We probably bent your ears about it for months with talks of pacing, long runs, heavy legs and recovery tips…but the London Marathon has been and gone and the aching muscles have been replaced with happy(ish) memories and new goals. We did think about someone writing a traditional race report for the website but then came to the conclusion that it would be pretty difficult to sum up and capture all of our different marathon experiences.
So instead, the London Marathon finishers of Saltwell Harriers have shared their top tips or marathon reflections with you. In true Saltwell style, some took this more seriously than others (and some tips are more useful than others!) but anything sent through has been included!
From (Saltwell) Jim…“Print your name on your vest…you not only feel like the crowd are shouting in support, but you feel like they know you and are willing you individually on” (And so the legend of ‘Saltwell Jim’ was born!)
From Peter M… “Don’t drink too much tea before the race otherwise you’ll lose nearly a minute in a portaloo at mile 8”
From Frank… “Do more runs of 20 miles plus as this really helps to build strength and stamina over the last 5-6 miles. Get your name printed on your vest as you’ll get so much support and encouragement from the crowd and you won’t let yourself stop! And joining Saltwell was one of the best things I did – you get plenty of help and advice, especially when recovering from a hamstring injury just a few months before. I’m already looking forward to the next one in the Autumn in York!”.
From the Garrett’s… “No gain without pain (see photos!) – but well worth it!”
From Paul Richardson… “During your long training runs, concentrate on time on your feet. If you are thinking about doing a 4-hour marathon, you need to feel confident you can be out on your feet for four hours. This might involve run/walking on your training runs but that’s ok – if you gain confidence that you can last the time. If you’re more focussed on running to a target pace to achieve a target time then run some of your training runs faster than your target pace, which again will build confidence for the day of the race”.
From Clare L… “Talk to people! Everyone is feeling the same as you and if you are struggling (for whatever reason) just distract yourself by talking to others. Charity runners are easy to approach, you can ask them why they are supporting etc, and you can always shout at your local club runners to get their attention (which a lovely woman from Tyne Bridge did to me) and, whilst this doesn’t apply to the ‘runners’ more the ‘get rounds’ I talked to lots of people waiting for the loo!”
From Ian S… “Joining Saltwell really helped with the training, especially finding other people to run with on long runs. If you’re reading this and are not already a member then sign up! On the day itself, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy the beginning and the end with other club members – you’re all in it together. Afterwards, don’t underestimate how much you will have taken out of your body so take time off to recover (which I didn’t do!). And one final thing…the texts and facebook messages gave everyone such a massive lift on the day – thank you!”.
From Gemma…“Don’t go off too fast. Everyone says it…but they say it because so many people do it! This really worked for me and I really feel helped me to enjoy the whole thing”.
And from Darren…“Know where your hotel is and know where you’re meeting people!”. (You’ll have to ask Darren!)
