Rotterdam 2009

You're never alone when preparing for Rotters 

Call it taper for the 20 mile race..........or carbo loading practise. No sorry-for-yourself feelings; on this thread - here we look only forward to glory!! (But we do this so we can ignore the 20 mile training run this weekend.)

I've got a 10 mile race on 1st March and I think I'm going to be slower than I was last year, I'll save feeling sorry for myself until then.

Brought feeling sorry for myself forward a week

Went out to do 20, packed up at 17.5. I'm sure I could have struggled on and not been hugely slower than my last 20 miler, but I was just not feeling right at all. Everything was going well until 13 miles, then I had stomach issues (sure that is the horrid, chafing, water bottle belt sitting in the wrong place, or possibly not being able to stomach anything before going for the run today). Walked that off then started off again and had the most ridiculous panic attack - never experienced anything like it! I was sobbing and my throat was constricted and I could hardly breathe - completely out of the blue I was just overwhelmingly convinced I couldn't do this event!!  I walked for a little bit and talked myself down, but as soon as I started running again, the panic returned. In the end, I decided to call my husband and get him to come out and pick me up, I was still sobbing my little heart out (and still running!) when he got to me...... My throat is actually swollen, and I've been tired and headachey the last two days, so perhaps I am fighting off some bug or something and my body just couldn't cope.....but I do feel down.

Hubby thinks I'm mad, he can't understand why I'm so worked up about it when I've done 20 miles before.

 That all sounds a bit grim. Sounds like it could be down to a bug making you work a little too hard. Any the wiser as to what the cause was?

 I can understand if you're feeling down as it came out of the blue. Take time to recover from it and get back out there. Sounds like you're easily where you should have been in terms of preparation so a few days or so off your feet shouldn't hurt. And at the end of the day 17.5 miles is a pretty decent training run, so your hubby has a point  Just try put it behind you and I'm sure things'll be fine.

A have a build up now to the 20 miler on the weekend. Need to try and not race it as I don't think that'd be very productive.

At least the weather has calmed down now and it's easier to stay on two feet!

Take it easy.

Well, I ran a temperature Sunday night and into Monday and my voice is all croakey today and my throat is still red and swollen. So, I think it was due to coming down with/fighting off a bug.

It was the suddenness of it that really got to me, but when I thought about it, I'd not been feeling right for a couple of days and my heartrate had been up before I went out (I'd just put that down to bad contact with the chest strap, should have paid more attention!). Have a run planned today, but will take the dog and just plod, see how it goes - or I might chicken out and rest, I can always go tomorrow instead..... But I feel better about the run now I have some space from it, I don't think 2.5 miles will make or break the training!

Events weekend coming up - you should do a 20 mile LSR, I'll do a 10 mile tempo session  

Next week is a drop back for me, so I get some recuperation time then.

How you doing RJ?

Missed one run due to work this week but had a good tempo session tonight so relatively happy that the missed runs haven't appeared to do any damage..... yet.

Thinking I'll attempt to do the 20 miler at just off race pace that I'm aiming for and see how it goes. If it starts to feel difficult I'll drop the pace though as a good effort in Rotters is my main aim.

My main worry now is how to carry 3 or 4 gels withough my bottle belt. Last 2 races I haven't touched the bottle I was carrying so all it did was add weight (or instant fatigue as my mate says whenever he sees me carrying a bottle in a race). So need to sort that out.

Hope all's well.

Feeling much better now, thank you. Went out for the first time today - six miles with the dog today, took it easy and warmed up for the 10 miler on Sunday.

I'm pondering gel carrying too - there must be something good on this page: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/Run/8/Belts_And_Wallets/ or this page: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/Run/8/Bags_-_Waist/

I was going to ask what you'd recommend for carrying things, as I'm definitely not taking my usual water bottle and belt!

Good luck for the 20 miler - enjoy yourself! 

Hope the 20 miles went well - and that you behaved and haven't exhausted yourself for the coming week's training!

10 miler was really good, I was 2 minutes 45 seconds faster than last year and it felt like I was taking it easier. I managed to average the tempo pace I was to have done the 5 miles this week, so I feel like I'm still on track after all.

Now, I'm wondering if I should extend next week's 16 miles to 20 just to regain some confidence from last week, but I have the last 20 miles the following week.......could always try for 22 that week - but I don't want to spoil everything in the last weeks!!

Evening all

Nice to meet you.

I found out about 10 days ago that I had won a place in the race with adidas, so I am a little nervous....

Mind if I join you all?

Come on in and congratulations on your win.

We are a few in number, but supportive. This is my first marathon, so you don't have to tell me about nerves!

Rotterdam will be my 7th, but I injured both hips last year and spent Nov/Dec doing rehab on them, so hadn't done a lot of running up to getting the email.....

Am blogging it anyway - can I be ready in 7 weeks and get a new PB........?

Congrats on your 10 miler today

Welcome Vixx  Good luck with the prep. and keep us informed.

The 20 miler didn't really go to plan i.e. I wasn't too sensible ... went off quicker than I'd planned at the start and held it until the end. So finished in 2:15omething. Pretty happy as it was comfortable throughout, until the last mile or so when I pushed it a bit more. Feel pretty good now, but will wait and see how it feels on Tuesday as it's a rest day tomorrow.

RJ - as for next weeks LSR. why not just see how you go. Are you able to finish the 16 miler at a convenient place with the option of extending it if all feels good? I'll be running at least one 22 miler before Rotterdam - regardless of what the training plan says, or anybody else for that matter. From my point of view the confidence boost in getting a 22 miler in is worth it as long as you don't risk an injury or anything.

I coped fine with 1 gel at the start today +2 stuffed in the pocket of my shorts. As long as I can figure out a way to carry another, that'll be fine for me in Rotterdam. But out of the links you posted I'd probably only consider the nathan booster belt or the SiS sport marathon belt, the latter of which I nearly bought for today. But in hindsight it wasn't really necessary for me.

Hi Steve and thanks for the welcome

Am blogging my training efforts. I'm a slow marathoner, and my current PB is 5:33:28, so the question I am asking myself is - can I be marathon ready AND get a new PB in the 7 weeks that I had to get ready?

Spent Nov/Dec rehabbing both hips as I injured them in last years escapades..... they are good to go now though

How is everyone today?

Blimey Vixx, sounds like the end of last year was pretty rough! Hope you are properly fixed now. With Rotterdam being so flat, it should be a pretty quick course so aim for that PB - what's your longest run this year?

Feeling fine today, I obviously could have pushed harder yesterday as I don't ache.....but I did the tempo session I intended and actually feel pretty pleased with myself for sticking with the plan.

Well done Steve! Sounds like you are going to blast your PB out of the water at Rotterdam. You can feel pretty pleased with yourself for not sticking with the plan

Today's silly questions are:

1. Name on running top - yes or no? I tend toward no, but people keep telling me it really helps to be cheered by name.....

2. RW pacing group - join or run my own race.........again I tend toward running my own race, but am tempted by the safety net of being paced.

Hi RJ - I think I am properly fixed, or as near as dammit..... I was on course for about 5:10 in Berlin last year, but it was on the flat course that my hip went, so think I may decide on a negative split tactic for Rotterdam just to make sure I have enough fuel in the tank.

My longest run this year was the 11.66 I did on Sunday just gone.  I only got the email saying I was in about a fortnight ago, so I'm doing one long run per week, and including plenty of walking and mid-range runs on the other days at the moment.  Will do a 20 miler before taper starts though

Just take it steafy Vixx and see how it goes, I've run the distance before off the back of a 14 miler as my longest run in the months running up to it due to an injury (self inficted).

Name on running top - ermm not sure on that one. Can see where you are coming from and my mate said the simialr to me on the weekend as he's considering it for the FLM.

Haven't made use of a pacing group before so couldn't comment on that. I tend to drift off on a run and whenever I'v thought about following the pace runners I lose them in the first few miles after I've entered my strange little world of constantly recalculating pace, project times etc. All rather sad .

Decide to miss tonights run to give an extra days recovery and the weather was awful, the latter I think made me decide the former!

I tried a run today and it was too darn windy, so ran 2 miles, walked 1 and called it a day.

Felt shattered after my 2 x 11+ milers on Friday and Sunday too.  May have a rest day tomorrow, will see how I feel.

Hope everyone's ok

I bottled yesterday too - it was too wet and windy and I just couldn't nag myself out the door, but I did go today for 8 miles and that was fine.

Vixx hope you took your rest day - sometimes it is more important!! 

I'm beginning to think that the end of the marathon training is purely that you still do some when all you want to do is sleep!

Hi RJ - I had me a rest day today - only problem is it will be hard to find time to run between now and Monday.  Hopefully will get to do a couple of little runs if nothing else.....

What made you all decide you wanted to do Rotterdam?

Why Rotterdam........well, I thought it seemed a like a good idea to do my first marathon on my birthday. That gave me a choice of Paris, Rotterdam, or Blackpool. I didn't fancy Paris, too big. I didn't fancy Blackpool, needing to carry 20ps for the toilets. So, that left Rotterdam. Also, it was easier to convince my husband that a long weekend in Rotterdam would be a nice break - we have been to Holland several times and always enjoy it.