For most of us running it is a simple matter: you tie the shoes, you take a sip of water and embark your way. But for those who practice the ultra running, running it is something quite dirtier.
It is known as ultra running everything involving running more than the distance of a marathon (42 kilometers). Races can literally cover thousands of kilometers and take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to complete.
But as if that were not enough, those involved in these events also face physical, nutritional and hygienic obstacles that are very unglamorous.
We talked to two of the most successful ultra runners from Britain to tell us the nastiest side of running long distances.
Pizza
"The ultra running is simply a competition of eating and drinking with some intermingled run," says Robbie Britton, who won a bronze medal at the World Championship 24 hours of the International Association of Ultra Runners.
If you think the athlete -member team Britain refers to energy bars and nuts, they are wrong.
When you burn up to 8,000 calories per day, your nutritional needs become a little more extreme.
"People are able to eat anything. Curry, baby food, ice cream. An Algerian who competed entered the race with a wheel of brie cheese. At the end of each leg held back and cut a piece," says Robbie.
A Britton also likes to nibble in the middle of the races.
"There is a video of the first 100-mile race I won. Halfway up I see a hill eating a pizza. The next time I appear I'm crossing the finish line first," he recalls.
His secret? It was a Hawaiian pizza. "The pineapple has more carbohydrates."
When nature calls
When you're eating pizza in the middle of a run your body inevitably feel the need to get rid of the burden.
That's why most ultra runners carry always get a few sheets of toilet paper.
Athletes have a number of techniques to deal with the calls of nature, some more anti-social than others.
"In international races have raced with men who simply urinate while running. They even dot" says Jez Bragg, who was the fastest to complete the 3,054 km North to South trail New Zealand, in less than 50 days.
Bragg prefer sacrificing 20 seconds and pee in the bushes. But not only for reasons of decency.
"After a few hours of running your body you are dehydrated and your urine is become a dark yellow to almost brown. You do not want fill salted and dehydrated pee everywhere, because you end up irritated."
Irritation
In fact, after the blisters and the possibility of fatigue fade away, the scrapes are the worst enemy of long-distance runner.
Between her thighs, behind the knees, under the armpits ... anywhere where skin rubs against skin is vulnerable.
"The worst thing is if you irritate the buttocks" says Britton. "You have to walk like a duck for six hours, you ruin the race."
The ultra runners create ingenious strategies to avoid this unwanted reaction
"You always look weird when you walk into a business and ask largest pot Vaseline having" he says.
But there are areas where even Vaseline help.
"Using packing tape on my nipples. People always ask me if it does not hurt later when I take it off. Obviously they never rubbed their nipples for five hours straight."
goodbye nails
Professional racers will surely have the best shoes money can buy, but when you're running a marathon (or more) per day, even that is not enough to protect your feet.
"I'm always losing toenails," says Bragg. "Particularly in mountain races because when you're down for a long time your foot is pushed to the front of the shoe and there comes a point where fingers are too many bruises and nails simply die."
Look at the feet of Bragg appetite probably would take more than one, but he looks at the positive side.
"Never happened to me that the nail not grow back! Although they tend to fall again before reaching its normal size," he says.
"Some brokers make ultra directly draw the toenails permanently, but I would not go that far," he says.
It goes without saying that the ultra running is not a walk in the park. Nipples curbs, bathed in urine, toenails feet filthy clothes, and all for love of sport or, in some cases, for a noble cause.
But what is the biggest secret of these athletes, according to Britton?
"The main thing I do not like to admit the ultra runners is this: anyone can do it."
