I got over my half marathon with a good couple of days rest, then I was off to exercise some different muscles, mix things up a bit. I did some gardening, and this is actually where the fundraising and running cross over. Some proper hardcore gardening for my sister and brother in law in return for an extra generous donation to my fundraising efforts. However, I was not going to get away lightly from my running duties, my brother in law, James, is a veteran marathon runner from 2013 and had plenty of advice and persevered in cajoling me out the door and on another run. He knows how 'not an athlete' I am, and I am suspicious he also knows the well guarded secret that I will struggle to get round the course, particularly in a rhino, particularly with my apathy towards proper preparation.
Proper preparation? I have discovered it's more than just practicing the ancient art of bipedal movement. It means nutrition, hydration and other vaguely technical words that ultimately come down to giving your body the best chance it can, to keep up with the mind. So this comes down to the running gear, what modern man has invented to assist specifically those with some primeval desie to experience the pain of running for miles, once running down prey I suppose, now a medal.
James talked me through THE WALL and how to try an avoid hitting it for as long as possible. The key, apparently, is that your body can only assimilate a limited number of calories at a time, after which it runs out unless you consume more. If you fail to give your body more calories to burn, then your brain says run and your legs kind of sag and stutter, unable to complete the intended movement. One of the best ways to imbibe extra calories on the run is energy gels, so James has kindly donated a box for me to try out. Now I have got some of the gear, but where to put these glucose gel sachets while running. Here's the ingenius part, a tiny tiny belt, a bit like a workman's belt for tools, but much less practical on a building site. This is able to just about hold enough gels and possibly a cereal bar, to get me round the 26 or so miles, even while rhinoed up. I hope.
I will try these out in due course, and I'll let you know how it goes: if I'm sick; if it gives me the boost to smash through the invisible wall; or even if it has no discernible effect.
Until then.
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