The AICR London Marathon Blog

Only two weeks to go now! I've done my last long run. Last weekend I did just over two hours but found the first half pretty hard. After 20 minutes I thought there was no way I was going to manage two hours but things slowly got better and I quite enjoyed the second hour. This week end my long run will only be 90 minutes and next weekend down to an hour! Seems easy now doesn't it?

On Sunday I shall see how it should be done. I plan to go to watch the World Cross Country championships in Edinburgh and like at London expect over half the first twenty in each race to be East Africans,although at London we won't see much of them as they will be back in their Hotel rooms before we get to half way. I know I would probably see more of the race by watching on TV but TV doesn't give you the correct impression of the speed these guys run at! They seem to be sprinting all the way! Anyway as some of you guys may have realised I enjoy my live sport.

I hope you all enjoy the next two weeks of easier running as you freshen up for London and good luck too you all on the day.

 

Douglas

Well another week gone and not long to go until the big day! This was reinforced too by the arrival last week of the details the for the event. It was nice to read of which start we are to use and how we get there and how to meet friends and family after the event. Remsmber all of you who are running fir AICR this has been made easy for us by Jane who has booked a room and refreshments for us at Yates in Liecester Square. Please all come along as it would be great for as many of us as possible to meet up.

Last Saturday was one of my long run days! I managed to run for 2 hours 16 minutes and wasn't too bad. It did let me know however, that the miles I didn't do (ten or so ) are going to be hard work! But we all knew all along that it wasn't going to be easy.

This weekend should be our last long run and aiming to get 2 hours done on Sunday. It's downhill from then on!

 

Douglas

Like Jit and Les I ran a half marathon last weekend and (for once) was well looked after by the running gods. The race was a place to place event from Balloch (on Loch Lomond) to Clydebank and we were blown along by a following wind. The run was fairly uneventful and I started fairly easily and I think I ran the second half faster than the first! Is that not what the good guys do? Or maybe it is the lazy! Anyway I cant be certain as I ran without a watch as I didn't want to be chasing any targets but run as my body dictated. Things went well, chasing down and passing a large group near the end and ran 1.32.26 a time I'm delighted with. Unfortunately London keeps changing direction so we wont have a following wind all the way like I did on Sunday.

I must have run quite hard as my legs have been trashed over the past few days, but are now feeling better.No race this weekend, just a long easy run, but it has to be on Saturday as I'm off to Hampden Park on Sunday. I don't expect a kind response from Karen this week!

 

Douglas

I really enjoy reading the comments posted on the blog and let me own up to Karen making me sound far more heroic than I really am! When she spoke to me last week during the howling gales and rain about running later that day little did she know that I had listened to a weather forecast which promised a dry spell early that evening. Sure enough when I went out it was dry and even the wind seemed to drop for a while. You sometimes get lucky........

What seems to be coming through is the importance attached to the last 48 hours before the marathon. Get plenty of rest including sleep and eat properly ready for the big day. For those of us staying away from home the night before we need to be especially careful. Sleeping in a strange bed can be difficult and even getting the breakfast you want when you want can be tricky. Les seems to have got it right living near Greenwich Park. Easy to get home after the race too.   However this preparation stage has advantages too, I am not able to go shopping in London on the Saturday afternoon ( just the excuse us guys want ) and i'm too old to go clubbing in the evening!

There were some interesting comments from Mekul , especially on how he mentally gets himself round the 26 miles.The 26 different thoughts seem a good idea. As for it all going too fast, well my memories are that this might be true in the first half, but what about mile 23? The mile markers seem to get further and further apart. However, nobody made us run the marathon. Your comment about carrying some cash reminds me of a guy I know who has done that and used it to buy a pint half way round!

I hope your training continues to go well although we could do with some nice sping-like weather to make it more enjoyable.

 

Douglas

 

 

Only 6 weeks to go until the big day!

Frightening!

I'm glad some of you have responded to my comments I placed last week, they make interesting reading. Like some of you I plan a 1/2 marathon before the full race. My intention being to run one near Glasgow on March 9th. The plan is to run in a way that I feel in control in an attempt to build up my confidence about running the full distance. I hope the wheels dont come off as it doesn't leave long to rebuild that confidence level.

It's interesting to read the comments on your training. I certainly wouldn't want to disagree with Hayley Yelling's advice and indeed it seems to make good sense. Training shouldn't leave you too tired and believe me you will feel tired for a few days after the marathon, so running no further than 75% of the marathon distance in any one run seems a good idea. I certainly wont be! I also believe in enjoying your rest days as long as you dont have too many! The best athletes say they are the most important days in their schedules.

Well tomorrow is the start of March. Only one more month of hard training to go! When April comes we should be starting to ease down.In the meantime I hope you training goes well and please continue to leave comments on here.

Douglas

   The first entry on this blog was placed by Jack our IT guy so I want to add something myself. For my sins I am the accountant at AICR and have been here for over three yeasrs. Ever since I started here and my colleagues learnt I did 'some running' they have been asking me to run the London Marathon for AICR. My response has always been 'one year' until this year when for some daft reason I said OK. I now wonder why i said 'yes', there is a huge difference between 'some running' and running a marathon.

I have run marathons before but in my younger days. It is almost twenty years since I last did one and indeed ran the first two london marathons when numbers taking part were far smaller.However that was a long time ago and I am far slower now and tell myself that the discomfort I seem to remember in the last hour of a marathon ( I'm trying not to think of it as pain) will be worth it if AICR benefits. My training is going reasonably well, managing to run six times some weeks but should probably be running a bit further each time.

AICR have been fortunate to have people raising funds for us in The London Marathon for many years now. However it seems to us a pity that most of them don't meet each other or weven know each other. i hope this blog will help to change this. Please use it to tell us about yourselves, why you are running and your hopes for the day. Also please let us know how the training is going and how you manage to motivate yourself to get out and cover the miles.

 

Please remeber too that Jane, our marathon coordinator, has arranged a venue for us all to meet after the event. We would love to meet you all and your friends and family who might be with you on the day. You will receive our thanks and congratulations and be able to start that all important 'fluid replacement.'

i look forward to meeting you then and in the meantime hope there is chat and verbal banter on here!

 Douglas

On 13th April 2008, I shall be taking part in the Flora London Marathon. The intention of this blog is to document my training as the big day arrives. I will also be encouraging the other runners taking part on behalf of AICR to leave comments so that we can build some team spirit as our training moves into its crucial phase.