Diary - Test Run 3

 Primary objective: test my own ability to run longer distances

Secondary objective: test various mental approaches, monitor post-run physical condition

Time: February 19

Duration: 3 hours 3 minutes

Distance: 24,1 km, a run around the peninsula where I live

Terrain: mostly flat, paved roads, covered in snow

Weather: dry, -9 degrees C, north wind 3 m/s

Primary results:

Success. This is the longest distance I've ever run non-stop.  

Secondary results:

Mentally, I need content for my brain to process. While running, the brain is getting excellent bloodflow and with it a lot of nutrients and oxygen. This is like nitro to the brain, but if it does not have something to process, it starts to pay too much attention to the present moment, the body, the run. That's unnecessary, I would rather trust the body to do it's own thing and occupy the mind with something else. So I'll have to put together playlists of debates and lectures for the longer test runs and the eventual Run itself. Or I can switch off the mind during the run, but that would be a waste :)

There were a few aches here both during and after the run, but that was to be expected. I did some good stretching, applied some Deep Blue herbal ointment to joints for the night and was happy the next morning. There's some weird muscles at the back of the leg, that I felt a little bit the next day. I need to figure out a stretch for them, but other than that, everyting was fine. I feel confident going into Test Run 4. That's going to be double again i.e. 50 km.

Nutrition is still an unsolved issue, though. After Test Run 3, I was hungry. For Test Run 4, I will definitaly need water and I think I will need some carbohydrate gels. But for the Run itself, I've no idea what kind of food I need and how to resupply the body and muscles with nutrients during the Run. Need to do some research here.