Luxembourg Marathon 2:57:19 PB

Luxembourg Marathon Race Report

On Saturday 30th May 2015 at 7pm I lined up for the ING Luxembourg Night Marathon. I ran a personal best of 2h 57m 19s and came 19th overall. I did the first half in 1:27:34 and the second in 1:29:45. Result and photos.

What preparation did I do generally?

• I followed the 55 mile program from Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger & Douglas
• Bought some new racing flats 6 weeks out (in New York because it's cheaper)
• Stopped swimming and did less cycling

How did I prepare for this specific marathon?

• Hilly course - Do as many runs around hilly Surrey as possible. Start and finish strong when running to and from my old flat on Putney Hill.
• Evening race - 
• Obviously ran after work a lot and did a bunch of long weekend runs on Saturday evening
• Expected melatonin levels (natural hormone that is created when the sun goes down and makes us sleepy) as the race progressed and to feel more tired than I actually was.
• Didn't walk too much during the day. Learnt this from long days at rowing regattas in my youth.
• Winding* route - Practice running routes that wiggled around. I did one that crossed over every bridge of the Thames (link) and another that wiggled all over Hyde Park (link).

Difficulties during training:

• Was Best Man at a my best friend's wedding in January
• Skiied twice
• Sister got married in March
• Went to New York for a week for work in April
• Had 2-3 weeks of low mileage from a painful calf

All but the last of the difficulties I planned for. For example I took the Friday before my sister's wedding off and did my long run that morning.

Tam and I arrived on the Friday afternoon on a very delayed easyjet flight. We left it until Saturday morning to pick up my race number then had a stroll around the old part of Lux to recce the course. After lunch we slept. Well I tried but instead spent a couple of hours lying in bed looking over my training, calculating predicted race time, looking at the course again etc. 

We got to the expo about an hour before the start but even then it was chock-a-block.

The race was really good fun. I started about 20 meters from the start of the race, it took me, like, a whole 20 seconds to cross the line, terrible. The first 8k was mostly downhill to town. I knew I had to/could go faster than race pace for it. Once in town it was a series of loops out and back into the centre.  Each time you'd go past the crowds.

At about 15k the half marathon split from the full. Massive crowds, lots of signs and staff, lovely archway, then ...... silence. I'd gone from people all around me to being 50m behind one person and no one behind. I knew this would happen. Luckily over the rest of the marathon I overtook about 6 people each of whom I was able to target.

At one point someone shouted "you're 29th" (interestingly I can't remember if it was in French or English). I was elated. So each person I overtook I knew it would make a big difference. 

The other big boosts I got were coming up a long straight and seeing Tam with an orange hat and gel for me. Perfect. (I knew they were not putting on gels and I kinda like them).

From 30km it was all uphill to the finish. I felt great and knew I was going to make 3:05 easily and 3h was looking very good.

I must admit the last 5km was hard, completely alone, much less support and it was basically dark. But it was worth it because I got my name announced as I entered the finishing straight.

That time was good enough to get me a Good For Age place at the London Marathon 2016. So I was doubly pleased.

Next goal is the Prudential ride London in the summer for which I am raising money. More on that later. Tam and I will do some parkruns (Google it) over the summer and start barefoot running. 

* I originally wanted to use winedy but that isn't a word (yet)

JoGLE 10: Launceston to John O'Groats

Finished John O'Groats to Lands End. 1000 miles on bike in 10 days. Smashing.

Here is some evidence:

I'll write a full debrief tomorrow on the train home.

Added the following day:

Strava part 1 and part 2.

Lowley cottage - RAF Davidstow Moor -

Cambourne - Penzance - Lands End ( - Penzance)

The first section of the day took us up

Seeing that James and I stayed a few miles out of Launceston and that we had a big day we decided to meet at the first meeting point of the day. So James and I

After we had a lovely break at the Snails Pace tea shop and discussed their composting toilet at length we set out along the Camel Way. A picturesque disused old train line. We had an obligatory Cornish pastie stop for lunch in Newlyn Eas. We then rumbled along through Cornwall with the smell of the sea getting stronger and stronger until we hit Penzance.

I didn't realise St  Michael's Mount was next to Penzance. After going along what felt like a quarry floor next to the beach we had to cycle straight past our B&Bs with still 9 hilly miles to go to Lands End. Thank god for adrenalin. 

JoGLE 9: Bridgwater to Launceston

Bridgwater - Taunton - Bampton - Hatherleigh - Launceston - Lowley Cottage

Strava part 1 and part 2.

Today started with all the right intentions. We knew we had a very hilly day in the wilderness of Devon. A shocking number of bowls to dip into. But a certain someone lost his charger, had gear problems and needed a wheel truing again. Here is the sinner looking very contrite:

Add these time delays to the collapsed bridge we encountered and we were rather late. So we really rushed having our elevenses at the Scarlet Garden:

We were obviously blessed with monsoon rain and thunder after our tea. Once we got into our rhythm of down then up, I really feel like I can speak for the whole group and say that we all thoroughly enjoyed the hills. Greg was loving it so much he was making faces like he was in complete agony because of his knee. What a joker!

We had a lot of stops:

And a damm lot of summits:

James and I are very nicely being put up for the night at the Tufnells which required a rather scary descent down their very small lane in the dark. Really not looking forward to the hill in the morning.

I can't believe tomorrow is our last day. The last 9 days have gone in a flash. We have seen a lot of Britain's countryside but not really any culture. Another time.

Small Talk in the Big Ring

Today we are lamenting lubricants, speaking spokes and back washing bottles with... Sarah Millest. Sarah is the First Lady to our Glorious Leader Chris.

She comes from a strong canoeing lineage and has done long distance. So pacing isn't difficult for her. 

She has a very keen sense of smell so is therfore very careful not to draft behind us men after we have had beans with our Full English. 

Tour, Giro or Vuelta? 

The French one. So the Tour. 

Justin Bieber or Just In Time Manufacturing?

It would have to be Just in Time in this case. 

Pink or Purple?

Ooo, I prefer purple.

Favourite gear setup?

Not sure, whatever I have here. Ask Chris. 

Bradley Wiggins or Mark Cavendish? 

Definitely Cav. I love a good bit of explosion. 

JoGLE 8: Hereford via Mark to Bridgwater

Hereford - Coleford - Chepstow - Portbury - Clevedon - Mark - Bridgwater

Strava part 1 and part 2.

They say that in Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly every happen. That might be true but it was blowing a mighty gale this morning leaving Hereford. And while we are on a My Fair Lady theme: The rain in Somerset fell mainly on our peloton.

We had a very special guest today. Some say he can swim on land. Others say he can cycle on water. It is sais he cycled our team leader, Chris, across America once. This mystery fellow Londoner arrived very fresh faced this morning:

Calum had the right tan lines so we accepted him as one of us. His initiation was a very big climb. Our only category 3 climb of the entire week. 

A long stop was required in Chepstow (where I finally saw the castle) to true James' wheel. The shop assistant admitted she wasn't the mechanic so I joked that she didn't know her true wheel from her boolean true. 

For my reader's pleasure I have been trying to perfect my bike selfie. This is going over the Severn Bridge with the Second Severn crossing in the background:

After lunch in Portbury the heavens opened and a multitude of the heavenly host befell us. Guess who had mudguards:

After getting so wet we just had to hose each other down. Until someone went for the private parts. #notgrownupyet

Our last stop off the day was Mark. As you can see I'm as excited as a schoolchild in a sweetshop:

Until next time, Mark.

JoGLE 7: Chester to Hereford

Chester - Whittington - Welshpool - Churchstoke - Wigmore - Hereford

Strava part 1 and part 2.

There are three certainties in a man's life: death, prostate exams and horse play. Us "lads" have got to the point where we are starting to mess around to take our minds off "That pain between our legs".

It starts our very innocently with funny poses in pictures:

To chucking bananas into each other's panniers:

Moving on to giggling like school girls at a pub called Cock Hotel and finally getting the attention of an entire field of cows:

We had to pass over the Welsh boarder about 10 times today. Only one selfie thought:

The observant of you will have noticed that Wales is spelt Gymru here rather than the usual Cymru. This is a soft mutation to make the language easier to say. In English we would change the preceeding word, so would say an English man but a Welsh man. In Welsh they change the first letter second word instead. 

As you can see from our planned elevation we had two big climbs after lunch. 

We were all fully prepared for what was about to come. We had simply accepted that we'd be seeing lunch twice. The pain was only going to be transitory we kept telling ourselves. So imagine the disbelief, the letdown, nay the utter frustration when we came to the road and saw it closed. We had to miss out the first climb! You will be glad to know we conquered the second one in lung busting fashion and had some stunning English country valley views:

We had another puncture from "Compact" Conway. Look, me being useful:

Some more (very hard to take) bike selfies:

This evening we are in Hereford, home to the SAS. On our best behaviour, no more tom foolery!

I have to apologise for any spelling/grammar mistakes I've made over the past couple of days. I've been writing these sometimes past 1am after some beers. And entirely on my phone.

To Bridgewater tomorrow via a town called Mark. I'm so excited I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep. 

JoGLE 6: Lancaster To Chester

Lancaster - Preston - Chorley - Adlington - Warrington - Runcorn - Chester

80 miles.

Strava part 1 and part 2.

There are parts of every great endeavour that will be boring and difficult. When you question why you are doing it. Waking in the morning wanting to hit the snooze button. No longer that adrenalin you had at the beginning firing you along.

In our case it is hearing that alarm go and feeling like your legs are still solid with lactic. Sitting on the saddle and everything still feeling tender. Placing your hands on the handle bars with sore red palms. Knowing you have a massive slog until the next comfy bed.

Here is a motivational video to get you fired up:

Luckily today wasn't like that at all. Only 78 miles planned. Good weather. Very little climbing.

What made today difficult was the "mehh" of the landscape. We had to finally ride through civilization and quite frankly civilization has crap views. I took so few photos that I had to ask around for some. So special thanks to:

James:

 Sarah:

Chris:

The highlight of the day was Liam's family putting on a splendid spread for us for lunch. They even put out bunting for our arrival. (I expect nothing less when I do the prudential ride London race in a fortnight):

We also went to what I can only describe as a serious contender to Garsons Farm as the best garden center in the world. Once you see the toilets at Barton Grange Garden Centre you might well agree:

Last but not least some video of us cycling yesterday:

JoGLE 5: Gretna Green to Lancaster

Gretna Green - (detour to Longtown for new wheel - Gretna Green ) - Carlisle - Dalston - Penrith - Shap - Kendal - Lancaster

Strava* part 1,  part 2 and part 3.

ENGLAND!

That selfie was about 500m from our B&B but was taken at 11 09 am. We had a very slow start. The wall of Greg's back tyre gave way at the end of day 4 so this morning it was James and Mark to the rescue. We set out at the crack of dawn, crossed lakes, scaled mountains and sustained frostbite to cover the 3 miles to the local bike shop. 

Bringing the new tyre back proved a little difficult for James:

Once Greg had put the new tyre on top of the old inner tube so having to put the new tyre on twice we set of to Carlisle. Beautiful English countryside is mostly what we saw. Saw without pictures:

• Combine harvesters
• Sheep dog being ridden on the back of a quad bike
• Massive radio antenna
• The McVities factory (one can smell it all across Carlisle)

We lunched at a supermarket called Booths (in its cafe) in Penrith. It is literally the Waitrose of the North West. Next time any of my southern friends venture tup North try one. I've been told that the Kirkby Lonsdale Booths is especially good. 

We stopped in Kendal BUT DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO FIND KENDAL MINT CAKE! Not sure what to do with my unhappiness. Here is a funny cat video we have been keeping ourselves amused with instead:

Another of our memes is selfies. Whether it is a long arm selfie (someone else takes the picture but makes it look like you did) to the belfie (the bike selfie). Here are some belfies, long arm selfie coming tomorrow:

Today we are having a serious Small Talk in the Big Ring with Greg Cooper. 

Greg is the one who organised the charity part of this ride. As I mentioned yesterday we are raising money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. 

I spoke to Greg over dinner about his friend who died last year from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). He was only 27. He was a brilliant maths teacher in South London. I don't feel I can give the story justice yet so I will do a full story in a few days time. 

Again our sponsorship page is: https://www.justgiving.com/JoG-LE-14/

Coming tomorrow: Lancaster To Chester, long arm selfie,  helmet hair pictures, funny STinBR with Greg and inspirational videos. 

* Strava is the app I use to track my cycling. So click through if you want to see what we actually cycled,  speeds,  elevations etc.