Paris Marathon 2013

Holey...    when NASA invented the Curiosity space buggy thing they were originally going to send it to Paris to gain data on the French.   However, this proved to be too expensive so they sent it to Mars instead....    Paris is not a cheap weekend away.. 

As for family...  Mrs DV and some friends have accompanied me to various events over the years, including Paris...   it largely depends on childcare arrangements.  Paris next year is different and will require a different logistical approach so it's highly unlikely she'll be coming.

Okay, I'm back in the country for more than 12 hrs and have caught up on all the goings on - fashion, binary, graphs, movies and newbies...oh yeah and as alsways some great running advice.  Will fill you in on my action packed week in Lanzarote (would thoroughly recommend it for mental fitness holidays!), once I've caught up on my sleep from Rome (GOOOOO THE ALLL BLACKS!).  Now back to this thing called work...oh and training hmmm...

Welcome to the newbies!  Keep in mind you all came out of the lurking depths willingly when it gets a little strange on here

I'm following My asics 4 runs weekly plan this time and I notice they've a max length LSR of 20 miles... I may extend a few of the LSRs... 504 miles (hopefully) 'til Paris. We'll have to see how the PF goes...

Weedy - you must really like wine gums!

Made a pleasing discovery that local sainsbury carries SiS gels, bars etc - in the pharmacy section! So, I don't have to get a weekday/weekend off to get my gels from Up and Running pre-race (still haven't mastered that ordering off t'internet thing...)

Life is good indeed.

Don't worry Tricky I'm built for speed and you for distance- I'll never get close to your marathon time, but if you stay fit long enough you certainly can. When you think how few years you've been running it's amazing what you've achieved. 

I was at the supermarket today and also started my collection of Xmas sweets (none of which will last until Xmas). There were boxes of chococates, tins, slabs and various multi packs. Half my shopping bill must have beem on sweets.     

  OO I don't feel so bad now.  In the last week I've eaten the Christmas biscuits and a box of Christmas chocolates.

As to why I started running...

When I was at school I was a decent sprinter - good enough for county trials - but didn't have the nouse to do anything other than sprint.  Even 400m was just an all out sprint then try and hold on.  800m or above were just a mystery to me so I just believed I couldn't run distances.

Roll forward to 2006 and I'd lost best part of 3st and wanted a new challenge.  Running seemed to fit the bill as it represented something I'd thought I couldn't do.  It seemed to go ok and a few weeks after starting I entered a 10k only to find it was actually 10 miles.  I finished the last open age male runner but was still really pleased with myself that I could 'do' running.

Since then I've become a little wiser and a little brisker but I still back myself everytime when it comes to the sprint finish.  I think that's where any talent lies, but I've worked out how to do a reasonable job of the distance bit that precedes it first!

Running...errr..Perimenopausal, I lost a lot of weight around 47 and a friend suggested running as a way to conserve bone density (? I think the jury's out on that one..) I thought she must be insane! Then I saw a 6k race, in Paris...'Friend told me that , if I did what she advised, it would be 6 weeks of Hell and after another 6 weeks I'd love it. I entered La Parisienne and bought my first pair of trainers. The Hellish 6 weeks were followed by many more. 3 months to a 5 k ( Glasgow Green )...where I thought I'd die at kilometre 2...but finishing that was such a thrill.And I got to Paris, month 7. It wasn't really about the running.10 years on, it's kind of mad fun.

And you get to meet such interesting people.....

* Consults dictionary. Is that the right word, now...*

ATM - I think the jury's in on exercise, not necessarily exercise as stressful as marathon running! Exercise/running's always good thing re: bones and avoidance of osteoporosis, weight management, blood pressure control, psychological well-being - I can't quote you the all-encompassing journal article but my patients (I suspect) are sick of hearing me preach the above...

I started running because I was broke and couldn't justify the expense of the gym any more, but didn't want to lose my hard earned (and at the time, decent) fitness.  Also, my lovely sister in law George is a runner and she inspired me.  I started with C25K and the rest is (slowly) history...

Lots of mistakes along the way but 2 years on I still love it.  One day I might even be good at it, but if I'm not it doesn't matter, it's one of the greatest joys in my life.

Holeymoley - welcome....and my 12 year old will be in Paris, along with my entourage....if you need childcare during the race then your child(ren) are welcome to join mine with my husband/aunty/uncle/brother/sis in law/stragglers and hangers on....

Iain - Does the journal cover the side affects? Taper madness, fetish wear shopping, lion attacks, porridge overdose, having 'I beat you' shouted at you in pubs, bizzare condiment usage with mac'n'cheese, knitting patterns and spreadsheetitus.

anyone gonna be at this ....?

http://www.runningshow.co.uk/

DV: not sure why I started running again. I did many years ago, but not anything longer than the occasional 10k. When I did restart a few years ago, I was sidelined by injuries all the time - primarily ITB. But I wanted to run. My eldest son is an excellent marathoner (age 17 debut marathon 3.02. Now 20 yr old) and I wanted to understand why he ran so much - 70-100 mile weeks. So I read "Born to Run" thinking that would explain it. Of course it did not (I had no idea what the book was about when I bought it) - but it introduced me to minamilism - and I gave it a try. I was running 3-5 miles at a time, when I made the mistake of voicing aloud "I think I'll run a marathon". Once out, it's out (I made the same mistake about learning to ride a unicycle). And like many, I thought one would be enough. It wasn't.

RR: I don't know if men run for weight control. I don't, as I think diet controls weight, excercise controls overall health. I changed my diet to lose weight. I run because it's fun and it keeps me healthier (I think)

Here I am before:

 and here I (and family) am now - and feel a million times better. About 10 years and 100 pounds between pictures

Holeymoley - My kidz will be in Paris too, 13yr adn 10 yr old girls. As for treadmill running, last winter I had to do lots for basically the same reason as you and the horrendous weather we had. Not to be recommended for 75% of a training programme but one run a week will be fine( think I am going to be doing the same on a Saturday.)

I have been running now for 2 and a half years. My reason, I was 6.5 stone and being threatened with tube feeding as I could hardly walk, sitting was painful, lying in bed soooo sore......One night I announced to everyone that I was going to run a marathon, needless to say this was met with shocked face and ones that said yeah right........and so the journey began.........now 4 years on I have ran 3!!! But now need to lose 1-1.5 stones!!! (I am now crying)

Great stories Kaz and Dannir- weight lose must be a common reason to strart running. I started running at school to avoid having to play cricket- never been much good at team games.