Edinburgh Marathon 2010

With the weeks leading up to the marathon, mental preparation may be more beneficial than physical preparation, as most of the hard work should be done by this point. An important part of the mental side of running is to know your surroundings. An effective strategy used by many athletes is visualisation where they visualise the race, however if you have the chance to run/cycle/drive around the marathon course then do it. You will feel a lot more reassured if you know where the hills and flat sections are, where are the shady and open parts of the course, where will the water and energy stations be located. So by rehearsing how you would deal with any set backs which might occur, you will save valuable mental energy on the day. There is a reason why athletes and football teams do better on their home grounds.

All athletes feel some degree of apprehension. A marathon is a very long way to run. These challenges are of course the very allure of marathon running: to do something exceptional that most people never dream of.

When the running gets hard it is important to remember the reason you are out there. Is it raising vital funds for worthwhile charities, to loose weight, to have the joy of saying to your family or friends "I did it, I ran a marathon". Whatever it is, prepare yourself to remember this when the going gets tough.

Prepare the course mile by mile in your head. Plan how fast you will reach each mile marker (A pace band is helpful for this) but be level-headed in assessing your fitness and abilities. It is a recipe for disaster for you to expect to greatly exceed anything you have done consistently in training. Lastly enjoy your run - you can over think your strategies and forget to enjoy yourself.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN THE CANCER RESEARCH UK TEAM

Good luck in the Edinburgh Marathon! It's not too late to join the Cancer Research UK team. Please call our Running Hotline on 0871 641 2403 or click here for a full fundraising pack.

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. We are funded entirely by the public so its only with your help we can work on finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

If you are already part of our team, thank you so much, Cancer Research UK and thousands of others really appreciate it.

RACE NUMBER AND FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

The Final Details (race day runner instructions) are now available to download from your 'My Details' account. The Final Details gives you lots of information that Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay runners, along with their supporters, will need to know for race weekend. You can also view what race number you have been allocated on your My Details account. If you have not received your race pack by Friday 14th May please contact us at info@edinburgh-marathon.co.uk

Overseas Runners: Please note overseas runners race packs are not sent out. You must arrange to collect your pack on Saturday 22nd May at the registration Help Desk on Princes Street Gardens between 6am and 5pm.

ASICS

Whatever your level of running or your ambition you're bound to have questions. Whether you want to learn how to help treat a recurring injury, find out which shoe is the best for your running style or discover the perfect race day meal, ASICS Running Clinics aims to help.

ASICS Running Clinics is a new service that helps runners to not only reach goals, but enjoy running. It covers a multitude of topics from physiotherapy, podiatry and diet, to training, racing and product advice. It's about total running support, for the mind and body.

And to help deliver the best possible advice and guidance, ASICS has enlisted the help of professional consultants to offer advice in their field of expertise - the ASICS Running Clinics PRO Team.

Alongside advice and articles from the ASICS PRO Team on www.asics.co.uk, running clinics are carried out throughout UK venues where you have the chance to come and talk to a team of running specialists one-on-one.

To find out more about what happens at an ASICS running clinic or to book yourself a place, go to asics.co.uk/runningclinics

EASY DOES IT

You've done the hard work, now is the time to reflect on the early mornings and weekends spent out on the road and be pleased with what you've achieved; it's not over quite yet though. There's still a bit more running left to do - as a guide in the final 2 weeks leading up to your half marathon keep the frequency of your running up but drop the volume. Cut your miles by 25% with 2 weeks to go and 50% in the final week. Rest and recuperation will also play a key part in getting to the start line fresh and ready for the race of your life. For more information search - 'Lucozade Sport race day preparation' online today.

REAL RADIO

Real Radio, Scotland's No. 1 commercial radio station is delighted to be partners with this years' Edinburgh Marathon.

Real Radio's record breaking breakfast show is hosted by Robin Galloway and Cat Harvey, and the duo wake up listeners across the country from 6 - 9am each weekday morning. This year we are delighted that breakfast show producer Baz will be running the marathon with the support of Robin, Cat and the team cheering him on, raising money for Real Radio's charity partner, The Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

Tune in each weekday morning when Baz will be giving his top tips on marathon training as well as enlisting the help of celebrity athletes.

STILL NEED TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION?

If you are looking for accommodation we have 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. Prices start from £37.50 per person sharing. We also have one and two bedroom self-catering apartments sleeping up to 4 guests.

CITYLINK - £5 RETURN TICKETS

RETURN TRAVEL FROM ACROSS SCOTLAND IS NOW AVAILABLE TO EDINBURGH FOR THE EDINBURGH MARATHON.

Day Return services from:	Returns into Edinburgh on Saturday and leaving on Sunday evening from:
Glasgow Stirling Harthill Services Grangemouth Dundee Perth Kinross Dunfermline Ferrytoll P&R Cowdenbeath Kirkcaldy Glenrothes	Glasgow Stirling Harthill Services Grangemouth Dundee Perth Kinross Dunfermline Ferrytoll P&R Aberdeen Pitlochry Aviemore Inverness

Citylink is offering a special promotiona

l fare to participants and spectators of the Edinburgh Marathon - a £5 return ticket!

Go to www.citylink.co.uk to plan your journey. Enter the word 'marathon' in the promotional code box to get your special fare.

Offer is valid for travel to/from Edinburgh on 22 and 23 May only.

ORDER YOUR RACE SUPPLEMENT TODAY

If you are in running in the Edinburgh Marathon, or know someone who is, then don't miss these two extra special supplements from

The Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News after the event:.

Monday 24 May: Marathon Picture Supplement in the Edinburgh Evening News with pictures from the events and a race report.

Tuesday 25 May: The Scotsman's Souvenir Supplement listing all runners in the full and half marathon plus hairy haggis relay teams... along with their final running times. A great keepsake for every runner and your chance to prove you did it to family and friends!

You may have already ordered your advance copies when you registered for the race. If not, you can still order them in advance via our online shop. For just £2, the two papers plus these special supplements will be home delivered to your door.

The Scotsman and the Edinburgh Evening News are delighted to be the Official Newspaper Partners of the Edinburgh Marathon and will be covering the event in the build up to the

race, with photographers will be there on the day capturing all the excitement and atmosphere.

The Scotsman is Scotland's national daily newspaper and the Evening News is the best read evening paper in the Edinburgh and Lothians, read by a third of people in the Capital every night.

SHAHANA'S STORY

I was a 24 stone morbidly obese physical and social recluse, bullied at school, cared little for my appearance, lacked any confidence & took solace in food. The only future I had mapped out for myself was one of premature death as result of being so fat.

However, with self belief, a complete diet, exercise overhaul I have managed to lose over 14 stones in weight and most of all I still keep it off. I'm now beginning to live, literally! I have been given a 2nd youth, love being a girl (I adore mascara, high heels!) andI relish in my new found confidence. Most of all, I now love my gym and running because it gave me back my life and I wouldn't change that for the world!

However, with the School cross country evil taunts of "run fat girl run" still resonating in my ears, last year I took on the on the fattest challenge of my life, Flora London Marathon (FLM) 2009, running just under a mile for every stone I used to weigh! Being obese for most of my life running didn't come naturally but with my own self belief and under my trainer Noel Carrolls guidance/persuasion the mission to get the fat girl to the Marathon was never impossible.

Armed with Noel's positive mantra the confidence lacking insecure girl that I was stood with utmost pride at the start line of my first ever Marathon in London, like the 'athlete' that I had now become. During the course, running drills & his motivational tips helped overtake the pain & exhaustion of all the gruelling miles.

Smashing the goal, I finished in 4.25!! I was in streams of tears at the finish line in disbelief that I was once faced with eminent death; a slob who couldn't walk without her thighs rubbing coupled with laboured breathing but had now just run 26.2miles! I've conquered the battle of living a life ridden with obesity and I vowed to leave the fat girl that I was at the start line. They say the rest is history but for me the rest is definitely the future and it's very bright!!

I swore never again but here I am again relishing in my new found future!...FAT GIRL FIT MARATHON MISSION II-EDINBURGH 2010

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.

2010 E-Newsletter - 10 May 2010

2 Weeks to Go!

TRAINING PROGRAMMES

TRAINING TIPS (PREPERATION)