Suggestions for the first marathon?

Wood_Duck · Post by **Wood_Duck** » April 21st, 2006, 3:09 pm

Kit--What time tomorrow are you going to row? Let me know! (include your time zone

)

In hindsight, a post it note on the bottom half of my PM3 would have worked. That way I couldn't see the "predicted" finish time. It was that number that was the most discouraging to me.

Go, girl GO!

Susan

MomofJBN · Post by **MomofJBN** » April 22nd, 2006, 12:25 am

Covering the estimated time is a good idea! I can see that number would get frustrating, especially because it would go up every time you took a (necessary!) break. Remind me when I finally get around to trying a HM.

Sasha · Post by **Sasha** » April 22nd, 2006, 12:38 am

So, Ms. Duck, does this mean that before I attempt a marathon I have to get a DVD player that will handle multiple discs?

I can't tell you how much your accomplishments encourage me. Thank you so much.

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » April 22nd, 2006, 3:04 am

Wood_Duck wrote:Kit--What time tomorrow are you going to row? Let me know! (include your time zone )

In hindsight, a post it note on the bottom half of my PM3 would have worked. That way I couldn't see the "predicted" finish time. It was that number that was the most discouraging to me.

Go, girl GO!

Susan

Just press the [change display] button or press the bottom grey button on the right. Switch the display to the LARGE PRINT version (which is most like the PM2 display) and the predicted time isn't shown.

I find the predicted time to be a distraction. I always have it showing average pace.

kit44 · Post by **kit44** » April 22nd, 2006, 7:54 am

Had to change my plans, Susan - got asked if I could work an extra shift, and can't see a way to fit the row into the day now. My back- up day is Wednesday - originally my first choice, but when I heard the weather forecast for today, I thought I'd rather row in the rain! So...three more days to fret, worry and prepare - argh! Now I have time to fiddle with the display and decide which one suits me best, I guess! And sometime old technology is good - I don't have a multi-disc DVD player - but I do have home-taped videos of movies and T.V. shows that I'd be happy to re-watch - if I can't get the job done in 6 hours, I don't think I want to do it!

Thanks for the good wishes - I'll hang on to them until Wednesday. Is your butt still sore?
Kit

Wood_Duck · Post by **Wood_Duck** » April 22nd, 2006, 12:26 pm

My butt only hurts when I row

So I am still using the bubble wrap.

Don't dred the row. I found it was a mental challenge to keep going. Think of it as a mountain you can climb. It will be hard to climb BUT you can do it. Stick with it and at the top think of the reward that awaits you. Mine was a full body hour long massage. Oh it felt so good!

Sasha, feel free to use the justification of a marathon for the multidisk changer, but not necessary. When the one disk ended I had to stop rowing to use the remote to move to the next disk and turn on closed captioning. So I stood up while I was doing that.

johnnybike · Post by **johnnybike** » April 23rd, 2006, 4:40 am

I have followed this thread with interest (may even have contributed) as I was thinking about doing a FM.

There is a thread on the UK forum which is also very informative, certainly useful for pacing ideas. HERE

grams · Post by **grams** » April 24th, 2006, 1:24 pm

I watch my overall split time in order to make sure I don't do a really slow marathon, however after about 2 hours my brain is somewhere else altogether. (My fastest FM is 3:41:something) If I keep watching the PM3 for every stroke I get all tightand nervous and my stroke goes all to heck.

I do have a multiple cd disk changer, so I have burned custom cds (approx 1 hour each) with music having the right beat/memories to keep me going. Classic R&R works,as does farily fast ethnic music. I finished off last time with Taiko drumming-just an insistent beat and nothing else.

Whatever keeps you going is what is best to do - there isn't any perfect setup for a fm.

I haven't had a decent workout for weeks, what with all of our travellingand having fun. I'm off to check my Nonathlon numbers and see if living at 4000 feet made any difference in my performance.

grams

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » April 24th, 2006, 2:31 pm

grams wrote:I watch my overall split time in order to make sure I don't do a really slow marathon, however after about 2 hours my brain is somewhere else altogether. (My fastest FM is 3:41:something) If I keep watching the PM3 for every stroke I get all tightand nervous and my stroke goes all to heck.

I haven't had a decent workout for weeks, what with all of our travellingand having fun. I'm off to check my Nonathlon numbers and see if living at 4000 feet made any difference in my performance.

grams

Hi Grams,

Welcome back from your trip. Great that you were able to take your erg with you! I remember when I did my first marathon in December, the thought of trying to beat you spurred me on!

I did a marathon with Susan online (RowPro) and I used the predicted time and average pace a lot because I was trying to break 3.5 hours for a time. I did it, but it was really hard just past the halfway point until I got to less than 10K to go.

My butt must be tougher because I never got off the machine once and had no butt pain during the row. It was sore afterwards though of course!

Shannon aka Canada Goose

grams · Post by **grams** » April 26th, 2006, 1:02 pm

Good to be back (sort of). I didn't have as many opportunities to erg as I would have liked, due to weather, the hassle of unloading/loading it (we needa real trailer for the sports equipment) and having fun doing other stuff. Eventually I'll have my travel blog posted for you hard-working young folks with real jobs and no time.

I am sadly out of shape, as I haven't erged regularly for 3 months now... Getting ready to go (read taxes, fixing the van etc) and the trip itself did me in.

I am glad to see the Distaff forum doing so well. Its refreshing to read the encouraging posts here. Now, could someone help me get off my computer chair and back on my erg?

grams

kit44 · Post by **kit44** » April 26th, 2006, 1:30 pm

Whoo hoo! I did it!

Not only that, but I managed to do it in just under my hoped for time - which I set at my best HM plus 10 minutes. Susan - I'm really impressed with your determination - at the 20,000m mark, I knew if if I got off the machine, I'd never get back on

So I just plodded away - and so far at least, fewer physical side-effects than I anticipated. My butt hurts, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I modified my padding somewhat, but I think the easier pace (than my 2k training) helped - which makes me think there must be muscles and not just bones involved.
Anyway, that's done! I warned the folks at work that I may need some prodding to stay awake until my shift ends at 9 - thankfully, I don't work with heavy equipment!
Thanks for the push to do it, Susan, and the encouragement from everyone.
Kit

grams · Post by **grams** » April 27th, 2006, 12:50 pm

Congratulations Kit!! Now that you have done a marathon, you will look at the other times and distances and say 'I can do that one easily'. Its amazing how one's perspective changes after meeting a tough goal.

Next one will be faster. What was your time on this one? You can likely take 5-10 minutes off the next one. Have someone take you out to eat to a casual place with healthy food afterwards, you will have earned it.

I use a gel seat cover and my butt is the least sore of all my body parts. More irritating are the chafe areas from my sports bra.

grams

kit44 · Post by **kit44** » April 27th, 2006, 4:18 pm

Thanks Grams. I'm lucky for rowing, becauseI have no bust at all and can get away going braless on the erg - big bonus when doing any long row and I try to remember that when I look at my paltry bosum in a sweater! (there are plenty of ways to add, but few to subtract!) My butt is sore today, as are my quads (the toilet seat seemed far lower this morning than usual!) but not nearly as bad as I expected. As with so many things, the anticipation was far worse than the actuality!

I finished in 3:28:58 - aiming for 3:30, so pleased to beat it. Rigth now, I can't imagine taking 5-10 minutes off the next one - but I'll see how I do with the HM in June. How many marathons have you done? And are you back to erging after your trip?
Kit

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » April 27th, 2006, 5:00 pm

kit44 wrote: I finished in 3:28:58 - aiming for 3:30, so pleased to beat it.

Please excuse a fella posting on your women's forum.

Well done Kit. Any of you ladies who got under 3hr30 has done very well. I trimmed my FM by 19'40" to 2hrs54 and change (and did it as a LWT).

grams · Post by **grams** » April 27th, 2006, 7:35 pm

Ooh!! Under 3:30!! Well done! My last one was this year as a heavyweight - 3:41:18.9. Ole Granny set my hw target in 2002 (she was 65) with 2:28:53.8. I do have a lw best done in 2004 of 3:43:52.2 when I was 61.

Ole granny (Hilary Weeks) has 'retired' from heavy competition due to a heart problem, but her times will haunt me for years in the Nonathlon and the records. My goal is just to better any one of her times.

With such a great time you may only be able to take a few minutes off when you do the next one, but you will do better. I do one or 2 a year barring injuries, and my time has been better for every one. Of course I started at 4:02 something.

About the bra-my problem is gravity-a couple of things have shifted down a bit and are now in the way of the catch...

grams