It's on like Donkey Kong

OK, you’ve done it. At the whim of the populace, I am committing, here and now, to run the 2012 Edinburgh Marathon in 19 days’ time. Thank you for your responses, I enjoyed them all immensely. For those of you who missed out, I posed the ‘to run or not to run’ question in this blogpost, and received the following smorgasbord of advice...

Marc: Very difficult question indeed. My inclination is that you should do it, but make it about something other than the time. Find a slower friend and pace make for them, or just try to run every mile the same speed, or intervals, or something. Anything to create a 'different' challenge from running the whole caboodle as quickly as you can. You love running, and I can't see you not enjoying it some way. But BE CAREFUL.

Dave: Thank Marc, I agree with all of your points. My ‘different challenge’ might involve a run/walk strategy, I might have a go at a charity chaser challenge, or I might take my iPhone and attempt to blog live through the event. All to be decided.

Iain: As the result of playing cricket through an injury (a pain in my left hip) I am now off for (yet more) MRI scans, I would advise against running a marathon at the best of times let alone when injured!

Dave: Iain, we have been friends for about 15 years and you’ve been injured for about 14 ½ of them. As such I should probably take your advice. But I am an idiot so I won’t.

Clair: Hi Dave, Sounds like you have a 'sportsmans hernia'. I say run if it feels ok and you feel ok, but if its just going to end up causing you more pain then what have you gained from it? You've already achieved great things so if you feel like passing on this one, I don't think anyone would question your decision. If however you decide to do it (I personally would err on the side of caution) the I'm doing the half! Wave as you fly by! :)

Dave: Clair, you are ridiculously kind to write such nice things about my achievements. I have been back and forth with the NHS since November in an attempt to determine whether or not I have a hernia of any sort. The diagnosis is that I have something called a perisymphyseal oedema, which I don’t fully understand, but apparently am allowed to run on if I take an enormous pile of anti-inflammatories too. I feel OK, and I’ll run gently... Good luck with your half!

Katie: Ask yourself: What would Jedward do? Then do the opposite.

Dave: Well there goes my don’t-run-and-then-lie-about-it-afterwards plan.

J-Mac: Defer your entry until next year. No shame in that!

Dave: J-Mac, you are so wise but the Edinburgh marathon is so stingy that if I did that I would just have to pay again. They would defer my place but keep my cash, hardly an incentive in a first-come-first-served race that’s easy to access...

Latterbarrow: Do it! - with a chest infection, and knowing I had little or no chance of completing, I travelled to Yorkshire and started the Three Peaks Race. For me, the old cliche of 'taking part..' is true.. (I got three miles, spewed up, and spent the rest of the day recovering in the pub)

Dave: This is full of mixed messages. Maybe I should just go straight to the pub?

Simon Freeman: I'd echo what Marc wrote and say that if you can find another reason to run, it might be one of your favourite races. While I was flogging myself to a 2 minute PB in the London this year, my wife was studiously ignoring her PB and jogging round, enjoying the day and treating the London as a training run (with a medal at the end) for the ultras she is doing in 2012. She loved seeing a different side of the race.

Dave: Simon, you sound like a clever man. Your wife sounds even cleverer.

Training plan: a Martin Yelling inverse taper.

Race strategy: banterous chat.

Predicted finish time: absolutely yonks.

It’s on like Donkey Kong.

Happy running.

Dave

2012 to date: miles run - 164.3, miles biked - 50.2, metres swum - 750, races - 2