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Paris Marathon 2011
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Tricky and NGUG: am thinking of Mont St Michel next year, just need to break it to Mr PF (he'll come with me though) funny enough body doen't feel like I ran a marathon, probably as I crawled the last 3 miles. My sense of humour is back and am actually satisfied with the time all things considered!!
Sure.. just email/PM me... no problem.
Agree with ATM, that was my worst running experience, despite it being about 10°c 'cooler' than in 2007. I've never felt sick before, and bits of me hurt that I didn't know existed. However, considering the orthopedic surgeon told me a few weeks ago to stop running (ok so I gave up my LSRs and cut back drastically) I am just chuffed to have lasted till the end.
What made Sunday special for me was seeing the camaraderie, so many people giving up going for PBs or whatever to stop and help others, sharing precious water (two water stations were empty for me and I avoided the Powerade thank goodness) and just general all round encouragements.
I hooked up with my lunchtime running partner by an amazing coincidence around the 33k mark and we got ourselves to the finish line. It was his first marathon and I so wanted him to get that medal. He is 6'5" and a naval officer so is used to hard physical graft, but he was suffering ...
For the record I'd been training for a sub 4h (in my dreams), came in at 4h36m (not my PW, by 2 mins). I stopped for the leg massage at Trocadero, hurt like hell but kept me going. Also stopped to help a young guy from Edinburgh that I'd run with earlier. He collapsed around 37k and was stretchered off with an oxygen mask. His first marathon, what a horrible end.
An amazing well done to everyone, be it runners or support crew. Some true horror stories, so those who got PBs bravo! And to all those who survived, wear that medal with pride!
Bring on Venice ... I think
LOL
didnt think it would take you long!!! Love the compression socks too.. definitely will have to get some of those!
Some brilliant stories folks am in total admiration
R2R - yep got a bit of a cold here too. Just come on this morning.
Generally cloudy, cool and breezy here today. How ironic.
Dear All,
Once again back at my desk and it all seems like a distant memory until I try and walk!!!
It was great to meet some of you at the Arc and speciall thanks to ATM for being such an amazing source of information and kindness/support.
I struggled mentally from mile 7, but thanks to my name being on vest in large letters I got amazing support from the british fraternity....'al...leeee.... ez' is still ringing in my head.
Hard on the day as it was - for me I had a weekend where I saw Paris at it's best
Wishing you all very well
Helen
I'm having a 'déjà vu/ lu' moment. Remember the 'advice for runners' bit in the brochure? .I can't believe I read ' 2 small bandages for your tits'..
'I'm going to include that pearl in some Notes for 2012 '
It was lovely to meet you , Helen. My walking's none too clever at the moment, either but, as you say, it was a great day.
PF, the socks are amazing.
TD....Great to see you at 30k, knew you would be up there with the elite runners. Didnt have time to take a photo as you were like a young whippet going past, let off its lead for the first time. You were a good few minutes ahead of the 3hr pacers when you passed, so well done on your time and a job well done.
I agree with what has mostly been said about the achievements over the weekend. You all did brilliant to complete the course in that heat, so dont be too hard on yourselves for not getting PBs as that time will come again. It looked tough from the sidelines, and it was clear that runners were suffering and with another 12k to go especially the runners who were way behind the 5hr pacers. But at the end of the day, your all wearing the same finishers t-shirt and medal as the elites, so well done to all.
For those runners that have many negatives about paris and its organisation, the simple answer is dont run it again. When you find a race with 30,000+ runners and everything perfect, please let us know. Paris must be doing something right, if we keep going back.
It was great to meet up with the old and new faces over the weekend and at the pub for a few pints. Doesnt seem 5 minutes from last years race and i am sure april 2012 will be upon us just as quick. ATM, see you in the sub4 pen......again
Gold Pig - you have no idea how much you lifted me when you came out into the street yelling my name. My head was in a dark place at that moment and i was grinning for at least 2kms afterwards that someone recognised me in Paris. I was shocked at first, so I didn't have many words, so sorry if I was only mumbling a response as i went past. Half expected the Union Jack running shorts of course!!
I guess it was for this reason I told my family not to bother watching the race, because they'd have spent so much time hanging around and would undoubtedly have been disappointed to only see me briefly. I nearly cried at the end when they were clapping me on Ave Foch though.
Of the 6 marathons I've run, I think this had the hardest conditions, although I don't think I suffered quite as much as the very first one I did where I was hoping I'd die on the spot, just so I wouldn't have to take another step to the finish line! If you were a first-timer to marathons, you'll LOVE the next one.
I have to say, hearing all you seasoned runners talk about how difficult you found this marathon to be makes me feel a LOT better! I finished the race feeling pretty disappointed in myself about my time (5h18). Yes, my real goal was just to finish, but secretly I was also hoping to do it in under 5 hours (based on my training run times, 4h30 or 4h45 were also realistic!). So when it ended up being over 5, I was a bit down on myself. So it is reassuring to hear that this was a difficult one for even you experienced marathoners! I finished the race thinking "never again!" but then by yesterday morning I was looking up autumn marathons to run!
Even though there were some snags in terms of the water and Powerade tables, I think overall the organization was great. I would definitely do this one again, if I could be guaranteed that it wouldn't get hotter than 17 degrees.
Fabulous stories everyone and sorry to the one (can't remember your name) who didn't enjoy the organisation or support.
Sorry I didn't meet up with you, but despite the heat I had a lovely wekend.
The first 6/8 miles I found quite tough with the sun in my eyes and was longing to be able to turn my back on it. I was fairly spot on with my timing up to 20 miles despite walking all through the water station ay 30k filling up my, by then, empty bottle with water. But I was so thirsty. At one point I could hear and feel liquid jumping around in my stomach. Even quenched my thirst on oranges and powerade despite being someone who won't try anything new on race day. Walked on and off from miles 20 to 24 feeling disgusted at my total lack of will power. I so wanted to do this without walking and I ended up walking more than last time and earlier. At mile 24(where I started to walk in Edi) I brought some willpower back and proved to myself that I could at least get through the 24th mile running. By then there was only a mile to go so I carried on running. Saw my supporters with 200m to go and did a very jubilant cheer to them.
Finish result 4hrs 37. Am over the moon with that. Knocked 15 mins off last time and of course will have to try again for a sub 4hr 30
Good comment. I'd like to hear other people's memories of their first marathon.
Mine was the Kent Coastal Marathon on a ridiculously hot day and I remember crossing the line and then laying on the grass in the sun thinking I would never ever run again, and it was a stupid thing to do... I had no idea what the hell I was doing, was unprepared and felt like I was close to death.
Just been on the telly, wivenhoerunner.
Re-register.It'll be a dawdle....
Good for you, sneglen . It was very hot and that makes a big difference..If you did 4.37 in that heat, you'll knock a lot more than 7 minutes off it next time.
DV, mine was Paris 2007 in the heatwave. At the Finish,I felt fantastic. *I now realise I was hallucinating ...through dehydration.*
TD, I still can't believe your time under those conditions.
hahaha, wouldn't that be nice!
Lovely to meet you ATM, albeit briefly.
Hello Paris people!
I got back last night, having a quiet day today before Champagne celebrations tonight with the family!
Loved, loved, loved this as my first marathon - a great experience and as it was my first I have a PB!
The heat did get to me too though - I was aiming for between 4 hours and 4 hours 15 based on training times, but came in at 4.23.
I was really pleased though as I ran the whole thing without stopping and a niggly knee injury behaved which was such a relief! Felt ok until about mile 24, when I felt reaaaallllly sick so I couldn't give anything more for the finish line!
Bit scary seeing loads of big blokes go crashing to the floor fainting though. Headline in a Paris paper the next day said 'Metro ou Ambulance?!' as a reference to how people got home!!
Hope everyone is resting and recovering, WELL DONE to all!!
xx
Congratulations to all, both runners and supporters!
It's been really interesting to read different experience of the day, some good, some bad. It did feel warm in the sun, certainly hotter than the 22C at 1400 and 24C at 2000 that the French Met Office reports, and I can understand why some people have not done as well as they'd hoped.
I could go on about abiding images in my race - although I have to take my little team of supporters' word as truth when they say they saw people <trying to cross the street with a sofa> during the race - I only had to contend with Hassidic Jews, and little old ladies with their ladies with their shopping trollies.
Having only run the London Marathon (twice) I agree there are good points and bad points about the Paris Marathon. In London water stations are on both sides of the route and this makes a huge difference: anyone in the masses who intends to run Paris next year would do well to gain some training in armed combat. I was able to get what I needed, but I do feel sorry for those who suffered further back. Funelling everyone through that small funnel at the start didn't help, and nor did me walking into a concrete breeze block at the entry to the pen, what idiot put that there? On the other hand, the massage at the end was welcome and the medal is better than many I've received. Plus a decent t-shirt in a range of sizes? Brilliant! And I could change my pen without a problem at the Expo.I had a good day, which I put down to a few things:
- Reading thisforum gave some good tips in the days before, not only ATM's notes but also Tricky Dicky's suggestions of taking electrolyte solution on a regular basis on the days before
- I was lucky to have a family/girlfriend support team who handed over sports drinks at miles 4 and 14, which made a big difference to my day - having a small cup of Gatorade at mile 21 was beyond hopeless - and hearing their support lifted me for miles
- For the people I overheard chuckling before the start at me carrying eight gels, who's laughing now?!
- Incredibly I managed to run 11 seconds off a negative split...
- ...and I spent the last eight miles counting from 1 to 100 and back down again in my mind. I recommend this to anyone who wants to distract themselves from their legs
- Plus Paris is beautiful, the course is attractive and I was delighted to discover three of the last four miles are downhill! Although the number of twists and turns to the finish line led to near-despair
- And, even if it's just my mind, I did find the runners a little warmer and more relaxed than the London bunfight.
Overall I managed to run sub-four for the first time (3:57:51) and got a new PB by 22 minutes. I'm still delighted and, although I'd promised myself in the last few miles that I'd retire if I got sub-four, I now realise I could do just a little bit better... I'll be back.(My first marathon was through thunderstorms in London 2008, nothing prepared me for the challenge of the last 10k, so particular congratulations to those who ran their first race yesterday, it must have been triply hard in the heat.)
Sorry not to meet many of the forumites in Paris, but it's been great to be part of the conversation, it really motivated me. Thank you!
This was katb's view of the Elite coming towards her at the 20k food station.Volunteering 's a brilliant way to see them up-close.
Very well done, Bunches, Suzy and get_down. S, I think you can reasonably expect to be very emotional about your achievment for quite a while.It'll come up and hit you every now and then. Enjoy your wee weeps
My supporters were at the 42k mark at the end of the race and whilst waiting for me saw several people collapse. One, a woman in her 20's got to them and collapsed in a heap. Medics arrived to help. She couldn't even hold a bottle of water. They offered to prop her up for 200m to get through the finish line, but she was completely out of it. Every time I think of the story it brings tears to my eyes. Imagine running that far and not finishing. No medal, nothing. There's some amazing people out there.
I've done 2 really hot marathons now. What do I need to do do get 15 degrees less.
And DV what do I need to do to make my brain tell my legs to continue.
Actually, on my first marathon I went a very wobbly-direct path to the Red Cross tent after i crossed the finish line [true]. I'm pretty sure that I did in fact die in that tent and that I am now a re-incarnated version of myself. Given that I have become detached from my soul would probably be the reason why I am now also immune to the laws of thermo-dynamics [not true].
Either that or I am so skinny that I have now actually reached a stage where I can effectively be "air-cooled" [could be]. I did pour a fair amount of water over myself while running and I went through every shower with my arms up to maximise cooling.... at one water station I briefly stopped and put my whole head under water in a bucket.
I also got wheel chaired away after the heat of VLM in 2007.
Hope you are not too upset Fiona, sounds like you enjoyed the sights at least. Don't be put off we need you back next year!
Youi are right Suzy- all the top tips on this thread....that's why we hang around all year
Leeds Bob - no, not lots of union jacks, just 1 large union jack on the front of my vest and union jack shorts....they seemed to work anyway.
Some great stories on here now......and what a useful resource this forum turned out to be, i lurked around here from the day i signed up and found it most helpful, so thank you all, till next year........
I think Kiptoo is in green
This was the time when they came through
Unfortunately, myself and 'Mrs Beazer' ate something in a bistro on Friday night which backfired on us spectacularly. We spent the next two days in bed. Being so ill and dehydrated, there was no way that I could have ran 10 yards, let alone 26.2 miles, so I had to watch the whole event on Eurosport.
I was absolutely gutted not to have been able to run, especially seeing people with their finisher t-shirts and medals later on.
Anyway, well done again to those that did run.
Nah, kat.The one in green is ingranv
Beazer, I don't know what to say. You must be so p*****-off. Get well, soon.