Ag nee man - I'll say it again! Run half marathons and then stop for a nice beer! Running for more than 2 hours is just silly - hahaha!
Congratulations on not giving up, and being mentally and physically strong enough to tough it out despite the heat!
So 42km is not good enough and now you want to qualify for the 56km? You sound like one of those people who can't stop getting tattoos! Hahaha! On a serious note, I imagine the next qualifying marathons will be even more into the summer heat? How are you going to go about picking which ones to try?
I used to train at Varsity Old Boys with my good friend Bradley and got quite fast again (I was a good runner at school) but only over 10-15km... Bradley has transitioned to half and full marathons now. I'm trying to remember if he's done the 56km... when does this torture ever end?
I have another friend who's brother (the guy I taught to surf a few weeks ago) is so crazy that he did a specialized event for charity where you have to run about 7km every hour for as many hours (IN A ROW) as you can. I think he won the thing with 38 consecutive hours of about 7km each... that's where it ends! Or the "Tougher Puffer"!
Is there a point where people admit it's not actually good for you anymore? A slippery slope my friend! Retreat back to half marathons and a rewarding beer! It's fine! Hahaha!
You have some very valid questions. I asked myself aswell what I must do differetly going forward seeing that I already trained very to start with.
The next marathon starts at 5:30. That's an hour and a half earlier then the Cape Town Marathon. Then I need to tackle more hill training sessions and alsontrain later in the day to get used to the hot weather. I like the challenge that comes with these ridiculous distances. How far can I push myself. Running is a serious addiction I will admit but it is still cheaper than therapy😄