Running's a religion for 20-mile-a-day man

13 April 2012

Thank goodness Mark Steinle discovered marathon running rather than religion. Or maybe in his case they are one and the same. When he talks about running he does so with a glittery-eyed zealotry that reminds you of those foot-in-the-door merchants who used to turn up on your doorstep to persuade you to join the Church of God Loves You So Pay Up.

When you put it to him that he is actually mad, he grins at you in delight as if you have passed some secret test, and says: "Yes, absolutely. Most people say I am.''

Not to worry. Mad Mark Steinle is a personable chap. He will be Britain's leading contender in the Flora London Marathon on 14 April, although given the quality of the field he may be hard-pushed to equal his sixth place from last year.

Steinle has given up his job and his independence to live with his parents in Kent and make marathon running his life. That means running 20 miles a day, seven days a week when there are no guarantees of success.

"I do believe I'll attain the highest level,'' he said, in the luxurious La Manga resort in Spain, fresh from his half-marathon victory at Murcia. "When I'm on long training runs I visualise beating the world's best. I have the same dreams at night. My arms and legs make the motions and I do all the breathing and everything. When I wake up my girlfriend Gemma says to me, 'You were running in your sleep again'.''

Gemma seems a patient young woman. For two years now Steinle has spent his sleeping hours inside an oxygen tent, to simulate the benefits of altitude training.

"She sleeps in it with me,'' said Steinle. "The generator is quite noisy and you have to use earplugs.

"The tent really works, it's not nonsense. UK Athletics are thinking of investing in something similar for the National Endurance Centre at St Mary's in Twickenham. Actually, the very latest theory is that you should live at high altitude and train at low altitude. That's only possible in some areas - the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, for example. An oxygen tent makes it possible.''

There is a moral debate as to why this manipulation of the body's oxygen use is considered fair, while injecting oneself with extra quantities of other naturally occurring stimulants is not.

"When needles are involved it's not natural,'' Steinle insisted. "You gain an unfair advantage and that's obviously cheating. In an oxygen tent your body is still just going through it's natural process.''

Life as a marathon runner seems thoroughly unnatural, such are its hardships. Yet this seems to be what Steinle relishes.

"After my first London Marathon in 2000, nothing else compared. It's the challenge of the distance, the atmosphere on the day, the enormous preparation and buildup, the feeling afterwards depending on whether it's gone well or badly. For 16 weeks in advance

you think of nothing but that day. Often during the race you can suffer pretty horribly, especially with blisters.

"The next day you're a wreck and every step is agony. But never the kind of agony where I think I'm not doing this any more.

"The big city marathons are the best. I know world and Olympic titles are the ultimate, but it feels as if the race is just added on to what's going on in the stadium. They're not part of the championships, they're just a sideshow.''

Steinle does just two marathons a year. His whole career may comprise 25 races. So injury can lay waste to entire years. He never got to the World Championships in Edmonton last year because of injury, and at the Sydney Olympics stomach cramps relegated him to 56th.

"The reward is running itself,'' said Steinle. "I'm 27, maybe four years from my peak. That's what keeps me going. If I can run 2hr 10mins now, then I believe I can run 2hr 7mins in a couple of years.''

That's when you ask if he is mad. Three minutes off a personal best at so elite a level is a gigantic improvement.

"It's a huge gap,'' he agreed. "But I'll do it. When I can't run because I'm injured I'm awful. I'm grumpy and moody. Then I get madly inspired and hit the bike or the pool in an attempt to get fit another way.

"It can be a roller-coaster emotionally. But if it turned out that this is as good as it gets, that I have already achieved my best, then it would still have been worth it. I'm doing something I love.''

Running's a religion for 20-mile-a-day man

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