Edinburgh Marathon

Hi Bburn plodder - no, haven't done the 10k - I was going to do it last year but training wasn't going well and couldn't face Buncer Lane!  I used to walk home from school that way (many moons ago!) and it was always exhausting.

 Just to let those of you without bus passes know, there are city buses that will get you back to the centre - I used them last year after the HM and plan on doing it again this year. 

I currently have no idea what time I am going to be able to do - my best HM time was 1hr 46m but I was much fitter then.  I need to get my weekend mileage up but stuff keeps getting in the way!   I want to try and break 4 hours so we shall see!

Is anyone planning on doing training races?  I was thinking of doing the HM in April, 5 weeks before the marathon.  Not sure if this is too close though - any opinions?

Caz...good luck with your 10miler this weekend. The good things about half maras is that you can treat it as a LSR but with drinks provided, saves you carrying water around with you.

Kate...thanks for that about the buses. I have paid the £3 for the return bus but if i dont use it then i am not bothered about losing the money, all depends where the after party is. Shall we put you down on the list for 3.59 then.
Doing a half mara on the 5th april is fine, you will still have about 7 weeks training to do by then and bigger LSRs.

*looks sheepish*  I take my donut bottle with me when running a half, I only take the tiniest of sips so its more convenient to have it with me, that way when I need a sippy I can have a sippy.... Although I am working on taking onboard more liquid as I think that contributes to me flagging in the last 2 miles of a half... Gotta get used to a water belt too... My boss bought me one for my birthday, we ordered a Small as that seemed the right size by the description but its really really SMALL... Suppose on the plus side it wont move about LOL.

I've got tickets for the return bus and spectator tickets for my in-laws just in case...

Kate I'm planning on doing a half 4 weeks before and treating it as a training run... So you should be OK, just jiggle your plan about so you'd be doing a 13mile LSR that week rather than an 18 or something.

hi bburn plodder yeah i think our half times were about the same im anywhere around 2hr 5 to 2hr 10

my pb is 2hr 2mins 2 secs

ive got a half on sunday but its hillier than my last one, so just beating last years time will be ok with me. not sure how the extra hour in bed will effect me either .

Hi Angela, I thought so, I range from 2.05 to 1.59.

I was thinking of doing the Liverpool half on 28th March, other than that, nothing planned (except Wesham 10k in November.). I did Liverpool this year as my first ever half, so I'd like to do it again, it would be an interesting comparison.

 I just recently got a Camel Back belt, and once I'd got used to it, it's great. Aswell as the water bottle, it's got lots of little pockets, one for phone, one for sweeties etc.

I must admit though, I only use it on runs over 10 miles (or a bit less if I'm running with a hangover on a Sunday morning).

im doing the kilomathon in march nottingham to derby 26.2 kms so should help with the training.

looking at a few halfs but nothing planned for next year yet

Hmmm... trying to work out an estimate for my first marathon........  hoping to be a bit fitter than a recent halfer - which was 1hr 55m....... what should I be looking at  as a reasonable pb ... double it plus a bit a bit more added on .... 4.15 ? Any suggestions.... ? Got the Wilmslow halfer at the end of March as a benchmark...

I am rubbish at hydrating properly, in fact Mr CS is constantly nagging me about it... I've tried doing this drinking more in the days before malarky and it just seems to make me need the loo a LOT.  I have I think its the smallest donut which holds 250ml or there abouts and I'll maybe drink 75ml whilst running and then neck the rest of the bottle when I'm done swiftly followed up now by a ForGoodnessShake (they are brilliant btw).  I've not tried gels but I do like the odd jelly baby, usually have one about 7miles then another at 9 and 11.  I tried those lucozade body fuel tablets on last Saturdays run, it was only 9miles but I thought it better to try them when I've not got so far to go and I actually managed to pick it up in the last mile.

I'm doing the Scottish Kilomathon Angela, have signed Mr CS up for it too...being the lovely wife that I am.

i was thinking about the camel back for when my mileage goes up - i can't carry a bottle and need sweeties too.   anyone got an opinion of waist vs backpack?

yes, please put me down for 3.59 - it gives me something to aim for!  that's what i put on my application too so i should be in that 'pack' on the starting line.

thanks for the advice about the HM - think i will do that so i can get an idea of how my training is going.  although by that time it will be a bit late for anything drastic! 

My Camel Back is a waist one, and it's really comfy. I tried on both at Sweat Shop, but I wasn't keen on the backpack one, I thought it might jig about a bit too much, and make my back sweaty. 

It's even more comfy now that I realise I was wearing it back to front for weeks , Mr Plodder did say I looked like I was trying to be Lara Croft (I wish!!), turns out you're supposed to have the drink at the back. Whoops!

It was at the GNR when I realised , not too many people to witness my embarrassment then !!!!

2.30hrs
R-Dave - 2.50

3.00hrs

3.30hrs
Beavis - 3.45
Gold Pig - 3.59
RunningKate - 3.59

4.00hrs
DeeDee24 - 4.15

4.30hrs
Angela Gill2 - 4.31
Bburn Plodder - 4.31 

5.00hrs
CazSoul

Fame at last!!!

It would probably be the only time I'd ever get on the tele for running

Nothing like a big running faux pas to get people posting eh? Never mind bburn plodder It's better when people don't conform to the rules!!!!

Caz Soul I'm a big fan of gels but found it's a trial and error thing. I can't follow the recommended use of them without feeling ill and I suspect they recommend you shovel them down to sell more. I usually have one around 11 miles and again around 20 miles or just one at around 7-8 miles in a HM. Some are very sickly (Lucozade) but I prefer the SIS blackcurrant flavour (tropical tastes a bit manky). It's fairly easy to get down.

Big fan of Jelly babies too and was devasted when they all fell out of my pocket at mile 6 in Berlin.

On the after run shakes I love choco FGS. Even better if you get it in the freezer before a long run and have it as a thick shake or almost ice cream by the time you are done. A great reward after a long run!

i gonna try some gels out on some LSR

only tasted a bit of a lucozade one and was mank

will look at the others