I'm either mad or a runner......or both! by JoCompton

• To run or not to run

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  Feb2020123:47 p.m.

  that is the dilemma!!

  My boys have got an inset day and have friends round so are happily playing on the wii which has given me the chance to sit, uninterupted on my pc and work out what's wrong with it and why it won't display this (and most other!!) sites very well. I've installed, updated, deleted, rebooted and reset god knows what and fingers crossed we're working, for now!!

  To be honest I feel a bit like my pc at the moment, old and past it and unable to cope with much more than the basics!!

  Running is sporadic, little runs, slowed by snow, ice, injuries and illness. I'm quickly realising that marathon training and me really aren't compatable and as soon as I up the mileage my body protests. I've only been out once a week for the past 2 weeks due to illness (severe sinusitus and an ear infection which I think was largely to blame for my misplaced foot causing a rather nasty sprain to my ankle!) and before that any runs over about 7 or 8 miles or running on 2 consecutive days caused my groin to groan, my knees to be knackered and my ankle to be angry (and that was before the strain!). Brighton is now less than 8 weeks away and like the previous 2 years I am again miles behind on my training plan. I do feel fitter than previously though and the running has been more consistent so now the dilemma is do I defer or do I continue??

  I thought the decision had been made for me upon skimming through the final instructions e-mail from Brighton and thinking I had to go in person on the Friday or Saturday to collect my race number. A quick trawl of hotels in Brighton found most of them fully booked and those that could accomodate a family of 4 costing well over £200 for the night! That's it, I'm going to defer I decided last week, that was until I read the e-mail again, contacted the marathon people and found that it's coming in the post in the next month or so and therefore no need for me to be in Brighton before the Sunday of the marathon. Now I don't know what to do.

  My injuries/aches and pains are managable as long as I don't push too hard (as if that's ever likely though my 3 mile run this week had 2 sub 10 min miles!!!!) and I'm well stocked with painkillers from last year when my groin went 2 weeks before London. Part of me wants to just sod it and do Brighton so that I can show myself once and for all that marathon running isn't for me and get it out of my system and just concentrate on more manageable distances going forward because what it actually boils down to is that I do love running. I love all those little single figure runs that I can do a couple of times a week, that don't involve planning, or gels and drinks, or avoiding certain routes due to hills or an excess of mud, or having a decent dinner or breakfast that isn't going to interfere with how I run. I also have lovely new running trainers which make running so bouncy and fun. I worry I may grow to hate them if I force upon my feet and legs 8 weeks of gruelling marathon training.

  And yet also in the back of my head is how much I loved London last year.  I had much less mileage in my legs than I do now and took it so easy that I finished with still plenty left in the tank and a yearning to do better. I've still got 6-7 good weeks of running ahead of me if I really knuckle down and just plod on regardless and if I adopt the run/walk approach on my long runs that I used to get me round London last year I'm confident I could head into Brighton much better prepared than I did for London and with much more confidence about what I can achieve. I deferred my first London place and I regretted that hugely. I think the only thing for it is to carry on and make that start line for Brighton. And then call it a day with marathon running!! Except if I ever get a place in London again, London's different!!

  Hope all of your running is going well.  Off for a catch up with everyone elses blog.

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  评论 (7)

  • simonedumergue 'OMG Jo, your blog post is the write up of everything that is going through my head right now. Unbelievable!! Like you, I am so injury prone and this third marathon seems me afflicted with injury at the exact same stage of training as the last two. I keep thinking this will be my last marathon (except if I get into London again - as that is so truly special it is indescribable!) but like you, I just love my running, and as a mother myself, I know how important that time out for myself when I can slip out the door and run is so vital in my life (but still plagues me with guilt at all the times I seem to abandon them all for 'another' training run). I think a few of us will be lining up at Brighton feeling less prepared than we'd like. Gotta be done though - we haven't put all the slog in to get this far to pull out and have to start all over again next year!! Good luck with the groaning body and hanging in there...' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • Dungey 'Think your last paragraph says it all, you are better prepared for Brighton than you were for London, and you made it round London. You still have a number of weeks, I would leave it til the last minute before you decide to defer. Keep plugging away and be realistic about getting round. I've had doubts like that too before Marathons, I told my wife to shoot me if I ever wanted to do another!' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • Hat 'Oh Jo, you have my sympathies - I think we all have a love- hate relationship with this running malarkey! I'm always planning on giving up or cutting back (as you read on my blog) and I often think of how much time and head space I would have if I did. But I also know how wonderful I feel when I've achieved something big and how much stronger my body is as a result of all this running. You have all the time in the world to run these races, look at me, I'm more than 20 years older than you!!! Maybe now is not the right time - not sure I could have done it when my son was tiny (and I only had one, so it's harder for you, so much to juggle..) Injuries can be as a result of so many different things - sometimes they are just caused by body tension caused by what's going on in our lives. I think you should give yourself a break, head for Brighton, try and do a few long runs between now and then (obviously a good idea!) but just plan to enjoy - forget times and then stick to the shorter runs you love. Not sure where you live but driving down on the day is what I did last year and will do again this year - my husband dropped me off right at the start where I sat on my bum until we had line up - if you get there early enough there is parking and car parks in and around the town too. Much cheaper than a hotel! Hope very much to see you at the start in April!xx' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • HellenH 'Jo - give it a couple more weeks - keep pluggin away - I promise the nights will get lighter (as will the mornings!) the days will get warmer - and the aches you have will seem a little less! At the end of the day only you know in your heart if you really reaaly want to run it or not run it - good luck (if its any help - I ran my third London last year - I was injured 6 weeks before and couldn't run right up unti the day - I did the run - didn't do the time I wanted and was ill for weeks after! But I was glad I did it and probably if the same happened again I would give it a go again) Let us know waht you decide to do xx ' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • Nick 'Where have you been, Jo? It's been ages! As to your question, should you defer - well only you can decide that. Maybe your aches and pains are the body saying it needs a bit of a rest. On the other hand, if you did defer, you would have the marathon hanging over you for another year. Maybe you can make your mind up nearer the date.' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • toddingtontrotter 'I think you should do it Jo. Get the marathoning out of the way in 8 weeks time and then run for fun for a while. Even if you did two single figure runs during the week and a nice slow long one each weekend you'd be able to jog round Brighton. If you defer you may well end up not running it anyway. It is a massive commitment and shorter races are bound to suit some people more. I myself am considering only entering hundred metre races in the future. I'm guessing you don't have to run beyond eighty metres in training. And it's all flat!' added 20th 二月 2012

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  • judith 'Only you can decide whether to defer or not. I probably would but I'm a wimp. But eight weeks is still plenty of time. Wrok a sensible eight week schedule and you will get round.' added 26th 二月 2012

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