So Marcothon had ended in injury and sadness. As always happens these days when I stop running, I immediately pick up some virus or another to make me feel even worse. So the rest of December is spent cursing my knee ligament damage and sniffling around with man flu. The year was over and so was my plans to run the Liverbird Double Marathon on the 31st Dec and 1st Jan. Luckily I hadn't got around to entering anyway.....I have never pulled out of a race yet and have no DNFs to my name.
Between Xmas and New Year we were at my in-laws in North Wales. I had for company The Ghost Runner the story of John Tarrant and a crackling cold. By the time I got to 30th Dec I hadn't slept for a few nights and my knee seemed to be getting worse (I blame the bed) but had just finished the book. I could stop think about it that night and work in the morning inspired by John Tarrant and fuelled by my own stupidity....I am going to Liverpool.
So as it turns out 2011 hadn't finished and the was one last run left......the first part of the Liverbird Double Marathon. Giving my nose a heavy blow and strapping my knee everyway possible, I find myself registering for the marathon on a cold and dreary part of the Merseyside promenade. The race was dreadful. Running up and down the same stretch of promenade eight times in the rain was depressing. The time dire. However afterwards I felt great and had one more medal to add to the collection in 2011.
There was no chance I was going back for the second marathon on the 1st. However it did clear the cold and surprising did wonders for the knee to allow me to start full training again on the 2nd Jan, 2012 is going to be massive!!
PS. If you haven't read The Ghost Runner or heard of John Tarrant you need to. Start with this article from the Independant.... http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/john-tarrant-sad-shadow-of-the-ghost-runner-still-stalks-the-track-2305959.html
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