Phase 1 of the Flora London Marathon 2009 online entry ballot has now closed

[El Gordo]

Dan -- great to hear from you again, and thanks for all the kind comments which I'm sure I don't deserve.

Anyway, as I've just mentioned in a mail to Ash and Nigel. I've entered the FLM ballot, and will aim to get a charity place if I fail. I also have a few other targets for this year but I need to be cautious as I've made a fool of myself so often in the past about plans unfulfilled. I've not always been to blame, but usually I have.

I'm going to restart the runnningcommentary.net part of the site, and will aim to post something later today. I can only apologise for mucking people about so much over the past year. I thought some of the other ideas were fine at the time but they don't seem to have worked out.

Cheers.

EG

[marathondan]

The fact that smoking so badly affects the lungs makes it pretty much the leading contender for the title of the Anti-Runner.

My point is that - at least during aerobic activity - alcohol is a performance-reducing drug, albeit much less so than tobacco. I guess that had the aforementioned puffing perambulators been supping pints, we'd have been just as outraged.

But overall, I concede this one to you Sweder. Smoking is not a good thing, and it has no place on a marathon course.

[marathondan]

Anyway, as I've just mentioned in a mail to Ash and Nigel. I've entered the FLM ballot, and will aim to get a charity place if I fail. I also have a few other targets for this year but I need to be cautious as I've made a fool of myself so often in the past about plans unfulfilled.

Not a bad target, considering a few posts ago it looked like you were about to hang up your runners! Great news! (Assuming you're doing it because you want to and not because you ought to - although having said that, on the daily level, running fulfilment comes from dedication to the task, so why not at the long term level as well?)

Incidentally, I'm thinking of making my next target Robin Hood 2009 (I'm a forward planner...) - no ballot entry, no winter training, big race atmosphere[?]. Does anyone have experience of it?

[El Gordo]

Not a bad target, considering a few posts ago it looked like you were about to hang up your runners! Great news! (Assuming you're doing it because you want to and not because you ought to - although having said that, on the daily level, running fulfilment comes from dedication to the task, so why not at the long term level as well?)

Incidentally, I'm thinking of making my next target Robin Hood 2009 (I'm a forward planner...) - no ballot entry, no winter training, big race atmosphere[?]. Does anyone have experience of it?

Interesting coincidence re RH marathon, as I'm hoping to do the half this year. I'm up that way quite often with my job, and fancy getting a runner's view of the city. Never done it before though.

The RW race-review-by-runners thing seems pretty positive. Like a lot of races where you can stop halfway or continue, the second half of the marathon is said be a relatively lonely affair as most of the runners are just there for the half. There's a long stretch around a lake which sounds quite pleasant, if a little windy. Check out RW.

If you, or anyone else, fancies the half this year as a sort of reconnaissance mission, let me know.

[stillwaddler]

Got Mr SW registered yesterday morning at 9am - looks like it might be club meet :-)

EG delighted you are to resume running again, it is after all the best method of achieving a reasonable level of fitness in the shortest possible time, you'd have to spend at least four times as long pedal bashing to get to a similar level on a bike.

The rehydration possiblilities can be endless fun too.

[marathondan]

If you, or anyone else, fancies the half this year as a sort of reconnaissance mission, let me know.

Not me this year... baby due a couple of weeks before

[Sweder]

Not me this year... baby due a couple of weeks before

You found out what causes that yet MD?
Great news.

[marathondan]

You found out what causes that yet MD?

I believe it's a side effect of not going out training...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I believe it's a side effect of not going out training...

If that were true I'd have about a dozen kids by now.

[marathondan]

Amid the post-Brighton glow, I just got this less positive email from VLM:

-----Original Message-----
From: no-reply-ballot@virginlondonmarathon.com
Sent: 19 April 2010 10:16
Subject: 2011 Virgin London Marathon - Priority Online Ballot Entry Scheme

In the past, the London Marathon has been able to offer a guaranteed race entry to runners after 5 consecutive unsuccessful ballot applications.

Unfortunately, due to the incredible growth in numbers of applicants, we have decided that we cannot continue to operate this system in future.

However, we acknowledge that it would be unfair to remove this well established system without notice so instead, we have decided on a phased withdrawal of the system over the next few marathons by introducing a Priority Online Ballot Entry Scheme for the benefit of all previous applicants with at least 2 rejected ballot entry applications in 2009 and 2010.

Our records show that you have made 4 consecutive unsuccessful applications and as a result we are offering you the opportunity to maintain your record of consecutive applications in the ballot by following the link from this special invitation email to the Priority Online Ballot Entry System and completing your registration in advance of the main public ballot, which opens on Tuesday 4th May.

The username and password provided below are exclusively for your use and cannot be used by anyone else.

You will retain your place in the Priority Online Ballot Entry Scheme until you either obtain a place in the race through the ballot entry process in the normal way, or you qualify under the 'five times consecutively rejected' rule highlighted above, whichever comes first.

In addition, in order to remain in the Priority Online Ballot Entry Scheme you must keep us updated with any change in your email address so that we can be sure that we can contact you in subsequent years until the scheme finally closes.

Lastly, please note that you must complete your priority application by 5pm on Friday, 30th April 2010 otherwise you will lose your place in the Priority Online Ballot Entry Scheme. You will still be able to apply through the main public ballot for the 2011 race which opens on Tuesday 4th May but you lose your rights outlined above.

Not a great surprise, I suppose. Fortunately I have been diligently putting in my entries every year, and am due for a guaranteed entry in 2012, the Olympic year. But any thoughts of getting in automatically every five years will now be a thing of the past.

This article today suggests that London's monopoly on mass-participation marathons may be challenged.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Not a great surprise, I suppose. Fortunately I have been diligently putting in my entries every year, and am due for a guaranteed entry in 2012, the Olympic year. But any thoughts of getting in automatically every five years will now be a thing of the past.

Not a great surprise I suppose, as you say Dan. But wow, I hope you do run the 2012 - what a fantastic year to run it!

But erm, of course, you'd have to do something truly outrageous to stand out among the crowd of gorillas...

[Sweder]

I say stuff 'em. There's plenty more fish in the running sea.
London is tough to run due to the mahoosive numbers. I certain will not be extending my wait to kiss David Bedford's arse beyond this year's failed attempt.

I think that Gorilla needs a new drug. London to Brighton anyone?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I say stuff 'em. There's plenty more fish in the running sea.
London is tough to run due to the mahoosive numbers. I certain will not be extending my wait to kiss David Bedford's arse beyond this year's failed attempt.

Really? What brought this on? Considering your loud, enthusiastic support of this event in recent years as a vehicle for JDRF fundraising, I have to say I'm rather shocked by this abrupt change of view.

What's David gone and done to you then?

[marathondan]

I say stuff 'em. There's plenty more fish in the running sea.
London is tough to run due to the mahoosive numbers. I certain will not be extending my wait to kiss David Bedford's arse beyond this year's failed attempt.

I think that Gorilla needs a new drug. London to Brighton anyone?

I think the fact that I choose not to "bequeath" my £35 or so each year in exchange for an increasingly unexclusive windcheater makes the pantomime a little more palatable.

To put it another way: I can imagine that kissing Dave Bedford's arse leaves a nasty taste in the mouth if you have to pay for the privelige.

But surely a chance to run London in the Olympic year is worth another round of grovelling? Something to tell the grandkids, etc.

I'm all for another shot at Brighton next year, once my quads and my wife have recovered from this year (assuming the entries aren't full already...).

If you're seriously talking ultra Sweder, I'm not sure I'm in that league yet...

[Sweder]

Ignore my rantings MLCMan. The last thing I wish to appear is ungrateful. I see things from the inside and trust me, there's a huge amount of puckering required to maintain one's place in the LM pecking order. LM provides charities with an excellent opportunity to boost revenues, end of. For that I and my colleagues at JDRF are undoubtably very grateful indeed.

I've had the luxury of running London on three consecutive occasions. It remains one of the most incredible experiences of my life, yet since moving on to other races I've come to realise it's a bit of a rat-run. That goes for Paris and probably a few other large City marathons besides. For anyone who's not been lucky enough to have taken part this sounds churlish, but I've come to value having time - and room - to really enjoy a race.

On another (related) matter I was most upset to observe a rather rotund couple walking through halfway last year sharing a fag. I'm sorry if this sounds 'elitist' but I have no time for it. I favour a cut-off (and here we're on a slippery slope as I know there are those who would argue this should be faster than I can run), and if pushed on it I'd say 6 hours. Therefore if you plan to walk the course you'll have to be honest and walk it at a fair old lick. If you want to walk to raise money for charity fair play to you; do a sponsored walk. Don't enter a running race, fight your way towards the front of the start and then clog up an already congested course.

Each to his own. If I've run my last London - or Paris - c'est la vie.

ps: If I appear unusually irrascible I apologise. It may have something to do with being held personally reponsible for the continuing sooty output of a certain Icelandic volcano by several blunt-headed, irate customers. Bears and sore heads, etc and so forth.

[Sweder]

If you're seriously talking ultra Sweder, I'm not sure I'm in that league yet...

Trust me, any man who can run a marathon in a monkey mask in 20 degree heat in under five hours can run an Ultra. Your time was almost the same as mine in Connemara for the first 26.2 and I didn't have the hinderance of all that facial hair.

I'm with you on the 2012 London thing Dan - there's something very special about running through London in Olympic year. Perhaps I will apply after all (this time would be my fourth consecutive application, sixth over all, without result). I've bequeathed the last four times and considering the quality of the 'bad luck' jacket received last time may do so again.

Brighton looks like a 'must do' too, though I intend to sign up for Connemara again next year, so I'll have to, urm, check the dates carefully this time

[marathondan]

Yes, having said that, Connemara for the 26.2 does look worthy of consideration for next year (although I fear I would miss my crowd support ego-trip).

BTW the Brighton website said the temperature was "A chilly 5C at the start, rising to 15C at midday".... yeah right!