Runners united (come join us if you are addicted to running!)

Wheely and Cestlavie, enjoy your hols!!!!

Paws, how was lunch? Is that restaurant just for people who work there? I would LOVE to go in the Gherkin!

The absolute best of luck to all our VLMers, Moshi, DoYou, Pass, gizmo and fasiscle. you are all amazing and am sure you'll have an awesome day. Am very excited for you and cannot wait to hear all your stories (yes splits please Moshi!!). Keep on running!!

oh good luck vlm bods. my charity has a few so we have cheerers at 6m, not me i'm off too, to dorset where my run is sadly 5k down a hill 5k back up it. wish it were other way round. I must investigate something better but is all rural and I get confused with footpaths and permission.

I have British 10k places if anyone wants to raise money for homelessness charity.

Good Luck to all the VLMers. I will be thinking of you when I watch on Sunday.

I did my last long run today before the GWR - will just be doing 10s 8s and 5s (maybe) from now on for my sort-of taper. I was bang on my target time, so that was encouraging. It was blooming freezing though. Hope the weather is better on Sunday for the VLM!

GOOD LUCK all you VLMers

I am so looking forward to watching it on Sunday. I will be thinking of you all, and my BIL who is also running and hoping to beat his PB. I love the montage they do to music, makes me all emotional

Anyone see Paula Radcliffe on BBC news at breakfast offering advice to those running?

cestlavie you are so right about the book, tis dull and I am struggling to get through the pages now......

wheely glad the trainers arrived, hope they are suitable for you.

I stayed in a hotel last night (spa break with girlfriends) and did a quick 5k on the treadmill before brekkie and I must say I was sweating like a good 'un. Not used to indoor running as I always run outdoors so can only put it down to being inside.......didn't have that much alcohol last night to swear out I promise

Good luck to you all on Sunday! I will be sat on my sofa wishing I was there and watching every bit of coverage about it (much to my families annoyance!). Looking forward to hearing all of your stories.

Hello! Sorry I haven't been about but I'm still running though it's taking more time as I have had to miss a few runs with health problems and blah, blah, blah lol but getting there slowly and enjoying it. Running sets me up for the day!

Anyway I've just popped in to say GOOD LUCK to all those running on Sunday, will be watching!xxxx

Another one just popping in to wish Moshi, doyou, pass, gizmo and fasicle the very best of British. Have a fabulous time and just remember as Ednah Kiplagat goes running past you (go Kenya, go Kenya!) how amazing it is to be able to do a marathon. I can't wait to hear all your stories.

Just popping in to say good luck this weekend moshi, pass, Doyou, gizmo, fasicle.....

I am off to the peak for the weekend... Limited mobile signal and lots of walking but will check in to find out how you all get on....

Had a good week this week - 4 runs of 3 - 5 miles each.... Getting back into early morning runs before work when it's quiet and cool...

Have good hols wheely and cestlavie....

Happy running all...

Thanks for the tips, cestlavie and pawsnclaws. I hope when the time comes, that I remember at least some of the positive thoughts, strategies etc I've been practising. My memory is very dodgy! I've found out that I'm starting in Pen 9, so that should help with a nice slow start.

Re the ballot - I'm pretty sure this was only my second application, so definitely worth persisting.

Doyouthink...weirdly I'm not worried about spotting family and friends. As long as I find them at the end! I did advise one brother not to station himself at Tower Bridge or the last few miles...and he's now decided to go to Tower Bridge and the embankment at mile 25! I think my partner and children will start off at Docklands as that is where we are staying.

Enjoy your holidays, Wheelybug and cestlavie. Hope you get some nice picturesque runs in.

Have a lovely holiday cestlavie and thank you for all your advice and support

Off on a week's holiday from tomorrow but will be trying to watch some of marathon. Best of luck to you all and have a fantastic time! Will be checking at some point to hear all of the stories....

Thanks for all the good advice!

DH will be going to Docklands Cestlavie along with the ds's, my mum, dad, brother, SIL, sister and BIL...oh and a neice and nephew I keep warning them how busy it will be but they are all really keen to be there!!

I will set off slowly and not panic if I feel sluggish in the first few miles. I know from experience it takes me a while to get into my stride with these long runs.

Paws I walked past Tower Bridge when I went to the expo the other day and got a lump in my throat as I went past. I still can't believe I'm going to be running over it!!

Have a wonderful holiday wheely and thanks for the good wishes. South Wales is lovely, hope the weather is kind to you

We are camping for the first time this year next weekend I am hoping this mild weather continues.

Very excited foryou all - Moshi, Passmyglass, Doyouthink, gizmo and fasiscle*. The very best of luck and I hope you all get to enjoy it.

Drno - the shoes arrived today - THANK YOU !! Feel fine but hope to pop out this evening, probably only 5k so will be goodchance to test how they are running.

Ballot hopefuls -I metup with afriend todauy that has got in to the ballot twice in the last 6 years so there is hope !!

Off on hols tomorrow to south wales. Hope to run lots as DH aroundfor thechildren. Will definitely check in though to hear how sunday goes.

Oooooh just back from London - saw all the preparations, and had quite a lump in my throat looking out towards Tower Bridge!

I found that in the tough moments I said to myself "this is what I've trained for .... this is what I've trained for." It really helped to just focus on the mile I was on at the time and NOT how many I had to go (which is pretty depressing until you get past 20 miles). I also took a leaf out of Born to Run and said to myself "easy, light and smooth." I wasn't, but it helped slow my breathing down when I was getting a bit panicked!

Gizmo - might have to bug you about Trailwalkers in the future!

All very exciting for you VLM'ers - Moshi, Passmy, Doyou, gizmo and fasiscle. You'll have an absolutely fantastic time and feel like superstars afterwards. I remember the guy I ran it with described it as the most memorable day of his life (and he finished it almost on his knees!)

Doyou - sure you'll see your DH. Best advice is for him to be somewhere just like Docklands where the crowds are quieter. Can he choose a specific place to stand in advance? e.g. a mile marker or a certain building.

Just a couple of quick thoughts I was thinking about as I ran in this morning - 13 miles, including the last few miles along the VLM route round the river from Wapping to Westminster (which made me even more jealous of you all than I already was...)

Number 1. Pace yourself, pace yourself, pace yourself! I set off too quickly this morning and only realised at Mile 3. By Mile 4 I could already feel the difference and it's not a good feeling knowing that you're breathing harder than you should be and are burning glycogen too fast. At that stage, even if you slow down you still don't feel as good as you should. It was a depressing feeling on a 13 mile run, let alone a 26 mile run. Think about using the first 2 - 3 miles to 'feel' your way into the right pace and don't get ahead of your race plan. Don't do what I did this morning which is shoot off thinking you're feeling great for the first mile and then find out you're not 3 miles in!

Number 2. It's a gorgeous run in the last 5 miles round the Thames but it's deceptive. The river bend makes it look like Westminster is just round the corner from Tower Bridge. The sweep though makes you feel like you're running for ages without making any progress towards it. Don't be too excite by seeing it or too depressed when you don't seem to be making any progress towards it (which I felt like today and on the VLM!). Just stick to the mile markers or your Garmin...

Good luck all of you!

17/04/11 - VLM: MoshiMoshi/ Passmyglass/ Doyouthinktheysaurus/gizmo/fasiscle
01/05/11 - Great West Run (Half Marathon): Thetasigmamum
02/05/11 - Ashdon 10K: bonkers20
10/05/11 - Burbage Skyline 5.75 miles: Hatwoman
14/05/11 - Chester Half Marathon: IreadthereforeIam
15/05/11 - Oxford Town and Gown 10k: Goldberry
21/05/11 - Clare Burren Marathon Challenge - drivingmisscrazy
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Marathon: MrsWednesday
22/05/11 - Merchant Taylors' Triathlon: MoshiMoshi
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Half Marathon: backwardpossom, squix
29/05/11 - Stirling R4L: squix
29/05/11 - Plymouth Half Marathon: sungirltan
30/05/11 - BUPA 10K: MoshiMoshi
05/06/11 - Seaford Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
05/06/11 - Tilty Hilly 5(mile): bonkers20
05/06/11 - RFL 10k: LaLa
08/06/11 - Claver Peak 5 miles: hatwoman
11/06/11 - Clumber Park R4L 10k Hamster
12/06/11 - Bath R4L 5k Dillinger
12/06/11 - Redcar half marathon - DrNortherner
12/06/11 - The Heroes Half - Futurity
19/06/11 - Dash for Dads - Pawsnclaws
19/06/11 - Half Ironman UK 70.3 - Twink, MoshiMoshi
25/06/11 - Lewa half marathon Kenya - Masterandmargaritas
26/06/11 - Stortford 10 miles - thecoo
26/06/11 - Colworth half marathon - cestlavie
02/07/11 - Achill Half marathon - drivingmisscrazy
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
10/07/11 - Felsted 10K: bonkers20
17/07/11 - RFL St Albans - Pawsnclaws
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie
24/09/11 - mooathon, donegal: drivingmisscrazy
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely
10/12/11 - Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon (half): drivingmisscrazy

Well VLM ladies, am getting very excited for you .... I found it best the day before to not think at all about the marathon and distract myself with something different entirely.

I'm in London today. DH works in the Gherkin (but is moving offices soon) so is taking me to lunch on the top floor . Shame I can't be there on Sunday, I'd get a grandstand view. Then I need to get to London Bridge to pick up ds1 from the ILs so I'm sure I'll see all the marathon preparations - I'd so love to be there next year!

What a lovely post herecomes that's made me all teary....again. When I ran yesterday I kept visualizing myself running through London and kept welling up

Really good to read you saying you don't know what your legs can do gizmo, that is exactly how I feel. I've done all the training, all the long runs but now....I've no idea what time I am capable of. I'm starting to doubt I can even run for the bus, my legs feel so sluggish every time I run!

Anyone else fretting about trying to find family along the way? Mine are going to the docklands and DH has latitude on his phone so may be able to track me. He's got a list of the times I am hoping to be,at which point, not much more I can do. It's hard though because I feel I just need to think about my running but I know the ds's would be disappointed if they didn't see me!

just added mine to the list.

17/04/11 - VLM: MoshiMoshi/ Passmyglass/ Doyouthinktheysaurus/gizmo/fasiscle
02/05/11 - Ashdon 10K: bonkers20
10/05/11 - Burbage Skyline 5.75 miles: Hatwoman
14/05/11 - Chester Half Marathon: IreadthereforeIam
15/05/11 - Oxford Town and Gown 10k: Goldberry
21/05/11 - Clare Burren Marathon Challenge - drivingmisscrazy
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Marathon: MrsWednesday
22/05/11 - Merchant Taylors' Triathlon: MoshiMoshi
22/05/11 - Edinburgh Half Marathon: backwardpossom, squix
29/05/11 - Stirling R4L: squix
29/05/11 - Plymouth Half Marathon: sungirltan
30/05/11 - BUPA 10K: MoshiMoshi
05/06/11 - Seaford Half Marathon: Doyouthinktheysaurus
05/06/11 - Tilty Hilly 5(mile): bonkers20
05/06/11 - RFL 10k: LaLa
08/06/11 - Claver Peak 5 miles: hatwoman
11/06/11 - Clumber Park R4L 10k Hamster
12/06/11 - Bath R4L 5k Dillinger
12/06/11 - Redcar half marathon - DrNortherner
12/06/11 - The Heroes Half - Futurity
19/06/11 - Dash for Dads - Pawsnclaws
19/06/11 - Half Ironman UK 70.3 - Twink, MoshiMoshi
25/06/11 - Lewa half marathon Kenya - Masterandmargaritas
26/06/11 - Stortford 10 miles - thecoo
26/06/11 - Colworth half marathon - cestlavie
02/07/11 - Achill Half marathon - drivingmisscrazy
10/07/11 - RFL 5K, Kingston & Kempton Park: Wheelybug
10/07/11 - Felsted 10K: bonkers20
17/07/11 - RFL St Albans - Pawsnclaws
18/09/11 - GNR: Hamster, Run for fun, popsycal, LaLa
23/09/11 - Notting Half Marathon: cestlavie
24/09/11 - mooathon, donegal: drivingmisscrazy
25/09/11 - Edinburgh Urbanathlon: backwardpossom
16/10/11 - Abingdon Marathon: MoshiMoshi
30/10/11 - Great South Run: Wheely
10/12/11 - Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon (half): drivingmisscrazy

Moshi re outfit: I will be wearing my old faithful black Ronhill capris and a short sleeved bright blue top. I bought a lightweight white cap to wear, but have already busted the fastener without having run in it. So might pick up some head protection at the exhibition on Saturday.

I am feeling excitedly nervous, but not too bad. I had butterflies on Monday but they seem to have calmed down a bit. Still have one or two things to do, like buy a pair of Crocs or similar to accommodate swollen feet after the race. Will shop for those today.

thetasigmamum - you mentioned problems with your feet after longer runs. I'm sure there's a fix out there somewhere. Have you tried consulting a podiatrist/using socks designed to prevent blisters/slathering on some sort of lubricant?

Hello to all newcomers (not that I've been on the thread long myself!). It's great to have so many people here who enjoy running. And thanks to all the VLM wellwishers!

Lots of crazy healthy Feb 05 mums :) Back then I didn't run...I started in 2006 doing a Race for Life and it just took over my life and I've never looked back. If someone would of told me back then that I would now be training for a half marathon I would have eaten more cake laughed at them! Actually...I still eat cake..that's why I run..so I can eat cake! :)