Me VS 42km

I just finished yet another long run! And this one was the longest. Close to 35km, my god! The thing that really made this long run special is that...I didn't walk. Not for one bit. My previous long runs reduced me to a walking casualty around the 30km mark, but not this one. I was fully prepared.

I have this sort of ritual I do before I go for my long runs. It includes all the following items, without exception:

-Emptying my bowels off whatever's in there. Which means sitting on the pooper. As I sit there, I'll read whatever issue of Runner's World or Triathlete I have, for inspiration. The athletes in there do way more grueling stuff than me, and I take refuge in the fact that whatever I'm going through, they're going through worse.

-Peeing twice. Once just before I take a dump. And another time just before I leave the house.

-Drinking coffee! Caffeine really helps in the long run. Heh.

-Applying plasters on my nipples. Nipple abrasion is a real killer! I've seen photos where nipples are literally bleeding through some runner's singlet, and it's not pretty.

-Tying my shoe laces three times. My laces are really long, so I do it once, then another, and then another just to be safe.

-Eating two bananas. This will be done within the one hour preceding my run. The bananas are a real life saver, especially if you're going for more than two hours.

-Checking to make sure my running gels are ready. Running gels really help. For anything more than 21km, they are a life saver. They give you a real boost. It's like those video games, whereby you're out of health, and you need a health pack. Those running gels are like your health pack. They work, trust me.

-Making sure that my 100plus is ready in the fridge. After my long runs, I'm really really thirsty.

-Ice-pack in the fridge, ready. Again, for the aftermath of a long run. Icing and massaging saves your legs.

Hmm, that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there's more stuff I do. All this takes like...45minutes? And after the run, I've a sort-of ritual too, but that's for another time.

I'm on a runner's high :)