Protein Ball experiment #1

 So, I made the first batch. Basically used the ingredients that I had on available:

• Sultanas, chopped up small. About two tablespoons worth of bits. Would have done more, but started chopping and kept going until I got bored.
• Cup of oats (I used quick oats, which are pre-chopped relatively fine. Rolled oats would be too chunky)
• 2 & 1/2 cups protein powder (started with two, added a bit more)
• About 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• About 2 tablespoons of honey

I found the ingredients mix was a bit dry in the bowl while I was mixing so I also added a sprinkle of water to help to ingredients mix. I made them late last night, made the balls and popped them in the fridge to firm up.

In the morning I tried one to see how it came out and found it to be a bit dry. Tasted ok, nothing to brag about. Mostly tasted of peanut butter and protein powder, couldn't even detect the sultanas. Not much pointing eating them when standing around, so next part of the experiment was to go out for a run and take some with me.

I put two into separate mini ziplock bags as I honestly expected them to collapse into powder and crumbly bits and loaded them into my off-brand camelbak along with a 2L water bladder and my bluetooth speaker for some tunes.

I had the first one at the 5km mark, and the second at around the 7.5km mark. The first one was easier to eat as I had stopped to take a Pokemon Go gym. The second one had been slightly squished out of shape but both had kept their structural integrity. When I ate the second one, I put the whole thing in my mouth - that was a mistake! Very dry, couldn't drink, made it hard to breathe. May need to make them smaller or make sure to take bites. Not sure how much having them along with me made a difference but I was able to do my 10k run in 1h 11min. A bit slow off my personal best of 1h 1min, but I also hadn't done a long run in around a year.

Changes for next batch: I want to try and work out a way to make it more moist. Maybe add butter? Less protein powder? Egg would give it more protein and make a good binding agent but would probably need to bake them a bit which would make them firmer. If I can make the base mix sticky, I can then coat the individual balls with desiccated coconut to stop them sticking to each other. I also want to add sugar, for that raw energy. And possibly a pinch of salt, since I tend to carry water instead of electrolytes when jogging. Would help on the longer runs.

Dumb idea #2,874

 So in April last year I wrote about running a marathon (42km) on my 42nd birthday. Clearly that didn't happen as I was already over 42 years old when I wrote that.

Today I decided to look up training programs for marathon running. Clearly a lot of the work is the diet - and genetics play a part - but it's certainly achievable. It wouldn't be fun and would require a lot of discipline since I do a lot of other physical training for work anyway - but I was seriously considering giving a marathon a go.

First problem: there are no marathons planned in Darwin. Not on any calendar that I can see at any rate. There are a few running clubs that I've seen (some more organised than others) around the place but none of them have a 42km event listed so far for 2023. If I wanted to do an actual marathon with a group and have participant certificate or something, I'd have to travel interstate.

Potentially, it could be perfect if I had one lined up for when I was going to be in that city / state, but it would highly unlikely I could get that timing to work out. A good one to aim for could be the Perth Running Festival in October. There shouldn't be much on my work calendar then, so I could get over there and give it a go, it's a loop that starts and ends at Optus Stadium in the city and it's a proper organised event with support staff and drink stations (and medics!) Having a quick look at the 2021 results (didn't happen in 2022 - possibly due to covid?) more than half the entrants finished in under 4 hours, with the last recorded finisher at 6 hours, 15 min. Just over 700 recorded entrants.

There are a couple of other marathons in WA prior to October, I don't see any after that one. It would be nice if there was one around late December when I am more likely to be there, but that would land right in the summer heat - not ideal running conditions!

Second problem: shoes. I have a basic set of worn-in shoes I use for training and a nice set of shoes for going out that will eventually be my new training shoes when these wear out but I'd need new shoes. Probably two sets, maybe three. Running a marathon (and the training for it) would put a lot of stress on these old knees and ankles, and a halfway decent set of running shoes are a few hundred. Each.

Third "problem", I'd like something tangible afterwards to show off and remember. Many of the larger marathons include finishing medals as part of the entry fee. From what I've been able to gather, they tend to produce 100 or so medals (more for larger events) as a motivator for the head of the pack to try and get a good time. The ones that tend to be run in Australia (no pun intended) skip that and may give a digital certificate or something with your finishing time. Whee, much excite, so wow. Even if I was in one that did offer the metal discs mounted on a ribbon, it's unlikely I'd finish in the top 100 (and let's be real - probably not in the top 500!)

Other than those three - there's nothing really stopping me from doing something silly like running laps around the block. The last on isn't really a problem because it wouldn't be that expensive to get a little medal made for myself. Quite lame to make myself a medal to award me, but if I ran my own marathon for myself the only thing I'd have to show for it is a screenshot of the time / distance on my running app. Also whee much wow.

So in the end, running "in a marathon" and getting a little trinket to show for it isn't going to happen. Running 42.195km on my own for shits and giggles and then making myself my own participation trophy - entirely possible. But do I want to put in the effort?

Edit: turns out that there is a marathon planned for the NT in 2023. Only problem is that it is over 1,400km away - out near Ayers Rock. And it isn't just the race entry fee: because it's inside the park there it would also require a park entry fee plus accommodation fee in the park. Plus the not-insignificant cost of getting there. Off the top of my head, I'd guess around $1K minimum, assuming I was the only one going. That's off the table.