My Paris Marathon training 2012 today's been...by Cat Sales by Catgrrr

• ...the Paris marathon 3hrs 29min, I did it!!

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  Apr1720129:27 p.m.

  Got the medal & the T-shirt!

  3hrs 29min 7secs, witt woo

   

  

  I smashed my PB, was under my target time and I can still walk!! Due to a Garmin watch malfunction (I left it on and the battery went dead!) I didn’t know my time when I crossed the line but I knew it was close to the 3hr 30 mark. So how chuffed was I to see I finished in 3hrs 29!! My overall position was 5702 out of about 33,000 and 147th women.

  It was a brilliant long weekend in Paris. Here’s a summary of this little adventure:

  • My mini rice puddings were confiscated by security at Birmingham Airport – ‘but thats my marathon breakie I pleaded' to no avail. Oh well, they lets the bananas through.

   

  • Arriving in Paris we went for a wander on the 1st night to see the Arche de Triomphe and got lost walking around the block – a 10 minute walk took us over an hour. Hmmm aren’t suppose to be resting our feet?

   

  • Saturday we managed to get to the marathon expo all thanks to a kind French man. He watched and listened to us studying the map on the metro for a while and then amused pointed out that we were looking at the train map, doh.

   

  • The expo was pretty good apart from the long queue to get in. Got my race number 13746 and bought official t-shirt (100% confident I would finish!) and a belt for my energy gels. I good few exhibitor stands but not many bargains, not that I had any space in my bag to take anything home!!

   

  • Dinner was a massive carbo-fuelled meal in a nice Italian, a recommendation from fellow runners. I bumped in to my sister and mate Dan leaving the restaurant, weird! We had arranged to meet up during the weekend as Dan was running and Jayne spectating but of all the restaurants in Paris we happened to be in the same one at the same time purely by chance.

   

  • There were a good group of marathon runners in our hotel and lots of camaraderie. After a good natter in the hotel lounge we all headed off to bed. Early start in the morning. Did I sleep, what do you think??

   

  • Having no rice pudding now for breakie I had to try and stomach porridge, urghhh. I just about managed a bowel, two bananas and a lucazade. I also had a rehydration drink that was recommended after I got cramp at London last year.

   

  • Final prep and I realised my Garmin watch didn’t work – major panic arghhhh. I never run without it. I asked about every runner in the hotel and at the last minute a couple came up trumps –but I only got 10 minutes charge, how long will it last?

   

  • All vaselined and kitted up, nervous we headed to the start along with the other 40,000 runners. Guess out many loos there were? I counted 10!!!! Embrassed to say that my running buddy Sarah and I swatted in an underground car park – it wasn’t a pleasant experience but needs must!

   

  • We also missed the baggage drop somehow – maybe due to the total lack of any kind of signage. Luckily we had our brilliant supporter Cindy with us who was soon renamed 'bag lady' as we load her up with our kit so we made the start on time.

   

  • I squeezed in to my blue start pen with 5 minutes to go and due to my height could see nothing – even the start. Slowly people start moving so I presumed we were on our way. Weather near perfect at 11 degrees, slight wind though. So here goes

   

  • The first 10 miles flew by – my Garmin battery gave in at mile 7 but it helped me set my pace and I was running really comfortably at 7.30s, trying not to go off too fast. Quite liked the fact the markers were kilometres – they come by quicker!  

   

  • I was pretty comfortable until 18 miles and had lots of great encouragement from the crowd – ‘allez Cat!!’ but then I started to tire – so I overdosed on energy gels! I’m glad I had them with me as water stops weren’t as frequent as in London.

   

  • At 20 miles I somehow managed to miss seeing the 986 feet tall Eiffel Tower – apparently you can’t miss it – hmmmmmm not true!! Crowd control was interesting as spectators could come on the route – I had a guy run across my path nearly tripping me up to run with his mate. I didn’t like the cobbles either – I felt every one, ow!!

   

  • I just kept telling myself to get to 22 miles and then pick up the pace and finish it off but at 23 miles I got the dreaded cramp. My left calf kept spasming and my right leg went stiff so I had to ease up to avoid pulling up, plus I was knackered!!

   

  • I had to dig deep in those last few miles and it took pure determination. Where is the finish?? Running through a park no 800m, 500m signs to go – you literally come around a corner and there it is, well I was hoping it was the finish as didn’t know the French translation!

   

  • I sprinted the last 50 m – it’s a weird when the end is so close – relief, elation, joy, tearful. When I crossed the line everything over came me and I went dizzy only to be caught my two medics before I fell to the ground. Thats what holding your breath and a sprint finish does, doh. Just when I was looking my worse the professional photographer took a snap of me – can’t wait to see that one!!  

   

  • I did it!! In pain, in a daze but so happy – it’s a really good feeling in a strange kind of way. The finish area was chaotic not like the military organisation at London and it took ages to get out, I just wanted to lie down! Dressed in a big blue poncho they handed out - it looked like I'd joined a cult!

   

  • I met my sister under the Ache de Triompe – what a cool meeting place and she treated me to a large a large chocolate éclair, yummy! Then we looked up my time on the Paris Marathon app – OMG so pleased and I didn’t even run my eyeballs out! Next time!

   

  • The course was amazing, very scenic and like a sightseeing tour. We all enjoyed it – Dan 3hrs 7min, me 3hrs 29min, Emily 4hrs 2min, Gra 4hrs 5min and Sarah 4hrs 10min.

   

  • All back at the hotel and cleaned up, it was champagne and food time, wahay!! Cheers everyone, we were all on a high albeit all knackered!

   

  • Next morning, my alarm went off at 6 am, dammit. I forgot to change it after the early marathon start. No rest for the wicked. My room mate Sarah wasn't impressed, whoops.

   

  • After a big breakie, slightly immobile we all headed out for a bit of sightseeing, metro steps were a bit of an issue!! Finally I saw the Eiffel Tower. I must have been so focused to miss it! We also went to the Louvre – can you believe they charge 1€ for the loo but you get a bottle of water – kind of a genius idea!?!

   

  • Back at the hotel we met a group of lads doing 7 marathons in 7 days – what a crazy thing to do, that is??? Hmmmmmm, next year??

   

  • And then we were homebound, slight panic as we nearly missed the plane due to the slow security at CDG airport but no drama we made and as soon as we set off I conked out, shattered!

   

  So that’s it – a bit sad it’s all over, on to the next one!

  Thanks to my fellow marathon buddies – Emily, Sarah, Gra and our chief supporter Cindy, for a great weekend.

  Thanks to the marathon training group at Black Pear Joggers who got me round the long runs and listened to me chatting and moaning all the way round!

  Also thanks to Stratford AC who helped me get back my love of running and helped me greatly improved over the last 15 months.

  Thanks to all my collegues who run with me down the canal every week and my other colleages - especially my boss Celia who has no interest in running but has to constantly put up with all this 'marathon talk'!.

  A special thanks to everyone who has read my blog and all of you who've written one - it’s great to hear about everyone’s adventure.

  Any finally thanks to my wonderful sponsors, your kind donations  will help CRY continue its great work.

  Good luck to everyone at London especially my sister Jayne, Aunty Liz, Emma, Paul, James, Rob, Vicki and all you bloggers.

  Cat x

  PS I may continue you to blog, you can’t get rid of me that easy

  @Catsales82

  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CatSales

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  评论 (6)

  • marcphillips 'Well done Cat, that's a brilliant time!' added 17th 四月 2012

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  • shazzer 'Wow! Fantastic race report, loved reading that. What a fab time - how did you manage without your garmin - I would have freaked.' added 17th 四月 2012

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  • crooxi 'That was an enjoyable read! Congratulatons - seriously well done. Treat yourself to all the rice pudding you want, now!' added 18th 四月 2012

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  • northernsouthernmonkee 'Great summary, stolen my thunder for when I get round to writing mine!! Amazing time too. Oddly enough I had a pre race pee in an underground car park and saw two women doing the same!! (not really).' added 18th 四月 2012

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  • Scardoc 'Fantastic time, well done Cat!!! With my bladder I'll avoid the Louvre - they'll def get €2 out of me!' added 18th 四月 2012

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  • Petecw29 'Brilliant race and great report Cat. Well done on a superb PB!!' added 18th 四月 2012

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