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Amsterdam marathon

3K views 43 replies 19 participants last post by  Man Relaxed 
#1 ·
I've started my report... will finish it later, after work. Here's part 1

On Saturday I woke up thinking it was marathon day, and instantly felt panic, because I didn't feel ready. I can't tell you how relieved I felt when I realised what day it was.

It was totally different though, when I woke up yesterday morning, I woke about 20 minutes before my alarm was due to go off, I knew it was marathon day and I felt calm and ready for it.

The only thing that was slightly worrying me was getting to the start, I'd been given 3 different sets of instructions and was totally confused. So my plan was to have breakfast, get ready nice and early and then just hang around in the hotel lobby with the intention of following other runners.

I hung around for some time, but everyone seemed to have it all figured out in their own time scale... not mine. I wandered out of the hotel to look for and signs of which direction I needed to take but the streets were deserted.
"Get a grip Trinity" I told myself, and went back to reception and asked which way to the metro... how simple was that! I even had a little map to follow As I was walking down the still deserted street, a French couple came running up to me, looking lost and stressed. Like me, they had also been told that the busses would be running, but found that they weren't so with the aid of my little map I directed them to the metro

I got to the Sporthallen and it was heaving with runners going in all directions. I found some free lockers, which you access via a machine... you type in your pin number and it allocates a locker to you. gratis! And it can only be accessed by your pin number...cool

Everything was just falling into place...I seemed to hit everything just at the right time. I started to feel a bit concerned about how calm I was, I'd never felt like this on the morning of a marathon before.

Soon enough it was time to head over to the Olympic Stadium for the start. When I got there I couldn't resist going up into the stands to have a look... it was immense! The track was packed with runners, the stands were packed with supporters, the atmosphere was incredible and I couldn't wait to be a part of it. I ran back down the stairs and got myself where I needed to be... within the pink band of sub 3.30.. The start.

So, I was stood at the start, untied and re-tied my laces...as you do, and at last I started to feel some adrenalin...my body was preparing to race

A guy next to me said hi... he was from Cheltenham! Small world innit We had a chat, it was his first marathon and he was going for 3.15, wonder if he made it.

It was 10.30 and we were off... the Kenyans and speedy guys were already leaving the stadium by the time I got across the start line! We went half way round the track and then out... the crowd cheering as we left the stadium was amazing, I can't describe the feeling it gave me. But I was conscious that I had to keep the pace down for the first few miles while I settled in. With the support, it was so easy to run fast without even feeling it, so I kept checking my garmin... the fastest it got up to was 7.52, and I dropped right off that pace as soon as I realised.

I had my garmin set to give me my average pace throughout the race and I settled into a relaxed easy running pace, breathing nice and easy, at 7.56's.

The kilometres ticked over... past 5k... 10k... 15k...all on course for sub 3.30.

At about 18k I got that old familier feeling in my right leg. At first I tried to convince myself that I was imagining it, and if I didn't think about it, it'd go away. But it didn't go away, it got steadily worse... it starts like a vague ache and then gets stronger and stronger.. like having a bad toothache in your leg (kinda). My CPN was being pi$$d off and I knew what that meant. Please..not now, not here... SH!T!!! Gutted!!! My mind was racing...trying to figure out what to do, while all the time the pain was getting worse and worse.

The choice was stop and run/walk it, or DNF. Not much of a choice.

Still holding the pace... pain still getting worse...

I decided I couldn't bare to do a run/walk for over 13 miles and finish with a 4.30 instead of the 3.30.. I'd be totally gutted.

Still holding on to the pace... pain getting almost intolerable...

So I considered dropping out... sh!t, I can't drop out... I've worked so hard for this, I have to finish it at least, I don't care in what state.

I got to the 20k chip mat, my pace was still 7.57's

I started to feel sick and dizzy with the pain... my whole body kinda started to tingle...weird feeling. I had to really focus on the road ahead because the dizziness was getting worse. My leg momentarily buckled... "This is it" I thought, "my leg is not going to take much more". I can't begin to describe the pain I was feeling, let alone the dispair.
 
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#15 · (Edited)
I'd made it the 21.1k marker... half way. The choices were still there... walk/run or DNF... suddenly a mantra came into my head from nowhere... "just keep running just keep running just keep running..." so that's what I did, trying to ignore the pain.

But then something happened that I didn't expect, and I can only put it down to my body's response to the trauma that was going on in my leg, the fact that the common peroneal nerve was being so severely compromised but that I continued to run despite the pain telling me to stop... the endorphines kicked in. I've never experienced anything like that before... I'd pushed my pain threshold to the limit, and the body responded with... 'ok then, if you insist on carrying on, I'll give you a break'. Isn't the human body such an amazing machine!!

The pain subsided, I could still vaguely feel it, and I knew that I would probably pay for this later, but I could now get some focus back on my running. From 22k I started to count down the kilometers to go... 20k to go, that's only just over 12 miles... you can do this Trinity, you've got another chance, don't blow it.

I remember going through 27k and working out that I had less than 10 miles...down to single figures, and miraculously I was still holding on to average pace 7.57's. I knew I was going to PB no matter what.

I heard the odd shout for my name or "go Hogweed!", I was passing so many runners, many of them from my start who were paying for the early pace. I felt proud of myself that I was sensible and had resisted the temptation to go with them.

But foolishly I hadn't worked out a gel routine, I'd meant to and even at the start the thought crossed my mind that I should work out at what k markers I was going to take them...and then it went out of my mind again. So I had been taking gels as and when I felt I needed one (which was probably a bit late by then). I'd started with 4 normal gels and 2 caffeine ones and I at least made sure that I kept the caffeine ones til last.

At 32k I remember thinking just over 10k to go... just over 6 miles... that's all, you can do this, stay focused. I'd lost count of how many gels I'd taken and saw that I just had the 2 caffeine ones left, so I took one of them. At around this point a bloke was running beside me, and he seemed to be too close to my side because there were no other runners near us and plenty of space. So I edged forward, he replied with running up close beside me and almost in my path, edging me to the side and forcing me to adjust my stride. So I dropped behind him and moved out into the road again and forward. But he then came up on my other side and did the same. There was absolutely no need for him to do this and I wondered what he was up to. He was so close that a couple of times our elbows touched. So again, I dropped behind and round the other side of him. FFS!!...he did it again, and now I was getting stressed about it. I told myself to calm down, I couldn't waste any energy on him, and I had to stay focused on my race. I checked my pace and garmin said 7.56!

At 39k I told myself just 2 miles to go. The guy was still hassling me, so I took my last caffeine gel. My body responded quite quickly to it and I felt a rush of energy. I moved forward, in front of the guy and pushed on...leaving him behind

We went down an underpass...OMG, and immediately saw the hill up the other side! I thought this was supposed to be flat! I really had to work hard getting up the other side, my heart was pounding out of my chest, I didn't want that guy catching up with me again. I looked at my garmin, and the pace was back at 7.57. We ran through a park and I remembered it from when we had set out over 3 hours ago. The spectators were fantastic, really willing us on. I remember one american girl shout "Go Hogweed... you've got it girl, it's in the bag, you've got it!". I knew she was right, I'd got my PB in the bag, and barring disaster I had the sub 3.30 too. I smiled.

I searched the skyline for any signs of the stadium, but it was obviously too soon. The gel was working so well and I finished off the drink that I was carrying. The crowds were getting thicker, the cheering was getting louder. We crossed the street, turned a bend, and I think another one... then I could see it... the entrance to the Olympic Stadium. I remember going onto the ramp and then the ground on the stadium entrance was sparkly...it looked so pretty that I was momentarily transfixed on it.

Then the noise distracted me... I ran into the stadium.. the cheering, the track, the music, the announcer, and above all.. the finish line...it all blended into such a fantastic experience. I crossed the line and immediately looked at my garmin.. I couldn't work out if it said 3.29-something or 3.28-something but I didn't care... I had a PB, and I had a sub 3.30. I got choked up... I'd made it, my body gave me everything I asked for, and more. I wanted to cry but tears wouldn't come. I shuffled to the side and removed my chip, went on and got my medal, and then laid down in the sun, on the side of the track right by a huge speaker playing loud music... Amy Winehouse was blasting out Valerie
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1xuZ2vIp7MQ

I felt sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good, I can't put into words how good I felt, except to say that I wanted to get up and start dancing on the track... I very nearly did, bit I wasn't sure if my legs were willing and it could have ended up being very embarassing

I checked my garmin again, and it said 3.28.42... wow!

The only downside to that is that the official results have added 2 minutes to my net time... I don't know how or why, but interestingly, there is a UK lady with a net time of pretty much exactly what my garmin said.. it could be a coincidence, I don't know. I'm going to contact the organisers to see if they have an answer, but like everyone has said.. I know what I did, my garmin knows what I did...so that's good enough. Except I would like to see it recorded officially.

With the time they gave me I was placed 6th LV45, although with the time that I actually did I could have 4th LV45... not too worried about that though... top 10 is good

After the race, I got showered, changed and worked my way back to my hotel... getting lost a couple of times and rescued by a couple of lovely Dutch guys who put me back on the right path again.

I'd had a cereal bar, but somehow forgot about a main meal and then went out for the evening... oops

It was an unblievably great day...thanks everyone for sending luck and willing me on, I know it helped, especially in the tough times xxx
 
#22 ·
My legs are marathon sore... made worse by the fact that my hotel room didn't have a bath so I couldn't have a cold one :(

The leg that was giving me problems kind of twinges now and then but from experience I know it will calm down and it will be strong enough for me to run on it again in about a week
 
#29 ·
Great report Trin, you should be a writer brilliant :d

Did you ever see the punk that was driving you crazy in the race?

Hope the legs are recovering nicely :)
 
#31 ·
Brilliant report Trin! There really isnt anything like running a marathon. Did you ever find out what the guy was playing at getting in your way? I would have turned round and planted him one! What an arse!

Hope your leg is on the mend and well done on getting a fantastic time and result!!

O.
 
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