On a warm 22 degrees day I am mile 8 into my first of two 12 mile runs laden with weight. I am sweating and the skin on my back has worn away to such a degree that the platlets in my blood have given up forming over the area of friction. Every time I hit the ground my backpack lifts and when I lift off it sags. The result of these conflciting motions have inspired me to run in a hunched form not which give a certain resident of Notredame a run for his money.
In these days of relentless training I could do two things. A): Give up and cry myself to sleep. Or B): Laugh at the whole situation. I always try my best to choose the second option. Because, lets face it is is funny. I mean Im running this same route with a huge backpack on, my 10th pair of Ipod headphones cast off over my shoulder because they no longer work. And I have a towel wrapped over my left shoulder to prevent the chafting of my cut back. All of this training is for the most extreme marathon ever attemped and its going to be ran my me... and one of my best friends who at the same time last year were both living homeless in Sydney selling Psychadellic Electronica CD'S recorded by us in a drunken/green haze during our College years. I take everything with a pinch of salt. Whenever I start to take myself to seriously I take a long hard look in the mirror and initiate myself into a 7 minute Mayan Ritual Mating Dance which I picked up in Lebongan Island from a shamen.
I am not a super Athlete or even a great runner. Nor is Max but we both have one thing in common which many much fitter people lack in the case of these events. And thats motivation.The motivation to prove the legions of people and companies who wrote us off in January stating such things as (and I quote). "You cannot run 20 miles a day, it is impossible". Well guess who is now? and "You will never be able to get to Rome in under 60 days" ( we have yet to try but you can be sure we will give it our dam best shot!). I have trained so hard for this event and so has Max and not one person can tell me what I can or cannot do. Since day one I have said and said with confidence that I am running to Rome in June. And I will complete the run in under 60 days. My word is my bond and this bond supplies me with the fuel to continue no matter how bad things get. No matter how low I feel. And no matter who tells me to give up.
For my training im wearing Compression Vests I used these when I was fighting and they really help me keep cool. Something I will need to be on this run.
On Saturday me and Max will be running our longest Ultra to date. A 74 Mile run from Redhill to Brighton and back. The route will be using maps and we will be navigating across the hills of south east England. Of course this event will be filmed and im sure it will provide you people with 5 minutes of laughs, shocks and entertainment. Then after that we will both be taking our training down a few notches, preparing ourselves for our exams and organising the logistical aspects of the run.
Our fates cannot be predicted but they can be manipulated. The man who basks in the glow of success simply turned to face the sun.
Have a good one people.
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