The pain cave
Being an athlete makes absolutely no sense, from a biological standpoint. For millennia, human evolution has favoured energy efficiency. Allostasis – the intrinsic process of regulating blood glucose levels, blood pH, body temperature and more – is a big task most of the time, especially with our big brains consuming as much as 20 per cent of our energy resources. Exercise, especially in the extreme, tends to make that job even harder: burning through glucose, messing with our body temperature, dehydrating us. That inclination to preserve energy is also why, when faced with the choice between bingeing on Netflix or running a marathon, many people will find a comfy spot on the couch.
Except some of us do run marathons – and longer. Much longer.
“You feel completely debilitated. Every ounce of your body is pleading with you to stop”
The inclination to
