Paris
My first overseas marathon and the fourth of the year. In the build up to the day I had been getting increasingly nervous. Although I had determined simply to enjoy the day I knew that with all my training I had a good chance of smashing my PB. What to do...?
The week leading up to the marathon my nose began to get blocked. I tried not to think about it too much and was aware of taper paranoia. By the Friday when I was due to leave, however, it was clear I had a cold. Not the end of the world and I had eased off my training properly and eaten well all week.
The journey by Eurostar was a smooth one despite having to travel to London just to pass back through Folkestone 2 hours later to enter the tunnel. I arrived in Paris at lunchtime and found my hotel a few blocks from Gare d'Lest. It was an Air b'n'b apartment on the fifth floor of one of the many six storey Parisian buildings. Inside it was decorated in a rich classical style with large golden framed paintings, decorative furniture and a disconcerting number of phallic sculptures.
The afternoon was spent buying food and wandering along the River Seine to Notre Dame to buy some gifts. That night I carb loaded on pasta and had an early night in preparation for a busy weekend.
I was up early on Saturday to travel across the city by Metro to Bois de Boulogne, a park in the western suburbs of Paris. As the train approached the station more runners boarded and most had English accents. We were all heading for the Paris Parkrun. Normally welcoming around 30 runners, there was usually a spike in numbers the day before the Paris Marathon and this day proved to be no exception.
By 9 o'clock there were over 200 of us, mostly British. The race organiser and marshals did a fantastic job of hosting us. I managed to control myself and jog at a steady pace finishing in 26 minutes. We all wished one another luck in the big race and headed back into the sprawling city.
My next stop was the Expo at the Salon de running to pick up my race number. On the map it was a short walk but, unsure of the route and fearful of doing too much walking when I should be saving my energy, I took the Metro back into the centre and out again.
The Expo was good, not huge and not a great deal to do once you had your number. At London there are talks and presentations, here there was a number of stalls selling kit but apart from a yoga demonstration that I took part in there wasn't much else to see. I was given a nice bag as a souvenir and my number 21356.
During the yoga I met a couple from the UK and we spent some time chatting. Who would have imagined I would see him again after the marathon despite there being 55,000 others involved!
Once back home I went for a coffee in one of the many street cafes and then rested. I pinned on my number, laid out my kit and prepared coffee and porridge for breakfast. There was nothing else I could do. The cold was getting worse.
The alarm woke me at 6am. I dressed, ate my porridge and drank my coffee. My nose was full and my throat was sore. Not good. By 7 I was on the Metro heading for the Champs d'elysee. The train arrived 20 minutes later giving me an hour to hand in my bag and find the start enclosure.
It was a good job I had allowed that much time as it was chaos. To get to the baggage store you had to walk to the finish which was a mile from the start. There and back was therefore 2 miles of walking. Not great when you have 26.2 to run. Add to that the fact that you had to cross the Arc de triomphe roundabout which was still open and full of traffic and you had a potential accident or accidents waiting to happen.
Hundreds of runners jostled with impatient Parisian drivers who beeped their horns in annoyance as the pedestrians hopped from road to road. Once I had stored my bag and walked the gauntlet back across the roundabout to the start area I should already have been in the pen. However.... the pens hadn't even opened. Thousands of people stood shivering in the cold sunshine either side of the start area. Some took their place over grills that brought hot air up from the Metro.
Soon boos and jeers started to ring out. People were shouting to be let in. Eventually, half an hour late a gap opened in the fence. It was just wide enough for one person to fit through so that they could check people were wearing the wristband that proved you were registered. Obviously this was far too slow and some people took matters into their own hands lifting a fence panel from its concrete block. Everyone surged towards the opening. After a few scary moments the push relented and people calmed down. A potential catastrophe was avoided.
Once in the main start area it was a free for all. Flags noted times at intervals and I headed for 3:30. Turned out everyone was 3:45. Ho hum. Anyway half an hour later than stated we finally headed off.
Despite a sore throat and bunged up nose I was feeling good and well rested. I set off at 7:30 pace wondering if I could keep it up all the way. That would give me 3 hours 15 which I thought I was capable of. The route was packed and the roads quite narrow so I found myself having to slow down a lot and having to dodge between slower runners. The crowds were good though with hundreds of people along the Champs Elysee and on towards The Bastille. I ran past my apartment at this point.
It was cold but the sky was a clear blue and the sun was shining brightly. By mile 6 I was still on pace and we saw the River Seine for the first time. We followed its banks away from the centre until we reached Bois de Vincennes, another large park and wood. The miles were passing rapidly and I felt very strong although quite hot. At this point I needed the toilet and took advantage of the trees to relieve myself and remove one of my two tops.
After a loop of the park we ran east back along the river towards the Eiffel Tower in the distance. At half way I felt really good and was still on pace although I was aware this could change quickly with 13 miles still to go.
There were a number of tunnels at this point on the course as we dipped below the roads that cross bridges over the river. They gave a welcome break from the sun's intensity but also added some uphill. The spectators arrayed along the top made a huge noise and music was pumped out in the dark. For the first time I felt myself tiring and had some of the food I had brought with me.
Notre Dame was on our left and despite the scaffolding looked impressive. I wasn't to know then that in just over 24 hours it would be in flames. The next target was to reach the Eiffel Tower at 18.5 miles. My watch was confusing me showing 4 minute miles, then 9, then 6, then 8. I had no idea what pace I was running. No doubt the GPS had been thrown off by the tunnels. I suddenly felt empty. There was still 8 miles to go.
I thought I was on pace but wasn't sure. I decided to stop at the next drinks station, rehydrate, refuel and stretch. It was no good aiming for a fast time but not finishing as a result. I spent longer than I wanted stretching and eating. I threw raisins, pretzels and banana down my throat and washed it all down with a bottle of water. My calves were solid and my thighs stiff. I gave them a good stretch and then set off again.
The tower itself was hidden by the trees but I was too tired to care. I began to seriously wonder if I would make it to the end. I decided to slow down for a couple of miles to preserve some energy for the last 10k. This helped and I felt some strength returning.
At this point we entered the Bois de Boulogne where I had run parkrun the day before. I don't remember much of this part due to exhaustion but I know there was a long steep hill which sapped my energy and my morale. I was still passing people though and noticed dozens limping along holding their hamstrings. At one point an ambulance whizzed past with sirens blaring. Everyone had to move over to let it past. Always sad to see.
With two miles to go I knew I would finish and dug in. I sprinted (at least it felt like a sprint!) all the way to the finish and crossed the line. When I stopped my calves cramped up straight away and I hobbled to get my t-shirt and medal. I had no idea of my real time as my watch was only showing 25 miles. I eventually found out it was 3.27.11 and I had come roughly 6,000 out of 55,000 entrants.
While I was stretching and drinking more water I saw the guy from yoga and we congratulated one another. I collected my bag and, after a quick selfie by the Arc de Triomphe headed home.
I was pleased with my run. Sub 3:30 is a good time but it was way off the 3:15 I had been hoping for. I felt confused as I had no way of knowing when the wheels had come off and how I had lost 15 minutes. Even with the pitstop and slightly slower couple of miles towards the end I should still have had plenty in the bank to do a sub 3:25.
Having had time to think about it I have managed to take a few positives out of the experience. They are:
Don't wear trail shoes on a road marathon. My new road trainers were too small and pinched my toes so I ended up in trail shoes. They had been fine on the trail marathons but are not made for asphalt and I think this caused the pain and tightness in my calves. It probably added to the muscle fatigue too.
Don't rely on GPS pacing or if you do get a decent watch. Not knowing my pace really messed me up from half way. If I had started by the 3:15 pacer and stayed with them it would have been a much better tactic.
Make sure you start in the right pen. Having started too far back I lost a lot of time overtaking people and being held up. It also gave the impression I was going quicker than I was.
Be realistic. I had a heavy cold and was foolish to expect my body to perform as it can when I am well. When the body is fighting an illness it has less energy to run with. Looking back at how I felt a sub 3:30 would have been a very good goal and sub 3:45 realistic.
All that said it was a wonderful experience to run in another city and especially one as beautiful as Paris. I have a great memory that will always stick with me and a nice bag, t-shirt and medal to go with it. I wouldn't run it again but I am pleased I did. The question is if the factors above were sorted what time would I be capable of.....
The week leading up to the marathon my nose began to get blocked. I tried not to think about it too much and was aware of taper paranoia. By the Friday when I was due to leave, however, it was clear I had a cold. Not the end of the world and I had eased off my training properly and eaten well all week.
The journey by Eurostar was a smooth one despite having to travel to London just to pass back through Folkestone 2 hours later to enter the tunnel. I arrived in Paris at lunchtime and found my hotel a few blocks from Gare d'Lest. It was an Air b'n'b apartment on the fifth floor of one of the many six storey Parisian buildings. Inside it was decorated in a rich classical style with large golden framed paintings, decorative furniture and a disconcerting number of phallic sculptures.
The afternoon was spent buying food and wandering along the River Seine to Notre Dame to buy some gifts. That night I carb loaded on pasta and had an early night in preparation for a busy weekend.
I was up early on Saturday to travel across the city by Metro to Bois de Boulogne, a park in the western suburbs of Paris. As the train approached the station more runners boarded and most had English accents. We were all heading for the Paris Parkrun. Normally welcoming around 30 runners, there was usually a spike in numbers the day before the Paris Marathon and this day proved to be no exception.
By 9 o'clock there were over 200 of us, mostly British. The race organiser and marshals did a fantastic job of hosting us. I managed to control myself and jog at a steady pace finishing in 26 minutes. We all wished one another luck in the big race and headed back into the sprawling city.
My next stop was the Expo at the Salon de running to pick up my race number. On the map it was a short walk but, unsure of the route and fearful of doing too much walking when I should be saving my energy, I took the Metro back into the centre and out again.
The Expo was good, not huge and not a great deal to do once you had your number. At London there are talks and presentations, here there was a number of stalls selling kit but apart from a yoga demonstration that I took part in there wasn't much else to see. I was given a nice bag as a souvenir and my number 21356.
During the yoga I met a couple from the UK and we spent some time chatting. Who would have imagined I would see him again after the marathon despite there being 55,000 others involved!
Once back home I went for a coffee in one of the many street cafes and then rested. I pinned on my number, laid out my kit and prepared coffee and porridge for breakfast. There was nothing else I could do. The cold was getting worse.
The alarm woke me at 6am. I dressed, ate my porridge and drank my coffee. My nose was full and my throat was sore. Not good. By 7 I was on the Metro heading for the Champs d'elysee. The train arrived 20 minutes later giving me an hour to hand in my bag and find the start enclosure.
It was a good job I had allowed that much time as it was chaos. To get to the baggage store you had to walk to the finish which was a mile from the start. There and back was therefore 2 miles of walking. Not great when you have 26.2 to run. Add to that the fact that you had to cross the Arc de triomphe roundabout which was still open and full of traffic and you had a potential accident or accidents waiting to happen.
Hundreds of runners jostled with impatient Parisian drivers who beeped their horns in annoyance as the pedestrians hopped from road to road. Once I had stored my bag and walked the gauntlet back across the roundabout to the start area I should already have been in the pen. However.... the pens hadn't even opened. Thousands of people stood shivering in the cold sunshine either side of the start area. Some took their place over grills that brought hot air up from the Metro.
Soon boos and jeers started to ring out. People were shouting to be let in. Eventually, half an hour late a gap opened in the fence. It was just wide enough for one person to fit through so that they could check people were wearing the wristband that proved you were registered. Obviously this was far too slow and some people took matters into their own hands lifting a fence panel from its concrete block. Everyone surged towards the opening. After a few scary moments the push relented and people calmed down. A potential catastrophe was avoided.
Once in the main start area it was a free for all. Flags noted times at intervals and I headed for 3:30. Turned out everyone was 3:45. Ho hum. Anyway half an hour later than stated we finally headed off.
Despite a sore throat and bunged up nose I was feeling good and well rested. I set off at 7:30 pace wondering if I could keep it up all the way. That would give me 3 hours 15 which I thought I was capable of. The route was packed and the roads quite narrow so I found myself having to slow down a lot and having to dodge between slower runners. The crowds were good though with hundreds of people along the Champs Elysee and on towards The Bastille. I ran past my apartment at this point.
It was cold but the sky was a clear blue and the sun was shining brightly. By mile 6 I was still on pace and we saw the River Seine for the first time. We followed its banks away from the centre until we reached Bois de Vincennes, another large park and wood. The miles were passing rapidly and I felt very strong although quite hot. At this point I needed the toilet and took advantage of the trees to relieve myself and remove one of my two tops.
After a loop of the park we ran east back along the river towards the Eiffel Tower in the distance. At half way I felt really good and was still on pace although I was aware this could change quickly with 13 miles still to go.
There were a number of tunnels at this point on the course as we dipped below the roads that cross bridges over the river. They gave a welcome break from the sun's intensity but also added some uphill. The spectators arrayed along the top made a huge noise and music was pumped out in the dark. For the first time I felt myself tiring and had some of the food I had brought with me.
Notre Dame was on our left and despite the scaffolding looked impressive. I wasn't to know then that in just over 24 hours it would be in flames. The next target was to reach the Eiffel Tower at 18.5 miles. My watch was confusing me showing 4 minute miles, then 9, then 6, then 8. I had no idea what pace I was running. No doubt the GPS had been thrown off by the tunnels. I suddenly felt empty. There was still 8 miles to go.
I thought I was on pace but wasn't sure. I decided to stop at the next drinks station, rehydrate, refuel and stretch. It was no good aiming for a fast time but not finishing as a result. I spent longer than I wanted stretching and eating. I threw raisins, pretzels and banana down my throat and washed it all down with a bottle of water. My calves were solid and my thighs stiff. I gave them a good stretch and then set off again.
The tower itself was hidden by the trees but I was too tired to care. I began to seriously wonder if I would make it to the end. I decided to slow down for a couple of miles to preserve some energy for the last 10k. This helped and I felt some strength returning.
At this point we entered the Bois de Boulogne where I had run parkrun the day before. I don't remember much of this part due to exhaustion but I know there was a long steep hill which sapped my energy and my morale. I was still passing people though and noticed dozens limping along holding their hamstrings. At one point an ambulance whizzed past with sirens blaring. Everyone had to move over to let it past. Always sad to see.
With two miles to go I knew I would finish and dug in. I sprinted (at least it felt like a sprint!) all the way to the finish and crossed the line. When I stopped my calves cramped up straight away and I hobbled to get my t-shirt and medal. I had no idea of my real time as my watch was only showing 25 miles. I eventually found out it was 3.27.11 and I had come roughly 6,000 out of 55,000 entrants.
While I was stretching and drinking more water I saw the guy from yoga and we congratulated one another. I collected my bag and, after a quick selfie by the Arc de Triomphe headed home.
I was pleased with my run. Sub 3:30 is a good time but it was way off the 3:15 I had been hoping for. I felt confused as I had no way of knowing when the wheels had come off and how I had lost 15 minutes. Even with the pitstop and slightly slower couple of miles towards the end I should still have had plenty in the bank to do a sub 3:25.
Having had time to think about it I have managed to take a few positives out of the experience. They are:
Don't wear trail shoes on a road marathon. My new road trainers were too small and pinched my toes so I ended up in trail shoes. They had been fine on the trail marathons but are not made for asphalt and I think this caused the pain and tightness in my calves. It probably added to the muscle fatigue too.
Don't rely on GPS pacing or if you do get a decent watch. Not knowing my pace really messed me up from half way. If I had started by the 3:15 pacer and stayed with them it would have been a much better tactic.
Make sure you start in the right pen. Having started too far back I lost a lot of time overtaking people and being held up. It also gave the impression I was going quicker than I was.
Be realistic. I had a heavy cold and was foolish to expect my body to perform as it can when I am well. When the body is fighting an illness it has less energy to run with. Looking back at how I felt a sub 3:30 would have been a very good goal and sub 3:45 realistic.
All that said it was a wonderful experience to run in another city and especially one as beautiful as Paris. I have a great memory that will always stick with me and a nice bag, t-shirt and medal to go with it. I wouldn't run it again but I am pleased I did. The question is if the factors above were sorted what time would I be capable of.....
