London Marathon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[*Liana*]

I'll be doing....first aid with the St. John Ambulance! So I will be there. A little apprehensive because I've never done a really big duty before.

But at least I'm not running it - lots + lots of luck and encouragement star_girl77... are you running for a charity or for the challenge of it or whatever?

[Renal]

You guys seen this? http://www.rsmpress.co.uk/jrsm99goudle.pdf

[racheljane]

HUGE respect to everyone here doing the London Marathon today, one of my goals in life was to do this before I hit 30 but the nearest I got was the 5km Race for Life lol ah well.

Good Luck, enjoy, and CONGRATULATIONS!

[star_girl77]

I started with the race for life last year, I actually could'nt run a mile when i started. I ran for the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, Im trying to raise enough money to buy a new bed for the intensive care ward where they looked after my dad.
The run was amazing, the first 15 miles i absolutly flew, but i hurt my knee and it slowed me down a lot. I burst in to tears at the end it was really emotional.
I did it in 4 hours 39 anyway so not to bad, I didnt really stop either!

woohoo go me!
thanks for everyones comments and support!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[racheljane]

That's fantastic, well done you. Inspiring!

[May84]

hi guys

i'm hoping to run the london marathon next year, any tips on how to train for it?

[star_girl77]

hey, first thing you need to do is make sure you get your application in by october, its all a very random process so its not guarenteed you will get in. you can pick up the application forms from decathalon.
if you are going on a gap year, that will give you lots more time than i had trying to do my A levels at the same time! silly nic!
I tried to fit in 4 runs a week, didnt always manage this due to other commitments. once a week speed training (doing a mile or so as quick as poss), one hill training, one normal run about 7 miles and one long run which i gradually built up to 24 miles. adding a mile or two every week. if you get in they send you a pack with loads of running info and training guides.
do make sure you have good trainers though, it sounds stupid but my feet have grown 2 sizes since i started running-how strange! i also bought something called a camelback, which allowed you to take large amounts of water around on the long runs. lucozade drinks and boots energy bars work a treat to stop you hitting the wall too. they say you have to up your intake of calories, i did this, ate like a bloody horse! but still managed to lose weight!
make sure you dont scimp on stretching before you run, when i started i couldnt really be bothered and i suffered with knee and hip problems which are still there now. try and enter some races when you get your milage up, it will give you a real confidence boost and an idea of how you'l do on the day.
hope that helps, any more q's and id be happy to answer them. it really is an amazing day and i'd recommend it to anyone!

nic
xxx
p.s-get some really good socks-the blisters are a bitch!

[May84]

wow, so much advice! thanks stargirl!

i really hope i get to run it, its a lifetime ambition of mine and since i'm taking a gap year i finally have the time to train for it

congratulations on your time by the way!

may

[Shehan]

StarGirl - Your time is like amazing!!
Ye Il hopefully b running the London Marathon as well. However it is not guarenteed to get a place through the ballot. Did you run for a charity? I was thinking of doing this but raising like £1500 would be harder than actually running the marathon!! Ye StarGirl, your training seems intense however, how long was this for, I was thinking of starting training in January if I got the place. Im also on a gap year, so now is the best time to do this, it would be nice to put in my personal statement, but as I wont know whether I have a place or not by September I can't really write about it.

[star_girl77]

i got a place strait through the ballot. i applied with my boyfriend and my dad but only i got in, so it really is down to luck. i did run for a charity, the UHB hospital. so you should apply directly first, you will know by about november if your cheque has been cashed, and they dont usually send you your 'congratulations' letter until around christmas. if you dont get a place that way, then apply for the charity places. finding sponsor money will be easier than you think, loads of people are interested when its the marathon. i raised over £1000 without trying to hard really!
i wrote about it in my personal statement before i had my place, i just stated that i had applied and was waiting to hear about my place in the london marathon.
i would strongly suggest you train before january. perhaps you have a good level of fitness already, i dont know. mine wasnt that good but i started doing little races about a year before the date of the marathon. when i say little races, i mean about 5 miles. by january, i was up to about 20 miles, but i really started trying to up my milage from 6 miles in september. you have to start training before you know you have a place. i did a fair bit of training, but still found the marathon difficult. bare in mind you need rest days in between your runs (because believe me, you will have some days when you wont be able to move your legs!) so january is leaving it a bit late to cram all that milage in! i promise you you'll have loads of aches and pains, and may have to have a week or two's rest which can really set your training back. so leave plenty of time for training, you'l find it a lot easier that way. iv got my application form through the post last week, and im thinking of doing it again, although il be at uni. i cant actually believe how quickly iv lost my fitness though. its been about 3 months since the big day and now i struggle to run 5 miles! oh well! hope that helps. any more q's and id be happy to help!
xxx