London Olympics 2012: No sex please, we’re going for gold

HER husband has done a runner – into the spare bedroom. Martin Partridge has made the ultimate sacrifice by volunteering to vacate the marital bed for six weeks while his Scottish wife prepares for the Olympics.

Long-distance runner Susan Partridge, from Oban, will take part in the London Marathon today to try to win a place in the GB team for the 2012 Olympics. But she has primed herself for glory by sleeping alone in an oxygen tent to simulate breathing at high altitude and prepare her lungs for the rigours ahead. As a consequence, Martin has had to move out.

“The tent simulates being at 9,000 feet and he can’t really just hop in and cope with that,” Susan said. “He’d end up with altitude sickness. So it’s meant sleeping apart.”

The ends, both hope, will justify the means. Susan, 32, who has competed in European and World Championships, is hoping her performance will see her lining up beside Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi when the GB team is confirmed tomorrow. “Probably for me, this is a one-off opportunity because I’m not sure I’ll still be running in 2016, especially at this level,” she said.