Long Run Day (or not.......), Marathons (or not.......)

After much deliberation I've decided not to do my long run today, there is no improvement with my leg at all. Just walking around caused a pain in my knee and down my shin. Whatever I've done to it has certainly caused me a problem. I've only got two more weeks before the marathon and I'm getting very concerned about it.

A number of things are on my mind, the training has not delivered what I hoped for despite the mileage. My pace has slowed and I've lost confidence in my ability to run the race I know I should be capable of. Now my leg is playing up for whatever reason, I'm beginning to seriously think about whether I'm in the right frame of mind for this race.

The problem is this, I could run but it'll be do or die on the day. I don't really feel properly prepared despite the training. Will I do further damage to my leg, possibly, and with the effort of a marathon how long will it take to recover? One - two months based on previous experience. Considering all of the above I just wonder if its worth the effort now. Am I better off not putting myself through what might be a painful and not very pleasant experience, or do it and suffer the consequences, then to take a couple of months to fully recover, before I can start to get back to training.

Even writing this entry for my blog is a negative experience, I'm not exactly giving myself the positive affirmation I should be for the race, but I'm trying to be realistic and to come to the best decision. I don't want to run a 3.45 - 4 hour marathon when I know I should be doing better then that, and to run that time and have to take many weeks to recover doesn't make sense in my mind. I don't enter these races just to have a day out, I want to run a good time. I don't mind having a bad day, but after all the training, I just don't feel like I'm at my best. To much slow stuff and not enough at a faster pace for me.

Still got two weeks to come to a final decision.