Sept 12th: Hell Freezes Over

Mirrors on the ceiling
Pink champagne on ice
We are all just prisoners here
Of our own device

We think, therefore we are. Or as Raoul says, "Maybe we think and act, therefore we are." When we look around there are always choices waiting to be made and in a way we are the choices that we make. Some decide to run a marathon and prepare hard for it, as blisters develop on blisters and improper clothing leave abrasions on your body. Your body cries but it will grow up. That is just the initial phase and you pass through it and then you feel a mountain has been conquered. And then there is the psychological war of making yourself run long and you manage to do that too, just run and run and run and ..... You would not have run the complete distance in any of your practice runs, but you just build up for it physically and mentally. Like body building you pass through plateaus and then sudden inclines and you find your sweet point, and you gain more strength with a recovery of 48 hours rather than 24 as your whole nervous system needs to recover.

Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back
to the place I was before

You stray out of your comfort zone and then you go stiff. Have I practiced enough. I think I can do this, but can I really really do it. Did I follow the proper schedule. Is my body fit enough, will I 'hit the wall'. From cramps, to dizziness, to dehydration, running incorrectly can cause more damage than good. Some facts about running a full marathon.
1) constant pounding leads to the loss of about 2 cm in height... so I'll need friends to pull my legs :-)
2) rise in temperature makes the body less efficient... let it rain, let it rain
3) fatigue and dehydration tighten the muscle, causing cramps.... its gonna be a salty run...
4) body loses fluid thru sweating and breathing.... clog your pores by not having a bath and the stink will stop you from breathing...
5) everystep is the equivalent force of 2-3 bodyweight... which means a baby elephant will be running...
6) muscles experience micro damage - tiny tears caused by constant pounding.... oh oooh
7) after the run your immune system is vulnerable... OH OOOHH!!

Bottom line: I want my MUMMY!!!!!!

Relax said the nightman
We are programed to recieve
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave

During the last week before a marathon there is not a great deal that you can do to improve your chances of completing. But there is a lot you can do to build your psychological fitness. Its a time to run the marathon in your head, eat the proper foods in the right amounts at the right time and taper down your practice runs so that your body has sufficient time to rejuvenate for the big day. All this so that you don't 'hit the wall'. And even if you don't complete it this time, there is no escaping, there will always be another. I guess there just has to, cause I am just another character in that old man's dream, as he is in mine. We may be in different time zones but we need to help each other out, "From each according to their ability; to each one according to their needs!"

The lyrics then give way
to an instrumental solo.
Hear the guitar sing.

Sept 13th: Climb 'The Matterhorn'