The Guernsey gamble

Going strong about 11 miles into the Guernsey Marathon 2011

Well, less than two weeks now until it's time to try and defend my title at the Guernsey marathon. When I won there last year in a massive new PB (at the time) of 3:03:49 I was in the best shape ever. Yes, I had the achillies niggle, as always, but it was only minor and didn't bother me on the run at all. It was only the last 4 miles into a strong headwind that became a sturggle, but up until then I was the most comfortable I have ever been in a marathon. Fast forward one year and what a different story....

I have niggles galore, mostly the left achillies but also now the right one. Due to this I have been unable to do any long runs. Since I ran the 32 mile Dartmoor Discovery in June I have run a 17.5 miler, once, 7 weeks ago, and two 15 milers. My three attempts at going out to 20 miles had to be aborted at 15, then 11 and, last week, at a pathetic 8 miles due to the pain in my left foot, both ankles and calves that was too persistent to run through.

Last week I saw a physio and she diagnosed a hip misalignment, where my left hip is slightly forward of my right causing a whole twisting motion that is resulting in pain manifesting itself on the site of my achillies. She seemed to think that some uncomfortable poking and prodding of my soleus and iliacus muscles would be sufficient to cure a problem that I have been experiencing ever since starting running two years ago. As I suspected, this was over-optimistic thinking and now, post-treatment, the issue is ever so slightly better, but not much, and the improvement could easily be attributable to the enforced rest I have taken over the past two weeks.

I knew that a Guernsey title defence would be a long shot anyway this year as a lady from Bourton Road Runners who has previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in the marathon and who boasts a marathon PB of 2:38 is also entered. She won the Jersey Marathon last year in a time of 2:53: 10 whole minutes faster than my Guernsey win. Realistically, if I was in my best shape, I might be able to stay with her and at least give myself a fighting chance, but as things stand with my abysmal preparation and current catalogue of injuries, I will be lucky to even get round. Nobody would advise going into a marathon with only one long run of 17.5 miles, and that 8 weeks before the marathon itself, let alone advise this as an approach for someone who is hoping to be competitive and post a decent time. Basically, I'm screwed.

It's not only been my shaky physical state that has hampered my preparations; I am also mentally exhausted and really fed up of having to do long runs. I have been doing long runs since January when I started my build up for the Taunton Marathon. After Taunton I had a few weeks off before running the North Dorset Villages Marathon. After that I had 5 days off before heading out of the door on my one and only day a week off work for an 18 miler: no time to rest after Dorset as I had the Dartmoor Discovery ultra to prepare for in 5 weeks time. All of this time I was doing the long run every Friday, on my one and only day off a week. I would wake up early, drive the 55 miles from Dorset to Exmouth, have a strong coffee and head out of the door. I wouldn't get back in until 2pm, then after some lunch and a shower, my one day off was almost over and I was usually too tired to enjoy what was left of it. It got to feel like a bit of a chore by the end and I began to resent the fact that I HAD to run every week on this day, whether I felt like, it was atrocious weather, whatever. After the D.D. was over I immediately started to think about Guernsey. There's little wonder that I am physically as well as mentally knackered! Most athletes would have the summer off and just do short runs before picking up the training again for an Autumn marathon. I thoroughly loved the Guernsey Marathon last year and desperately wanted to return again this year to defend my title and also have a crack at the course record, which I was 2 minutes off achieving last year, but the timing of it, at the end of a hectic summer's racing programme, is not ideal.

Make no mistake, Guernsey is going to hurt this year, really hurt. I anticipate that I will start to suffer from about 14 miles onward and that suffering will just keep getting worse and worse with every step until the finish. The ideal scenario would be to withdraw, but when I've already booked the flights and the marathon organisers are putting me up free of charge in a lovely hotel, the pressure is on for me to at least give it a go. I mean, there have been multiple other times when I have barely been able to put one foot in front of the other in my build up to races, even warming up for a race has been done at a hobble, but when the gun goes I have somehow managed to pull a performance out of the bag... even if I do suffer for it in the days after. I just figure that if I can haul my battered body around Guernsey then I can reward it with as much rest as it needs after. I just hope it will accept this deal and that the gamble to go out hard and try to be competitive on such little mileage and with already wrecked legs pays off.... Watch this space to find out!