sub or about 4h30 hopefully

Hi everyone - at last after three attempts I've done sub 4:30! Didn't think it would ever happen ... so so pleased. Thanks for all your support! RH you are going to smash your pb - I can feel it!

I had a horrible so with my ITB at mile 18 so know I could do faster in the future ... yup going to do another one! Paris is great - I recommend it!

Advice please for a very sore ITB - what massage etc should I get. How long must I rest? Will also apply for VLM again as it is a massive event and I would love to see if I could achieve as well on that course! Post marathon high alert!

Congratulations Emma! xxx

ITBs are the bane of all runners' lives, you can rest for a month now and keep at massaging and exercising it; usually it's due to over worked and under stretched muscles, tendons and nerves, and can hamper anything and everything from achiiles to glutes, including havoc with sciatica if you're unlucky (or if like me, you ignore it!). Just keep active, stretch, pilates, etc and come back stronger next time!

Well done for a great run, we all love you heaps!

RH, those gremlins are nagging everyone! I'm just ignoring the voices in my head now! Not heading to London until Saturday morning either, so it's a real late one for me! Club run Tuesday and Thursday, and that's my only running left now, so hopefully I can just keep my legs ticking a bit. I didn't run at all over the weekend and with just 3.4 miles last Thursday (6 miles cut short as it was so wet and cold!) it feels like I really have just stopped!

I still don't really know what my race plan is; the "best case" scenario is still to take AN HOUR off my London best, which means running at the pace I did the Ashby 20 in (hilly 20 miler in March). That would get me just sub 4, and take perhaps 15 mins off my PB. Anything under 4:30 (15 over the PB) would still be acceptable, depending on how I do it!

And to start the roll-call already,

Jimbo. Blue start. 24360. White club vest (Lincoln Wellington, with black and red horizontal stripes). Black shorts

Congrats on the PB Emma that is brilliant! Enjoy the recovery.

Very exciting about London this weekend. I'll be out on the course - probably up at Blackheath, Greenwich and then docklands somewhere as my bf is running. I don't think I'll be at the finish though as it gets just a little bit too bonkers there for me! Hope you are all fit, well and raring to go!

I'm half jealous and half relieved not to be in taper madness!

Mile 18 - 24 were pretty hairy but what a buzz - I hooked!

Thank you so so much for all your support over the last 2 years - I now feel that I have earnt my place on the thread (third time lucky)!

VLMers you will be amazing - it should be better temperature than last year!

Chucking it with rain and a head wind in the tunnels and on the viaduct at Monsal Head this am left home at seven for a six miler slow that became a seven miler slightly quicker, the first mile was hard as uphill and the legs didnt want to work this morning. Made it to work through the rain and I hate head wind  but fear this at Edi due to being next to the sea so better get used to the possibility of it. Good for the legs to feel the pain.

Coffee time.

It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.

All the best for you VLMers out there enjoy I will be watching you!! With envy. 

Emma - well done on your Pb and sub 4.30. I did brighton and managed 4.29.52 so also just got sub 4.30, should have been much quicker but the 4 hr pacer done the first 6 miles at 8.33 m/m average so way too fast.

Doing MK Marathon on 29th April, hoping to get abit more time under sub 4.30.

ran the club's rolling hills route last night, though as a steady run rather then the efforts (some of the hills do still feel more like cliffs!) but it's blasted out some of the lethargy that was creeping in!

6 or 7 steady miles tomorrow, then travelling Saturday..............

Spen - you'll definately do it!

Good luck IJ! Thank you for your lovely post earlier - made me well up a bit. I am an emotional old soul!

BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE ON SUNDAY!

EmmaC - thanks for that.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE FOR SUNDAY !!!!!

you could PB in Hull too... oh, no, everyone disqualified because the course was 1/2 mile short! oops!

Last 5 miler last night, it really did feel like the Last Supper, though I'm not sure which part of my body was playing the part of Judas the Betrayer!

If I don't post again, good luck everyone!!!!!!

RH - see you at the start or in the pub xx