Advantages: Fairly lightweight, fantastic suction, easy emptying, good looking. Disadvantages: Actually, I can't think of any.
My first Marathon was bought purely because it was cheap from one of the TV shopping channels, unfortunately we had a flood and it drowned! I was distraught.
I eventually managed to buy another one from a factory shop but was looking online and would gladly have paid list price after being so pleased with the original one.
It comes with all the attachments you could want for all sorts of uses. I love the turbo head which cleans carpets like a dream. I have a long haired dog and I find the fantastic suction on this vacuum cleaner gets the hairs out of the carpet with little effort on my part.
I have tried other machines with the same wattage but they haven't had the suction that this one has.
It is easy to see when the clear perspex container needs emptying and it is very simple to do so. A brush is provided to clean the filter ...
Advantages: Compact and convenient, no bags Disadvantages: Still need to purchase filters from time to time.
I puchased this Philips vacuum cleaner to replace one of those very costly vacuums - the Vorwerk - that cost over £1000 and come with various attachments to do everything from floors to carpet cleaning. I could not bear the fact that the Vorwerk (which I inherited and did not purchase myself) took up an entire cupboard and ommitted to do the one thing I required, namely, suck up dirt! It was a happy day indeed when I took the whole mass of dark green plastic and bits to the tip. You also needed deep pockets to purchase the bags and carpet snow etc to keep the monstrosity running. My cleaner had become emotionally attached to the Vorwerk, so took some convincing to switch to the Philips. Bizarrely she threatened to stop working for me if a got rid of the Vorwerk. I realised why in retrospect. A vacuum cleaner that does not suck is ...
Advantages: The sense of achievement on finishing Disadvantages: Forcing yourself to get through those last miles. The training.
I would recommend building up gradually. I used to be rubbish at running when I was young, but stuck at it and plodded around a few 10Ks. I certainly never thought I would manage a marathon.
Then, at Uni, I joined the cross country club, and generally came near the back of the field. I found the distance (around 2 miles) too short, and the speed too fast. In 1996, more by accident than design, I entered my first half marathon, The Great Scottish Run (thinking it was a 10K), and completed that fairly comfortably.
Then, back at Uni, Leicester RAG held a 24 hour race, with one ultra-athlete running around the university campus non-stop from 3 in the afternoon until 3 the next day! Nutter. I managed to keep up with him for three hours and ran 20 miles. It was then that I realised I could possibly have a go at a full marathon. I entered ...
