Still no cheque cashed and no reports of others having their cheques cashed today, so I'm waiting for the inevitable thud of the 'Sorry' magazine in a few weeks and the next marathon news in August.
Got the results from Helsby today (9 months after the race!!) and started to fill in the entry form for that. Need to plan a target for the new year - and maybe a different marathon..
Wednesday 31 October 2007
Tuesday 30 October 2007
Cheques being cashed
Looking through Runners World and it's alive with people happy that their cheques have been cashed. Everyone wants to know which banks cash and when, so I'll record it this year to look back on next year (and later years, until my 5 times reject comes up...).
Tuesday 30th October, banks known to have cashed cheques include:
Nationwide
HSBC
NatWest
Royal Bank Of Scotland
Lloyds TSB
Halifax
First Direct
Bank of Scotland
Smile
Barclays
Cooperative
Intelligent Finance
I won't confuse things by adding those banks that people are asking if anyone has had anything cashed through - apart from to say mine's in that list.
Still a slight glimmer of hope!
Tuesday 30th October, banks known to have cashed cheques include:
Nationwide
HSBC
NatWest
Royal Bank Of Scotland
Lloyds TSB
Halifax
First Direct
Bank of Scotland
Smile
Barclays
Cooperative
Intelligent Finance
I won't confuse things by adding those banks that people are asking if anyone has had anything cashed through - apart from to say mine's in that list.
Still a slight glimmer of hope!
Cheques Clearing
The first reports of happy people with cheques cashed are starting to filter through, but nothing from my bank.
Some banks are a bit slower - hopefully mine is one of them???
Some banks are a bit slower - hopefully mine is one of them???
Monday 29 October 2007
Almost That Time...
No big rush of people saying their cheques have been cashed - just one early morning and they bequeathed. The banks must really hate the FLM organisers when thousands of cheques are cashed all together!
Mine, of course, remains uncleared.
Watch this space...
Mine, of course, remains uncleared.
Watch this space...
Sunday 28 October 2007
Almost Time To Find Out
The Runners World forum is alive with people checking their bank accounts and not seeing cheques cashed and checking they aren't the only one. General opinion is that mid week the lucky ones should have their cheques cashed.
Entry closed 9 days ago - a week last Friday.
Who knows? Should know in a few days either way.
Entry closed 9 days ago - a week last Friday.
Who knows? Should know in a few days either way.
Monday 22 October 2007
I Dream Of Getting In...
Closing day for applications has passed, hopefully the entry made it through the postal strikes.
I expect that if / when I receive the 'You're not in again' magazine I could look for another marathon to run, but is it the same? The first marathon I ran wasn't London and with very little support in the second half, just a few very encouraging marshalls, it was hard work.
Hopefully by this time next week my bank account balance will have dropped by £28 and I will have ticked off the entry cheque as being cashed. No doubt that it will just be destroyed.
Hopefully this time if there are any freebies such as a Lucozade gel in the rejection magazine, it won't have been squashed in the post and ruined all of that day's mail!
I expect that if / when I receive the 'You're not in again' magazine I could look for another marathon to run, but is it the same? The first marathon I ran wasn't London and with very little support in the second half, just a few very encouraging marshalls, it was hard work.
Hopefully by this time next week my bank account balance will have dropped by £28 and I will have ticked off the entry cheque as being cashed. No doubt that it will just be destroyed.
Hopefully this time if there are any freebies such as a Lucozade gel in the rejection magazine, it won't have been squashed in the post and ruined all of that day's mail!
Thursday 18 October 2007
Almost Time To Start Wondering
Hopefully the extended postal strikes in London haven't affected too many ballot applications as tomorrow is the last day for entries.
It's supposed to be a few weeks before we find out whether or not we're in (and you only need to read a forum and see the number of 5 times rejects getting in to know that rejection seems the norm) but in about a week or so the cheques for the successful entries will be cashed. I suppose it's time for the organisers to reject anyone whose cheque bounces. But if the end of next week or the following Monday your cheque clears, then your in.
And when it doesn't, start looking for another marathon!
It's supposed to be a few weeks before we find out whether or not we're in (and you only need to read a forum and see the number of 5 times rejects getting in to know that rejection seems the norm) but in about a week or so the cheques for the successful entries will be cashed. I suppose it's time for the organisers to reject anyone whose cheque bounces. But if the end of next week or the following Monday your cheque clears, then your in.
And when it doesn't, start looking for another marathon!
Monday 8 October 2007
Is It Still In The Post???
It's very worrying ot wonder whether the application arrived at FLM or not?
By posting it late Tuesday, (can't remember whether it goes first or second class???) it could have arrived early Wednesday, before the start of the postal strike. If not, it could be sitting in a huge pile of mail backlog somewhere.
I expect it would be even worse if you had 4 rejections in the previous 4 years, knowing that if this is a rejection you are guaranteed entry next year. But if the Royal Mail lose or destroy the letter before it gets there...
People keep asking me what is the chance of getting in. Some optimistiaclly estimate 1 in 2 or 3. I expect nearer to 1 in 10 (100,000 apply, 30,000+ run including charities, club places, GFA, 5 rejects, deferrals, etc). If there's 10,000 places in the ballot, then I think that's a lot!
Not much chance then.
By posting it late Tuesday, (can't remember whether it goes first or second class???) it could have arrived early Wednesday, before the start of the postal strike. If not, it could be sitting in a huge pile of mail backlog somewhere.
I expect it would be even worse if you had 4 rejections in the previous 4 years, knowing that if this is a rejection you are guaranteed entry next year. But if the Royal Mail lose or destroy the letter before it gets there...
People keep asking me what is the chance of getting in. Some optimistiaclly estimate 1 in 2 or 3. I expect nearer to 1 in 10 (100,000 apply, 30,000+ run including charities, club places, GFA, 5 rejects, deferrals, etc). If there's 10,000 places in the ballot, then I think that's a lot!
Not much chance then.
Tuesday 2 October 2007
It's In The Post...
Well that's it done - the application & form are finally in the post and should hopefully shortly find their way to the London Marathon organisers. Fingers crossed for a successful entry (not that I know anyone who has ever been accepted through the ballot).
Noticed the letter codes on the back as I was posting the envelope - BAB. (1 reject, 0 accepts, estimated 3:00 - 3:15). Couldn't help but think that maybe next year the could read CAC (2 rejects, 0 accepts and a bit slower!). Says everything.
Noticed the letter codes on the back as I was posting the envelope - BAB. (1 reject, 0 accepts, estimated 3:00 - 3:15). Couldn't help but think that maybe next year the could read CAC (2 rejects, 0 accepts and a bit slower!). Says everything.
Monday 1 October 2007
One Small Step...
The first step, hopefully of many.
The entry form has been carefully completed. Every detail neatly written and checked and checked again.
Last time I tried to enter I optimisitically predicted sub 3:00. It should have been possible, but it wasn't to be.
To try to give myself a more enjoyable run I've estimated 3:10. Slow enough if I want to take it easy, but hopefully quick enough to be able to make under 3 hours if I feel up to it.
But first I've got the ballot and more than likely the 'sorry you aren't in' letter. There's no way I could raise the £1000+ required sponsorship for a gold bond place and there's a few of us probably interested in the club place.
I expect this blog will be ending in December, with the letter. But if you don't try, you never get in!
The entry form has been carefully completed. Every detail neatly written and checked and checked again.
Last time I tried to enter I optimisitically predicted sub 3:00. It should have been possible, but it wasn't to be.
To try to give myself a more enjoyable run I've estimated 3:10. Slow enough if I want to take it easy, but hopefully quick enough to be able to make under 3 hours if I feel up to it.
But first I've got the ballot and more than likely the 'sorry you aren't in' letter. There's no way I could raise the £1000+ required sponsorship for a gold bond place and there's a few of us probably interested in the club place.
I expect this blog will be ending in December, with the letter. But if you don't try, you never get in!
Here Goes...
Yesterday was the Great North Run and I completed that in under 1 hour 26. That gives me a predicted time of 2:59 for a full marathon distance - and the London Marathon course is a lot flatter than around Newcastle.
I've not attemped a marathon for over 2 years now - maybe I'm tempted to fill in that application form that's sitting behind me and see if I can get a place in London.
It's probably very unlikely to get in through the ballot - I don't know anyone who has got in through the ballot - but I know plenty of people who have been rejected (including myself). Maybe that's why I'm happy to apply - I'm convinced I'll get the 'sorry' magazine.
But if I do get in then there will be a lot of training and long races over the winter. And I think the best way to motivate myself is a regular blog.
So here goes. Not many posts for now, need to see what happens in the ballot.
I've not attemped a marathon for over 2 years now - maybe I'm tempted to fill in that application form that's sitting behind me and see if I can get a place in London.
It's probably very unlikely to get in through the ballot - I don't know anyone who has got in through the ballot - but I know plenty of people who have been rejected (including myself). Maybe that's why I'm happy to apply - I'm convinced I'll get the 'sorry' magazine.
But if I do get in then there will be a lot of training and long races over the winter. And I think the best way to motivate myself is a regular blog.
So here goes. Not many posts for now, need to see what happens in the ballot.
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