Hamburger Feast

[Nigel]

I wanted to say how much I greatly enjoyed your report, Andy. A real reminder of the experience of running 26.2 miles, and you capture the emotions very well.

It made me think a lot about the marathons I have run, the depth of the feelings along the way, and the impact they have had on me since. Many thanks for that. Each race is so much more than a distance measured along the road.


Your report did underline the huge difference between running a marathon, and running a marathon for a time. The first is fun, and the second can become very much more of a frantic affair. I think that what you experienced late in the race is very much the result of that faster first half.

That's not to say perhaps that it can't be done, to run all the way at pace, but it certainly requires a completely different level of concentration, and there is a lot less freedom and inclination to smell the flowers along the way. It is quite amazing how much difference it really does make, running just a few seconds a mile faster. Above all, it transforms the character of those last ever-lengthening miles.

I'm pleased I followed all that advice and ran my first marathon for the experience, and not for the time. Having experienced the tougher end of the marathon several times since, I doubt very much if I'd ever have run another if it had been so tough the first go around.

Well done for signing up at Loch Ness. No doubt another monster marathon journey in the making..... and I'm looking forward to reading about it already.

[El Gordo]

Thanks Nigel - are you saying that you don't think you should try to run even-paced miles if you're going for a particular time?

[Nigel]

My thought was that running for a particular time makes for a much harder race. It's a small thought, but it covers a gulf of experience.

As for the best way of achieving a time - you'll have to ask me another, since I haven't worked out the answer to that particular part of the puzzle yet. Most runners seem to slow down at the end. Maybe only four or five minutes between the first and second half, but if you start exactly on target pace, you may well just miss your target by precisely that amount. On the other hand, if you start just a little too fast, it'll cost you even more later on.

It's a fine line to tread, especially since you often need to allow for a slowish start, whilst you warm up and to cope with congested early miles. Here is a pace chart which allows for both of these, and some slowing towards the end. I've used this chart, twice, and haven't made it work yet. But the first half of the race went like clockwork both times (sigh). I haven't found a better one.

http://www.twincitiesmarathon.org/Marath...Charts.cfm

[stillwaddler]

It was well worth waiting for, I have been quite anxious about you, even wondered if maybe the Hamburg Experience had been so awful that you had given up running.

Have you relegated your old shoes to gardening duty now? Do you think your 2nd half problems were exacerbated by their condition? I hope you haven't been left with any lingering injury.

I toyed with the idea of the Loch Ness but one look at the elelvation profile put me off somewhat!! I have a feeling my legs may only have one marathon in them and I would really like it to be the London - lots of family ties down there.

Wish me luck, the Great Manchester run is hovering closer and my old legs feel absolutely leaden at the moment. Mind you, no chance of getting a personal best - far too many people!!

[El Gordo]

I thought that even pacing was the ususal recommendation. We are always warned against starting too fast, and the idea of starting slower than average pace and speeding up as the race goes on seems like a risky (and physically difficult) strategy. What I actually ended up doing was alighting on a pace that would get me round in about 4:45, leaving me (I thought) an ample cushion should I slow down.

It didn't work.

[El Gordo]

Have you relegated your old shoes to gardening duty now? Do you think your 2nd half problems were exacerbated by their condition? I hope you haven't been left with any lingering injury.

Hi SW.

They weren't in absolute tip-top condition, and definitely seemed a bit less bouncy than I'd have liked, but no, I can't blame my shoes - much as I'd like to.

Loch Ness has one nasty hill at mile 5, and another even bigger one at Mile 18, but apart from that it's not too bad really.

Good luck for Manchester. Do let us know how it goes.

[Sweder]

I agree with Nigel on the time srategy thing. I'd harboured secret hopes of a sub 4 run in London but that went out the window when I saw we were in for a warm one. I think had I really gone for it I'd have fallen far shorter than I did in the end. I got to half way bang on 4 hour pace but took the view that in the conditions going for it would have meant possible failure to finish at all. As it was I relaxed, ran easily and lost a paltry 6 minutes.

Andy faced a similar pivotal moment when the concrete in his legs and hips started to set a couple of hours earlier than expected. The thing is, when most people competing in other sports would have stopped, Andy forced himself on, defying the danger signals flodding his brain to finish and in a PB to boot. Thus the madness of marathon running is defined.

We each create our own psychological Marathon Maze. Despite becoming hopelessly lost at some stage we always seem to find the exit, albeit not by the originally carefully plotted course.

I'm not well versed in training plans or running schedules for the big day - I do know that if I train a little harder than I did this time, maintain the trackwork, run an extra session in the week or build in some hill reps, pay more attention to diet and stretching post run I will find those 6 minutes.

[Nigel]

Eh ? I thought that London 2005 was your last marathon, Sweder ;-)

[Sweder]

That was my last London Marathon old chap . . . may be a bone of contention down the line, but who could give this madness up without therapy?

[Peterward2]

Andy

New as I am to running. I think the sub-five is on its way for to you. One of the lads at rugby ran this year in just over 5 hours but somehow got a negative split for his second half. I find that a bit harrowing...I have just run 13.1 Miles and I am going to run the next 13.1 miles even faster! I get dizzy just thinking about it.

Also you get a real sense of the emotional highs and lows that you go through and the idea that the marathon is a culmination of a lot of hard work in training (which of course is fun as well!). Also the preparations in terms of kit you bring with you and use is invaluable to us first timers/newbies.

I think there is a book in there somewhere (seriously good writing!) and a self help book about obssessive compulsive marathon running. In all honesty I really enjoy reading your entries and am currently reading from the beginning up to now.

I know you will get the sub-5 Andy. Play offs for the Rs next year so be careful about race entries in May ;-).

Have a nice weekend.

Pete

[El Gordo]

Thanks Peter.

It might take you a while to read the whole lot. I turned it into one long Word document last year when I was trying (yet again) to get into my book project, and it was about 350,000 words. Must be well over 400,000 now. The average novel is 80-100,000, I'm told.

Let's hope you're right about the play-offs, though I don't know if my nerves could stand another play-off final. After the last Cardiff disappointment I stopped running for about a month. Terrible.

Nigel The Hammer is going through it at the moment.

[Riazor Blue]

I seriously enjoyed your report Andy, you definately captured the race. I know how it is to have the drunks in the room next door aswell, In Madrid two years ago at 4 in the morning I was awoked with *Slap* "Ouch.. oh ja" *Slap* "Ouch.. otra, ooohh". Funnily enough it was some German guy being beaten. I didn't get to see who it was in the morning though.

Regarding pacing, it's a toughie. In reality there's no way of knowing how the body will react on the day. I think that is the main problem with training programmes and schedules, short of having your own personal coach, the schedules are too general. I haven't sussed it out yet and still have no pacing strategy for Toral. I tried pacing myself in a few shorter races and find that it ends up unnatural and my body wants to find it's own pace. I think that the best way to go is to pace oneself for the most cautious time possible, and then try to speed up at the end if there is anything left.