat myself up about it but just hope there's no more snow after that as that's when it will become serious.

    Jo - I never got in the ballot and got a place through Clic Sargent but am actually quite glad it worked out that way so it will give me the kick up the backside to raise more money! I need to raise £1800 but have set myself a target of £3000 - I like to set my standards highimage and has also made me a lot more aware of how lucky I am so will be doing all that I can for these kids and their families!

    Just as I write that and others have been talking about motivation, last week I was running and thinking about "hitting the wall" in the Marathon and I was doing my first long(ish) run in a while so was feeling the effects towards the end of it! Anyway, I thought of all the people I was running for and imagined them all running with me and we all ran together at the wall (with our imaginary hammers) and smashed it to pieces and ran straight though it! Maybe I'm just a bit mad but got that adrenaline rush and the rest of a run was a breeze thinking about it! I'm going to keep that one up my sleeve for April!

    Anyway, take it easy folks and run safe image  

  • Hi All,

    Hope you are getting over the niggling injuries. I feel like I am into the swing of my training plan now. Up to running 5 times a week as of this week with some speed work thrown in for one session and a long run on a Sunday. Only up to 8 miles this week but that means that it will be quite a gradual increase each week. Feel really excited now as it all feels so real that in a few months I will be running 26.2 miles! Very scary too! Running for the Born Free Foundation so need to start working out some fundraising ideas. Had a beautiful run in the snow at 6.30 this morning. Hard to get out of bed but really worth it. Also, I am trying to eat really well and be a bit aware of everything that goes into my mouth making a difference to my performance!

    How is all your training coming along? Helen Bainbridge8 - I injured my soleus 3 weeks before the Great South Run and had to rest it but still managed to run the race with lots of help from my physio, I still feel it now when I am warming up but then the tightness goes so I hope that it is a matter of strengthening it again?

     Kate

  • Hi all,

    Hope your running week is going well so far.  I have decided that as I started early, am probably going to repeat a couple of the weeks again then start from where I should be get the timing right, if that makes any sense! 

    Got myself a Garmin FR60 from Amazon in the sale, so far so good, need to get used to the heart monitor chest strap though, bit uncomfortable.  

    Been quite lucky this time round on niggly injuries, only thing I am struggling with is doing the fast/sprint parts of the training, it appears I am not built for speed... anyone got any suggestions or tips?

    NSGNR (sorry to abbreviate!) - thought it would be a good plan as if I slack off a smidge at christmas I won't feel so bad!

    Take care all, keeping my fingers crossed for better weather for us all! 

    x

  • Kate - I can't stop eating - I had 2 puff pastry mince pies and 2 packets of Rolos last night for my supper after eating a mountain of food for my dinner lol image This eating healthy malarkey is more challenging than the Marathon!

    Snow getting cleared today so hopefully will be back out running tomorrow.

    Delirium - Garmins - are they worth the money. Been looking into them but not convinced I would get a great use out of them but feel a bit like I'm not in the cool gang with my wee stopwatch. image

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