Stormtroopers are a-go-go!

Spencer Rolls, aka Captain Wonder Pants, Project 65's resident nutcase, tells us how his week is progressing with a rather unusual (and uncomfortable) fashion ('xcuse the pun!)...

So this has been a very, very fun week!

For a while I have had a place in the Flora London Marathon. Now any normal person would just run it and enjoy the experience. Naaahhhh! That sounds just a tad too easy...!

So I’m not only doing the 65 miler with you all, but I am also running the FLM for Project 65... but with a twist! I tried to get acquire a 1944 authentic paratrooper uniform, just like the chaps had on that fateful day, but this was a becoming a tad impossible. So, with a little bit of panache, I acquired another uniform; that of a STAR WARS STORMTROOPER!!

Oh yeah. Who doesn’t love a trooper, huh?! Look at the curves!! Look at the whiteness!!

So, after constantly having to reorganise the logistics of collecting it, I finally got my hands on it, and what can I say...?!

• Uncomfortable
• Hard to put on
• Rubs (soon to find out where exactly!)
• BUT, Just looks so darn good!!

And now, the test run. IT is all ok in practice doing a marathon, I’ve done about 30 (really should count to get an exact number) including some nice ultras but never in a uniform or 'Fancy Dress'. It takes about 15 minutes to get ready so how these ever fought the Rebels, I’ll never know?! The thing I notice first is the lack of movement - can’t really bend my legs fully. So immediately, I mentally add an hour to the run. I can feel it resting in a couple of places so I’ll have to keep an eye out on them to stop chafing.

Then there's the helmet, the true symbol of a trooper. Well, not only can I now not move, but nor can I actually see anything or actually breathe!!

Next, onto the running machine... off on walk first to get going, then up the speed to 10kph. Its comfortable and all I can hear is the rattling of the armour. Surprising once you get going it’s easy. I’ll never break any records in this but at least it is run-able.

Oh, and then it gets hot - very hot! So now hard to breath, hard to see and sauna hot! Why have I decided to do this again?! JOY. Well, I suppose now it’s all about practice.

The thing I do notice is that I have a crowd watching me. I suppose it’s not every day you see a stormtrooper run down the road, is it?!

Well, just need to run further in it, and put on some advertising as well. The FLM is now my warm up, as well as Rory's! Feel free to sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/project65trooper

Happy running!

CWP