16 WEEKS TO GO

• Race Directors Welcome
• The countdown begins – only 16 weeks to go
• Training Programs
• Help the Hospices
• Charity Places
• Accommodation
• Marathon Talk: All about running
• Help Haiti
• Lucozade Sport – Fueling you to the Finish Line
• Chris Story
• Tell us your Story

RACE DIRECTORS WELCOME

Congratulations on successfully gaining an entry for the Edinburgh Marathon, Scottish Half Marathon or Hairy Haggis Team Relay on the 23rd May 2010.  On behalf of everyone involved in delivering the event I wish you success in achieving the target that you have set yourself for the day.

Over the next 16 weeks you will receive a weekly e-mail newsletter that we hope will give you information that will assist you in getting to the start line in the very best condition that is possible for you. We cannot do the training for you but we can give you some excellent tips and advice on getting the very best out of your training.
The marathon, as a race distance, represents a serious athletic undertaking and should not be taken lightly. We have developed training plans with our friends at Lucozade sport and expert coach Martin Yelling. These generic plans are excellent and you should use these to develop a personalised plan that is constructed around the time and commitment that you can give to your training.

My team’s commitment to you is that we will deliver a world-class Road Race on a world-class route as part of a world-class event in the world’s best city!  We have over 700 race crew that are totally committed to providing you with the very best running experience on the 23rd of May and we consider it a privileged in being able to help you achieve your dreams.

So well done on getting your place in the race: now take it and maximise the potential.  Train and plan as hard as you can and enjoy every moment from here until you cross the finish line in May.

Neil Kilgour – Race Director

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS – ONLY 16 WEEKS TO GO

I’m sure it is a shock to some of you that there are only 16 weeks to go until the Marathon day.  It feels like it was only a few months ago that we were watching thousands of runners crossing the finish line at Musselburgh racecourse and it is almost upon us again.

If you have not started training all is not lost, by following our specially designed running programs you will be ready for the 26.2 miles in 16 weeks.  We will send you a weekly training plan for the next 16 weeks and also include important information and news about the marathon. Below is your first weeks training plan.  There is also lots of training and nutritional advice on our website at www.edinburgh-marathon.com/?Training

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Not sure which training programme would be best for you?  Then please read the below notes before picking the best one to get you round the marathon.

Beginners – This schedule is for you if you are new to marathon running and are aiming for completion.  You should be able to run for 30 minutes non-stop prior to starting this programme.

Days of running are not specified to enable you to fit the runs to your own needs and situation.  It is advised to spread the days of activity out during the week.  For example, Day 1 Tuesday, Day 2 Thursday, Day 3 Saturday.

Improvers – This schedule is for you if you are able to run for 60minutes without stopping and plan to run four days a week in your marathon training.

Days of running are not specified to enable you to fit the runs to your own needs and situation.  It is advised to follow a run day with an easy day or rest day.  For example, weekly run days could be, Day 1 Monday, Day 2 Wednesday, Day 3 Friday, and Day 4 Sunday.

Advanced – This schedule is for you if you run regularly and have the experience of longer distance running.  It includes 5 or 6 runs per week.

Monday is an easy running day for active recovery after the weekend effort.  Tuesday is an ‘interval day’ intended to develop your speed endurance and tempo/threshold running.  Wednesday is about developing core and leg strength if you can get to the gym for active recovery through swimming.  Thursday is for steady running and just putting in the miles.  Fridays are for rest.  The weekend is for building stamina and strength to help you go the distance and practice your race day pace and hydration strategies.

Please note: you should ensure you are fit to participate in a running training programme before beginning.  A medical check up from a GP is recommended.

Beginners Schedule

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
REST	20mins steady walk	REST	10mins brisk walk. 10mins easy run. 10mins easy walk = 30mins	REST	10mins steady walk, 20mins easy run, 10mins steady walk =  40mins	REST

 

 

 

Improvers Schedule

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
15mins easy	REST	10min easy run. 10min ‘steady’ run. 10min easy run = 30mins	REST	10min easy run. (Then1min hard run, 3min easy run) x 4. 10min easy run = 36mins	REST	Run 50mins easy run.

Advanced Schedule

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
15mins easy running	30mins easy running	Rest or gym or swim - including plenty of mobility.	40mins steady running	Rest	Run 10min easy, 10min steady, 10mins easy, 10min easy	Run 1hr min easy

HELP THE HOSPICES

Help the Hospices is the leading charity supporting hospice care throughout the UK. We support over 200 local hospices that care for 100,000 terminally ill adults and children, every year, and support their family and friends.

Run the Edinburgh Marathon, Hairy Haggis team relay or Scottish Half Marathon for Help the Hospices and we will give you all the support you need to succeed with cheering points around the course and a post-race marquee with refreshments and well deserved massage.

“A big thank you for getting me to the start line, organising my place, the excellent newsletters, and of course the FANTASTIC cheering spots on the day.” (Sunflower Runner)

If you would like a charity place we ask you to try and raise £650 for the full marathon or £375 for the half marathon. If you have your own place in either event then we just ask that you try to raise as much as you can.

Register now on our website: www.helpthehospices.org.uk/edinburghmarathon, call 0845 086 2626 or email us: edinburghmarathon@helpthehospices.org.uk.

CHARITY PLACES

We have over 200 charities with guaranteed places in the marathon that would all love to have you running for them. Running a marathon for charity can be an immensely rewarding experience and the support and fundraising advice from the charities means that fundraising can be fun and exciting.  Visit the Edinburgh Marathon website to enter for charity or click here. 

Entries are also available for the Scottish Half Marathon and the Hairy Haggis Team Relay.  The Team Relay entries are limited to the first 1,200 teams and entries to the Scottish Half are also on a first-come, first-served basis so if you don’t want to miss out please visit www.edinburgh-marathon.com now. You can also enter the team relay for charity and split the marathon distance and fundraising between your team.

ACCOMMODATION

If you are still looking for accommodation we have now partnered with a number of providers throughout the City.  We are holding allocations of rooms within 3 and 4 star hotels convenient to the race start and close to local city centre bus routes that have regular operating services from £37.50 per person sharing. We also have one and two bedroom self-catering apartments sleeping up to 4 guests.  For those looking to pamper themselves we can offer a Country Retreat in lovely grounds. For accommodation rates and availability visit the Edinburgh Marathon website at www.edinburgh-marathon.com/?accommodation or click here. Alternatively you can contact our Hotel manager Bill Evans directly bill.evans@eventsinpartnership.com

MARATHON TALK: ALL ABOUT RUNNING

Marathon Talk is an exciting new running podcast from Martin Yelling and Tom Williams designed to help you on your marathon journey.

Join Tom and Martin (plus regular guests) for light-hearted chat, news, interviews and training ideas from the world of running.  We'll keep you informed, inspired and interested.  

Episode 1 of Marathon Talk featured an interview with elite runner Liz Yelling and Episode 2 an interview with super celeb runner Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw.  Out every Wednesday.  The best way to listen is to subscribe via itunes or alternative listen through the website.

www.marathontalk.com 
www.facebook.com/marathontalk 
www.twitter.com/marathontalk

HELP HAITI

We are deeply saddened by the reports of destruction and death caused by the earthquake that struck Haiti.  Many have been killed and injured.  Thousands are in desperate need of clean water, shelter and medical help.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and is struggling to recover from years of violence, insecurity and massive natural distraction.

The people of Haiti need our support.  To sponsor a child or donate money please click on one of the following of many charities, that are working hard to help:

www.unicef.org.uk/Donate_Haiti

www.actionaid.org.uk

www.ChristianAid.org.uk

LUCOZADE SPORT - FUELLING YOU TO THE FINISH LINE

This January, to help you prepare for the journey ahead, Lucozade Sport is giving you there best ever offer – 50% off a wide range of running essentials!

Simply go to www.lucozadeshop.com and start shopping with the leaders in safe sports nutrition and we’ll give you a massive 50% off your first purchase when you enter 'INTROFIFTY' at the checkout. It’s our way of getting your running off to the best start in 2010.'

CHRIS STORY 

This year I will be competing in the Edinburgh Marathon - whilst this will be a challenge in itself I have decided to try and complete 12 marathons in 12 months to make this interesting - I’ll cover a distance of 314.4miles provided my feet survive. I’m aiming to complete each marathon in under 3hrs. This will require an enormous amount of training and dedication and really push me to my limits (and my girlfriend) but I know that this is nothing compared too many of the people that Amnesty International helps and protects everyday.

The work of Amnesty International may seem very remote to many, please just spare a few moments of your time to see why I have chosen to run for Amnesty international and why it is important to sponsor me and support the work of Amnesty International.

Whilst Amnesty International works across the globe, one region where they operate is of real interest to me. Last summer I embarked on a trip to Central Africa and I took the decision against everyone advice to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The time I spent in the DRC has had an enormous impact on me, as the sheer enormity of the crisis and deprivation that I witnessed in and around Goma was simply unfathomable.

To give you a quick insight into the scale of the crisis it is estimated that currently 45,000 people are dying each month because of the ongoing conflict and crisis in the region - to put this in perspective that is the same amount of people who take part in the London Marathon and yet this forgotten crisis receives little attention. Since the origins of the current conflict over 5 million people have died - that’s getting close to the population of London. 

I’ve seen the refugee camps that are fashioned out of old grain sacks and that are build on recent lava flow (imagine pitching a tent on razor sharp magma), the signs which decorate the camps highlighting the issue of sexual assault which is prevalent in many of the camps, the child soldiers clutching an AK47 rather than a pen, and the frequent explosion in the distance of a grenade or the pop of a rile. It isn’t pleasant. These people need assistance and protection and that is why I am running for Amnesty International.

I appreciate that there are conflicts occurring around the globe, however, I am personally keen to help Amnesty International because they work tirelessly in this region to ensure that whilst this may be a forgotten, distant and remote for many of us in the UK. For those who live day to day in these areas Amnesty International provide the support, assistance and defence that they need. Because without the valuable work and support that Amnesty International provides then this would be an invisible crisis with the suffering becoming a way of life for millions.

This is going to be a real challenge to complete 12 marathons in 12 months, but I think (hope) I can achieve it!  To sponsor Chris please visit www.justgiving.com/eonanddonate  

TELL US YOUR STORY

Have you a story to tell about why you are running the marathon or scottish half marathon? If so, please tell us about it and we could help you highlight your story in our eNewsletter. The eNewsletter currently goes out to over 40,000 members.  Local newspapers are always wiling to highlight stories and it could help you raise funds for your charity. Click here or email us at adele@gsi-events.com with your story.