Manchester Marathon Oct 2021

FinnC

Well my 15 week training plan started yesterday. How’s everyone doing?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060004#Comment_120060004

Completed week 4 today. Averaging 29km per week at the moment. All going well so far

6weeks training completed. 12 more to go.

16km Long run today, was the first one that felt a bit like an actual long run. Distances are starting to ramp up a bit. Covered 43Km this week.

Really enjoying the training at the moment

2 months to go. Hope training is going well for everyone. Very happy so far. Completed 5 runs a week for the past 9 weeks.

Have a 2hr long run coming up this weekend. More worried about the tempo run I have tonight though.

The official website is a bit, eh, crap, isn't it. Dont even know what time the marathon starts at :D

FinnC

After a shaky start training is going great so far for me. Might even be thinking about going for a PB which I would never have imagined at the start of the year.

Have my head in a good place right now which is half the battle.

whatnext

Between a dose of Covid, a bad head cold and now a bit of a niggle I’m going from bad to worse. Way behind where I wanted to be. If I can get the next month in uninterrupted I’ll be fine, I hope, but having only run 150kms this year to date it’s going to be tough.

Hows the training going for everyone?

I had a 30km at the weekend, and it was a nightmare. No clue why it went so bad, but my legs just never felt interested. Slogged through to the end, but that was the first "bad" training run I've had during the whole training block.

Going to get out this evening for a gentle jog, and see how the legs feel

Heavy legs and dead shoes. Crossed 512k for the year after today.

FinnC

Training going very well. I’ve decided I’m going all out for a Pb. Hoping for around 2:45

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366558#Comment_120366558

Good stuff. Best of luck.

My last 2 weeks have felt off, and had me worried about hitting a pb.

But then my long run yesterday felt fine. It's definitely knocked my confidence for the race. Anyway, I'll just keep following my plan, and fingers crossed it all goes to plan on the day

Don't care about time for this one. Just want to enjoy. Final 20 miler this weekend and then taper time.

whatnext

Number Collection

Address: Holiday Inn Manchester, 25 Aytoun Street, Manchester, M1 3DT

Time: Pack Collection will be open from 9am – 5pm

Glencarraig

For those who are running Manchester for the first time there is a very nasty little climb between 16 & 17 miles as you go in and out of Altringham and a long drag back up the dual carriageway you ran down to get to Altringham.........just saying !!!!!!

My number arrived yesterday (live in Manchester)

Longest Long Run is over and done with. Starting to get excited now.

Do people have any plans while in Manchester?

Arrive early on the Saturday myself. Hoping to go for a gentle shake out run, eat some pizza, and get a good nights sleep.

Must look into somewhere to eat on the Sunday afternoon. Would love a massive steak and bottle of wine. Probably fall asleep then :D

whatnext

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120406569#Comment_120406569

Did my final long run last night, it wasnt great. taper now, might do a couple of 10 mile jogs and a few 10ks to keep things ticking over.

I get in early on Saturday too. plan is to get the train in pick up my number, do some food / snack shopping, get a good lunch in town. then get to my hotel (out of town) lay out my gear. short jog around 5pm, a big feed of pasta some where and be in bed for eight and hopefully sleep. NB we had a nighmare in town last year looking for a pasta feed. everywhere was booked out and it was only 5pm ish. One place eventually, very kindly did us a take away dish which be ate back in our hotel.

As for post marathon, steak, chips etc back at the hotel and into town for pints, and lots of them, followed by a curry no doubt.

FinnC

I’ll be going with my traditional burger and chips the night before the Marathon 😂 I don’t buy into the notion of having to have Pasta.

Sug pasta kitchen or sparrows for carb loading. Think I'll do a ramen with extra noodles.

Akbar's is alright for curry. Hawksmoor for steak. I prefer the rice n three curry houses.

Plenty of beer options. I like the crafty stuff so will end up in a taproom

whatnext

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120419312#Comment_120419312

If it ain’t broken don’t fix it.

joe__c

Hey, running Manchester for the first time this year, almost ready to go! I'm targeting under 4:30, but am in a wave where the closest pacer is 4:45, wonder if anyone has any advice on whether it's better to stick with the pacing group for part of the race before leaving them - or to just run at my steady 4:30 pace alone? Cheers!

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433559#Comment_120433559

Just run your pace, Manchester is a huge Marathon so there will be plenty to run with(at your pace) once you get through the first couple of miles.

FinnC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433559#Comment_120433559

You could just try and get into the wave that has the 4:30 pacer? Apparently it’s not too hard to do so. Just wear and old jumper so they don’t see your number. Have read that no one really checks anyways.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433730#Comment_120433730

The wave release pen last year was about a mile away from the start and only a few bib checkers, looked like a good few people were hoping a low wall to the right and just avoiding the checks so ye, that's another good option.

joe__c

Cheers, there's a 20min difference between my wave and the ideal one, might just head a long in plenty of time and see if it's fairly relaxed! Second real world marathon after two virtual ones, so having the pacing group would be great. I'll take all the help I can get! Best of luck to anyone else heading over

Naked Lepper

Have run MCR twice , you’ll be well able to just wander into the earlier wave

FinnC

Have been floored with a head cold this week that I can’t shake.

At least it’s this week I have it and not next I suppose.

whatnext

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120433559#Comment_120433559

I've just seen I have been allocated to a wave with pacers 25mins slower than I am targeting. I'll be moving up at least one wave, whether allowed or not..........

Really looking forward to this now. Training has gone really well, so as long as things go normally on the day, I will hopefully pb.

In taper mode now basically. Six training runs remaining, including my last long run this weekend of 16km, but that's going to be nice and controlled.

Happy Race week everyone.

4 days to go. 25min run tomorrow, 15 minute run on Friday, gentle shake out on Saturday, marathon Sunday. Going to be wonderful

Best of luck everyone on Sunday. See you all there