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The Road to Paris - On a Plateau - Asics Target 26.2 Training
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Hi Ady
Huge congratulations on your success today. An amazingly deserved result after all the training!
Enjoy Paris and all its delights.
Well done Ady! Top performance. People told me that once I'd broken 3:30 I'd never look back and its true. Its a great barrier to break and I'm sure there's a lot more to come. Have a great time celebrating!
Result, a well deserved PB! Top man!
Ady - I met you in the start pen yesterday...............
Huge congrats - thrilled for you. I sneaked in at 3:59:42 which is exactly what I wanted - my first sub 4 in Paris.
What an experience! Enjoy
Ady,
Great and
many congratulations, a great time, you put the work in, and got your reward. I hope to see you out running again soon, even if it's part of your warm down
Thanks to everybody who has added 'well done' messages over the past few days - very much appreciated........to save on adding copious amounts of messages thanking everyone individually, I'll do it all in a single message.......thanks DS2, Malcs, Sarah, Slow Duck, Angela, Ruth, Billy, Ksizzlepod, Minni, Jimmers, Brolish, Racing Jules, Allan, PC91, Speedy Goth for your messages on here the past 24 hours. I apologise if I've forgot anyone in this!
Now time for one last finale - one last race report, one last forum catch up, before wrapping everything up and finding a new forum home!
When a leaking tap is more important than a new marathon PB, you know you've been in the limelight too long....I'll bow out gracefully!
'Inimitable' - thanks for the English language lesson - a new word to add to my limited vocabulary!
How's the taper going for you.......and more importantly.......was the DIY work good enough to save a flooded hourse and the wrath of Mrs. Malcs?
Mel did phenominally - she still had her trademark smile at the finish. Sadly there was no smile by me, looking at the race videos - just more impressions of a turtle, grimaces, and body parts bouncing around that makes me realise there's still a job to do on the weight loss front!
I've seen she's already posted her time, so I'll say again here - she finished in 4hrs 21mins....excellent work.........as did eveeryone else - Alex and Sarah too.......and there's no doubt Steve will be back racing in the very near future making my marathon PB look like a Sunday stroll!
Minni - I couldn't agree with you more. I feel I've finally done myself a small piece of justice. I always thought I'd be satisfied once getting a time under 3:30, but so far, that hasn't been the case. Although I couldn't be more chuffed at the time, I'm also really happy to see there is still plenty of room for improvement. Sam has given me a great base to work off now and I'm itching to try and get down in to the low 3:20's now (after a week's rest that is!).
I always thought a Boston qualifying time or running under 3:15 was completely out of my grasp. It still is at the moment, but I've seen a glimmer of light that makes me believe that why not have such a gola to work towards........another year of training, another 10lbs of weight loss, another year of dedication - you just never know!
Thanks very much Sarah.....that means an awful lot, it really does. I really hope this thread has helped people realise that even people not blessed with height (but blessed with extra amounts of body fat!) and the typical running physique can achieve things they never ever thought were possible.
Not for one minute did I ever believe that 3:30 was a possibility for me before winning this competition. Now I've found new found confidence and belief in my abilities that far exceeds anything I thought possible. I think this is the same for everyone - everyone has a threshold and potential that they haven't yet reached.
A sub 3:30 is only the start of things to come.....although I might have to wait a while longer than you in breaking 20 mins for 5km..........that might be the hardest challenge yet!
I'll be coming over to your forum page much more now that I'll have more time!
I hope taper madness is treating you well.....exciting times.........hopefully I'll make it to watch the race! I can't wait to see what you run!
Hey Racing Jules.....lovely to hear from you. As I ran off at the start, I was a little annoyed at myself for being rude and not asking your name!
Congratulations on your time.........I see we have both the same philosophy in beating our targets - what's the point in beating it comfortably, when we can draw it out and make it more interesting by beating it by a few seconds. If you're race was anything like mine, I was really thinking I'd lost it at the 25 mile mark, but it was happy endings for everybody! I hope you're already planning your next target to beat!
PC91 - I don't think I've passed on my congratulaitons yet - very well done on your Paris marathon time. From reading your comments here and on the other runner's threads, it sounds like you might be a little disheartened by your time. I wouldn't be - you've had an injury and you've stilled posted a highly respectable time. Like you say, it's a target now to be beaten. Your time is 3 minutes faster than my first marathon, so I'm expecting you to be going faster than me in no time at all!
You should be really proud of your achievements and stop putting your physique down...doctors orders!
How do you feel today? Just wondering what did you think went wrong, if anything in those last few miles?
I would be delighted to see you on my thread and think everyone else on there will welcome you with open arms.
Haha.........well if there are people wanting to hear, and are still posting on here, then of course I'll keep on replying
. I think the daily food intake posts might end though!
Hi Brolish.....yes I am. I have visited the Comrades forum page a few times in the past couple of weeks, but really only though about the task at hand on mile 25 of the Paris Marathon. Probably not the best place to start thinking about it, as the thought of stil having 31 miles to run made me think what a stupid, disastrous choice I'd made to enter. A day later, and I'm realising that it's a completely different race - ran at a much slower run/ walk tactic.
I'm recovering this week, and will have a 2 week taper, so that leaves 5 weeks of putting in the longer run/ walk runs. I'm hoping to do a very slow 40 miler and several back to back long runs over the other weekends. I've just got to try and not force too much in to these weeks.
One thing I'm sure of though - if I'd taken my eye off Paris at any single point, I wouldn't have made my sub 3:30 goal. Comrades will have it's moment!
He mentioned wont u be pregnant by then... Hmmm, looking at your thread there is a very real risk of that... Uh-oh!
Ooooh.......runner's welcoming me with open arms.....now there's an offer I can't refuse....I'll be closing this page down with immediate effect!
Today I'm walking like Robocop or as if I'd just spent 2 years in a high security prison. But that's my own fault.........I didn't stretch after the race (in part due to being quite ill, and also due to the highs of reaching my goal!).
I really shouldnt be picky at all and start breaking down my run.......but it's something I have a bad habit of doing and it means I can start focusing on how to be better almost immediately - instead of basking in the joys of the hard work!
If I did have to be picky, then I think my water intake was too little. I was cramping up at the end. I was also aware of the time lost at water stations, and knowing it was touch and go in making 3:30, I missed the last station. I'd also be interested in adopting a 6 gel stratgey instead of 5, as this could have made the last 2 miles more confortable.
I also needed a toilet break at mile 10, but I managed to still clock a fast mile including this toilet stop, which meant I must have ran almost a 7m/m not including the toilet break. Maybe this helped bring on tiredness in the latter stages quicker?
There was a lot of congestion throughout the race, even in the latter stages, which meant slowing down, speeding up all the way throughout the race, which meant not running in the most conservative manner. There was also a lot of weeving and not following the 'magical blue line' on the road, which meant running a lot further than the marathon distance.
But this is being extremely picky.....everyone else washaving the same problems so I wasn't alone!
So the 2 weeks taper has started............I can't wait to see how much you beat your target by!
Welcome back sir!
As you can see, I was all mouth and no trousers - there were no all night, open house parties here. Your thread is safe and sound and pretty much as you left it
Your end of race sounds pretty much like the end of all of mine (minus the nausea - or did you have that too?) You mentioned fluid intake, was it quite a bit warmer then? I know the sun was out so that probably made a big difference.
How did you pace it? Do you have your splits?
I think you did amazingly well. I would bite your hand off for that time. You've all done so well. I am really nervous about mine now!
I have to say on the day itself I felt like I was running it with you all. Had a real nervous excitement all day. And today I've had the freakin' post marathon blues! For crying out loud, what's going on here? Did you do some sort of Vulcan mind meld on me at Spitfire?
I think we're all too familiar with the Robocop walk - done it many times. Maybe you should visit yor newly found sports massage person for a post race MOT.
Anyway, great to see you back and well done once again!
And the lycra pictures......please
I can remember not being able to manoeuvre down the stairs the following day, I finally made it down though and after walking to the gym, going for a swim and then wallowing in the jacuzzi I was walking alittle more lady like!
Did you find that your water consumption grew throughout the race...I remember starting VLM last year and have sips for the first half, but come the second half and especially the last 4 miles I just couldn't quench my thirst (although I was restricting myself still through fear of hyponatraemia).
I cant believe that you managed to fit in a toilet stop and still achieve a sub 3:30...the pressure is now on for me!
It sounds like Paris was a very busy marathon and quite congested, im sure that will have taken it out of you, and running mile 10 so quickly will have probably had some impact....its so hard though as you will have been worried about loosing time for the stop. Were your legs ok after the stop at 10 miles?
Last year I decided that I would stop at mile 10 to go to the toilet, however when I got there I didnt need to go...I was worried after that that I would need to go later and my legs would seize up, but luckily it never happended. Dont think I went for at least another 4 hours after the race!
As per usual, I've ran out of time, so will have to catch up on race report tomorrow!
Malcs.......I can guarantee you now there will be no more lycra pictures. I heard on the grapevine, the lycra pictures were the main reason Runnersworld have been having these photo 'issues' on the forum and nobody can add any photos
Sarah.......more mind boggling is the fact Alex managed 2:53 with a toilet break!
I've just realised that the official Paris Marathon results arein on the website and they are slightly faster than the Paris Marathon app times.......so yesterday my new marathon Pb was 3:29:43.........today it is 'officially' 3:29:38........5 seconds off my marathon PB without lifting a finger! Can't complain!
Fabulous Ady! You must be thrilled and I hope you feel better today.
I am starting to walk a bit more normally today so things returning to normal.
As for the next challenge - yes, it's planned! Nice/Cannes in November.
Hope you'll keep in touch - it was great to see you both in the pen at the start.
Cheers, Julie
Ha ha!
Mystery explained!
Well done Jules and Paulo too!
Paulo - what was your time? You hit your target right - I think I read that? Are you doing another this year or is that it until D-day (daddy day
)
Jules - isn't it great to break the 4hr barrier? Amazing how those few seconds make such a difference. I've run my last 3 in 3:58/59 - it's so nice to have that 3 at the front. Any idea what your target would be for the next one? Well done.
Hi Malcs
So true about the sub 4. It's amazing the difference between having a 3 in front and not - last year was London in 4:00:38
Target for Nice/Cannes is sub 3:50. I should be capable of it if you look at my times for 10mile and half, but should and will get are so so different!
Al the best, Julie x
Many thanks
Thanks Ady for your comments, also learning that Alex's first marathon was 4h30 made me smile.
Any idea what secret Bacon Steve is refering to ? Stitch him up ! That's what mates are for.
Good to have a think about break down of race but don't forget that each time you run a race such as the marathon you tend to learn something from this and this new experience can actually help towards your next race. So even if you feel you could have done better then surely this is great news for your next race AND you still walked away with a new PB and reached your ultimate goal.
I agree with Sarah O, you can be hard on yourself so just enjoy the fact you are now a sub 3.30 marathon runner, not that many people can claim that!!!
I am signing off now but all the very best. This has been a great forum and such great support from everyone on here. Ruth
Ruth - thanks so much once again for all your help and advice!
Paulo - fantastic time, well done! You have some impressive short race PBs there. You probably already know that they suggest you are capable of an even quicker marathon time. I'd love to get my 10K under 40 but I still have 2 painful minutes to shave off!
Jules - ouch, only 38 seconds off! That's heartbreaking but I'm sure it makes Paris all the more sweet. I wonder if we were anywhere near each other in London as I came in at 3:59:36.
I'm a bit of a victim of the predicted vs achieved times too. What are your short race PB's? My 10K is 42 and HM 1:34 so predictions are all under 3:30 yet I've struggled to do 30 minutes slower.
That said, one thing I've learned since discovering the forums at the start of the Asics comp is that there are different ways to train and you need to work on your weaknesses and not just follow a standard programme. My endurance is my achilles heel so based on advice received from people here I've really upped my mileage, slowed down alot and inserted some longer midweek runs. We shall see if it makes any difference in 2 weeks time
Very best of luck to you for Nice/Cannes!
PC91 - good thinking, it's essential that we get to the bottom of this teaser that Bacon boy has thrown at us! Ady - do the dishonourable thing and drop him in it
Ady - a belated congratulations for your performance in Paris! I've been away and missed the crucial day. Enjoy the moment and all the plaudits you receive, they're well deserved. Be really interested to see your split times.
Well done to all the other Paris marathon runners on the thread too. Was sorry to hear of the congestion and general madness that seems to have gone on. When I did it it seemed pretty good, but I've never run London so perhaps I've never experienced that level of organisation before to compare against.
Finally - congratulations to you and Paulo on your exciting news re fatherhood!
Ha ha - I love the fact that you've shaved off a further 5 seconds since we said farewell on the Eurostar
A well-deserved success, Ady - you had our hearts in our mouths by being so close to the 3.30 deadline but you achieved what you set out to and you should be very proud. It's been an absolute pleasure to be part of your journey and also to meet everyone else who has been involved in this thread (Malcs gets a special mention for consistency and merciless micky taking)
So, a few days rest now. (Don't worry that you didn't stretch after the race - it's not advisable to stretch after a marathon when muscles have so much microtrauma...). A gentle swim, walk or even warm bath in next couple of days followed by a gentle stretch will get you back on track. And then, er, Comrades!
Marathon season far from over for the rest of us. So back to the grindstone for me...!