Last year was the last running based fundraiser I will do.
It's tough as you feel you're harassing people for their money...
Then you come on CL and are left stunned and a little emotional about the generous, fantastic, friendly and supportive community we have.
Yeah is probably why I wont bother trying for a Charity place.
Its a shame because come the Hastings / Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon and countless 10km / 10-mile events around Kent that I'd done, the number of entries was minimal (I know they have limits themselves) yet for some reason the London Marathon is one of those things EVERYONE has to do in their life, they're like the plastic fans you get when Charlton were in the Premier League!!
Yep, I've had 7 consecutive no's in the VLM ballot. I only managed to get a place last year as one of our three club entries pulled out with a serious achilles injury just after the club places were allocated and I was first on the reserve list.
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
Last year was the last running based fundraiser I will do.
It's tough as you feel you're harassing people for their money...
Then you come on CL and are left stunned and a little emotional about the generous, fantastic, friendly and supportive community we have.
Yeah is probably why I wont bother trying for a Charity place.
Its a shame because come the Hastings / Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon and countless 10km / 10-mile events around Kent that I'd done, the number of entries was minimal (I know they have limits themselves) yet for some reason the London Marathon is one of those things EVERYONE has to do in their life, they're like the plastic fans you get when Charlton were in the Premier League!!
Yep, I've had 7 consecutive no's in the VLM ballot. I only managed to get a place last year as one of our three club entries pulled out with a serious achilles injury just after the club places were allocated and I was first on the reserve list.
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
Where / When do Plumstead Runners meet? (i.e. Which areas do you go around as well?)
I used to be an Orpington Road Runner who had close links with the New Eltham Joggers so far as I remember
Last year was the last running based fundraiser I will do.
It's tough as you feel you're harassing people for their money...
Then you come on CL and are left stunned and a little emotional about the generous, fantastic, friendly and supportive community we have.
Yeah is probably why I wont bother trying for a Charity place.
Its a shame because come the Hastings / Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon and countless 10km / 10-mile events around Kent that I'd done, the number of entries was minimal (I know they have limits themselves) yet for some reason the London Marathon is one of those things EVERYONE has to do in their life, they're like the plastic fans you get when Charlton were in the Premier League!!
Yep, I've had 7 consecutive no's in the VLM ballot. I only managed to get a place last year as one of our three club entries pulled out with a serious achilles injury just after the club places were allocated and I was first on the reserve list.
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
Where / When do Plumstead Runners meet? (i.e. Which areas do you go around as well?)
I used to be an Orpington Road Runner who had close links with the New Eltham Joggers so far as I remember
Bexleyheath Sports Club 7pm Mondays, 6:40pm Wednesdays and Plumstead Common opposite the co-op 8:30am Sundays. Tend to run round Bexleyheath, Plumstead, Sidcup, Eltham and beyond.
Finally been put of my misery this lunchtime with an email from the London Marathon confirming that I didnt get a spot through the ballot for next years race... Disappointed yet relieved as my first child will only be about two months old come the day so no doubt the birth would have hindered my latter training plan. Not to mention it may have been difficult for my wife and child to have come and watched me.
On a plus side now means I can get back out running as had taken a break for a few months (Have usually paused during the summer months) whilst I waited to find out if I needed to train for Marathon or shorter distance so can now adjust my training accordingly - Can then build up in 2019 for either another attempt at London or should that fail I'll enter the Kent RoadRunner Marathon at the Gravesend CycloPath as a nice local event.
Good luck to those who have managed to secure a place for the 2018 London Marathon
Got my place (charity) for London next year as they kindly deferred my place... recently recovered from the injury that kept me out last year and after a handful (3, to be exact) practice runs am starting with a half on Sunday... actually signed up a while ago, when I was more 'optimistic' about the injury going away - but feeling good now. It's gonna hurt, but can't wait.
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end. I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
Guess the only real way of getting into the London Marathon as a proper runner these days and not via. Charity is either by belonging to a Running Club (even then a lot of clubs will only let you in their ballot provided you've been running with them for a certain amount of time) or if you manage to run another Marathon that is good for your age.
Seeing that I'm under 40 I'd need to run a sub 3:05 Marathon which will be difficult because I never managed to run a 1hr 30min Half-Marathon so to qualify around 3hrs for Marathon distance would be extremely difficult.
Got my place (charity) for London next year as they kindly deferred my place... recently recovered from the injury that kept me out last year and after a handful (3, to be exact) practice runs am starting with a half on Sunday... actually signed up a while ago, when I was more 'optimistic' about the injury going away - but feeling good now. It's gonna hurt, but can't wait.
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end. I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
Yes you should be able to, given the training you've managed to do before. I'd not push it in the run up in the training if you're not pushing for a time though.
It appears that every single runner at my run club Plumstead Runners that applied for a VLM place in the ballot got a no. 29 individual no's.
2 of our veteran runners qualify under GFA but 29 no's ?! that's ridiculous.
I am so bloody lucky I got in by a fluke 18 months ago!
Do Plumstead Runners Members not get a few guaranteed places through a club ballot then? Or are you just referring to the actual ballot as something completely different?
Last year was the last running based fundraiser I will do.
It's tough as you feel you're harassing people for their money...
Then you come on CL and are left stunned and a little emotional about the generous, fantastic, friendly and supportive community we have.
Yeah is probably why I wont bother trying for a Charity place.
Its a shame because come the Hastings / Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon and countless 10km / 10-mile events around Kent that I'd done, the number of entries was minimal (I know they have limits themselves) yet for some reason the London Marathon is one of those things EVERYONE has to do in their life, they're like the plastic fans you get when Charlton were in the Premier League!!
Yep, I've had 7 consecutive no's in the VLM ballot. I only managed to get a place last year as one of our three club entries pulled out with a serious achilles injury just after the club places were allocated and I was first on the reserve list.
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
I was just referring to that 29 members applied individually in the ballot and not one of us got in. We'll now have a ballot within the club of those members that was rejected to apply for how many places we got for next year. Think it was 3, might be 1, depending on what turn on the rota with New Eltham Joggers we are.
Last year was the last running based fundraiser I will do.
It's tough as you feel you're harassing people for their money...
Then you come on CL and are left stunned and a little emotional about the generous, fantastic, friendly and supportive community we have.
Yeah is probably why I wont bother trying for a Charity place.
Its a shame because come the Hastings / Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon and countless 10km / 10-mile events around Kent that I'd done, the number of entries was minimal (I know they have limits themselves) yet for some reason the London Marathon is one of those things EVERYONE has to do in their life, they're like the plastic fans you get when Charlton were in the Premier League!!
Yep, I've had 7 consecutive no's in the VLM ballot. I only managed to get a place last year as one of our three club entries pulled out with a serious achilles injury just after the club places were allocated and I was first on the reserve list.
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
I was just referring to that 29 members applied individually in the ballot and not one of us got in. We'll now have a ballot within the club of those members that was rejected to apply for how many places we got for next year. Think it was 3, might be 1, depending on what turn on the rota with New Eltham Joggers we are.
Ah apologies... Didnt remember you posting that a few weeks ago (despite liking it at the time)
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? YES it is.
Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end.That's going to work, remember to have a short fast run once a week too. A race pace 5k really benefited me feeling more comfortable during the longer runs I am hitting now.
I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
Sounds like you have a solid base to start from.
If completion whilst running all the way is your plan, then if you can hit a 20, you'll be fine on the day. The adrenaline will carry you through your barriers.
So in my training I did Reigate Half Marathon, clocking a new PB... Which was nice.
1 Hour 36 Minutes 40 Seconds. After 7 miles I was on target for a 1:31-ish, really flagged in miles 10-12
Blimey, you'll be pretty much bang on your sub 3:30 for the marathon if you keep that up!
Did a 17 miler using the downs link trail on Sunday. It was brutally hard. I started at Horsham and went up Denne Hill (if you know Horsham it's a bigger of a hill. It was a very wet and muddy trail and I completed in 2.5 hours (give or take a couple of minutes) but started at 12:00ish due to the Mrs needing me to help with loads and didn't realise I hadn't eaten... It became obvious on about 8 miles that it had been too long since I had eaten. I also don't use Gels. This is changing for this marathon I've decided. So have invested this week in some basic high5 gels.
Does anyone recommend a certain brand of gels? High5, SiS, etc?
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? YES it is.
Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end.That's going to work, remember to have a short fast run once a week too. A race pace 5k really benefited me feeling more comfortable during the longer runs I am hitting now.
I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
Sounds like you have a solid base to start from.
If completion whilst running all the way is your plan, then if you can hit a 20, you'll be fine on the day. The adrenaline will carry you through your barriers.
So in my training I did Reigate Half Marathon, clocking a new PB... Which was nice.
1 Hour 36 Minutes 40 Seconds. After 7 miles I was on target for a 1:31-ish, really flagged in miles 10-12
Blimey, you'll be pretty much bang on your sub 3:30 for the marathon if you keep that up!
Did a 17 miler using the downs link trail on Sunday. It was brutally hard. I started at Horsham and went up Denne Hill (if you know Horsham it's a bigger of a hill. It was a very wet and muddy trail and I completed in 2.5 hours (give or take a couple of minutes) but started at 12:00ish due to the Mrs needing me to help with loads and didn't realise I hadn't eaten... It became obvious on about 8 miles that it had been too long since I had eaten. I also don't use Gels. This is changing for this marathon I've decided. So have invested this week in some basic high5 gels.
Does anyone recommend a certain brand of gels? High5, SiS, etc?
I've got on quite well with the High5 gels, but then I use the High 5 4:1 energy source drink on longer runs. My stomach didn't react well to SiS gels, nor another brand that name escapes me right now.
Always carried imodium in my little running pouch just incase I needed it, like at mile 17 on the Brighton Marathon in 2015!!!
Gave High5 a go this weekend on a 19, It was generally a bit slower paced, as I was with my cousin but dare I say it, it was easy. Had half a gel at 9 miles and again at 15 miles.
All 4 of the last miles I kicked on and was at a bit faster than MP for 3 of them and one was at Half Marathon PB pace (mile 17-18).
I have to admit I was stunned at the difference in energy levels from a mere 90 calorie sachet... I also had a hydration tablet in my water bottles.
This weekend will be a little 15 at marathon pace so will bring the gels out again.
Gave High5 a go this weekend on a 19, It was generally a bit slower paced, as I was with my cousin but dare I say it, it was easy. Had half a gel at 9 miles and again at 15 miles.
All 4 of the last miles I kicked on and was at a bit faster than MP for 3 of them and one was at Half Marathon PB pace (mile 17-18).
I have to admit I was stunned at the difference in energy levels from a mere 90 calorie sachet... I also had a hydration tablet in my water bottles.
This weekend will be a little 15 at marathon pace so will bring the gels out again.
Just spotted that you are doing the Florence 26.2! Nice. I had looked at this earlier this year and seriously thought about it. Tuscany/smaller marathon really appealed to me. No need for lottery. Cooler training conditions for a late November race etc. Good luck with the business end of the training, look forward to hearing about it. I can't think of a better city to recover after a marathon!! May look at it in 2018. Enjoy.
Got my place (charity) for London next year as they kindly deferred my place... recently recovered from the injury that kept me out last year and after a handful (3, to be exact) practice runs am starting with a half on Sunday... actually signed up a while ago, when I was more 'optimistic' about the injury going away - but feeling good now. It's gonna hurt, but can't wait.
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end. I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
My advice would be to leave the December marathon well alone if you have had injury problems. Sounds like London is your real goal. This w/e's half marathon race is different to a 13 mile practice run no matter how you dress it up. It will take more out of you. Use the 13.1 as a building block. Take some down time after and start rebuilding again. Don't risk injury. If you have had back issues and you don't already, include core strengthening in your program, make sure you have access to a decent sports massage and swim. A marathon does a number on your body and it will take months to get it fully out of your legs. Do not under estimate it. The best advice I heard about the marathon was that its a 20 mile warm up for a 10K race. The 20 mile mark is the half way. Build carefully for London.
I've often thought about taking up running, I've heard it can be very therapeutic, which could benefit me.
I can't say I've ever tried seriously because I don't have a lot of motivation to do something, that I feel will be quite tough, to get to a standard where I can at least run for a reasonable distance, without having a heart attack!
I've never been a solo sport person, always preferring team sports.
So what suggestions would you make, to encourage someone to persist and gain the benefits, lots of people clearly get?
I've often thought about taking up running, I've heard it can be very therapeutic, which could benefit me.
I can't say I've ever tried seriously because I don't have a lot of motivation to do something, that I feel will be quite tough, to get to a standard where I can at least run for a reasonable distance, without having a heart attack!
I've never been a solo sport person, always preferring team sports.
So what suggestions would you make, to encourage someone to persist and gain the benefits, lots of people clearly get?
I've often thought about taking up running, I've heard it can be very therapeutic, which could benefit me.
I can't say I've ever tried seriously because I don't have a lot of motivation to do something, that I feel will be quite tough, to get to a standard where I can at least run for a reasonable distance, without having a heart attack!
I've never been a solo sport person, always preferring team sports.
So what suggestions would you make, to encourage someone to persist and gain the benefits, lots of people clearly get?
Set yourself a target mate. It's the only thing that will motivate you. A park run would be a good one. It's 5k ,so pretty testing if you are new to running. Find yourself a training plan to reach that 5k target. Initially you'll probably do mostly walking with a bit of running thrown in.
I've often thought about taking up running, I've heard it can be very therapeutic, which could benefit me.
I can't say I've ever tried seriously because I don't have a lot of motivation to do something, that I feel will be quite tough, to get to a standard where I can at least run for a reasonable distance, without having a heart attack!
I've never been a solo sport person, always preferring team sports.
So what suggestions would you make, to encourage someone to persist and gain the benefits, lots of people clearly get?
Set yourself a target mate. It's the only thing that will motivate you. A park run would be a good one. It's 5k ,so pretty testing if you are new to running. Find yourself a training plan to reach that 5k target. Initially you'll probably do mostly walking with a bit of running thrown in.
Getting some Patella tracking problems following a couple of weeks that had a 19 mile run and a 20 mile run (as well as shorter faster paced runs)
Had to wind down to zero running activity and even went and swam a kilometre in 30 minutes whilst concentrating on using just the one leg... A challenge for sure!
Had to pick up some VMO strength work and increased my rolling efforts.
Today is the day, last week's of training were really hit and miss, but I sit here now on the khazi 2 hours away from the start of the Firenze marathon and I'm both buzzing and terrified!
The little one won't be joining me, but will hopefully be there waiting at the finish!
I have really remembered how much I hate Marathon training. It's far too time consuming!
Comments
We (Plumstead Runners) got three places that year. 1 for being a member club and 2 for our continuous volunteering on marathon day at Cutty Sark (which we share with New Eltham Joggers on an alternative year basis). This year, we had only one place, next year will be three again.
For a small but growing club with over 120 members, 1-3 places isn't that much. Of course the decent championship and good for age runners will get their places and rightly so but for those that turn up week in week out to support their club and various volunteering spots and would love to have a crack at it, its a 1 in 40 chance at best. Not much better odds than the VLM ballot itself.
I used to be an Orpington Road Runner who had close links with the New Eltham Joggers so far as I remember
On a plus side now means I can get back out running as had taken a break for a few months (Have usually paused during the summer months) whilst I waited to find out if I needed to train for Marathon or shorter distance so can now adjust my training accordingly - Can then build up in 2019 for either another attempt at London or should that fail I'll enter the Kent RoadRunner Marathon at the Gravesend CycloPath as a nice local event.
Good luck to those who have managed to secure a place for the 2018 London Marathon
Question here... if (touch wood) everything goes alright in the half and I train enough, is a mid-December marathon achievable? Would be my first, but got up to around ~16 miles in March before my back went a bit 'rogue'. Was thinking half mara back from work on Tuesdays and gradually creep up the Sunday distance towards 20-odd miles at the end. I must confess, I don't really know what I'm doing - but feel like I was getting there before, and I'm not too fussed on time (so not doing a lot of 'sprinting about' training).
Seeing that I'm under 40 I'd need to run a sub 3:05 Marathon which will be difficult because I never managed to run a 1hr 30min Half-Marathon so to qualify around 3hrs for Marathon distance would be extremely difficult.
2 of our veteran runners qualify under GFA but 29 no's ?! that's ridiculous.
I am so bloody lucky I got in by a fluke 18 months ago!
How did you manage to enter 18-months ago?
I was just referring to that 29 members applied individually in the ballot and not one of us got in.
We'll now have a ballot within the club of those members that was rejected to apply for how many places we got for next year. Think it was 3, might be 1, depending on what turn on the rota with New Eltham Joggers we are.
If completion whilst running all the way is your plan, then if you can hit a 20, you'll be fine on the day. The adrenaline will carry you through your barriers.
Does anyone recommend a certain brand of gels? High5, SiS, etc?
Always carried imodium in my little running pouch just incase I needed it, like at mile 17 on the Brighton Marathon in 2015!!!
All 4 of the last miles I kicked on and was at a bit faster than MP for 3 of them and one was at Half Marathon PB pace (mile 17-18).
I have to admit I was stunned at the difference in energy levels from a mere 90 calorie sachet... I also had a hydration tablet in my water bottles.
This weekend will be a little 15 at marathon pace so will bring the gels out again.
I can't say I've ever tried seriously because I don't have a lot of motivation to do something, that I feel will be quite tough, to get to a standard where I can at least run for a reasonable distance, without having a heart attack!
I've never been a solo sport person, always preferring team sports.
So what suggestions would you make, to encourage someone to persist and gain the benefits, lots of people clearly get?
Maybe here: https://www.activetrainingworld.co.uk/running
Is a good place to start? Get yourself started and maybe think about joining a club.
I followed one of Martin Yellings training plans when I did the marathon 2 years ago. I was no runner when I started and I got round!
There's even an app that takes you through each run as you do it.
Had to wind down to zero running activity and even went and swam a kilometre in 30 minutes whilst concentrating on using just the one leg... A challenge for sure!
Had to pick up some VMO strength work and increased my rolling efforts.
Today is the day, last week's of training were really hit and miss, but I sit here now on the khazi 2 hours away from the start of the Firenze marathon and I'm both buzzing and terrified!
The little one won't be joining me, but will hopefully be there waiting at the finish!
I have really remembered how much I hate Marathon training. It's far too time consuming!