Why I Hit The Wall Hard /// Manchester Marathon 2023

[@niks_healthy_lifestyle1691]

Oh my goodness, thank you for posting this in time for my 1st marathon in London on Sunday. You're like a coach on my shoulder giving 1st hand tips & advice. At the end of the day, you still smashed Manchester! Your time is amazing even with those things you look back on in hindsight. Be proud of your achievements x

[@itsonandy]

Best of luck Nik! I'd be the worst coach ever 🤣 the best Advice I can give is: Run how you want. Soak up advice if you want, make mistakes but ultimately it will be one of the best days of your life, so don't let that little piece of plastic ruin your day looking at the numbers! Go out there, celebrate being the best version of you, and make some memories 👊🏻❤️

[@sharkeyboe]

I ran Manchester on Sunday and your experience is eerily similar to mine, the good and bad! One thing that I intend to do next marathon is play closer attention to effort, both on the watch and perceived. I looked back at my stats and my heart rate was just too high for the first half, and had I paid closer attention to that I could have eased off the pace a bit. It’s all a learning experience, that’s part of the ‘fun’!

[@itsonandy]

Exactly that mate - at the end of the day all those factors make it all so much fun ❤️

[@davecowdry6274]

Great video Andy and don’t be too hard on yourself, 15 min PB is excellent. I ran in this race and like you did 0% strength work. My pace fell off a cliff after 30k and I came home in 4:42 (it was my first marathon and I’m 50) lessons learnt for me also. The marathon is a brutally honest race and is guaranteed to find you out. Good luck for the next race 😊

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Dave, congratulations for getting through it and finishing! How many others at 50 are out smashing marathons on Sunday afternoon? Not many Dave. You're an inspiration - and I know for a fact that your friends and family all know that 👊🏻

[@rogerhyland8755]

Hi Andy. Apart from sounding like your parents, in my day! But at 67 yrs of age and still running 40/50 miles a week I ran my best marathon in 1991, age 36, back then we didn't have: Supershoes, Gels, Hydration tablets, Smart watches, Online training programs. I ran London in 1991 in 02:39:53 drinking only on course water, I drank every mile from mile three, didn't hit the wall and was actually sprinting to break 02:40 which was uphill as we finished on Westminster Bridge. I know, I know, your thinking here we go, Eating was normal food throughout training, Marathon week, Sunday:Wednesday, not much carbs normal training, Thursday:Saturday Carb loading no running at all in these three days. Marketing is very good these days but don't stress over gels etc, eat well, drink water, run to feel.. 👍 P.S Docklands back then was deserted, nothing there at all, 6 miles of nothing, no people cheering, nothing.

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Roger! I think these days everyone is a victim of marketing and we think we need the latest tech and nutrition. That's a far more impressive achievement doing what you did than anyone running that time today. You're a machine!!!

[@mikejames8298]

So much respect to you Andy. As I was watching this I felt as if I was listening to someone down the pub reviewing their run and explaining why & how they thought their run went t*t's up. So refreshing and making it real. Cant get away from the fact you ripped your PB apart. Result!!!! Once again you have produced a video that the normal everyday runner can relate to. As a 64 year old fart that has just been running for about a year, you give me true inspiration and thank you.

[@itsonandy]

Ah Mike that's so nice of you to say. Thank you so much! I hope I'm still running at 64 mate, great going 👊🏻

[@FilmMyRun]

I don’t really do strength training either Andy, although I think I should. I do think Altrincham was where I was broken in Manchester

[@itsonandy]

Legend mate. You must have super human capabilities 🤣 Fair play for your Manc run, even though it didn't go as well as you'd hoped. Nice one bud, maybe see you at an event one day.👊🏻

[@vygotsky17]

Thanks for the great video, and great to hear your story. I did Newport 2023, as my first ever. My goal was sub 4hr, and came in 3.57.04. My target pace was 5.35 per kilometre, and managed 5.34 average. I didn't have too much trouble maintaining that pace, it was fairly sensible. I had a hydration vest but I left the water flasks at home. So I filled it with gels (containing electrolytes) and flapjacks, and relied on the water stations every 5k. I ended up consuming 5 gels, one flapjack, and a fruit-based power bar en-route. There were two hydration stations that offered energy drinks, one about a third in and the other about two thirds in. I took a lucozade sport at the 2nd station and found it of great benefit. My final gel was in the last 5k. I also had no strength training, but I'll change that for next time. Overall, I was delighted to have a) completed it and b) come in sub 4, but I think the combination of knowing my pace + my fuelling and hydration strategy gave me a fairly comfortable run throughout. Looking forward to the next one wherever. Best of luck to you on your next.

[@itsonandy]

Thanks so much, and great to hear the Newport story!

[@Saz1403]

Congratulations on your new PB and thank you for sharing what you have learnt. I also did Manchester, it was my 1st marathon and I was SO lucky that the most I struggled with was lactic acid build up in my legs with 5 miles to go. I have loved following your series and I was looking out for you on the day but sadly didn't catch you. Congrats again! Onwards and upwards to the next one 🤘🏻

[@itsonandy]

Thanks so much for following along Sarah, and yes I'd love to see you at a future race. And well done on a well run marathon 👊🏻

[@rick3739]

Think that story has been told by thousands of marathon runners before and will be told thousands of times more!! I usually take on 7 gels during the marathon and find that just about gets me through. Again many congrats on a massive PB👍🏻

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Rick. I think the most I've ever managed is 5, maybe I'll go for 6 next time!

[@mollymitchell9148]

Found this video 4 weeks out from Manchester 2024, it’ll be my first marathon and found these tips so helpful! Thank you for the honesty, it’s really made me consider my own race strategy more honestly with myself :) also very grateful for the heads up about Altrincham hill !!

[@itsonandy]

Not long now, hope that you enjoy the day, it's a brilliant race ❤️

[@tomtcf76]

Hi Andy, congrats on completing the Manchester Marathon your time was very impressive. I ran the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday (my second, i did it in 2022) i got cramp at mile 23 in my right quad but just thought when you go through hell, keep going!!! I just did heavy breathing and it subsided (thank god, because it was very painful) improved my time too. Got 4hrs 15mins and last year i had got 4hrs 26mins. Now got the bug to try and improve my times. Well done again and excellent recap and i loved the Manchester video itself. Excellent. Im doing the Loch Ness Marathon on October 1st. So another 16 week plan awaits me, but im currently enjoying a two to three week rest just now. Cheers bud.

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Tommy, well done for Edinburgh, it's definitely one for my bucket list. Well done on the bug improvement and hopefully it will carry on for you 👍🏻 Thanks for the kind words 👊🏻

[@NeillyVille]

I respect the honesty and the accountability. No mistakes in life, only lessons. We take this forward and on we go

[@itsonandy]

Nice one - thanks so much. No point me trying to moan and whinge when it's my own making! All the best mate 👍🏻

[@mattsoutham]

Been there, done it. You took a shot, a bold one - and learned how to finish after hitting the wall (there's value to that!) but Marathons are always some element of a gamble. You never know until you know! Well done.

[@itsonandy]

Perfectly put - and I don't regret for a second how it went. Cheers Matt 👊🏻

[@runningben74watts90]

Good debrief Andy, I just got back from Boston, my 15th Marathon, regards to strength training, I don't do gyms, but I can't recommend resistance band training enough ( strengthen those glutes!) and definitely take on those eloctrolytes. The fuelling in a marathon (and before) can make or break your race, so defo practice on those long runs. The more structure and prep, the more you have the chance to control the controlables, essentially embrace your inner running geek and over time and experience those good habits become second nature. I found With experience your mindset and confidence grows. Recommended autumn Marathons, Dublin ( a few hills but great craic), Frankfurt very well organised, a little later in the year is Valencia ( awesome, but gets sold out very quick, very flat and very fast) also in December is Malaga a lower key event than Valencia but a beautiful course. You should be very proud of your progress and look forward to more of your videos and of course your Autumn Marathon announcement, I've got the Birmingham Half Marathon in a couple of weeks and the next marathon is Chicago in Autumn.

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Ben, thanks for all the info! Maybe see you at Brum 👊🏻

[@fatrunner]

Great video Andy, deffo think you need a break from the marathon distance. After London I've got a half in May then I'm going to work on my 5k time for a while. I think electrolytes will help you in future, can't recommend tailwind enough. I've always found gels too sickly. I've not done any strength work for about the last half of my training plan. Oh well, will see what Sunday brings!

[@itsonandy]

Yeah mate, probably no marathons now until autumn, but ultras, half's and 10ks however... There's a lot of em...

[@itsonandy]

All the best for Sunday pal!

[@deanall1]

great effort andy & self assessment. it probably says something about your strategy when you walk a few bits & still acheive a pb. i ran brighton this year with the aim of getting my 4:05 time down to below 4hrs which i did with 3:56. it was the first marathon where i didnt have to walk & also didnt suffer any cramping. not sure if it was because i had done a good training block for a 1/2 marathon just before xmas, a weeks rest then straight into the marathon training block. i only got up to 45 miles weekly volume where you were putting in some serious mileage. its all trial & error & you are very capable of getting your times down if you keep up this level of training. i ran with 2 bottles of tailwind & 4 gels but i am 52 years old so need the energy boost lol

[@itsonandy]

Well done Deano, nothing better than your marathon time starting with a 3! Well done mate 👏🏻

[@brettabbott772]

I also hit the wall hard, flew in from Massachusetts only two days before the race was extremely jetlagged and barely got any sleep. Felt weak from the start of the race but I still went out at my goal pace to see how long I could hold it

[@itsonandy]

Good work Brett, it's always going to be tough to acclimatise so quickly! Marathons are very tough, well done for getting through it!

[@RCMTR5]

I suffer with cramps too and I have found that Precision Fuel and Hydration has worked wonders for me. I’m currently training for UTA in the Blue Mountains just outside Sydney in 3 weeks and will use PF&H in that for the first time in a race. As for strength training…well I think most, it not all runners could do more but it’s much nicer to go out for a run! Good luck with whatever races you have coming up.

[@itsonandy]

All the best in the blue mountains, sounds amazing 👏🏻 ❤️

[@MrNooge]

Really balanced assessment of your race Andy. I think you’re right about that stint of 3:30 pace running early on had a lot to do with the fade towards the end. Given the walking you really weren’t far off 3:42 but I can relate to training paces and last minute goal changes! My race was pretty good although I was consistently 2secs/km slower than I should have been and with a negative split planned, I knew at half way it’d be a challenge. In the end I faded at 38km and lost 20secs/km but didn’t walk. Now I need to find 5mins of running to hit my goal and think it’s going to be all about strength training and diet next time.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Ben. Your problem may well be that you're trying to beat an already very fast time - but it will come! So good to have a pre race chat with you mate 👊🏻

[@rodlambert1425]

Your honesty is refreshing. As a 46 year old male runner I always tried to avoid S&C and used the excuse that I would get this on my runs - you don't. Niggles and injuries catch up with you and I've learned to embrace 1-2 30 mins sessions per week with lots of variety. As a result, I'm not wilting on my full and HMs. Find your own programme and tunes and it'll pay dividends. Trust me 💪🏃‍♂️🥇🎉 By the way, congrats on your new PB. Knocked it out the park Andy!

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Rod, I know full well I should be doing strength as its so good for injury prevention!❤️

[@johnherold830]

great video, Andy. As a 54 year old running their first marathon, I was a bit OCD about the preparation and gels in training etc. I think I actually had 8 or 9 in the race. I never want to see another! Plus electrolytes in the water. It seemed, to work, maintained 9 minute mile pace to finish in 3.53. I just wanted to beat 4 hours so was delighted.

[@itsonandy]

Well done John, great achievement. Them gels are great the first couple of times, but afterwards just feel quite sickly! Well done mate 👏🏻

[@Nick-pk4sq]

Thanks for such an honest and reflective video. Definitely know that feeling of fuzziness over gels in the final miles - at Brighton this year I got to the last 5k and probably should have taken one more, but I was so set on clinging on to the end that all my concentration was on keeping my pace up. Fair play on wanting to do more strength work too. This year I was strict about doing it every week, compared to last year when I tried but got really bored with it. Last year I cramped really badly at 35k and had to walk it in. This year I felt strong to the end - I’m convinced it’s what made the difference!

[@itsonandy]

That could be the difference mate. Gotta embrace the strength next time 👊🏻

[@007plasterman]

Andy you did fantastic don’t beat yourself up,I did Manchester and didn’t get the time I wanted so on to the next one Love the videos dude keep it going ,I’m of to gates head next half marathon love to see you there

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Jonny, thanks so much. Not heard about that race, I'll give it some thought! GNR for me in Sept, canny wait for that one again! Ha'way!!!

[@mrk2450]

What a great video Andy. I bloody knew it. When it came up on Strava not long after you had finished, I looked at the pacing and said he's gone out too fast here. I bet he's tried to get ahead of the 3.45 pacer 😁 I can understand the logic behind that so don't beat yourself up about that, but at least you realise that it is probably wiser to drop behind. I cannot believe you had no S+C this block, especially as last year you had those great PT sessions in that geezers back garden that did you so good. Again, lesson learned there. I never experienced cramp before myself but did at Brighton a few weeks back, it's horrible and I am not sure either why it happened to me. I am running Blackpool Marathon on Sunday, whilst simultaneously logging the miles for the virtual London Marathon, so I think I am going to go back to the salt sticks I took when I did Chester last year and no cramping there. Maybe Chester would be a good Autumn Marathon for you, it competed with London Marathon last year as they were on the same day but not this year so maybe it will have more attention. It looks like you have nailed down everything that hindered you this time so it should be easy to put that right and nail it next time. See you soon and time to get back on that horse 💪

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Mark, yeah it was probably a case of being too busy and making excuses not to, and enjoying r+r too much! All things to take into the next one and will give Chester some real thought! Cheers for the support bud 👊🏻

[@garycooper3777]

Still an amazing PB, good on you for your honesty, that is how we learn and grow to achieve our goals. Now stop beating yourself up and get ready for the next adventure.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Gary, lots in the diary upcoming to get excited about!

[@waterfallstudios5746]

Well done firstly, that’s feels like a significant PB from your first 2. I ran my first marathon in Brighton on the 2nd April, and what I really like in what your doing is analysing what could be better, it’s the only way to improve, and bring these improvements into the next one. A bit like yourself I didn’t do much strength work, which I am being a bit more consistent with now, more hills and increasing weekly mileage ah and investing in foam gun has been a revelation. Fuelling with precision fuel and hydration gels and electrolytes worked very well with a gel every 3-4 miles. Next race for more me is Abingdon in October 23 before a big 2024 spring marathon, Manchester maybe London. Anyway Keep up the good work and maybe I will see you on a start line sometime, somewhere.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers for the info Terry, very insightful and all the best for your upcoming races!

[@danieloso8621]

Thanks for posting this. I'll be running London tomorrow, which is my first marathon!

[@itsonandy]

Good stuff Dan, I hope the marathon went well! How'd it go?

[@danieloso8621]

@@itsonandy Thanks Andy, I was just under 4 hours, which was my target.

[@itsonandy]

Great work!

[@neilhulme8426]

Andy. ive so enjoyed your journey and i honestly think you are beating yourself up too much. Hell you got a PB. RESPECT. You’ve questioned WHY. And i honestly think you’ve answered your own questions. Electrolytes. Gels in training. A couple of little things to iron out. Ohhhhhh and starting off to fast. But marathon are a harsh learning curve.

[@itsonandy]

Thanks Neil. For some reason I think having a KZbin channel makes you feel responsible to live your life and do things in a certain way, that are basically showing improvement... That's the pressure that I sometimes fear I guess. Made a rod for my own back. Thanks for putting things in a good perspective for me ❤️

[@paulmassey2832]

Good honest assessment Andy. I’ve upped my S&C to 2hrs /week and definitely feel the benefit. I’m running Valencia again in December. Hate marathon training through the winter so a late autumn marathon means training through summer which for me is great. Keep up the great content 👏

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Paul, I'm interested in Valencia, how was it last year, obviously its good if you're going back!

[@paulmassey2832]

Nice flat course and massive support all the way round. Probably has the best finish line of any marathon I’ve seen. Valencia is a running city and everyone is made to feel welcome. Also has a fantastic beach 😎

[@tengerine21.1]

Doing London tomorrow 😬 Great video! A lot of takeaways and reminders when the wall comes 💪🙌

[@itsonandy]

Thanks Tengerine, hope it went well!

[@lhowles3]

Love the honesty in this mate. Especially the lack of strength training. Just like you - I'll start it next week 😊. You've shown a lot of lessons learned from this recap and I've chuckled along at the similarities. You're inspiring me to sign up for an autumn Marathon 😬

[@itsonandy]

Do it mate!!! Maybe just check the email and the dates in case... 🤣

[@lhowles3]

@@itsonandy 😆 could have been the worst half marathon story ever!

[@daniel11902]

Hey Andy loved the marathon series, I did Manchester too, and I suffered to with cramp and sciatic issues, I was gutted I had trained 16 weeks for sun 4 hours, but after everything that happened ended up finishing in 04:21:22. Already booked my next marathon, doing Yorkshire marathon in October.

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Dan. Try not to be too downhearted about it all, it's a very difficult thing to achieve, that's why not many people ever do it. All the best in York mate, maybe will end up doing that one - I haven't decided yet. Great job completing the course mate, you got it done when your body and brain were willing you to stop ❤️

[@mossychestnut1]

Great video and effort on the day well done Andy, just on the water you mentioned, I've done a few marathons in recent years, I don't carry water or gels(they don't agree with me) but with the water there is always on courses no need to carry the extra weight.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers mate. I'm glad I didn't carry any on the day - however if it was any warmer I may well have done!

[@nytroo4231]

Love the Honesty of your video! If it makes you feel any better I too didn't do any strength training for Manchester Marathon, and from my own point of view with all the actual running training I think its easy to get complacent about its importance and then on Marathon day it comes back to haunt you. Cramp and sore legs got the better of me on the day but im positive for what the future holds. Signed up for Manchester Marathon 2024, and thinking about another later in the year if timing falls well. All the best and look forward to your future videos!

[@itsonandy]

Good stuff mate, sounds like we approach it in a very similar way!

[@ayrshirerunner]

Great content again Andy. Don't be too hard on yourself, you ran strong and confident. I ran Manchester and came up a little short of my 3.45 goal and finished in 3.49 at my first marathon attempt. I think a few of us are heading to Chester Marathon in October. Maybe see you there fella

[@itsonandy]

Well done on the marathon Allan, fantastic achievement to go sub 4 at the first crack. Maybe see you in Chester?!❤️

[@matthewdukes511]

Congratulations on the PB Andy! I think that a lot of the issues is going out of the gates too fast, like you said. You feel really good going through the first half and then it bites you later. I think I had a very similar feeling race to you, feeling good at the start, pulling ahead early (to the point where I was on sub 3 pace at the halfway point) and then crashing hard towards the end. I managed to PB, going from a 03:36:35 down to 03:18:28, but I know if I would have paced myself better I could have passed under the 3:15 mark. In Manchester in particular the hills at Altrincham are a killer and I think next time I would try to run slightly slower than goal pace, until crossing the bridge out of Altricham and then pushing hard for the last 10K or so to make up the difference.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Matt! It was a great race, and now I know it, I think I'd run the course differently one day!

[@itsonandy]

And well done on a great race yourself dude 👊🏻

[@lorrainecowan7288]

Al the best with your races idone 17miles last sunday training for amstetdam marathon

[@itsonandy]

Well done Lorraine and good luck for training for Amsterdam ❤️

[@garydaniels4934]

Strength work Andy!! Strength work!! 😂 We learnt hard way too last time and this time we did it in all blocks. No cramp. Great running.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Gary!👊🏻

[@drapes36]

Really good, honest debrief there Andy. I know you didn't achieve the time you wanted but you still managed a PB. I've got Leeds in 3 weeks and then York marathon in October.

[@itsonandy]

Good stuff mate, both sound lots of fun and York is on my radar for autumn!

[@kieronturner2667]

Great debrief buddy 👍 it's all a learning curve and it gets taken into the next one. That's how we keep improving 😁 as long as it was enjoyed and you want to go again that's all that really matters

[@itsonandy]

Legend mate. True runners know this 👊🏻

[@lorrainecowan7288]

Well done for your hard work with manchester good luck withyour training again I doing amserdam oct thinking doing manchester 2oo 25 2 years don't no about London next year 2 24

[@itsonandy]

You'll love Amsterdam, its so much fun ❤️

[@MiguelRivera-cs9tx]

Congratulations for your achievement. Each race is a learning experience. I just did Tokyo and I am looking at Valencia as my next marathon

[@itsonandy]

Thanks Miguel. I'm considering Valencia, if I can afford the weekend away!

[@MiguelRivera-cs9tx]

Bankruptcy or divorce, that’s the life of us marathon runners 😂

[@Richard-lx5xi]

Thanks andy ,after watching what went wrong in manchester,I started thinking back to valencia that I ran in December wanted a sub4 but didn't go as planned ,stomach problems,back problems really everything after 32 km 🤪🤪and I also don't do strength training ,and gels 🫣and I always say next training I do it 🤣 but this year repechage in valencia. this year i will do strength training and try out gels 😜 ,thanks andy for sharing your experience greetings from ❌️❌️❌️ Amsterdam 🍻🍻

[@itsonandy]

Good man Richard, learn those valuable lessons and use them to be better next time. I would love to try Valencia but it's sold out. Bet you're mucho excited!

[@nathanbaker1727]

Congrats on the PB! I took on Manchester as marathon #1 - dropped a few minutes with cramps/muscle spasms end of mile 24/start of mile 25 - still came in at 3:19:43 which i'm over the moon with!

[@itsonandy]

Well done Nathan, 3:19 is an incredibly quick time, well done!

[@nathanbaker1727]

@Running With Andy cheers! Looking forward to the next at some point! A lot to learn. Your progress seems to be going really well over the blocs!

[@davenapier]

Muscle cramping can be caused by electrolyte imbalance but can also be caused by muscle fatigue. Dawn Broom from the two running brooms channel took too many electrolytes in Manchester which she put down to causing her DNF. I personally take electrolytes before every long run and hard work out during training so my body gets used to them. Then a few days leading up to the race I take them each morning to make sure I am fully hydrated. It is not just about getting hydrated on the morning of the race but also the few days before.

[@itsonandy]

I think I'm going to look at salt pills and sticks for future races, I'm not sure. I'll decide down the line. Thanks as always Dave ❤️

[@d4ve3]

You should be delighted with the pb. It’s a massive one! The law of diminishing returns applies with running. You will still improve with training though. Well done.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Billy. Now a fair bit of time has passed I've realised what a big achievement it was in only 6 months. ❤️

[@adambrunt7510]

Well done on the PB mate. Few seconds per km slower over the first half and maybe a brief tactical walk on the big hill and you would have achieved your 3:42 goal. The training seems like it was sufficient, just didn't quite follow the race plan. Small margins, but an important lesson there. 3:39 next one mate!

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Adam! Absolutely mate, there's always one more 👍🏻

[@andrewherbert-y1v]

Andy great recap of the marathon....like I said previously you smashed it, mate. In the future, I can see you one day hitting a sub 3 hour one 🏃‍♂️👌🙌

[@itsonandy]

Thanks so much for your positivity mate - much needed! Not all comments are as good as yours 👊🏻❤️

[@mansfielddave]

Did Manchester as my second marathon and I definitely feel you. Altringham got me too. 33km in my hamstrings started to cramp up and ITB started acting up. Still managed a 10 min PB though - 3:25:41

[@itsonandy]

Yeah baby!!! Painful PBs just hit different don't they, they just feel harder earned!

[@neilmurray549]

Great video mate its a learning curve thats how we get better learn from what we did before 💪👍👌

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Neil, absolutely mate. Gotta tale risks and aim high!

[@clairesmith5327]

Lessons learnt but a magnificent run Andy and be proud of yourself and your new PB .

[@itsonandy]

Thank you Claire, it's only running... But then again running is life ❤️

[@OttoVogrincic]

Congratulations on the PB! I'll be doing the Montevideo Marathon in Uruguay on May 7th. Hopefully I can PB as well

[@itsonandy]

Wow! Good luck in Montevideo!❤️

[@RMSM0204]

A great time and PB 👏 You’ll go one better next time, slow(er) start and ease into MP. Well done.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Paul, lessons learnt for sure!

[@Running_Ste]

Awesome series of videos mate - you did nothing wrong this block - the process over the 16 weeks was excellent and race day is race day. You should be mighty proud of yourself

[@itsonandy]

Thanks so much mate - can't wait to see what else I can do 👍🏻

[@Running_Ste]

@@itsonandy I’m going with Amsterdam I think

[@itsonandy]

Ah mate you'll have a great craic 👊🏻

[@neilrobins4253]

Classic pacing strategy errors. Good you are learning from it. Been there done that all very familiar. I actually saw you on the tram from mumps. Good luck for the next one.

[@tomdavies2676]

Lessons learnt but an amazing run Andy! Be proud! Birthday October 2nd so I need a marathon around then!??

[@itsonandy]

Marathon season will be in full swing round then, maybe a PB birthday present for you!

[@leightonkeillor8392]

I did Manchester got hit by stomach cramps mile 14 was hopping for a 3.50 held out till mile 18 then was run/walk till the end. Got 4.10.53 ten mins off my pb from last year so will aim to improve that at Dublin in October👍

[@itsonandy]

Well done Leighton, the science of marathon running is so complex, it can take down anyone. All the best for Dublin, I looked this week and its all sold out 😭

[@briansmyth1502]

Honest assessment. But as you say, still a PB. Will be interested in you next marathon plan. I'm running my first Marathon, London, this weekend. Assuming all goes well, maybe try Valencia later in the year.

[@itsonandy]

All the best for London mate!!! Enjoy, go and have some fun 👊🏻

[@ricd2821]

Massive PB well done and great analysis

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Ric ❤️

[@montysreef8462]

I think I'm going to run Manchester marathon next year, was thinking about doing one in autumn but gonna let it lie until next year then go back for a rematch next year

[@itsonandy]

Good plan mate. I'm addicted to races and I've got a whole month full of races next month so looking forward to them!❤️

[@peterbampton-clare2844]

Great analysis and self reflection. I recognise a trap I have fallen in to before. Training to hit a certain time and then thinking that had gone well and there was more in there, so went harder than I had trained for on race day. Would be interesting to look at what paces you would need to have hit in training to really have been in 3:30 form to see how close you were. "Running is 90% physical. The other 50% is all in the mind"

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Peter. I'll continue to push the boundaries and hopefully race quicker later this year 👍🏻

[@d4ve3]

Good video. I disagree that it isn’t flat, it’s by far the flattest I’ve done compared with Chester, York, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Lancaster.

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Billy, delighted with the result. It's a bit like saying Annapurna is the flattest of the world's top 10 mountains 🤣

[@JoeBaileyYT]

Amazing video mate and well done. I did it in 3:48:14 so you had me by 30 seconds!😂 I made a similar mistake and was on for 3:35:00 at halfway according to my Dad based off the tracker. It was my first one so a lot to learn from and looking forward to many more to come

[@itsonandy]

Well done, sounds like we were probably neck and neck virtually. Good luck on the next one!

[@neilrobins4253]

Took 9 gels followed the advice had one about every 20 mins. You need to train your gut to get used to gels or an alternative if they don't suit you but if you don't have a fuelling strategy there is just a big chance of hitting the wall.

[@miriamsalo7123]

You did awesome! Well done!

[@itsonandy]

Thank you Miriam!

[@jasonbritton3427]

I done Manchester got to 15/ 16 mile stage and cramped up too. Was a walk run then to the finish line, not once in training did I cramp 😢

[@itsonandy]

I think it's just the extra 10/15% of intensity on the day that kills you - next time I attempt a hard effort I'll pay more attention to electrolytes!

[@jasonbritton3427]

@@itsonandy Yh I was thinking to get one them hydration bladder bags, and putting some tailwind in and trying that in October for half marathon I’m doing, see how it goes and then using it for Manchester in April 24 if all is good 👍

[@simonhodgson4941]

Very interesting video mate. I guess it's nice more for you to see what changes of any you could make. Personally I think your being very hard on yourself and yes you got a great PB. I'm doing Birmingham great run on the 7th May, are you doing this?? Then Solihull half in August, great north run, Royal parks half and a few smaller things inbetween. Good luck with your next👍.....ps, keep up the interesting content

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Simon! Yes I'll see you in Brum, I'm running with a friend and will be aiming for 2 hour finish 👍🏻

[@jasonhumphries7539]

You will hit 3:42 next time. You got the experience now. You know exactly what to do and what you made mistakes with. Overall awesome 3rd Marathon

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Jason 👊🏻

[@kj17589]

Like many have said, some of your experiences are near identical to our own. When I ran London in 2022, I was perhaps 5-10 minutes more ambitious and got really bad cramps in the last 8 miles which led to an 11 minute positive split and I lost my sub 4 B goal. But I think you definitely had a sub 3:45 run in you with proper pacing. And also that incident where a runner stopped right in front of you causing cramps happened to me in Manchester! I even cramped my triceps at that moment.

[@itsonandy]

Cramp was a horrible first time experience for me, but seems to be part and parcel of long distance running!

[@reluctantfellrunner]

It's all good. Best wishes on the next.

[@itsonandy]

Thanks RFR! Looking forward to planning it all out ❤️

[@avinashbhogun]

Enjoy your rest and recover. 🎉

[@itsonandy]

Cheers mate, it's been a relaxing week!

[@steveoxocube]

Well done on a great time and PB! This has really made me think. I was thinking I might be in 3.30 shape for Edinburgh next month. But your 5k, 10k, half times are very similar to mine. You’ve been hitting the training hard as well. Maybe I’m being over ambitious?

[@itsonandy]

You won't know unless you try. What have you got to lose?! You can tell the way I think can't you... Do what you gotta do! Either say, let me know how you get on, and good luck!!!

[@steveoxocube]

@@itsonandy Cheers Andy. Yeah your enthusiasm is what keeps me coming back to your videos (as well as being really well shot and edited)! Looking forward to your next series

[@lewisrobertson5820]

I spotted you in Chorlton. Huge well done.

[@itsonandy]

Thanks Lewis, was Chorlton around 24 miles? I think I was in a world of pain Around then! Haha - glad to have made it out of chorlton alive!

[@lewisrobertson5820]

@@itsonandy it was! I gave you a cheer 😊

[@Bulldogrunner]

Great work on the PB Andy, amazing you’ve learnt so much for the next one and you got a 15 min PB. So much room to improve as well 🙌 I got a 2 min PB in manc, thinking about Dublin or Valencia for the next one.

[@itsonandy]

Nice one Jack! Dublin is sold out, already looked 😭 Valencia sounds like an adventure!

[@samuelluxa6897]

Take salt tabs easy fix on electrolytes. Don’t over think SandC just do some basics to reduce the risk of injury. Practice fuelling on the long runs and go a little longer on long runs. Sorted ✅

[@itsonandy]

Thanks Samuel, yep - I'd agree with everything!

[@timshields8720]

Just tripped over your channel... did you buy a plan or work one out yourself. I come up with my own plans and am wondering if this is a fundamental mistake?

[@itsonandy]

Hi Tim, it was all made up and planned by me, based on increasing weekly volume. I would just decid the sessions and intensity week by week. Nothing wrong with a DIY plan!

[@andersvikingsvensson8762]

Skip all gels !! Stomach closes if you put down anything containing more than 7% sugars !! Water can then not come into the body from the intestinrs !! This will give cramps

[@itsonandy]

Cheers Anders 👍🏻

[@justanoldfashionedrunner605]

.......once there was a time, when there was only little information about marathon training, there was no gps watch, no heart rate monitor, no gels and no electrolytes, no tips about strength training or strides........basically, you went out the door and ran your lounges out of your chest, trying to stay upright........ so from an old runner, coming all the way from the dark ages of marathon running, i can tell you, with just one small change you would have run a 3:42 with flying colors and a happy face while crossing the finish line........like Donato told you: START SLOW.....if you had stayed behind the 3:45 pacer, close enough to see him, far enough to have breathing room, and had waited til the 30k mark to overtake him, there would have been no problem...... all the modern and youn, people, the up to date informed high tech knowing wise guys will tell you different......there are other things, you easily could have done better, but your race was down the tube at mile 5 because of the too fast starting pace....... ......in less than 2 years you will run under 3:30 without a doubt.....unless you keep on starting too fast .....oh yes i am guilty too, i never had a gel, i never had electrolytes, i never did any strength or core work ( i will start now as older people loose muscles pretty fast without using them regular), in all my marathon races i only had plain water to drink and bananas to eat.......i always took joy over work in my training, i never got a sub 3 hour, my pb is 3:12 and i did it without any drink or eating during the pb race, i ran a negative split by 90 seconds and i was bursting with joy and happiness, when i crossed to finish line. My final suggestion: listen to everything you hear, watch everything you can, but at the end of the day, go as you feel, don`t overthink, enjoy the journey, marathon running is not a numbers game, it is about feelings, emotions, joy, happiness, getting through pain and suffering, and most of all, getting teary eyes at the finish and being grateful for the gifts and opportunities we get as runners .....

[@justanoldfashionedrunner605]

just for the fun of it, i checked my comment on the week 15 video for your first marathon in Brighton quote...........but that is all just theory, in reality you will go out too fast, try to correct the mistake, when it is already too late and crash into the wall by the 34k mark ....... so far you have not listened, hopefully some day you will

[@itsonandy]

Don't bank on it mate, I probably won't 🤣 it's only running remember 👍🏻

[@justanoldfashionedrunner605]

@@itsonandy yes i remember

[@ezb9289]

I’m running the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) on Sunday. Can I run a 3:47?. Maybe...

[@itsonandy]

If I can run a 3 47 then it's living proof that anyone can do it!

[@ezb9289]

@@itsonandy I didn't do it. It was too sunny and too hot, so I finished in 4:00:53. Nevertheless it was a great race.

[@Mack.Tracks]

Can't be mad at you, Andy! Owning those mistakes and putting them out here on KZbin for us all to see proves just how strong you are. I managed to be disciplined enough for the first 27K, but on the downhill from Altrincham I thought I could push it for the remaining 15K. I intended to go from Zone 2 to Zone 3 to Zone 4 -- with no real goal pace in mind -- to just enjoy the first half at easy pace and negative split the second half. Big mistake, it seems, as I felt something in my groin go "ping" as I kicked off. I then compensated by running a little weird, which brought on cramps in places that I've never experienced before. Forced to slow, my mood soured. I can't imagine having to document my rollercoaster of an experience on video and create content from it. Mad props to you for having a down moment and still coming out on the other side with a smile. Of course, this isn't to undermine your awesome achievement. A huge PB and another marathon in the bag! It's clear that the marathon, however prepared you think that you are, is an unpredictable beast. All you can do is try to stack the odds in your favor and then roll the dice. Chin up, and keep on inspiring myself and many others. Cheers!

[@itsonandy]

Ah Mack, what a wonderful comment mate. Huge thanks to you! Well done for completing a very difficult race, and I hope the injury is on the mend. Hopefully catch you at a parkrun soon mate, thanks again.x

[@maxafc4695]

1) Manchester is flat. Yes it isn't as flat as running around an athletics track, but in terms of +10,000 people marathons it's as flat as it gets pretty much (it's flatter than London) 2) It's good to see you acknowledging your mistakes. It seems your mistake was less going off to fast for your goal, more your goal was too ambitious thinking you were in 3:32 shape. Some advice from Stephen Scullion (2:08 marathoner) a week before the race write down your goal, and write down why you believe it is achievable. I.e. my training has been this much better than last block, I have done 5 20 mile runs with this pace for 10+ miles within them etc. Then re read that goal, and race plan the night before and morning of the race, and stick to it. Don't let the taper let yourself get carried away with what you know you can realistically run

[@itsonandy]

Amsterdam is flat. Manchester is NOT flat!

[@L77yma]

Do Southampton marathon 2025

[@itsonandy]

Interested 👍🏻

[@PoetWithPace]

Because you started too fast? 🤔

[@itsonandy]

I know 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

[@PoetWithPace]

@@itsonandy next time Andy! Maybe i pace you at Manchester next year?

[@theandroids]

3 marathons?! You are not a beginner runner buddy. Maybe a cowboy runner lol but not a beginner. Your body must hate you for not doing the strength training or fuelling correctly. I imagine you will kill your next marathon if you did this good.