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For the longer races...........
New York Marathon 7th November 2004
By Andy Milton............
With 2 recent London marathons around the 3 hr 10 time I decided to try and break the 3 hr mark by competing in the New York marathon. Although it is not renowned for breaking PBs I believed that the reputation for great crowds and the publicity it attracts would give me the advantage, so I worked to a strict “runners world” training programme over 15 weeks. My long runs had gone well and I was averaging 7-minute miles and felt that I was capable of the 6.50-minute miles needed to get under the 3 hours.
My hotel was conveniently located by Times Square, which was close to the bus locations, which take you to both the registration/exhibition centre and start point. Once you have a confirmed place the ING sponsors and New York roadrunners keep you fully up to date with information, and overall the organisation was excellent from start to finish.
My first and main recommendation is to fly over at least 3 nights before the race. I had given myself only 2 nights and due to the 5 hours (behind) time difference, found myself waking up in the early hours of the morning - maybe I should have consumed a few beers the night before to help me sleep!! The race had a fabulous route, however the start was over at Fort Wandsworth, Staten Island and you needed to be over the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge by 7.30 am. The buses ran 5.00 – 7.00 so it meant getting up at 4.30 to try and beat the rush followed by a lot of hanging around as the main start was not until 10.10. I had not attended the marathon eve pasta dinner due to previous reports of queues and small helpings of food but after speaking to runners who had attended, this time it had not been the case. At Fort Wandsworth free breakfast was available along with sports drinks and power bars. Due to the wait I may have over indulged and also against the advice of not trying anything new, sampled some pomegranate juice. I can still hear the man “shouting come on by, give it a try”. Although there was entertainment, advice and warm up events etc the wait seemed for ages .The weather was quite warm but without making too many excuses I felt tired from the very beginning.
The long awaited start was in typical American style with their national anthem followed by Frankie’s “New York, New York” and was a memorable occasion. The first mile was slow and congested and took me over 11 minutes which was a bit disheartening. I was aware not to over exert and make up time too quickly however by the 4 mile point it was clear this was going to be a difficult race for me. I had not settled in to a good pace and I was already hot and sweating. The course has a reputation for its hills and I certainly felt them. By the 10-mile point a blister on the top of my foot had become quite painful and after noticing quite a big bloodstain on my sock had to stop at the next medical point to get them to smear it in Vaseline. I reached the half way at 1 hour 32 and realised that my 3 hours was not going to be achieved as already I was feeling quite tired. I decided that I was going to make the most of the huge crowd support and entertainment, which makes this such a good marathon. The best advice I had been given was to have your name clearly displayed and this is also the best advice I can give to anyone who intends to do this race. With my name constantly being shouted I felt just as well known as Paula RadCliffe until sadly with all the sweat and water I had been pouring over myself, my name sheet fell off. I am sure by the way I was looking I was now getting called a few other names.
When I reached the 16-mile point I seemed to be aching all over along with stomach cramps and slowed the pace right down. At this stage I thought I would be lucky to get in under 4 hours. As I passed through the Bronx I regarded my survival as slightly different to most tourists. I made maximum use of the Gatorade stops, which were at every other mile until the 22-point and then every mile thereafter. At the 18-mile point they provided energy gel, which some runners claim had made them feel sick. I felt it gave me a boost and tried to increase the pace as I was getting a bit disheartened with runners overtaking me. Along the route I had been passing disabled athletes whose race had started 2 hours earlier. I had total respect for them particularly Richard whose false legs can only be described as rubber stilts, his running method seemed so difficult and awkward. I had being feeling sorry for myself and by the 22-mile point I considered walking to ensure I completed the race without picking up an injury, but after seeing people like Richard I was determined not to. The last 4 miles was a psychological battle particularly with the fifth avenue hill, which was causing problems for quite a few runners. At this stage even the crowd support was not helping and I felt as though I was running in a suit of armour. The final 2 take you through the famous central park but I was not in the mood for sight seeing. As I got to the 26 mile I could not see the finish, which really annoyed me, however I did not have the energy to curse and let the locals know how I was feeling. All was forgotten as I passed the finish on 3.13 and the medal was placed around my neck. Congratulations were being shouted by everyone I walked past and I now agree with the reputation it has for being the best marathon in the world. I could not find any where for a massage and my only criticism overall is there is no Gatorade at the finish or in the goody bags. I hobbled back to my hotel, still to the congratulations being shouted and my recovery was a good 3 hours sleep. I had never felt this tired from a marathon before.
I recovered in time for the post marathon party, which despite being envious of those on the dance floor was a great way to finish the event. A much happier Paula Radcliffe was one of the special guests and after speaking to other runners it was clear that this marathon is not the easiest of ones to run but definitely the most enjoyable – after you have finished!!
The London Marathon - April 18th 2004
By Roger..........
Well, I did it - I finally ran the full 26.2 miles for the first (and last) time, and have survived to tell the tale! It was an amazing experience - not just the run itself but also the 3 months of 6 days a week dedicated training coupled with my first serious efforts to collect money for charity.
It all started when I was approached by some friends who have a disabled nephew who's looked after by SENSE - the national deaf-blind childrens' charity. Despite years of running and racing, I'd always said I'd only do a marathon on three conditions: it would have to be London, I'd want to train properly to achieve the best time I possibly could, and it would have to be for a good cause. Unfortunately my friends convinced me this was the year, and so life since Christmas has been virtually nothing other than working up to April 18th and FLM!
The day was absolutely incredible; the crowds of supporters all along the route were absolutely fantastic, and it was great fun to slap the hands of all the kids along the roadside (although not so much fun when you find you've slapped a handful of Vaseline helpfully provided by a member of the St John's Ambulance crew!). SENSE had provided me with a vest with my name on, so I found complete strangers cheering me on all the way round - quite a contrast to the "I've got your number" comments the MJs get around Malvern! Once I realised they didn't really know me I was able to relax into my routine and try to take in all the other amazing sights and sounds.
I'd been training for a time of 3:15, and I managed to complete every single run in the Runner's World schedule that I'd been following. I covered all the mileage well, but I could tell from my speedwork that my pace was likely to be a problem. My final goal was to go sub-3:30 if I could. Lining up in Pen 3 just behind the RW 3:15 pacing group I managed to keep to the 7:30 pace until pretty much the halfway point, but the weather deteriorated badly and I found it pretty tough all around the Isle of Dogs. I watched the RW group gradually recede away from me and I started to realise the dreadful truth behind the expression that "20 miles is halfway in a marathon" ! Despite plenty of energy drink and my constant supply of Jelly Babies, my hamstrings took it in turns to object to their treatment along the Embankment and I came to an abrupt and excruciatingly painful halt a couple of times. The crowds wouldn't have it though, so against the backdrop of thousands of voices urging me not to give up I managed to get going again each time to the sound of huge cheers - I'll never forget that feeling. Desperately fighting thoughts of "so near, yet so far" I finally reached the finish in 3:24 (and caught sight of the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey who finished a few minutes behind me).
The finish itself was eerily quiet. I for one had used up all my emotions on the way around so I had nothing left, and it looked as though the others around me were feeling the same way. An official shouted at us to "cheer up, we'd just finished the London Marathon!" - nobody said anything, but I know what we were all thinking....."f*** ***" ! Everyone seemed to be stupified and the little yellow ramp you have to go up for them to remove the timing chip looked like the north face of the Eiger. Anyway, after an age fumbling away trying to get into my kitbag, I found myself personally escorted to the SENSE post-race reception (it turns out I was one of their front runners) where I met up with the family and had my first ever massage - bliss!
The whole expereince means that I now fully understand what is meant by the expression "the agony and the ecstasy". As I look back on it all, I couldn't have trained any harder, and I couldn't have run any faster. It was a fantastic experience and I seem to have raised over £2500 for SENSE, but all-in-all I'm glad it's now behind me.
By Alison...........
Sunday 18th April arrived at last after what seemed like years of training! I felt more nervous than on the last two occasions I'd taken part in th FLM and hadn't had much sleep, probably worried about my last minute decision to wear a brand new pair of trainers and break one of the golden rules of running! Perfect weather for me, light drizzle and a strong breeze, not so good for the spectators though. By the time the race got underway I was absolutely frozen and grateful to be moving. I managed to spot the Runners World 3:45 pacer and slotted in behind him. We trotted over the start line and then immediately slowed to a walk. The first mile took over 10 minutes but we gradually speeded up and got into our strides. I decided to pass the pacer around 6 miles as he didn't seem to be running the required 8:30 miles (as measured on my new watch purchased at the exhibition when registering the day before!) Lots of interesting outfits to lok at as we went along - pink fairies, wombles, a man in a G-string! A girl could be distracted! I reached the half way point in 1:54 and my target of sub 4 hours looked achievable. The crowds were wonderful and the rain didn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm. Got to the 16 mile marker and felt quite comfortable (unlike last year when I had to start walking at that point) and decided to speed up a little. The miles passed steadily by and I set my sights on trying to pass a guy dressed as a telephone box. I didn't really fancy having him in my finishing photo! I managed to get past him towards the end of the 24th mile (my quickest at 8:07!) Only 2.2 miles to go and although I felt tired I managed to sprint across the line in a time of 3:43:18, well below my target and having run the second half of the race more quickly than the first! The only thing left to do was celebrate with a few drinks!
By Chris......
Breakfast - the experts say that you should have a light breakfast before undertaking any form of running so I took them at their word and had cereals and toast....followed by a full English breakfast. Well I didn't want to tackle the race on an empty stomach, after all it is a long way. My only regret is that I only had one sausage!
Fancy Dress - I ran the race in a T-shirt and shorts. I never thought of wearing anything else although I did have at my disposal a chicken suit. Its a very bright yellow, has a long beak and was made by my partner to entertain the residents at the home where she works. I took one look at it and thought it would be a bit itchy, and covering myself in Vaseline from head to toe wasn't the kind of excitement I was looking for.
Fellow Runners - I was overtaken by Scooby-Doo, the Incredible Hulk, the Flintstones and Rupert Bear but managed to leave the obligatory Womble behind somewhere. Considering Wombles train on Wimbledon Common and are obviously very fit, this may be some kind of achievement.
The Crowd - they are the real heroes, standing in the rain for hours shouting themselves hoarse. I'm pleased to say I ran all the way round but if you're thinking of doing the LM and feel it may involve some walking then don't put your name on the front of your shirt. The spectators won't believe that you have no more running left in you and will shout things like "go on, you can get going again" incessantly, like Jesus performing a miracle. If you move to the middle of the road to avoid them you will be in the way of other runners.
The Finish - I had planned to do two other things prior to finish - one was to wave at the Queen as I passed the palace, and the other was to ask a spectator to take my photograph with the finish in the background (with the camera I was carrying). As I spent the last few miles trying to block out the pain this was forgotten in a bid to survive the ordeal! The finish area is actually quite subdued as nobody has the energy left to manage things like speech.
Just for the record, my time was 3.57.13 and I finished 10,387th - they tell me that's good!
The Rhayader Round the Lakes 20 - March 20th 2004
Best described as a 'pig of a race', the hilly Rhayader 20 is difficult at the best of times but in winds of approx 60mph blowing straight off Snowdon down to the Beacons without stopping, it's even more so. Stood in the start area amidst plastic 'no-parking' traffic cones blowing freely around the road on their bases I looked at my number and thought, "will four pins be enough to stop it being ripped from my chest?" - so I stuck another four pins in it. The race then started with even the locals saying "if it's like this down here then what's it going to be like up there!". The first part involved 2 laps of the town then off to the dams with a climb of 800ft over 4.5 miles and it was at this point that we hit the wind full on. It was all I could do to avoid running backwards - a bit like Michael Jackson's moonwalk! A girl in front of me lost her cap as a side wind took it across the landscape and I thought about retrieving it for her, but as it was travelling at speeds I could only dream of I decided against the idea. On seeing the dams there was further evidence of the adverse weather conditions as the strong wind was blowing the water over the top whilst generating a spray which blew over on to the road beside, soaking the runners in the process. The last few miles were fairly uneventful with the finish a very welcome sight. It left me thinking "I'd like another go at this one day - when it's not windy!"
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First Time at the KIMM (Karrimor International Mountain Marathon
 | Being an ‘outdoor’ sort I was so taken with the ‘jolly fun’ to be had at the Beacon Race this year that I applied to do the KIMM race held on Oct 30/31st down on the Black Mountain in the Brecons.
There are various courses and standards and as I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for I went for the Short Score which is where you have 5 hours day one to get from start to the overnight camping spot and then 4 hours day two to get back from there to the finish.
Each day there are a number of checkpoints worth a range of points and you have to navigate between them, getting as many points as possible, before arriving at your destination within time. For every minute late you loose 2 points. Oh, and you also have to carry a rucksack that contains overnight camping equipment, waterproofs, emergency gear, food for 36 hours, first aid, clothes and, from the weight of mine, the kitchen sink! (Approx 20lbs+)
It all seemed so simple ……
So with my trusty partner Andy (far too fit, but can’t navigate for toffee!) we lined up for our appropriate start time 11.20am. Off went the minute hooter and we were then handed the map, so the first 200m became a line of people walking slowly assessing their route, time it might take and first compass bearings. (Nice and slow this I thought!)
Now all this seems like fun on a nice warm sunny day on the rolling Malvern Hills, but when you’re in a race and the first thing you have to do is run and gain 250m height (think of it a St Anns Well to the Beacon as the crow flies!) to arrive there and find low mist, dubious visibility and a rather nasty nip in the air, some might say, the pleasure slightly goes out of it!
Once I had got my breath back, the pounding had ceased in my ears and I could see the horizon without those little red dots floating in front of me, we were off. I managed to navigate us through some tough terrain, we found all the hidden check points located behind rocks, in shake holes and at stream bends. Of course in the process of the shortest route between A and B, we also found how wet Wales can be after two weeks of solid rain. Consequentially we jogged where we could through sodden muddy ground up to out ankles, waded through peat up to our knees, sloshed through marsh reeds up to our backsides. After that, who needs a bridge to cross a stream?
All the time, the clever course designers made you suffer the inclines and declines if you wanted the big points. Four and a half hours into it and a quick look at the map confirmed we were going to be late. Sadly tiredness set in after the next four 100m climbs out of the river gullies we had to cross and we couldn’t find the last high scoring checkpoint. To make matters worse disorientation hit home and I found it hard to find the fastest route to the final compulsory checkpoint. Either way we arrived 24 minutes late and lost 48 off our total of 305 points. A placing of 54 out of 248.
To say I was a bit tired is a slight understatement. This made the Beacon Race seem like a walk in the park! Then of course to cap it all we had to find our way through fields of over 3000 competitors to find a spot to put up the tent, get water from the stream, cook, eat, queue 50 deep for the loos, make polite conversation without falling over and crawl into bed. I have never been so grateful for the clocks to go back an hour I can tell you!
Up at 6am and then more calories and a big painful stretch, before presenting ourselves at the start line at 8.50am. The weather started as a thick mist, 50m visibility and no easy navigation points. Time to play safe, so we took a conservative course picking up points on route towards the ridge climb up the rock face of the famous mountain. Then 2 hours into it, the clouds lifted and we were greeted with a magnificent sight of clouds pouring off the ridge like a waterfall backed up with blue skies and sunshine. A truly magnificent image.
However, it didn’t last long! Just enough to see where we were and where we were going, which wasn’t very nice. Ie straight up the side of the Black Mountain on a very narrow path avoiding the ‘Police Do Not Cross’ tape which had been placed there following a recent falling accident!
Over the top and still trying to jog where we could, we carried on over wet rocks, through stream after stream trying to bypass as many peat bogs as possible.
Then suddenly that was it. We were near to the finish, there were no more points we could get within our time so we ran in at 3hrs 27mins with 447 points.
Our final placing (25km day one and 15km day two) has now been confirmed at 47 out of 245, which I’m told is a brilliant achievement for a first time effort. Better navigation and a bit swifter on the feet we could have gone up the rankings, but goodness knows how the winners managed a total of 685 points! On the other hand. They were Swiss!!
Next time? You bet I loved it! I’m still sore but I loved it. Its open to all ages and abilities. Andy can’t make the next one so all I have to do now is find another Malvern Jogger daft enough to do it with me ….. |
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