Anyone doing (or done previously) Paris marathon?

[Flippetydip]

Looking for a bit of support really. My running partner persuaded me earlier this year to enter Paris with her. It would have been my first and her second marathon. We entered and then a month later she died from a stroke, which was a total shock and obviously hideous for her family.

Am feeling obliged/inspired (not sure which really) to still do Paris but it's going to be a much less "fun weekend" than it was planned to be. I'm thinking of taking DH and both kids (8 and 6) so it's a completely "different" weekend and not such an emotional wrench. However, has anyone done the Paris marathon before? Is it "family friendly" - e.g. are there things to do round the course, is it easy to navigate etc?

Any advice, insights gratefully received.

I'm also slightly nervous about the long winter training (well not so long anymore) which we were planning on doing together. I'm up to 11 miles now but it's quite a slog. I'm lucky to be part of an amazing club so there are usually people around for at least part of the longer runs but it's not quite the same thing.

Oh no! Hope it isn't affecting you too badly?

I feel ok but knackered from the half, the first 6 flew by and running in a group helped but made me realise I must pace properly to avoid burning out.

Enjoying the taper and getting more carbs in, think hydrating properly made a difference at th weekend so make sure to get some electrolyte tablets or drinks. cannot wait to drink lots of wine when done!!

Yes, I'm off alcohol and refined sugar for lent - a fast which will be broken a week early!!

I need to pace properly, and fuel properly. I went out on Monday at 3pm having eaten a banana and two eggs so probably not the best preparation and then wonder why I'm feeling so diabolical. Still, lesson learnt!

I will PM you before we go to let you know what I'm wearing so that we can look out for each other :)

Convocations (document you need to pick up your bib) are up on the ASO website xx eeek!

Super, thanks for the heads up!

It's going to be a very different type of race for me now. Thyroid is pretty hyper - a GP friend of ours looked at the results and told me it won't be dangerous to do it but it will be very hard work and I'll need to basically be prepared for a crap time and to have to walk some of it. Still, what will be will be I guess.

Am on holiday as of Friday and that's it. Glad we can print convocation before we go!

Excited now about getting it done! How are you feeling?

Good luck everyone.

My DH is doing the marathon so we'll be there cheering him on. We live along the route so it's very pratical to go downstairs with the DC to cheer!

We're just after the wall and usually a band sets up around there too (sooo irritating when you have babies who need to nap! lol)

Ah amazing star - good luck to him! any tips from alocal for us? Do you know if the bag drop is easy? I have such fear that I won't get to wee enough before the race

Weather looks amazing in Paris this week, I'm packing sun lotion and a visor!

Hopefully 'the wall' will have a motivating effect not deflating...

Ah flippey :( sorry to hear that, I suppose at leat you know in advance and will be able to plan how you will tackle it xx I'm sure you will pull it out the bag and impress yourself.

Same as you- excited now and trying to focus on finishing and not worrying about the time - battling the ego ha! Lucky you on hols - enjoy the rest

starduke how will we recognise you?! And I feel your pain on the bands and napping babies (although fortunately I'm way past that side of things and I don't miss it at all!)

agreeable that's exactly what it is - ego. Thanks, that's actually put into quite a lot of perspective for me!

You'll be going too fast to see me

No idea how bag drop off etc. works. DH doesn't use it. At least to my knowledge - I admit I don't know much of how it works, just roughly what time he'll run in front of us. And what time he'll hobble home for a nice bath

Plenty of people wee in the bushes along the route which is probably not what you want to hear....

Weather is indeed hot this week (21 on Thursday) though I think it's meant to drop down again at the weekend (typical).

I like the atmosphere during these runs (there's loads all year round)

I had totally forgot about htis thread until this weekend!

I am absolutly terrified now the training has been done and i keep worrying about everthing from missing the train to loosing my papers... to hurting myself this last week..

I have had a real bad problem with my toes - minus 2 toenails and some really bad blood blisters under them were popped 10 days ago so i should be good to go.. i also had a last minute (3 weeks ago) freak out when i actually looked at my trainers and realised there was almost no sole left!!

We should def. look out for each other!

Just going to re read all the messages i missed!

The bagage drop off is usually quite easy (my BF did Paris in 2012) apparently, they just need your bib number and theres a little tear off ticket that you leave with your bag, and then for pick up its just after the finish line..

I'm just hoping that they will take a BIG rucksack as thats all i'm taking with me for the weekend!

My longest run was 32km which i've done twice ..5 weeks and 3 weeks ago.. I was dead on my feet after that and just can't imagine adding on another 10 - after reading this thread this seems to be quite a common worry !

I'm trying to keepa calm about the wall around 30km.. my boyfriend said he might join me at the end in the Bois de Boulogne as apparently is abit quieter with less supporters along the route - he thinks it might help.. i'm not sure!

This is the most scary thing i have ever, ever done, and the hardest thing i have ever worked towards - i so don't want to screw up..

The pink pen will be full of us mnetters

I'm just dropping in here from the London marathon thread, where I was already hijacking because I'm not running the London marathon.

I did the Greater Manchester Marathon yesterday (my first marathon). It was fab. I thought I might send some vibes here and share some thoughts/ideas that helped me get through this first big race. I will say that my training was all on plan until about three weeks out, when I just felt it was no longer working for me, so I went with what my body was telling me.

1. The longest training run I did was 18 miles about two weeks ago. I ran a half last Sunday. Basically, I didn't taper. Unless zero exercise in the preceding week - literally nothing - counts as a taper. And I ate loads in this last week - massive bowls of pasta, dessert, whatever I wanted. It meant I was really itching to go at the start, and feeling like I was fully replenished.
2. I did run:walk intervals of 9:1 mins. Running at maybe 6:10 min km, walking at 8:30 min km. I tried this on my last long run and the difference in how I felt was amazing, so decided to go for it in the marathon. The reason I did this was because I go out too quickly and this strategy held my pace in check. You feel a bit stupid stopping to walk after only 9 mins, then at 19 mins and so on, but I rigidly stuck to it and it really worked. In the minute break, you can eat/drink without choking, your shoulders/chest/arms relax so no tension building, your heart rate evens out, you relieve the continuous load on your muscles. Your overall pace should not suffer (in fact, mine has been quicker on runs I've done this) because you can run the running sections much more evenly. And I hit NO wall; at about 18 miles, I was gliding past people who'd gone out quickly and bonked completely. I ran a faster second half than first, I overtook 1000 people from mile 18 onward, and my fastest split was at 41 km. Honestly, I could have run longer, and that's not just adrenaline speaking - I felt strong. If the psychology of running so long is killing you, this strategy also divides the race into really manageable ten minute sections, so you can rid your brain of the shit/hard ones very quickly and focus on the next ten min block.
3. The good finish was aided by judicious use of caffeine energy gels. I had a regular gel at 10 miles, then caffeine gels at 18 and 22 miles. It gave me a massive lift, partly because it flooded my system which was at that point caffeine-deprived.

My race plan (I made an Excel spreadsheet of the race ) had me finish at 4:40. I came in at 4:27 and the biggest comment on my finishing photo was that I look like I've been for a brisk walk.

Good luck all! It will be fab but if you can run 20 miles, you can finish this easily. Just try not to cry when you see the finish line

Wow, just rading your post has made me want to cry! And i know i'm going to cry whilst waiting in the pen with all the energy pent up!
Thats really interesting, what a great race you did, well done!

The pacing yourself is something i've been trying to work on on my long runs, i'm ok until 20-25km but then it sort of gets harder - i have also been practising the walking fast for when i'll need to stop especially for water stops..
I haven't used any gels (my stomach is rathersensitive) in training just energy bars/jelly babies with a mix of banana too.

I have an excel spreadsheet of my training plan which is (meant to) get me round in 4h45.. I just put 5h though in the Asics Pace your Race App though.

I've heard that manchester is meant to be great, well done and thanks for posting!! I can only hope to be posting something similar this time next week

I'm also doing nothing this week - apart from resting and perhaps i'll do a little jog round the block thursday night, depending on how restless i'm feeling, good to know that it worked for you too

..And the carb heavy week before - i've read so much conflicting advice about diet pre race day that i'll just eat a little less fibres (sensitive stomach again!) and up the carbs from weds/thursday. I eat healthily anyway. Ah yeah, i also treated myself to Vittel to drink for the salts/minerals all this week

Good luck. The actual run is so different from training, which I found made me want to weep with boredom.

I didn't really carb load, certainly not on purpose anyway. I have been so used to restricting carbs (I tend towards high protein-high fat) that having a pasta dish where the pasta hadn't been watered down with courgetti felt like a real indulgence. And eating bread? I was wild So I probably went from low carb to normal carb.

And chocolate. Didn't even think twice

And I guarantee Paris will be a whole lot more distracting than the glory of east Manchester.....

I hope the distraction will be enough to spur me on - I must say i'm abit worried about running on cobbles though!

I've def. been thinking about the 9 min/1 min alternating and will keep that in mind !

I've been careful with bread but have been eating it - 100gr a day - OMG I have turned into someone who weighs their bread but i really didn't want to do all the training to blow it on diet!

I feel gross munching all the carbs but can go back to being hungry after the marathon have you seen the weather? It's going to be boiling

Also building my playlist and bouncing between panic and manic - can you tell :)!

I'm here . Picked up my number yesterday. I felt extremely emotional seeing my friend's name on the wall.

I've done a short 1.5 miles or so this morning. And I'm utterly terrified!

Good luck for tomorrow, everyone!

Good luck all! Just shoving porridge down my gob....!

Me too - although I have been crapping for England all day yesterday and today so am also shovelling Imodium down - too much wheat during the carb loading - stupid mistake! Praying I can finish or retire with dignity without crapping myself!

Good luck everyone and thanks for all the hand holding over the last months.

Well - I was closer to 5 than 430 sadly, all went Pete tong at mine 21! March of death or what through the last park! Well done all, what a hot but great day

Me again - different log in - I strolled in at 5.31 😱😖😳. It went wrong at mile 7! Still, it's done. Well done everyone and thanks again for the support.