 I trained for my first marathon in a dark basement on a treadmill and staring at a red light. I was 40 pounds overweight and I wanted to subject myself to an even stronger level of deprivation than what I was experiencing emotionally. How long did you do that for? Four months. I dropped 50 pounds I think during that period. Have you ever tried to replicate that training for any reason? I'm in a different phase of my life although I crave it because there's something to be said for that controlled deprivation that is actually more intense than the things that are psychological that you're dealing with every day.