LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Tammy · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Twickenham

Tom and I are planning to go to the Cologne marathon next weekend.
We're planning to drive. We'll leave South West London on Friday
afternoon (NOT evening) and drive to Koln arriving that evening. This
gives us plenty of time to register on Saturday. We've checked with the
organisers and there are plenty of slots still available. Race is on
Sunday and, after thinking about it, we've decided that driving back
straight after the race is probably not too clever. (Our last day ski/
night drive experience was a bit scary.) So we'll return Monday
afternoon/early evening.

It's a big car so we could take two passengers.

Advantages: comfortable, cheaper than a plane (significantly so if we
fill the car).
Disadvantages: needs 1.5 days off work. Tom can be a nervous and irritable driver. There will be tango music on the stereo.

Let us know if you are interested.

Alan · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 642 Location: Hackney, London

ORSI, what is the name and address of the actual hotel you have booked, and do we say your name or ours?

HANS I don't think I have paid you anything yet, is it alright to sort it this weekend?

Hans · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:09 am Subject:

Money on the weekend is fine.. i have booked a car so we have 2 cars, one driven by Tanya and the other by me to get us all to Cologne

andyman · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 1945 Location: Suffolk

Guess it goes without saying, highly unlikely I will now be coming (I will get final say so on things today/tomorrow)

Hans, need to sort with you entry fee refund for you (they are very good - I did it last year Crying or Very sad

) you will prob need a letter or something from my consultant.

Orsi · Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 174

Oki-dok people... the hotel crew in the Novotel are as follows:

Room 1: Hans-Riz
Room 2: Alan-PeterC
Room 3: Tanya-Orsi

I presume everybody will arrive at the same time so the check-in will be all fine. I have to be there with my Accor card otherwise they will not honor the staff rate, which is EUR 42.00 per room per night room only. Breakfast is available at an additional charge of EUR 15.00 per person.

Orsi · Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 174

Hans · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:34 pm Subject:

Tooo late already booked. Works out to £67 for the car

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

Hope it turns out alright for you guys. It's not a bad race if it's wet but it's so much better when it's dry. It's looking like a moist one this year though. Fingers crossed for a break in the weather and some great results in my favourite marathon.

Most of us do better in the rain in terms of places as we have a technique adapted to the dodgy grip conditions of London streets which seems to work really well in the wet.

Good luck everyone.

benw · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 106

Any plan for a get-together on Sat night in Cologne? Anyone?

Alan · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 642 Location: Hackney, London

Orsi · Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 174

The majority of us is on Ryanair from STN to Duseldorf (Weeze) arrive at 13.40 and we have to drive to Koln

andyman · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 1945 Location: Suffolk

Not sure what your plans are (as I won't be there Sad

) but I received an email, as I'm sure some others of you did, from Sebby. It looks like an invitation to everyone to the DusFor Pasta party, night before race.

Here is a rough translation of the email

benw · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 106

The sky opened up 2 minutes before the start. For the lack of foresights to have proper sets of rain wheels, a few of us were skidding like Bambi on ice.. Alan did an admirable 1:46. Orsi and I at 1:55, Daryl at 2:03, and Stef at 2:06. All the while, the rest of the LSST contingent (Hans, Peter, Tanya, Ghizlane) were way ahead easy between 1:24 and 1:35. The weather was kind of a reminder of last year's Berlin, but the Cologne crowd was really cheerful and supportive despite the rain.

peterc · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 1284 Location: M3 somewhere

Similar situation for me, Thinking my race bag was getting too heavy as it was I left the storm surges at the hotel, I mean it was dry and getting dryer.

I was more worried about keeping warm rather than staying upright.

Anyway rolled from the hotel and got to the messe in good time, bit of stretching, but of looking at the sky and sucking of teeth, in the end I went out on code reds, more to save the bearings more than anything else.

Kept meeting people I knew, one of the nice things about Koln, like a smaller more friendly version of Berlin, the skaters, crowds, even the course.

Anyway, as you know the rain arrived with the last few people to the start, looks like the non elite bits of the silver block decided to roll forwards rather than have the elite boys file in in front. Which made for an entertaining first few 100. Found a few people to line up with tottered my way round looking for grip, after a few K I ended up in the first 5 workers in a nice train, tucked in behind a high cadence wet weather type skater on storm surges. In the end he pulled me off the front of the line and we went off together, (Him taking a majority of the work while I struggled for grip) we picked up few more strays, including one tidy looking youngster who then stacked on the next bend and took me with him. (Managed to jump his legs but ran out of bend and in to hay bail) Had a long time seeing them up the road but couldn't catch the quick stepping rain-ist, even the one hand-biker I had for company couldn't drag me back up there.

After the longest time I've ever spent by myself in a race another line came up, I was worried I didn't have the grip to catch them but in the end they clipped in behind me which made it nice and easy to catch, rolled around with them till the end, and managed a half decent job of the sprint by basically ignoring it till the bridge, tapping up there stood upright. Then rolling over 3rd or 4th.

Met lots more people in the beer and sausage area, (the other reason I love Koln) Got myself patched and in the end wandered back to the hotel for a shower and food, (Orsi did a stunning job on the hotel deal) Drive and flight back was fine.

So an okay time, Haven't seen the position yet, and a big thanks to Orsi and Hans for the Hotels, entry and cars.

Despite my frequent falls, Koln is still a great fun marathon, and I'm sure I'll be back.