Paula... her story so far.

[Jon]

Throughout this week, The Times are publishing extracts from Paula's book (being released on the 15th of this month). On Sunday, they featured the chapter where she talks about the relationship with her husband, Gary. Yesterday they published her extremely stressful build-up to Athens. And today they featured the Marathon run itself (tomorrow will be about her running the 10k). The links to each part of the story can be found here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,3341,00.html

Each section takes a while to read, but it's extremely worthwhile doing so. Insights-a-plenty.


The Times also ran a separate article about her today (a more light-hearted one, focusing on her NY win). She speaks about her plans for next year (WXCh, Marathon - either Boston or London - in the spring, and then Marathon at the WCh). She was originally planning to run the 10,000m at Helsinki but says "there is still unfinished business at the marathon at that level."

And for those (not necessarily on this forum, but on other messageboards and in the public) who thought that Radcliffe was more motivated by money and by winning the big city marathons:

"David Bedford, the London marathon race director, may be prepared to pay up to $1 million to have Radcliffe in his line-up, but the Boston Marathon, while offering less, holds the appeal of the chance to become only the second woman to complete the grand slam.... Radcliffe, having won London twice, Chicago once and now New York, needs only the Boston title to complete the set. However, the clues to her preference for April may have been that she would like to run Boston "at some stage".... Of the grand slam, Radcliffe said: "It’s a nice thing but not a major thing that I have to do. Winning championships is more important."

....She insisted that, if it comes to a choice between London and Boston, financial inducements will not sway her. Asked how significant money was, she said: "It’s the last factor. Dave (Bedford) knows that. If I want to run the race we start talking. It’s not about the money for me." "


Full article here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 26,00.html






Edited: UK-based people can order the book from Amazon at an extremely reduced price (or buy it with Geb's book for an extra saving!) here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... icslink-21

It's not yet listed on the US amazon site (but no doubt will be from the 15th Nov).




(Was apprehensive about starting another Paula thread - lest she becomes Alan Webb the 2nd - so I've just crammed all the PR news into this one thread!)

;-)

[8ball]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

Gone to see the doctor.

[eldrick]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

it's a bit surprising that she didn't go & see a doc before the race

there are plenty of drugs available ( all perfectly legal & not on WADA list ) which would have settled her stomach down within a few hours & stopped her diarrhoeal illness for race duration

it sounds a pretty amateurish set-up

[MJD]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

I'm just curious whether or not any of the arm chair quarterbacks have actually run a marathon. Just read a bit where Drossin said she saw a thermometer that said it was over 100 at the start line at Athens. ALL BETS ARE OFF AT THAT POINT. The race meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things with respect to Paula-at least IMO.

[tafnut]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

>>The race meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things with >respect to Paula-at least IMO.

I believe that Paula would disagree with you. That particular Oly Gold will always be the one that got away.

[MJD]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

To her maybe but you can't diminish her career because of it.

[marknhj]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

it sounds a pretty amateurish set-up

>>>

From what I've read about Paula's set-up over the last few years the last thing I'd describe it as is "amateurish".

[Jon]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

>it's a bit surprising that she didn't go & see a doc before the race

there
>are plenty of drugs available ( all perfectly legal & not on WADA list ) which
>would have settled her stomach down within a few hours & stopped her diarrhoeal
>illness for race duration

>it sounds a pretty amateurish set-up





Hindsight is always 20-20.

And I agree with Mark - with Dr. Hans-Wilhem Muller-Wolfhart, Gerard Hartman and Bruce Hamilton behind her, PR's medical team is far from amateurish.

[26mi235]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

The observed 100 degrees was before the race, well before. As I recall, it was when they first got to the Marathon start facilities. What I remember is that she said that it had dropped (a non-trivial amount)some from there before the start. Further, as the race progressed, the temperature dropped for two reasons: 1) it got towards evening, especially with the dew point not too high; and 2) it was cooler along the route than it was in Marathon.

Nonetheless, the temperature was quite high and I am glad that I never raced a long distance in high temperatures (marathons in the 70's and below).

Maybe Deena will read this and correct us all.

[gh]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

I was at the start. Official temperature was 95 (35), but there was no indicator that I saw. The one board that was near the start showed two sets of temperatures, like 5 and 10km into the race, and both of those, as I recall were just under 90. Official humidity was 31% at start, but board showed 58% farther down the road (closer to the ocean I assume).

But given that they warmed up on a huge expanse of concrete then ran the first 200m of the race from that area, the radiant temperature was probably a good triple digits. Not sure it didn't feel more uncomfortable in the stadium at the finish though, with the humidity way higher after the sun went down.

The archery announcers who called that stadium home nicknamed it "the toaster" for the way it retained the heat.

[eldrick]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

>I was at the start. Official temperature was 95 (35), but there was no
>indicator that I saw. The one board that was near the start showed two sets of
>temperatures, like 5 and 10km into the race, and both of those, as I recall
>were just under 90. Official humidity was 31% at start, but board showed 58%
>farther down the road (closer to the ocean I assume).

But given that they
>warmed up on a huge expanse of concrete then ran the first 200m of the race
>from that area, the radiant temperature was probably a good triple digits. Not
>sure it didn't feel more uncomfortable in the stadium at the finish though,
>with the humidity way higher after the sun went down.

The archery announcers
>who called that stadium home nicknamed it "the toaster" for the way it
>retained the heat.<

it was in the '80's at the finish

[8ball]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

I'm not much of a doctor, but if Paula was shivering that much in cold water her white blood cell count was probably off and that effects her energy systems quite a bit.

I think Deena said there was a temperature reading at the half way mark on the course. The US gals had told their guys that the course had more shade than one would assume, it appeared that way on tv.

[eldrick]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

>>Hindsight is always 20-20.

And I agree with
>Mark - with Dr. Hans-Wilhem Muller-Wolfhart, Gerard Hartman and Bruce Hamilton
>behind her, PR's medical team is far from amateurish.<

she said she got the stomach-pain from taking regular anti-inflammatories

for a start, there is a maximum-dose of thes/day, which you'd be stupid to exceed, due to side-effects - risk of ulcers & kidney damage

you would also cover the anti-inflammatories with drugs known as PPI's which you can use in higher doses than recommended, with little adverse effect - these are very commonly used with anti-inflammatories & you can safely jack-up the dose until all stomach side-effects of the anti-inflammatories are neutralised

to hear that she got debilitating stomach-cramps with all her anti-inflammatories is amateurish - her doc should have known pretty much to jack-up the protective drugs a few days before to counter the stomach-cramps ( i'm no gastroenterologist, but my colleague is & i asked about the higher dose practice of PPI's & he confirmed that is the usual practice - albeit the PPI's in higher doses may cause diarrhoea - which was another of her symptoms

in this day & age, there really is no excuse for a young,fit athlete to get stomach-pains with anti-inflammatories - the PPI's in high enough doses will get rid of virtually however much pain

[MJD]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

(Was apprehensive about starting another Paula thread - lest she
>becomes Alan Webb the 2nd

What's wrong with that? She deserves it.

[tafnut]

Re: Paula... her story so far.

>>(Was apprehensive about starting another Paula thread - lest she>becomes>Alan Webb the 2nd

>What's wrong with that? She deserves it.

yikes - I don't think you meant that. Webb on the web has been one long idolworshiping/scapegoatbashing nightmare. Neither deserves that!