Paris Marathon 2013

Ugh.  That is all.  Ankle deep slushy puddles, numb feet, sleet in the face...but 14 miles done. 

Eggy, you're really having a bad time of it at the moment...hope you're taking it easy today

Weedy that's ace.  The polite version of the Get It Right Up You way to the front of the Expo queue...

yer_maj - Great running in those conditions. You seem to be putting in some seriously good mileage.

SP13 wrote (see)

Christ - I just checked my passport. Ten years just flies by when you're having fun. Fee for a new passport? £140-odd quid with return postage. At the risk of sounding like Victor Meldrew... I don't believe it!

Good job I checked though!

Just off to check my passport........

My passport gives me the horrors every time I look at it, frankly...

Eggy - aye, I'm so relieved that my osteopath is keeping the show on the road that I'm just taking it one day at a time...but right here, right now it's going ok.  I never in a million years thought I'd cope with P&D for this one but having been gently broken in by the Demon Tricky Plan in the summer I was primed for higher mileage.  Trying to not get too hung up on what was my dream goal time as I think I missed too much at the beginning to achieve that now. 

Been too long since I read through this post, have had a read of the last few dozen pages...made me realise my long runs aren't really long yet!

I ended up taking off the whole of December to let my tendon heal and it seems to have worked pretty well, feels so good to be back out on the road. The last few days I've stuck to the treadmill due to weather, but I'm thinking I'll brave it outside today, can't be that bad! Currently doing 7-9 miles four times a week with a longer run at the weekend (last one was 11.5, although I'm hoping to pick this up a bit from this week). Discovered bits of town I never knew about avoiding the trails I usually take, been quite nice.

Good to see other people complaining of injury when I last logged in (mid-Dember, I recon) appear to be back on it.

12k tiptoe-ing gingerly on icy farm roads. Probably 8 junk miles but I did see a lovely sunset...errr..before 4.30...The fields are lightly covered in snow..all very * culture- alert* Bruegel..I had to look up the spelling but I 've got the right guy...And there was enough blue in the sky to make me think...Spring!

Welcome back, Daddsy. You've missed nuthin'. The Injury Bench is getting lighter but it's not empty, yet.

'Surgery just phoned to say Certificate is ready for collection. Yeah!

RR - it's one that the ridiculously young looking weather man on BBC Wales didn't tell us about...

This blizzard had passed everything going, let me tell you.  Including Siberia.  I've just had to get in the bath to warm out...*don't panic, I'm out now and I have clothes on.  The integrity of the forum has not been breached*

Dan- It's a dastardly French plot to nobble the British contingent of marathoners 

Peter - funny!   These forums need a "like" button

Yer_Maj "Dream Goal Time".  I would have thought that was still some years away. A friend said that he felt he got the hang of running marathons after the first 15. Your next marathon is just 'the next marathon' and you are much more likely to realise an ultimate goal with more experience and training behind you.  It's much better to see the next race as a stepping stone on the way.  I did 5 o r6 maras before going sub3 (my main goal) on the 6th or 7th (can't remember now). And I went faster again on the 8th and 10th, so don't panic.

Beasted myself for an hour on an indoor bike yesterday. Never seen so much sweat fall out of me. Could barely keep my eyes open.

Good news for people interested in the "In The Long Run" summer event. I'll be sending out the brochure and application form tonight. Bratislava to Brussels run in July, 1.250kms.

words of wisdom from Tricky again, training  seems easier this time around, I would describe myself as a lazy beginner destined for the pink pen of life, but I seem to be better prepared this time around, I think the issue last year was the fear of the unknown - my body knows what a  20 training run feels like and knows it can do it,  and I know it will be here soon - but I survived it the last time and I know I will survive it again... but not for a while yet

Dannirr wrote (see)

DV - Tunbrige Wellsmade the news here today. Sulphur smell making people ill. Hope you are all ok.

I heard that too, but haven't noticed anything...  apparently it's those pesky Frenchies and a leak from a factory in Rouen... the wind blew it this way...   we're all ok, thanks.

TD..  you have an amazing ability to recover and bounce back from near death, but you do worry me...   is there no switch inside you for 'taking it easy'..?  I fear you are heading at sub-3 pace back to your doctor with more knee problems...

Must admit that I too beasted myself on the rowing machine yesterday, all in the name of a game called Fish!!  Basically you had to not get eaten by big black fish, I loved it, distracted me so much after the 3rd game was asked to move as rowing machine at busy times was only used to 30mins, duely apologised and moved.  Also did 30mins on cross trainer - hated it, but hr only at 130 and as hard as I tried struggled to make it go higher even though thought was working really hard obviously not!!!!

At physio this morning and hopefully will be told I can trott still and just need "preventative" stuff on achilles and piriformis but as you all know I will do as I'm told!!!! as always.

TD - true enough.  Sub 4 is asking too much this time I think...

Loads more snow here overnight...and after yesterday's miserable experience I'm contemplating giving my recovery run a miss.  It's only 6 miles but I can't really face it.  Maybe later.

We had more snow overnight too, not much but everything this morning is sheet ice It made the school walk, and dog walk interesting. I can't run, but so far this week I have managed to walk 20 miles  with probably another  5 later.

Will it help when I get back to running???

Thanks for the concern DV.  My back to training ramp up has been quite smooth and certainly not aggressive. I looked at some training charts earlier this morning and sure enough, the ramp is relatively shallow in nature compared to previous programmes (measured by Training Impulse - TRIMP - scores).  Right now I don't even have a programme, nor any end goals.  Am simply enjoying the ability to be training again.

The really tough sessions have all been done inside a gym, so no heavy impact on my weak spot - the knee - either on a turbo or a treadmill. Stressing the heart, not the joints. Long run was also done on snow.  If it had been dry, I would never have gone so far and I certainly wouldn't attempt intervals on a tarmac surface.  Much too early to try that.  I am carefully evaluating after each session how I feel and never doing hard sessions back to back.  Also, I haven't run on consecutive days since last May.

So all in all, I am managing my return to running risk, but it's in the background. I might be 'mad for it' but I'm not mad

yer_maj - It was my 8th marathon I managed to go sub 4. Although my natural athletic ability to use a good Scottish word is minging. The way things are going just now I think I'll be lucky to go 4:30 in Paris this time around!

What ever time you do in Paris it should be a huge gain on what you did last year. I took nearly an hour off between my first and second marathons (5:15 to 4:16), but looking at that second marathon time I've not really shifted much in the following seven marathons bar Paris last year!