Amsterdam Marathon 2012

Cymraeg Ace - 17 minutes is awesome going.

Simon - Agree on the loos situation. Didn't realise going to the toilet was a spectator sport in Amsterdam. Was half expecting the crowd to give a big cheer when I'd finished. I've signed up for Paris and Edinburgh. I reckon there's a decent enough gap between them.

Kaz - hang in there.

Simon MacD wrote (see)

And a lasting memory from Amsterdam will be having a pee in one of those open air trough thingys, in front of the packed stand in the Olympic Stadium. Bizarre!

You think that was bizarre ? You should have experienced the mens` showers in the Sporthallen Zuid.

There was a large changing area adjacent to an open plan shower area - no cubicles just nozzles on the wall. So, having shed your clothes you cross 5-6 feet from the changing area to the showers.

All very nice, you`re thinking. But - the organisers had thoughtfully installed a ladies` loo in the changing area. There was a large queue of women standing in the changing area (and right out into the corridor), waiting to get into  the (single) loo. It was therefore necessary to strip off in front of the lot of them, thread your way through the crowd and then shower under their admittedly disinterested eyes.

Funnily enough, after the initial British embarassment, you kind of forgot they were there !

@H - Where are you living? I'm in Belgium but used to be in Germany and after some initial wearyness - being nude doesnt bother me anymore!

H. wrote (see)

It's never Jonny Depp with his meat and two veg out either is it!!?

Not in my case I`m afraid !

I did N.Y. a few years ago. At the start we men were all peeing merrily away into the bushe - no one seemed to mind. When women started to do the same - assorted marshalls and police officers got quite unpleasant and started trying to stop them. Pretty unfair I thought. At least there was none of that in Holland.

H. wrote (see)

If you think going for a pee in the stadium is something.... wait for Berlin and women squatting in the middle of the street.

Sounds like Newcastle on a Saturday night. Last year I did the Rhode Island half marathon (fab course and event if you ever get the chance to do it - free pizza, bagels, beer and pizza at the end, none of this half a banana and a cup of water nonsense). Course goes along a place locals call Millionaire's Row, dozens of houses you only dream of living in. All the men were jumping over their fences into their gardens for wees.

Was awesome. I was touring New England and co-incidentally happened to be there the day it was taking place. Was on Newport island, with a marathon at the same time, and hugged the coast for most of it. Started with about 2,000 Americans singing their national anthem, and one Brit going "oh say can you see, la la, la la, I don't know the rest". Spent more time stuffing my face at the buffet at the finish than I did on the course

Must admit I must be rather teutonic in my attitudes.  Or French.  Doesn't bother me in the slightest having a slash anywhere.  There's no rules on race day.  Or during LSRs

H. wrote (see)

I also just refound this classic for all the ginger ninjas...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DKVN_0qvuhhw

Genius. You might just have found the GNMC anthem there.

Here is another tune that was played at or just after the start in Amsterdam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSYxT9GM0fQ

Maybe a bit late to comment about the race but I finished in 3.42.48 which was exactly 18 minutes better than in Stockholm in June (4.00.48). As my goal was sub 4 I am more than satisfied with the result. 

For next year I have registered for Paris and Berlin and plan to do one of the marathons, C42 or K42, in the Swiss Alpine next summer. Add the Stockholm and Gothenburgh half marathons to that and my racing plans for 2013 are more or less made up already.

However, in two weeks time I will be in Newcastle and I just found out about this event called Parkrun. I´m thinking about doing that one on saturday morning to finish the season. It all depends on if I can squeeze my running kit into my cabin luggage (travelling with Ryanair)...

SS - 18 minutes off is another amazing performance, you must be chuffed to bits. That's you me and Cwmraeg Ace demolishing our targets and loads of us getting PBs. What were they putting in the water out there?