London 2014

TRR · 24-02-2014 9:26pm

For some reason training for a Spring marathon has always suited me in the past. I usually find summer holidays, bank holidays, BBQs, long days out with kids etc impacts training for an Autumn marathon. I generally don't mind training over the Christmas and through January and February. In fact for some weird reason January is usually my favourite month for ratching up the miles.

But my fcuk. This weather is slowly destroying me. The wind is a bitch, its constantly raining. Haven't ran in the local park at the weekend as I know it will be like a swamp. Knowing our luck we will get a scorcher on the 13th of April and will be totally caught out as we've been training through dreary ****ty weather.

I would have written this in the rant thread but beepbeep got in before me!

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 25-02-2014 11:03pm

I was thinking the same last night and today as I was running in the middle of a mini storm. Just keep telling myself that it will make you stronger.

TRR · 25-02-2014 11:16pm

Ember Weak Sinkhole wrote: »

I was thinking the same last night and today as I was running in the middle of a mini storm. Just keep telling myself that it will make you stronger.

I got lucky with the wind today. Friend I was running with suggested a route that really sheltered us from the wind and there was only a mile section where we got hit. Was a very nice change!

eliwallach · 26-02-2014 12:19pm

TRR wrote: »

This weather is slowly destroying me. The wind is a bitch, its constantly raining. Haven't ran in the local park at the weekend as I know it will be like a swamp. Knowing our luck we will get a scorcher on the 13th of April and will be totally caught out as we've been training through dreary ****ty weather.

Last year, if you recall, we had the coldest spring on records (March was particularly cold - all of my training runs we're done at temps of 5C or less), and then on London Marathon day........well I think it "only" reached 18C, but it took it's toll!

RacoonQueen · 26-02-2014 1:08pm

eliwallach wrote: »

Last year, if you recall, we had the coldest spring on records (March was particularly cold - all of my training runs we're done at temps of 5C or less), and then on London Marathon day........well I think it "only" reached 18C, but it took it's toll!

London felt much hotter because it was a clear day as well. The weather last year was similar but drier I think.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 01-03-2014 12:52pm

Fec it, i procrastinated long enough, finally booked flights and confirmed hotel etc for London.
No going back now, all eyes on the coal hole:)

TRR · 01-03-2014 1:55pm

Ember Weak Sinkhole wrote: »

Fec it, i procrastinated long enough, finally booked flights and confirmed hotel etc for London.
No going back now, all eyes on the coal hole:)

The coal hole and Nel McAndrew's .......

overpronator · 03-03-2014 4:50pm

Should we expect to receive anything in the post from the London Marathon over the next couple of weeks or will it all be email based?

RedRunner · 03-03-2014 5:08pm

overpronator wrote: »

Should we expect to receive anything in the post from the London Marathon over the next couple of weeks or will it all be email based?

I know from a ballot entry perspective there is another magazine to issue this month which will have the race registration form in it that you need to bring to expo to get your number.

Not sure about GFA or other entry types.

robinph · 03-03-2014 5:16pm

Everyone (ballot, GFA, championship)* will be getting the same final magazine through which will include the registration form that you need for the expo. They have not started appearing yet, but rest assured that Facebook will be awash with notifications the moment the posties start delivering them.

* The only other categories of entrant would be z-list celebs and elites, and I don't think we have any of those on boards.ie as yet.

TRR · 07-03-2014 1:00pm

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twoforecasts/daily-ultra-long-range.aspx

:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

robinph · 07-03-2014 2:32pm

Bit windy and in the wrong direction for the moment according to that forecast.

Thankfully that means that we are now guaranteed a nice still day by the time it actually comes around.

Badda Bing · 07-03-2014 5:13pm

Running my first marathon in London. Really can't wait to get to the startline. Feeling nervous and excited even at this early stage. Following the Hal Higdon Novice 2 Program which means I'm running a 19 miler tomorrow [Saturday]. This will be my furthest distance run up to now. I've taken PowerBar energy gels in the past during adventure challenges like Gaelforce. IMO they make a huge difference. Lucozade is an official sponsor of the VLM so they will be handing out there own energy gel. I've ordered some of these off Ebay. They should arrive in the post next week. Looking forward to trying them out between now and the marathon. Was thinking about temperatures on the day of the marathon. Up to now, training has been done between 3 and 7degC. Traditionally London gets much higher temperatures. Hope it remains cool for the next 5 or so weeks. Some useful info posted above by TRR!!

TRR · 07-03-2014 5:30pm

Badda Bing wrote: »

Some useful info posted above by TRR!!

I was only having a bit of a laugh. I wouldn't read too much into those predictions. Weather models are only really any use a couple of days out. You are right though, temps are generally much higher. Hopefully they will stay cooler

rainbow kirby · 07-03-2014 5:34pm

It was 18c-ish on race day last year - warm for April but not excessive by any stretch of the imagination! We're forecast quite close to that this weekend...

RedRunner · 07-03-2014 5:40pm

rainbow kirby wrote: »

It was 18c-ish on race day last year - warm for April but not excessive by any stretch of the imagination! We're forecast quite close to that this weekend...

Jeez....I will sweat buckets if its 18c:eek: Lots of salt tabs will be packed!

Badda Bing · 07-03-2014 5:40pm

Seriously, temperatures of 18degC-ish could throw a major spanner into the works. Time to buy sweat bands and need some warm weather training to acclimatise!

PVincent · 07-03-2014 9:15pm

It was very sunny from early on last year and did get very muggy as you got into the office block areas. But that was unusual so rest easy. April is perfect for marathons. Best marathon in the world in London. Better than New York and Chicago.

menoscemo · 07-03-2014 9:17pm

I wouldn't be one for warm weather marathons but it definitely never got too hot last year; even coming from the irish winter I'd say the conditions were almost perfect.

village runner · 08-03-2014 3:58pm

Going to have to pull out of this one. Had nothing done for it as injured since Xmas. Such is life. Will do it nxt year though

Sharkey47 · 08-03-2014 8:54pm

village runner wrote: »

Going to have to pull out of this one. Had nothing done for it as injured since Xmas. Such is life. Will do it nxt year though

Hey VR, Thats very disappointing for you. I had been looking forward to meeting up with you in London. Hopefully your injury clears up soon. F

neilc · 09-03-2014 1:20am

Is it too soon for this!!

Username|Target time:|Actual Time:
neilc|<3:14:59|

Not sure by how much yet, but not expecting a PB which is 3:10:28. Next couple of weeks will tell a lot!

village runner · 09-03-2014 4:21am

Sharkey47 wrote: »

Hey VR, Thats very disappointing for you. I had been looking forward to meeting up with you in London. Hopefully your injury clears up soon. F

Such is life Fergal. We all know running and injuries go hand in hand. I haven't been helping myself in fairness. Plan is not to run for a month and come back fitter and stronger. Cologne and Dublin 6 weeks later has a nice appeal. Want to run a good Dublin this year. Its 7 years since I raced it. After pacing it a good few years for friends and for dcm I know it like the back of my hand. Hope your all set for a big pb

Sharkey47 · 09-03-2014 8:42am

village runner wrote: »

Such is life Fergal. We all know running and injuries go hand in hand. I haven't been helping myself in fairness. Plan is not to run for a month and come back fitter and stronger. Cologne and Dublin 6 weeks later has a nice appeal. Want to run a good Dublin this year. Its 7 years since I raced it. After pacing it a good few years for friends and for dcm I know it like the back of my hand. Hope your all set for a big pb

Unfortunately my own training came unstuck as well. I got a chest infection 3 weeks ago. No running for a full two weeks and I just returned to it this week very gently. We'll see how next few weeks goes before setting any revised targets. Worst case is I treat London as a long run and simply enjoy the experience. My plan is to do Berlin later in the year as well. Cologne was a good trip last year , I can see why you'd return.

pistol_75 · 09-03-2014 7:50pm

No vintage FA cup semi finals on anyway :-(

Gavlor · 09-03-2014 7:55pm

pistol_75 wrote: »

No vintage FA cup semi finals on anyway :-(

Tell me about it

Polster · 09-03-2014 10:30pm

Hi guys, should of had a look on here before. Live and work in London for years now. A proud yella belly. Running marathon for first time this year. Training going ok, nursing the old IT band a bit, but hopeful she will hold out till the end of this. Did the Silverstone half marathon last week which was great craic around the F1 track. Work in central London so been doing a bit of running up and down the river, compared to my runs out in the country side, the city runs are a lot easier, very flat as you'd expect. Been down supporting a few people over the years, always a super atmosphere. Looking forward to just getting it on now as although I usually enjoy running (destress, clear the head, all that buzz), the training has become a bit tedious, Cheltenham won't help my cause next week either, early runs and then few beers backing the horses.

Hope things are going well for everyone, sorry to see injuries have got the better of some. If I can help out with anything from this side, shout me no bother, be happy to help anyway I can.

pistol_75 · 10-03-2014 4:27pm

There seems to be a few doing the Balbriggan 1/2 on Paddy's morning as part of a longer run or PMP run. Not sure how I'm running it yet but being local to the area if anyone wants any info let me know.

If you want me to throw up a route for suggested easy miles let me know and I will put a link up. Maybe if some of us are in and around the same pace we can meet up beforehand and run the easy miles together?

Polster · 10-03-2014 4:33pm

Lads, need some advice.

I have never really done the whole nutrition and hydration thing while running. Have done 20m in training and didn't feel desperate for anything, have me grapes and maybe a banana before I go out. The weather has probably helped, as been mainly very cool to bloody freezing. Could I be doing damage without knowing it? And for the marathon, what would you recommend for ease of take during the race? On my half marathon I tried bottled stuff that they were giving out at spots, (same crowd as the marathon), and I seemed to feck me throat up for a few miles, coughing, so not keen on that again. Never tried gels or energy bars, so any advice for the actual marathon would be really appreciated.

robinph · 10-03-2014 5:09pm

Either carry on with the don't take anything but water system that you've been doing already, or try a few things out in some training runs.

Had a 20 mile race this weekend and if it hadn't been for people trying new things we'd have easily won the team prize. Three of the four who should have been running well all suffered in various ways either with trips to the bushes, blowing up or never having really practised drinking or eating while running and making a mess of it and themselves.

Don't try anything new on the day, and don't rely on there being anything other than water available on the course. But to carry a couple of gels isn't a major hardship. In training probably try taking one half way through an hours run a couple of times and be sure that nothing bad happens and that you can manage to get it down your throat OK. If not then you'll have to try something different, but it could just be one brand that disagrees with you.

London 2014

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