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Pete:
Yup. It becomes pure survival at that point.
Mac:
How will they do it? How would you do it?
Pete:
You know, I hate to say this considering it’s your sponsor’s strapline – I swear I have nothing to do with them – but for me it becomes about the mantra. Whatever the words are that work for you. I use a different one for each race, but at the end of the day? ‘Get it done’. That’s what I say to myself. Just get it done.
The irony of that is that even when you are done, your body has still suffered. You can’t run these kinds of distances without it taking a real toll on your entire system. You’re fucked for weeks, basically. Months sometimes. Talk to anyone who’s broken a world record – they’re broken themselves, sometimes they even endup in hospital because of it. Your organs start shutting down. Your muscles wasting away.
But without fail you’ll be back to chase that feeling all over again. It’s a proper trip to finish an ultramarathon. A high unlike any other. That’s why the thought that I’d take some sort of performance-enhancing drug before a race like this is just … it’s ludicrous. I accept my DNS. Fine, it is what it is. But I’m innocent.
Mac:
Hmm, speaking of runners on trial – I’m not the investigator Jason is, but I’d be remiss not to ask about the other infamous Wendell. That’s your ex-wife out there, right?
Pete:
It is. Don’t underestimate her. If this was some ordinary foot race, she might struggle to compete after this long out of the game. But this is anything but ordinary. Adri is the most determined, adaptable person I’ve ever met. When she gets her teeth into something, she doesn’t let up. Plus, our son is watching. I wouldn’t underestimate what kind of motivation that is.
Mac:
I bet. What happened to Nabil shows us the risks all the runners are taking. Aren’t you worried about her?