VLM 2010 Survivors

Pinks, I was just getting to the end of the thread to answer and I see SB has answered for me!

Am hoping to recruit some extra victims for Loch Ness - my friend who moved to Aberdeen and did FLM in 2006, my other friend who had to miss VLM because of injury and possibly MrMM if he can get his dodgy hip fixed.

Just downloaded the VLM onto Garmin Connect. Can't quite believe mile 1 took me 17 minutes because I was feeling so ill. It's probably the worst run I've had in a long time, but I'm glad I didn't pull out.

I'd love to join in too?  (if I'm forgiven for totally missing the RW Mile 17 support?!).  Will look at my diary and enter some of these

I am really keen not to lose this fitness and am looking to do another marathon....

Suze78 wrote (see)

Just thought I'd join in the fun on here now.  Thanks for the tip Vik - quite a few photos of me, most of them ghastly.

kimfree wrote (see)

Oh, sounds like a plan

I'm a Virgin Virgin that survived this marathon - JUST!!! Omg , I couldnt get across to mile 17 as the flow of runners so so congested, I was swept away , then I died at mile 18 and couldnt go on any longer. Swift kick up the ass, severe cramp stop and lots of Lucozade fuel later, I made it to the end!!

Bedford certainly sounds great to me and Birmingham probably does too (got to sort out logistics and stuff on that first) but Bedford is not far so its all good!!

Well done to EVERYONE - I found it so hard but so rewarding! Thanks for starting this thread Rio/Hash - cant wait to meet up again and make some more new friends - what a great idea!

Excellent re-fuelling Rob, although Blouse is taking issue with the London Pride.  I have explained that there is enough in the world for both of you.  Twinings tomorrow at 5.30am?

Trying hard wrote (see)

I'd love to join in too?  (if I'm forgiven for totally missing the RW Mile 17 support?!).  Will look at my diary and enter some of these

I am really keen not to lose this fitness and am looking to do another marathon....

Totally forgiven and good to see you over here TH, just pile in to which race you can do.  So how was the 26.2 for you?

just found this I've not looked at my piccies yet  .................

I'm doing the great northern run and my local Brum half - love to know anyone running either

Will you accept Shakespeare Survivors too?  I'm up for Birmingham as well and added myself to the list.  Really looking forward to meeting you all.

Curently working in Scotland but will post a pic of myself without dive gear later in the week, so you witness the grim reality of Scuba Runner 

Run To The Beat - 26/9/10
Suze78
VikW
Berry Nice

Loch Ness Marathon - 3/10/10
marathonmummy

Southend 10km - 4/10/10
Gatton

Cardiff Half - 17/10/10
MadWelshWoman
Schmunkee
Troublesome Knees

Birmingham Half - 24/10/10
Basil Brush Mk II
Hash (if loads of us are staying over the night before, otherwise it's a bit too far to drive and run in a day)
Jenni-far-far
Pinkerbelle
Rod Goodwin
Gatton ( & Mrs G as spectator. Will def stay over night and will be first race as a pensioner ) 

Scuba Runner

Bedford Half - December '10
Hash
Pinkerbelle
Sparkly Bridget
Rod Goodwin
Gatton & Mrs G as a spectator

Hash!  Thanks so much for asking how it went    It went pretty well.  I had revised my sub-5 goal to between 5.15 and 5.30 based on the weather.  On the day, though, I wasn't even aware of the weather!  I slowed a lot between miles 18 and 22, but then picked up the pace a little again.  I finished in 5:09:03 - but my garmin (not GPS enabled and always been pretty accurate) tells me I covered 27.22 miles at 11:21/mi pace - which would have amazingly given me my sub-5.  To be honest, I am ecstatic with 5:09:03!  I could barely walk on Monday, but am gradually able to walk down the stairs now!

I am looking forward to my first post-marathon run, and entering some more races.  You have been such a support to so many people, and I am just so sorry I missed you at Mile 17.  I was looking out for you, I promise

*sticks head round the corner*

Tippity toppity idea Rio/Hash (attribute credit as necessary)

I'm in for some of that running stuff.

Morning all Hash where are you? well it is 2 days since VLM I feel not too bad now, I have had 3 days of eating "differently" to normal but I think that is now over and I get back to a normal diet that does't include 2 trips to the chip shop in one day

It will be nice to do some races together, the Birmingham one actually quite suprised me last year, much better than expected, my opinion is it could get up into onhe of the top UK halves if they did a bit of fine tuning, there was a pretty active thread too last year which I spent time in, a lot of the runners seemed to go to the Pitcher and Piano after which although a chain I found nice when I went in the one at Newcastle Quays before the Great North Run.

Otherwise there is a pub called Penny Blacks at the back of the mailbox which does what myself and Blouse would call "real Beer"

Trying Hard you did well there the opinion of many is that the weather was pretty deceptive and made things tricky for some folks.

Pip it's good you have dusted yourself down so quickly you will  go well in Berlin, I believe it was run in 24 degrees last year you may already have factored that into your plans.

This thread has started well, I hope we can continue to share any training tips with each other, it certainly helped lots of us on Sunday who had not done the Marathon before.

Hello everyone. I survived the VLM but didn't survice Hash's 4.30 thread as that target had to be, er, reassessed in February. Not posting my photo of me holding my medal as I look so miserable! I thought I was smiling.

If anyone's looking for a flat marathon then Abingdon's the one for you - in October. Flatter than a steamrollered pancake. Hurry, it fills up fast.

A very nice half is Burnham Beeches (somewhere west of London) in August - run through woodland so keeps the August sun off, and mostly on tarmac but not roads.

Anyone near London looking for a flat, fast 5k or 10k in the next few weeks, Sudbury Court, in the shadow of Wembley stadium, on 16th May. Small race(s), friendly, cheap.

There is a thread by Fat Buddha called "thank you London........" which makes very interesting reading it starts about how busy it was and goes on from there, I only read the first few posts but it would sem that this year was the busiest ever and it made it hard for the runners trying to achieve our ( sub 4.30) type of time, I don't think it being less crowded would have got me round quicker, I did an extra half mile going past slower runners mind. Had it been less crowded I may have gone too fast and blown up earlier, my friend got to HM point at 2.02 compared to my 2.10 and finished behind me by a good minute and a half so maybe the slow first 3 miles helped.mile 6 was one of the busier places.

I am feeling pretty upset I missed the support group at mile 17, you guys did so much for us and I managed to run right past. Now tell me I am wrong but Runners World are a pretty big player and well liked in general, maybe in the future they could have some more input and put in a bigger "pitch", from what Hash says they give the groups a banner and that's it, only a thought 

I missed it too Rod and Sparkly went out of her way to buy me stuff too

I think the congestion really hampered my running - my pace was all over the place and the few times I  had to actually stop to walk because it was so bad, it hurt like hell to start up again.

My HM split was 2.05 and I was cruising along the bit after that at a pace too, but nerves got the better of me the day before and I was violently sick all day. I was sick on the morning too - worrying about stuff - and so basically ran on Body Fuel and a handful of jelly babies, couldnt stomach the thought of the gels.

That said, for me to hit 4.30 on the nose, when I actually walked a bit of mile 25 is fab for me. I did what Pinks said and walked to soak up the atmosphere - it was worth it

This was never about times truly for me - this was about knowing that inside me, I can really do whatever I set out to do if I believe it enough...

Looking forward to some of these events

*swerves in, grabs tea (thanks Pinks), heads for the shower*

Real life's intruding again today, got to go and do that thing that finances it  Have good days, all and see you (much) laterer.

Rod/anyone can you recommend somewhere cheap and cheerful to stay in Birmingham that's somewhere fairly near to the HM start?

cheapest one which is ok is the Etap on Bristiol street I have used them in Europe basic but ok I would think  a 10 minute walk to the start or the Ramada Encore in Holloway Head will have a look at  the Travelodge site too but that may be more money leave it with me