The Wall

I've been watching this video ever since it was released about 3 months ago. Even by watching the video alone, I was exhausted. And now in 3 days' time, we'll be running this entire route.

Pfft, nothing much that can be done right now.

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Have you heard of the term, "Hitting The Wall" ? It is a term used by endurance athletes when the body's glycogen levels are depleted from all that aerobic exercise, where the body has no choice but to burn fats for fuel instead. And here is where the problem starts.

The thing about the human body is that, if there's a certain body function that is not used often, the human body does not develop it. Just like us human beings, our body prefers to stay within it's comfort zone, by metabolising glucose and gylcogen, not only because it is abundant but because it's easy to be metabolised. We prefer to do things that are within our comfort zones because it gives us a sense of security. Unfortunately, whenever we bump into a crisis, most of us crumble under the pressure.

Similarly, the body crashes when the glycogen and glucose stores in the body is depleted, when it is forced to metabolise fats instead. Fat metabolism is complicated, tedious and time consuming. And because of this, the body is deprived of glucose for a certain period of time. This is when you 'hit The Wall'. According to athletes who hit The Wall, it is akin to 'having a ton of bricks dropped on your shoulders in a split second'. It comes quick and silently without you knowing it. Most athletes experience this when they hit the 35KM mark in a marathon or after about 4 hours or so of prolonged exercise. The muscles begin to cramp up and every subsequent step feels like you are trudging through knee-deep mud. Even the most well trained of professional athletes hit The Wall and when they do, they have a choice - to succumb or to fight back.

Heck, I have so much respect for The Wall that I'm typing it using upper case.

This is where all these months of training are essential. By volumising our runs and training under less than ideal conditions such as running under the afternoon sun and in the haze, we can push our bodies to the limits, in hopes that we can withstand the onset of The Wall for as long as possible. Even if we eventually hit The Wall, one's mental strength comes into play, where the notion of "Mind Over Matter" is truly put to test.

So why am I going on and on about The Wall?

The Wall does not exist only to endurance athletes, but to every single one of us. In life, we are bound to come up against difficulties, true every day difficulties in life. Endless difficulties which drags us to our knees, assaults us mentally and physically before finally telling us to give up and retreat. Difficulties which test our spirit and character as human beings.

Some of us persevere and weather the storm. They live to fight another day, growing in confidence with each passing victory. Unfortunately, many more are succumb to defeat or worse, choose to not even try.

Never. Ever. Give. Up.

Regardless of what happens this Sunday, if we ever do hit The Wall, I can assure you that Jimmy and myself will fight through it. Just like Terry Fox did every single day he ran his Marathon of Hope. Or on a lighter note, just like Simon Pegg did in Run Fatboy Run. We'll pull through, by hook or by crook.

And that is a promise.