VLM 2010 Survivors

You need to get something called a top tube box like this

Wow wondered where you lot had all gone. Found you lurking together over here. No one at work this week then? I am but the boss is out..........

No fotos up of me yet. But found these on flkr......I ran with the hulk, having seen me some of you, you will know I dont draw the photographers but boy he did as well as the ladies screaming all the way round.

I am in the black cap in the picture below looking like death warmed up!!!!!

You definitely ran past me then Mark.  I remember him passing me.  lol  Though I can't remember what mile it was

Relaxed you really might want to try something savoury.  Too much sweet stuff is not nice!
I have a bottle that goes between my tri bars which hold 750ml and 250ml in two comparments, plus 2 bottles.  You will definitely need to have 2 bottles (there is a bottle station at half way)  

Yes that was me   I am 5'3 and a half!!  lol      But that guy came past me much later I am sure.  So I must have gone past you and then you made a great come back!!  Unless my mind is playing tricks on me (which is not beyond the realms of improbability!)

Why anyone would want to do the GNR is beyond me

Mark is that Darth Vader in the pic because I was running near him too - remind me of your finish time again?

Vik I'm still panicking!!!!!!

Rod/Rio/Chipsy/anyone else who would know the answer..............my question now is how do I know if I could have gone faster/can improve on that time?  I did go off steady (pretty much no choice due to the crowds) but kept at the same pace nearly exactly all the way round.  Should I have tried to go a bit faster (like my desired mp of 10.00) the whole way or just a bit faster to start and then a speedier second half?

My other question is whether I did my long runs too fast - Sparkly what pace do you do yours at and what is your best marathon time as I seem to remember you wanted to go slower than 10.30 on our 20 mile joint run but do sub 4.30 marathons.

Yes..............I am tempted to sign up again!!

Rio it is a divided opinion among all with GNR, I will always have a soft spot for it as it is what got me running , however it is an expensive old do at the end of the day and in my opinion 54000 is too many runners, you couldn't get in the pens last year or over the finish line!

It does however have it's own charm though the crowd support is not half  as great as it was last Sunday, I would say London was as congested running wise although the drinks stations which I had been warned about were not actually that bad.

I have seen a picture of me presumably at the finish I have a grim determination on my face, I am actually biting my bottom lip, I don't look too bad but it was only a small picture!

Pinks don't over analyse this!!

I do think you did your long runs too quickly.  Could you go faster at a different marathon?  Possibly but who knows a marathon is a different beast every time you do it and there are many variables that you may or may not be able to train for.

If you were very comfortable at your LSR pace then maybe you ran the marathon slower than you are capable of.  But only you can answer the question Did you feel you could have done better on Sunday?  None of us know how you felt then or now.  The LSR pace for a 4:30 is 10.45ish.  It could have been that you were pushing too hard on your LSRs which meant that you were "racing" them and not treating them as you should have.

But as I said only you know the answers to those questions.

You ran fantastically well and paced it brilliantly - getting a negative split is perfect.  But do you think that if you had set off faster you would still have had enough in the tank to go faster in the second half?

You have learned a lot from this marathon and I think maybe you should revise your goals a little.  However I think you need to get some more half mara speed before setting too high a target on yourself to give yourself some comfort room (or you need to do a lot more 20s in the build up). 

Use the rest of this year to evaluate what your paces are.  Try some really tough stuff and see where it takes you.  BUT remember your back injuries of previous times and proceed with caution!!

Mark Street 2 wrote (see)

Rod.........are you doing anything before the GNR?

Nothing Mark I am not sure where I am staying yet but we could definetely hook up if you want.

Pinks I reckon you ran a perfect race if you had gone quicker in the first half you may have slowed in the second, this is a question I can't answer as I have not the experience, my observation on the races I have done and am experienced in (half marathons 16 over the last 2 years) is that some days things are better than others, I don't know why but my best results have come after maybe a 3 week lay off from a few races back to back, the 2 HM's I have done in under 1.50 came that way.

In a way Pinks you only doing a bit of running the last couple of weeks went in your favour, the importance of the taper I guess?

My own personal view on getting a better time for myself is probably more miles per week and a longer training build up, I would like to do some runs longer than 20 miles in the future although now I have completed a marathon it all makes a lot more sense to me.

Rio would you care to comment?

I want to do another one!!!!  Thinking about getting a brighton place just in case I don't get into London as really don't think I could take on a nother Charity place for London as it was hard going to fundraise!

But think for the the short term I will focus on cutting down my half marathon time and maybe get that elusive sub 2!!!

Now would anyone like to suggest how I go about it?  Is it more speedwork/miles/long runs?  My PB in 2.18 at the moment hope its not going to be an impossible task......

I reckon a longer slower build up with a decent taper is the perfect picture Rod. Some more longer slower runs would be my goal as I ran under 10mm in my long slow runs and should have gone slower.

Pink....my time was 4h35mins........I ended up doing some fast walking between 19 and 21 off and on. Ran out of fuel in the tank. I ran with Darth Vader for a bit, he stood on me at one point. It was his third marathon in three days I think........

Rio.........only doing the GNR as a young lad of 30 bet me I couldn't do it, he didnt know I was into cycling and running.......poor lad........he hasn't got a place and I have. He is from the north east area......... I want to do some scenic marathons..........tried the Kielder but full. The norweigan one looks nice as does the one in Switzerland for 2 man teams.

I think that is kind of what I said Rod.  More 20 mile runs (maybe 4) or a couple of 22s even and yes it would definitely need more mileage but with Pinks history of back injury she would ultimately need to take care!!

Funnily enough my best HM time was my third in 4 weeks.  So I guess it goes to show that we are all individuals and only we know what is best for us.

I know I need more races than I did this time.  I only did 3 2 of them 20s and one was off road and  a 10k and those were my only running races in nearly 18 months.

Gatton you taught me most of what I know   So the same school literally and in the virtual sense too

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

I have just downloaded my stats from the garmin and it says my top speed was 132.5mph   Obviously I didn't keep it up for long enough!!   Now wonder I slowed up!

Afternoon.  Its back to work with a bump and been busy all day.

I have been having a think about would I run 26.2 mile again and the answer is yes.  There are various things I would do differently and I think the main one is a different marathon.  I loved it but just could not get into a pace I was happy with the whole way round.  I found it too crowded and impossible to overtake so I was dodging and weaving which zapped my energy. I've still entered the advance ballot just in case I change my mind.

In the short term my goal in to run a PB in the Bupa 10km at the end of May and a sub 2 half at run to the beat in September. 

On a different but very freakish note - MarkofKent's wife works for a company which I run the account for and she recognised my photo off his FB page, small world!

Rio - my top speed was 156mph