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Thread: Virgin London Marathon

  1. #21
    Grandmaster IanDarkpeak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    Well, that was blinking blinking hard. I ran a really good first half (1:35 hrs including a wee stop 1.5 miles from the start) and then couldn't hold the pace at all in the second half, finally finishing at shuffle speed in the last few miles. My second half split was almost 2 hours FFS!!! And at the end I was totally and utterly trashed and feeling worse than I have ever felt at the end of a race, ever . I was sick, I had a cramp attack (or two), I couldn't even bend to sit down, I was sick again (in the middle of Horse Guards Parade) and my walk to Charing Cross Tube station and then getting down the steps there was 'brilliant'. It was all very epic.

    It just goes to show that my three half marathon distance run ins to work on the canal tow path were marvellous preparation..... for running a half marathon

    What a fantastic day though
    MTFU...well done mate. still a good time running in all that commuter traffic. I don't think I could handle the London...too many people for me.

  2. #22
    Orange Pony Hanneke's Avatar
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    MTFU indeed, told you it was going to hurt, you should never have ventured out on that tarmac stuff

    Quote Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak View Post
    MTFU...well done mate. still a good time running in all that commuter traffic. I don't think I could handle the London...too many people for me.
    “the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hanneke View Post
    MTFU indeed, told you it was going to hurt, you should never have ventured out on that tarmac stuff
    TARMAC = the road to INJURY

    Well done Stolly.

  4. #24
    alwaysinjured
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    Well, that was blinking blinking hard. I ran a really good first half (1:35 hrs including a wee stop 1.5 miles from the start) and then couldn't hold the pace at all in the second half, finally finishing at shuffle speed in the last few miles. My second half split was almost 2 hours FFS!!! And at the end I was totally and utterly trashed and feeling worse than I have ever felt at the end of a race, ever . I was sick, I had a cramp attack (or two), I couldn't even bend to sit down, I was sick again (in the middle of Horse Guards Parade) and my walk to Charing Cross Tube station and then getting down the steps there was 'brilliant'. It was all very epic.

    It just goes to show that my three half marathon distance run ins to work on the canal tow path were marvellous preparation..... for running a half marathon

    What a fantastic day though
    Well done Stolly.

    If it is any consolation, mo didnt have his best day either.

    Different ball game is road. Much more damage to legs.

  5. #25
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    will be interesting to know if the road running helps result in the fellsman
    well done brian

  6. #26
    Senior Member Tahr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    Well, that was blinking blinking hard. I ran a really good first half (1:35 hrs including a wee stop 1.5 miles from the start) and then couldn't hold the pace at all in the second half, finally finishing at shuffle speed in the last few miles. My second half split was almost 2 hours FFS!!! And at the end I was totally and utterly trashed and feeling worse than I have ever felt at the end of a race, ever . I was sick, I had a cramp attack (or two), I couldn't even bend to sit down, I was sick again (in the middle of Horse Guards Parade) and my walk to Charing Cross Tube station and then getting down the steps there was 'brilliant'. It was all very epic.

    It just goes to show that my three half marathon distance run ins to work on the canal tow path were marvellous preparation..... for running a half marathon

    What a fantastic day though
    Good show mate, so long as you enjoyed it, even in a this "don't have to be fun to be fun type of way."
    Annan and District Athletic Club. http://www.adac.org.uk/

  7. #27
    Hats off to you marathoners, that's a lot of Tarmac. Hearing tales of pain and woe and Mo is starting to get me exercised in every sense now. I'm running the Berlin marathon in September as I'm visiting friends there so thought 'why not?!' Any tips re training very much appreciated. Aiming for under 3:15 I think. Not sure what to aim for (half pb 1:23).

    Like I say, well done folks

  8. #28
    Senior Member LissaJous's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Smith View Post
    Hats off to you marathoners, that's a lot of Tarmac. Hearing tales of pain and woe and Mo is starting to get me exercised in every sense now. I'm running the Berlin marathon in September as I'm visiting friends there so thought 'why not?!' Any tips re training very much appreciated. Aiming for under 3:15 I think. Not sure what to aim for (half pb 1:23).

    Like I say, well done folks
    You should definitely aim for 3:00. Some of the pace converters suggest 2:53 but this would require a lot of dedicated training and a spot-on performance on the day (I can't find the pace converter I saw a few years ago which gave more conservative results, may have been called a VO2max converter ~ it agreed very closely with my times of HM 77 and Mar 2:48, although the marathon had more hills than Berlin. This would give you ~3:01).

    Be sure to do some long flattish trail runs as early as possible, and fast road conditioning runs up to HM. If you're taking it very seriously then you'd do more longer road prep with fast finishes.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Smith View Post
    Hats off to you marathoners, that's a lot of Tarmac. Hearing tales of pain and woe and Mo is starting to get me exercised in every sense now. I'm running the Berlin marathon in September as I'm visiting friends there so thought 'why not?!' Any tips re training very much appreciated. Aiming for under 3:15 I think. Not sure what to aim for (half pb 1:23).

    Like I say, well done folks
    Sub 3 is a good target.
    Run 6 days a week.
    Build up to 50 miles a week.
    Do road/trail rather than hills.
    Do 5 20 mile runs.
    Taper fully - last 3 weekend long runs 20, 15, 10 miles.
    Don't do much speed work - the injury risk is too high.
    Do some running at HM pace and a little at 10 k pace.
    Do as many runs as possible at the same time of day as the marathon.
    Practise your eat/drink strategy - if you are going to eat/drink. Berlin provides drinks in cups, and the energy drink is pretty awful taste wise.
    Do several full dress rehearsals down to the exact shoes/socks/underclothes/lubricant.
    Allow plenty of time to get to the start - having only one start Berlin is more crowded than London.
    The first half should feel easy - too easy - but do not be seduced into thinking this is your magic day - every minute too fast in the first half will lose you several minutes in the second half. Aim for even splits. The real race starts at 20 miles.
    Good luck!

  10. #30
    Wow, thanks. I'm going to start training in earnest after doing the OCT in May. Am currently doing a bit more on the roads now to get used to it.

    I did a good tempo run the other day, 7 miles at 6:48 pace and it felt quite hard towards then end. I feel that i'm at the start of a long and different road, literally, and that tempo run made me feel 3:15 was more realistic. I guess i'll know more as i get fitter.

    COnscious that i don;t want to hijack the london thread and turn it into a Mark's Berlin Prep thread - but thanks so much for the advice. I might come back and ask for views on a schedule once i put one together. Hardest part will be balancing it with a wife, a three year old and a 9 week old
    Last edited by Mark Smith; 15-04-2014 at 12:00 PM.

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