London marathoners assemble

[KittyandTeal]

As the ballot spaces start being allocated I thought I'd start a thread for those of us lucky enough to get a space.

I was rejected through the ballot but I have had a charity space since June so I'm running (and raising £1400) I've been training for a half so I can get the distance under my belt. Im up to 11 miles now in just over 2 hours. I'm slow but getting there. I'd like to get in under 5 hours but I'm happy to just be running it.

Oh no emummy that's not good, hope you are soon feeling better .

Well done everyone with your long runs! Kitty fantastic well done you

Oh no emummy! Tonsillitis is the pits. I can still remember how ill I felt with it at 13. I hope you get better really soon.

Thanks everyone.

I've just had to turn down a songs of praise feature. The marathon have asked me to be one of their featured runners with my story etc (I submitted it ages ago!) and SoP are interested but as an atheist it would be wholly inappropriate and possibly a tad disrespectful if I did it. Shame because I really want to raise awareness. Hopefully someone else will be interested.

Kitty yes that would be a conundrum but what a shame to have to miss the opportunity to share your story. Do understand though.

emummy how are you feeling?

Well I managed 13.2 miles yesterday and am so chuffed with myself! Never run that far before and weirdly I feel ok today, bit stunned but otherwise ok!

Is anyone planning any races or long runs this weekend?

Well done running, great stuff!
Am feeling a lot better thank you, penicillin is wonderful! Will try a very short slow run tomorrow morning.
Will be in Glasgow to watch dd2 race with her club in the national relay champs in the Emirates stadium, should be fun. It's great watching these competitions, but it does make me feel old & slow!

14.5 miles done this morning... I now appear to be stuck to the sofa!!

It felt like a really long slog and doing another 12 after that is terrifying. I think it was probably more psychological than anything as last weekends 11m with a friend was a breeze! But the thought of doing 16 next week is not currently a happy one!

Why do people do this for fun?!?!

I felt the same after my 14 on Monday chocolate! Aahhhhhh.

Got my half tmrw

Good luck kitty. It'll give you a boost being in a race. Try and enjoy it!!

Was thinking I'd do that rmr event on 2nd but just realised I'm booked for something else that day so solo it is!

Just realised I've only got to do 3 long runs before the big day which doesn't sound so bad!!

Hope everyone else is having a successful weekend

Sorry my message was cut short. Poor dd had terrible ear ache last night, she's was up through the night screaming. Luckily dh slept in her bedroom floor so I could sleep for today.

It'll be my first race when they're not there 😔

I'm kind of looking forward to it but the weather forecast is heavy rain and wind and we're running along the seafront in Eastbourne!

Good luck anyone running today

Good luck Kitty!
First run for a week today, just did 5 miles slow & steady. Legs were tired but I felt well overall so hopefully back on track

Parkrun yesterday in 30 mins and then 8 miles today: my longest run yet. I practised using a cube of protein bar every 20 minutes or so. I think it helped - but how would I know?!

How do you all refuel? I'm really daunted by some of the distances you're running!

Kitty good luck for today! Hopefully you have finished now and have had a hot bath and a lovely fry up! Hope your poor DD is feeling better.

Well done emummy and coffee!

I use High5 gels, isotonic ones as they have water in, the others are concentrated and so you need to carry a drink. I took one with caffeine in on Thursday and felt very wierd but definitely ran faster for a couple of miles!

Which protein bars do you use coffee do they dissolve in your mouth? I always choke on jelly beans if I try and eat and run!

Thanks all. The rain held off for most of it but the wind was so strong! Some of the flat parts felt like a hill running into it!

Anyway, I did it in 2:27. Not quite my usual half pace but then I ran 14 on Monday so struggled. I guess that's the difference a taper makes. I was supposed to do an extra 3 but I jut couldn't face it in the weather. I'll try and tack it on tmrw instead

Well done on all the running. My plan has a much shorter run this week - 75 mins. My running buddy is away and it was sleet and wind this morning so I went to the gym. My knee has been giving me a bit of gip recently but now its totally knackered. I can't walk on it. No idea what to do. I just need it to last another 7 weeks then can rest it loads. Has anyone tried a knee strap/support? I'm doing exercises to strengthen quads and foam rolling calves and hamstrings. I want to have a self pitying cry.

Well done kitty that's fantastic in the awful wind!

pickle oh goodness you poor thing . Have you seen a physio? Hugs to you, knee problems are so frustrating.

I did my extra 3 today to kind of make up the 16 (apparently it's ok if you do the distance within 24 hours) I figured after a hard half it was better to do it today. I feel a bit less achy for it too.

Pickle what a nightmare. Have you seen a physio? Might be worth a sports massage to loosen up, I'd foam roll daily if you don't already, it's a huge pain in the ass but it's relived me from my ankle niggles. I also tape both my ankles up now for runs and the next day. If it's your knee it might be you need to get into your flutes and hips with a lacrosse ball. That helps me. You might benefit from for glute and hip strengthening too. My physio and the coach I saw both said if you've got pain look above and below the joint for a weakness.

My ankle pain comes from frayed sciatic nerve and weak hips and glutes. Weird.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

I called my medical insurance and they've sorted out physio sessions starting on Wednesday. And there is no excess. Result. So, if any positive can come from my knackered knee, it's that I'm getting some moneys worth from medical insurance I've never used before.

My friend is training to be a sports massage therapist and I got to be a guinea pig the other day. She said my glutes (and the ones down the side of my thighs - whatever muscle they are!) were really tight so I've been a bit more frequent with foam rolling and need to keep at it. Got resistance bands to do some exercises in the evenings. Makes sense if it was my glutes because the pain is just above my knee which is where your glutes end. I think I need to retire my older trainers too. I have newer versions of my old ones so will use them from now on in case the old ones are knackered and adding to the problem.

I know that, if it comes to it, I can defer my place for a year but I'll be gutted. Especially now that I've told absolutely everyone I'm doing it. It's so frustrating.

I've ordered a knee support but apparently the jury is out on whether they actually help or not. I'll speak to the physio on Wednesday about it.

Sorry for my moaning!!

Good luck at the physio pickle, I hope you can get it sorted.
Managed intervals today and walked the dog twice, so hopeful that training is back on track.

Hope the physio goes well tomorrow pickle. I know we can defer, but its very frustrating for you. That said, it's not worth risking long term damage. My physio has done amazing things for my back so hopefully yours will work wonders too!

Well done on your half kitty- that's a great time!

Glad your feeling better and back on track emummy

I did 14 miles today- was meant to be 15 but literally didn't have the last mile in me- no idea how I'm going to do another 12! Struggling a bit with the shorter runs as I never get to a point where I feel at all recovered from the longer ones. Not entirely enjoying this at the moment if I'm honest!

Wisdom tooth extraction tomorrow so that will be a couple of days enforced rest (but hopefully not much more than that!)

Hope the physio goes well pickle.

Great that you're back on track emummy. Thank goodness, bet you're relived.

Elba I feel exactly the same way. I'm getting slower and slower. I'm tired and aching all the time and never fully recovered which is so hard. I'm also not fully loving running right now. I'm hoping that my body will recover during the taper so I feel a bit more with it. I feel like my body's taken a real battering recently. I was supposed to do another 3 after my half but didn't have it in me.

I reckon all this running on fatigue and dead legs helps with the marathon prep. I'm not convinced I'll be doing this again though.

I'm actually heartened by the fact that most of us are finding it tough at the moment. It's not a personal thing- it's just bloody hard!!

When this thread started most of us were running about 6-8 miles. Look how far we've come!

And don't forget my mantra of the bad runs make the good ones possible... it's just likely there may not be any more good runs now until the 23rd April But I'd rather it that way than easy runs now and suffer on the day when it matters!

Just catching up on the thread. Well done everyone and hope those that are suffering get better soon.

I feel constantly tired and achey at the moment too and am struggling with the shorter runs as always seem to be fatigued. A bit heartened to hear it's not just me and as someone said upthread, that's the benefit of tapering.

I'm also finding between running and strength training (which I can never do enough of) I have no time for anything else.

Really getting close now and with a 16 mile run under my belt it's starting to feel very real but doable.

The plan this week is to cut back which I need to do physically but the following week when the plan is 16 I have a half race. What does anyone suggest? kitty did you say you can add the miles the following day?

I'm glad it's not just me!

I had to walk during my 7.5 mile run today. I came to a hill and my whole body was tired and aching. I just don't know how I will do a full marathon at this point. I've started to hate running and the pressure that I have to go out.

I'm so glad it's not just me. I've take a full rest day today, no conditioning, strength or foam rolling. I've had a really tough day, it's a year tomorrow since we lost ds so today I'm giving myself a break.

Oliver I read somewhere that breaking runs in 2 so one in the morning and one in the afternoon or one one day and one the next morning is ok for long distance. I didn't think you should do it for all the long runs but once in a while is fine. I know someone with m.e training for London and she's breaking all her long runs in 2.

A short 35 min run for me tmrw which ill do after visiting the crematorium. Think I'll need it tbh.

I hit a wall of exhaustion today. I feel physically better after my massage yesterday but I'm so, so tired and a bit emotionally battered atm and so I'm struggling a bit. Had a full on crying meltdown earlier. This is way harder than I thought it would be.

No wonder you're feeling emotionally battered Kitty, thinking of you today.

I know what you mean about the pressure to go out tail I keep wondering why I'm not spending my alone time drinking tea on the sofa! Although if I wasn't running it wouldn't be alone time as I'd be with the children.

Wondering about fueling in the race. I was hoping to try out some gels this week on my long run but am not sure if they're ok when you're breastfeeding. Will need to look into it. Does anyone have any good alternatives. I was hoping to not have to carry anything on race day but if I can't have gels I will have to.

I tried gels but didn't like the texture. I use clif shot bloks, which are like squares of jelly, and you can let them dissolve when you're too tired to chew! Otherwise I know people use jelly babies, jelly beans, dried fruit and some I think just use drinks.
Kitty thinking of you and your family